Day 356 - Where to Find God

"When I asked him if he went to church he said no but his church was outdoors. Sure, you feel close to the Lord in nature but he doesn't know what he is missing." 

I have had varied answers to the question "Do you go to church?" People have stuttered, laughed and changed the subject when asked. Some have gone into confession mode while others have justified their absence. 

This response last year was an interesting one. He didn't go to church but he said his church was the outdoors. He wasn't opposed to God but He wasn't for Him either. What is sad is that God is not opposed to us enjoying creation. What God is opposed to is us worshipping creation. 

Think about it. This man loved the outdoors, spent his time and money to be outdoors and had his occupation outdoors. Whatever has that much time, talent and resource is taking the place of God. 

People are searching for God in the wrong places in the wrong ways. Jesus showed up in the book of Revelation in the midst of the candle stands. He was tending to the flame of the church. When two or more are gathered in His name there He is in their midst. God goes to church! 

You can say the golf course is your church or the mall but I'm not buying it. God says that the church is the pillar and ground of truth. We are built in to the house of God. It is the place where we hear His voice, grow in wisdom and the knowledge of God and fellowship with other believers. It is the place where destiny and purpose flow from. If you are looking for God you can find Him in church. 

Have you had any other responses to the question "Do you go to church?" How can we turn these types of conversations into opportunities?

Day 305 - Rain or Shine

"Our society has no sense of duty in the committed and consistent view that says “I won't miss church for rain or distraction, tiredness or anything else.”"

It is a shame that the post office is more committed to their task than a lot of church goers are. Maybe I am wrong. I really hope I am. It could be that I live in Southern California and we are just a bunch of big babies. Any time a little rain falls out of the sky the news is broadcasting "Storm Watch" and the roads are flooded (no, not with water) with accidents. 

So then the perfect storm of cold and wet on a Sunday morning and our attendance drops. I don't care who you are or where you are from if you are a pastor your hearts desire is to see people in church. What is worse than not having people in church is not having people in church for a stupid reason. I'll overlook traveling to be with family on a holiday weekend but a little rain?! Come on! 

What it takes to turn this around is committed people doing what it takes to get to church. Those people when they get there have an encounter with God and then they need to tell everyone they know who wasn't there that they all missed out. Next time those who missed out might think twice before staying home. In fact I suspect the more fun, the deeper we go, the more expression of the Spirit on the small nights the more people will desire to be there. Maybe I am crazy. 

What do you think? How can we help others to be committed to church rain or shine?

Day 282 - A Small Church With A Lot of People

"Small church hospitality with the large church opportunity. We need the best of both worlds. It is possible."

These thoughts are really notes from what I was crafting regarding our church staff and volunteers attitude towards our members and guests. We have a church in a rough area. At times it is difficult to have a gentle approach when confronted with some of the issues that come on our campus. Regardless, we need to still have the right approach to our people. There are times we have to say no but it must be done in the right spirit. 

What we concluded after wrestling with these issues is that this year of 2015 we were going to love people more and do church better. That included accommodating our members and guests. We needed to streamline processes and make it easy to be connected and involved. 

We are not perfect at this and the change is still taking place. Just today I heard of instances in two separate ministries that needed adjustments. The good thing is that we are noticing it and making the changes. 

Really the problem and the solution are found in one word: family. If we know that the problem is because we are too familiar with our family then we need to love one another and overlook offenses because we are family. In the Bible we are told to treat our elders as father and mothers, young women as sisters and young men as brothers. We are the family of God. All brothers and sisters in the Lord. 

Families can have their issues. Especially large ones. But family also has the closest bond of all, blood. We are bound together by the blood of Jesus. We are family and we need to stick together, love one another and prefer one another above our own interests. 

What would a church, business or home look like if we truly started doing this? What are some practical ways to do this?

Day 281 - Don't Miss Out

"It was reported that we had 260 salvations this past week."

I read over this sentence and it didn't register. I couldn't tell you what we were doing other than normal church activity. In the midst of our labors God was moving and people's lives were being changed for eternity. 

I don't care who you are or how large your church is when one person or 260 people get saved it is a miracle. The problem is that we miss out. We miss the miraculous. Why? Lots of reasons. 

It becomes common. If you are consistently having responses to calls for salvation or healing or prayers answered it can lose the wonder and become commonplace if we allow it. Stop and be thankful. Stop and wonder. Stop and praise God. 

We also miss it because we get busy. Our lives can be so distracted. Too many times I am focused on peripheral things and miss the central focus of what God is doing. It takes discipline and focus to remove the things that distract and get back to what God is doing. 

Finally we miss it because our aim shifts. Many times people will see someone else doing something they like and get off of purpose. They set aside what they are called to do in order to aim at something they shouldn't be. We have to know our purpose and stick with it. Methods may change but if we know our calling and central purpose the aim is the same. 

Is there something God is doing and you recognize you might be missing it? Is there another way we can miss it and, if so, how do we guard against it?

Day 278 - Brothers and Sisters

"They are all very sweet people and it is always an honor to be with them."

All over the world there are people who have believed in Jesus and given Him their heart and life. Christians. Or we could call them brothers and sisters. They are covering the face of the earth. Every day there are more and more of them. Every day they are gathering together in the name of Jesus and being encouraged and growing closer to Him. 

It doesn't matter the doctrinal differences or the lines that have been drawn. If it is Jesus who is their Lord and ours then we are family. In persecutions we grieve with those who are suffering. In victories we rejoice together. 

We are bound by blood; the blood of Jesus. There is now no longer black and white, brown or any other color, there isn't class systems that separate, there is no cultural or economic background, the Bible even says there is no longer male nor female, we are one in Christ. 

