Posted in Christian Service, Church attendance, Leadership, Life Inspiration

The Blossom Gang

I love beginnings! And I “mostly” only like endings because I know once something is completed, something new is beginning. It’s the part in the middle that I have issues with. Genesis 1:11 ~  And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

And so it was that the summer of 1996 a sapling sprung up in the depth of my soul that I believe God planted long before the baby known as Shari was born to Gene and Violet Hardway in Braxton County, West Virginia. Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” So I believe that God sowed a seed in eternity past that He knew would take root, and I believe the same is true with every human on the face of the planet, although every seed sown does not take root. The anomaly (inconsistency) that some get saved (accept Christ as their Savior) has nothing to do with the seed, or the Sower, but the soil for which it was planted. We are still free willed, God won’t force Himself upon us, at least at this point. There will come a day that everyone shall see Him as He is and know that He is indeed Truth and light. But for now, if men and women choose to stay in a state of denial, it’s their choice, and truthfully their loss.

But that fruit after its kind mentioned in Genesis 1:11 has captured my thoughts this morning. When God formed man He created him in the likeness of Himself (Genesis 1:26), and each child born, generation to generation is born from the same seed sown at Creation. Our lineage began with Adam and progressed over the years, or digressed over the years into a generation of people who many consider themselves independent of God; but whether they confess Him as Lord or not they cannot get rid of that seed in their soul that continues to try to take root, even in stoney soil. As Jesus described in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:5-6 “Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

But it’s not always a soil issue entirely. Sometimes it’s the lack of growth in those little saplings. There are some trees in the orchard that have beautiful bloom but that’s where it stops. They go to church (on Sunday morning and other “special services” and they look “churchy” when the go. They have a Christian fish on their car and if anyone asks they’re more than happy to tell them they’re a Christian and that everyone should have a home church. But… they are far too busy to make Sunday evening and Wednesday a priority, and sharing the gospel runs the risk of offending “good people” or even worse offending “bad people.” Then there’s the whole issue of church and state and the state they’re in… but they look pretty. I think I’ll start calling them the blossom gang, all flower… no fruit.

God planted the seed within us and if we allow He will continue to fertilize the crop with the expectation that the fruit He’s already given root to and nurtures Himself will be fruit bearing also – in His likeness.

So my question to myself and you as well is are you a member of the blossom gang, or the Alpha and Omega Orchard? There’s a beginning and an end to everyone’s story…

Posted in Uncategorized

God called… He wants His Church Back

God called… He wants His church back.

That was a statement I heard a preacher make on a podcast and my first thought was “I could hear God saying that very thing! It’s for sure we’re not using it the way we should.”

Jeremiah 4:19

My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

It’s no wonder Jeremiah was a weeping prophet. He preached, they ignored. He cried, they partied. Come on! Enough is enough. Can you hear him today? Better still, can you hear an alarm going off inside of you? I sure did. I attend one of the best churches in the country, hands down, I won’t apologize for making the statement… but… we could be better. We’re in the midst of our annual tent meeting and it’s exciting. The preacher is preaching his heart out, the altar is lined and yet still I feel as though there is a cloud over the tent. I feel we are on the edge of the blessings of God falling from Heaven, or a storm cloud.
I keep hearing an alarm in my soul trumpeting “Why is this church here? Yes it’s a beautiful building, yes it’s got great people, yes My presence is known in there but it’s not known out “there.” Why are you not evangelizing my people?”

Owch. I just stepped on my own toe. The church building is a place to worship and hear the Word of God, but they’ll never hear it unless we compel them to come in. Jesus didn’t send His disciples to church, He sent them into the world. Hello? Why do we not get this? When Jesus and the disciples went to church they served; or they turned over tables… either way there was a commotion. I like excitement in the house, what can I say.

Today I need to

b.o.l.d.

If that’s not reason enough, what is? He gave His life for me. I say it, and I believe it, but I sure don’t live like it. God gave us the church organization to encourage one another, to have a place to call home while we wander here on earth, to worship Him and to get re-energized to do His bidding the other 6 days a week, but we’ve turned the pews into lounge chairs. We are way too comfortable; perhaps we should go back to the old wooden pews. I needed to hear this today, did you?

Let’s go tell someone about Jesus!

If you’re in (or even close) the Grantsville, WV area I want to invite you to our 14th annual Old Fashioned Tent Meeting. We’ve been havin’ a time with Dr. Sebby Volpe, our evangelist. He’s exciting. He rev’s your engine and has you pointed to the altar of Grace ever step of the way from service start to end. Come and join us! We’re HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!