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

If Jesus came to your house…what would you do, what would you hide?

If Jesus came to your house
To spend some time with you,
If He came unexpected,
I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room
To such an honored guest
And all the food you’d give to Him
Would be the very best.

And you would keep assuring Him
You’re glad to have Him there–
That serving Him in your home
Is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming,
Would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome
To your heavenly visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in
Or hide some magazines
And put the Bible where they’d been

Would you hide your worldly music
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right
in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder – if the Saviour
spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the
things you always do?

Would you go right on saying, the
things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?

Would you take Jesus with you
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him
stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great
relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend
some time with you.

A light Saturday…Church bloopers

Here’s some great bloopers from Church bulletins to lighten up yourSaturday…:)

Stewardship Offertory: “Jesus Paid It All”

The music for today’s service was all composed by George Friedrich Handel in celebration of the 300th anniversary of his birth.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the church basement on Friday at 7 p.m. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.

The concert held in Fellowship Hall was a great success. Special thanks are due to the minister’s daughter, who labored the whole evening at the piano, which as usual fell upon her.

22 members were present at the church meeting held at the home of Mrs. Marsha Crutchfield last evening. Mrs. Crutchfield and Mrs. Rankin sang a duet, The Lord Knows Why.

A song fest was hell at the Methodist church Wednesday.

Today’s Sermon: HOW MUCH CAN A MAN DRINK? with hymns from a full choir.

On a church bulletin during the minister’s illness: GOD IS GOOD Dr. Hargreaves is better.

Potluck supper: prayer and medication to follow.

Don’t let worry kill you off – let the church help.

The 1997 Spring Council Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11.

Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary.

Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the carpet will come forward and do so.

The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They can be seen in the church basement Saturday.

Thursday night–Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

The Lutheran men’s group will meet at 6 p.m. Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread and dessert will be served for a nominal feel.  A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

8 new choir robes are currently needed, due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

The senior choir invites any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.

The preacher will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing, “Break Forth With Joy.”

Today… Christian Youth Fellowship Sexuality Course, 8 p.m. Please park in the rear parking lot for this activity.

During the absence of our pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a good sermon when A.B. Doe supplied our pulpit.

The Rev. Adams spoke briefly, much to the delight of his audience.

The church is glad to have with us today as our guest minister the Rev. Shirley Green who has Mrs. Green with him. After the service we request that all remain in the sanctuary for the Hanging of the Greens.

Here’s a story that will make your head spin. A Pastor asking Non-Active Church members to leave

OK, I’ve never heard of this one, but please read the story of a Pastor who asked his Church members to either become more active, or to leave the Church. What do you think of the story below?

———————————————————————————————–

WINSTON-SALEM — Julie and Bob Clark were stunned to receive a letter from their church in July asking them to “participate in the life of the church” — or worship elsewhere.

“They basically called us freeloaders,” says Julie.

“We were freeloaders,” says Bob.

In a trend that may signal rough times for wallflower Christians, bellwether mega-church Faith Community of Winston-Salem has asked “non-participating members” to stop attending.

“No more Mr. Nice Church,” says the executive pastor, newly hired from Cingular Wireless. “Bigger is not always better. Providing free services indefinitely to complacent Christians is not our mission.”

“Freeloading” Christians were straining the church’s nursery and facility resources and harming the church’s ability to reach the lost, says the pastor.

“When your bottom line is saving souls, you get impatient with people who interfere with that goal,” he says.

Faith Community sent polite but firm letters to families who attend church services and “freebie events” but never volunteer, never tithe and do not belong to a small group or other ministry. The church estimates that of its 8,000 regular attendees, only half have volunteered in the past 3 years, and a third have never given to the church.

“Before now, we made people feel comfortable and welcome, and tried to coax them to give a little something in return,” says a staff member. “That’s changed. We’re done being the community nanny.”

Surprisingly, the move to dis-invite people has drawn positive response from men in the community who like the idea of an in-your-face church.

“I thought, ‘A church that doesn’t allow wussies — that rocks,’” says Bob Clark, who admires the church more since they told him to get lost.

He and Julie are now tithing and volunteering. “We’ve taken our place in church life,” he says. •

Ten Good Reasons to go to Church by Dr Richard Bucher

	Why on earth would you, a busy person, want to sacrifice what little R&R time you have to attend public worship regularly? In the final analysis, those who attend public worship regularly do so because they believe they are gaining much more than they are giving up. The benefits of attending far outweigh any deficits (real or imagined). If you have never attended a Christian congregation regularly or have fallen into a habit of not doing so, and especially if you don’t feel ready or motivated to go, I invite you to read the following “Ten Good Reasons to go to Church.” 1. To have fellowship with the crucified and risen Christ If you knew that Jesus Himself was going to be at a particular place on a regular basis, would you not be motivated to go? The local Christian congregation is that place. Christians gather publicly to be with their risen Savior. When they worship, the Lord Himself is present! Though it is true that Christ is always with individual believers, He is present in a unique and special way where Christians gather around the Word. He promised to be where Christians gather: “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20) and “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Both of these statements are spoken to Christians in the plural, to the believing community. Further, Scripture calls Christians assembled together, “the body of Christ.” In other words, the answer to the question, “Where can I find Jesus today?” is “Where Christians gather ” for they are His body. Specifically, Jesus comes among His people through the preached Word and the Sacraments. What Jesus said to the disciples applies to every sermon which proclaims His Word truly: “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16). We hear the preacher, but it is Christ speaking through Him. The Lord also comes among us through the holy Supper. If it is true that the Lord’s Supper is the crucified and risen Christ’s body and blood, then this has awesome ramifications. It means that as the people of God receive this meal, they are entering into intimate fellowship with Christ Himself. The Lord’s Supper is called “communion” (Greek koinonia) because there the people of God have intimate communion with Jesus and with one another (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). After communing, with Simeon we say, “Lord, lettest now Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation” (Luke 20:29-30). 2. To be forgiven Why come to church? Because the Lord Jesus is there. And He is there primarily to give forgiveness to all who repent and believe. Proclaiming the full forgiveness that Jesus won for us on the cross is the main point of all Christian worship services. This is the amazing thing about our God. He comes among His people not primarily to receive but to give. To give the precious forgiveness of sins. He does this through the preaching of the Gospel, holy Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper. What a joy it is to weary souls who have been struggling with their sin all week to hear and receive God’s pardon given through Word and Sacrament. 3. To hear the voice of God Never before have people been confronted with so many voices. Never before have people been confronted with so many choices. Life can be confusing and at times overwhelming as we try to sift through and sort out right from wrong, truth from error. All the more reason to go to church regularly. For there the voice of God Himself speaks to us through sermon, Scripture, liturgy, and hymnody. God speaks to His people as a whole and He speaks to them individually, guiding them into truth, reminding them of what is right, warning them about what is wrong. His is a voice of strength and comfort, a voice of healing and binding up. His is a voice of sanity amidst the insanity. His is a voice that tells the truth when so many other voices cannot be trusted. How sad when believers pray for guidance but fail to show up at the place that God has chosen to give that guidance. 4. To grow in the knowledge of the Bible, God’s Word This reason is related to the previous one but is not redundant. Here I am responding to a common excuse: “I don’t need to go to church to hear the Word; I can read the Bible on my own.” On the one hand, private study of God’s Word is wonderful. Would that all believers had a daily diet of God’s Word! But private study of Scripture must not be a substitute for hearing the preached Word. Why not? There are two reasons, the first theological, the second practical. Because the Pastor, who holds the divinely appointed preaching office, is, by God’s will, the chief teacher of God’s Word, the one through whom Christ Himself speaks (see Luke 10:16; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Timothy 4:13-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 13:17). The Pastor has been blessed with a gift of teaching. Furthermore, he has gone through extensive schooling and study so as to become an “specialist” in God’s Word (though he also is always growing and learning). He has learned Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. He has spent many years in prayer and study learning God’s Word. Why not benefit from his area of expertise? I find it ironic that though we are willing to acknowledge and turn to self-proclaimed experts in every branch of human knowledge, we do not see the need for an expert in the Word of God. In other words, in so many areas of knowledge we freely admit that we lack the expertise to form judgments and we seek out the experts to help us. We turn to doctors for our health, CPAs for our taxes, auto mechanics for our vehicles, psychologists for our problems, etc. However, when it comes to the Word of God, some apparently know it all. Yes, every Christian can and should read the Bible. Yes, the people of God are to judge the teaching of the Pastor. I am not promoting clergy tyranny. I am warning against lay anarchy. 5. To feed your soul Feed the soul? Does the soul need nourishment? According to Scripture, yes. There we are reminded that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). There we are encouraged, “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). God’s Word is food for the soul. Public worship is the best place to give your soul the Word-of-God-nourishment it needs. In another place Jesus says, “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you” (John 6:27). How tragic to see people zealously provide for their bodies but not their souls. 6. To be loved and encouraged Why go to church regularly? To be loved and encouraged. We all have troubles. We all face dilemmas and disappointments. We all wrestle with discouragement and heartache. Life can be cruel in a fallen world. What God said of Adam applies to us all: “It is not good for man to be alone.” Why bear your burdens alone? Coming to church means interacting with your fellow Christians, the body of Christ. It means receiving an encouraging word, a hug and a smile. It means having someone listen. More profoundly, it is often through His body that Christ speaks the comfort and crucial direction that we need. How often a timely word of Gospel spoken by one Christian to another dispels the gloom! How often one Christian will have a spiritual insight that benefits another. Come to church to be loved and encouraged. 7. To be prayed for Jesus once promised, “if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). There is power when the people of God pray. But for those unfortunate souls who have cut themselves off from regular attendance at the Christian assembly, their needs are unknown, and they pray alone. An often overlooked reason to come to church is to be prayed for. 8. To love and encourage your fellow Christians At the heart of the Christian ethic is the obligation to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus sharpens this in John 13 when He says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). The apostle Paul echoes this when he writes, “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2) and “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Galatians 6:10). Failing to attend public worship regularly not only transgresses the Third Commandment (“Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy”). It is also transgresses the law of Christ, to love one’s fellow Christians and to bear their burdens. When we refuse to gather with our fellow Christians, this is not love! By such refusal we lose touch with them and in most cases have no idea what they are going through. And if we have no idea what they are going through how can we encourage and help them? Furthermore, our absence is a powerful nonverbal discouragement to them. But our presence is a powerful nonverbal encouragement, even when no words are spoken. 9. To worship That Christians are to worship God publicly is a Biblical given. Behind this given is the reality that we are creatures and God is the Creator. Everything we are and have is a gift from Him. Therefore God richly deserves our worship, our praise, thanks, and prayer. At the heart of New Testament/Christian worship is the gift of forgiveness that God has given us in Jesus Christ. Because God through Christ has forgiven us and given eternal life to us out of pure grace, He richly deserves our public praise and thanks through word and song. When we worship the true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are doing what we were created to do. Worshiping our Creator is being in sync with who we really are. It is not by accident that the book of Revelation pictures heaven as a place were the ransomed of the Lord will worship God forevermore. Because we were created to be worshiping beings, we will worship someone or something. Either God, our Creator, who alone deserves our worship, or someone or something else: ourselves, possessions, wealth, a cause, a career, a hobby, or another person. 10. To promote the Gospel One last reason to attend corporate worship regularly is that by doing so we promote and defend the Gospel. Remember, the Christian Church exists, ipso facto, “to make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). We exist to tell the good news that through Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, God has forgiven humanity and offers heaven as a gift to those who believe this. The Church’s main mission is to populate heaven not to make people better (though through the Gospel this happens, too!). How does attending church regularly promote the Gospel? In a variety of ways. First, by supporting the local congregation through weekly offerings, you allow the Gospel to be preached to our local communities. Without the financial support of faithful members, such local mission work would cease. Can’t financial giving be done without attending? Yes, but apart from the inappropriateness of such non-attending giving, this rarely happens. In reality, only those who attend regularly contribute regularly. Second, as we hear and receive the Gospel through preaching and Sacrament, we are empowered and motivated to share the Gospel out in the world. Third, those who attend regularly give a very positive message to others about what Jesus Christ means to them. He means enough to set aside several hours a week to hear His Word and praise and thank Him. This can’t help but attract others to Christ. Fourth, when we come regularly we will from time to time invite others to hear the Gospel.

No Sunday Morning excuses

To make it possible for everyone to attend church this Sunday, we are going to have a special “No Excuse Sunday”:

Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, “Sunday is my only day to sleep in.”

There will be a special section with lounge chairs for those who feel that our pews are too hard.

Eye drops will be available for those with tired eyes from watching TV late Saturday night.

We will have steel helmets for those who say, “The roof would cave in if I ever came to church.”

Blankets will be furnished for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who say it is too hot.

Scorecards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present.

Relatives and friends will be in attendance for those who can’t go to church and cook dinner, too.

We will distribute “Stamp Out Stewardship” buttons for those that feel the church is always asking for money.

One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature.

Doctors and nurses will be in attendance for those who plan to be sick on Sunday.

The sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who never have seen the church without them.

We will provide hearing aids for those who can’t hear the preacher and cotton wool for those who think he’s too loud!

What the Bible says about tatoos

The Bible warns us against tattoos in Leviticus 19:28 (Amplified) which says, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”

I know some will have a hard time receiving this teaching because tattooing has now become an accepted practice in our society. However, just because society approves of something does not make it right in God’s eyes. Our society at large, also approves of abortion and divorce as well. However, the Bible makes it clear that God doesn’t approve of these things.

In sharing this teaching, I am not trying to condemn anyone who already has a tattoo; but rather to warn those who are considering getting one. God loves us, and even when we make mistakes in poor judgment, He doesn’t condemn us, but rather tries to help overcome the consequences of those mistakes. Having a tattoo will not keep anyone from serving the Lord. We know some very godly people who have tattoos and are serving the Lord and their tattoos do not interfere with what God is doing through them. Anything Satan tries to use for evil, God can turn and use it for good when we commit totally to Him. God takes us as we are and uses us if we will yield to His will. God will use any of us when we come out of the world and start serving Him with our whole hearts to do His will. Our past is under the blood of Jesus and the sins and mistakes of the past will not hinder our God in our serving Him. Only a hard and unrepentant heart keeps us tied to the old life.

There are many dedicated and sincere Christian people that have tattoos. This article is not meant to say they do not love the Lord. God not only can use them, but does use them. The issue is not whether God can use someone, but rather should Christians pursue getting tattoos? Just because something is popular does not mean it is right. We should always examine things by the “roots and the fruits” of the thing in question.

Tattooing Has Witchcraft “Roots”

In addition to the above verse, Scripture also warns us not to disfigure our bodies in following verses:

And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 1 Kings 18:28

 Ye are the sons of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness on your foreheads for the dead. Deuteronomy 14:1

When it speaks here about doing this in relation to the dead; this was a witchcraft rite done to mourn or remember their dead. Therefore tattooing, cutting one’s body and shaving one’s head in defiance have their origin in witchcraft practices. Tattoos have their “roots” in witchcraft. Many young people today are doing these very things because of some evil witchcraft influences in their lives that they are unaware of. They do not realize that partaking of these can open the door to wrong and defiling influences in their lives. Evil videos, depraved rock music albums, wicked Internet games and violent movies are displaying evil trends in order to destroy our youth. Satanic tattoos, skin heads and other cultic rites are opening many of our children to demonization.

This is what makes it spiritually dangerous for people. People do not realize displaying a satanic mark or symbol can open the door for Satanic attack which allows the enemy entrance in their lives. It is not the mark itself, but rather the sin behind it. Today this practice is growing because of the spread of False Religions. Some people are so hideously covered with tattoos that their appearances look evil. Others, only have small tattoos that they believe are trendy or artistic.

Now this article is not meant to hurt or offend those that have tattoos, but rather to help people avoid getting tattoos that later on they might regret (especially young people). Many tattoos have evil and witchcraft  themes that are portrayed as devil faces, skulls, ugly demonic signs, vulgar pictures, etc. These things hurt the human spirit, just as satanic displays of any kind do. Some tattoos are obviously Satanic as they look devilish, while others may be flowers or innocent looking names or objects but it is the spirit behind this compromise that makes it dangerous for a Christian. God loves the person who has tattoos just as He loves all of us. However, He would rather we did not deface our bodies in any fashion.

Some people object to using Old Testament scripture as a reference to tattoos since the New Testament doesn’t speak of these things. However, in the New Testament we are even called to a higher law. We are to have God’s laws written in our hearts. When we remain close to the Lord and obey Him, He can direct us in things that are not good for us. For example although the Bible does not say, “Thou shalt not smoke” or “Drug addiction is bad for you;” we know that these things are destructive to the human body. In the New Testament, we are told to glorify God in our bodies. This would include not marring our bodies with tattoos, as the principles in the Bible clearly tell us it is wrong to defile our bodies.

Our Bodies Are A Temple

When the Lord created man and woman and placed them in the garden along with His other creations. He spoke these words in Genesis 1:31, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” When the Lord created the human body, He pronounced that the way He created it was very good. The Lord desires that our bodies be a reflection of His own beauty. When people tattoo their bodies they are tampering with what the Lord said was very good the way He made it. We should never mark our bodies as this is unnatural. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are admonished not to defile them. Tattoos on one’s body is like graffiti on a wall. Having tattoos on our bodies does not glorify God.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

What is it within man that makes us dissatisfied with the way the Lord made each of us? Most people are not happy with the way they look so they seek ways that will cause them to feel better about themselves or cause others to accept them. This is not wrong when it comes to having good grooming habits, but we need to understand true beauty comes from within, not from what we wear or how we look. When the emphasis is put on the outward appearance we can be ensnared in vanity, rejection, fear, pride and even racial discrimination. One of the most wonderful things about receiving the Lord is that He wants to deliver us from the outward things that we think we need to feel good about ourselves. When we are in sin we do not feel worthy or acceptable, but through Christ we are. When we can fully walk in the knowledge that we are acceptable before God through Christ, we are then free to be the person God made us to be without having to create a different image. Many people are consumed with trying to be different or become acceptable not only by getting a tattoo but by other things as well.

Some Christians argue that they have the name Jesus or some Biblical word or sign tattooed on their body so they can witness by the tattoo. However, God is more concerned how we are living our lives than by displaying a religious mark on our body. That is not the highest way He would have us witness. The Lord would rather us witness to others by the character of Christ being demonstrated in our lives than display Christian slogans that many times are not matched by the life of Christ. Certainly, the Lord can use a tattoo of a cross or other religious symbol when a Christian has one of these as God knows the heart of the one who truly wants to share Christ with others. However, it is not necessary to use any worldly thing to attract sinners. It is the Holy Spirit who draws people to Christ through any yielded vessel of the Lord. When we pray and witness to others the Lord will cause them to listen.

Just because a person has had a tattoo, it will not prevent God from using people to witness nor keep them from being a minister of God. God looks on the heart and can use different things to testify of Christ’s love, even tattoos. However, well-meaning people can be deceived in their methods of evangelism.

The Youth Culture and Tattoos

I really believe that one of the compromises we see today is parents allowing their children to mark or tattoo their bodies. Christians can look at someone who has tattoos all over them and know by discernment that it is not God, but the same Christians may get a small tattoo themselves or allow their children to have one without thinking anything about it. Toy makers today even sell washable ink transfer kits so children can mark their bodies with designs. This may seem like a harmless game but this is the enemy preparing or setting up our children early to receive real tattoos later on.

Many young people today do not realize that they may be sorry in the future that they chose to put tattoos on their bodies today. We know of many people who have said to us that they wish they had not been foolish when they were young as now they must live with the reminder of what they did when they were young. Only a few people have the money to have them removed by laser.

Years ago our young boys in the military had to go to foreign lands to get a tattoo, now tattoo parlors are everywhere because our nation here in the USA. has opened its doors to many heathen practices and false religions. Another danger in receiving tattoos is a medical one through faulty procedures. One of the latest discoveries of another way AIDS is being transmitted is through contaminated ink or dirty tattoo needles. If fresh ink is not used, then the last person who was tattooed who had any kind of transmittable disease could leave behind that virus or bacteria. Not only Aids, but Hepatitis as well, has been traced to tattoo ink and needle contamination.

Some young people are having them done in defiance and rebellion to their parent’s wishes because they want to be like their friends. This is displeasing to God as the Lord tells children to honor and obey their parents.

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Colossians 3:20

The reason so many people are deceived on this issue, as well as others, is that there is a lack of knowledge in the things of God and a lack of discernment in the body of Christ. Hosea 4:6a says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Many have not been taught nor grounded in the Word of God. We as church leadership owe an apology to the youth of our day because many of us have failed in our responsibility to speak out on the issues of the day and have allowed the influences of the world to shape our society. Many Christian parents have failed in their responsibility also, as they have been too involved in chasing the American Dream instead of raising our children in the nurture and admonition of God as commanded in the Bible. Ephesians 6:4 says, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

One note of warning  to the church on this subject of tattoos. We have a generation now of young people that love the Lord yet do not understand all of His ways. Soon we are also going to be seeing a great revival among the youth of the world. The youth of this day want a real cause to live and die for. Most have not seen true Christianity. However, when they do come to Christ many will be bringing their tattoos, dress, music and old habits with them right into the church. We must be sure that we do not despise them nor look down on them, but rather welcome and love them and gently teach them the ways of the Lord. We are called to love and pray for them and help them avoid making some of the mistakes we have made in our own walk with the Lord. We need to be true mothers and fathers to them. Yes, we must speak the truth in love, but let us make sure we are loving them and not condemning them. On the other hand, we must not accept all that they would desire to bring with them that would harm them and compromise the Word of God. We will all need God’s grace to bridge the generation gap. We would recommend a great article written by a young Christian on this very subject. Click here to read Bridging the Generation Gap.

If you, through ignorance, have received a tattoo or allowed your children to have one, you should pray against any evil or witchcraft that may have come through the circumstances when that tattoo was received. Some people receive tattoos before they are “born again” and after they are touched by the Lord, they wish they had never had it done. The Lord loves you, so do not come under any condemnation, just pray over them and ask the Lord to remove any spiritual influences denoted by the tattoo and He will do it. The Lord looks on our hearts and motives and judges us by those, not our outward appearance. However, if the tattoo bothers you and you cannot cover it, you can have it removed by laser surgery.

The bottom line for this issue would be to ask the popular youth slogan, “What Would Jesus Do?” I don’t believe we will ever see Jesus with a tattoo. The only scars on His body are the ones put there by evil men that crucified Him. They were not self inflicted. Overcomers will put away anything that leads to bigger compromises.

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Testimony Regarding Tattoos

When I was in high school I really wanted to get a tattoo and a body piercing. So, during high school I got a body piercing (in my bellybutton). Shortly after I graduated from high school I got a tattoo. Neither action was well thought-out, but more of a spur of the moment thing. In fact, I’m grateful that the man who did my tattoo wouldn’t do what I originally wanted. He told me to go home and really think about it until I knew what I wanted and where I wanted it. If he would have done whatever I wanted at that moment, I would be even more regretful at this point. So, I ended up getting something I thought I would want for the rest of my life on my ankle. Now, about five years after I got my tattoo I have a scar where my body piercing was and a tattoo that I wish I didn’t have.

I got a navel piercing and tattoo to be different and cool. After a while of having both, I didn’t care much about showing them off. It really surprised me in a way when people would point to me and ask me about my tattoo. It started to annoy me that when certain people noticed my body piercing or tattoo, I suddenly had become more cool in their eyes. I felt like they liked me more, only after they had found out that I was the type of person who would have a body piercing or tattoo.

Shortly after I got my tattoo, I realized that a lot more people from many different groups of society were getting body piercings and tattoos. The trend of tattoos and body piercings was becoming popular among more and more people regardless of what “group” they were in (i.e. the “rebellious” crowd, as well as the more average straight-laced group of people).

After a few years I got sick of my body piercing because so many other people were doing the same thing. Then it came down to deciding whether I wanted metal or a scar. I chose the scar.

Here’s why:

After I was touched by the Lord I was told by a friend that body piercing and tattoos were wrong because the Bible said so. I was immediately defensive and confused. I wanted to follow the Lord and do what was right in His eyes. So, while I was with my friend one time we decided to look it up in our NIV Bibles for ourselves. We found Leviticus 19:28: “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.”

We couldn’t find anything that directly said you should not pierce your body. In fact, I was surprised to see in certain parts of Scripture that women wore nose rings in the Old Testament. For instance, Abraham’s servant gave Rebekah a nose ring as a gift when he knew he had found the right wife for Isaac (Genesis 24:34-51, NIV) . I believe, however, that nose rings were common in their culture, just as common as earrings have been in American culture for a long time. Therefore, there is not the same reasons behind Rebekah wearing a nose ring as someone in America might have today. It would be as simple as her being given earrings today.

I decided to pray about whether it was right for me to have a body piercing and tattoo. During the time I was praying and seeking God about this the Lord led me to Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

I was also convicted by 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

I felt that I had harmed my body by tattooing it and piercing it. I passed out when I got my body pierced and came close to passing out when I got my tattoo. Basically, I went through a lot of pain to look cool. I felt that it was wrong for me to have pierced and tattooed my body, especially because of the reasons behind both – vanity and pride. Between vanity and pride and harming my body that the Lord had created I knew that I had sinned. Now I can see that I was not honoring God with my body by piercing it and putting a permanent mark on it. Although I was able to remove my piercing, my tattoo is not something that I can just wash away. It is on my leg to stay.

I know the Lord has forgiven me. His grace and love are so amazing. I was living a sinful, ungodly life and then I found the Lord. Jesus died for us all and God raised Him from the dead so that our sins can be forgiven and that we may be cleansed of our iniquities. Now, we can enter into an amazing love relationship with Him. God did this all through Jesus! The point of this testimony is to share how I was convicted of sin in my life. It doesn’t matter what the sin was. We all need to repent and follow the Lord. If we love Him, we will obey Him.

If you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14:15

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:3-5

- Contributed by a young Christian girl who asked to remain anonymous.

A great look at unhappy people

When many people are asked what they want most in life, their response is usually, “I just want to be happy.” Clearly, the Bible deals a lot with the subject of happiness, and many portions of Scripture speak of joy, rejoicing, blessedness etc. Needless to say, God has a plan for happiness and most unhappiness comes from violation of the plan. Please read Rom.12:9-21; Eph. 4:30-5:20 and Psalm 1:1-6. There are hundreds of other good texts but these will suffice. The major cause of unhappiness is the violation of Biblical principles. Here are some of the major causes of unhappiness I have discovered over the years.

1. Half-hearted Christian living.
   Luke 22:54-62
2. Hidden forbidden pleasures.
   (secret sins) Col. 3:5-10; 2Pet. 2:9-14
3. Habits that hold in bondage.
   1 Cor. 6:9-12; 1Cor. 6:12; 1Pet. 4:1-5
4. Harbored bad feelings.
   2Cor. 12:19-21 Things such as envy, pride, jealously and bitterness.
5. Hostile heart.
   James 3:14-18 ; Eph 4:31-32
6. Hindered prayers.
   1 Pet. 3:7; 2 Cor. 2:10-11
7. Headstrong temperament.
   Jude 8 ; Heb.13:7,17, 24. Any rebellion against authority ordained by God, such as parents, government, teachers, and yes, even against the Man of God, will eventually result in unhappiness. (Read Heb. 13:17 again).
8. Hypocritical life.
   Matt. 23:27,28 and Matt. 13:18-23 Hypocrites cannot stay happy long. They hop in and out of seemingly every Church in town and eventually drop out altogether. I meet them all the time and they are some of the most unhappy and bitter people I have ever known.
9. Headed the wrong direction in life leads to unhappiness.
   Both Saved and lost alike are in this group. A Lost person headed for hell cannot be happy, and a saved person headed into a world of sin cannot be happy. A person that can be happy in sin is not saved. See Heb. 12:3-8

Ask yourself this question: “Am I really happy or just faking it in life?” If you answer is “No”, check your heart against the points I gave above and your may find your answer to personal happiness in life.

Is your Church a fortress, or a refuge?

There’s a Church accross the street from us that has one of the most unique neon signs in Las Vegas (And there’s a lot of them here) always flashing some new catchy phrase or message. That sounds pretty cool, right? Well, while I don’t really oppose it, I do wish they would change the message and mindset.

On this sign, they are always running a brightly colored slogan about what the Church has to offer and inviting them to come in. The problem is that they expect people to take the first step and go to the Church, when if you look at the Biblical concept of God‘s House, it should be going to the world.

It’s easy to stay behind the security and safety of walls, but if we really want to make a difference and become a Church like Jesus and the early Apostles showed us, we would be going out on the streets to where the people are. It’s very rare that someone will look at a sign and just pop into a house of worship, they need to be invited. They need to know that there are people who care about them, and most of the time that’s not going to happen with an invitation, but it will happen if someone from the Church takes a step outside and SHOWS them they care.

Now I’m not bashing this Church at all, I’m sure it does a lot of great things, but here’s what concerns me about this congregation. This Church is right in the middle of the foreclosure capital of the nation, and they are constantly building onto the grounds while people are losing their homes a block away. I would love to see them coming out from behind the fortress that they are building, and going out among the people that live nearby and seeing how, or if, they could help. Imagine what kind of a ministry that would be. I can just picture the scenerio…someone is losing their home and don’t know where to turn. Suddenly they get a knock at the door. It’s someone from the Church accross the street. The heart-broken person breaks down crying while telling their visitor from the House of God how they feel like they are losing everything and are scared. The person from the Church offers to help them with groceries and starts to pray with them. They may still  feel scared, tbut now there’s renewed hope. They see that the words of Jesus are more than just words, they are demonstrated though His followers. They have a new found sense of hope, it’s called Jesus. Now that’s evangelism.

I know a lot of Churches would love to do more outreach, but in most cases the interest from the congregation isn’t there. Having said that, ask yourslef this morning if you’re active enough in the Church to where they can come out from behind their walls. If the volunteers are there, and your Church still isn’t doing outreach, pray on it and see where the Lord leads you. Maybe simply ask someone how you can help to reach more people for Jesus. Often times encouraging your Pastor through the gift of volunteering will inspire Him.

Please read the scripture below that backs up what I’m talking about this morning, and please help someone outside of the walls today…

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Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

 

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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Luke 10:25-37

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

From Jesus in the morning to Zombies at night

While I was in Seminary, I wrote a Missions paper on the people of Haiti. I was fortunant because a student friend of mine was a student at the seminary as well, and I was able to get a lot of information from him over coffee. One of the interesting facts of life in Haiti is that a very large majority of the people there are what they call Catholics on Sunday morning, but vodoo practioners on the same night. I used to be shocked that this could happen, but as I look around me, I see more and more of this type of behavior among the Christians all over the world.

I titled today’s blog like I did because I saw someone’s Facebook page talking about what a great morning they had at Church worshipping Jesus, but were settling down to watch zombie movies. Now I know a lot of people are going to get a little ticked at me and say I’m overreacting to a little guiltless media pleasure, but please hear me out. One of the easiest ways to take the path of sin is to take the first step in the wrong direction. We may all start off watching something as innocent as vampires, but many, not all, become addicted to that sort of show and then it becomes entwined in their Theology. Now once again, I know there will be a lot of people who don’t believe that this sort of thing could possibly happen to a reasonable person, but take a look around and tell me I’m wrong.

The world is full of snares and traps that Satan uses to lure us into his world of addictive habits. I know I’ve found myself caught up into some of his tricks, and had to reverse direction before it was too late. I urge you, as well as myself, to watch who and what we listen to. Try watching a nice movie with a descent plot that will reinforce what you see and hear on Sunday Morning as you hang out with fellow believers. Try listening to some music that has a Godly message and lifts the sould before you go to work. Now once again, I’m not saying to cut yourself off from the world, I’m just saying to make sure you don’t become like the people I wrote my paper on…Jesus followers in the morning, and the exact opposite at night. Many of them aren’t even aware that they do it becauese they have seen and associated with it so often, they don’t see what’s wrong with it. Don’t fall into that same trap.

I’ve taken the time to post some verses below that will support what the Lord has laid on my heart this morning, I look forward to seeing how they make a difference in your life.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

John 17:15-18 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.