Cohabitation and Immorality Rewarded by Obamacare

Below is a disturbing article written by Dr. Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, about the damaging effects of Obamacare. This is just another example of the continued shift away from morality in America. How can congress and the President even consider a bill that penalizes married couples for obeying God's design for human beings? I can't understand it, but it's happening. Obamacare completely disregards God's will and rewards sinful behavior.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.— The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, punishes married couples by making it more difficult than unmarried couples to receive subsidies. Under the ACA, the less income earned, the more money is available to individuals from the government to pay for health insurance. In many low-income communities around the nation, marriage is now the exception rather than the rule and not getting married is the major tax shelter for low- and moderate-income households with children.
Couples living together who are not married could save up to $10,000 more than a married couple under Obamacare because the health care law requires married couples to combine income and prohibits them from filing as two individuals.  On the other hand, an unmarried couple living together can file as two individuals. The disadvantage is for couples who choose marriage.
Heritage Foundation reports that in order to receive a government subsidy, a married couple must earn less than $62,040. Therefore, a married couple with each spouse making $35,000 annually for a combined income of $70,000 dollars would not qualify for a healthcare subsidy. In contrast, an unmarried couple with each partner making $40,000 for a combined income of $80,000 could qualify for thousands of dollars in subsidies.  Whether this disparity was intentional or not, it is extremely damaging to the social fabric of our nation.
Dr. Richard Land, president of the Southern Evangelical Seminary, (SES—www.ses.edu), stated, “The fact that Obamacare penalizes married couples financially is about as counterproductive to stable families and a stable society as any government policy can be.  The oldest axiom in public policy is: ‘That which you tax you’ll get less of.  That which you subsidize you’ll get more of.
“By financially penalizing marriage formation and conversely subsidizing non-married family units, government is acting in a way that the New Testament calls perverse.  Romans 13 says that the civil magistrate is ordained to reward those who do that which is right and penalize those who do that which is wrong! Isn’t Obamacare doing exactly the opposite?”
Land goes on to say that Christians must be active participants in the culture war—standing firm against society-damaging issues such as the breakdown of family (penalizing marriage) and abortion – both of which are components within Obamacare. 

Punished for Loving God and His Country

Yes it's true, American citizens are being punished for displaying our national motto and using patriotic email signature blocks. This is similar to what was occurring in the Roman Empire during the days of Peter. In fact Nero, the Roman Emperor, hated Christians because they were associated with the Jews and hostile to Roman idolatry. Nero blamed the Christians when the city of Rome burned in A.D. 64 and then lied that Christian's had started the fire. As a result vicious persecution against Christians began, so Peter decided to write a 1 and 2 Peter. He sent these letters to five provinces of Asia Minor to encourage Christians about the persecution they were experiencing and to stand firm in the Lord. I would encourage this military veteran with Peter's words from 1 Peter 3:14 "But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed.” And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." Even though we should stand and fight for our religious liberties that are guaranteed to us by our Constitution, this scripture and many more remind us it is a privilege and honor to suffer for righteousness sake.

Here is the story about Boot Hawks:

A retired military veteran was placed on administrative leave after his employer denied his right to display "God Bless America" with his e-mail signature. The veteran, Boots Hawks, was asked to remove the statement from his signature block by his employer, Dameron Hospital, in Stockton, California. When he said he wanted to obtain legal counsel about his rights, he was placed on leave for insubordination. "Here we are right after Veterans Day recognizing individuals like this veteran, who fought to defend freedom and liberty for our country," said Hawks’ attorney, Brad Dacus of Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), "being punished simply because he wanted to have the display 'God Bless America' on his own email signature block."Hawks returned to his job after Veterans Day to find his computer password suspended and lock combinations changed. "No employee should ever be punished and disciplined for a patriotic statement like 'God Bless America,' and unfortunately this is exactly what this hospital decided to do," Dacus told OneNewsNow.com. PJI sent a strongly worded letter to supervisors reminding the hospital that Hawks has been a dedicated employee for 10 years and even earned "Employee of the Year" for his work.Since then, Dameron Hospital has cleared Hawks of insubordination, but continues to ban him from using "God Bless America" with his signature.

