Lately it seems that there have been more articles suggesting that Christianity might be on the way out. Guess again!

Perhaps those who currently “hold the microphone” or the “pen” think they speak for the majority of Americans, but recent polls say different.

However, business as usual, and religion as usual will not cut it! We must renew the Message in our own hearts and review our endeavors and apporach to be salt and light as we present and live for Christ in culture! Let this fire burn anew inside of us as authentic, genuine article followers of Jesus!

I love this quote by Sir Francis Bacon. “A little philosophy inclineth man’s mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men’s minds to religion.”

The point is don’t be deceived by politically-correct pop philosophy. Especially when it tries to speak for God and His Kingdom.

I have included a great article that I recently read by Bill Shuler, the pastor of Capital Life Church in Washington D.C.

Newsweek magazine’s sensationalist cover story, headlined, “The Decline and Fall of Christian America,” was, in my view, the result of an underlying agenda that caused the article to draw the wrong conclusion.

The article did, however, prompt me to consider the fact that Christians must never be complacent about their faith.  We must continue to nurture, and, of course, share it. Posted here are some thoughts on how we could lose a standard of faith–how American Christianity could possibly decline and fall.  Such a decline and fall would start with the individual.  Here are some examples of what each of us could do to make America “post-Christian”:

1.  Reduce your prayer life to blessing your meals.

2.  Embrace a form of religion over Jesus.

3.  Win arguments but lose people.

4.  Choose which parts of the Bible you want to believe — and discard the rest.

5.  Don’t share your faith so as not to offend.

6.   Dilute the message to gain a wider audience.

7.   Embrace success and forget the poor.

8.   Get uncomfortable around the un-churched.

9.   Keep the Bible on the shelf.

10.  Keep Jesus in stained glass.

Through the generations Jesus’  followers have established schools, hospitals and orphanages. They have reminded the world that man is not an end unto himself.

The call now goes out to a new generation. The Scriptures declare, “You are the salt of the earth…the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.”

Have an awesome week…and let your light shine!

Grace & peace!

This guy is pretty funny! He actually got saved in Pastor Bernard’s church in Brooklyn. Enjoy!

It was a very busy but productive week. Even with several crisis that popped up…God is so good! If we let Him, He will help us! The reality is He is helping us to some degree even when we are not fully seeking Him or being cooperative. Thank You Lord!

Here’s an awesome Scripture to think about today. It is Proverbs 1:23 from the New Century Version.

If only you had listened when I corrected you,
I would have told you what’s in my heart;
I would have told you what I am thinking.

As we learned last Sunday…I Love Correction! …and I will be listening to the Lord!

Tomorrow is going to be an awesome day at Meadowbrook! Don’t let that conspiracy of interuptions and distractions keep you away! Remember: Church Days affect the rest of your days!

I look forward to seeing you there tomorrow!

Grace & peace!

Tomorrow as we gather for church, I want you to be aware of something. Something that I am aware of every week. Simply, it’s this, God has called this meeting! Simple, but incredible! Exciting!

God has something on His heart and mind that He wants to somehow get into our hearts and minds. My friend Mylon Lefevre calls this “Holy information.” God will use a myriad of different things and people to get this “Holy information” to you. Sometimes it is some interaction you have with another person, in the parking lot, in the hallways, during a song, and hopefully during the message.

Here’s the bottom line: It’s not just that God is wanting to get something across to us. It is also that we need to hear from God!!!

So open your heart and mind. Invite Him, say to Him, “God, I know that You have something You want to get across to me. And I need to hear from You! I am always asking You to do something. Right now I am asking You to say something. So please, speak into my heart and mind, through Your Word, through a song, through a person, through the message, however You see fit, and whatever You want to say to me, say it! Encourage me, teach me, correct me, change me! And I will be listening! Thank You, Lord!”

Also for this to take place…you need to get here! Realize that there is almost a conspiracy of interruptions and distractions to keep you from getting to church. Do you know why? Because church days affect the rest of your days!!! So make up your mind, purpose in your heart and don’t’ be denied, detoured or delayed!

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

(I realize that I use a lot of exclamation points!!!)

Grace & peace!

There’s been a lot of talk about hope lately, even in the political arena. There’s always been a lot of talk about hope. Either that somone has it, or lost it or is looking for it. It has been said that hope is a lot like oxygen, in that you can’t live very long without it.

No matter where you go today, hope is going to be a topic. If you are talking to the mechanic, he might say,”I hope that it is only your alternator. And I hope to get your car back to you by lunchtime.”

The doctor might say, “Let’s hope this test comes back negative.”

The teacher might tell some little boy, let’s say his name is…Timmy, “I hope you can behave today! You did better yesterday, I hope you can keep it up so you can enjoy freeplay with the rest of the class.” Timmy says, “I hope so too!”

You are driving to work and suddenly in your rear-view mirror you see a police car coming up with his lights on and you think to yourself, “I hope he’s not after me!”

Your health, your family, your finances, your future,… For all of these, hope is so vital!

Hebrews 6:19 says that hope is the anchor for your soul. It literally keeps your soul from slipping.

Hebrews 11:1 says that “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Faith gives substance to what you hope for. So, if you have no hope, faith has nothing to work with!

So here’s what we must do…daily! Keep your hope alive! Always be looking forward to something. Something good. Big things and little things.

Keep your hope in God! He is the God of all hope! And He will fill your with joy and peace and even help you to abound in hope! (Rom.15:13) In Psalm 42:11, the psalmist stirs himself up and won’t allow himself to be down and disturbed. Instead, he directs his hope to God! In the Living Bible it reads, “Expect God to act!” Now that will help your hope!

Hope unites God with the one who is hoping! It forges a partnership and a connection between them and God and all His resources and power! When you have this kind of hope, you have vision. Hopeful people honestly believe that today will be better than yesterday…and tomorrow will be better than today. They believe that with God involved, something will come together, something will work out! This kind of hope benefits you in every way and makes you the kind of person that others need to be around.

The soul is healthy when hope is present! Put your hope in God and His willingness and ability to help you!

I hope you have a great day!

Grace & peace!

P.S. Don’t forget to send me your questions about living this Christian life for my upcoming series “Q & A”!

Upon the completion of my current teaching series “Nobody’s Fool”, I am going to be doing a short series entitled “Q & A”. Every week following service and throughout the week as I am in restaurants, stores, at the school, wherever, people ask me questions about living this Christian life.

Some of these questions seem to be common and fall into several categories. Sometimes, there is not time to give that individual much more than a short answer. Sometimes, I am stumped and need to go find the real answer for myself first.

I have heard it said that “your faith will not go past your question marks”. I agree with that on most levels. Further Peter encouraged us, no, actually he demanded of us, for our own good, to “grow in grace and knowledge”.(2 Pet.3:18)

So the goal of this “Q & A” series is to perhaps answer, in some detail, in the light of Scripture, some these questions. In particular, questions on how to live this Christian life.

So here’s your part…

If you have such a question, please get it to me and I will begin to pray, study and consult to find the best answer so we all can grow in grace and knowledge and live this Christian life on a higher level than we have.

You can submit questions here on my blog through the comments post. Also, we will have several other ways available next week to submit questions online or on paper forms from the church.

I am super excited about all that we will discover and the growth that will take place in our lives!

DON’T FORGET…today is Good Friday! We need to thank Jesus for the extreme price that He paid for us on the cross!

Also, we will be having Easter Services Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday morning at 9:00 & 11:00 a.m. This is going to be an increidble weekend! Make sure that you are there and INVITE or BRING someone with you as we celebrate! We have much to celebrate!

Grace & peace!