Choosing your master…

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”—Matthew 6:24

Jesus challenges us to think hard about who our master is. Is God our Master, or is money our master? We cannot serve both, says Jesus.

How do these masters operate in our lives?

God is loving, selfless, and generous. When God is our Master, he speaks words of life so that we do not have to worry. God, our Creator, cares for the birds of the air and clothes even the grass of the field.

Money, on the other hand, says, “If you have enough material possessions, then you will be secure and able to deal with any problem that comes up in your life.” Money calls us to be selfish and do whatever it takes to get ahead. It claims that the person with the most toys wins.

Money and the power of riches (and the people taken in by them) threaten us by saying, “If you do not bow down to me, you will not get what you need or want.” Money is a greedy, selfish, deceiving spirit who wants to steal and destroy.

When God is our Master, we know we are in good hands. We can live from a place of generosity, knowing that God’s kingdom is recession-free. Even as trials come, we stand in faith as Job did, knowing our Redeemer lives (Job 19:25)!

The Alarming Rate At Which Christianity Is Being Replaced By Islam

Millions of Americans fail to realize that what happens in Great Britain generally happens here in America a few years later.

The hippie and free love movement back in the 1960s started in Great Britain and quickly spread to our shores, especially the western shores of California.  Around the same time, the Beatles surfaced and changed the sound of music in our country.

National Health Care was launched in Great Britain long before anyone thought it would materialize here, but alas, thanks to Barack Obama, we once again have followed the trodden path of the British.

In the 1980s, the number of Christians in Great Britain began to decline.  Church congregations in many areas became so small that they had to close the church and sell the buildings.  Some of those church buildings were converted into pubs, some hotels and others into mosques.

A close friend of mine lives in Great Britain and has told me on more than one occasion that he has seen many Christian churches close their doors in the past decade.  What he found to be quite alarming is that in some areas, almost all of the Christian churches have been converted into Muslim mosques.  Entire communities and some towns have been completely taken over by Muslims, often driving out Christian families that have lived there for generations.

On Feb. 20, 2004, the British Church Newspaper published an article titled ‘More Muslim Worshippers Than Anglicans?’  A statement in that article spelled out what my friend had been telling me about the influx of Muslims in Great Britain.  It stated:

“Attendance at Britain’s mosques has outstripped the number of regular worshippers in the Church of England for the first time, with figures showing that 930,000 Muslims attend a place of worship at least once a week, compared to 916,000 Anglicans.  The Church lost 100,000 worshippers between 2000 and 2002.”

The Church of England is not the only Christian denomination in the UK, but it is one of the most influential.  The declining trend seen in the Church of England is also being seen in virtually every other Christian denomination as well.

A more recent report states that the number of people in England and Wales who identify themselves as Christians is 4.1 million fewer in the 2011 census than in the previous census.  That is an overall decline of 10% in a relatively short time.

On the flip side of the situation, there has been a massive influx of Muslims into the country.  The number of Muslims in England and Wales during the same time frame has increased by 75%.  This influx is having a dramatic effect on the overall religious climate of the British Isles so much so that 1 of every 10 Britains under the age of 25 claims to be Muslim.  The number of people under the age of 25 that claim to be Christian has dropped to less than 5 of every 10.

Keith Porteous Wood, Executive Director of the National Secular Society commented on the latest findings, saying:

“In another 20 years there are going to be more active Muslims than there are churchgoers.”

“The time has now come that institutional Christianity is no longer justified, the number has dropped below critical mass for which there is no longer any justification for the established Church.”

If you don’t think this is happening in the US, then you better wake up and smell the coffee.  America is also experiencing a huge influx of Muslims, especially since Obama took over as president.  Muslims are taking over communities and cities in the US including Dearborn, Michigan and Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  We have seen Muslim judges rule on sharia law instead of American law.