Christian Syncretism - Destroying the Christian Witness

James has a little something to say about being double minded. A double minded person wants their will and God's will done at the same time or you might say a person who wants all the benefits of God and all the benefits the world. James 1:8 states that "a double minded man is unstable in all his ways." Did you catch that...."in all his ways." Followers of Christ are to extend God's rule to everything. His Lordship should be present in the smallest details of our lives. In fact the person who is double minded is a doubter, as James states in verses 1:6, 7. In the original Greek the words "double-minded," mean "two-souled." What happens when a crisis comes into the life of a double minded person, as you might expect they fall apart because their faith was never real to begin with, because their heart never belonged to God. If you serve people in ministry like I do or know of people who are double minded, you have seen what happens when a trial comes, their lack of trust in God leads them to receive nothing from God. 

So here is my point, it is destructive for those who call themselves Christians but divide their lives into secular and church (sacred). This is referred to as syncretism. This is a person who wants to have the best of the Christian life and the best the world has to offer, but never truly identifies with Christ as a follower. In my ministry I share the gospel everyday and some times multiple times a day. I do this with gospel tracts, verbal conversations and most importantly my actions. As I sow seeds of the gospel my prayer is that men and women will be drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit and be genuinely converted by Him. Conversion precedes discipleship, so the purpose of the church is to be daily sharing the gospel and leading men and women to become disciples of Jesus Christ. But in my daily rounds in ministry I interact with a variety of people in the Charlotte region, an area that is consider to be the Bible belt, but rarely see mature disciples of Christ. The reason these "Christians" are not maturing, is there is no sanctification going on, because there is no relationship with Christ in their life.  

The bottom line is that there are way too many "Christians" who have divided their lives into secular and spiritual. Their spiritual lives only occur on Sunday and Wednesday nights. But what is destroying the Christian witness, especially in America, is Christians living in the world and just like the world.

I am in the process of surveying all of my employees who do not attend church. My only question is for them to tell me the reason they don't attend church. So far, the overwhelming response has been the hypocritical lives of Christians. Christians are waging war against the Great Commission by doing this, the mission of the church.

 

Henry Blackaby, wrote in his book, Experiencing God, that "a love relationship with God is more important than any other single factor in our lives...Everything in our Christian lives, everything about knowing God and experiencing Him, everything about knowing His will, depends on the quality of our love relationship to God."

 

Don't let a double life destroy your Christian witness. Your life is not about you nor does it belong to you...if you truly follow Christ.

 

 

Training Up My Children

 

One of the most important responsibilities in my life is training and instructing my children to know Jesus Christ and develop a biblical worldview. In fact God has sanctified my marriage so Ashley and I can produce and raise godly children who will also one day produce godly children. Consider the words from Psalm 78:5-7 "...He commanded our fathers, that they should make the law known to their children. That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." What if all parents would do this? Talk about a difference in the kingdom of God and across our world. Unfortunately this is uncommon in our society and becoming even more so. Ashley and I decided last year to invest in our children's spiritual lives by enrolling our daughter into Metrolina Christian Academy. We do not consider this an expense, but an investment in her heart. 

 

I challenge all parents who have children to first understand that it is your responsibility to train your children to know Christ, not the church.

 

Glen Shultz, the author of Kingdom Education, stated that "Our children must be armed so they can enter this world and take their stand for Christ without fear and trembling." If your children are in public schools I would encourage you to prayerfully consider what they are learning and the long term impact of what they are learning. Home schooling and Christian schools are viable options and the best options for Christian parents who want to protect the hearts and minds of their children.

 

In the picture below is my daughter Taylor when she visited a local assisted living center. She took her Bible so she could encourage some of the residents with her favorite Bible verses.



 

 

 

 

Mustard Seed, Yeast, and a Kiwanis Club Luncheon

Today during lunch I had the privilege of speaking to the Mecklenburg Kiwanis Club. I was invited by Valerie, a Kiwanis member and an employee I serve at Bonded Logistics.

