Truths About “Christmas” That Every Christian Can Accept

At this time of year we hear many words used to describe December 25 but one word seems to come out of the mouths of most Christians to describe the day - commercialism.   Now mind you that can be true if your standard of Christmas is what the unsaved world is doing leading up to December 25, then, YES, it is a clearly a financial bonanza for most stores and commercial to them.  But is that all there is to Christmas?  Let me share a few things that EVERY Christian should be able to accept about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

1. The exact date is really not an issue.  There is much debate about the exact date when Jesus was born.  Since the Word of God does not give us an exact time, there are some who say that they point to some markers in the Scriptures such as Zacharias’ service in the Temple, Luke 1:5.  These folks then work their numerical determination from that, based upon Old Testament passages and come up with dates that vary from early March to late May.(1)  While some use the same information and say it was exactly June 17. (2)  Still others say it was sometime in October. (3)  While a few even set the date between September 16 to 29th.(4)  And then there are groups, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, that say they don’t know the date, but that the selection of pagan holiday December 25 was selected by Catholic popes to “Christianize” it.  But to be honest, the date is not important or God would have given it to us in His Word.  So let’s not get stuck on any date as a marker of unchangeable truth, because it is not.
2. If celebrating Jesus’ birth is wrong then we shouldn't celebrate our own birthdays.  To be fair, it is true that some people just don’t like celebrating birthdays of any kind.  That is usually because of a fear of getting older and not some biblical belief, I might add.  But I have never found any Christian that said it is wrong to honor people of their birthdays.  Even the most ardent anti-Christmas Christian will call their mother and father to say “Happy Birthday” and send cards or gifts to friends to let them know they are thinking of them.  This is a simple way to show that birthday person that we remember their special days and want to show them that we love them.  I do not think anyone is upset by the actual celebrating of Jesus’ birth, but the supposed pagan date, potential pagan symbolism, and the general “commercialization” of the event.  So, let’s agree to celebrate Jesus’ birth and honor Him - by giving Him ourselves and singing praises to Him not Santa Claus or snowmen.  If we chose to go beyond that, it must be a personal decision, but, let’s start with the proper celebration for/of Jesus’ birth. 
3. If there was no birth, there would be no risen Lord.  Jesus’ birth was for one purpose - the payment for the sins of mankind.  He came to earth to live, die, and rise again for our redemption.  However, we all must accept that if Jesus was not born then He could not die and rise again.  It is point of simple logic as well as biblical truth.  Notice, however, the emphasis God placed upon Jesus’ arrival.  First, He made sure all the world knew that His Son had been born by sending a star to mark the path to Bethlehem.  Then He allowed that star to remain in place for potentially two years as the wise men travelled to worship Jesus, Matthew 2.  Next, God places in Paul’s mind and heart the truth about the importance of Jesus’ coming to earth through the woman (birth) in Galatians 4:1-7.  And finally, and this I find simply amazing, how often God uses the word “born” to describe a person’s walk with Him.  Do a search and see for yourself how the term “born” describes so much of the Christian experience - John 3:1-16, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, 5:1-18, and so on.   To God the birth is crucial to the life, both physically and spiritually.  Yet, Jesus’ birth is just as important as His death and Resurrection, as they cannot be separated because of personal disdain for a certain day or mis-use of that day.
4. Every day is to be equally celebrated by Christians by worshipping their Lord.  There has always been conflicts between Christians over personal views of certain events and activities.  Today, groups separate from other groups over dress, music, and whether there is a television in the house or not.  I have even known some people to leave churches because there was an American flag at the front of the church.   With these types of conflicts among Christians today, is it any wonder that Paul wrote in Romans 14 about the conflicts over things such as meat offered to idols and whether any particular day was pagan or not? (And yes, that is the context of Romans 14:5-8, pagan/religious holidays being used by some yet being rejected by others!)  The focal point is a phrase in verse 5, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”  If you are convinced that December 25 should be just like every other day of the year then all is well for you, but so is the conscience of those see December 25th as a special day to celebrate Jesus’ birth!  The real point MUST be that we always remember that Jesus is Lord and make EVERY day a worship event.

There is little doubt that Christmas has become a major commercial windfall for businesses.  But it can also be a tremendous opportunity for Christians to openly talk about the first half of Christmas - CHRIST.  The choice is up to the individual on how that takes place.

