Sun, 13 Oct 2024 18:09:41 -0700WeeblyTue, 20 Aug 2024 20:39:15 GMThttp://communitychurchdhs.org/our-blog/ministering-to-the-lord     Dr. Roxanne Brant has written a challenging little book called "Ministering to the Lord" in which she states, "One of the main reasons for "power failure" in the Christian Church
is that believers have neglected to minister to the Lord." By this she means that people and churches may have focused on doing the right things, but not dome them simply "out of love for the Lord." Or they have seen God primarily as One who supplies what then need, like a heavenly grocery store. How much this reminds me of the following story about Abraham Lincoln:
     A very  elderly lady made an appointment to see the President one afternoon. As she entered the office, he arose, seated her and asked, "How may I be of service to you, Madam?" The little lady said, "Mr. President, I know you are a busy man. I have not come to ask you for anything. I simply came to bring you this box of cookies because I heard that you enjoy them so much." A silence followed in which tears overflowed from Mr. Lincoln's eyes. Finally, he raised his head and spoke, "Madam, I thank you for your thoughtful gift. I am greatly moved by it. Since I have been President of this country, thousands of people have come into this office asking for favors and demanding things of me. You are the first person who has entered these premises asking no favor, and indeed, bringing a gift for me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
     In the same way, God longs for us to come to Him for Himself, not simply for what He can give us. He has formed us for Himself, and it is we who are to present ourselves to Him and offer Him our worship, as we minister to Him out of love.
     There are many ways to minister to the Lord. We learn how to do it by studying in the Scriptures how God's people ministered to Him. Among these are :
     1.   praise and worship - Praise is responding to God for what He has done (mighty works, etc.) while worship centers in who God is, in His person (How Great Thou Art, etc.) Many of us are limited by our vocabulary when it comes to expressing words of praise and worship! Nicky Gumbel, in one of the Alpha videos, makes this point when he says, "Try writing a thank-you letter. After you've described their kindness, your gratitude, and the gift, what else is there left to say?"  After you've thanked God for His wonderful, beautiful, precious, loving, and 10-other-adjectives gift of salvation, and you've told Him how you feel happy, grateful, amazed, thankful, and appreciative, that about does it!  And yet the Creator of the Universe is so much more! How do you worship Him adequately? This is one reason why music is such an important part of worship! The combined melody and words have the capacity to engage our entire being, intellect as well as emotion, as we use ears, eyes, voices, and hands to praise God. Music is a means of offering ourselves to the Lord wholly and  completely, whether we sing like angels or can't carry a tune in a bucket; even when our "perfect harmony" is totally wrecked by Zoom! In the words of Psalm 150, "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"
     2.    Holy Communion - The sacrament of the Eucharist was given by Jesus, as He sought for a way to make His presence felt even after death and resurrection. When we take the bread, and receive the wine (or juice) we re-enact the experience of the first disciples who spent not just "worship time" but daily life with the Master. We minister to the Lord when we share the meal with Him, acknowledging His gift and His presence.
     3.     service to those whom God loves - Jesus said, "When you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you have done it to me." Christ made it clear that our faith in Him is authenticated by our ministry to the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, the lame, the naked;  in short, to those who are in need. This may mean physical need, or spiritual/emotional need, for many are "poor" because they don't have Jesus in their lives. They are imprisoned by doubts, fears, anger, etc., blind because they cannot see the truth of the Gospel, crippled by their failures, naked because they do not have the covering of the blood of Jesus. It is our responsibility and our joy, to minister to God by caring for others as if they were Jesus in human form.
     4.     presenting Him with our tithes and offerings - The Bible refers to sacrificial offerings as  "a sweet fragrance" to the Lord. We m minister to God when we honor Him with our financial and material giving. Jesus is not the Lord of your life if He is not the Lord of your money! Giving is to be sacrificial, as Abraham indicated when he went to offer up his son Isaac to the Lord, "I and the boy will go yonder and worship."  The wise men worshipped Jesus by presenting Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
     5.     obedience -- God commanded King Saul to put the entire nation of the Amalekites to the sword, including all the animals, but Saul thought he had a better idea! He would save some to sacrifice to the Lord at Gilgal, Saul's favorite shrine. To him, the prophet Samuel said, "To obey is better than sacrifice!!"  We minister to the Lord when we obey Him, when we do not try to gain an advantage for ourselves, or figure out some other way.

To whom do you minister? Do you do what you do out of love for the Lord, or because you think you have something to gain? Only what is done for love is ministry, the rest is just good works!     See you in church!  Randa


      
]]>Sat, 06 Jul 2024 05:33:46 GMThttp://communitychurchdhs.org/our-blog/should-christian-hate​In light of the seemingly endless violence in our society, which manifests itself not only in far away wars but also closer to home in “hate crimes,” gunshots, insulting and vicious social media posts, and casual use of language that bludgeons the ears, it is appropriate to look at a Christian attitude toward the subject of hatred. There appears to be a feeling among Christians that we ought not to hate at all; tolerance is the word of the day and we are to be tolerant of absolutely everything, from those things that mock and repudiate God to those the merely intrude upon our personal space. We rationalize criminal behavior on the grounds that the perpetrators had “poor role models,” suffer from parental inattention, have been abused, or are mentally ill. They are victims who cannot help themselves, therefore we must tolerate their invasions, overlook their bad manners, and minimize their crimes. But on the inside, most of us are far from understanding. We experience a feeling we would not want to name as “hatred” even as our resentment builds to monumental proportions. We have taken the passage in 1 John 2 “Anyone who hates his brother is still in darkness” to mean that hate is wrong, and only love is acceptable. This love we have termed “tolerance,” and when we feel intolerant, we feel guilty.
But the Bible tells us that there is a time to love, and a time to hate.  We are to hate what is evil, and cling to what is good; to hate robbery and iniquity and bribes, wickedness and bloodshed. As God hates sin, so are we to “hate every wrong path” and everything that aligns itself against the truth of God. This is not to be an idle, unproductive feeling, but an active, initiative-taking hatred that must be focused toward the correction of situations for the betterment of the Kingdom of God.  Christians may – indeed, must! – hate, but with caution and purpose. As author Olive Moore puts it, “Be careful with hatred. Handle hatred with respect. Hatred is too noble an emotion to be frittered away in little personal animosities. Whereas love is of itself a reward and an object worth striving for, personal hatred has no triumphs that are not trivial, secondary, and human. Therefore love as foolishly as you may, but hate only after long and ardent deliberation.  Hatred is a passion requiring one hyndred times the energy of love. Keep it for a cause, not an individual. