Here We Stand!

Special Days, ,

HERE WE STAND, 506 YEARS LATER!

A wall poster read: “Do you seriously think God can’t use you?”

Then it listed a whole lot of people from the Bible who no one would ever think could be used for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom.

• Noah was a drunk.
• Abraham was too old.
• Jacob was a liar.
• Samson was a womanizer.
• Rahab was a prostitute.
• Elijah was suicidal.
• Lazarus was dead.

God also used a crazy man in the 16th century who was rude, crude…and a Jew hater. He was also a worry wart, always thinking God was going to strike him dead for his sin.

His name was Martin Luther and the reason you are a Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Pentecostal or even a non-denominational believer is because of what he did on Oct. 31, 1517, commonly called the Protestant Reformation.

It’s been 506 years since the day faith in God was RE-formed. We celebrate our independence from hierarchical religion and cherish the truth that we can come to God on our own, by faith, through his Son Jesus Christ.

Though this truth has always been with us, it was hidden for centuries. What Martin Luther did changed the direction of Christianity forever—all because God used this one man.
Every Christian should celebrate October 31, the third greatest Holy Day of the year after Christmas and Easter: Reformation Day.

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How to Read the Boring Parts of the Bible

Bible Reading Everyday, Pastor's P.O.V.

A MINISTRY LEADER WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD when a pastor asked her to do a reading of Scripture before the church service started. That’s all. “Just a simple reading before he preached—no commentary, no embellishments, just read it and take my seat,” said the writer for Christianity Today. “Why my sudden crisis of confidence? The text was Luke 3:23–38, the genealogy of Jesus, composed of 77 tongue-twisting names, requiring a solid two and a half minutes to read aloud from start to finish.

“The pastor, a dear friend, noted the look on my face and asked, ‘Is it weird to read that before I preach?’ Everything in me knew I should say no, but I wanted to yell, ‘Yes! I’m just going to read these endless names and wander back to my seat in the awkward ensuing silence?’”

I can relate. Though I haven’t yet read any genealogies to my congregation, I do have to slog through them in my daily reading of the bible. I just started 1 Chronicles in the Old Testament. There before me are nine chapters of names I’m not familiar with—nine chapters!!! Here’s how to do it: Skim.

Now before you call me a slacker, a cheat, or a lazy Bible reader, please know that I’ve read through these names word-for-word at least once in the twenty-plus times I’ve read through the Old Testament. You need to as well. Why?

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June is now FIDELITY MONTH!

Special Days,

I think we can all agree that America is no longer one nation under God, indivisible.

Not since the 60’s has there been such a cultural divide with everyone insisting that they are right with no compromise and no middle ground.

Jesus called us to “Love our neighbors as ourselves,” which is the second greatest Commandment, but that seems impossible, an old-fashioned idea. “That’s a nice idea, Jesus, but really?”

Wait a minute. Jesus was saying this to the crowds who gathered around him, so, these concepts are not passé. Neither was this: “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also” (Luke 6:27-29).

We have become an irreligious, irreverent society, soon to become irrelevant. According to a Wall Street Journal article from March, patriotism, religion, and community involvement are disappearing faster than the Eastern Lowland Gorilla.

• They found that just 38% of Americans believe patriotism is “very important” to them, down from 70% who said the same thing in 1998.
• How important is religion? 39% of Americans said it was important, while in 1998, 62% believed that.
• 69% believed raising kids was “very important” in 1998. Today: 30%.
• Only 27% believed community involvement was important, when in 1998, 62% believed it was.
• How about tolerance? 58% believe that is important. But just four years ago, 80% did.

Concerned yet? That’s why it is encouraging to know that Dr. Robert George “by the authority vested in me by absolutely no one…have declared June to be “Fidelity Month”—a month dedicated to the importance of fidelity to God, spouses and families, and our country and communities.” (FidelityMonth.com)

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Eaten by Worms

Pastor's P.O.V.,

EATEN BY WORMS. Can you think of a worse way to go?

This was God’s judgment on one evil ruler and it’s guaranteed that every wicked person will suffer some type of awful fate.

But what did King Herod do? After killing the Apostle James and imprisoning Peter, he gave a speech, believed he was God, then “Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:23).

Pride got the best of him. His God-hating ways caught up to him. Every single person who shakes their fist at the Almighty will perish.

“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30).

This is good news for those who have suffered under tyrants. They will experience God’s retributive justice.

Do you think Hitler isn’t paying for his crimes against humanity? How about Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong, who between them murdered over 60 million of their own citizens? How about Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, that ruthless dictator of North Korea? Putin? Xi Jinping?

Want to know what God thinks?

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