Des Moines, Iowa (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
CLICK HERE to read the introduction to this series of posts.
Filed under America, Apologetics, Culture Wars, God, politics
For every depressing thought that keeps me awake at night, forcing me to stare at a ceiling, a clock, or something worse, there’s a still, small Voice that whispers in rebuttal, “You are not alone, and I care.”
In the middle of the night, when rest should be my reward, the day now spent replays once more. Self-doubt and self-pity weigh on me like a heavy blanket, suffocating me with claustrophobic sorrow. But He says, “I am here, let me handle it.”
It won’t be long till the alarm clock follows its instructions, oblivious to my regret. The day will be longer because of my worrying, and it didn’t have to be. Why did I bother setting it?
Arms of mercy were reaching out to hold me. My Father sought to sing a lullaby of grace over me, but I doubted … in the middle of the night.
Filed under Uncategorized
In a recent study conducted by the survey pro’s at TheRecoveringLegalist.com, pastors from both large and small congregations shared why they thought a small church could be better than a big one.
The survey sample was made up of pastors from various denominations, from different parts of the country, and consisted of men from my personal contact list – and my wife. It was VERY scientific – sorta.
I had my own thoughts, but I wanted to know what others thought, so I asked a question. The question I posed to other pastors went something like this:
“I’m doing a quick, non-scientific survey for a blog post (no names will be mentioned). Can you give me 1 or 2 reasons why a small church could be better than a big church?”
Within moments I received multiple replies through text, email, and Messenger. It took them very little time to respond, like it was something they didn’t even have to think about, and the answers they gave were practically the same.
If the answers from the pastors in the survey I conducted mean anything, it would seem that smaller churches are the place to be if you want to be:
Other answers suggested that in larger churches it is harder to keep track of what is being taught in “small groups,” while in smaller churches everyone is more on the same page. But overall, the most common reason given for smaller churches being better than bigger churches was knowing and being known by others in the congregation.
As a matter of fact, what the pastors in my survey said echoed the hopeful and encouraging words of Karl Vaters’ article “Why Small Churches Are the Next Big Thing.” Speaking of Millennials, he said:
“[There’s] growing evidence this new generation will bring the greatest opportunity for small church ministry in 2,000 years.
Why? Because, as the first generation with a majority born and raised outside traditional marriage, genuine relationships and intimate worship—what small churches do best—will matter more to them than it did to their parents.” [emphasis added]
So you see, even though larger churches offer a lot – unlimited numbers of ministries in which to get involved; professional-quality childcare; servant pastors for every niche; and the best technology money can buy – many people are coming to understand there’s something special about the community of a small, loving congregation.
Should you surmise that intimate, supportive relationships, accountability, and being able to talk with your pastor without an appointment are the only qualities that make small churches better than bigger ones, think again. There’s more! Much more!
The following are 8 more reasons why small churches could actually be better than large ones, at least for some people:
Seriously, I have nothing against large churches – every pastor would love his church to be one. However, most churches average no more than 80 members, and they are where the majority of solid, faithful, salt-of-the-earth Christians still attend.
So, are small churches really better than big ones? Well, that all depends on where God wants you. But if you don’t want to get lost in the crowd – or in the parking lot – a small church just might be what you need.
Y’all are welcome any time! (11055 Dayton Pike, Soddy Daisy, TN)
Indianapolis, Indiana (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Note, the Indianans of the 1850’s understood that the right to choose their own form of government was one given by God, not man. Yet, again, we have people from the FFRF (btw, they claim only 20k members) wanting to erase God from every vestige of public life. Where would our public life be without God at the foundation? The founding fathers of Indiana would tell you, “Nowhere.”
Filed under America, Apologetics, community, God, politics, The Magnificent Fifty
Springfield, Illinois (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Amazing how so many of our states’ constitutions recognize the existence of God, isn’t it? Yet, the Freedom from Religion Foundation and their kind want nothing less than to scrub that fact from history. The purpose of this series of posts called “The Magnificent Fifty” is being published in an effort to combat that. Please share them.
CLICK HERE to read the introduction to this series.
Filed under America, Apologetics, The Magnificent Fifty
A very revealing study was done, leading to a book detailing how 300 churches went from declining or dying, to growing. In Comeback Churches, written by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson, there is a list of 30 different barriers to church growth. Having received permission from the publisher (B&H Publishing Group), I would like to discuss a few of them.
“People are unwilling to take hold of God (Isaiah 64:7).”
“And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.” – Isaiah 64:7 KJV
Every time we heard a gospel song that had words similar to “hold on to God,” or “hold to His hand,” my parents quickly reminded us that “we don’t hold God’s hand – He holds ours.” Understandably, what my parents were referring to was salvation. In that sense, we are held and He will never let go.
But that is not what this verse is talking about. Isaiah is saying that part of the problem his people were facing was the fact that none had the desire, nor even the desire to have a desire, to grab hold of God. If that is true today, then it may not only be a huge barrier to church growth, but to individual growth as well.
It is interesting and revealing when we look at this phrase and compare its usage to other places in Scripture. To begin with, the word chazaq (Strong’s H2388) essentially means “to tie fast, to bind bonds strongly” (Gesenius’s Lexicon). It is a verb that is translated into English as words such as strong, retain, urgent, and caught. Here are just a few examples.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught[2388] it, and it became a rod in his hand:” – Exodus 4:4
“And the Egyptians were urgent[2388] upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste ; for they said , We be all dead men.” – Exodus 12:33
“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain[2388] thine integrity? curse God, and die .” – Job 2:9
Moses “caught.” Look at the first verse. Moses had been commanded by God to throw down his rod, after which it became a serpent. Then, against all logic, God told him to pick it up again, but this time by the tail (riiiiigghht!). I would have had to be seriously “stirred up” to pick up a deadly snake by the tail – it BITES! Yet, that’s what Moses did. He “caught it” by the tail.
The Egyptians were “urgent.” Next, after suffering under all the plagues, the Egyptians “were urgent” in there pushing the Israelites out of town. They had come to realize that their own lives were in jeopardy if the Jews stayed one day longer. It was imperative that they are pushed out as quickly as possible.
Job “still retained.” Now, look at poor Job. He had lost everything dear to him, including his health, and then came his wife telling him to curse God and die. She couldn’t believe that he could just sit there and hold on to his belief that God was worth serving. “After all this, are you still holding on to your integrity? What for? What’s the use? Quit putting yourself through this nonsense and just curse God and die!” Yet, he held on.
When we view Isaiah 64:7 in the light of the verses above, what we have is astounding and convicting. Let’s see if we can work it all together:
1) Taking hold of God is something that we should take seriously, not flippantly. Don’t reach out for Him in a way that implies half-heartedness. Take hold like you mean it! Who do we think God is, a stick to be used by us in our own power to accomplish our own desires? NO! He is alive and dangerous. As Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia, He is NOT tame. He is not here to be played with.
2) Do we not understand that without the power and presence of God we will die? “In Him we live, move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). There should be an urgency in our desire for Him, no less than the kind the Egyptians had to expel the Jews from their land. Do we want to live? We must urgently “take hold.”
3) We must hold on to God even when it seems insane to others. We must consider our relationship with our Heavenly Father so precious that even when Hell seems to be winning, faith tells us otherwise. Like Job of old, we should hold on to God even when we lie broken and wasted amid the ashes of seeming defeat. Our Redeemer LIVES!
If we are to see growth in our churches, not to mention our own lives, we must seek after God with urgency, intensity, and passion. He must be sought after and adhered to like no other treasure on earth. Anything less betrays our divided, adulterous hearts. God will bless and grow a people who “take hold.” No church will grow who only takes hold of God when it is convenient, fun, or fashionable.
Time is filled with swift transition
Not of earth or moon can stand
Build your hope on things eternal
Hold to God’s unchanging hand
Hold to God’s unchanging handTrust in Him who will not leave you
Whatsoever years may bring
When my earthly friends forsaken
Still more closely to Him clingHold to God’s unchanging hand
Hold to God’s unchanging hand
Build your hope on things eternal
Hold to God’s unchanging hand
Hold to God’s unchanging hand
We must cleave to Him. It IS a matter of life or death.
Filed under book review, Christian Maturity, God, Uncategorized, worship
Boise, Idaho (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
Folks, I hope this series of posts is opening a few eyes. The whole point is to counter the idea that our nation (and states) were founded on “godless” principles. To the contrary, these posts featuring The Magnificent Fifty: Foundation of Faith art collection at Bryan College show that faith – not godlessness – was very much a part of the fiber of our nation. To deny this exposes one of two things: an ignorance of history, or the willful desire to rewrite it.
Filed under America, Apologetics, Faith, The Magnificent Fifty
Honolulu, Hawaii (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
CLICK HERE to read the introduction to this series.
Filed under America, Apologetics, Culture Wars, Faith, The Magnificent Fifty
One of the great things about modern cable networks is the ability to watch free movies on demand. It’s a great thing, but I guess it’s also a bad thing, too. Free movies mean lots of wasted time in front of a television – because there’s always something to watch.
Well, sorta.
I mean, it’s precisely because I am NOT paying for these movies that the selection is a tad bit limited. When you get what you pay for, and you pay nothing, then you get what you pay for.
So, that’s why I found myself watching “Oz the Great and Wonderful” late Sunday night. I’d forgotten that I’d already seen it back in 2014.
Anyway, even though the movie was rather lame, there were a few well-acted scenes. I especially liked Mila Kunis as Theodora: the creepy, emotionally-ill, heartbroken witch that later became the wicked witch of Dorothy fame. She became the prime reason I will never trust an attractive woman dressed in red that just so happens to greet me in the middle of the woods.
But of all the scenes, one stood out immediately (at least this time around when it was free), and that was the following scene where Finley the monkey indebts himself to Oz.
When I saw this Sunday night, I immediately thought of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I was once trapped and bound by sin. A lion that had been seeking me out to devour me was just about to pounce. I cried out to the only One who could save me, and he did – except in my case, He took the lion’s bite for me.
Why is it so hard to understand that I owe him my life? Oh, I know I do, but do I ever really go about it in the way that Finley the monkey did? Do you?
You do realize, don’t you, that without Jesus we would be dead – eternally so. The life we live is only because of the grace of God. The least we can do is echo the words of Finley and say, “You saved my life, oh Jesus. So, I hereby swear a life debt to you. From this moment on, I shall be your loyal and faithful servant until death.”
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20
If a monkey can do it, why can’t we?
Filed under animals, Christianity, grace, Movie review, salvation, worship
Atlanta, Georgia (Artist: Susan Cassidy Wilhoit)
If you want to read the purpose behind these posts featuring state capital buildings, CLICK HERE to read the introduction.
Filed under America, Apologetics, Faith, God, The Magnificent Fifty
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The Recovering Legalist 