The NFL, the Media, and Selective Outrage-Sept. 28, 2017

The biggest story of the past few days has to do with the National Football League and a number of players taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem, or in the case of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the whole team minus one, staying in the locker room until after it was over.

          I was struck last Sunday that this made such huge headlines, especially when other things of a far more disturbing nature were going on in this country, such as a shooting at a church in Tennessee by a Sudanese immigrant. Melanie Smith, 39 was shot and killed in her own church parking lot by a gunman.  It is unthinkable that such a safe place became so violent.  But the disproportional coverage by the media is nothing new.  Former CBS Newsman Bernard Goldberg and author of several books about media bias has been fond of saying for years “We live in the United States of Entertainment” and his words have been proven many times over and were proven yet again this past weekend.

          The big story; the real scandal in the NFL for serious journalists, should be the selective enforcement of rules by the league.  But, that is not what is being reported.  The NFL has strict and detailed policies regarding player conduct and demeanor during the playing of the National Anthem.  Those rules have been violated in recent seasons by a few players, but blatantly, and in mass, on Sunday by more than 200 players.  Mike Tomlin, Head Coach of the Steelers, heavily pressured his whole team to stay in the locker room and even made it clear in a press conference afterwards that he was disappointed with offensive tackle, former army ranger, and Bronze Star recipient Alejandro Villanueva for going out of the players tunnel and standing with hand over heart for the playing of the national anthem.  So, there is a price to be paid for freedom of expression.  Taking a stand has often proven costly; however what we have seen for many years is that it consistently cuts only one way.  Liberal causes, can and should, be championed even if they violate the rules or the law, but conservative causes cannot and should not be championed even if they are within the bounds of the rules and the law.

          NFL players got in trouble for wearing items and slogans on their uniforms in commemoration of 9/11 and the reasoning given by the NFL was that it was not a place to make political statements, especially those that some might deem offensive.  Quarterback Tim Tebow faced a media firestorm and tremendous backlash for taking a knee in respect for God and giving thanks. Editorials lambasted him for bringing his “religion” and/or “personal beliefs” to football.  Football, they said was a job, a sport, a pastime; anything but a place to express any personal views.

          Ratings are down for the NFL by significant margins.  Providers such as Direct TV are offering partial refunds to subscribers of their NFL package.  When the NFL goes to negotiate contracts with cable and satellite providers for next season they will be in a weak position and stand to lose millions of dollars.  People are vowing to not watch the rest of the season, not purchase NFL merchandise and, in some cases, are burning their hats and jerseys of their favorite teams.  Fans are outraged that these overpaid athletes and coaches are ruining a game they love by politicizing it.

          Many people who work for meager wages come home from work and watch football. They also spend part of their weekend watching just so they do not have to watch nauseating political talk on one of the 24/7 news channels.  These people love their country, their Lord, and are thankful for what they have because of the opportunities provided by this great country.  Allowing a place for politics in the NFL, in and of itself, is enough to infuriate great numbers, but when the particular political expression takes the form of not respecting the flag it touches a nerve with vast numbers of Americans.  Historically, even when people vigorously disagreed they would both stand side by side and salute the flag of America.  Now, that is changing in a very disturbing, high profile sort of way.

          Frankly, many have made a conscious choice to reduce or eliminate following national news because it is so depressing and upsetting.  Sports have been one of the favorite escapes, but now that world has not only been invaded, it has been stormed with no apology.  The NFL Commissioner has never really demonstrated a conscious in any of the controversial matters of recent years involving the league, and is not really showing one here.  He seems to be pulled in the direction of the most politically correct way of thinking. 

          One positive in all this is that many Americans are being forced to re-evaluate their priorities in life.  Many are already stating on social media that they can live without football and that compared to the freedom of living in America it is a small price to pay to turn off their televisions or watch something else. 

          There is nothing that is immune from the creep of political correctness.  It has been attacking institutions and individuals for years and will continue to do so.  Now you are seeing pressure in areas you thought were immune, but nothing is really immune. The fact that the church shooting in Tennessee got so little coverage and the NFL controversy got so much is quite telling.  Christians and conservative Americans will face more and more pressure to conform and if they do not do so there will be a severe price to be paid.  It is time to stick to what you believe and be ready and willing to back it up with facts and truth.  It is not a time for weak patriotism, weak Christians, or weak minds.  It is a time for strength, courage, and resolve.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Remembering to Pray for and Support Our ‘Other’ Pastors - Sept. 12, 2017

          From the very beginning of my journey in pastoral ministry very sweet and sincere people have told me they were praying for me.  It did not take very long into that journey for me to realize that I needed a lot of prayers.  Pastoral ministry presents many unique challenges.  One pastor friend of mine is fond of comparing pastoring to herding cats!  It is a pretty fair analogy!  Pastors grieve over the lostness of the world and their communities often in agonizing prayer that no one sees.  Many sleepless nights are all-too-familiar to pastors as friends leave the church, as messages fail to be visibly impactful, and people in the church cannot seem to get along with one another.  The enemy of our souls throws everything, including the kitchen sink, at us trying to get us to stumble, and, better yet, fall and hurt as many people as possible on our way down.  Pastors face all the temptations and difficulties that any other human being faces, plus several others besides.  All of this is widely known and discussed.  There have been many books and articles written to encourage pastors who are experiencing discouragement.  Retreats, and even entire retreat centers, have been established for healing and restoration after pastoral burn-out and the accompanying mental and emotional exhaustion.  Even posts on social media remind Christians to pray regularly for their pastors, which is much needed, and much appreciated.

