Give Thanks Not Your Credit Card!

   Well as I sit down to write this I am a bundle of emotions.  You see for the first time in 28 years I am home back in Illinois for more than just the usual visit with "La Famiglia"!  Melissa and I are back here for awhile to stay until God moves us out on His next mission and great adventure.  It's not if that happens but when and those stories will be for your enjoyment on another day.  But in the meantime we are settled in to my parent's lake home on Fox Lake for the time being and care taking it for the winter.  I must tell you, even though they have both gone home to the Lord, I feel such an overwhelming presence of them here.  Their influence is everywhere in both the house and on the property and I am steeped in the memories of so many past seasons of family events and years of laughter, life lessons, a few tears and lots of grand babies.  My thankful quotient keeps rising along with my appreciation for their lives lived with such grace and blessing.  As we approach Thanksgiving tomorrow and all of you are rushing about cooking, shopping, packing or traveling, I urge you to slow down a bit and get way to give some thanks in private.  In private please!  That's right, not through the customary grace at the dinner table hurried through as to satiate the hungry masses drooling over the bounty of food and desserts.  That's fine but mostly ceremonial.  I mean alone, seeking Him before the day gives way to organized chaos, turkey and football games or should I dare say it, shopping! 
   If you are planning on going out tomorrow to shop and pander to the endless supply of soul sucking, money grabbing, greedy retailers that have now breached the sanctity of Thanksgiving too, then my friends you simply have your priorities screwed up.  Why would you leave the warmth of a family gathering and all it's joy and fellowship to venture out into the dog eat dog world of holiday retail madness.   That is an exercise in masochism of the highest order.  Let's run down the list shall we?  Fights in aisles, trampling over people to the point of death, running over people in parking lots, and shootings, yes shootings.  Not to mention, very aggravated petulant retail sales people forced to work on one of the last true holidays on the calendar not totally but almost degraded by the secular masses and their profit first, family second mentality.  I have three words for you all.  Don't do it!  If you are arranging your day around what deals you must absolutely have to buy for your loved one's because their lives are going to be so enriched by the material and temporal possessions of this world, instead of spending time in fellowship and food than I suggest you check yourself immediately and take stock of your life!
   I grew up when businesses were closed on Sundays and survived.  I grew up when you didn't have computers and the internet to shop, bank, work and conduct your entire life life on and survived.  I grew up without smartphones and the ever increasing annoying attention and self dependent crutches they have become.  I grew up when all my parent's talked about was the Christmas Season and all the the joy of family time and fellowship.  My mom and dad without the modern conveniences of 24 hour a day shopping and blockbuster deals, specials and Black Friday door busters, somehow managed to pull the entire season together and we never noticed any difference!  We ate, we laughed, we got together with loved one's and yes we even miraculously had presents to open on Christmas morning without the benefits, neigh strike that, the curse of this sanitary modern world!  So, if you think that substituting precious time with loved one's for a dose of UFC retail fight night is what you are desiring then I feel sorry for you.  I will look around the room, grab another slice of pumpkin pie, laugh and cry, complain about the Bears and look up and thank my precious Lord for the real gifts of the season.   Do it for yourselves but more importantly do it for your children and their children.  Time with God, with each other and in thanks and fellowship will better equip you and your families for life's challenges.  It will strengthen the tie that binds more than an Ipad will!  Be blessed and may God abundantly bless you this most sacred season!

2nd Corinthians 9:6
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Pastor or Politician, Is There A Difference?

   The other night on the news there were two prominent pastors on that were the guests on a segment about endorsing political platforms that support positions that conflict with christian doctrine and biblical values.  As I was listening to the commentary I was appalled to say the least and it spoke volumes to me about the state of affairs in many churches today in America.  The host was asking if the pastors had any hesitation or qualms about endorsing their candidate despite the fact he endorses Planned Parenthood's existence and funding and is openly pro choice.  Now, we all know that the abortion issue is the great unspoken tragedy in our society, like it or not, that happens in our country to the tune of almost 3,000 babies a day.  It's real, shocking and absolutely appalling to me as a christian man, father and human being.  Even more so these pastors are African American and in their own communities the abortion rate is as high as 6 out of 10 babies.  That means that their own population and existence is dwindling as a vital part to our country.  Needless to say the influence these men have over the congregations they are preaching to is powerful and dangerous in it's hypocrisy. 
   This is not an essay on race and the problems of individual ethnic and racial groups in our country.  Across the board racially and ethnically I am just stating a fact that is highly relevant to the issue.  However, this stark example brings me to the crux of my argument.  Many in the pastorate, many not all folks, have taken watered down positions socially that are in direct conflict with both church doctrine and biblical teaching.   The unmitigated dangerous rhetoric fostered through their weekly teachings and sermonizing is causing many a rift between the church and it's members.  When you have a belief system that is based on morality, ethics and a daily standard to live by, in this case the teachings and Lordship of Jesus Christ and The Holy Bible and you accept His gift of redemption and salvation wholeheartedly, then you believe or preach the opposite I am sorry but you are a hypocrite of the highest order.   You have no credibility and you have compromised your position as church leader and need to step down.   How many people today sit in church and are being taught false doctrine and manipulated scriptural references that modify their faith.  Too many! 
  Jesus reserved some of His harshest criticism for the religious leaders of His day and spoke of the importance of having a pure heart and mind in order to be a church leader.  Too often today there is little or no preaching about conviction of sin and the order of approaching the cross for forgiveness.   Pastors speak half truths and tell us all that we are all good and salvation is in order for us all regardless of our current depraved state.  We are leaving out the vital part of the salvation process and that is the changing of heart, mind and body for His royal service.   Church attendance is down and in many cases the belief systems and moral codes that defined our society have been under attack and changed by very progressive and secular forces for decades now.  The largest population sector in our country that has no religious affiliation whatsoever is the 30 and under group.  That fact alone is chilling, as this significant voting block and citizenry has the ample power to affect elections for the next generation or so.  What do you think that does for the Christian principles and values for America?
  The last book of the bible, Revelation deals with seven letters.  Those letters are not addressed to kings, presidents, governors or leaders of countries, but rather churches.   They are scathing in their critiques and cut to the heart of where we were then and where we are today.   Some of the harshest judgement will be unfortunately be reserved for the shepherds that have led the flocks astray.  I suggest you read The Word and see for yourself.  We need to be careful in what we say, how we believe and what we endorse and why.  Our own personal motivation is always in conflict with our faith walk and service to the Lord.   I've said it before and I'll say it again if we want to effect change then it begins with each of us.  Our leaders for the most part both in secular society and now the church have bought into the world system and that my friends is terminal and without cure.  There is no hope without the One who created hope to begin with.

Matthew 7: 21-23

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’