“I Want to Attend a New Testament Church!” | The American Church Today, Part 1

/ SaxophoneWife / 1 Comment

The last time I made this appeal to God, I was utterly frustrated over a situation in my church. It was so hard for me to understand what was happening. Instead of agreement on the objectives and rejoicing in the accomplishments, there was every manner of resentment, stress, opposition, criticism, competitiveness, deceitfulness, narcissism, and misuse of spiritual authority. I was so confused! Didn’t we all want the same thing? It wasn’t good, and I was not doing well. We say hindsight is 20/20, and I will say the Holy Spirit has been giving me eyes to see now what I struggled to see then. I ultimately had to reconcile myself with the fact that there was nothing I could do that would ever win me the grace of these sovereigns. That was a very painful thing for me, still so in bondage to the fear of man. but there came a point where God intervened. It’s just not healthy to want the acceptance or approval of a person who chooses to hurt and curse you.

When God hardened their heart against me1, they did what was most logical for them to do: expel the vermin! I continue to pray for them, but I remain sad for how the church has fallen away from what we think of when we think of the New Testament church.

Yes, we idealize. We forget that the NT Believers met during a time of severe persecution: the threat of death was real. They saw leader after leader tortured. Roman Christians met in catacombs, surrounded by human remains, to avoid being caught. It was illegal for these new Christians to “go to church,” yet, they we’re desperate to be together. 

Church for us today is different. We aren’t so desperate for fellowship that we would risk torture and death. We don’t know desperate. I get letters from guys inside who long for fellowship, Bible teachers, Christian literature, someone to pray with, a Bible, someone to just talk to about God. Most of us can’t relate. We have the luxury of choice. And, I think that has played a big part in the Christian becoming a consumer, the pastor becoming a service provider, and the church becoming a business. What would 1st century Christians have to say about us?

Listen, if you attend a bad church, you should absolutely leave. You don’t need a sign from God. You know as much as I knew, but fear of man or fear of violating your club’s social norms keep you stuck. You think it’s virtuous to tough it out. “No,” you admit, “I’m not being fed there, I’m not growing from the ministry there, but I listen to sermons online and I worship God on my own.” If you need a sign, that’s it. It doesn’t matter if your club has the best music or potlucks, and all your closest friends are members, too. It doesn’t matter if you serve in a high position, or vowed you’d never go. God has nothing to do with any of that! Friend, if you aren’t leaving church well-fed, you’re being slowly starved. Eventually, you’ll lose your appetite for spiritual cuisine all together. You’ll lap up the slop you’re being served and learn to love it. In fact, you’ll soon not be able to tolerate solid food at all. That’s deadly, folks! Run away from any church with a pastor who fails at his only assignment: Jesus said, “Feed My sheep.“ (John 21:17) 

If we want to be in a New Testament church, we need to be New Testament Christians first. We need to be desperate for the presence of God. We need to be desperate for the preaching of God’s Word. Yes, preaching! That means a word from God, a fresh word from Heaven; an anointed presentation of scripture that convicts of sin and leads to spiritual transformation! It’s not recounting illustrations based on TV shows or movies. It’s not retelling another pastor’s sermon. It’s not standing in front of the sheep talking about yourself and all your good works. Don’t stay in those churches! Don’t make excuses for these men or women who carry a title. That is not God’s anointed, Brother or Sister. God’s anointed is as desperate for God as you are and knows they will give account for every word. They preach with fear and trembling, not jokes and personal anecdotes. Any pastor who isn’t spiritually nourishing Christ’s sheep isn’t a shepherd: he is a human trafficker. He doesn’t care about these who are trusting him with their spiritual care. He uses them! He counts his sheep each week, keeping score.

There’s just too much to say.

Christians are in trouble. They need pastors who don’t care about the numbers. They need pastors who care about them, pastors who seek God until they hear from Heaven. They need pastors who don’t answer to the sheep, but to God—they prove that by preaching what the sheep don’t want to hear, and then hold themselves to the same holy standard. I think Christians also need pastors like Moses, willing to weep before God on behalf of the broken, hurting, struggling, and back-sliding.

Is that too much to ask? No.

Folks, it’s time. Jesus is coming for a Bride without spot or wrinkle, and He isn’t kidding. I often think He delays His coming as much for His wrinkled and spotty Bride as He does for the lost. We really do need to repent for being willing to compromise by staying in a church that is compromised. Then, we need to go. Get out fast! If you’re saying, “But, where will I go?” I say, pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to that one He has called to pastor—not the one trying to build an empire or have the coolest club in town. Then, visit churches. Seek God. Get in His Word. Listen to nourishing sermons online2. Reach out to other Christians and fellowship. Pray together. Have Communion together. It’s okay for there to be a time of transition, but you do have to take responsibility for your spiritual life.

