Are You an On-Again/Off-Again Christian?

Well Lord, this month I'm going to do all I can to show others the Christ that dwells in me. I'm going to give of my time, talent and money to my church. But then the next month, I only show up to Sunday service once, I give no money nor do I devote any time helping others or doing things for my church.

If the above statements describe you, then you're an "on-again/off-again" Christian; your devotion to Jesus is moderate at best. Your mindset is of such that you're going to serve & honor Jesus but you're not going to be crazy and overdo it (spending too much of your time & giving too much of your money). Wait a minute...whose time...whose money?

The church has far too many Christians who respond to Jesus with moderate devotion, and when they see true devotion being displayed by other Bros & Sis. in Christ, they don't understand it. Therefore, they'll say things like, "Hey, I love Jesus, too, but come on now let's not get crazy and fanatical about it. I can't let the church take up too much of my life; I'll go to Sunday morning worship service but I'm not getting up early to attend Sunday School, after all that's my day off from work! And I'm definitely not going to mid-week Bible study or any other church meeting for that matter...I gotta get up early during the week so that I can be on my J-O-B on time! Anyway, it don't take all that! And I'm certainly not going to give 10% of my hard-earned money to the church! They ought to be glad I put money in the offering because I've got bills to pay!"

To those Christians I say, who continues to give you life each day? And who gave you that job from which you earn money in order to pay bills and buy the things you desire? GOD...that's who, and all He requires of us is that we give Him 10% of what He's blessed us with, yet most of us won't even do that, however, we never hesitate to ask Him to bless us!

I admonish you to read in the book of Revelation 3:15-16. Jesus is speaking to the church at Laodicea and this is what He says: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth!" He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to you...His Church! Amen.

How do I get to where I want to Go?

I traveled out of town this Thanksgiving for the first time in 32 yrs. My destination was a city that I use to know like the back of my hand, but it has undergone lots of changes over the years. Reluctantly, I had to stop and ask for directions to my destination. It's frustrating to ask for directions from people who either don't know or who give directions which are hard to follow.

This caused me to thinking...there are many people who are trying to find a better way of life...a Godly life! They try following the world's path to a better life but in really have no idea which way to go. Thus, many have decided to simply travel through life, hoping to somehow stumble upon the Godly life. Some have asked direction but have been given such bad advice that they've been going around in circles & got so confused that they stopped looking! I found myself rejoicing in the fact that as a Christian I've found the directions to heaven because I've found Jesus and He has shown me the way. With Him as my guide I now know exactly how to get to heaven once my life is over here on earth!

This message is for those of you who've already taken that first step towards heaven by professing Jesus Christ as your Lord & Savior but are not quite sure you're headed down the salvation path. The way isn't complicated because you can get there (heaven) from where you are right now by following these directions:

1) Go to the nearest stop sign - simply stop doing wrong. Luke 13:5 says unless you repent, you will perish. Repentance means a change of heart/mind. When this happens you will want to stop doing anything that you know is displeasing to God (sex outside of marriage, steqling, lying, self-destruction, etc). I repeat, the first step is to go to the nearest stop sign & repent!

2) Turn right - After you stop the obvious sinful activity, you must turn from your evil ways. Zechariah 1:4 tells us, "...Thus saith the Lord of Hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings", but I saythis way...stop throwing rocks & hiding your hand. Others might not know what you do or say but God knows. As a pastor, I klnow that this is where most Christians seem to "Mark time" in their salvation walk. Thjey front for other christians, appearing to be holy but on the inside they have evil black hearts. My word for them...REPENT!

3) Go Straight - If you're on your salvation path, you must walk straight. That's why if it's not right, I suggest you don't take part in it. Even though Jesus encourages every believer to walk the narrow path of righteousness because, as He said, "...Strait is the gate & narrow is the way which leads to life", but sadly only a few will stick/stay because for them the straight path means being free from the addictions that they enjoy in life (alcohol, drugs, nicotine, or anything else that appeals to our sinful nature). The Lord already knows this is the weakness of the flesh, but all you have to do is pray for His help in relieving yourself of these addictions...and He Will Help You!

Now there is one thing about good directions, they will include landmarks to let you know you're headed the right way. So, if you want to make it into heaven, go to the nearest stop sign, turn right, and walk straight until you see the cross on the hill! Don't worry when your journey gets weary & depressing for when you look up & see the cross on the hill, it will give you courage enough to keep on going! That's why David said, :I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills fro whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord who made heaven & earth!" There's power in the cross, slavation is in the cross, and there is redemption in the cross. That's because it was on the cross that Jesus died for our sins and it was on the cross that He paid the price of our salvation. Therefore, if you want to know how to get to heaven, you must be willing to follow the trail of the cross. My final thoughts on this blog wraps it all up from a song I taught my choir years ago...Follow Jesus, take no chance getting lost; follow Jesus there'll be deserts you have to cross; follow Jesus, He's got a safe mountain plan; and if AJesus can't take you to the top, there's nobody else who can. God bless the readers of this blog!

Make the Right Choices

Today, I had the opportunity to minister to close family members who are experiencing tough times. And for those of you who may be "going through" as well, let me take this opportunity to share my thoughts with you at this time.

When I think about it, today's woman has no easy task; she's expected to help bring home the bacon as well as cook it. And even though she may have a full time job, she's still responsible for the upkeep of the house and taking care of the children (her major responsibilities as a wife & mother). And let's not leave out today's man, who works hard on his job to provide a good home in which to raise his family and build towards a future that he and his wife may enjoy in their retirement years. But just how many of you, in your zeal to provide material things for the family, fail to think about and adequately address the spiritual needs of your children as well as yourselves? John 6:27 says, "Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you..." i.e., don't put all your energy into that which is only temporary!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have personally known parents who've worked hard all their lives to leave their children something (an inheritance) and shortly after they died, their unappreciative children squandered it all! But not once have I ever heard a child say they didn't appreciate the faith their parents passed on to them. Therefore, parents, always be cognizant of the fact that your children are constantly watching you and they rely upon you to show them the correct way to live. Thus, why not show them how to live a life that is God-centered?

Let us not profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ and then allow other things to consume us and draw our attention away from Him. For if we're not careful, we'll be like the ground that received the seed with joy, yet because we don't take the time to fellowship with Him, the rocks & stones in our lives won't allow the seed to grow because we become overwhelmed with troubles & cares and die spiritually! Hebrews 2:11 says, "therefore, we must pay greater attention to what we've heard, so that we don't drift away from it".

The currents, cares & life's temptations will naturally cause you to drift away but if you don't want to drift away, if you want your life to mean something, if you want your children to see what it means to be a Christian, anchor deep in your fellowship with Christ. And, when they leave home to make their mark in this world, encourage them to continue their education so that they will find it easier to move up the ladder of success in their chosen career. But even more important, encourage them to develop and continually strengthen their relationship with God so that they won't miss out on life eternal with Him.

Good Parenting is "Making the right choices"!

"Let Others See Your Good Works!"

Attention BELIEVERS...........................

Each of us is on a voyage through life and we're sure to face storms and the temptations of sin along the way. We've got to carry our own cargo but for some the burdens may become a weight too heavy to bear, therefore, they may become like sinking ships sending an SOS in desperation. I admonish you not to pass them by... help them. Why? Because we are called of God to be RESTORERS!

Galatians 6:1-2 tells us that if someone is caught in a sin, we who are spiritual should gently restore him, but in this process guard yourself from being tempted. Further, we are to carry one another's burdens, thus fulfilling the law of Christ which is to "Love one another" (we must give of ourselves to help others just as Jesus gave Himself to help us).

We must also be careful not to become self-righteous, judgmental and short on mercy. As Bros/Sis in Christ, we're a family and like all good family members, we must show concern and take good care of each other as the need arises. And in doing so, be sure to treat them as you would want to be treated in any given situation. In fact, you ought to take it a step further by doing good to all people, but especially to those who belong to our family of believers. And, just maybe... you'll give a little hope to someone, possibly leading them to Christ because of your good works!

"Live by the 'Golden Rule'...Even when it Hurts!"

True Disciples of Christ are to love their enemies. In ministry, I find this command to be more difficult for me with each passing year. That's because it's not enough for me to put up with or ignore my enemies; it's not enough for me to refuse to retaliate; additionally, God expects me to demonstrate love towards my enemies. Have you ever tried to love the "unlovable"? Believe me, IT AIN'T EASY!

But because I've confessed Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I know that I must follow the principles found in Romans 12..."Repay no one evil for evil"; "if possible live peaceably with all men"; "don't avenge yourself, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine' says the Lord". So if my enemy is hungry, God expects me to feed him; if he's thirsty, God wants me to give him a drink. And as I strive to live by these words, I'm more determined than ever not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good! If you feel me, say AMEN!

As a pastor I have the responsibility of being a living example for the congregation with whom I dwell. Therefore, I must show them outward love by doing good to those who hate me, blessing those who curse me and praying for those who mistreat me.

To all of my Bros/Sis in Christ, let me say that I really believe we are more like the Lord when we do good to somebody who doesn't deserve it! And I want to encourage you, as well as myself, with this last thought... Jesus said, "Treat all men, especially your enemies, the way yould like to be treated". Let's not forget to live by the Golden Rule. Be Blessed!!!!

Who do you depend upon?

Hello followers. I haven't posted in several weeks because during that time I've celebrated my church's 6th anniversary, my 35th wedding anniversary, my birthday and have gone on vacation all in the month of August (exhausting just listing it)! But now that I've had a chance to refresh my mind, I want to share these thoughts with you.

We all depend on something or someone in life. So, who do you ultimately rely on...yourself, your family, your church, the government, your bank account, your friends? Or do you rely on God? Well in the secular world, we depend upon ourselves, our friends, family or someone else to meet our needs or help us out when we get into trouble. But in the Christian world we learn to depend solely on God to meet our needs and to deliver us from trouble, but in doing so we still face trials and tribulations for the devil's main job is to keep us from putting all of our trust in God. He'll use anybody or anything to tempt and persuade us to turn away from God. He'll ridicule you, he'll challenge everything you believe in and if that doesn't work, he'll overwhelm you with fear.

We must all realize that the devil doesn't play fair for he'll attack you in your most vulnerable areas, threatening to destroy you! Now make no mistake about it, when you're in a fight with the devil and his demons, there's no way you're going to win the battle by relying on your strength alone...you need God on your side!

For some of you readers, the devil is already telling you not to believe what you're reading and he's giving you all kinds of reasons not to continue. Well that's just what he's supposed to do and he's a master at playing tricks with your mind: he will entice us with empty promises but this what he's really proposing, "come be my slave and I'll treat you real good". He'll promise you the world but you'll end up miserable (a slave to debt, work, sin and compulsive behaviors). And you'll end up being unhappy, unfufilled, and unproductive with nothing to show for your life. Do I have any witnesses out there?

My advice to you is, DEPEND ON GOD! But understand that even when you turn to God, the devil will still try to shake your faith and cause you to turn away from God (by any means necessary). So the next encounter you have with the devil, just pray and ask God to help you. I am a witness that.................................

He listens and responds to the prayers of a righteous man!!!!!!!!

The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached

As my wife and I were out for a drive this afternoon, I listened to a gospel song entitled "God is Great & Greatly to be Praised" and I began thinking that there's just something about the word "great" or "greatness" that we all aspire to. It's something most of us care about because we want greatness to describe our performance, our work, our family, our schools, and for us pastors, even our church. As Christians, we are called to greatness but we won't find it along the roads that many of our Brothers and Sisters have traveled. So, believers, how can we aspire to greatness on a spiritual level?

Personally, I think the best example of what greatness is in the eyes of God is found in the scripture that says, "...whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven". Obviously these profound words differ from the world's portrayal of greatness (being in power; exercising authority over subordinates at the workplace...you have an office with a view, secretaries who handle files/answer phones, and lots of people who cling to your every word, do what you say, while secretly wishing they were you!). And let's not forget that great people are supposed to own the biggest houses, the most luxurious cars, enroll their kids in the best schools and have every advantage that the world offers. Unfortunately, the world expects and has accepted the notion that those who desire greatness will do whatever to whomever in order to get to the top and maintain their status!!!!!!!!

The world thinks that greatness is found in being served, but Jesus said that whoever wants to be great must first be a servant! That's why as a pastor, I try to be an example for the congregation because I know my greatness shows when my own interests become subservient to God's will. And my constant message to the flock is that as part of the body of Christ our greatness is measured by our obedience, love, giving, sacrifice and service to God and others. And we all are to look to the cross for our perfect example because Jesus Christ came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom for all who choose to believe in Him.

Now that you've read my thoughts on this subject, I ask that you seriously evaluate how you've defined greatness in your own life. You probably will have to admit to God that in a vain attempt to be great by the world's standards, you've failed to see what greatness is all about. And if you're not already doing so, start to emphasize giving over getting, and serving over being served instead of relishing your weak accomplishments, fancy titles, and worldly honors. The change in your life just might become the greatest sermon ever preached!