Better things to do

This one's gonna be a little short, for one simple reason: I'm really tired. I had a different experience at work this week, actually getting to work two days in one of our stores. It's been a nice change of pace.
I have continued to follow what I started last week, but not at a level as in the week before. I've decided that essentially I must agree to disagree with some people. I will never agree with the President, for example. But I accept that God has placed him in authority over this nation for now, and I must pray for him as the Bible mandates.
I will probably not agree with radical Christian bloggers who say that a pastor is disingenuous without paying attention to what he preaches. I will agree with them on one point: Jesus is the sacrifice presented to God the Father for all the sin of mankind, and only in believing in Him do we gain eternal life and a home in Heaven. Nor will I agree with a mega-pastor just because another one does, if I have an issue with their doctrine. But I know that there is something that we that claim the name of Christ need to point people toward.
It kind of reminds of me of this Gaither song. Sorry about the video quality, it's all I could find:

 

I believe that we are truly going to be surprised when we get to Heaven all the people that are there. So many divisions have divided the church. Some have been major theological discussions based on the serious issues such as interpretation of the scripture. Some have been over the color of the carpet, what version of the Bible to use, hymns, etc. While I do not think we will be asking God "How did that person get here," I think we will still be surprised.

Tonight as I write this, a dear family friend and author of the "Lessons Learned" blog to your left, Courtney, has lost her dad. After spending a lot of his life far from God, he finally came to Christ last year. It provides comfort that a person who knows Christ makes it to his heavenly home. It allows a person that is facing the rest of their life without that person comfort to know of a reunion day.
It is the hope of Heaven, and the reality that one day we will be with God, with Jesus, praising Him for His sacrifice, and reunited with our loved ones that accepted Him as savior for all eternity that really matters. In times like these, it's what we turn to.
It's something that we can all agree on.

I Guess You Could Say I've Changed...

...although I hadn't thought so.
I know where I came from. I am extremely thankful to be brought up in the home I did. I didn't have the advantage of money, or any of the other things that other kids did. I was, however, brought up in a home where love is. I have the advantage of growing up in a Pastor's home. I was part of a family that loved music, and learned it early.
Any setbacks I suffered in my life were my own doing. I was lazy, shy, and incredibly backward. I have often taken the easy way out of situations, and have let anger get the best of me. I have become a little more bold these days, even though I am still a lazy, shy, backward person by nature.
My point? Continue with me. I spent years in band in school. My dream was to be a music teacher. Didn't happen, but that's another blog. I was privileged to serve seven years at my dad's little church as music director. I love the music in the Church Hymnal. Many of you know it as the "Red Hymnal," the "Red-back Hymnal," etc. I also have it in green and blue. I have quite a big hymnal collection. Nothing has changed in all that.
I love the King James Version. I grew up with it. I can understand the language. I believe the Book, the blood, and the Blessed Hope. I believe that all men are born with a sin nature and are condemned to hell. I believe there must be a sacrifice for that sin. I believe that sacrifice was completed once for all for us when Jesus came, lived a sinless life, and became sin for us. He died to atone for all we did or will ever do.
I believe what it says when it says if we confess our sins, He will forgive us.
In that, nothing has changed.
I know that as a father, I have to put my lazy aside. I have to work. I have a wife and two kids that need to eat and wear clothes. I have a car that needs to be paid for and have gas in it. In that, I guess I have changed.
I still love hearing "Victory In Jesus," "At Calvary," "I'll Meet You in the Morning," etc. I also love Elevation Worship, Lincoln Brewster, Chris Tomlin. I would love to hear an amazing guitar riff in a song that praises Jesus more than I would a song sung off-key, but it's okay, because they're making a "joyful noise." In that extent, I guess I've changed.
I don't exclusively use a King James Version Bible anymore. I still love it, but it's not my primary Bible. Part of that is that I realize that Rev. 22: 18-19 are talking about the Revelation, not the entire Bible, because the Bible was not gathered together when Revelation was written. Also, I realize the cyclical nature of such arguments.
Consider: people revolted against songs like "There is a Fountain" when it came out, opting for the older liturgical music. People were burned at the stake for translating the Bible into languages other than Latin. Many of the arguments that were used then are being used now.
I don't walk away from things like that anymore. In that extent, I guess I've changed.
Read a blog of mine from 2009 and come back to this one.
I guess you could say I've changed.
Still, I feel like I could be doing more with my life.
In that extent, I haven't changed at all.

When Bad Churchgoers Happen

Bad churchgoers happen.
So do bowel movements.
Sound a little harsh? Good. I was going for effect.
Take this for example: I recently heard the story of a family that stopped going to a church after a daughter of a church member stole a credit card and made unauthorized charges! The reaction? "Oh- we're sorry."
This family of four that had the card stolen have bounced in and out of church, became connected in this church. The two children of the family were greatly affected by the youth ministry, the youngest one was saved on a youth trip (the older one previously accepting Christ), and both were baptized there. Now they have an emotional scar and a sour taste in their mouth. Why?
Churchgoers.
How many people have been turned off by the actions of others either in the church or those professing the name of Christ? How many baptist churches have started down the street from another baptist church simply because of the offense of one person against the other?  (Call it beating a dead horse, I've always had an issue with this.) How many people who are young in their faith been turned away by simply one action? How many that visit a church searching for God end up turned away forever?
It doesn't have to be this way, but the thing is this causes people to turn away. People that act out of their own nature turn people away from an environment that is supposed to display the love of God.
I've toyed with this thought over the past week or so, and it's made me think. I held a position in a small church for seven years. What if my actions were a stumbling block to others? What if something I said or an action I took caused someone to stay away? I shudder to think I let myself get in the way of what God wanted to do in a person's life because my personal thoughts or actions caused an offense to someone.
Yes, this is an introspective post, and an admonition to those of us that claim the name of Jesus to watch our actions in the light of scripture. We are to present our lives as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (see Romans 12). Living in the light of the Word of God will help us keep from offending others.
But also this is to warn those who are offended: don't use the actions of others as an excuse to keep you out of church or away from Jesus. I think of Jesus' interaction with Peter & John after his resurrection. Peter asks about God's plan for John, and Jesus replies simply: "Don't worry about John. You follow me."
Finally, let me say this. In my life there have been people like Ollie Coffey, Granny Snow Townsend, and Bertha Moretz. There have been pastors that have shown a great light, like my dad, Tim Greene, and more. I am thankful to be learning at a great place right now at Elevation Church, both in person, online, and using their podcasts. What I mean by this is that most churchgoers are true followers of Christ. They have shown how to live the life. They are careful to live by the statutes of the Word of God and know it by heart. They show the genuine love of God to friends and strangers alike.
Bad churchgoers are an exception. They are not the rule. But they do happen. Try not to be one. If you should find one, pray for them. Forgive them. Chances are they need it, and you can help them along the way. They need that, too.