Anyway, church is a big topic and I have more to say about it, but I’ll stop here. It’s already a monstrosity, so I’ll be surprised if anyone gets to the end. LOL

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:3

❤

1 To be clear, I wasn’t in this alone, but I do not want to speak for others in my family.
2 www.TSCNYC.org is a good place to find a lot of good, spiritual food.

Some Thoughts on Weeds

/ SaxophoneWife / 1 Comment

“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden
as its gardener, to tend and care for it.” Genesis 2:15 (TLB)

 I didn’t used to like pulling weeds when I was a kid, because that’s all I was allowed to do, and it seemed like a waste of time. “They’ll just grow back,” I’d complain. When I got older and decided to try my hand at gardening, I began to understand weeds better. Mind you, I know almost nothing about gardening, but I have learned four things:

  1. Before you can even plant a seed, you have to make a place for it. If you tuck a seed in the middle of a patch of weeds, it won’t stand a chance. Weeds won’t make room for seeds.
  2. Seeds need sun, soil, and water. Simple. Except, weeds deplete the soil, hog all the water, and grow so fast that they quickly overgrow the seedlings and block out the sun. Weeds are greedy!
  3. If a weed is left to grow, it will spread. Some have very shallow roots, but they self-seed when left to their own devices. And, some will shoot their roots down deep into the soil, or across the garden bed. Those weeds can become entangled with the delicate seedlings, and pulling or digging them out risks injury to the plants you are trying to grow. So, the sooner you address the weeds, the better. Don’t let them take root!
  4. The best thing I’ve learned though, is that if you stay on top of the weeds, you won’t have to weed so often. Nip it in the bud!

SUCH IS THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE

We all have a “spiritual garden.” The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 talks about this. It is where things of God take root and grow—or where they fail to grow and die. One thing that causes spiritual seeds to die are spiritual weeds. We need to uproot these weeds as soon as possible! However, sometimes we don’t recognize them for what they are, or the damage they can do.

  • Some weeds are pretty: we mistake them for flowers. Instead of taking them out, we make a place for them. We water them.
  • Some spiritual weeds are so deeply rooted, we haven’t got the strength to pull them out. We clip away at the green parts when they start to show, and hope no one notices that the root is still intact.
  • Finally, some spiritual weeds are so discreet, they’re hidden amongst the fruitful vines and secretly choking away the life of the good things we’ve planted.

These spiritual weeds, you see, are those little sins we justify; our worldly beliefs that have compromised God’s truth. They are grudges and unforgiveness, and unbelief in the Word of God that leads to us interpreting scripture according to what suits our will. It’s rejecting biblical correction, and resisting the Lord’s command to surrender and obey. Instead of resisting Satan’s temptation, we yield to our flesh and choose what feels right. These are all weeds in our spiritual life that will eventually choke out the goodness of God. The Word of God tells us:

“Try me, O God, and know mine heart:
prove me and know my thoughts,
and consider if there be any way of wickedness in me,
and lead me in the way forever.”
Psalm 139:23-24 (GNV)

If we will ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and shows us what needs to go in our life, He will show us. It’s God will for us to grow spiritually and thrive in our walk of faith. However, we have to tend our spiritual gardens. We have to stay alert and pluck those deadly weeds out as soon as possible. The Holy Spirit will be faithful to show us the things we need to change, stop, repent of, or surrender. Will we be faithful in obeying Him?

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11 (NKJV)

❤

Passing Time

/ SaxophoneWife / Leave a comment

We were locked out of our car, waiting in the parking lot of Market Basket for the AAA dude. Took this picture to help pass the time. Or, maybe I wanted to mark the time.

We were on our way to my sister’s house, the Historian. It was a very impromptu family gathering. People changed plans and food was thrown together – hence, Market Basket.

One of the things I’d purchased at Market Basket was an apple pie. The Historian had been very sick the past two weeks, not eating much. I knew she would reject apple pie, if I offered it to her. So, I almost didn’t buy it.

Yet, something in me said, “Get it, anyway.”

So much time was passing, I almost thought we should just skip going. I had work to do. She was going to get to see the littles, and that was really what the day was about, I thought.

AAA dude showed up. Cracked our window, but we got the keys and headed to Maine.

That was the last time I would see my sister alive. I look at this picture and the silly spontaneity in it is gone for me. Now, it’s just the last picture of me on the last day I got to see her alive.

I’m so thankful for that day. So thankful everyone came together. God was so kind to us. The last thing my sisters and I did together was pray. I still don’t like God’s answer, but Psalm 116:15 is a good verse to keep in my heart:

His loved ones are very precious to Him, and He does not lightly let them die.
Psalm 116:15

While it is still hard to believe she is gone, it was six months ago this week. Time passes.

As I sat with my sister that afternoon, she said she had a taste for something. “What can I bring you? I’ll bring you anything you like.” “You know, I wish we had some apple pie. That’s what I’d like. A little piece of apple pie.”

God is good.

❤