Finish Well

Dear Legacy Dads,When you see that term in Scripture what does that mean to you?  Does that mean to finish well going to Church on Sundays?  Praying before meals? Giving a tithe every Sunday?  Does it mean to separate your dreams and goals from God's will for you life?  Does it mean that you are in control Monday thru Saturday and that you will give God Sunday from 6am to 11:59 before Sunday NFL kickoff?

When we die, for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, what do you think that will look like?

A high-five by an Angel at the Gates of Heaven with an eternal membership to Glory?

A pat on the back saying way to live the life the way that you wanted to live it?

Nice job, you gave it your best ditch effort?

What if it was more?  What if there was an account that needed to be given with what we did with God's time, with the talent that He gave us and with the treasure that He blessed us with?  What if, just what if we had to account for  that?

Would this be something that would make you take stock of your life?  What you are doing with your finances?  How you are spending?  What you are spending on?

Would this change the way that you spend your time?  Where are you focusing on God's Kingdom instead of your own.  What you are doing with this time?  Is it wasted or is it fruitful.  If all of my time was to burned away during this account - meaning all that was measure based on God's litmus test versus all the time that I wasted on me or others that did not build and edify His Kingdom?

What about my talent?  Would you use what talent God gave you to glorify His name?  Or are you using your talents to build your name?

What about your treasure?  Is your checking account God's?  Is your credit card purchases honoring God?  Or is everything that you have honoring you?

Before you say to me, "come on Dante, why are you being so serious?"  Ask yourself this, "What if I, as a Christian, truly have to give an account of my time, my talent and my treasure.

Food for thought,

Blessings,

D

Are you making other disciples?

Luke 6English Standard Version (ESV)

The Beatitudes

²⁰ And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹ “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

²² “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! ²³ Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

Jesus Pronounces Woes

²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

²⁵ “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

²⁶ “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Love Your Enemies

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.²⁹ To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic^[b] either.³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. ³¹ And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

³² “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. ³⁶ Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

³⁷ “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸ give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

³⁹ He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰ A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. ⁴¹ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

A Tree and Its Fruit

⁴³ “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, ⁴⁴ for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵ The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build Your House on the Rock

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?⁴⁷ Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: ⁴⁸ he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.^{[c] 49} But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

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Currently I am walking with 4 other brothers daily via text and friendship and conversations over coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We are sharing daily life struggles and encouraging and comforting and urging one another to live worthy of God.  I love these brothers.  I am also walking with 3 men and their wives in our small group that meets every other week (we are taking the summer off as we usually do.

That being said, I texted my brothers this this morning, "A disciple of Jesus will go and make other disciples fully training others to reflect Jesus and to show His love in all that we do keeping God's word as an authority in his life!"  "I love you brothers!  Let go of that which ensnares you today and ask God to take your burdens!  Let the Word dwell in you richly!

This has hit me tonight that I feel the same way about my brother Lance and you, our Legacydad readers!!!

Blessings,D

What I know I should do, I do not

Romans 8:12-17English Standard Version (ESV)Heirs with Christ12 So then, brothers,[a] we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[b] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Colossians 3:5-8English Standard Version (ESV)

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:[a] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

Why is it so hard to understand some of the things of God?  Why do people try to dilute the Gospel to please the ways of men?  I guess when it is all said and done, I struggle with my sin that God has saved me from.  I know I am a sinner.  I know that my sins have separated me from the love of God.  That is, to say, until I came to know Jesus Christ as Lord.  I was once lost, but now I am found through Christ Jesus who died brutally on a cross for my sin and for your if you confess His name and believe that he was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on a cross and rose again from the dead you will be saved.  Confession is good for the soul.  The hardest thing to wrap my head around is that I still struggle with my fleshly desires.  The difference is that I no longer desire to please my selfish flesh, but to try to please God.  Yet I still succumb to pride and to sin.  I confess this sin to God and to my brothers (Men of Faith) and know that God, through His Son, Jesus Christ, has given me the perfect sacrifice for my soul and my sins of the past, present and future are covered by Him.