1. http://www.livingwordlutheran.net/index_htm_files/Why%20do%20we%20celebrate%20Christmas%20in%20winter%20when%20Jesus%20was%20born%20in%20the%20spring.pdf
2. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1093053/Cancel-Christmas--Jesus-born-June-17-say-scientists.html
3. http://www.times.co.sz/news/94445-jesus-was-born-in-october’.html 
4. https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/ARTB/k/568/When-Was-Jesus-Born.htm

What is NOT Pagan About Christmas

1 Corinthians 10:29-30 “Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?”

There are a lot of Christians running around social media today trying to shame people into not celebrating Christmas this year because they feel it is a pagan holiday.  I cannot judge their true intentions, nor should I, because, God gave a clear admonition about judging and condemning the actions of others, Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.”  So allow me to explain why I celebrate Christmas this, and every year, by showing what IS GOOD to celebrate on December 25th.

1. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ.  The word Incarnation is not often used around Christmas time, but it is the truth we should be celebrating.  You see, Jesus did not come into existence when He was born, but He was “incarnated” on that day, whatever day of the year it actually was.  Incarnate means to take on human flesh, which is what Jesus did for us, Philippians 2:5-8.  When we look at the baby in the manger we see the face of God Himself come in human flesh, 1 Timothy 3:16.  The Son of God became Jesus but He has always been, John 1:1-14.  So, for me and my family, December 25th is first and foremost about celebrating the Incarnation of our Savior Jesus Christ.
2. Proving the authority of God’s Word.  God does not need to prove Himself to anyone, especially me.  But one way which He has chosen to prove His power is through the fulfillment of prophecy.(1)  According to some, there are at least 353 prophecies fulfilled in Jesus’ life, with some 60 or more unique prophecies fulfilled at the birth of Jesus Christ.(2)  I cannot speak for anyone else, but when I see that God foretold of Jesus being born in Bethlehem with angels announcing His birth, my confidence in the Word of God is strengthened, Matthew 1:22.  God’s Word is more valid that tomorrow’s newspaper and my household starts EVERY Christmas morning by reading the Word of God and rejoicing in the promise that since He came once - He is coming again, because He promised He would!   
3. The Promise of blessed giving.  Now mind you I love to receive gifts.  (Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably lying.)  But there is something special about the giving and exchanging of gifts at any time of year.  Let’s focus on that word GIVING….because that is what Christmas is about, isn’t it?  We’ve heard the adage, “Its better to give than receive,”  but that is actually a misquoting of God’s Word as in Acts 20:35, Paul in giving his farewell address reminds us of Jesus’ words, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  I am not sure about you, but I want to be blessed by God and giving is part of that blessing.  So please don’t try to stop me from giving to my wife, my children, and my friends, even on December 25.  I want to be blessed and so we use “Christmas” as a day to seek that blessing from God.  In our house, the very first “gift” my family gives on Christmas morning is when we bow our heads and surrender ourselves to the Lord before any gifts are given or received between each other.  We actually “re-give” ourselves each Christmas to the Lord via prayer…please don’t say that’s pagan just because someone centuries ago worshipped a false god on the same day.
4. First Earthly Announcement of Salvation Had Come.  When man sinned in the Garden of Eden, God gave a precious promise of redemption in Genesis 3:15…”he shall bruise thy head.”  Then on that night many years later the angel of the Lord says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).  THIS DAY!!!!  What a day that was for all the earth and for all humanity! It was the day that God became our salvation on earth.  It was not a pagan day or a commercial holiday, but the day where my salvation had come to me!  If you choose to see December 25th as something else, that is your right, but for me and my house it is the day where God’s salvation had finally arrived and we want to celebrate that!

Let me add in conclusion that we COULD celebrate each of these things other days of year, and WE DO.  But we as a family, and our church as a whole, have chosen to make December 25 the day where we focus on these four great truths that are NOT pagan.  Please give us the Christian liberty to do such without condemnation or scorn.

(As a personal note, before anyone quotes Jeremiah 10:2-4, let me remind you that the verse was about Israel's worship of idols not a Christmas tree, and, if you want to live by that single verse then let's discuss a few other such as Romans 14:5 which is directed to the New Testament believer.)

1. https://answersingenesis.org/jesus-christ/birth/fulfilled-prophecies-at-the-birth-of-christ/
2. http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html

Why Some Christians Still Celebrate Christmas

Do you use the months on the calendar or the days of the week but oppose celebrating Christmas?

For those struggling to understand why some Christians still celebrate "pagan" holidays, allow me to instruct a little:

January - named after Janus, Roman god of gates
February - named after Roman pagan festival, presumed sexual in nature
March - named after Mars, Romans god of war
April - named after Aphrodite, Greek goddess of sexuality
May - named after Maia, Italian goddess of spring
June - named after Juno, goddess of pagan Roman Pantheon temple
July - named after Julius Caesar, who believed he was a god
August - named after Augustus Caesar who also believed he was a god
September to December - each are a transliteration of the Latin number which each month represents.