          In the early years of my ministry I believed that I had one of the hardest, maybe the hardest job/task in the world.  While it is consuming in every way, I have come to believe there are some things that are far more difficult due to the spirit of our age, the self-centeredness of our world (including vast numbers of church members), and Satan’s highly successful ability to hoodwink people and get them to place their focus on almost everything except God, His Word, His true expectations for us, and baring witness to the lost world in which we live.

          I have come to realize and appreciate the utterly brutal reality of being a youth minister in these dark and difficult days before the Lord’s return.  As hard as it is to be a pastor to people at times, youth ministers are faced with unimaginable challenges of which no one could have dreamed such a short time ago.  Every youth pastor comes face to face with kids struggling to find their own identities, often through a process of acting out and experimentation with anything and everything from drugs and alcohol, sex, to many other forms of reckless behavior.  We are long past the days where the biggest issues were abstaining from listening to rock music, not attending R-rated movies, and not dating anyone who was a potential candidate for marriage.  Now the issues are so much more serious and potentially disastrous – even deadly.

          Another big change is that if you looked at youth groups of past decades you would find the bulk comprised of active church member’s kids; even pastor’s and deacon’s kids.  But now you look at many youth groups and see kids from homes that parents rarely come at best and at worst are, in no way, connected with any church, much less the one their kids occasionally attend!  Youth ministers lack the core support they once had from parents, because there are often no parents to be found.  It is not uncommon for kids to report of total dysfunction in their home life involving all sorts of things that were nearly unheard of 1 or 2 generations ago.  Added to the youth minister having to carry the burden of these things he is often criticized by those who frequently remind him of the good old days when they (the criticizer) were in youth and just how it was and their simplistic solution is to just do things like they were done back then and highly committed, well-behaved, smiling youth would break down the doors to get in!  With my heart and soul I wish it were just that simple.  We grieve that it is not the way it once was and will never be again.

          In time past, new babies were brought to the nursery on their first Sunday and grew slowly through the church’s Sunday School program advancing all the way to adulthood.  Many of those became Sunday School teachers, deacons, pastors, and other leaders and other constants of the church.  But now, Sunday School is an empty basement or wing of the church and the youth minister is implicitly or explicitly expected to be a miracle worker who overcomes 12-18 years of neglect.  Some pastors have even resigned themselves to preaching on a level of a children’s Sunday School class simply because their congregants no longer have a foundation on which to build and there is little choice but work hard to lay such a foundation.

          Youth ministers desperately need our prayers, emotional support, physical support, and spiritual support as they are being tasked with the impossible while many hurl insults and throw rotten tomatoes from the balcony and sidelines.  Dedicated youth ministers have big hearts, great love for the Lord, and love for young people, and it is discouraging and hurtful to often not see the fruits of their labors  However, God sees their work and labors of love and will reward them for working to do what few others in this entire world are willing to do.  Please pray for our youth ministers!

          Music ministry was once a very popular vocational pursuit on Christian college campuses and in seminaries, but those days are past.  When churches are in need of music ministers they are scarce.  I have been told by more than one denominational leader that “Music ministers are as rare as hen’s teeth.”  Why has there been such a decline in the number of music ministers?  Professors, denominational leaders, pastors, and even former and current music ministers themselves will all tell you the predominant reason is that church music has become perhaps the biggest hot-button issue of the last 25 years.  James Dobson on his Focus on the Family Radio broadcast once did a few shows devoted to music and it generated the most aggressive responses of any topic he ever did, according to his own report.  Some wrote or called in totally adamant that hymns only should be sung, while others were equally adamant that newer music was essential to reaching a younger generation and also to keep our worship fresh and lively.

          Professors at our Christian colleges and seminaries report that aspiring music ministers are frequently discouraged from pursing vocational music ministry by their parents and even their pastors because of the enormity of controversy they are unknowingly seeking to enter.  No parent wants to see one they love face opposition, rejection, and the level of scorn that is known to be directed at those who do not meet their expectations and cater to their preferences. 

          The immaturity of the modern church is expressed in a number of ways such as biblical illiteracy, lack of prayer, lack of attendance, immoral practices, and selfishness.  This has showed up as church members have left churches because of their disdain for the music (both changes and lack of changes).  Further, many others have made the decision to attend a church, mainly or exclusively, on the basis of the music.  For every one instance of someone telling me they have concern about a doctrinal matter, there are easily 20 expressions of concern about music.  Rarely is there a question of doctrinal soundness, but almost always it is an issue of preference.  One thing all seem to agree on is that there will be no music controversies in Heaven.  The reason all tend to give for why they believe this to be the case is that it is because everyone will see the light and will then do it “their” way.  Everyone, I have ever talked to who held a strong opinion on music types believed God was on their side and strongly opposed those with whom they disagreed.

