Christian Living

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In a little over six months I will have completed fifty years of pastoral service. The road I have traveled has been through mountains and valleys. There have been highs and lows, cheers and tears, jubilation and sorrow, happiness and sadness, victories and defeats. I have been accepted and rejected by the sheep I was sent to lead. I have been encouraged and discouraged. I have seen the sunrises and sunsets. I have gained friends and lost friends. I have been understood and misunderstood. But through it all my faith held, in fact, even the valleys helped my trust in Him grow. Not once did I ever fail to be obedient to His calling. Sure, I made mistakes and He let me know it, but I learned from those experiences. Not once have I ever felt forsaken, for I have a written contract with Jesus that He would never leave or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5)

Almost four years ago, God interrupted my spiritual journey with a mandate to climb the Christian “watch tower” and warn Believers that His Church was out of order. There were problems within the Body of Christ that resulted in displaying a mixed message to the world. I had seen the Church move from being Christ centered to man centered, from a Biblical foundation to a sandy footing of Scriptural opinions. I had seen reason replace faith. But what could I do about it? Who would listen to a little known pastor? I tried to point out some of the errors we were making as the Church, but the response was, “You are too negative.”

After three months of trying to clarify what God was asking of me, I finally acquiesced and Simplyrhetorical was birthed. 235 articles later, I stand amazed at what God has had me write. These writings have brought me to my knees in search of forgiveness and correctness. I have written as I believe God has directed, but I also have read them as a Believer in search of Truth. I don’t know how many have read these blogs. If there have been only ten people who read these articles, it doesn’t matter. If these writings are just me writing to myself, I am eternally grateful.

One of the most challenging aspects of the Believers’ life is to acknowledge that their Biblical understanding and application does not necessarily line up with God’s intent. We tend to get into a false comfort zone, which many times leads us into a lukewarm experience with God. If Christians are honest with ourselves, we will admit that our spiritual walk is not always what it is cut out to be. But instead of adjusting our spiritual antennas to God’s frequency, we continue to tune in to teachings that humanize God’s Word.

I am so grateful for those Believers that are in pursuit of real Truth, and those that are willing to pay the price to break from traditions that are not based on God’s intended Word. There are many churches that understand God’s Word and are growing in Truth every day. Thank God for Pastors that dare to stand true to His Word, no matter the temptation to cater to “itching ears.”

It is imperative that we teach the next generation to discern real Truth from interpretive Truth. If we fail to teach our children discernment, the physical church will become a retirement center for Christians. No matter what direction the physical church decides to take, the True Church, known as the REMNANT, will continue to rule! Amen and Amen.

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