This is the part I hate...

I love Christmas. I love the family traditions that we've developed over the years, and I love the music -- old and new. 

Many people seem to think that Christmas is the Savior of our economy. Already  today (Saturday) we've heard the shopper reports about "Black Friday". People look to this time of year to pull our economy out of the doldrums. Of course the world misses the whole point.

But I like buying and giving gifts, so I'm not completely adverse to the commercial hype.

This is the part I hate: Santa Clause. I'm sorry that the legend ever got started, because it's been carried too far. I mean, Santa has the attributes of Jesus: he lives forever, he knows if you've been good or bad, and knows when you're sleeping or awake. 

Alongside the stories and expectations of Santa we also teach the nativity story and all about Jesus. So on the one hand we tell them a fictional story about a character that has the attributes of God -- but one day we'll tell them that's a lie -- and on the other hand we'll tell them about a little baby surrounded by animals without really emphasizing His royal deity -- but that turns out to be the truth. 

I even heard a commercial on TV that said (and I quote) "without Santa there would be no childlike faith." You've got to be kidding!!

I've known a lot of kids who grew up without the Santa myth. Their parents never did the "Santa is coming tonight" thing. I'm one of them. Dawn and I didn't bring our kids up with Santa. They were just as happy and surprised by what they received on Christmas, but they knew it from their dad and mom. 

Santa is the part I hate about Christmas. The truth has been diluted with a cute little story that "harms no one." But why dilute the truth at all? It saves us from having to explain the difference and sort out truth from error.

May God bless your ministry today.

A Heavenly Hedge Against Hard Times

God never promised that we would not experience difficulty and hardship. When evil and adversity assails the world, believers get caught in the turmoil. Jesus said, "you will have tribulation." We are not immune to the things that befall our neighbors and friends.

However, there is a Heavenly Hedge for believers that are faithful and obedient. Based on the Word of God; and based on what I know about the character of God; and based on the history of God's care for His people I have the conviction that there is only one sure cushion against hard times.  It's tithing.

They say that when times are tough for Americans they tend to save their money instead of spending it. Which only harms the overall economy further. And our tendency as believers is hang onto our money and protect our resources...even to the point of not giving cheerfully to Kingdom causes.

But if God promises to His people that He will bless us when we give the full 10%; and if God promises to "rebuke the devourer" for us (that's whatever threatens our income and survival); then I believer the best hedge against experiencing the full impact of a chaotic world economy is giving, not saving; tithing not hoarding. 

...Just a thought.

I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU

PASTOR'S CHALLENGE FOR 2009:

I am challenging every believer to take up this challenge. God said He would bless those who bring the full 1o% into the "storehouse" (an offering room in the temple) so that expenses could be met for maintaining the house of worship. He even went further. He promised to "rebuke the devourer" on our behalf -- whatever it is that devours the fruit of our labor and threatens our economic security.

I'm challenging You -- no, God challenges You -- to tithe and see if He doesn't bless Your efforts to be obedient and give.

Well, that's my challenge. Give a full 10%  (of gross, not net) in 2009. Will take up the challenge? I double dog dare you!

May God bless your ministry today.

Obama wins...a breakthrough?

All the mainstream media celebrates the election of Barak Obama as the 44th president of the U.S. In their jubilation many are saying that this demonstrates the decline, if not the demise, of racism in our country. The fact that a black man could be elected president proves we've come a long way.

But that's not what I see. When Obama carried many states because of the black and hispanic vote, it seems that race is what got him elected. I have two questions:

1. Is voting for McCain and against Obama simply because Obama is black racism? After all it's a decision based solely on one's preference for one race over another.

2. Is voting for Obama and against McCain simply because Obama is black racism? After all it's a decision based solely on one's preference for one race over another.

So I'm not seeing a breakthrough in terms of racism in America. Quite the contrary. Racism works in both directions. I see a country more divided over race than ever. Especially with all the threats of riots and rebellion if Obama didn't make it. What's up with that? That's not a racist threat?

Several other observations: 

1) A "religion friendly" government is about to end; faith-based initiatives started by President Bush and opposed by democrats in congress will be threatened.  

2) Look for attacks, via "The Fairness Doctrine", against conservative talk radio. The liberal congress and president will not go after the New York Times or MSNBC for their sever liberal bent, but they'll go after Limbaugh, Hannity, and others... maybe even FoxNews. 

3) Look for new bold initiatives to increase abortion rights and gay marriage. The gay agenda suffered some big losses in this election (there's always a bright spot), but now you'll see abortion friendly and gay friendly judges nominated and sworn into office. 

4) Taxes WILL go up. Obama promised to end the "Bush tax cuts" ASAP. I don't know about you, but I got a tax cut with Bush's plan, now I'll get an instant increase in taxes when Obama ends that program....and so will you. (and I fall well below the arbitrary line Obama has set that separates the middle-class from the wealthy.)

5) Watch for subtle attempts to subvert the Constitution of the United States; attempts to replace capitalism and free market with government controls on profits; and watch for attempts, ever so subtle, to oppress free religious expression by churches and religious organizations. 

6) Watch for a new tone on the national level -- a tone of anger, arrogance, and superiority...as conservations and Christians are made fun of and relegated to the back seats of influence. 

Those are just a few precautions and predictions. The Word of God and evangelical Christians have been under attack during this election. The women on The View, Opray, and MSNBC  will be real tickled with the results of this election. But dear fellow believer, in the words of an old hymn: "Be not dismayed what'er betide, God will take care of you."

It is in difficult times -- times of financial stress, political unrest, and subtle/not so subtle persecution that the church grows, people turn to God, and Christ comes shining through. One of our greatest opportunities for evangelism and harvesting may be dead ahead of us. 

People will soon find out that Obama is NOT the messiah they thought he'd be. Some of them will turn to the true Messiah that doesn't need their vote, but wants their heart. 

So, Obama's election is not a breakthrough in the way the news media will portray it. But it may be a breakthrough in the months and years ahead for the gospel. Nothing happens that doesn't cross God's desk first!

Why Things Happen the Way They Do

There are 13 reasons why things happen the way they do -- good things and bad. Our conflicts and blessings all occur because God has a plan for our lives.

The number one reason why things happen the way they do is:

God is bringing us into conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.

What makes Jesus the Lord, the Savior, the Messiah is not the healings, the miracles, and all the caring He showed to humanity. What makes Jesus, Jesus to me, is the cross -- the sacrificial suffering and death of Jesus!

Now if we are to be conformed to the image of Jesus it will require adversity, conflict, betrayal, disappointment, and suffering. Jesus warned us that for us to be like Him -- to follow Him -- we will have to "take up your cross daily". 

God wants us to be like Jesus. It will not happen without conflict and adversity!

There are 12 other reasons why things happen the way they do, but it will always include reason number one: to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

You can follow this series at www.gracekaufman.org -- the messages in this series are available for viewing or for downloading to your MP3 player.

The Church Ain't a Service Center

Maybe it's because we live in a "what's in it for me" world; or maybe it's because people just expect to be given things without accountability or responsibility; but for whatever reason, many folks think the church is a service center...a place where handouts are freely given to all who ask.

People that never attend our church will call and ask for assistance with gasoline, their electric bills, or other financial emergencies. Of course now we send them to the Christian Help Center where other local churches assist in meeting these kinds of needs. The point I want to make is this: people think it's okay to just show up on our doorstep and ask for money. Some even get angry if we don't!

But often church members have the same worldly attitude toward the church. They act as if the church is here to service them, meet their needs, massage their ego, tickle their fancy. And if it doesn't, they'll just go to another one -- or maybe not even go to church at all. How short-sighted. They may even be deceived by Satan himself into thinking the church owes them something.

When will Christians learn the true nature of the church -- it's not where you come to get served; it's where you come to serve! It's not a place where you come to get anything; it's a place where you come to give. 

Where in the world is the sacrifice for heaven's sake?!!

The Way Things Ought to Be -- a Trip to Connecticut

I know Rush Limbaugh wrote a book by that title, The Way Things Ought to Be, but there are times when it is clear how things should be working out. 

Dawn and I have been taking a long weekend to visit New England. It's beautiful here. We hit the leaves right at their peek time. The glowing reds, yellows, and oranges are beyond words. Yesterday (Saturday) we went with friends from Connecticut on a drive into southeastern Massachusetts. We went through Sheffield, and Stockbridge (where Norman Rockwell painted), Lee and Lenox. We stopped at little shops and inns along the way. The kind of places you can only find in New England.

Today we visited Friendship Baptist Church, where I was the pastor for almost 12 years. We greeted and hugged a lot of good friends. Many of these folks we led to Christ or was used by the Lord to help them grow into Him. The church is still involved in all kinds of missions -- the way things ought to be. They still have strong discipleship groups on Sunday evening and throughout the week in people's homes -- the way things ought to be. And they are in the process of calling a new pastor from Ohio who preaches the word, loves doing missions, and wants to be innovative -- the way things ought to be.

Tonight, we had dinner with a couple that I had the privilege of marrying. I remember when they came to me for counseling. The young lady was a Christian but her pastor would not even consider performing the wedding because the man wasn't a Christian. But I didn't want to miss an opportunity like this and agreed to talk with them -- even though they had never been to the church before.

   The young man said that he as a computer techy and thought in concrete, scientific terms ... and he could not see how believing the Bible's idea of God was logical or see the need to "receive" Christ. I made a deal with him. I promised I would marry them, no matter what he did -- whether he believed or not -- if he would allow me to share the gospel during counseling and agree to ask me the hard questions with the chance to respond. He agreed.

   That man is on the pastor search committee that is helping to lead the church in finding a pastor. My heart gave God praise as he talked about seeking a pastor that studied and taught the Word rightly. His spiritual growth the last few years is clearly evident -- the way it ought to be. 

You know, a man does not need to have a building with his name on it, or have a town named after him, or hold a world's record in something. The deepest satisfaction comes when a pastor can see the work of God in the lives of other people. There is no substitute for knowing that people have come into an eternal relationship with God because of your ministry. There is no greater affirmation of a person's ministry than to see young people growing up to serve God and make the commission of Christ their life priority. That's the way things ought to be. 

May God continue to bless Friendship as they call their new pastor and move forward in obedience to Christ. 

But I also pray that Grace Fellowship, the place God has me serving right now, will also move forward in obedience to Christ. May all of our members be able to see the eternal, supernatural working of God in the lives of many, many people who pass through our wake. May we rejoice in the continued service of growing, obedient disciples of Jesus -- that 's the way it ought to be.

May God bless your ministry today. He has certainly blessed mine!

Disaster Affects Everyone

Yes, I haven't posted since August -- as my daughter is happy to point out. I was posting regularly until disaster struck -- Hurricane Ike. Disasters change everything. Let me name a few....

First, it interrupts the flow of life like bloggers. Why? At least for me, because I am a Victim Chaplain and I led a team of responders to care for a large, chaotic shelter of evacuees from the Beaumont area.

True, it was only open for a week, but it interrupted my routine.

Second, it interrupts the lives of the people living in the stricken areas. It destroys homes, washes away heirlooms, and robs a family of their pictures and memories. It causes the loss of income, even jobs, and the interruption of schoolwork. It separates friends and families who have to evacuate to different places.

Third, it affects the lives of responders like our Victim Relief Team from Kaufman. Schedules and families are put on the back burner while responders care for the needs of others.

There are other lives and institutions that are affected, but let these examples suffice for my purposes here. 

We are trying to raise funds to equip a Disaster Response Trailer. The radios are paid for, but a generator and other essentials are yet to be paid for. If you can help let me know. We are in need of about $4000.

God bless your ministry today.

The Shack

The Shack, a fictional work by William Young, has become rather controversial. Some call it heresy. Others call it one of the great writings of modern Christianity.

I read The Shack. I liked the Shack. I have recommended The Shack to others and loaned out a number of copies -- I've given away even more.

People smarter than me have really cast some weighty stones at the book. But, you know what? I like it.

There's a few problems, but taken as a whole, it teaches some profound truths about God. You just have to put aside some of the preconceived notions you have about the Bible to appreciate the deeper truths it teaches.

Anyway, I've read blogs that support The Shack and those that are highly critical. Someone steered me to a good blog by a man I really have confidence in, Mart DeHaan of the Radio Bible Class. Please check it out for yourself.

www.beenthinking.org/2008/08/20/the-shack/

Locally, you can get The Shack at Servant's Bookstore. It can be found in our Media Center, too. Or, it can be ordered online at Barnes and Nobel, Amazon.com, etc.

Wanted: Imperfect People

How many Christians will attend church this week with the intent to impress? They put on their "going to meetin'" clothes and make sure they make a good impression. Underneath, however, there's confusion, conflict, and addictions. They make a good impression all right, but not with God. He knows.

How many Christians will attend church this week with the intent to cover up? They want to cover up their frailties and failures. They will never get help because they cover up their need. Maybe they should find a church that welcomes frailties and failures!

I don't want the "elite Christians" at Grace Fellowship. There's enough churches down the road that will welcome them. I want the people that haven't arrived yet. I want the believers that want to be discipled; that want to follow Christ; and they know they have a way to go.

Check out the short video clip that I just added to the site. It reflects my thoughts. I hope it reflect yours.

YOU MAKE ME SICK!

“Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.”            

That’s right, Jesus actually told some church members that they made Him sick. And, frankly, there are times I feel His pain.

There are two kinds of Christians that make me sick. The first are the ones Jesus was thinking about in Revelation. They are the pompous, know-it-all, have-to-be-in-the-loop, “pillars of the church”.  They’ve been members for so many years, attended Sunday School regularly, and contributed to the church often. Yet, when it comes to really obeying the Bible and learning to live in a loving relationship with others, they stink! They make Jesus sick. They make me sick, too. I often wonder when certain Christians will grow up and act with forgiveness, understanding and love. We have a nursery for our infants and sometimes I can think of some adults that belong there.

The other kind of Christians that make me sick are the ones who choose to live in ignorance of the Bible. No way is God honored by believers remaining ignorant of the Word, but you’d be surprised how many are flat out ignorant of the Word. They are devoid of understanding its principles and the ways of God, but they still have an opinion of other Christians.

Jesus may be living in both of these kinds of Christians, but you can’t convince me He feels at home.

I guarantee you that at Grace Fellowship, we will teach, preach and practice disciple-making. And anyone who puts forth the effort, and is willing to turn the power of God loose in their life, will have the opportunity to experience the fullness of God.

Follow Christ with your whole heart, be grown up, and be a gracious Christian, and you won’t have to be a Christian that makes Jesus sick. You’d be doing me a favor, too. 

Sorry for such a delay in posting

I'm sorry for the delay in posting an article lately. It's been a busy July. I was out of town with our mission team to Connecticut. The team returned exhausted. Not only were we busy every single day but the trip was tiring.

We traveled in our new 26 passenger bus -- it really worked out better than a couple of vans. After making the trip two years ago in a 15 passenger van, this was wonderful. Long, but wonderful. We can make the trip driving straight through, including stops and meals, in an easy 34 hours.

This mission team is one of the best I've ever traveled with...and I've traveled with a lot of them over the years. Grace Fellowship can be proud of the maturity and dedication of these adults and youth. They knew their job and did it well.

This year we made a number of real positive contacts with adults -- either through our day camp ministry or some survey work in the neighborhoods. We were hoping the surveying would turn up more people, but in CT people just don't answer their door to strangers. But they need Jesus, so we'll pray for New Beginnings in Meriden, CT. They've got a huge job ahead.