To add to this, the days of the week are named after heavenly bodies worshipped by pagan cultures, IE Monday = moon, Tuesday = Mars, and so on. These names were given to honor their "gods." Overtime, the names have lost their meanings to most people, yet their history is nothing short of idolatry. So every time a person utters Monday or April, a pagan god is being "praised." 

Yet most Christians say nothing about the usage of these "days."

We live by a principle called the "present dominate association" everyday of our lives, whether we know it or not. It is the principle that establishes what something means today may not have been what it meant in the past. Thus holidays like Christmas may have been pagan, but, that does not necessarily translate into a pagan holiday today - unless you make it such. 

Do you worship Janus because you said Monday? Of course not...then how can anyone say EVERY Christian is celebrating a pagan holiday when they celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25?

Romans 4:5-8 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."

The Benefits of Being a Bi-Vocational Pastor

Sometimes when I write a post, it sounds good in my head and looks good to me in paper, but it can be interpreted differently by others when they read it.  Case in point was my last post about “day off Monday” as it was NOT mean to be a criticism or an “I know better” piece, but a simple challenge from a pastor who has seen a drastic shift in perspective of what constitutes a ministry heart nowadays.  I regret the misunderstandings, but not the truth behind it.  It was meant as a challenge to SOME and not a criticism to any.

In contrast, today I write about something that is near to my heart, bi-vocational pastors, and why there is a benefit to being one, and, I pray it comes across as encouraging to ALL not just some.  It is NOT a criticism of “full time” pastors, but a perspective from being now full-time after almost ten years of being bi-vocational.

As pastors our goal should be to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 16:15) and then seek to train them so they can train others (2 Timothy 2:2).  As far as the building of a church, that is actually the Lord’s doing and not ours (Matthew 16:18).  With all that being said, it is easy to look at the level of involvement in ministry as a measure of success, IE a full time pastor is often seen as more successful than a bi-vocational pastor, because he has “greater” church.  But is that really true?

Yes, numbers can be a measure of God’s blessing (Acts 2:41) but numbers are not the only measure of success in God’s sight as Jesus went from 12 disciples (Matthew 10:1) to seventy sent out (Luke 10:1) to multitudes (Luke 14:25) back down to twelve (Luke 22:11) down to one disciple at the cross (John 19:26).  Also, numbers are not the only measure of God’s blessing as we can practically see in our world today but the sheer volume of people being added to false teaching groups which is clearly not God’s success.  So if a group has large numbers it does not necessarily mean God is blessing and conversely it doesn’t mean God isn’t blessing if the church is small.  

According to Scripture the true measure of success in His servants is faithfulness. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. -- Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”  So if you are pastoring a small church, take heart as God is looking at your faithfulness not your attendance count.  If you are faithful, Christ will draw men to Himself (John 12:32).  Thus having to be bi-vocational in ministry is not a sign of failure per say. In actuality there are benefits to being a bi-vocational pastor:

1. You don’t have to fear being fired from your paycheck for speaking sound truth from the pulpit.  When you are a full time pastor, the flesh will tell you to be careful with what you preach.  Since churches vote men in, they can vote them out too and the flesh knows this.  I know that in 30 years of preaching I have said things from the pulpit that people did not like and even some left after a single message that contained something they did not agree with.  But if a full time pastor preaches a message that enrages the entire church, he knows his paycheck goes with it.  But if you are bi-vocational, there is a different kind of liberty that protects your daily care of your family.  Now mind you, this concept of bi-vocational paycheck freedom is neither a license to preach angry or fleshly, nor is it an excuse for full time pastors to hold back truth, but a simple thought of practical freedom.
2. You connect with people at your secular work you would probably not connect with via church outreach.  This is one of the greatest benefits of being bi-vocational.  It allows a pastor to been seen by unsaved people as real and reachable.  Full time can connect with the community but often it takes more effort, as full time pastors are not daily in the work place like a bi-vocational pastor is.  Again, this is not saying one is better than the other, just a unique benefit.  Jesus went into the crowd, Paul worked as a tentmaker, yet both reached people with the Gospel. It is interesting to note that according to some statistics, it takes over four years for a man to raise enough full-time mission’s support to plant a church here in USA.  But, there is no statistical proof that a fully supported church planter builds an autonomous church any faster than a bi-vocational pastor. I was amazed when I saw this, as I assumed full time church planting pastors, including those on mission’s support, would get churches on their feet faster, but it is not necessarily the case.  Actually, according to some main-line denomination studies, bi-vocational pastors, percentage-wise, actually get a church up and running faster.  Why?  Because, according to the studies, bi-vocational pastors “connect” with the community quicker.  But not all men are thinking full time - I was so blessed this past month when I asked a ministerial class at a major IFB college this question, “How many of you are planning on being bi-vocational in ministry?”  Over half the class raised their hand!
3. Your church people know you are willing to do whatever it takes to be their pastor.  This may not mean much to some churches, but in rural areas this is HUGE!  Rural people are often in a unique survival mode as they generally live paycheck to paycheck.  This is not to say urban people don’t struggle, but rural folks usually have less opportunities for employment and thus they get what they can.  So, when man comes to a church, or plants a church, with a heart to stay no matter whether he has to work an outside job or not, it makes an impact.  People know he wants to be there for them even if they cannot pay him.  Yes, the laborer is worth of the hire (Luke 10:7) but the people/church are worthy of the pastor’s outside labor too.
4. It allows for smaller churches and communities to have “full time” pastors. Many communities across the US are small and used to have a circuit riding pastor who would minister to them once or twice a month.  But now with the big church mentality of many in Christianity, these churches are shuttered and have no pastors as the people either have to make do on their own or they must drive long distances to attend a doctrinally sound church.  If a pastor is bi-vocational, smaller communities can call them and these men can minister within the community without the people commuting to church. 

If God has called you to be bi-vocational then please receive my thanks for obeying that call.  God will bless your faithfulness.  If you have a bi-vocational pastor, can I remind you to show your appreciation regularly to he and his family as that means they love you in a very special way.  

Praise God for both full-time and bi-vocational servants!

When Did Monday Become the Official Pastor’s Day Off?

This article was written with a heart of trying to challenge pastors to not see "day off Monday" as a right but a privilege...IT IS AN OPINION PIECE and not a doctrinal stance.  However, some have seen it as something more sinister and even unbiblical since I did not use a series of Bible verses, but I have now corrected that "error."  Also it was written to SOME pastors as I clearly stated SOME pastors numerous times in the article (I have highlighted them with all caps to clarify that).  If you are easily offended by pastors being called out for something based upon an opinion then I suggest you do not read this article. Also I am NOT better than any other pastor but after 30 years, I just know that I have seen too many churches destroyed by hirelings who see their church as a cash cow and not a ministry to serve!

Being brought up in a bi-vocational pastor’s home, “family time” was not common.  We would grab a day here and there to go fishing, my father and I, or our entire family would go out to eat once in while as a special treat.  But to have an entire day every week to do what we wanted never really happened.  You see, my father was a bi-vocational pastor almost his entire ministry, and surely he was my entire life as I recall.  Either he was teaching in a public school, he and my mother were cleaning apartment buildings, or our entire family was painting commercially to make ends meet, all the while he planted and pastored churches in the Midwest.  To be honest, I really do not remember my father ever taking a certain day off.  So when I got into the ministry after college and heard preacher after preacher talking about taking a “day off,” usually Monday, I was a little confused as to how that worked.  I had never seen it.

But now after nearly thirty years of serving as a youth pastor (9 years) and now senior pastor (21 years) I guess I get the gist of this day off thing as pastors see the need for down time, but I still have questions:

1. When did SOME pastors start seeking every Monday as their day off?  It’s almost as if Sunday is such a draining day that they have to have a day to recover.  I guess I am a little strange, but I thought ministering was a blessing not a burden, so shouldn’t Sunday be the pastor’s best refreshing day of the week?  Yes, it is physically demanding for me to preach four times every Sunday, as well as be available to listen to people’s concerns, but that is what the ministry is all about.  That should not a burden, its why pastors do what they do. Isn’t it?  How can fulfilling the actual call of the ministry be such a burden that I need the next day off every week? (1 Timothy 3:2 "given to hospitality" and Mark 6:31-34 - where Jesus tried to get away but the people followed Him and did not turn them away.)
2. Why should I completely disconnect from my church family one day a week?  I mean SOME pastors actually ask their church family to leave them alone on Mondays so they can recover from Sunday.  Yet these same pastors ask the same church members to often serve just as much on Sunday as they do, and even ask them to take their other day off, usually Saturday, to go soul winning and work around the church building, even though they have worked all week in their “real” job. No wonder some people see SOME preachers has having an easy job. (Matthew 14:23-24 shows that Jesus got alone and then when His disciples were in trouble, He immediately went to them by walking on the water.)
3. Why Monday?  I mean think about it.  When a pastor takes every Monday off he is saying, indirectly, that he gave everything he had the day before and he has nothing left.  Isn’t that kind of shallow Christianity?  Should we not daily be able to lean on the Lord and not be so emptied that we cannot continue to minister to people?  Think of Christ - on the cross he was suffering yet he ministered to his mother and John. (Galatians 6:9 and 2 Thessalonians 3:13 came to mind here.)
4. Do our families not see that everyday is ministry day?  So many pastors take Mondays off to “care for their families” and that I understand….to a degree.  But SOME pastors have sacrificed their families for the sake of the ministry and that is unbiblical as our family IS our first ministry.  But shouldn’t our families see our heart for people, no matter what day of the week? 

Please understand that I am not saying pastors don’t need time away for themselves, their marriages, and their families.  But I am questioning the motives behind the every Monday off mindset of SOME.

Is it possible that we pastors carry too much on ourselves instead of taking it to God and so Mondays off are necessary to recover?  Is it possible that we think we MUST have all the answers to every burden and problem people have and so we stress ourselves out every week beyond reason?  Is it possible that we need to spend more time before Sunday learning to fill ourselves daily with the Lord, so that when Sunday comes we simply do not EMPTY ourselves so deeply that every Monday off is necessary?

Why Monday, pastors?  Why?

When A True Friend Dies

There is never an easy way to say goodbye to a true friend, especially when that goodbye is seemingly permanent.  Before as friends, we had many goodbye moments as we parted from each other’s company because we had our lives to live and our own family to go home to.  But then time would pass and we would reconnect and the true friendship went on just as before.  But not this time.  This time, we are saying a different kind of goodbye - a final goodbye. This time it’s final and it is not just sad…it hurts.

It hurts because you could always count on them to be there when you needed them, but now you need them because they are gone and there is no comfort from them right now.  It’s a vicious cycle that just doesn’t seem to end.  You hurt, you need your friend, they died and can’t comfort you, and that hurts, and so on it goes. 

So what do you do right now?  Why not remember them for what they were - a true friend?

But what made them a true friend?  True friends let you be yourself, but also they try to make you better when you were together with them.  True friends let you walk your own life in Christ, but they also strongly push you to become more like Him.  True friends just listen because it’s what you want and then correct you because it’s what you need.  True friends will be an example for you to follow, and then follow when you lead in a godly path.  True friends will always be there to encourage and lift you up…and that’s why this moment hurts so much, because a good friend has just died and none of what made them a true friend will happen anymore. 

“They will be missed.”  You hear that phrase over and over again during this process of loss.  To be honest, sometimes you wish people would find something different to say because you already ARE missing them and being reminded that they are gone only seems to hurt more.  But the fact that they will be so greatly missed is because they were such a crucial part of your life that not having them means life is now somewhat incomplete.  You hurt much because you love much.  Yes, they will be missed, because right now, they already ARE missed.  They were a true friend.

But since you were true friends, you will see each other again, because this kind of true friend shares the same spiritual foundation in Christ.  They knew Him as you know Him, and, actually, to their credit, they got to see Him first.  They are in His presence and nothing you do can change that.  Besides, why should you want to them back, because friends always want what’s best for their true friends and being in Christ’s presence IS the best for them.  Plus your true friend there desires that you go forward here with your life serving God faithfully until He calls you to meet together again in Heaven.

So you must let them go.  Your friend is not here but they are not truly gone either.  Because they knew Christ as their Savior, they have become a truer friend than they ever were here on earth.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57 "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? -- The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Goodbye true friend, until we meet again. 

Is It Time For A Spiritual Selfie?

This morning as I took my daughter to work we drove past a teen girl waiting for the bus to arrive to take her to school.  She stood in a dramatic pose, with her phone in her hand and was clearly striking this pose for what surely was to be her newest social media addition.  This, as most already know, is a "selfie."  Now, it should be noted that though some want to think selfies are new, actually the first recorded “selfie” was taken by a photographer in 1839 and the first recorded mirror selfie was taken by a woman in 1900.  Thus the “selfie” is really not new, just more readily available to anyone with a smart phone and social media.

The dictionary defines a selfies as; “a photograph taken with a smartphone or other digital camera by a person who is also in the photograph, especially for posting on a social media website.”  Thus a it is a picture that shows ourself to ourself, and possibly others.

But as I thought about this morning’s event and the entire life os self-photos, it struck me that the selfie can also be used in a spiritual context as well.  You see “selfies” show our current condition and really should we not do the same with our spiritual life?

King David asked for God to examine him in Psalm 26:2.  His desire was to be proven through trials so that he could know whether he really loved the Lord in a way that the Lord deserves to be loved and worshipped. 

Then in 2 Corinthians 13:5 we find another example of a “selfie.”  Here the people of the church at Corinth had asked Paul for some sort of proof of his authority to correct them (1 Corinthians 13:3).  So Paul asks them to “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves.”   He explains to them that if they are saved then they are no longer “reprobates” as Christ changes the lives of His own.  So is this really a spiritual selfie? Not in the strictest sense, as Christ is the only One that is doing the final work and the “selfie” here is to prove the point that if the people want proof from Paul, they should be willing to give proof to him.  Thus not a real “selfie” examination.

But then we come to 1 Corinthians 11 and there we find a true spiritual selfie!  Here Paul is restating the principles that the Lord gave regarding the Lord’s Table or Communion.  So that when he comes to verses 28, he states, “But let a man examine himself….”  This “selfie” is for one purpose, to allow us to examine our hearts before we eat of the Lord’s Table unworthily (vs. 29).  This is clearly the spiritual selfie that helps us to get a genuine look at ourselves.  

What is the purpose of a selfie?  First, a selfie allows us to see ourselves at a given moment or situation.  As an example, you can take your smartphone, take a selfie, and then use it as a mirror, of sorts, to see how you look.  This gives you the opportunity to fix any glaring flaws, such as hair our of place or that terrible spot of food stuck to your front teeth for all to see.  You can take a selfie of yourself in some situation so you can remember what you did there or remember some specific details of that location.  I will constantly take a picture of things I want to remember such as numbers and addresses.  So it is with the spiritual selfie as we can examine ourselves for our own benefit and growth potential and remember where we were at a specific point in our life.

Second, a selfie allows our “image” to be placed before people so they can share in our lives.  I am connived that the teen girl this morning probably had her “selfie” on the web somewhere before she ever got to school.  Maybe she even entitled it with some funny name to garner attention form others.  In a sense selfies are a snapshot of our current life and spiritual selfies are actually for the same reason - to be an example and a reminder.  Jesus told His disciples that He was their example (John 13:15), Paul told Timothy to be an example to others (1 Timothy 4:12), and God allowed the Old Testament prophets to be an example to us (James 5:10).  Being an example is not a bad thing, if you have effectively placed a good “selfie” in front of others.

Here are a few benefits of taking an examining spiritual selfie:

1. It’s important to regularly search our lives for any hidden or unconfessed sin.  That is really the heart of 1 Corinthians 11:28.
2. If we examine ourselves thoroughly first, then we can know that our lives are right with God, thus making other’s judgment of us un-necessary. (1 Corinthians 11:31)
3. If we allow for regular spiritual selfies, then we will not have to stand ashamed either in front of the world or in front of God on Judgment Day. (1 Corinthians 11:32)

So how does a person take a spiritual “selfie” then?

1. Begin by asking God to search and try you (Psalm 139:23).  Don't leave any part of your life off limits to Him.  Open every door of your life and let Him show you who you really are inside.  It is only God that can truly show us our sin and it is He who must ultimately help us  fix the errors we see in these selfies.
2. Be honest with yourself about your spiritual condition.  As an example, if you do not LOVE reading God’s Word, then admit that and ask God to help you love His Word.  Or if you struggle to pray because you feel you never get your prayers answered, then be honest enough to to admit that failure and seek to adjust your view of prayer away from asking God for things to allowing God to strengthen you for the life you have (James 4:3).
3. Don't ignore what you see in yourself.  There are NO small sins when it comes to getting right with God.  Too often we see our spiritual imperfections and do nothing about them. (James 1:22-25)  If you are not faithful to church, then that requires attention.  If you harbor bitterness then you MUST deal with it.  If you are prideful, then confess it as sin and ask for deliverance.
4. Take time and don't rush.  We are told that waiting on the Lord is a good thing. (Isaiah 40:31)  If you only spend a few moments each day with the Lord, then you probably will look rough in your spiritual selfie.  But if you spend time alone with God, then are going to be more likely to mature and grow in Christ. 

A selfie can be seen as a narcissistic image or it can used as a self examination example of true personal condition.  The definition of which type of selfie is not up to the people who view the selfie, but in the one taking it and sharing it.  So why are you taking selfies and what are your going to do with them?

6 Reasons to Believe in Pre-Tribulation Rapture

1. Israel is the focus of God's Tribulation work, not the local church. As a matter of fact, the local church is never mentioned in Tribulation. This means the believers in local churches are gone. Matthew 24:21, Jeremiah 30:7; Deuteronomy 30:1-3; Isaiah 61:2 and 3; Zechariah 12:10; Isaiah 54:7-17 and Jeremiah 30:11

2. The Rapture and Second Coming are NOT the same event, which would have to be the case for a post Tribulation Rapture. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 & Ezekiel 37:11-14.

3. The "earthly signs" given for the Lord's Return precede the Second Coming NOT the Rapture. Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 21:25-28; Acts 2:19-21; Revelation 6-19. However, there are NO SIGNS which precede the Rapture.....NONE! If the Rapture occurs either mid-Trib or Post Trib there would be signs preceding it.

4. If the coming of Christ for his Church is placed on a timetable of events, it loses its imminence. He then cannot come until certain things happen, especially the Great Tribulation. This would contradict 1 Thessalonians 4:12.

5. The churches of Revelation are all Jewish in nature and characteristics. Even including those claiming to be Jews and are not. This would indicate that Gentile Christians are not included AT ALL in the focus of the Tribulation. Whereas today most Christians are Gentiles, not Jews. This would have to show Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

6. The latter part of Revelation includes a period known as “the wrath,” i.e., the wrath of God. Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 specifically say that Christians are delivered from the “coming wrath.”

A Difference Between a Layman and a Leader

Over the past few years here at Valley we have had a few young men come through our doors who are transitioning from being laymen to full time ministry workers.  It is a transition that has been both challenging and encouraging as we see that there are still those who desire to serve the Lord out there but also that there are things seemingly being missed.  One thing that I have noticed that I am concerned about and want to address it in this posting and that concern is an often unseen and seemingly unaddressed difference between being a faithful layman in a church and being a true leader in a church.

Let me start by saying that there are certain things EVERY Christian should be involved in no matter what level of Christian service a person is called into.  For instance, reading your Bible everyday (Acts 17:11), being in church every service (Hebrews 10:25), and sharing the Gospel wherever possible (Mark 16:15) are examples of what every believer is commissioned to do.  But clearly not every Christian is called into every type of service as even the ministry positions within the church vary, such as teacher, evangelist, and preacher/pastor.  Also there are a diversity of spiritual gifts in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, thus there are different “positions” of ministry within the local assembly.

But there is a certain disconnect among those going into ministry nowadays that I feel needs to be addressed as it seems to be very common and truly crucial for men in ministry to see and understand.  That disconnect has to do with the differences between a layman’s responsibility and a leader’s responsibility according to the Scriptures. 

First let me use the practical example for a laymen to grasp.  What ministry opportunities does a layman miss that a pastor cannot?  If a few church members miss Saturday morning soul winning because of some family issue such as a baseball game, fishing, or gardening, few really think much of it.  Every person needs a day off (Mark 6:31) and that is just fine for a layman. Yet if the pastor were to miss soul winning because of a baseball game, fishing, or gardening, the church rightfully complain because they would have expected more from their leader.  This is an example of the principle difference I am speaking of.  The layman serves while the leader leads.  Other examples could include that it is understood that a pastor should be the first to give for a special offering.  A pastor and his family MUST be at every church service.  A pastor’s children should never work during a church service, and so on.  Yet a layman often has the things get in the way, right or wrong, and these decision are often written off as normal parts of life.

Now remember the context in the discussion - young people transitioning from laymen to leaders.  Quite often a layman misses some events within a church that a leader could/should never miss.  But this is the nature of leadership.   It is rightfully understood that a leader should lead, yet, we often fail to teach this to those who are transitioning from being a laymen into a leader.  

As an example of this principle, Jesus was the only one to stay awake through an all night prayer service when his disciples kept falling asleep (Matthew 26:36-46).  Now mind you Jesus did not strongly preach at these men as he knew they were not in the leadership position yet, and, he knew that they were struggling to battle their flesh (vs. 41).  We assume a pastor who calls for an all night prayer meeting will stay awake for it, while the laymen may not because they have been working all day.

Another example we find is in Acts where Paul was being LONG winded and had preached all night and so a young man named Eutychus fell asleep and had to be brought back from the dead after falling out of the window (Acts 20:7-12).  Bring that into modern day - imagine a pastor falling asleep in the middle of a revival meeting while the visiting evangelist is preaching his message!  It would not be overlooked very long by the church, would it?  But now think how often church members fall asleep in church during that same pastor’s messages.  They fall asleep because they are weary from a week of labor…and no one thinks anything about it.  It is the nature of being a layman and being a leader…SIMPLY PUT, WE EXPECT MORE FROM OUR LEADERS!

Now, please let me be clear, I am not complaint about the people at Valley but simply showing that we MUST teach that there is a level of responsibility that needs to be learned by those moving from layman to leader.  How can we expect leaders to know what it means to lead if we do not teach them?  Paul taught Timothy that he was to be an example because he was a leader (1 Timothy 4:12). 

On a side note let me interject here that too often preachers tell their people that they should be at every church activity and they often schedule these activities on Saturday or Sunday or another day in the evening so that the layman can participated on their day off.  Yet too often a pastor takes an entire day off, usually a Monday, by telling his church that this is his family day and to call only if there is an emergency.  This can easily be seen as hypocritical and so, pastors, be careful when you take a day off from ministry and then expect EVERY church member to take one of their days off to serve in ministry. 

But back to the lesson at hand. 

Secondly, let me explain something leaders need to remember too when comes to our different responsibilities.  As leaders must not allow our ministry obligations to supersede our Christian duties.   In the New Testament all believers are exhorted to edify one another.  1 Thessalonians 5:11 states to all Christians, “Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.”  Yet how often do we as leaders see the ministry we are in as our only method of edification?  We assume that layman do the daily edification while we, the pastors, do the Sunday edification from the pulpit.  

As an example, a youth leader labors with teaching and edifying his youth group and having edifying youth activities.  His world becomes that of the teenagers of the church…while the other “groups” within the church are not his concern.  His edification focus solely becomes his ministry of edification only for the teens to the exclusion of all others.  But is that ALL that a youth leader should be doing?  Should not the youth leader be looking to edify EVERYONE he can, regardless of their participation in his group or not?  Of course!  

How about preacher who says, “Come to church for every service and you will get all the counseling you will ever need.”  Is this biblical?  No!  Read John 3 and you will find that Jesus took time for the one on one as well as the public ministry of edification.   The pulpit ministry is crucial (1 Corinthians 1:18-21), but preaching CANNOT be our method of edification!  We must have one on one time daily to fulfill the commission given to both layman and leader.

So in other words, a leader can fall prey to this failure as they see their “ministry” as their Christian service alone.  These same leaders can expect the laymen to edification daily while the leader struggles to get past their “ministry” edification.

My challenge today is this - look up the verses written to EVERY Christian and ask yourself how to apply them to your life right now.  Let us not think that layman and leaders MUST do everything the same as that is clearly not biblical.  But neither should we ever excuse our lack of service in some commanded area because we are not leaders or because we are not laymen and that the area of service has been assumed to be just for the group we are not a part of at the moment.

What Does a REAL Christian Look Like?

A major problem today with "Christianity" is that the term "Christian" has become a catch all for anyone who claims to be a "Christian."  Every type of group imaginable claims to be Christian even though their beliefs are completely different from the next group which claims to be "Christian."  As an example, you have groups today that say they accept the deity of Christ and others who reject the deity of Christ yet both say they are “Christians.”  Another example is the “Christians” who say good works must be a part of salvation while other Christians claim grace alone saves.

It is no wonder why the unsaved world around us is so confused and even rejecting at times of the Christian faith as they are not convinced WE even know what it means to be “Christian.”

This is not a new problem as even in the New Testament there were those who claimed to follow Christ but where not true "Christians."   Jesus tells of this struggle in John 10:25-27, “Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

But the confusion did not end there as the early churches had the same issue such as Paul points out in Romans 16:17-18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ…”

Even later in early Christianity John writes that there were those who were among the believers for a time but then they left because they were not really part of them.  1 John 2:19 "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

So what does a REAL Christians look like?

1. Faith in God’s true doctrine - 2 John 1:9 “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”  Look up the word doctrines in Scripture and you will see that EVERY TIME doctrines is plural it is speaking false doctrines being taught.  You cannot have multiple doctrines being accepted and still be “Christian.”  There is NO WAY that all the various doctrines being taught today in the name of Christ can be true and thus it is crucial to believe in sound true doctrine. (John 7:17; Acts 2:42, 5:28; Romans 16:17; Ephesians 4:14; 1 Timothy 1:3-10; Titus 1:9, 2:1)
2. Love for other believers - John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  When a person spends all their time and energy tearing down other “Christians” they are either saying those they are tearing down are not Christian or they themselves are not walking as Jesus said a Christian should walk. (Romans 15:30; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 6:23; 1 Peter 1:22, 3:8; 1 John 3:14-16)

Going to church does not make a person a Christian…just as sleeping in a garage makes one a car!  You are not a Christian because you CLAIM to be one, but because God has redeemed you and thus your life is showing what He has done within you!  

Acts 11:26 “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

Acts 26:27-29 “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.”