Being Relevant?

The church need to be relevant with today’s issue but what does this mean? Some says this means dealing with community issues that arise. Whether there is upraise of violence, sexual perversion, or a law that may pass to allow abortion a clinic or a bar in a community.
Some say being relevant is using secular and worldly opinions to build a church like using secular music, always preaching positive, never preach about sin, or allowing certain life styles; all this regardless if the Bible calls them sin. Also saying you don’t have to worry about your sins because Jesus will still accept into heaven.

There are so any churches, ministries, and ministers trying to be so relevant they forget what Christianity is all about. Christianity is about Jesus Christ; showing and directing those who are in sin to have repented life styles with Christ.


First of all, let deal with using secular music in church. Not all secular music is bad, but some should not be allowed. Like playing a sound with the lyric “All my ex’s live in Texas” during a community church events. Does this mean that church is saying that divorce is okay? Is this church saying that this is no longer a sin? But what is sad that this church is now having a serious problem about marriage. Almost every class is about marriage and relationships. They also just lost a pastor because of this.

Secondly, preaching positive and never preach about sin. This is every dangerous! Once a church, ministry, or minister starts doing this they don’t realize the judgment that comes upon them. Yes, the church may grow but at what cost? Ministers don’t realize that preaching a soft gospel allows sin to run rapid in their church. Even sometimes it controls it.

The last issue is how churches are singling out certain sinful life styles that are wrong but yet knowingly allow other sinful life styles to be allow in church. For example, the church has single out the gay community but allowing more and more excuses for ministers to have divorces and still be a pastor. What about ministers lying or starting rumors or allowing rumors to run around about some of their members in order to protect that minister’s short comings or sin that they committing them selves.
It is the same when pastors that are caught having an affair, some churches or denominations will allow the minister to continue but with counseling. But if the minister is caught having an affair with the same sex, he or she losses their licenses, Period. Why is the church so against gays but sympathize with those who are having an affair. Aren’t both sexual perversions? Aren’t both sin?

The church need to quick focusing on certain sin because “everyone has sin and come short of the Glory of God”, we need Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior because if we don’t except him, there is no other way to enter heaven.

I’m going to talk a little-bit about a particular church I know of and what is going on with some churches today? It’s about some of the politics in the church.
Now unfortunately there will always be some type of politics in church. Whether it is the pastor that uses politics, certain members, or even the church body, politics is somewhere within the church. But the politics I want to mention is when a church wants to grow and do the things the Bible tells them to do but because of some individuals or an individual, the church doesn’t do it. This causes the church not to go grow and it’s usually the leadership is too afraid to upset anyone.
The biggest thing I couldn’t believe is when the leadership of a church is willing to allow individuals to continue sinning. I am not meaning those who fall or sin because of character faults. We all have problems like that Jesus continues to prune away after our salvation. I am talking about those who choose willfully to cause problems in the church.
For example, (true story) their was a Pastor that ask a couple to come in and start some ministries, the husband was ask to start a young adults program and the wife was ask to reorganize the children department. So they agreed.
The problem started when the wife was giving a date to start a class, but the children directors decides to have a party without informing the wife. For the second week, same thing happened. Finally the third week came and the class was about to start but that certain lady of the church waited conveniently in the wall. After the wife started the class, the lady started to cry uncontrollable and causing a seen in the wall. As if she just lost a love one. And all this is done in front youth room. This caused a huge seen and because of it, the Children’s director got on to the wife for causing the problem.
To make this short, the wife was no able to start her class. Remember she was asked by the senior and associate pastor to do so. This wife is respect by several leaders in their section, being call to do Kids, knowing several type of kids programs, gone through training after training and she has even been asked to start a kid’s camp in that section. She was also trained by a children Pastor for 3 years. But the Pastor told her to wait on the class after the issue is resolved and he admitted that the lady had some problems. After several month of the pastor started making excuses and then giving the problem to his associate pastor, so the couple left the church. But in those months it was proven that the lady just didn’t like the wife and had emotional problem which the senior pastor know about. The sad thing the pastor allowed this lady, the one with emotional problem to teach children church.
This is where the politics come in to play. The pastor does not want to upset the lady because it could cause a problem, remember the lady has support of the children director and the children director’s husband was on the board and a deacon. And I must mention the church spilt 3 to 4 year ago. This Pastor has lost control of his church.

The question is when did the sheep stating leading the shepherd? I seeing more and more pastors and preacher preaching a soft gospel; preaching what the crowd wants to hear instead of what God’s word says. The church is not a vending machine. The church is not a place were sinners can come in so God can love their sin. No! The church is a place where sinners can come in, have their life change by the repenting of their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior, and leaving knowing that they are change within, and not desiring to sin anymore.


And we must remember that preaching the true gospel will upset some people.

Are Tattoos sin?

Tattoos are something that I have had a problem with for a long time. I believed that anyone who had tattoos were bad people, people you don’t want to socialite with. They were PUNKS, people who always cause problems. Boy! Was I a judgmentally idiot. But let’s read for a minute on what is usually taught on this subject. This was pulled off the internet. It also talks about body piercing.


In relation to tattoos and body piercings, a good test is to determine whether we can honestly, in good conscience, ask God to bless and use the particular activity for His own good purposes. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). The Bible does not command against tattoos or body piercings, but it also does not give us any reason to believe God would have us get tattoos or body piercings.

Another issue to consider is modesty. The Bible instructs us to dress modestly (1 Timothy 2:9). One aspect of dressing modestly is making sure everything that should be covered by clothing is adequately covered. However, the essential meaning of modesty is not drawing attention to yourself. People who dress modestly dress in such a way that they do not draw attention to themselves. Tattoos and body piercings most definitely draw attention. In this sense, tattoos and body piercings are not modest.

An important Scriptural principle on issues that the Bible does not specifically address is that if there is room for doubt as to whether it pleases God, then it is best to not engage in that activity. "For whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). We need to remember that our bodies, as well as our souls, have been redeemed and belong to God. Although 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 does not directly apply to tattoos or body piercings, it does give us a principle, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." This great truth should have a real bearing on what we do and where we go with our bodies. If our bodies belong to God, we should make sure we have His clear "permission" before we "mark it up" with tattoos or body piercings.
(from http://www.gotquestions.org/tattoos-sin.html)


I agree with this to some extent but not all. It also says that the Bible has nothing to say if tattoos and body piercing are sin or not. So let’s deal with one scripture at a time.

1 (1 Corinthians 10:31). In using this scripture, “what so ever you do”, everything we do does need to glory god but how does getting a tattoo or piercing not glorifying? This need to be clarified by scripture before we call it sin. Now I can understand that there are some tattoos that are uncalled for and definitely are not glorify God but not all are that way.

2 (1 Timothy 2:9) Dressing modestly to not to bring attention to your self. Okay, does this mean if I am a minister that wears a suit so that people will know who I am; isn’t that bringing attention to your self? Wouldn’t this also be considered a sin? If so, that means that all ministers that wear suits are sinning.

3 (Romans 14:23). "For whatsoever is not of faith is sin" Since there is no act of faith to breath, specialty while sleeping, does this mean we are sinning?

4 (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) This is where I agree. Our body does belong to God but this still doesn’t give a clear answer on all tattoos and piercing. Because, do we ever ask God if we can get fat, grow long hair or shave our heads, cut our finger and toe nails, where makeup…..?


I am not writing this to disprove this website opinions or theology but to make a point. Never use scripture to support your opinion. Because I can found scriptures that will make eating steak or hamburgers a sin.


And because of this issue, those who have tattoos and body piercing feel they can’t ever go to church or be forgiving by God. Specialty those with tattoo’s, they are not as easy to removed as body piercing.


The Church needs to realize that the generations coming up are asking question like these on why certain thing are called sin and if the church can not give a clear scripture reference than the church needs to revaluate its opinions. Remember we are supposed to defend scripture not church religion.

A Cultural Church!



There are many churches today that are trying to change from a tradition style to a more contemporary style church and I have heard so many arguments that this is wrong. So this brings up a question, WHY?


What is so wrong with changing the style of your church? Here are some of the arguments that I have heard;


“Because we have always done this way so why change?” the question is, is this way effectively reaching sinner?
I love this one, “Because it’s scripture!” Majority of the time its not!
What about contemporary Praise and Worship, some say, “It’s too loud! And the church has always used hymns.” Or even this one, “That music is of Satan!” So is music that lifts up the name of Jesus regardless it style Satanic?
Sometime the Pastor will say, “because Miss “?” or Mr. “?” doesn’t like it.” That’s sad if a pastor is more afraid of one individual instead of his whole church.
And there are so any more.


I once read a blog about a new church forming today and their contemporary style and new look. But on this blog a Pastor replied that this new church with their contemporary style is nothing more than a church that wants to fit in with today’s culture and they are committing a sin in doing so. Now I can understand it if this church is going off scripture but the majority of churches like this are just wanting something new. These churches are just trying to stay with today’s generation style and look. Is that so wrong?


But I’ll say this again, if the church goes off scripture or is just trying to look cool (bringing attention to its self and not glorifying Jesus), and then it is wrong. But if the church is trying to reach a particular group or style of people, then go for. Paul did this as well in Act 16: 1-5, Paul circumcised Timothy so that the Jews would accept him of being of God but circumcision has nothing to do with Salvation. Circumcision is just a covenant between God and Abraham and Abrahams’ his descendants Genesis 17:7-14. But in order for the Jews to accept Timothy he had to be circumcised.


Churches need to realize the culture that surrounds them and change accordingly. And to answer the Pastor who said the changing with the style of the culture is sin, wasn’t the older churches formed during the time when hymns (or southern gospel), wood pulps, Sunday and Wednesday services, men wearing suits and women wearing dresses the culture then?

Human Philosophy mixed with Bible Doctrine

It’s funny when people become Christians and they believe they know everything as if their minds are so intuned with God, that they’re never wrong. What’s really bad is when Christians voice their personal opinions and then us doctrine to back it up. This turns into “Pride”, selfish Pride. Read my blog about Pride
Unfortunately most of this is cause by churches and their traditions that they hold. Like when Ladies have to wear dresses in church or men wearing suits. I understand that we all should look presentable, Christian and non Christian a like but some Christians take it to the level of if you don’t you shouldn’t come to church. And if you do it is as if you are committing sin.

That’s funny. I thought we wanted sinners to come to church?

But anyway, there are so any rules on how to be a Christian set by human philosophy there is no possible way anyone can handle it. We are not perfect and it is impossible to become perfect. This is why we need Jesus Christ. Because after we go to Him and accept him as Lord and savior God looks at us as bring prefect. This doesn’t mean that we stop sinning right just then. We’re still human and boy, we are still really missed up. But with Jesus’ help those thing that the Bible calls sin, not traditions or human rules but biblical sin we eventually do less of or stop doing completely.

Jesus is the line that we must cross to stop sinning, not human philosophy. It is Jesus’ blood and the renewing of your mind by reading God’s word that keeps us from sinning. And if you desire to become a Christian, still don’t let human philosophy and church traditions hold you down.

“Be what God is calling you to be!”

Pride

Proverbs 16:18, Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling

Proverbs 29:23, a man's pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

Pride, is pride good? Every time I go to the grocery store I keep reading the front cover of a magazine, (forgot the name of it) but they wrote a article about a man getting rich and successful with the hope of “PRIDE” This is very dangerous but yet it happenings all the time. Even with Ministers. They get so build up in them selves that they forgot who got them there, God And yes, they says God help them but give all the credit to their programs and wisdom.
I have worked under two ministers like this; one lost his church by the denotation that it was under. He started to off doctrine and teaching that if anyone left his church that they would go to “HELL” or if they didn’t do as he instructed they would be sinning. The other one became partially paralyze and was not able to continue pasturing his church. And because of that, the church stop having services and closed it doors.
Like I said, “Pride is dangerous!” But all we one time or another have it.

I just finished reading some blogs and it got me thinking. What about the church? What I mean is “what is church?” for the past couple of years I have experience a huge blow to what churches are today. First of all, churches are a group of individuals wanting to know more about God. A church is where people can come to learn and here God’s word. That’s cool and scriptural! A place where we can have fellowship, a place to share our feeling, a place where we know that God loves us; is this correct? All this is good.
“But” the blow is I have learned that the majority of churches have these good qualities but are not open to everyone. For example, there are churches that want only a certain social class, if you are not a person that’s prim and proper; you are not allowed to come, if your opinions don’t agree with certain members, and so on and so forth.
I hear more and more about what churches should do, what programs to use, what not to use. I hear and read about this church is better than that church or this church should be like that church, this church should do this, this church should do that, this church, this church……….

“Enough” This is becoming too much for people to handle.

Instead, why don’t the churches just do it! I mean the church should be reaching the lost. That is “LOST” souls!!!! And while doing that not judge where they come from. We have churches more worried about pointing out people sins than telling them about Jesus’ love. Remember, Christ died on the cross while we were still sinners. Not because we should clean ourselves up before we come to him. He died so that we can be forgiving of our sins while we are still sinning and then He can clean us and work on those sins or life style that causes us to sin. Remember the lady coughed in adultery, did Jesus do what the majority where telling Him by stoning her or did he forgive her than instructed her to sin no more?
The common action I’m seeing are churches wants people to admit their faults and stop sinning then come to church to receive Christ, this is not scriptural. Churches are more worried about all the other stuff that makes no difference. There’s nothing wrong with Transition or Contemporary worship, it doesn’t matter what time services start or finish, and everything else that churches are so held-bent to keep the same or change. The only thing matters is how effective are you reaching our community. Reaching the “LOST” and disciplining them to become Christ like!