This being said, I still wonder and test and seek the truth that is found in Scripture.  For instance, why does it tell us, who are saved and covered forever by the Blood of Jesus Christ, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling?  Why does it say in the New Testament that those of us who give in to the flesh will not inherit the Kingdom of God?  Why does it tell me to put to death the earthly desires of the flesh?  Does the Gospel offend?  Are we to call out sin or just always show grace?  Where is the balance in this?

Why does Scripture tell us to renew our mind?  Why does it tell us to pursue holiness?  Why does Scripture tell us to repent?  Why does the cross have to be so violent?  Why did God have to send His only Son to die for our sins and to be beaten and tortured and crucified for our sins?  Does God hate sin that much?

These are things that I wrestle with.  These are some of the things that I am diligently searching God's word for and looking for his direction of which way to go in the leadership of my family and His ministry.

Repent!  For the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Examine yourselves to see if you are still in the faith?

Pursue holiness and flee any form of sexual immorality.

Pray for me,

D

Magnify

mag·ni·fy  verb  "extol; glorify." "praise the Lord and magnify Him"Psalm 34: English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,and let us exalt his name together!

If you were to examine your life (your walk) this past week, ask yourself to take inventory in all that you do.  That is, to say, when you wake, work, eat, play, sleep and interact with others where does the Lord stand in your life?  Is God the Father, The Son and The Spirit the authority in your life, in all that you do?  Are you using your time, your talent and your treasure that you have been given by God in ways to honor Him?  Are you focusing more on what you want and how you want to promote your Kingdom instead of God's Kingdom.

For me, this is a daily struggle.  If I am brutally honest, there are days when I wake that I want to just roll over and sleep all day.  Or there are days that I just want to do life for me and my indulgences.  There are days that I just want to be selfish and not look out for others that God has given me to steward over.  

I was talking to our Care Pastor after Men of Faith yesterday, we both went out for breakfast yesterday and instead of the whole group of guys, it was just him and I.  It was really a great conversation and I truly enjoy this man of God who has been serving God's Kingdom since 1983.  When you meet him and his wife you truly see two servants that understand what it means to turn it back toward God.  They serve not to "check boxes" rather they do it to magnify God's glory.  So I was telling him that sometimes I feel so overwhelmed by what God has done for us, sending his Son to die on a cross to cover all of my sins.  I told him that I feel a deep sorrow and compassion for those who do not know him on their day of judgement and that their names that will not be written in God's Book of Life.

I also talked about the other question that we, who are truly Christ-Followers, will have to give an account:  What did we do with all the things that God has given us (His Time, His treasure and His talent).  Did our lives magnify His Glory.  Please don't take this as a condemnation or as a blog where Lance and I are trying to condemn you, the reader.  Quite the contrary.  This is an indictment toward us more than you.  I am an Elder of our Church, the leader of our Men's Group and Family Man that is given the charge to rear my children in the ways of the Lord.  I do not take this question toward you, rather, toward my daily walk.

There are days, months and even seasons where I can honestly tell you that I do get it and that I do magnify God.  But if I am really honest with you, then I feel like I have to share that I feel that there are more days were I am losing the battle against my old sin nature and the ways of the Evil One, who is a liar, and who is seeking to destroy everything good in my life.  He would love nothing more than for me to exist and to gratify my earthly desires - he wins over my life when I do this.  Or to fall in temptation and give in to it - he wins over my life.  Or to self-indulge in my old sin nature - he wins over my life.  A lot of times I hear this silent voice in my life that would say words like, "you hypocrite"  "you fake"  "you're a liar" and "nice CHRISTian example - way to lead your life and your family".  Over the younger years of my life, I would cave and retreat and fall back into that wretched part of my life.  These days, God has given me a stronger understanding of His Word and His love for me that is unmatched by anyone in this Universe.  I say to this silent voice, "Guilty!  Guilty of all that you are accusing me of, BUT I am covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.

That means that all of my sins of my past, my present and my future are covered by His Blood.  That means oh silent voice and accuser of my sins in my life that God has won, death no longer has victory over my life.  Sin no longer can hold me because Jesus has paid for it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I wrestle with today is whether my life is magnifying the Lord in all that I do.  Am I being a good steward with all that I do?  I find consolation in that most of the time, I am broken and that I am a sinner and am broken and need daily repentance in my life to continue to make God the authority in my life that I know He is.  I have to ask for wisdom and guidance in all that I do.  Yes, I can be selfish and sinful, but I can ask brothers that I am walking with and my best friend (my wife) to hold me accountable:  Are my actions meeting my daily walk required by God.

Where do I find this in Scripture you ask:

Examine yourself:  2 Corinthians 13:5(ESV) 5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Renew yourself:  Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) A Living Sacrifice 12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[d]

Pursue God's Holy Living (only capable thru complete trust and obedience in Him and His Word):  Colossians 3 (ESV) Put On the New Self 3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your[a] life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:[b] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[c] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[d] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,[e] free; but Christ is all, and in all. 12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Psalm 34: English Standard Version (ESV)

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,and let us exalt his name together!

Let us come together and reason with one another.  This life is but a vapor?  What do you want to echo in eternity:  Did I live for my self or for a higher purpose (God's will)?

Blessings,

D

What is truth?

John 8:31-32New International Version (NIV)31 Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

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Jesus said that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  He said that no one will come to His Father, but through Him.

If you do no know Jesus as Lord, as Savior and as your redeemer, then the truth is not in you

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If you do not know truth (the Lord Jesus), then when you die, you will be asked if you know the Lord, Jesus Christ as Savior.  If you do, then your name will be written in the Book of Life.  If you do not, then you will be thrown into the Lake of Fire that was intended for the Devil and his angels.

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If you know the Lord as Savior and Friend and as your redeemer, then you will be asked another question....

I believe it will be asked like this:  What did you do with the things that I gave you?  The time, the talent and the treasure that God gave you?  Were you a good steward?  Did you spend it wisely, stewardship His Kingdom.  Was His will done?

Truth - Being in God's Will!

Blessings,D

The Unholy trinity

Left to our own devices, what hope of eternity with God do we have?  Left by ourselves, what is the likelihood that we may slip?  Left by ourselves, what could possibly go wrong?  In Romans we read that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  In Psalms we read that we were brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.  In Mark, we read Jesus telling us that from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, fornication, thefts, murders and adulteries.  In Jeremiah, we read that the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick.  Who can understand it?2 Timothy 3:2-4For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."

In all that we do, we have to acknowledge that we were built and made for community.  The Holy Trinity is the perfect and flawless example of this:  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  They are the perfect community.  They gave us an example of what perfect community is like.

So many men go the opposite ways of what God intended for us:

• Samson - he was one of the judges that God set forth for Israel.  The only community that he had been those that opposed God's will around him  He did not listen to his parents on who he should marry.  He hung out with the wrong crowds who wanted to use him and others in his life to find the very essence of his strength.  He never reasoned to common sense or to God's will for our life.  Instead he reasoned with himself and what he wanted in that of immediate gratification.  It was not until he was stripped of everything, eyes dug out from his head and chained to the enemy's pillars, did he realize how much he needed God for his strength.   Imagine if Samson was surrounded by friends who were truly in community with him  Telling him the way that it really is and being able to have permission to speak truth into his life when he veered to places he had no business going.  Imagine if his parents rebuked and corrected his waywardness.  What more do you think God would have done in this man's life.
• King David:   We read early of a shepherd boy who has the heart of God.  We read of a boy challenging a giant of the enemy who profaned the name of the Lord.  We read about a boy (who would be anointed King) that began a friendship with the existing king's son (named Jonathon who was the rightful heir to the throne, but he was a prince that honored God's will instead of man).  Jonathon was more than a fried to David, he was a brother.  He kept him safe and alive when David wandered from the truth.  He saved David from his own father, King Saul, and hid him from this danger.   He gave David whatever needed.  When this friend died with his dad in battle, David never found this accountability with other men (Yes, he did have the 400 might men of valor and they kept him somewhat accountable, but not in the way of biblical community and accountability that we need).  We read at one point when Kings should be off to war, that David wasn't and because of that, he wondered from God and lusted for a woman on the rooftop and his life changed forever more.  There was a great sin that kept getting worse and worse until God sent Nathan to call him out.  Can you imagine being Nathan?  Whoa, that would not be my first choice.  All this to be said, what if Jonathon were still there or a brother (in Christ) that was there?  Do you think David would be left behind or would he be in community with this trusted friend(s) and off to battle with them to where God wanted him to be?
• Job- was a man who God told Satan that there was no other man like this man of faith in all the earth.  Job was a mighty man who prayed for his kids diligently and did all that was right in the eyes of the Lord.  When he was tested and tried by the Devil we find that he lacked true community.  His friends were not there for him in the way that God intends us to be with our brothers in Christ.  They did the first thing right with him in that they sat quietly beside them.  But then, like many of us, they tried to find all the "specks in Job's eyes" that had to be there for all these terrible things that happened to Job.  Instead of treating him like he needed to be treated:  To comfort, encourage and urge him to life a life worthy of God.  Can you imagine with me if he had friends that sat beside him, allowed him to mourn the loss and didn't judge him.  Can you imagine if he was surrounded by men of faith that truly cared for him and could not explain God to him, but instead trusted that God would see him through this and that they would be there through thick and thin because they loved him without condition?  I mean, his own wife said to him, "why don't you curse God and die!"  Really?  Just imagine if they all said, "we are not sure why this is happening to you and I but come let us pray to God and seek his answers and know that we got your back?"