We’ve also been witnessing a decline in the number of Americans identifying themselves as Christians.  I’ve seen numerous reports of churches closing their doors because they can’t afford to remain open due to small numbers.  One of the programs on TV that my wife and I like to watch shows people who turn buildings and other things into very nice homes.  We’ve seen a few couples who have bought closed churches and converted them into luxury homes.

We’re not very far behind Great Britain in the change of culture.  At the current rate of change, I wouldn’t be surprised to see our numbers of Christians versus Muslims match Britain’s by the end of Obama’s current term in office.  Christian America is almost a thing of the past.

When we turned our back on God, He turned us over to our sinful ways and now we are reaping what we have sowed as a nation.  Without a national repentance, starting with the leadership on down, we are destined to become a pagan nation with a motto – One Nation Under Allah.

Read more: http://politicaloutcast.com/2013/05/the-alarming-rate-at-which-christianity-is-being-replaced-by-islam/#ixzz2UKQ7mTrZ

Moses…would he be considered a good leader by today’s standards?

Moses was one of the Bible’s most famous leaders. He led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and then served competently as a priestly leader. He taught them what was God’s will, prayed for them, and even plead their case before God. We need more men like him in the church. But, is it possible that they are already here but have never gotten a chance? Moses was not a gifted speaker and had difficulty trusting God when he told him he would lead the Israelites (Exodus 4). If Moses were alive today, who would he look like in the church? Would he be the person sitting next to you who doesn’t appear to have a “leadership bone” in his body? In fact, could it be you?

The key to Moses’ great leadership was its anointing and ordination, and not the “perfect packaging” of his personality. Notice how the Lord assured him, “I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”(Exodus 4:12). He wasn’t naturally someone who possessed the “leadership goods”, but the Lord worked through him mightily on numerous occasions. Chances are, Moses would be someone considered “weak” by the world’s standards. Fortunately  we serve a God who chooses “what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Remember, it is not in ourselves we find our competency for God’s call, but through his word that we may be “equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17).

Today’s passage…But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Exodus 4:10-12 ESV)

The Boy Scouts gave in and now allow gays in scouting…so why is it wrong?

I know that I am going to get hate mail for this, but I don’t care. When I was a child, adult men were the leaders of the Boy Scouts. I didn’t have a father around, so many of the men sort of “adopted” me, and showed me how to become a law-abiding young man. These great men taught me Godly and moral principles. I could relate to them. Then slowly, the men disappeared and soon they were replaced by Den Mothers who took the place of Godly men as role models. Now I find out that the Den Mothers are giving way to Gay people trying to impose standards that oppose God‘s will. The sad part is that this is not an isolated instance, we see this type of moral decay happening in every mainstream institution. It’s nothing short of the repeat of Sodom and Gomorrah. Here we go again.

The saddest part about this entire situation is that while I expect the secular world to accept this, many Christians will too. They will say that I hate homosexuals because I oppose their lifestyle and don’t want them teaching the next generation that sin is OK. I will be labeled a hypocrite for defending what the Bible says while others insist that I accept these evil standards. The bottom line is that like so many other sins people condemn, homosexuality is a sin, and we don’t need someone who does not believe that it is teaching our youth. The degrees of sin are the same, so would you want an active serial burglar teaching moral issues like thou shall not steal? Of course not, so why is this so different. Because we have blended the standards of the world into the Bible and focused more about not hurting the feelings of a sinner than turning them down the path of righteousness. I’d rather hurt their feelings now and see them turn to the Lord than give the kudos and know that they’ll spend an eternity in Hell.

So in short, let the hate mail begin, I don’t care. I would rather be hated for preaching on the Bible than popular opinion. After all, I won’t be judged on political correctness, but the stance I take for God.
Don’t accept the philosophy because it flatly contradicts God’s word.

Proverbs 17:15 He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

Proverbs 24:24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: 25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

Malachi 2:17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

One of the FUNNIEST things you’ll ever read about a Pastor and the top 10 mistakes he made in a sermon.

When you preach for a living, mistakes are bound to be made. Sometimes it’s a sermon idea. It looks good on paper but when it passes from paper to preaching something get’s twisted. Or perhaps it’s an illustration that you think is going to work really well but it crashes at takeoff. Or maybe it’s a gaffe you made that you wish you could retract.

With this as a backdrop here is a list of sermon goofs, gaffes and illustrations that I have actually done/said/used in my preaching over the last twenty five years or so…

1. Gaffe: ”We all make mistakes. We all have cracks in our armor. Pastor Rick and I have seen each other’s cracks.”

2. Illustration: Literally saying “he had one foot in the grave” at a funeral.

3. Goof: Preaching a sermon with a large price tag (that I had forgotten to remove) dangling from the left arm of my “new” suit (which I had gotten from Goodwill.)

4. Illustration: Eating a piece of hard, butterscotch candy in front of 5,000 teens while trying to make some spiritual point. I kept trying to preach while crunching the candy but my teeth were getting stuck together. Finally I just stopped and took the time to eat the whole thing and swallow it. It was 60 seconds of pure awkward.

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5. Gaffe: ”He had two huge tumors the size of grape nuts” (as opposed to grapefruits.)

6. Goof: On a preaching tour in India I was on stage facing the audience getting ready to preach my sermon. My interpreter told me at one point in the service, “As a guest speaker it would be good for the people to see you give in the offering.” When the priest walked out onto the other side of the large stage with a huge bowl I figured this was my cue. Getting up, I walked across the stage and dropped in a five spot. The priest smiled and nodded nervously. I walked back across the stage with everyone watching me. After sitting down my interpreter whispered in my ear, “Pastor Stier that was very good…but that was not the offering plate.”

7. Illustration: About 18 years ago I wanted to make a point to 75 teens at an event that God has given us spiritual weapons to overcome the “monsters” of fear that keep us from sharing our faith. A youth leader friend loaned me a fake gun that supposedly shot blanks. At a point in the sermon I had cued some guys dressed up in scary costumes (representing the monsters of fear) to come rushing in screaming. It was then I held up the “gospel gun” and shot in their direction. It didn’t shoot blanks after all. It was some sort of riot dispersement gun that sprayed the crowd with a cloud of mace or pepper spray or something bad. Not only that, but it backfired in my face and I immediately began to cough and wheeze…along with the rest of the audience. Suffice it to say we took a break as everyone rushed outside for air. Thank the Lord nobody got hurt (or sued!)

8. Goof: While being interviewed on a live Christian television show (that leaned Pentecostal) I was looking directly in the camera telling the story of a girl who trusted in Jesus at a Dare 2 Share conference. I saw a hand go up out of the corner of my right eye. It was the left hand of the well dressed older preacher who was interviewing me. Since he was sitting right next to me on the couch I assumed he was holding up his hand for a high five, so I turned and gave a hearty slap to his uplifted hand. It was then I realized that, as I was telling the story, he was lifting his hands up in praise to God. I suddenly realized that I had high-fived his praise hand…on live television. Everyone in the room was stunned and silent, except for the cameraman who was laughing so hard the camera was shaking.

9. Illustration: Trying to eat the guts of a bad cantaloupe while making the point that “it’s what on the inside that counts” or something like that. Oh yeah, it was in front of thousands of teenagers at a Dare 2 Share conference too. If I remember right I tried to clean off my tongue right after that with some kind of sanitized hand wipe which numbed my tongue and lips.

10. Gaffe: ”Let everything that has breasts praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”

Actually I’ve had a few worse gaffes, goofs and sermon illustrations…but some things are not fit for print.

By Greg Stier , Christian Post Guest Columnist

May 22, 2013|4:58 pm

The importance of friendship in hard times.