When Valerie asked me to speak I didn’t know much about the Kiwanis Club, but I have since learned that Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. Their values are honorable and compatible to biblical teaching, even though they are not considerable an evangelical organization. After Valerie told me they were seeking to grow their club I felt led to share from Matthew 13:31-33, the Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Parable of the Leaven. But not before I took about 10 minutes to share about Corporate Chaplains of America. These parables not only refer to the Kingdom of God, but to growth in life as well and that was how I applied this verse to their strategy of growth. The mustard seed emphasizes growth and the yeast (leaven) represents permeation and transformation. Jesus was emphasizing the possibility and potential that would be the Kingdom of God. It would start out small and insignificant but would quickly spread throughout the Roman Empire and later to the known world. I concluded my speech with three principles of application for their growth:

1) Prayerfully seek God as you develop your vision and strategy for growth

2) Like a seed, there will be a delay between  initiating your strategy  and its fulfillment

3) Like yeast, change is not just gradual, it will be inevitable.

 

Troops Respond to The Cross

This morning I was invited by a friend of mine, SFC Tarczynski, to speak and lead worship at the Charlotte Armory for some of the newest National Guard soldiers in North Carolina. It's always an honor to preach and this morning was one of those occasions. After watching The Cross by Billy Graham last week I was moved by it's powerful and impactful message and I knew this was going to be the perfect opportunity to reach unsaved troops. I was thrilled that over 70 troops attended this morning's service (which is a lot for a National Guard worship service). I spent a considerable amount of time last night and this morning seeking the Lord for the salvation of the spiritually lost that would attend. After Billy Graham prayed his prayer of salvation (Sinner's Prayer) at the end of the video, I took the next 20 or so minutes and ensured they clearly understood the gospel (which has been perverted so much in our culture), the power of the Cross, their desperate need for a Savior, and the necessity of repentance...because there is no forgiveness without repentance.

I am happy to report that 14 soldiers received Jesus as their Lord this morning. I invite you to say a prayer for them and their search for a Bible teaching church where they can begin the discipleship training and the lifelong process of sanctification.
In summary, we all needed that reminder from Billy Graham that apart from Christ we are nothing and deserving of eternal death in Hell. For those who are trying to impress God with their religion and accolades, this message was a reminder that their best works are like dirty filthy rags before His eyes. Jesus died on the cross so we could be set free from slavery to sin and its permanent consequences.

I praise God for these 14 souls and pray their profession of faith was sincere and their names have been written in the Book of Life.

 

The Carey's: A Family of Faith

The following story is about my good friends Brian and Shelly Carey from Katy, Texas. I have known Brian and Shelly for over 11 years and to this day Brian is one of my best friends and dearest brothers in Christ (despite throwing a dart into my head). Over eight years ago, after several years of trying to conceive a child, Brian and Shelly were told by doctors they would most likely never have any biological children. This is where their journey of becoming the parents of three children would begin. This also became an opportunity for Brian and Shelly to exercise their faith. As long as I have known Brian, he has lived what he believes and has constantly inspired me with his fire and passion to proclaim to gospel and make Christ known to anyone and everyone. Through obedience, faith, conviction, love, and compassion, Brian and Shelly were led to pursue the adoption of a child in Russia. After multiple trips to Russia and a mountain of paperwork, they would adopt their first child Matthew in 2006. Matthew was no ordinary child, Matthew was born with a severe cleft palate and a heart condition. But after numerous surgeries and operations, Matthew has been transformed in ways that would have never been possible if God had not divinely arranged for Brian and Shelly to adopt him in that small Russian town thousands of miles away from Texas. Only God! A few years later, Brian and Shelly took another bold step in faith and became foster parents. Since that time they have fostered several children and have adopted two of these precious little ones. As you can imagine, these children came to them from very difficult backgrounds, some with physical challenges and others with behavioral and emotional challenges. But when you live by faith and not by sight, God will carry you, bless you, and sustain you, and this is exactly what occurred in Brian and Shelly's life. This is not to say they didn't experience challenges, because they did. But you don't foster children without expecting challenges. Brian and Shelly love the Lord and thus they love orphans. In Psalm 82:3-4, the psalmist wrote to "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Brian and Shelly answered the call and the biblical mandate to care for orphans and I for one couldn't be more proud of them. Because of their submission, God rescued three children through the yielded and willing hearts of Brian and Shelly. In conclusion, Brian and Shelly's lives are a testimony of faith in action. Faith without works is dead and without putting our faith into action, we deny the Lord and possibly give proof that we have never truly believed. I would encourage every Christian reading this story to be convicted and inspired by Brian and Shelly's faith. It has for Ashley and I as we have recently contacted the Social Services in our home county to begin the fostering process. If you are a married couple and have no children, don't resort to unethical fertility treatments or selfishness. Embrace the biblical concept of marriage by being fruitful and multiplying your family, whether through adoption or fostering. God doesn't bring a couple together for selfish purposes, he brings them together so that His Will can be done.
I love Brian and Shelly and hold them in high regard for their bold faith in Christ and for not being afraid to step out into our fallen world to honor God. This was not a risk, its was faith.

Below is the Carey family just after their official adoption of the little boy Brian is holding. The little boy's mother was incarcerated in Galveston when Brian and Shelly received the call to provide foster care. The Carey family has been blessed and God has been glorified.

 

We Are Still One Nation Under God...but it's Slipping!

SAN DIEGO – Two California chaplains have filed suit against the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), alleging that they had been forced out of a training and placement program because of their Christian faith.
Chaplains Major Steven Firtko and Lieutenant Commander Dan Klender state that they were repeatedly harassed and threatened while enrolled in the San Diego Clinical Pastoral Education Center program last fall and winter. The men claim that their instructor/supervisor, Nancy Dietsch, hassled them throughout their time at the center over their Biblical beliefs.
Firtko and Klender outline that they were informed during the classroom instruction period that both Dietsch and the VA “do not allow chaplains to pray in Jesus’ name in public ceremonies.” When they attempted to quote Scripture during class discussions, they were personally reprimanded.
“Ms. Dietsch informed the class she believes God could be a man or woman. Chaplain Firtko [then] recited the Lord’s Prayer, stating, ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven,’” the lawsuit states. “In response, Ms. Dietsch angrily pounded her fist on the table and shouted, ‘Do not quote Scripture in this class!’”

Read the rest at Christian News

Read more at http://savingourfuture.com/2013/11/military-chaplains-sue-ordered-quote-bible-pray-jesus-name/#sikIMYpiqfio7ccp.99

SAN DIEGO – Two California chaplains have filed suit against the secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), alleging that they had been forced out of a training and placement program because of their Christian faith.
Chaplains Major Steven Firtko and Lieutenant Commander Dan Klender state that they were repeatedly harassed and threatened while enrolled in the San Diego Clinical Pastoral Education Center program last fall and winter. The men claim that their instructor/supervisor, Nancy Dietsch, hassled them throughout their time at the center over their Biblical beliefs.
Firtko and Klender outline that they were informed during the classroom instruction period that both Dietsch and the VA “do not allow chaplains to pray in Jesus’ name in public ceremonies.” When they attempted to quote Scripture during class discussions, they were personally reprimanded.
“Ms. Dietsch informed the class she believes God could be a man or woman. Chaplain Firtko [then] recited the Lord’s Prayer, stating, ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven,’” the lawsuit states. “In response, Ms. Dietsch angrily pounded her fist on the table and shouted, ‘Do not quote Scripture in this class!’”

Read the rest at Christian News

Read more at http://savingourfuture.com/2013/11/military-chaplains-sue-ordered-quote-bible-pray-jesus-name/#sikIMYpiqfio7ccp.99

Election day has come and gone and I was once again left wondering if any of the elected politicians will be bold enough to speak with a biblical worldview or simply quote God's word as they manage and govern. All I want of any leader or politician is to realize God is control and understand that "...all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth" (Matthews 28:18). This is a powerful statement and one that I believe every politician must acknowledge and govern by. In fact, Scripture tells us that there is no authority apart from God and that all governments have been established by God. As a Christian, I cannot discuss government without discussing God. They go hand in hand. We have many special days in American history that have defined our Christian heritage and one such day is February 7. It is a notable historical day for the acknowledgment of God in modern America and it is the day that a sermon was preached before President Dwight D. Eisenhower, suggesting that the words "under God" be added to the pledge. The sermon was preached by the Rev. George M. Docherty, pastor of New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D. C. On June 14, 1954 (Flag Day), President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law, officially adding the words "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance, telling the nation this:

"From this day forward, the millions of our school children will daily proclaim in every city and town, every village and rural school house, the dedication of our nation and our people to the Almighty. To anyone who truly loves America, nothing could be more inspiring than to contemplate this rededication of our youth, on each school morning, to our country's true meaning. . . . In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country's most powerful resource, in peace or in war."

Fast forward nearly 60 years and atheists all over our country are using legal action to remove "one nation under God from the pledge."

Pray for our country and do your research on which candidates represent God and acknowledge His Son's authority. God has called us to make our decisions by His Word and not by the words of man.
 

The Future of Our Country

I had the honor this afternoon to speak to all of the 1st Graders at Metrolina Christian Academy about the importance of Veteran's Day. I showed pictures, answered questions, did some push-ups, and gave out military prayer coins. Like anything in life, the earlier a child learns something is important the more they will appreciate and respect it when they are older. Proverbs 22:6 states that we should "train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." This scripture doesn't have to only be about the Bible, it can go further, much further, to encompass all areas of life. There is great wisdom in training children to understand and respect what they don't understand, especially the need to honor veterans, military service, and most importantly God.

 

Eroding Church Leasdership: Part 2

In part one I eluded to the qualifications of a pastor and how the words overseer, bishop, and elder all refer to the same office, that of pastor, the leader of a church. Not only does the senior pastor lead and shepherd his congregation, his decisions and lifestyle can impact an entire community and sometimes all of Christianity. Unfortunately what the media reports are news stories about pastors living in luxury, having affairs, embezzling money, pornography, or things of the like. There is even a reality show called Pastors of LA which follows "so-called pastors" around Los Angeles as they serve themselves and live in lavishness. Which begs the question are the qualifications for a pastor?

In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9, Paul provides these men clear instructions of what qualifications future pastors should possess. Both Timothy and Titus were missionaries, church planters, and pastors and also acted as Paul's representatives on numerous occasions. In Timothy's case, he was chosen by Paul to correct false doctrine in Ephesus and then equip it with a qualified pastor (overseer) before moving on to his next assignment.

Here are the qualifications from 1 Timothy 3:1-7

1) Blameless - this does not mean perfection, but that the pastor is not guilty of any wrongdoing. This is a man who refrains from the perception of evil and lives in a holy manner always seeking to correct areas of his life that could damage his reputation and integrity.

2) Husband of one wife - no matter how this verse is interpreted, one thing is clear, the position of pastor is designed for a man and men must love and respect their wives and never consider divorce as an option. There is nothing discriminatory about this verse; women are simply not qualified for the office of pastor, because God has designed it for a man or a "husband of one wife." Every Christian must come to the understanding that God doesn't care what we think is best, He has already told us what He expects and wants through the pages of the Bible.

3) Temperate, sober minded, of good behavior - these words mean watchful, being able to think clearly and orderly. These qualities demonstrate that the pastor is able to bring order to the church.

4) Hospitable - the Greek understanding is "love for strangers." Pastors must be welcoming and friendly. There is nothing more damaging than when a pastor is rude to outsiders. What a poor witness for the Christian faith.

5) Able to teach - the pastor is to clearly teach the Word of God with boldness, humility, and clarity

6) Not given to wine - the Greek understanding for this is simple, the Pastor is to practice abstinence from all alcohol and remain in complete sobriety. The social stigma and the terrible social evils from alcohol make it imperative that God's spiritual leaders abstain from alcohol, to include wine. There are no exceptions, nor is there any way to justify alcohol consumption for a pastor.

7) Not violent, not quarrelsome - this is self-explanatory. There is no room in the life of a pastor for violence or a quarrelsome attitude.