New Beginnings also presented our team and Grace Fellowship with a plaque recognizing our service in Meriden. May the Lord reap the harvest and the praise.

I'm Getting Tired of "Church as Usual"

I know we each have our own comfort zones, but this ain't working. Doing "church as usual", you know, the way we've done it for a hundred years, ain't getting the job done!

Disciples aren't being made; the lost aren't being reached; churches are splitting out of worldliness; Islam is sweeping the world along with every New Age religion that comes along; and attendance to services, for most believers, is deemed optional. If attendance to worship with other believers is deemed optional you can imagine how "taking up our cross and following Jesus" is applied.

So maybe "church as usual" has got to change. I'm open to new ideas. How about mandatory discipleship classes -- that's right, I said mandatory. Maybe it's time we began to expect more from people whose names are on the church roll.

What if churches were to take attendance every Sunday morning, and evening, and Wednesday...to see who is really loyal and supportive. I can hear the uproar now from the occasional attender and "just-enough-to-get-by" church member.

Forget Sunday School. That's right, I said forget Sunday School. Sunday School was invented by visionary men that brought unschooled child laborers to a place on Sunday where they get educated and hear about Christ. It was invented for lost people, for heaven's sake. Now, however, most churches have Sunday School for saved people while the lost are left to fend for themselves. Our actions tell a lost world: "to hell with you." (Hell is not a bad word, just a bad place).

I've got other thoughts and ideas on this, but let those three be enough to get us started thinking: what does it mean, in a world hostile to the things of God, to be a Christian? I mean really, what does it mean to be a follower of Christ? I'm getting tired of the ineffective, powerless, impotent "church as usual" ritual we follow.

Latest Reading

Want you to know what I've been reading lately and recommend a couple of books to you.

First, is The Barbarian Way, by Erwin McManus.
Second, is Pagan Christianity by Viola and Barna.
And for fiction fans I've just finished The Shack by William Young.

I highly recommend these books to you. The first discusses the type of people God really intends for Christians to be. The world will consider them barbarians, uncultured, backward. But that's what they thought of Jesus, too.

The second explains all the church and religious traditions we follow and where they came from ... and how they have no foundation in Scripture.

The third is about a father who lost his 6 year old daughter to a violent death, and how God confronts him with His love, reasons, and abundant grace.

There's a few others, but supper is ready and Denise cooked it.... gotta try this.

Sad News Today

Some years ago there a great woman in my church that had committed her life to Christ. For several years she grew spiritually and was very active in ministry. I remember many days when she organized and facilitated a ministry to children in a mult-housing complex in Torrington, CT. She was great with kids. I actually saw her lead children to Christ.

But something snapped. She had a baby -- a beautiful baby girl that I saw just last year -- she's about 10 now. We don't know what happened...if it was related to post-partem depression or other factors. But she became a completely different person. She left home, left her family, left her church, and left all that was good to live on the street. It was really weird. And sad.

Friday, July 4th, she was found dead. Alone. Probably from an overdose.

I remember her daughter coming to the altar week after week to pray for her mommy to come home. The girl who still lives with her father, loved her mother and longed to have her home. But drugs and sin will distort a person's perspective and take their minds captive.

While other people post their MySpace blogs today and talk of partying, drinking, and taking drugs, my heart is broken for those who have lost their families, their comforts, and their lives to these addictions. :(

We're Now On the Web

Tell your friends -- you know, the ones you can't get to attend church -- to check us out on the internet. All you have to do is go to our website: www.gracekaufman.org and select the message you want to hear or watch. It's easy.

You can also view the messages in the event that you're out of town or ill that day. We're even thinking about streaming our services live on the internet so you can watch our services as they occur. That way if you're sick, you can still be a part of your church family.

Check it out.

Mercy

The word "mercy" has several applications in the English language. Two definitions found in the dictionary are:

1. Compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender
2. Compassionate treatment of those in distress

Whether a person is suffering stress and conflict, or they are guilty of offending another person, mercy cannot be received unless it is first given.

In other religious systems, such as Islam, mercy is not a dominate characteristic. But the heart of Christianity -- the very foundation of our salvation -- is mercy.

Christ was superior in showing mercy. From the helpless sick He healed, to the guilty offender He had forgiven (e.g. Zachias, dying thief etc), Jesus provided great mercy.

The process is supposed to continue with us. Christians, of all people, should be people of mercy. But we aren't. I often meet people who stay away from church because of the conflicts, divisions, and hostility they've seen among believers -- all without mercy for one another.

Mercy must begin in the church of Jesus Christ. No one but forgiven sinners are as qualified to show mercy. Let's apply the mercy we've received to others.

Keep Your Civilized Faith

You can keep your civilized faith, your domesticated, docile, acceptable, stereotype of Christianity.

There was nothing civilized about Jesus. His whole life ran contrary to the accepted norms and religious traditions of His time. He took risks. He was an innovator.

Jesus didn't come to save us from hell, which seems to be evangelical's preoccupation. Missing hell and judgment is a part of the benefits of salvation, but even more than that, Jesus died to put us into a community -- to give us a family; to make us children of God.

And Jesus never promised to save us from pain, suffering, and conflict. But He did promise to give our lives meaning. He has given us a purpose, a reason to live, work, and survive.

Domesticated believers take the path of least resistance and avoid conflict -- with the world and with other believers. But Christ never took that path, and neither should we.

Keep your civilized faith that makes no demands on you. For me, I'm willing to take some risks, be embarrassed, and take some knocks in the pursuit of following Christ. And you?

Who says there's only one way to do things?

I like to try new things, to do things different from time to time. It's good to put a fresh spin on things and try a creative approach. This is especially true of church.

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a worship rut and that I need some spontaneity when God's people come together. I've seen serious conflicts arise between believers when the traditional worship service is threatened with anything new. A change in the order of worship, dropping the time honored doxology, trying a contemporary song, not having a special music during the offering, or not having an invitation can cause heart failure for some traditionalists.

What about these ideas? Have our corporate worship service first, starting at 10, a brunch time, and then have Sunday School to follow it. Yes, flip things around. Where's the law that says we have to do Sunday School anyway?

I'd like to do without a printed order of worship and just have an announcement page or weekly news page. How about having the sermon at the beginning of the service and everything else after that? What about a service with no music at all? Or, no sermon?!!

If we have to have a Sunday evening gathering, why not do it at, say, 3:00? You know, go to lunch after Sunday School, come back for discipleship/fellowship, then go home early and get a good night's rest.

These are just a few ideas to get your cognitive juices flowing. You can probably come up with some ideas, too...but only if you can think past the traditions you've become comfortable with. If you get some new ideas let me know. Let's brainstorm. Who says there's only one way to do things?

An example of domesticated Christianity

First, I regret that the young lady in this story died. There's nothing good about the abortion industry. People die. Babies die. People are permanently sterilized or injured. That being said, the story on the FoxNews website tells how she died from taking abortion pills. But here's the paragraph you ought to read:

Manon Jones, 18, described by her mother as a devout Christian teen, opted to terminate her pregnancy at six weeks because she feared the pregnancy would cause conflict within her "Muslim" boyfriend's family, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

This demonstrates how Christians have become domesticated, civilized, and otherwise ineffective. A young woman designated as a "devout" Christian has pre-marital sex; attempts to have an abortion and kill a living baby; and all this from a boyfriend that is a Muslim. In addition, it was concern for the Muslim faith that drove her decision to have an abortion. Too bad concern for her Christian faith didn't lead her to abstinence.

The church has got to stop being acceptable to the world. Our decisions cannot be driven or influenced by what civilized society accepts. Maybe we need to redefine what a "devout" Christian is!