          Music ministers are a gift from God to help lead in worship.  As is true with all gifts, they need to be received with thankfulness and glory and praise to God.  Further, they need to be given our full support through prayer, encouragement, and love.  When we leave our homes, which God has provided with all their accompanying luxuries which God has provided, and take our cars which God has also provided to arrive at our church which God has also provided, and be led in worship by the music minister whom God has also provided, and our pastor whom God has also provided, it is absolutely not the time to focus on our selfish preferences about anything. Satan is the one who has given the provision of “selfishness.”  When we come to a worship service and focus on anything but the triune God and how our sin disappoints our Lord and Savior, we have formed and molded an idol of our own making which supplants our worship and gives Satan great satisfaction. Scripture teaches he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  He will do that with our worship in a heartbeat, but only if we allow it to happen.   Please pray for our music ministers!

          These are dark, dark days in which we are living.  God’s people desperately, more than ever need to huddle as the body of Christ together to draw strength from God and one another to try and endure until the end which is coming quickly.  How foolish to snipe at one another over miniscule matters of total insignificance.  We must grow up in the Lord.  We must relinquish our idols, and give it all to Jesus.  Forget the notion that “my” way is best, and focus on the beauty of the Lord, the worthiness of the Lord, the greatness of your salvation, and the sacrifice that He made on the cross and be thankful for the gifts he has given in people. In particular, thank Him for those who sacrifice of themselves enormously to serve as youth ministers and as music ministers.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Re-Issue of “The ‘Country Club’ Church”-Aug. 23, 2017

          A year and a half ago I wrote about a long standing concern of mine that many believers display a sense of entitlement when it comes to the church.  Many, it seems, cannot lay aside their personal preferences and desires and focus on Christ and follow the pattern He set forth in the New Testament.  Every week, all across the nation a great number of people enter worship services only to focus on themselves for the next hour. 

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: “The ‘Country Club’ Church

(Jan. 26, 2016)

 

          For many years I have often heard the non-flattering comparison made between some churches and “country clubs.”  I did not quite understand the link early on, but I have come to appreciate what people mean when they make the comparison.  We live in a consumer-driven world and an unmistakable consumer-driven way of thinking has poured into the church of the Lord Jesus like a flood.  This mind-set is now driving much of what the church does and how it does it.

          The majority of people have never been a member of an exclusive country club and probably only know vaguely as to how it operates and what it offers.  I browsed the websites of several country clubs and found overwhelming consistency on a few key things.  Annual memberships seemed to run in the 2 or 3 thousand dollar range with packages offering extra perks and benefits costing even more.  They offer quality and abundance of the things they believe people desire.  These include such things as golf, tennis, racquetball, aerobics, yoga, swimming, fitness classes and equipment, banquet halls, fine dining, etc.  A direct quote from one country club’s website extends the invitation to “Become a member and enjoy the benefits membership has to offer.”  Another website offers as their mission statement: “It’s our mission to provide a tradition rich, outstanding private country club known for the quality of its membership and for service that exceeds expectations.”  I do not know of any particular church that is so bold as to adopt, word for word, as its mission statement the one used by this particular country club, but it seems to be widely implied across the church landscape of our consumer driven nation.  In fact, if you removed the words “private country club,” and substituted the word “church,” many churches in America would be comfortable adopting this as their mission statement.  It would then read “It’s our mission to provide a tradition rich, outstanding church known for the quality of its membership and for service that exceeds expectations.” 

          Recently I read a post on facebook by a gentleman who had visited a church.  He mentioned he had been looking for a church change for a long time.  He referred to the church he had recently visited and was complimentary of the music, friendliness, and overall environment.  He made no reference to the preaching or beliefs of the church.  Not to imply any of it was necessarily bad, but it is interesting that the things which were mentioned by him would be the things that had the most appeal to the flesh.  It would be the things that might also draw someone to a country club with all its amenities.  Somewhere along the line many believers have drifted from internalizing Christ’s Words “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mat. 16:24)

          One of the most frequent words I encountered in my browsing of the country club websites was the word “amenity.”  Webster’s defines it as “The quality of being pleasant or agreeable; something that conduces to comfort, convenience, or enjoyment.”  Most churches do things that lead to their further comfort and enjoyment.  One positive exception came early in my years of pastoral ministry.  In the late 1990s a tornado ravaged a nearby community and we were discussing, in a church business session, how much money we could/should send to help out.  We were a small church with limited resources.  Our church was in process of having our church pews re-upholstered at the time.  A man spoke up and suggested rather pointedly that we should send at least as much money to the tornado relief as we were spending on cushions for our seats.  The church could not argue with that challenge, so we sent an equal amount which was around 3 thousand dollars.  The two expenditures used up about 2/3 of the money we had in the bank, but we never missed it.  I have thought about that many times over the years as I have thought about the attitude churches should have as they fulfill their purpose and mission before the eyes of God.  Our attitude should be the exact opposite of the “country club” mindset.

          If it is about you, you may not be willing to settle for less than what you think you deserve when it comes to the overall church experience.  Many church goers are like rude patrons in a restaurant expecting top quality food and service for their money.  But if you are a Christian, you are still a Christian in that restaurant and even though you are not the waiter or waitress whose job it is to serve, it is your very purpose/mission to serve them.  It is an exponentially higher calling.  When we go to our church, or when we visit another church we need to be constantly looking for ways to help/serve rather than ways to be consumers of amenities.  We desperately need to follow the Lord’s example.   “The Son of Man did not come to be served; but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (Mat. 20:28)

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

: Re-Issue of “The Disappearance of God”-Aug. 9, 2017

          In the spring of 2010 I read a book by Dr. Albert Mohler which gave strong warnings concerning trends in theological beliefs that were highly minimizing God and His Word.  He warned that it was serving to give sort of an “open door” licensing to sinful behavior and further, to masking the true identity of the God of the Bible.  When God is made out to be something other than what He has revealed Himself to be in and through the Scripture He has given to us then - BEWARE!

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: The Disappearance of God

(Mar. 1, 2010)

 

          In his book, The Disappearance of God: Dangerous Beliefs in the New Spiritual Openness, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary discusses the most dangerous trends within the realm of that which considers itself to be the evangelical church.  Many have observed that the most threatening attacks upon the church have come, and are coming, not from without but from within.  The world around us, in predictable fashion, is still yet failing to understand the church, and largely dismisses it.  But, from within the church’s own ranks serious damage is taking place.

          Mohler first discusses what he terms “theological triage,” a take-off from a system used in emergency rooms which refers to a practice of treating the most serious patients first.  It is not that each person there does not need treatment, but stopping massive bleeding is more important than setting a broken bone.  One is immediately life threatening.  In the evangelical church there is massive bleeding in some sectors.  And left untreated will lead to fatal results.

          There is now wide-spread attack on some of the most basic and fundamental doctrines in the history of Christianity.  Most notably perhaps among these is the disappearance of “sin” in the thinking and doctrine of an increasing number.  Sin is more and more coming to be seen as indefinite rather than definite.  Sin is no longer being seen by some as the violation of an absolute standard, but instead as violation of one’s own conscience.  Sin further could be hurting another person in some manner, instead of the more traditional view which says it violates an absolute standard, usually God’s law as revealed in scripture.  Sin is to be viewed from a much more “anthropocentric” (man-centered) point of view than a “theocentric” (God-centered) point of view.  It is much more then about our human relationships than any potential violation of God’s eternal law.  Mohler asks, “Whatever became of sin?  It has been redefined, ignored, rejected, neglected, and denied.”  He goes on to write, “Sin has been redefined as a lack of self-esteem rather than as an insult to the glory of God.  Salvation has been reconceived as liberation from oppression, internal or external.  The gospel becomes a means of release from bondage to bad habits rather than rescue from a sentence of eternity in hell.”

          Along with the disappearance of sin, there has predictably been a disappearance of eternal punishment.  Hell is viewed in a handful of differing ways, but less and less is it viewed by the traditional understanding which the church has held on to, for the past two millennium.  To some, hell is merely a state of mind – mental torment as one remembers various wrongs either genuine or perceived.  Hell, to others is much like it has been traditionally understood, minus it’s eternality.  People simply “burn up” and cease to exist; this is called “annihilationism.”  They say, how could anyone enjoy heaven knowing that others are burning and suffering in hell. 

          Hell naturally does not fit with the current culture.  Hell was never pleasing to anyone’s palate, but in generations past, it was an understood reality.  The congregations that men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield preached to lived each day with a fear of hell in the back of their minds.  Not so anymore.  That which man does not like or does not want to have to wrestle with is all-too-easily just dismissed.

          Mohler devotes 3 chapters in this book to our current cultures’ preoccupation with physical beauty over and above other forms of beauty.  Much of culture’s value system is based upon its concept of its ideals for physically attractive features.  Rather than valuing what is fixed or changeless, this culture has become fixated upon certain aspects that are fluctuating and changing – chief among these is physical beauty.  One need not look far to see what sells magazines, garners TV ratings, box office ratings, or is the image made for billboards.  The intellect, personal character, and a host of other qualities take a distant back-seat to physical beauty.  Consequently our culture thinks much more with the “senses” than it does with the organ specifically designed to think with – the mind.

             The church is further not exempt from this worship and service of the “creature” rather than the “creator.”  The typical church service these days is much more about man than God.  And, consistent with the title of Mohler’s book, God is disappearing from many of our  churches.  The obsession with physical beauty is tied closely with the pleasuring of all five of our senses both outside and inside the church.  Our society, and our churches, are obsessed with the wrong things.

