Ramblin' on

Christianity is alive, inside and outside of the church. Those who do not attend fellowship are often the most resistant to Scriptural commands, confusing rebellion with maturity. Still, when the church gathers in a building to receive instruction, if God's word is not taught and if people are not encouraged to live it out, the result is people deceived in to thinking they are doing well in the Lord, even living in grace when all along they are living lives that are unfruitful, and without true spiritual fruit. When God's word is actually taught properly, and His people actually receive it holiness and a life that is "worthy of the gospel" actually is evidenced. Paul wrote to the Romans Your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf' but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil (Ro 16:19). Sadly, this is not true with the majority of those I come in to contact who profess faith in Jesus. Francis Chan is right when he says The American church is a very difficult place to live out Biblical Christianity. After almost 40 years of walking with the Lord, and 37 years in ministry I have to concur. Still, God is moving and I am praying for an awakening in the body of Christ. Father, please bring another Jesus Movement!

a few things

It's been some time since I have blogged, but it is time to lay a couple of things down. First, I got the weirdest post that will go unpublished by someone extremely carnal (using improper language) and obviously very unstable. These kinds of people exist everywhere, and some even go to church but are in such terrible shape in life that they really can't hear good because they are too busy fussing over perceived evils. Such was the case of the recent writer. I don't know if they will actually open up this page again, but in the event that they do I would invite them to write me with a return address so that we can discuss their issue and perhaps help them to see that they are sadly mistaken in what they believe to be true. I do invite the writer of said note to write me at david@calvaryccv.org and we can discuss your allegations against the pastor you have libeled.

On another note, we have started praying as a group before and after the message is delivered, and for those who may be having difficulty adjusting, I would encourage you to hold and and see what the Lord does through this.

Why are we doing this, you might ask. Well, I am doing it because I was part of such a service, and it moved me spiritually in a very deep way, and when something blesses me I desire to share such blessings with our sheep. Over the years we have grown (and receded) many times, and from my perspective it is just the right season for us to grow up and to pray with one another. After all, that is what the early church did (Ac 2:42-47) and God used it to glorify Himself and to bring great numbers of people into a saving relationship with Him.

We live in an entertainment oriented society, and churches like ours can very easily lose sight of Jesus and just become an organization with little or no spiritual activity that is not centered on somebody else doing something for us. Think about it: you come to church, park your car, deliver kids to childcare, enter in, sit down all with the help of somebody else. The worship team leads us in songs (we don't have to memorize the words, they are on a screen), we sing, the bulletin is read to us, and then I come out and pray, teach, pray and then you sing and leave. Pretty clean, but the only thing you have had to do is to listen (if you aren't texting). I just don't think that is the right way to "be" the church, and so by introducing a time of prayer (30 seconds) the church actually has a chance to do what the church is supposed to do!

Some can't handle this, and I understand. But I would rather have a small group of people who hunger to do what the Lord wants then a huge group of people who just don't care and aren't willing to grow. With that said, please keep this change in prayer as it has actually caused some to leave and to go where nothing is required from them other than to show up, which is the way they like it. For us over here, we will continue doing what will ultimately lead to a healthy and spiritually strong church.