Morning Moments

1 Tim 3
[10] And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. [11] Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

The average American church is easier to get into and harder to get out of that any body, business, or brotherhood I know. I find it interesting that in the New Testament unbelievers "durst not enter" the assembly. Why not? Because God was at work and they feared. Today we have no standards and they have no fear. We have to get more people to get more money to support our kingdoms.

Carnal people make carnal judgments about other carnal people to serve as spiritual leaders. Hmm. There is something wrong with this picture. Leaders are not required to be perfect, as in sinless, but they are required to be blameless, as in unquestionable conduct and character. Is there a problem with that? God doesn't seem to think it unreasonable.

Just a thought - Maybe if churches were harder to get into and easier to get out, God might show up and we could "have church". Success in ministry is success in money and materialism in far too many churches and it MUST change. The houses of prayer have become halls of performance. We spend untold hours preparing for a drama or musical presentation, but little or no time on our faces before God.

I once announced to a church I pastored, "We will not have preaching this morning, but we will be praying. I was amazed at how upset some people were. We prayed - a few stayed, others played - we all paid. God left us. THAT is the sad thing about so many - they don't even recognize it when God doesn't "show up". Our choirs perform, our leaders perform and our congregations "spectate" and we expect God to bless what we are doing.

May God give us leaders who are so full of God it is unmistakable and followers who are so filled with God "church" is un-fakable. Our failure is not fatal - yet!

Somewhere, somehow, we must hear a voice in the wilderness crying out, "Make straight the path for the Lord." "Oh my," some may say, "This sounds so negative". Did not even Jesus say that Elijah must come before that awesome day of the Lord? I am certainly not an Elijah, nor a John the Baptist, but the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and He has anointed me to cry out...take it or leave it.

May God raise up spiritual leaders, both pastors and deacons, who love HIM with all their hearts, minds, souls, strength...AND their neighbors as themselves. THEN we will see once again a mighty revival in our land.

I find it incredible that the late Dr. Tiller would even be allowed in church, or that he would be comfortable enough to stay. I can assure you he would not be comfortable sitting under my preaching/teaching. When no change in life is demanded, no change in life occurs. It is a terrible thing what happened to this man whom many have called Tiller the Killer because of his having killed over 60,000 babies by late term abortion.

It is high time we "Bible toters" got back to the Bible teaching which demands true repentance and complete change of life which demonstrates the holiness of God in human containers. We had better wake up to God and make up to God before we see a break up by God. Jesus came to DIVIDE - righteousness from unrighteousness, godliness from ungodliness, spiritual from natural and carnal.

Leaders - let me challenge you as well as myself - we must get on our faces until the fire falls from heaven and consumes our flesh and exposes our faith as being something that is life changing - permanently.

BLESSINGS!