          Mohler addresses perversions of Christianity such as that found in the phenomenon know as the “Emerging Church” which takes the wholly pragmatic approach when it comes to it’s philosophy for gaining adherents.  It minimizes everything which it perceives as “stumbling blocks” to people coming and being a part.  It essentially focuses on that for which the majority can agree.  The Emerging Church is particularly dangerous because it devalues the Bible.  It openly tells people that we really cannot know what the Bible actually says.  Scripture might condemn homosexuality, for instance, or it may not – we just cannot be clear about it, and we certainly should not be “dogmatic.” The natural outcome is that it produces people who are always searching but are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.  It is something akin to the X-Files approach – “The truth is out there.”  It is just never quite found!

          In four successive chapters, Mohler shows the digression away from biblical church discipline which has, in many ways, led to the other problems and movements we see today.  How could theologians like Clark Pinnock, for instance, who openly advocates “open theism” (a belief that God does not really possess fore-knowledge but is surprised as are we when something happens) be taken seriously and sell books and even have a real voice in the debate?

          How can we be effective evangelists and missionaries when we cannot even come to widespread agreement about the basics?  Mohler sees these issues which are cropping up with greater and greater frequency as distractions to the commissioned work of the church.  He ends the book by making a passionate call for the Bible to be exposited by faithful, God-called preachers.  The best way to fight against lies is with truth.  The drift in beliefs are best combated with the truth.  As the church of Jesus Christ becomes less and less biblically literate, for many reasons, the drift away from authentic biblical doctrine continues.  As this doctrine drifts away, that which we know about God drifts away along with it.  The best thing we can do is get to know the Scriptures and allow them to teach us, equip us, and guide us.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

A Layman’ Guide to Helping Your Pastor Succeed - July 27, 2017

There seems to be a perception in church life that basically a pastor will succeed or fail independent of what a congregation does or does not do.  It is almost as though he swoons into a church at the call of the people and either works wonders or he does not and is considered to be a failure.  First of all, the ways we usually measure success and failure in a ministry are totally bogus and are rooted in the business model which has totally captured our understanding of what is, and what is not deemed “success.”  The business model looks for full buildings, full treasuries, and satisfied customers.  This perception is only bolstered by the advent of the mega-church.  It is perceived that every church in America is either (a) a mega-church or (b) a mega-church want-a-be.  I hardly believe that is actually the case.

          Let me let you in on a little secret.  A pastor’s level of external success at a church is directly related to the degree by which he can motivate the congregation to do the work of ministry.  There is a sense in which if he cannot get people to attend, give, serve, disciple, worship, etc. then he has failed; providing that he makes the case that doing these things are of necessity.  There is also a sense that, as far as how God measures success, if he tells his people the truth and does so in a loving and caring manner then he is a success.  I heard once of a track coach who had highly successful track teams, going to state and competing on a very high level.  Interestingly enough the coach of this team was confined to a wheelchair.  His success came not in his ability to run himself, or participate in the field events, but in his ability to motivate and teach the fundamentals of track and field.  A pastor is in a somewhat similar position.  The pastor is handicapped in that he cannot go into your office and invite people to church, but you are in the position to do so.  He cannot go into the classrooms at your school, but you can.  He can hardly go up and down the streets of your neighborhood, but you can cultivate those relationships with your neighbors.  He can hardly go to your family reunion and share Christ, but you can.  He can hardly bear witness among the parents of your son’s baseball team but you can. 

          When you fail to bear witness for Christ and invite people to church, the pastor’s perceived success at a church is hindered.  When you never quite get around to sharing or ministering the whole body suffers and is less that it has the potential to be.  When you fail to give of your financial means, the whole body suffers and it is often the pastor who gets the blame for the tight budget.

          The pastor has to wear a great many hats as he leads your church, some of which are night and day different than the other ones.  Think about it – a pastor is expected to be the most kind, helpful, and sympathetic individual in the church when there is a need, yet turn around and be like Jesus cleansing the temple the next minute when that sort of response is called for.  He is expected to explain the plan of salvation and baptism to a 6 year old with clarity then turn around and explain it to the self-proclaimed atheist with a PhD from U. Cal. Berkley!  He is expected to delivery the fruits of a week of in-depth study from the pulpit on Sunday morning, yet have ministered faithfully all week, done counseling, visit the hospitals, talk with those who dropped by, and drop everything and talk on the phone when someone calls.  He is expected to have wonderful daily quiet times, spend hours each week in prayer, read the latest books, be on top of current events, be a model husband and father, attend community events, take calls anytime day or night, and be available for lunch or coffee at a moment’s notice. In order to help your pastor succeed you must be able to understand his world a little bit better.

          You need to ask and answer the question – “What can I do to help?”  Over 22 years of pastoral ministry, spanning 6 churches, I have done all of the following, many of these multiple times.  See if you can pick out anything on the list you could do to give the pastor more time to do other things he desperately needs to do: prepared sermons, prepared lessons, wrote a weblog,  wrote and compiled the church newsletter, prepared PowerPoint presentations, done marital counseling, led persons to Christ, engaged in discipleship, wrote letters and postcards, visited the hospital, prayed with someone, met with salespersons, ran errands, picked up office supplies, taken out the trash, wiped off tables, done the dishes, vacuumed the carpet, interior and exterior painting, mowed the lawn, watered flowers, swept tile floors, cleaned out closets, patched a leaky room, trimmed trees, planted flowers and shrubbery, watered flowers and shrubbery, laid tile, sharpened lawnmower blades, changed the oil in the lawnmower, hung drywall, fixed running toilets, cleaned out the refrigerator, repaired guttering, spot treated carpet stains, hung doors, led the singing, taken and accompanied youth on outings, taken youth to camp, prepared meals for those in need, given money, changed light bulbs, gone on mission trips, helped persons move, invited people to church, cleaned out the oven, stained and varnished woodwork, built shelves, replaced wall switches and outlets, replaced faucets, spread gravel, removed fence posts, built retaining walls with railroad ties, helped with benevolence needs, washed windows, cleaned up water damage with a shop vac, laundered towels used in baptisms, filled baptistery, unloaded dumpsters to lighten the weight, unlocked the doors for repairmen, cleaned toilets, mopped floors, watched children, installed playground equipment, cleaned out fence rows, picked up trash in the yard and in the building, set toilets, removed stumps, changed the church sign, took van in for repairs, stacked chairs and tables, moved furniture, made copies, recruited volunteers, poured cement, stuffed envelopes, addressed envelopes, did strategic planning for the church, performed funerals, ministered to the bereaved, answered the phone, etc., etc., etc.  Do you get the picture?  The vast majority of the things that any pastor often finds himself having to do, could be done by others as the shared responsibility of the church body.  Is there anything on the above list that you might be able to do?

          Perhaps your greatest contribution is in helping with the little things that will help allow the pastor to devote more time to study and prayer.  The very reason deacons were chosen in the early church was so that the leaders of the church could devote more time to prayer and the ministry of the Word.  The church of Jesus Christ is best served when the body functions as our Lord intended and we all do our part.  There is not only a job, but a true ministry for every person in the local church.  Some do much while some do little.  Whatever we do, let us do it mightily as unto the Lord!

 

In Christ

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Re-Issue of “The Urgency of Christian Warfare”-July 20, 2017

     I began reading a book a couple of days ago by Ray Stedman titled Spiritual Warfare: How to Stand Strong in the Faith.  Stedman emphasizes the fact that the enemy never wants us to see things the way they really are.  In other words, he wants to hide the truth or reality.  All around us a war is raging and we are not acting like soldiers or as even though there was a war in progress!  That needs to change and change fast.  We need to be intentional, determined, and ready to stand up for God’s truth in these last days as a faithful soldier of Christ our King.  Three years ago this summer I wrote the following weblog about the need for this urgency.

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: The Urgency of Christian Warfare

(June 5, 2014)

 

          Throughout the passing decades of the last half-century the church has, quite ironically, battled itself as much or more than it has battled the world.  Frequently, rather than engaging the world and confronting the world, the church has instead often taken up arms against itself!   Strong opinions about a variety of issues have led to deep divisions, animosity, and even church splits.  This effectual “turning against one another” has been cause for Satan to break out the celebratory champagne.

          Paul wrote to the Ephesian church in 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Petty battles albeit defending deeply held convictions may have felt like spiritual warfare to those involved, but frequently these engagements have served to drain the church of its spiritual, emotional, and physical energy and sometimes it’s monetary resources.  Not to mention, caused many pastors sleepless nights.  And it has certainly been cause for delight to the enemy of our souls.  Quite simply, believers in recent decades in particular, have struggled to identify the real enemy and the real battlefield worthy of their attention.

          Much of the language found in the New Testament is of a militant nature.  Believers are often referenced as soldiers.  Warfare is a common overarching theme and words like battle, fight, and defeat are regularly used.  The real enemy is Satan and this worldly, fleshly system he superintends. 

          Believers are called to be warriors in this conflict– not spectators.  Further they are expected to properly identify the true enemy and his tactics.  A warrior is “A brave or experienced soldier or fighter.”  It takes skill, resolve, and determination to defeat any enemy.  Our opponent is formidable and should never be taken lightly by the church of the Lord Jesus.

Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the great hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” in 1865.  (Follow this link to listen to hymn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG78M7g9wRo  )  The hymn has served as something of a “call to arms” for Christians engaged in the battle for Christ in this world.  Debates raged in the 1980s among some denominations as to whether to even include this hymn in new editions of hymnals citing the violent language and militaristic tone. 