The last year or two has been a very difficult time in my life. It’s been full of some of the biggest hurdles that I have ever had to face, and despite what I preach and teach, it’s taken it’s toll on me. I have become emotionally and spiritually worn down. These aren’t things that one typically like to admit, but there’s a reason I bring it up…an example of how to recharge your batteries in a way that so few of us think about.

Yesterday was my birthday,and the first part of it was filled with the typical stress and hurdles that I’ve become used to for so long. I was beginning to think that even my Birthday would be a downer. I know this sounds negative, but here comes the positive in it..:)

Last week, a very long time friend of mine  had emailed me and announced that him and his wife were coming to Vegas and wanted to know if they could take us out to dinner for my Birthday. I have known this man since childhood, and had a treasure chest of amazing memories of our friendship, but a part of me wanted to just say no, and stay home and wallow in self pity. But I could never say no to this guy because of how much he means to me. Wow, am I ever glad I did.

My wife and I drove to the hotel to meet Larry and his wife, and as soon as I saw them, I remembered how great it was to have such a friend. The four of us ate dinner, went over old times, and made new memories. But as we sat there laughing and reminiscing, I suddenly noticed my mood and thoughts changing from gloomy Gus to one of hope. Knowing that we could talk to someone about or fears and concerns just took the weight right off of our shoulders, and it was such a blessing. This morning as I write this, I am sleepy, but recharged. I have found another piece of the puzzle, and that’s called friendship.

God never made us to be alone.There are times in our lives that are going to be rough, and it’s better to go through it with someone than to try to do it alone. I call it the wolf-pack syndrome, Satan is like a wolf, they always go for the weakest in the herd. the ones that try to face the adversary alone. They leave the safety of the herd and try to defend themselves alone. When we try to face our trials and tribulations alone, the wolf will attack us at our weakest point, and will often win. Our strength comes from our bonds… with other believers of the herd.

If you’re feeling like I had been recently, alone and vulnerable to Satan’s attack, run for the safety of a friendship. Don’t try to do it alone, you’re at your wekest point if you do. It’s easier to face a trial with the comfort of a good frined than to try to do it alone. Don’t be the straggler in the herd, be part of the strength found in a herd. I promise you that it will make you a lot  stronger, and will bring you more joy in the times of crisis.

Below are some great verses on friendship, and I hope tou enjoy the,

 

Proverbs 18:24 ESV / 281 helpful votes

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

 

John 15:13 ESV / 207 helpful votes

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV / 198 helpful votes

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

 

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

 

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

 

Proverbs 27:9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

 

I just saw this GREAT article called Sleeping In on Sunday Sedates the Soul. It’s a must read

Who wouldn’t want to sleep in on Sunday morning rather than getting up to go to a church service? Especially after a long and tiring week of work. It makes a lot of sense to sleep in. There would have to be plenty of motivation for someone to get out of bed on the weekend.

What if you happen to be someone who has only experienced boredom in church? In that case, you really wouldn’t feel like getting out of bed to go there. Who wants to have one of your two weekend mornings taken up by something boring? That wouldn’t make any sense at all.

It makes a lot of sense to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, unless of course you have to work. Two other things that get people out of bed are sporting events and travel. Those are fun things to do. Of course a person is willing to get up early for those things. But here again, there is a high level of motivation to do those things. Most of us are willing to make some sacrifices for those things we are motivated to do. That’s just the way life works.

We have a young man in our church who was at the worship service this morning after having just completed Army Basic Training. It was his first time back with us after 18 weeks of specialized training. I guess it made sense for him to get up at 4:15am every morning during his training. He was motivated, and besides, he was required to do it. He enlisted.

I am reminded of a classic Christian hymn entitled, “Onward Christian Soldiers.” It speaks of the commitment that is needed in order to be effective in “God’s army.” There is a spiritual war going on all around us, and we would be unwise to enter battle without “the armor of God.” (see Ephesians 6:10-20)

But what if I want just enough “religion” to make me feel good, but not so much that it interferes with my busy lifestyle and my favorite hobbies? After all, each of us deserves to have our weekend just to recoup after a hectic week of work, right?

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If man had no soul, this would be a moot point. Sleeping in on Sunday would be no better or worse than going to church. Without a soul and without a Creator, it would be fairly ridiculous to ever attend a church service. I sure wouldn’t do it, and I am guessing you wouldn’t either.

That, however, is not the situation we find ourselves in. There is a God. He did create us. He does desire to have a loving relationship with us. And He does give His children the motivation to love Him and worship Him.

Attending church only makes sense if you are genuinely connecting with your Creator through that experience. If it’s not authentic and life empowering, why do it just to “go through the motions?”

Just because some people have been bored by church does not mean that God and Christianity are boring. It just means that either their soul was bored with God, or the church they attended produced boredom, or both. Who wants to attend church if it is boring to do so?

Here’s the thing. No person in heaven and no angel in heaven is ever bored by worshipping God. Just allow that fact to sink in for a minute. Genuine worship is always inspirational, and uplifting, and motivating. One of our problems here on earth is that we sometimes give up on important things rather easily.

It happens in marriage. It happens in the work place. It happens in sports. And it happens in matters of faith. It is easy to quit. It is easy to tell ourselves that it would be a waste of our time to continue doing that “same old same old.”

But in matters of faith, not all churches are created equal. Not all churches will bless your soul. Some will, and some won’t. Some will facilitate a spiritual filling of God’s living water in your soul, and others don’t have a clue what that would even look like. So which kind of church have you experienced?

Have you attended worship services where it was like “heaven came down” and the people were thrilled and highly motivated to be there? If you have not experienced that personally, I can see why you might be reluctant to attend church. That makes sense.

At the same time, I have never met a strong Christian who has given up on God and given up on attending church. Every strong Christian I have ever known has found a way to make Sunday morning a priority because they were motivated to be there (or on whatever day and time their group met for worship).

I have never known someone who is “strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Eph. 6:10) who didn’t also have a super high level of interest in attending worship. Strong Christians are motivated to be there not just to receive strength, but also to encourage and bless others. In fact, that passion to serve others becomes a fire which fuels their desire to want to meet at least once a week with their Christian friends for worship.

How many strong Christians have you known? Are you one? Attending worship services is only one of many things that strong Christians do, but it is an important one to be sure. This is why the New Testament places such a huge emphasis upon it. (see Heb. 10:25, Matt. 18:20; Col. 3:16; Acts 2:42; James 1:22; Matt. 16:18; 1 Peter 2:2; Eph. 4:12; Romans 12:5; Romans 10:17; Matt. 28:19-20; Heb. 3:13; 2 Tim. 4:2; Acts 2:41; 1 Cor. 12:12-27)

Apart from faith in Christ, man’s soul is “asleep,” and even “dead.” How can it wake up? By repenting of your sin and placing your faith in Jesus and His cross. Once the soul is awake, it desires “to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.” (2 Peter 3:18)

Getting saved through faith, but then not gathering at least weekly with other believers, would be similar to enlisting in the military but then attempting to skip Basic Training. It doesn’t work that way for obvious reasons. You are either in, or you are out.

Does it make sense to want to sleep in on Sunday? Sure. Just like it makes sense for an enlisted man or woman to want to sleep in once Basic Training is completed. I asked the young man in our church today what time he got up this morning. He replied, “7:30am.” But yesterday, he and and younger brother were up at 4:15am to go out running together (on a Saturday morning no less!).

Some habits die hard I suppose. And good soldiers have a way of recruiting others to join them, even when the cost is high. It all boils down to motivation, and whether or not you have enlisted.

What about you? Are you a “soldier for self,” or a “soldier for Christ?” You can’t be both, but I suspect you probably already knew that didn’t you?

By Dan Delzell , Special to CP

May 19, 2013|7:33 am