Let's love the family. Let's pray for each other. Let's agree in our salvation and not separate in non-essentials like worship style's and the like. Let's honor the members of the body of Christ. After all, He died for all of us the same. We have the greatest value of all because His blood was shed for us. We better learn to get along because we will be together for eternity!

What do you enjoy about the family of God? How can we honor one another? 

Day 270 - Full Time Ministers

"It really is a matter of people seeing themselves as a full time minister and bringing people to church."

A lot of times people think it is the paid ministers and pastors that do the work of the ministry. The Bible teaches us otherwise. We all are full time ministers. 

A minister really is a servant for the people. Anyone who is a follower of Jesus is a servant. Jesus Himself said that no servant is greater than his master. We are to follow His example. He came to serve and we should too. 

The Bible teaches that ministers and pastors really are there to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. As we do it will cause growth to the body of Christ. That growth occurs from winning souls and making disciples. 

If you are a Christian then you have a vital role to play in the growth of the church. Do your part. Tell someone about Jesus. Invite someone to church. Lead a small group or serve in a ministry. Find your giftings and your passions and put them to use for the kingdom. You may get paid in a job to take care of your bills and your family but you are a full time minister! 

How does seeing yourself as a full time minister change how you live? What can you do to see yourself as a full time minister? 

Day 255 - Why Church?

"There is so much on why church I really had to hone in on what I felt The Lord would have me to say."

Last year we did a short series on why we should attend church. There has been a lot said about whether it is necessary for a person who is a Christian to attend church. People have left church because of the confusion and some have even left the faith. 

When I read the Bible I see that it is not only important but also central to the Christian life to attend, serve, promote and be the church. We all have a place and a part to play in the church. 

Jesus said He would build the church. Paul called it the pillar and ground of truth. The author of Hebrews exhorted that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as is the habit of some. In the Old Testament it even speaks of the House of God numerous times and encourages us to be planted, find clarity and that it is better to be there than anywhere else. 

With all that said why would we question if it is right for a Christian to go to church? Let's not get down on church lets stir ourselves up and get there more. Pray for our leaders and for growth in church. Lift up the people who are attending and those who need to come. Serve and give with gladness and talk it up to others. All this will make for a great momentum in church. 

What other reasons should we go to church? Are there other ways to be involved? 

Day 236 - Have You Heard?

Avalon harbor dock overloaded with small boats

"I could tell a lot of people had never heard faith taught." 

In the church world it seems to be a constant turnaround. People come and people go. One pastor commented that we pastor a parade. Whoever is in front of us we minister to with the understanding that they are just passing through. 

With this understanding I often will find myself repeating concepts and preaching the same thing over and over again. This is not only good for those who haven't heard but it serves as a refresher for all of us. We need to hear things more than once and be reminded and stirred up from time to time. 

The remedy for all this is to be consistent. If I could speak anything into someones life it would be to stay faithful to God and be consistent in church. Wherever you are at, and I know that people read this all over the world, get into a local church and be consistent. 

I recently went to Catalina Island. I hadn't been there in decades and the one time I went was for a concert and I didn't get to experience the island. In the main bay there are boats all over the place and they moor out in the bay. Everyone rides their smaller boats to get to shore. There are often too many boats for the dock. The image left an impression on me.  

What we need is more people that are stable and willing to stay in the same place.  Consistent people serve as an anchor for others. Eventually they will see the blessing of being stable and consistent. In the Psalms is says that people who are planted in the House of God will flourish in His courts. Our lives will be blessed by the consistent nourishment we receive from regular church attendance, fellowship and prayer in agreement with faith filled people. 

Have you seen the benefit of consistency? How did it bless your life? 

Day 203 - The Devil's Grip

"From the Word: Exodus 8:28 Pharaoh tells Moses that the children of Israel can go worship but he says not to go too far away. Not too far from his reach and their bondage. He will give a little if he doesn't lose his grip. Sin and the devil alike will allow us to go to church and worship The Lord if we don't go too far into Christianity. If we don't get radical and forsake the way of the world the devil is ok with us attending church, praying and even reading the Bible as long as they don't lose their grip on us. With God it is not so. There is no compromise. He tells us to go neither to the right or to the left and the way is narrow. We are to fix our eyes, our hearts and our minds and have one focal point; Jesus."

I don't think I need to say much more than that. Anyone who has struggled with sin knows the devil doesn't give up easily. He wants to dominate our lives and keep us in bondage. The Bible lays out two things for us to do in order to send the devil packing: 1. Submit to God. 2. Resist the devil. It sounds easy but when faced with temptation it seems like it is the hardest thing to do. The good news is that God has given us the power of His Spirit to do what He asks of us.

You don't have to stay in bondage to sin. God has freed those that have been born again from the devil's control. You simply need to submit to God and resist the devil and the devil will flee.

Have you been born again? If not click here. What are your thoughts on Exodus 8:28, sin and bondage? 

Day 166 - All Over the World

"Thousands of people were in church today."

I wrote this about our church in awe and wonder of the grace God has generously given us to be entrusted with the care of so many people. It is a honor and privilege. 

Yet when I take a step back and think about the believers world wide it blows me away. There are multiple millions all over the world in every country who are all worshipping Jesus. It must please the Father so much when His children gather to specifically praise Him, connect with and hear from Him. 

There is a corporate anointing that happens when we get together as Christians. Jesus said it only takes two or more. On a global scale there is definitely more! God also says He inhabits the praise of His people. So we know when we go to church we are going to encounter God. 

Let's gather each week, as many times as we can, and bless the heart of God. 

What do you enjoy about church? How can we guard against drifting away from church?