          When Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt met in August 1941 on the battleship HMS Prince of Wales to agree on the Atlantic Charter, a church service was held for which Churchill chose the hymns. He chose "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and afterwards made a radio broadcast explaining this choice.  He said “We sang ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’ indeed, and I felt that this was no vain presumption, but that we had the right to feel that we were serving a cause for the sake of which a trumpet has sounded from on high. When I looked upon that densely packed congregation of fighting men of the same language, of the same faith, of the same fundamental laws, of the same ideals . . . it swept across me that here was the only hope, but also the sure hope, of saving the world from measureless degradation.”  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onward,_Christian_Soldiers)  While this may have been highly appropriate for this occasion, the ultimate cause of freedom and of nations is not as great as the cause of Christ.  Churchill and Roosevelt were primarily concerned with earthly battles and earthly victories, but Christians have a much greater cause for which to fight.

          Warfare is never as glamorous as some romanticized depictions present.  Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:3 “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”  A soldier’s life is far from easy.  There are certainly plenty of hardships, but Paul admonished Timothy that he must endure.  Unfortunately, to look at the attitude and approach of many professing believers, one might easily get the impression the war had long since ended.  Charles Thomas “C. T.” Studd (1860-1931) the great British cricketer and missionary who served in the Belgian Congo captured somewhat of the urgency when he famously wrote “Some want to live within the sound of a church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”  Studd also wrote a ditty that gave, rather tongue and cheek, a depiction of how some so casually approached the great daily battles.  With words meant to be sung to the tune of the famous hymn “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,” he wrote “Get up, get up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the Cross, a lazy Sunday morning surely means harm and loss; the Church of God is calling; in duty be not slack; you cannot fight the good fight while lying on your back.”

          Many Christians today have lost sight of who the real enemy is and are not keenly aware of what he is actually doing.  The second stanza of “Onward Christian Soldiers” optimistically states “We are not divided; all one body we; one in hope and doctrine, one in charity.”  Sadly, we could only wish those words were true in our times.  We are deeply divided across denominations, within our own denomination, and even many times within our own local churches.  An army battling within its own ranks is music to the ears of the enemy.  While many argue over issues, preferences and other minutia that will not even exist in a few years, the enemy is advancing and the church is often in retreat.  Before we are going to be effective soldiers we must first realize there is a war raging and too many believers are not carrying out their assignments.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

“Longing for The Kingdom of Heaven”--July 6, 2017

The Bible ends with Jesus’ promise to return and John, the inspired author of the book of Revelation, saying “Amen” (It is true) “Even so come Lord Jesus!”  The exciting, compelling, overwhelming message that is, in its totality, “The Scripture” ends on the highest of notes. Believers are promised, by the Lord Himself that He will return; not just “sometime” but “quickly.”  His return should always be viewed as imminent.  We have John’s anxious, expectant response as “Yes!”  Indeed Lord “Come back quickly!”  John genuinely longed to see his Lord again.

          Fast-Forward to the year 2017.  The majority of people are busy seeking pleasure and satisfaction in the things of earth.  Their pursuits are, most often, self-honoring and God-denying.  Paul gave a blunt and ominous description of the last days as he wrote to Timothy.  He said “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” (2 Tim. 3:1-4)

          The pursuit of the things of earth is by no means limited to merely unbelievers.  It is profoundly true of those who claim to be followers of Christ.  Life is more comfortable now than it has ever been.  Subconsciously it almost seems as though many have moved beyond their “felt need” for Heaven.  In his book The Real Heaven, author Chip Ingram illustrates this idea as he poses the question “If you were given the choice of going to Heaven today or waiting ten years, how many of you would choose waiting the ten years?” (Chip Ingram; The Real Heaven; 62)

          The “earthly” mindset, which is so prevalent, takes many different forms.  But, make no mistake, it affects our marriages, how we parent, how we work, how we witness, how we interact with others, and how we worship.  Further, it affects what we do in our free time, how we talk and what we talk about.  Repeatedly we are told in the New Testament this world is not our home.  Paul wrote to the Philippian church that “Our citizenship is in Heaven . . . “ (3:20).  Why then do so many believers live in such a way so as to bear testimony to the on-looking world that even they as Christians do not really believe Heaven is actually better than this broken world?

          Many these days, are so contented with their lives here on earth they only see Heaven as some sort of back-up plan or “Plan B” since they know they cannot do what they really want – live forever here in this world.  This is largely a result and a sign of our wealth and comfort.  In days and centuries past this was not the case.  People lived hard, and often painful, lives.  The comfort and relief they longed for was not realistically attainable in this life and they knew it would only come in the next.  You see this reflected in the writings of saints of the past.  You see it reflected in the hymns once widely sung by the church.  It is particularly clear in some of the old negro spirituals where the oppressed longed for relief from the oppressor only in the coming of their Lord and they longed for His return with great anticipation.