8) Not greedy, not covetous - this typically becomes an issue once pastors have been in ministry for awhile. We have seen it recently with Elevation Church pastor Steven Furtick and other mega-church pastors who are exploiting the income they are reaping from book sales and outlandish salaries. When pastors are living in mansions and compounds with the rich of the rich, then there is clearly a problem and that problem is that greed has taken root in their hearts. They have begun to build their own kingdoms and are now using their income to serve themselves and to live in luxury. The Geek understanding of the word greed literally means "not eager for gain." Pastors must guard themselves against a desire for material possessions, luxury automobiles, mansions, and being like the world.

9) Rules his own house well - a pastor's home life "must" be exemplary. He is responsible to raise godly children and to rule over his house as the spiritual leader and serve as "Christ" to his family.

10) Not a novice - finally, a pastor is to be a seasoned believer. There is no set time limit placed on this in scripture, but a new believer should never be placed in a position of leadership to quick, especially the office of pastor. Why? Paul explains it well, because this person might become conceited and proud.



The purpose of this post is to educate believers and non-believers alike on the seriousness and qualifications of church leaders. Are these high standards? Yes. Is everyone called to be a pastor? No. Are there people serving as pastors that are not qualified? Yes. In fact, God will not call a person to become a pastor who will not meet this qualifications. Whether you agree with God's standards or not, God doesn't care. These are His standards. When a man feels called to become a pastor its critical they and the ordaining church ensure their lives meet the standards describe in 1 Timothy and Titus. It’s also important to point out that most of the above qualities deal with a person's character, not their spiritual gifts.



I believe there are two vital areas that will begin to turn our country around, strong Christian families and strong Church leadership.

 

Chaplains Persecuted For "Being Christians"

Please read this news story from the Family Research Council. I have personally experienced this kind of persecution during my two units of Clinical Pastoral Education. It's an extremely liberal environment and a difficult place for evangelicals to minister without persecution. It is a honor to suffer for the sake of Christ. He is worth it as I am sure these chaplains already know.

If Monday is when America honors its veterans, then one San Diego agency has a funny way of showing it. The city's Department of Veterans Affairs has reportedly spent the last several months persecuting two of its chaplains for their faith. Today, both men are suing the San Diego VA Department for religious harassment -- which led to one chaplain dropping out of the program altogether. Military-Veterans Advocacy filed the suit on behalf of the Baptist group that acted as the men's endorsing agent. "No American choosing to serve in the armed forces should be openly ridiculed for his Christian Faith," said attorney and Commander J.B. Wells (USN-Ret.).

According to court documents, the head of the VA's Clinical Pastoral Education Program ordered the men not to pray in Jesus's name or recite Scripture, mocked and yelled at them, and even threatened to fail them. The ridicule became so intense that one of the chaplains voluntarily withdrew from the program. The other was put on probation by the boss berating them. If this is the kind of harassment military chaplains are receiving (in a chaplains' faith program!), imagine what non-clergy troops are facing for living out their faith in the ranks. All you need to do is flip through FRC's Clear and Present Danger report or watch the real-life testimonies of mistreated Christians to know that there is a war going on for the soul of our nation's military. "Barack Obama's fingerprints are not on most of these acts, but his anti-religious attitudes are widely enough known to encourage those on the public payroll to charge ahead with extremist politically correct policies," Phyllis Schlafly warned.

Fortunately, Congress is waking up to this climate of hostility in the ranks and is putting itself in a position to do something about it. Just this week, two members cosponsored a bill to protect something as simple as the word "God" in the service academies' oaths. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), a veteran who spent seven years as a POW in Vietnam, made it clear that he would stand in the way of any attempts to destroy the hundreds of years of religious tradition in the military. "Our Founding Fathers declared we are, 'One nation under God,' and you better believe I'll fight like mad to keep it that way... We are the land of the free because of the brave. Many people don't know this but when you survive a near-death experience you realize that the only thing you had to hold onto was your faith in God."

 

Contact your congressman and urge him to speak up against the country's anti-Christian zealots. Then, join FRC this Sunday in Military Freedom Sunday -- and encourage your pastor to lead the congregation in a prayer of protection and gratitude for America's brave men and women and their families. For more information, click here.

Eroding Church Leadership: Part 1

If it wasn't for God's Word there would be no absolute moral standards, no source of truth, and no divine book to tell us what the qualifications are to become a pastor. A person recently told me that his pastor ask for any person to stand up who wanted to become a pastor and then within a few weeks these individuals were ordained and have since begun preaching. Is this how pastors are selected? Not in the Bible. I often wonder how many church going Christians actually know what the qualifications are to become a pastor (overseer). I would say most simply take the word of their pastor and assume their pastor has met the qualifications. In our post-modern age the qualifications and standards have been blurred and added to in dramatic ways. For example, Presbyterian USA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Church, and many others are ordaining homosexuals as pastors. Which is still hard to imagine. The first homosexual military chaplain entered active duty this past summer. Then there is the issue of ordaining female pastors. Whatever the issue, the apostle Paul has provided very clear qualifications for those seeking to become pastors. First, the Bible teaches that there are only two offices in the church, pastor and deacon. In the New Testament we see the words "overseer" or "elder" or "bishop" used to describe the role of pastor. All three words are simply interchangeable terms for the same office, pastor. If a person studies the text carefully, they will find that there is no distinction between these words, but many denominations have chosen to add multiple positions of hierarchy throughout their denominations. This is not scriptural. Please read the books of 1 Timothy and Titus for better clarity on this issue.
The issue of having a biblically qualified pastor is an issue because it demonstrates the tendency of sinful humans to do what is right in their own eyes. Thus opening the door allowing many other unsound doctrines to enter the church. If the pastor doesn't meet the qualifications of a pastor, then how are they to accomplish what Paul instructed Titus in Titus 1:9 "...both to exhort and convict those who contradict sound doctrine."

I would encourage everyone reading this post to examine their church and determine if they are abiding in the scriptural qualifications as detailed in 1 Timothy and Titus 1.

In Part 2 I will examine these qualifications in relation to some current pastors.

 

Living Worthy of the Gospel

Nothing keeps a Christian grounded like knowing Christ through scripture. In Philippians 1:27-30 Paul exhorts the Philippian church "to let their conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ" and he does this from prison. No matter where Paul was, he used his platform to accomplish the mission given to him by Christ. Something we must embrace in our own lives. There is so much packed into this one verse of scripture. Just imagine if every Christian would simply obey this one verse. Paul goes on to say that his desire is "that they would stand fast in one spirit and with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." What Paul means by letting their conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ is to live by integrity. To live a life consistent with what they believe, teach, and preach. No one likes to listen to someone speak, teach, or instruct us who doesn't do what they are asking us to do. That person is without credibility. There is no way for a Christian to live differently than what they proclaim to live by and a Christian is to proclaim Christ and His Word. Living contrary to God's Word is not living worthy of the gospel. Paul also exhorts the church at Ephesus (also from prison) "to walk worthy of the calling with which they were called" (Ephesians 4:1) and the Colossians "that they may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him" (Colossians 1:10). This is important in case you missed the significance Paul placed on this essential duty. Paul is calling every believer to live in a way that is consistent with His identification with the Lord who saved us from judgment.

Walking with the Lord means being on mission for Him every moment of our lives
Walking with the Lord means living as a citizen of our country, but most importantly of heaven
Walking with the Lord means every detail of our lives is to be judged and measured by the standard of the cross
Walking with the Lord means personal devotion to Christ as His bond servant
Walking with the Lord means resting in Christ no matter our external circumstances
Walking with the Lord means we should never have the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God

GO and make an impact by living worthy of the gospel in the presence of non-believers.
Time is running out!

My Hope With Billy Graham

On November 7th, Billy Graham will celebrate his 95th birthday. Just in case you didn't know, Billy Graham has preached the gospel to more people than anyone in the history of the world.
My Hope America with Billy Graham is a nationwide effort to reach people across the United States with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Following a simple biblical model, My Hope America with Billy Graham combines the impact of video programs with the power of personal relationships. Christians across America will open their homes to share the Gospel message with friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors using one of several new evangelistic programs featuring life-changing testimonies & powerful messages from Billy Graham.

The crux of My Hope is relationship evangelism. Hundreds of thousands of Christians from more than 25,000 churches around the world have signed up to host events in their homes, schools, workplaces and even tents. Churches and homes in all 50 states are participating in this spectacular event.

You can tune into TBN on Thursday night at 8:00pm to watch Billy Graham preach what might be his last message.

Invite your neighbors and friends who are without Christ and salvation. There are souls at stake.

Learn more at http://myhopewithbillygraham.org




 

Why Do You Go To Church?

This post is directed at Christians, specifically those who I used to be like. What I mean are those who are attending church with no understanding of why. They walk into church, say hi to their friends, drop their kids off in childcare or Sunday school, gather in social groups, perhaps even go on a mission trip, and then attend a worship service where they may or may not hear a biblical message. Meaning they are only Christians when they are at church or part of a church activity. First let me say I'm a huge supporter of church membership because it offers numerous benefits. It identifies us as a genuine believer (Ephesians 2:19), it provides a spiritual family to support and encourage us (Hebrews 10:24, 25), it gives us a place to discover and use our gifts in ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-27), and it provides every believer a place to grow spiritually (Ephesians 5:21). However, in my opinion, way too many people are aimlessly walking out of church with no understanding of the Great Commission or what they are to do outside of the walls of their local church. What matters most is not where you attend church (as long as its an evangelical church), but who you are and what you are doing with the knowledge you are learning from God's Word. According to Barna research, the typical churched believer will die without leading a single person to a lifesaving knowledge of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Statistically very few Christians will ever stop to interact with a homeless person or show any genuine concern for the hurting in their community.
Participating in church activities does not necessarily draw you closer to God, only spending time in His presence and exercising the faith that has been deposited in you will a person begin to experience God on an intimate level.
Today after church, I was sitting in one of our favorite restaurants with my family and I couldn't tell who was a Christian and who wasn't. What I mean is that no one stood out, everyone just blended in. The people coming from the contemporary churches were wearing t-shirts and jeans just like the unchurched. They talked like the non-Christians and were certainly not acting like the salt and light of the world.

Don't just go to church, be the church and come out from among the crowds and show genuine concern for the lost and hurting.
"Go" and make a difference in your community and world. Desire to see lives transformed by the gospel.

The Prosperity Gospel Lived Out

After the story broke about Elevation Church Pastor Steven Furtick’s multi-million dollar home I decided to look online at the homes of other mega-church pastors and what I found was disturbing and absolutely not what Christianity is about. Pastors such as Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, James MacDonald, Kenneth Copeland, TD Jakes, and many others are living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. While these men are not necessarily known for preaching the prosperity gospel, they are certainly living it, and the way we live always makes a greater impact on the world than what we say. In fact, what we do and how we live provides the credibility for what we say. Consider these pastors and their luxurious lifestyles; luxury cars, airplanes, mansions, Rolex watches, etc…? Is this the sacrificial living called for in the gospel? In fact, let’s examine a couple verses these men will no longer be able to preach in their churches because they no longer possess the credibility. First is the Parable of the Rich Fool. Think of these pastors as you read these words from Jesus when He spoke of how the rich fool made the decision to build bigger and greater barns (Luke 12:18). Sound familiar…as these pastors prospered by the giving of their congregations and the sales of their books, they built bigger homes and are now living in mansions. Jesus summed up this parable (Luke 12: 21) with a definition of greed. The rich man stored up treasure for himself, which would cause him to become poor towards God. Have these pastors laid up treasure for themselves? I think the evidence is clear, yes they have. Second is the issue of contentment. Undoubtedly these pastors lived in smaller homes before building their mansions. The author of Hebrews wrote that “we should let our conduct be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have” (Hebrews 13:5). Were these pastors content with their previous homes? Obviously not, they are living in mansions. It’s simply impossible to relate to a congregation and preach when the preacher is not living a biblical life of denial by dying daily to themselves no matter what they say. How can a pastor live in a mansion and a life of luxury and ask his congregation to give sacrificially? He can’t without being labeled a hypocrite.

Even though I don’t listen too many of these pastors, I occasionally listen to James MacDonald, I will no longer.