A Missionary to the Nursing Home

We have a missionary to the local nursing home. Some people might call her a "shut-in" or  "homebound" but I call her a missionary. She does not receive a salary for being a missionary, in fact, she is "self-funded" in her Great Commission endeavors. Let me explain.

I had recently begun to pastor in Indiana and was busy learning names, finding addresses, and becoming acquainted with my new church family. The "shut in list" included names and addresses that I had printed out on the office printer from a list of contacts of our church family. 

The next person to be visited on the list was Beatrice**(Name changed for privacy.) It had been a few years since she had been to a church service on our physical campus due to her declining health and restrictions associated with living in a nursing home. I checked in at the front desk and the receptionist directed me to her room through a set of double doors with a keypad and a couple of long hallways strewn with elderly in wheelchairs.

I walked down the hallway reviewing the room numbers and name placards next to each room. The familiar smell of nursing home hallways went with me. One lady held tight to a railing that went down the entire length of the hallway as she made her way in the opposite direction.

I walked into her room and spotted a lady sitting in a small recliner working on a crossword puzzle and asked, "Are you Beatrice?" 

She looked up from her book and smiled warmly. "Yes, I am."

As I introduced myself to her as the new pastor of Mackey Church of the Nazarene, she invited me to sit on the edge of her bed as she sat in her seat a few feet away. Her room was small and modest but included the chair she was sitting in along with a little table holding a lamp and some other reading material next to her chair. There was a Bible sitting next to some of her mail and other puzzle books.

There was a large curtain hanging from the ceiling that served as a sort of divide in the room from the other resident and her bed in the same room. It all felt very small, almost insignificant, but there was something about this room I could not shake. 

I shared a little bit about myself and Beatrice listened patiently. A staff-person from the nursing home came into the room. Beatrice knew her by name. She had come into the room to check on Beatrice. She did not recognize me and exhibited a level of love in her concern for Beatrice's well being by finding out the identity of this new visitor.

"This is my new pastor," Beatrice informed her. The subtle message of her safety was communicated to the staff person who greeted me and moved on to tackle her duties for the day. I then began to listen as Beatrice pointed out pictures of family and recounted her own life story. 

As a pastor does, I eventually came to the point in the conversation where we discussed Beatrice's spiritual condition. Beatrice quickly confirmed what I already had a hunch about: "I love Jesus so much. He is with me here every day and speaks to me."

She did not need to do or say anymore to convince me. Her smile and words were saturated with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Curiosity compelled me to dig deeper though: "How do you serve Jesus in here?"

The question was abrupt and almost seemed to disrupt the flow of our conversation to that point. Beatrice put her crossword puzzle book on the little table and repositioned herself in the recliner. She leaned forward a little as she began to speak: "I can't do much in here. I don't have any money to speak of and my body just won't let me get around like I'm use to. But I love Jesus so much. Sometimes I sit in this room for hours and pray for my family and people who need Jesus."

The answer was no surprise, but then she continued. "The other day, there was a gentleman who had no family. He was an Alzheimer patient who was dying down the hall from me. I felt so sad for him. So Jesus told me to go be with him. I went in to his room and sat in the chair next to his bed and held his hand. He couldn't talk because of the advancement of the Alzheimer's disease and when he looked at me I could see in his eyes that he was scared. So I prayed for him right there. I asked Jesus to save him. And then I began to sing. I'm not a good singer anymore pastor, but I sang for him. Before I knew it, it seemed that all the employees in the whole building were standing in here and out into the hallway just crying."

Beatrice thought she did not have much to offer the Savior, but I think she did. I cannot claim I know what happened to the man after he breathed his last, I do not even know his name. The world seemed to care little that a man who was elderly and riddled with a disease that robbed him of speech and his own memories. But Beatrice cared. And Jesus ministered to that man through a woman who has refused to stop serving the Lord in her latter years.

When Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, an American evangelist, was in London, England, he had the opportunity to spend some time with the founder of the Salvation Army. William Booth and the Salvation Army, A holiness denomination that is well known for its ministry to the poor, were part of the holiness movement in England. General Booth was past eighty years of age when Dr. Chapman sat down with him. He listened as General Booth shared the obstacles, victories, revivals, and ministries he had participated in throughout the year. Then the American evangelist asked the general if he would disclose his secret for success.

“He hesitated a second,” Dr. Chapman said, “and I saw the tears come into his eyes and steal down his cheeks, and then he said, ‘I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I, men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London, I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life.’”

Dr. Chapman said he went away from that meeting with General Booth knowing that, “the greatness of a man’s power is the measure of surrender.”

Yes, we have a missionary in our local nursing home. She is praying with people, singing to comfort them, and being present with them as they transition into the life to come. There are people more intelligent than her; people who are physically better off, financially more capable, and even more gifted. But Jesus has all of Beatrice.

Can you pray for a missionary from our church who is trying to fulfill the Great Commission in the local nursing home? She might be praying for you.


Other articles you might be interested in...

The Cry of My Heart

Transformation is Available

The Funeral God Attended

A Perspective Changer

Why I Can No Longer Support Nazarene Theological Seminary...

Why I can no longer support Nazarene Theological Seminary's current leadership.

I write the following with a heavy heart. Before I get into the reasons, let me give a little background.

I came to know Jesus as my Savior through the Church of the Nazarene. It was in 1989 during a weeknight at a Fall revival at Lafayette Church of the Nazarene (Lexington, KY). I was young, but it was a transformational turning point in my life. I love the Church of the Nazarene. The Church of the Nazarene is where I heard about the message of holiness and God's work of entire sanctification. I have sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit in Churches of the Nazarene in different states and international places. I have been taught in her Sunday School classes, worshiped in children's church, participated in teen camps, attended camp meetings, gone on work & witness trips, listened with interest as missionaries told of the mighty works of God.

It was the Church of the Nazarene that affirmed God's call on my life and ordained me. My ordination in the Church of the Nazarene means something to me. I have now pastored churches since 2003. I have served in small places and large places. God has seen fit to allow me the opportunity to serve through the Church of the Nazarene. 

The consensus among many is that young people in the church are only going to be reached by a continued compromise of our identity. At first that compromise involved only our standards found in the covenant of Christian conduct (the "rules" of membership). Things that many people were not completely comfortable with but were not willing to battle as they were not "essential." It seems now that we have delved into "essentials."

My concerns are listed below, but let me first say that I have spoken via the phone with Dr. Jeren Rowell. I have voiced my concerns directly to the Seminary president. I have also spoken with staff, students (current & former), and other denominational leaders about my concerns. I am not sharing anything that cannot publicly be verified or has not been addressed directly with those responsible for overseeing these issues. I have sought to follow a Biblical approach of working through differences. 

With that said, here are some of my concerns...

1. Professors on staff:

The visiting professor of spiritual formation and discipleship is Dr. Michael Christensen. He is an elder in the United Methodist church who actively promotes the full inclusion of those who are practicing LGBT. The UM church that he attends declares that they proclaim the love of Christ to everyone which, for them means that they will include you in membership, ministry, etc regardless of your lifestyle concerning the LGBT issues. He has also personally signed a statement by the "reconciling ministries" that supports active LGBT clergy within the UM church. Why would someone like that be allowed to teach at our flagship seminary? You can also see some of the things he worked to promote during his time at Drew Seminary.

Previously, Dr. Elaine Heath, was the visiting professor of evangelism at Nazarene Theological Seminary. She served for a short time as the Dean at Duke Divinity School. Her stand on issues of affirming the LGBT lifestyle are best shared in her own words from her op-ed in the Herald Sun. Heath, like Christensen, view the affirmation of LGBT lifestyle and the inclusion of those who practice such a lifestyle as a social justice issue. In other words, not fully including someone in active ministry within the church who is a practicing homosexual is sin from their perspective. **Update** Elaine Heath is not presently teaching at NTS.

2. Conference & Special Speakers:

Dr. Molly Marshall recently spoke at a preacher's conference. Dr. Russell Moore, of the Southern Baptist Church, writes an article outlining Marshall's views on a few things. Some are, like women in ministry, are inline with the Church of the Nazarene, but some, like LGBT inclusion/affirming, are not!

At the same preaching conference hosted by NTS, Libby Hugus was given a platform. The church of which she is a pastor is socially & theologically progressive congregation. This video is Hugus telling about the church that she pastors. Lot's of vocabulary may lead to bad places, but it is the universalism that remains blatant.

Nick Pickrill was yet another speaker. His church is a self described "socially progressive" and "queer affirming" church.

Dr. Thomas Oord is a frequent speaker and friend of NTS. At one time Oord was a professor at Northwest Nazarene University before his controversial views led to a shake up at the school. What are his controversial views? He believes in process theology. He is also a proponent of full inclusion of LGBT into every facet of ministry. Check out a social media post on his own profile. (It really leaves me wondering how he can remain ordained in the Church of the Nazarene and have such blatant/public opinions that are obviously counter to Biblical teaching and the Church of the Nazarene's official stance.) How is he still an ordained elder in our church?

Update (02-22-22): The Grider-Winget Lectures in Theology with Dr Willie Jennings on February 26, 2022 features the professor and author known for "Can 'White' People Be Saved: Triangulating Race, Theology, and Missions." His insistence to push racial division is not surprising as he also serves as an advocate for gay marriage (and therefore the practice of homosexual behavior). Jennings says: “[G]ay marriage must be celebrated just as strongly, as loudly, and as intensely as any marriage of disciples, because what begins in civil toleration when touched by the Spirit of the living God becomes joyous and extravagant celebration”

Updated (08-26-22): The 2022 Preacher's Conference in September welcomes Rev. Dr. Frank A. Thomas as the speaker. His twitter feed and a Google search can give a pretty clear picture of his standing on various issues. He is a strong pro-abortion, pro-LGBT, pro-gay marriage, and critical race theory proponent. Sound good enough to invite to our seminary and give instruction to our future pastors and leaders?

Updated (02-22-22): If you contact someone who speaks for the seminary you will hear these standard lines: "As an academic institution of higher learning we want our students to engage in a variety of viewpoints and perspectives." Of course no one would suggest that we train our future ministers, who will lead our churches, without an understanding of teachings that contradict Christianity or even our own Wesleyan-Holiness theology. Our pastors and leaders need to understand the falsehood to be able to combat the thoughts and philosophical ideologies that stand as obstacles to seeing minds transformed by the grace of God. The problem is that these ideologies are often treated as acceptable alternatives to clear biblical teachings.

Updated (02-23-22) For example, many leaders will strongly affirm their adherence to the Church of the Nazarene's statement on human sexuality. What they will not do publicly is affirm that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit eternal life. For so many in our Nazarene Seminary, the issue of practicing homosexuality is a denominational issue to be addressed much like we address Calvinism vs Arminianism. We hold to a stance, but acknowledge that you can be a Christian, within the "big tent", and take a position that is contrary to the clear teachings of Scripture. In other words, while they will publicly declare their adherence to a Manual statement, they often do not privately agree with it.

3. Other Seminary Staff:

There are also other members of the staff at NTS who identify as homosexual. There are some who were removed from the ordination process because of their beliefs/lifestyles. Some simply no longer adhered to the doctrine and ethic of the Church of the Nazarene so they walked away. Yet they are/were still employed by our Seminary despite their contradictory lifestyles and doctrinal positions. (Update 02-22-22: One such employee referred to in the previous paragraph was fired after refusing to resign.)

It would seem that more people are identifying as homosexual than are being entirely sanctified in the flagship seminary of the Church of the Nazarene.

4. Getting Rid of "Hell"

I must admit that I don't think this is a problem peculiar to our Nazarene Seminary in Kansas City. However there is a culturally based movement to get rid the idea of "Hell." It is not palatable to our modern sensibilities. It would appear that some of the professors and leadership of our seminary are aiding this influence in the Church of the Nazarene by proposing that we eliminate the negative idea of "Hell" in our articles of Faith. The idea is that a "loving" God could never punish someone for eternity in Hell. Do we believe all of the Bible is allegory now? Did Jesus literally die and rise again? Is Heaven real? (Ever notice how people want to disregard Hell, but not necessarily Heaven?)

There is a trend away from Biblical authority in this move.

5. The Main Issue:

How can our flagship seminary allow our future ministers to be instructed by professors, some of which are unabashedly pro-homosexual? Their theological and biblical ability must be questioned on all fronts if they have come to the conclusion that people who are living actively in homosexual lifestyles are approved and encouraged by God (including their ordination). This taints their whole hermeneutic and leaves every theological conclusion they come to in question.

This is not a random post that has been done in the "spur of the moment." I have personally called and spoken with Dr. Jeren Rowell as well as other various other interactions with staff and personnel from the school. I have spoken with current and former students and staff. I have prayed for this institution (as I continue to do). Churches I have pastored have received offerings to support the work of the Seminary. A small portion of the World Evangelism Fund is given to the seminary annually and as a local church pastor, I have worked to always support the work of the Church of the Nazarene around the world through payment of the World Evangelism Fund. I love the Church of the Nazarene. I now deal with discouragement because of what is happening at the place where many of our missionaries, pastors, and denominational leaders are being trained.

Some of the excuses for not acting on the situations above include a myriad of reasons. Some include a supposed inability to take the appropriate action. Hands are "tied" to be able to "fire" personnel or cancel "legal" contracts. This represents a legal snare that is, in reality, impotence of leadership or an unwillingness to act.


6. What is your response?

Some people have become "institutionalized." They will automatically defend the institution no matter what. It might come from a sense of loyalty to the organization or the social structure. Like me, they care deeply about the denomination they are part of, but will refuse to see any wrong in what is written above.

They will accept the "scripted" answers from some people in hierarchy. "We believe in the articles of faith and the statement on sexuality from the Church of the Nazarene's Manual." It is a painful thing to come to terms with the fact that the institution you love has divorced it's original mission and spiritual DNA.

If you address these issues you will probably receive responses that sound something like this: "We need to be willing to have difficult conversations." "Discussions that involve varying viewpoints are always had at graduate level theological institutions of higher learning." "Our denomination is a big tent that is representative of many people from differing perspectives." "You are harming the unity of the church." These excuses, at the end of the day, simply do not hold up to Biblical imperatives and standards. Our polity can be manipulated to become a smoke screen for agendas of worldly ideologies pushing for change. Real Christian unity is always "unity in Christ". That is, division is created in the body when people reject the truth of Christ.

Let me propose a course of action...

1. Pray. No, seriously, stop and pray. This information may be new to you and has a tendency to evoke anger. This is a temptation. Spend some time sincerely praying for Nazarene Theological Seminary. If you are not willing to pray, I would ask that you not do anything. After praying...

2. Call, e-mail, and/or visit the Seminary. Express your concern with boldness but make sure your speech is seasoned with grace. Do not be dissuaded in your resolve for measurable action to be taken. Do not dilute your concern by using angry rhetoric. Do not attempt to be a bully, but do not be distracted by flowery rhetoric.

3. Act. Prayerfully consider what future actions to take if our seminary continues to persist in actions that undermine Biblical truth and the historic teachings of the church. Acting consistently with grace and firmness is important. Should you stop supporting this institution financially? Should you stop referring students? Those questions need to be answered in light of much prayer and contact with the seminary leadership. (Please do not take such action based solely upon reading a blog. Prayer and personal communication with someone or multiple people at the seminary is essential before taking further action.)

4. Stand up for Truth and Grace. Do not accept the temptation to either ignore Biblical truth or become an "angry protestor." Lead in your local congregation or denominational position with integrity on these issues. Make sure it is clear to those around you about your adherence to Biblical morality as we outline in our stance on issues like Human Sexuality in the Church of the Nazarene.

This is quickly becoming a major issue on every level of the universal Church of Jesus Christ. The United Methodist church is preparing to split over the same issue and countless other denominations have suffered the division that comes from people rejecting Biblical morality in favor of cultural and philosophical idols. Be faithful to God's Word. He hasn't changed His mind. Neither should we.

Many pastors and denominational leaders are fatigued with the conflict. Many will not act because they just long for harmony and unity within the church. I understand the fatigue. I too, long for harmony and focus on the mission of Christ and the promotion of full salvation & holiness again. I too, am tired of the incessant push by some toward a cultural agenda which normalizes sin and diminishes the need for real evangelism. I too, wish to be focused on being fruitful in the harvest. 

There is an incessant push from the world for the church to adhere to it's morality rather than Biblical morality. Some leaders are afraid of the conflict. They know that standing against something is unpopular and costly (personally, emotionally, financially, etc). My prayer, and please don't read sarcasm here, is that they would develop a back bone. Uncle Bud Robinson, a Nazarene Evangelist, said: "Oh Lord, give me a backbone as big as a saw log, ribs like the sleepers under the church floor, put iron shoes on me and galvanized breeches, give me a rhinoceros hide for a skin, and hang a wagonload of determination up in the gable-end of my soul, and help me to sign the contract to fight the devil as long as I've got a fist and bite him as long as I have a tooth, then gum him till I die. All this I ask for Christ's sake. Amen."

See also: "Why I Like the Church of the Nazarene"

How to Backslide

I think I have been in ministry just long enough to have made a few observations of people slowly lose out spiritually. I'd like to chronicle a proposed process for abandoning the Lord & His Church.

First let me note that while I do believe an individual can forfeit the saving grace they received, I also believe it is more rare than some would like to acknowledge. Most often people we believe have backslidden have really never been born-again to start with. (I do not believe "once saved always saved." I believe God gives you a choice to serve Him and a choice to reject Him too.)

But, let me make a few observations of how this process takes place:

1) Nurture spiritual pride. Convince yourself that you are more spiritual than the Christians around you. (You are holier, more important, more intellectual, more talented, more valuable, etc.)

2) Come up with a good reason to stop doing any ministry through your local church. Good reasons include, but are not limited to: "I just don't have enough time." "I have too many irons in the fire." "I can't take the stress any more." "I need to spend more time with my family."

3) Come up with a good reason to stop participating in some of the peripheral ministries of the church such as prayer meetings, Sunday School, Bible studies, and small group meetings. (Make sure that you don't use the same excuse over, it is more easily spotted as a spiritual need on your part if you do.) A good excuse at this point is to be "hurt" by something innocent that was said by someone at a prayer meeting or Bible study. Be upset by what that person implied. (If you are really lucky some other person in the same spiritual boat as you will intentionally say something hurtful.)

4) At this point stop socializing with other Christians in the church; it will only make your final break more difficult. Get to church late and leave immediately following the service or before the response time at the end.. (When you do socialize, make sure to do it with someone else who is disenfranchised about something going on at church. You will be able to feed off of each other.)

5) Keep an up-to-date record of everything your pastor does wrong. Do not give the pastor any slack. Assume the pastor is out to get you.

6) Tell people: "I'm just not being fed." Ignore the fact it is no one else's job to feed you; after all, church is all about your needs.

7) Get hurt/mad/upset with a random member of the church (it can be the pastor) about something small. People will understand why you forsake the Lord & His church if you let them know about how that person looked at you funny during communion. (If it is the pastor, it will be easier to cover up your own spiritual deficiency because nobody really likes the pastor anyway.)

8) Don't read the Bible very much. (You're actually too spiritual for that anyway.) Instead, read some book by a guy who doesn't believe in God, but claims to know all about Him.

9) Don't pray. (Actually, this probably was dead anyway, else you wouldn't be backsliding. But, just in case, you are praying, stop.)

10) Convince yourself that the church (body of Christ) is not necessary for you. Come to the realization that you cannot really learn anything from Sunday School, the pastor's messages, or any other branch of the local church's ministry. (Remember you are close to self-actualization!)

11) Convince yourself that you do more good by yourself than working with the rest of the body of Christ. Who needs a hand and foot? You are an island!

12) Church-hop (you can repeat the above steps at each new church only in a shorter time period.) It's also a good way to leave your original church and still give the impression you are okay.

13) Make the "discovery" that the church has it all wrong on issues of morality (you may even discover that there is no such thing as morality). The church is just out dated morality and antiquated ethics; but you know about true spirituality.

14) Realize that you are a Christian, so everything you do is, by definition, Christian activity!

15) Come up with your own "religious issue" that trumps all others and thus makes the faith of all others worthless compared to yours. (Issues like King James Version of the Bible only, no food in the church, no musical instruments, everyone must wear a tie, no one should wear a tie, social justice, etc.) They can be notable issues, but make them your complete focus over the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

16) Be miserable. (Get use to it; backsliding is a miserable road.)

17) If you are still going to church at this point, embrace the forms of religion. It's easy to mimic the liturgy and forms of Christianity. Make sure you just don't get too close to the power.

18) Be hostile to all Christians and the Church.  Continually focus on the hypocrites and ignore anything good.

19) Stay busy, drunk, and/or active so that there is no chance the Holy Spirit will speak to you and draw you back to where you need to be. Absolutely do not read the Bible or pray or talk to a strong/mature Christian... God can speak through these things.

20) Work on developing a hard heart. Nurture bitterness, resentment, hurt, and anger. Scold yourself for participating in the church and/or lament your childhood of growing up in church.

Congratulations. If you can accomplish the previous 20 steps you will now, if not before, officially make it onto the prayer list of most churches. (Assuming of course that churches still pray for lost people.) What might you add?

Check out these articles...

So You Want to Make A Difference

Signs of a Good Church

20 Signs You Are in a Dying Church

I Want to be a Growing Christian

I have been challenged of late at my lack of a holistic approach toward discipleship. We have minimized it to a rather troubling singular focus... intellect.

I am going to make the assumption that growing as a Christian is growing in our love for God. Of course after we are sanctified wholly we love Him with all of our heart, but I am not talking about a greater "quantity" of love; rather a more mature love or a growing "quality" of love. The day my wife and I entered into the marriage covenant I would have told you that I loved her with all my heart. Today, almost 20 years later, I would tell you that I love her in a deeper way than I ever knew was possible. So it is in our love for Christ: purity of heart is different than maturity of character.

Jesus said in Mark 12:30 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

I think the following are four areas that we are to grow in as a Christian.

1) Heart: Emotion

2) Soul: Character/Personality

3) Mind: Intellectual

4) Strength: Physical

1) The heart is the seat of our emotion. When is the last time you had an emotional response to God? I'm not proposing 'emotionalism' but a return to a place where emotion plays a role in our worship and relationship with God. We have downplayed it because of those who worship with heart outside of the other three, but I think this is vitally important to us today. If you don't get a little emotional about the fact that Christ died for your sins and paid the price for your redemption, then maybe something is wrong! To be sure, emotions can be evoked from a varied of sources, but I am talking about having hearts centered on person of Jesus! Is your love of God deepening since you have given Him all?

2) Soul is often used to refer to our spiritual life, but really describes who we are as a person: our character or personality. How do love God and grow our personality? Does it change from extrovert to introvert or vice versa? No. But it can be yielded to the work of the Holy Spirit! It is important to note that we often ascribe the carnal nature to our personality when, in fact, God's Spirit desires to cleanse those things that lead us to sin from our personality/character. However, we also believe that God can use any letter of the Myers-Briggs personality spectrum! Every personality yielded to Christ can be used for the kingdom! God can sanctify your character and even make holy who you are in the privacy of your own home and behind closed doors. I want my personality to be shaped by the Spirit of God and always bringing glory to the Father!

3) Mind is the one we always emphasis when we talk about discipleship or growing as a Christian. We tend to measure the mind's spirituality by how much we know about God. Certainly it is good and beneficial to know things about God, but how much more do we find the Bible calling us to have the mind of Christ! I don't believe ignorance is bliss, but God's invitation is beyond knowledge to actually thinking as He would about the people and world around us. Do you view your enemies as God would view someone He created? Do you priorities line up with what God's priority for your life would likely be?

4) Strength has to do with the physical aspect of our relationship. That faith without works is dead. That we are called not only to have the right answer (Christ), but to live out the right answer (Christian). Does your body bring glory to God? Have you committed every aspect of your physical being to serve the Savior? Do your steward your physical body in a way that is conducive to hosting the presence of the Holy Spirit? As my body grows older I realize more and more how significant it is that my body be cared for and act in ways that are in line with what I say I believe about God.

It is important to note that I do not want to create different sections of my life, or yours, that we can choose to love God in and other areas where we do not. However, we often do that very thing by not growing in all four of these areas! Which one do you think we neglect the most today?

In the Great Commission we are called to make disciples not just confessions, professions, or big attendance gains (although those will occur as the Great Commission is fulfilled). Jesus commissioned the church to make disciples! I hope you are committed to loving and serving God in every area of your life. 

Discipleship is not optional!

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God Showed Up

We're All Winners

Stop Saying this at Funerals

God Showed Up on November 23, 2008

The following was from notes I took about Sunday, November 23, 2008.

It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving and I lived in a small town in Kentucky called Greensburg. We were to have our annual Thanksgiving potluck and all the normal things you do on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

This Sunday was different.

We had put a dear saint, Eula Lobb, on the Memorial Roll of the Church of the Nazarene and were giving the certificate to her daughter and son-in-law Rev. Bob & Donna Hudson. They came up from Louisiana, where he pastored at the time, to be there for the special service.

We were having a "note burning" as the church had finally got out of debt (for the first time in its history). Our church treasurer brought the note and the president of the bank that we had our mortgage with was present too.

We thanked God for His faithfulness in the life of our dear sister in Christ: Eula Lobb. We thanked God for His faithfulness to His church and His ministry through our church as he provided through the sacrificial giving of individuals in our church family and the sale of some recently purchased property. For the first time since the founding of the church we were to be debt free.

God moved in the worship service. As He was worshiped, His presence filled the sanctuary. Thanks be to God.

Sunday night was a continuation of worship and praise. What a blessing it was as the course of the worship time was altered by people "interrupting" to praise God for answered prayer, special blessings, divine provision, God's faithfulness, and much more. Praise was sung, testified to, and Jesus was celebrated!

We thanked God. I preached briefly about remembering all that God has done in our lives; specifically in our spiritual lives (He does much more than bless us with material things). I preached from one verse found in Exodus 20:24 "In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you." (ESV)

That He did in the evening service. As people testified to the grace and glory of our God, He blessed us with His presence. Some people sought after the Lord. Some were hungry for more of Jesus in their lives!

We then participated in the Supper that the Lord instituted and remembered the sacrifice Jesus made for the world on the cross. Jesus said about it: "As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me."

That we did, and again, God blessed where His name was remembered!

Praise the Lord! Thank You Father!

Signs You Might be a Tele-Evangelist

You might be a tele-evangelist if...

1) You have face cramps from excessive smiling when around people.

2) You write books like: "Your  Best Life Now" or "8 Steps to Create the Life You  Want." (You think everyone has the potential to be a tele-evangelist.)

3) You 'slay' people at your services and say it is "in the Spirit." Also, part of your 'ministry' pay roll goes toward 'catchers' for your worship services.

4) You spent more than $10,000 for a commode.

5) Your last name is Popoff, Van Impe, or Dollar.

6) You have predicted the exact date of Jesus return at least two different times and still cannot understand why God keeps changing His mind.

7) You have been involved in sexual misconduct, drug addictions, financial fraud/embezzlement, or blatant deception but still have "your ministry."

8) You own more than one mansion and at least five BMWs, Mercedes, or Rolls-Royces.

9) The top of your prayer request list consists of new jets.

10) You wear more jewelry than Mr. T and all white suits. (For female evangelists: You wear more make up on your face than what is used to paint the local water tower and have extravagant hair.)

What might you add?

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When Did Holiness Theology Shift to Calvinism?

The world around us is spiritually fallen and thus bent away from God's will and intent. At different times this strikes us vividly because of events that impact everyone. 

It seems that recently many Christians are being swayed by events taking place around us to believe that the Church of Christ is somehow responsible for these things. Holiness churches have long rejected racism, violence against others, and non-biblical sexual ethics. The troubling reality is that even within a holiness denomination, there are people who have traded off their spiritual and biblical heritage in the face of a rapidly changing world. 

Let me explain a little further.

The idea of people sinning every day is an idea promoted by a sinning theology based on some tenets of Calvinism. Though not all "Calvinists" believe in perpetual sinning in the life of the believer, many articulate this theology by saying things like: "I sin every day in thought, word, and deed." Their belief in the idea that once you are saved you will always be saved lends to the idea that salvation, once received, is irrevocable. The problem then is that many who have an initial experience continue in their sin declaring: "I'm just a sinner saved by grace." Their primary identity, thus, continues to be in their sin.

Righteousness ceases to be a relational dynamic and is a once-for-all religious transaction. Holy lifestyle, character, and personal integrity are diminished as they make the unbiblical claim that their past, present, and future sins are all forgiven. Thus you can identify as a lying Christian. You can maintain your identity as an adulterous Christian. A bitter Christian is acceptable.

E.P. Ellyson said: "The Bible offers no compromise with sin; its only offer is salvation from sin, and this results in holiness." (from "Bible Holiness" Beacon Hill Press. 1952.)

Holiness theology is not only Arminian, but distinctly Biblical in emphasizing the fullness of God's work in the life of the believer. Not only does the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross provide for our forgiveness, but Jesus' resurrection serves to provide power over sinful acts and indwelling sin.

Haldor Lillenas, a holiness song writer, penned the words of "Glorious Freedom"...

"[verse 1] 

Once I was bound by sin’s galling fetters,

Chained like a slave, I struggled in vain;

But I received a glorious freedom,

When Jesus broke my fetters in twain.

[chorus]

Glorious freedom, wonderful freedom,

No more in chains of sin I repine!

Jesus the glorious Emancipator,

Now and forever He shall be mine.

[verse 2]

Freedom from all the carnal affections,

Freedom from envy, hatred and strife;

Freedom from vain and worldly ambitions,

Freedom from all that saddened my life.

[verse 3]

Freedom from pride and all sinful follies,

Freedom from love and glitter of gold;

Freedom from evil, temper, and anger,

Glorious freedom, rapture untold.

[verse 4]

Freedom from fear with all of its torments,

Freedom from care with all of its pain;

Freedom in Christ, my blessed Redeemer,

He who has rent my fetters in twain."

Lyrics like these along with sermons, denominational publications, and articles in the "Preacher's Magazine" or "Herald of Holiness" emphasized the reality of victory over sin (both as an act and a nature). It was Good News that people who had been bound by sin through addiction, worldly affinity, or lifestyle developed a hunger for as they witnessed people radically transformed through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Those early holiness people were convinced that God's Spirit could forgive and cleanse anyone! They were convinced that through the atonement sin could be cleansed completely! Testimonies in holiness churches were about victory found in Jesus. They were testimonies about Jesus changing our values, our desires, and even our will to match His own! This was not a theory, this was living out the promises found in Scripture.

The Good News we shared with the broken world around us was that Jesus had not covered up our sin to give us a presentable life, but had actually made provision for holy living in this life! 

That still is Good News for those who are lost and bound in sin today! You need not live that way. You need not gravitate toward sin any longer! God can and will sanctify you entirely! Thus, your whole spirit and soul and body can be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fast forward to the present hour. Holiness theology is impotent when given only lip service. Too many pulpits have been led astray by worldly philosophies. 

Today there are those who contend that our identity is bound to inclinations or desires that, if acted upon, are sinful. They see this as fully compatible with not only the Christian life, but also a holy life. Specifically this is true concerning acts of homosexuality. This is an affront to the fullness of the blessing and the work of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit! Thus you have people who say they are "gay Christians." (This is acceptable, they claim, as long as you keep the desire at bay by refusing to act upon it.) 

They stand in Romans 7 by denying the full liberty and freedom found in Jesus Christ. The Fallen nature that twists God's intended plan for human sexuality is allowed to continue to be a driving force in their very identity... even qualifying their faith in Christ by adding the adjective of "gay" before "Christian." The implication is simply that the full work of the Holy Spirit cannot entirely redeem their identity.

Good News remains: sin, in any form, does not have to define you! As a child of God it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me! He makes all things new! You need not identify any longer with inclinations that if acted upon would lead you into sin. 

So what do you do if you have this problem? Repent and then consecrate your heart completely to God! He both forgives and cleanses! 

Today there are those who contend that we must claim to be racist. A quick historical overview of the holiness movement would find that God's people always reject the evil of racism! Sin cannot have any part of our hearts! Racism can have no place in the heart fully consecrated to God. When God's Spirit fills a heart, it does not abide with sin, but cleanses it!

Good News remains: sin, in any form, does not have to define you! As a child of God it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me! He makes all things new! You need not give into racism or identify with it any longer. 

So what do you do if you have this problem? Repent and then consecrate your heart completely to God! He both forgives and cleanses!

We are not sinners with a holy varnish. Yes, we once were dead in our trespasses and sin, but, through Jesus the Christ, we have been made alive! May we return to the message of full salvation that cleanses from all unrighteousness and delivers fully from the effects of sin and its marring of the image of God in each of us!

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