          There are a lot of believers who have grown so contented with this world and their lives on earth that they have only a minor interest in Heaven or the Lord’s return.  One prominent voice of the “Prosperity Gospel” movement said, while seated on a piece of furniture resembling a throne, that “Even if Christianity were not true, it is a very good life.”  What an amazing statement!  What a minimalizing of the life to come! This person’s statement may be true for them, as one who is lavishly wealthy, but I wonder how First-Century Christians being martyred would have felt about this statement.  What about those enslaved in American prior to the Civil War?  What about those living through the Bubonic Plague or “Black Death” of 1340s and 1350s Europe which killed an estimated 25 million people?  Do you think they longed for more of this earth or rather for Heaven?  What about nearly all the generations of Christians in the past prior to the late 20^th and early 21^st Century where wealth is flowing; how might they have longed for Heaven much more than we do today?  Even the poorest among us have multiple luxuries that kings and queens of the past never knew.  We have trouble longing for Heaven because, to a large extent, we have erected a pseudo-heaven here on this earth, mainly in our minds that keeps us from longing for the real Heaven.

          The minimalizing of the longing for Heaven has more far-reaching implications than simply how we feel about Heaven.  It also drags down our view of “resurrection.”  Resurrection is really not that precious to one who longs to keep on living in what Paul called “This body of death” (Rom. 7:24).  In writing to the Corinthian church about the promise of resurrection he laments how sickening the notion that our only hope would be in this life.  He says “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” (1 Cor. 15:19)

          If we fail to long for the Lord’s return there are only a couple of reasons why.  Perhaps we do not really believe He is going to return.  This would certainly characterize unbelievers.  But there is a second reason that I believe is very common among believers; that is many believers have grown content with the luxury of this life.  They leave their comfortable churches in their comfortable cars and travel to comfortable homes and rest in comfortable chairs until time to go to their comfortable beds.  Quite frankly it is not as easy to long for the Lord’s return while lying in your lazy-boy in front of your big-screen television or lying on your 800 dollar mattress as it is out clearing a field with an ax, plowing all day with a mule, experiencing the death of your wife in childbirth, seeing a friend die from a simple infection, or knowing first-hand the horrors of war.

          The second coming of Christ is heavily tied to his first coming.  When a church partakes of the Lord’s Supper, for instance, there are three 3 things that are in view; the past, the present, and the future.  We “remember” the shed blood of Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross.  We consider in the present our lives as believers and “examine ourselves” in light of His work on our behalf.  Finally, we think about His coming again.  In partaking of the Supper, we are said to be “Proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.”  Much like baptism, the other ordinance of the church, we are making a statement to the world that we follow Christ and we are anxiously awaiting His return.  One of the strongest statements Christians can make in this highly flawed and decaying world is that this place is not our home.  We anxiously wait to be made perfect in Christ.  There is no salvation in the temporal things of the earth, only in the eternal work of Christ on the cross and through His glorious resurrection. 

          Many believers hinder their true witness when they get hung up on highly temporal and earthly things such as election results, battles with each other over music styles in churches, and trying to right all wrongs by even well-intentioned use of social media.

          Everything in this world will leave a Christian hungry and thirsty and wanting more.  If you find satisfaction in this world to the point you secretly wish the second coming be delayed, you have a very serious problem in your relationship with Christ.  The glories of Heaven are so much better and higher.  No true believer would secretly long to stay in a broken, sin-saturated, Godless world where Satan is running wild.  A true believer longs to escape the presence of sin and the brokenness it leaves in its wake and to be with Christ.  Paul gave the only potential defense one could possibly have for desiring to stay on earth just a little longer when he talked about it being needful for “you.”  In his heart and in his mind he wanted out of here and to be with the Lord, but he also knew that the Lord had more work for him to do for the kingdom.  Kingdom minded individuals long for the kingdom and earthly minded individuals also long for their kingdom on earth.  But that kingdom, whether they know it or not is the one Satan promised Jesus when he tempted Him by offering Him all authority over the kingdoms of this world (Luke 4:5-7).  Satan certainly did not have the kingdoms of this world to give away and he still does not. 

          In the first of the Beatitudes (Mat. 5:3) Jesus proclaimed that the “poor in spirit” were the ones “blessed” to see the kingdom of Heaven.  It is those who would come as a beggar longing for something from Jesus.  Augustus Toplady wrote “In my hand no price I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling.” (second stanza of “Rock of Ages”).  No beggar ever became content in this world or with begging as an enterprise.  A beggar longs for a place of comfort and security, imagined but never realized, in this life.  Just like the beggar Lazarus who died and went to the comfort of “Abraham’s bosom.”  He had begged outside the gate of a certain rich man who “faired sumptuously.”  The rich man died and was tormented in the flames of Hades (Luke 16:19-31).  I ask you, does the average American more resemble the beggar Lazarus or the rich man?  How about the average Christian?  Most Christians, I dare say, “fair sumptuously,” even well beyond anything even remotely conceived of in the wildest imagination of this rich man of which Jesus spoke.

          It may be hard for us to long for Jesus’ return in our cozy, plush, surroundings but eternal consequences are at stake.  If you are not more like the beggar Lazarus and less like the rich man, you desperately need to take a long hard look at your life.  Lazarus would have had no problem whatsoever shouting out “Amen!” when Jesus said “Surely I am coming quickly.”  But the rich man would have said, I want to go to Heaven someday, but I am just not quite ready yet.

 

In Christ

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor