I needed this today……I have not been sleeping because of this world we live in. It is a time that I thought I would never see. The tipping point for me was 3 days of chest pains after the Insurrection at our Nations Capitol and seeing and hearing our Capitol be ravaged and Police Officers killed and many Christians were silent. ASTOUNED I was, and I am still heartbroken that many so called Christians are putting politics before God Almighty! Standing behind such evil!!! Shame!!! I am also very sad that many so called Christians have made COVID a political issue. It is a human issue. It is a Jesus issue, showing love to your fellow human being who may have lost a loved from from COVID, like we have, we still have our friend Larry Ramsey in the hospital from COVID. So many so called Christians have shown an unbelieving world want it wants to see ‘crazy acting Christians’. Those folks have done a good job of chasing people away from the Bride of Christ. Today I do the Military funeral service for a Navy Veteran. I am sure like him, my Daddy a WW II Veteran, SGT. U.S. Marines who passed away in 1993, would not know this America. My Daddy was head usher at the American Lutheran Church in Windom, Minnesota for years…I think he would be so very sad about the behavior of many Christians. We are to show the world JESUS not Satan.
I listen to the voice of the LORD! Not Politicians! Politics is the playground of Satan! You are seeing right before your eyes! I beleive with my whole heart this is one of the toughest times in our history for a Pastor.
Pastors need prayer, they need love and support……Organized religion is eroding in America. We need a GREAT AWAKENING!!!
God’s Mission Has an Enemy: 10 Facts about Spiritual Warfare
FROM CHURCH LEADERS:
I make no claim that pastors are perfect people. We mess up. We can be arrogant and uncaring at times. At the same time, though, most pastors I know are genuine, faithful followers of God who love their congregations. They’ve learned, too, that the work of pastoral ministry often carries heartache with it.
Here are some of those aches:
10 Heartaches of Being a Pastor
Posts from this week:
I have said many that QAnon is evil! I have lost friends because of the fact they joined this cult! They attacked me for standing against their evil. Many Pastors remain silent against this evil. The Church is being hurt by being silent on this issue, many just shake their heads, including me at the silence. It is just like the January 6th insurrection on our Nations Capitol!!! Many Christians stand silent on this act of treason. Many Christians also remain silent on foul mouth, horrible acting politicians. Any man or women who uses foul language, acts crazy and says horrible things about people should be rebuked. It has hurt the Church very badly it has shown an unbelieving world just what it wants to see from Christians, acceptance of this behavior. The Church is losing membership, Satan is having his way with so very many. To me, January 6th was one of the darkest days in the history of America and many are getting away with treason! I am really disappointed in the GOP trying to bury this issue!!! The GOP Party has imploded, what are they? I know this, It is no longer the party of Ronald Reagan, it has not creditability with me, and the Dems are lost in space also. The America people have a right to the truth! It is a cover up! This entire situation has damaged America and the Church more than many realize! Unbelievers love to see Christians acting badly.
People that use bad language, attack people with harsh words, are of very low intelligence. They are fools. I do not talk to fools. The Bible teaches us so.
Proverbs 26:4…. Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him.
I am very exhausted by the all the conspiracy theories of Christians, it has worn me down to to the bone, I get so very discouraged. I see the damage to the Bride of Christ. I see the declining attendance in many Churches, I see Pastors swept away by politics, I see some in hiding and not addressing these issues. I am very discouraged at this point, I am constantly praying to my Lord and I have great friends who help me and Sharon to keep going.
Theologian Russell Moore Says QAnon Has ‘All of the Characteristics of a Cult’
From Brandon Cox:
We’re currently living in a cultural climate in which those most vulnerable to a raging and rapidly spreading virus are asking the rest of us to look out for them. People of color who have suffered at the hands of unjust systems and unequal opportunities are wondering if anyone who is privileged or has power will hear their stories and stand with them as allies. Generic preaching is easy, but choosing sides on these issues will cost you. Clarity will cost you. Boldness will cost you.
But clarity is ultimately kind.
Chances are, if you’re a preacher reading this blog post during the year 2020, it has already cost you, hasn’t it? You need to know that it’s okay. You’re not alone. You’re not the only one suffering loss. The only preachers I know who aren’t hurting are those who are sticking to the script. If you’ve been bold enough to go off script, stay on track. If you retreat now, you will have paid the cost for naught.
From Dr. Jim Denison:
These lyrics by Casting Crowns convict me every time I hear them:
If we are the body,
Why aren’t his arms reaching?
Why aren’t his hands healing?
Why aren’t his words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren’t his feet going?
Why is his love not showing them there is a way?
Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ.
Aren’t we?
AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!
This Is No Time for Generic Preaching
I was sharing yesterday in my message way too many Christians are showing an unbelieving world just want it wants to see, bad behavior! The political climate in this country over the last 5 years has been awful and too many Christians are behaving badly. We need to build bridges in trust and love with the unbelieving world. I have many telling me that they have had it with organized religion. The ‘ugly cloud’ formed by many Christians is getting thicker as the days go by, resulting in things like this: A new study found that 43 percent of millennials “don’t know, don’t care, don’t believe God exists.” LifeWay Research reported last week that for the year 2019, Protestant church closures outpaced church openings in the US. Many Christians have become bad examples of what Jesus intended us to be as witnesses for Him. Russell Moore replied to this question, “Why should Christians speak with kindness?” I think this message is more important right now than at any other point in my lifetime:Why Christians Should Listen Carefully and Speak With Kindness
NASHVILLE (RNS) — The nation’s largest Protestant denomination continues to get smaller.
There were 14 million Southern Baptists in 2020, according to a new report released Thursday (May 20) by Lifeway Christian Resources, which compiles official denominational statistics. That number is down 435,632 members since 2019 and 2.3 million from 2006, when the Southern Baptist Convention reached 16.3 million members.
“COVID-19 clearly impacted in-person attendance,” Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said in a statement announcing the report. “Throughout much of the year, churches tried to find the right balance of both in-person and online events.”
Southern Baptists, long known for denominational infighting, have seen several high-profile departures of leaders in the past year, including Bible teacher Beth Moore, ethicist Russell Moore, and a number of Black pastors. The SBC has also faced controversy over revelations of abuse, disputes over support for Donald Trump and a debate over critical race theory.
Find Out What’s Making 2 Million Members Flee the Southern Baptist Convention