We all need to take a hard look at our lives and pray for God to reveal the logs in our own eyes before we try to point to the speck in our brothers eye.  We need to seek purity and righteousness and try to be the men that God calls us to be.

We need to take an honest inventory of our life and write down the fruit of the Spirit that is evident in our life and if not that fruit, then we need to confess the sinful nature stuff in our life and ask God to remove that from us.

We need to put a brotherhood of community in our lives:

• Pray with others
• Be honest with others (that we can trust)
• If we don't have that or are not sure where to look (then we need to pray to God for him to bring them into our lives)
• We need to find a bible study of men where this is going on.
• We need to trust God by being in community with others.

We need to realize that the unholy trinity in our lives (me, myself and I) is not what God has intended for us, but what the enemy of our souls intends for us to do- to gratify our desires by the desires of the flesh and to turn away from God's Truth - HIS WORD!

Repent, confess and go the other way - for there is no other way but to trust and obey!

Blessings,

D

Why do we need the church? Part 1

My friend, Lance (founder of Legacy dad), penned this blog post, "Dear Church, Are We Off Course?" in which he spoke from the heart and from some frustration and pure honesty with issues in today's church in the free world, The United States of America.  If you haven't read it or have, I encourage you to read it again and then ponder to yourself to ask what you see in your church and where are we going.In Ephesians 5:25 we read are "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her", which applies to those whom Christ died for.  In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said that "I will build my church."  In the Old Testament they reference to an assembly of people who worshiped God.  The Greek word, Ekklesia, is a term that is translated as church, which simply means assembly.  The Church is both local and universal.  The church is both visible and invisible.  It is not defined as brick and mortar.  In metaphors in the New Testament, the Church is referenced as "an olive tree (Romans 11:17-24), a field of crops (1 Corinthians 3:6-9), a building (1 Cor. 3:9) and a harvest (Matthew 13:1-30 and John 4:35).  The Church is a group of new priests, holy believers (that is you and I who are set apart for Him).

Some reasons why we need the church (found in Scripture):

• The church is for a community of believers (others known as a family) that come together to worship God
• The church is there to nurture its members.  In Colossians 1:28 we are to understand that the church is there to "present every man mature in Christ".
• The church is there for evangelism and Mercy - we are to go unto all the earth and make disciples (not just fans) of Jesus Christ
• The church is called to remember and practice the Sacraments (Baptism and Communion)
• The church is there to preach the Word (hear it and listen to it and to live it).  There is reference to this with Jesus talking to Peter in Matthew 18 (bind and loosen).
• In practical terms, the church should be a hospital (always there to help, that is, to comfort and encourage and urge each of its members to live a life worthy of Jesus Christ)
• The church is there to discipline  (Matthew 18)

I was very moved by this post from Lance that I started asking fellow Elders to read it and to comment back to me on it.  I asked some of my Pastors' their thoughts on this and to give us feedback on it.  One Pastor actually wrote back to me in regards to Lance's post.  This pastor has been both an encouragement to me (as he officiated my father's funeral) and a mentor.  In replying back to me he said that Lance has asked some great questions that we need to continue to ask ourselves and we should always be evaluating.

When we appoint Elders and Deacons we should be selecting leaders based on gifting and their fruit (reference Galatians 5).  However, the Pastor told me, that we need to be careful in making broad assumptions - meaning sometimes a person's profession/generosity are examples of gifting that need to be included in leadership.

Lance is spot on in discipleship.  I will go onto to say that if a church's discipleship "program" (or model or way whatever you call it) is not built upon the word in creating overseers/leaders/lay leaders, then I would be confident to say that church's model is flawed both Biblically and internally.  I would go further to say that we have a lot of "head knowledge" in the American church but not all have connected the head to the heart.  There are too many religious (theologians) and not enough disciples!

One caution for us to be quick to judge the Church is to look all over and make broad brush assumptions about the whole.  The real life changes happen in a man/woman or child's life when they let go to self and let God and His Spirit move us to where He wants us to be.  The old saying applies, "Don't be quick to judge a man, until you walk a mile in that man's shoes."  This could mean that maybe he is right where God wants him to be.  The other side of this coin is that maybe, just maybe, a lot of these men have never been mentored or discipled the way that God calls us to disciple.  In 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, you read that our job is to plant seeds and water seeds, after that, it's God's job to grow and by how much He grows each of them.  We should be careful to deceive ourselves that every person is going to reach the level of sanctification continuum that we think is appropriate.  The Church's economy is to take care of those in need from within and to reach outward to those who do not know Christ and to grow those who come to know Him.

As far as those of us that are in the church versus those of us that are out of the church, the Pastor friend of mine and I would both agree that there are two scales of economy here to consider:  1) Those of us that are in Christ have a different understanding - a biblical economy and understanding then those who are outside the church and have a completely different set of economies.  The world's view versus the Christian view.

The "American" church compared to all other churches in the world will not always look the same.  There are some non-negotiable qualities that should be identified in God's  Pure Church:

• Solo Scriptura
• Biblical Doctrine (the right preaching of the Word)
• The Church preaches the Word
• The Church is accountable the Word
• The Right use of Church Discipline
• Genuine Worship (Lyrics that point and are based on the Word)
• Effective Prayer
• Effective Witness
• Effective Fellowship
• Biblical Church Government
• Spiritual power in Ministry (being the hands and feet the body of believers and to the world around it)
• Personal holiness of life among its members
• Care for the poor
• Love for Christ

The "American" church does come under fire because, at times, we can make it about ourselves and our legacy instead of pointing those from within and from the outside to Christ (this needs to be repented of).  Also, climate can play a big deal in this.  For instance, as I am writing this in the Midwest there is rain and freezing rain and then there is cold temps and in climate weather, whereas in other places of the world they are not bound by this.  In other places of the world, Christianity is illegal and a crime which is punishable by death so they need to be hidden in home churches and the like.  For instance, my Pastor friend says that you have a church building in Ethiopia but no heat (obviously not needed) but if you go to the same building in the Midwest during the dead of winter - it would not be that ideal to hear God's word under such harsh circumstances.

Lance said in this his post, "It’s not that I’m angry or even frustrated, I just long in my heart to find Christian leaders and other men who actually live their lives both in public and in private – congruent with the faith they profess."  My pastor's comment to this was "Amen. When our actions match our beliefs, we have integrity."

For me, it is tough, because one of my gifting's is discernment.  For someone like me, this is not always a good thing, because I can be very direct and shoot straight from the hip.  That being said, I need to continually pray for wisdom in when to act on this discernment or when to wait on God to act or to find that He may have someone else in mind to act.  This brings me to the point that I can find myself being very critical of church pastors and leaders and overseers, including myself.  That is, to say, that I am a church leader (both an Elder and leader of Men's Ministries).  Do I always get it right?  The answer is clearly no, because I am a sinner.

Here is a clue for you, believer, to use.  When finding a church or if you are currently in your church and Lance's post has hit a nerve or is causing you discomfort in that some of his talking points have hit the mark, then my encouragement to you is to do some things about it:

• Read God's Word
• Pray
• Fast
• Walk with other men (and if you are a woman walk with other women) and be open, honest and transparent and definitely in the Word.
• Humbly talk to your leaders - that is, don't tell them the way that you want it to be, ask them what they think Scripture says on this matter
• Don't panic - God's got this - Each one of your leaders will give an account and will be responsible for what they have done, are doing and will continue to do.  We read this in Hebrews 13:17:  "Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?"

My church is a hospital, a place to grow and a place to learn.  My church is full of sinners that are saved by grace.  I am not sure if all of its members (or attenders) are truly born again Christians.  That is up to our leaders to discern and to pray through and to comfort, encourage and urge the body to live a life worthy of Jesus Christ.  All this being said, does my church and its leaders make mistakes?  The answer is yes (remember that we are all sinners).  BUT when we error on the side of grace and love and mercy, that is, forgive as we have been forgiven, we can come together and reason and in a humble and biblical approach we can see God's will reign in all that we do.

Why do we need the Church?  Because we are a family of believers.  Each of us that are born again ,whether we like it or not, are now brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are called to love one another.  To encourage each other, to comfort each other and to urge each other to live a life worthy of Christ.  We need the Church because we need to worship God together and hear His word together and to be the hands and feet together.  We are family!

Blessings,

D

Sources:  The Bible.  Systematic Theology (Wayne Grudem).

Tell Your Story

I gave my life to Jesus Christ on November 7, 1976 in a fundamental, independent Baptist Church.  The pastor was a humble and intelligent man named Reverend Donald G. Humbert.  He was a godly man who believed in the Bible word for word.  I grew up Catholic, meaning I grew up in a tradition and religion rather than a genuine faith and friendship with our Creator.  That is, to say, that I was not connected to God's word, His truth, nor did I have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  My sister started attending this church and eventually got my mom and I to start attending this church.  After several months, I remember one Sunday evening (11/7/1976) that I was so convicted by the Holy Spirit that I stood up during the "alter call" and gave my life to the Lord.I cannot tell you that I always followed the road to biblical discipleship (read more:  Here), but the Lord never gave up on me even at my most darkest of times.  During my late adaloscent years and even into my early teens I was on fire for the Lord.  I was President of my youth group and CEO of our high school ministry.  I loved the Lord with every part of my being.  And then I met high school football and the like and turned away from God and toward earthly idols.  My youth Pastor, and my friend, noticed a dramatic change and wrote me a letter about this (I still have this today) and called me out (or tried to) in being raw and honest with his walk.  I really always love and respect that man for his truth in love.  As a result, I walked away from my relationship with God for over a decade (again see the post above).  It was not until I went to a friend's wedding and met his wife's best friend did my life begin to change.

This woman, who would later be called my wife, introduced me to another Bible Church in her hometown.  She even had me waking up at 6am in the morning to drive out to her church in the western suburbs of Chicago to help her lead a 2 and 3 year old class.   At the time that we officially started dating, we were on a double date downtown for her birthday and I found out from my dad that that early morning my mother had a massive heart attack.  She was given 6 months to live and my dad had just lost his brother.  Needless to say, I got a second opinion and my mom lived 10 years past the original 6 month diagnosis.  After my mom had her open heart surgery, she woke up and asked me to make her a promise (i said of course) and she asked me to go to church again and to start reading my bible again.

That begin a long road to recovery (sin nature stuff takes some time to work through the carnage and scars), but my wife said to me during this process of early marriage, "do something about it" (she was referring to my walk and what I needed).  This began to formulate my walk with other brothers and to truly grasp what Galatians 6:1-2 says (click here).  So I started walking with other brothers and started to repent of all the justifications (that were sin) in my life and confess to a Holy God that which I did and was repenting of.

What do I believe (in) today:

• I am a work in progress.
• I am going to finish well.
• I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and my friend.
• I believe that God is the authority over my entire life.
• I believe that God calls us in to community and to walk with each other.
• I believe that He has given me a story, my story, to tell others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What I am asking you to do today:

• Take a hard look at your life and ask yourself if there is any sin nature stuff in your life that needs to be repented of
• Pray continually
• Ask God to lead you
• Examine yourself daily (in and through the word of God)
• Let God be the authority of your entire life
• Walk with other brothers (if you are a man) and other sisters (if you are a woman) - confess your sins to one another!
• Finally, I ask you to tell your Gospel story of your life to others in your circles of life.

To God be the Glory,D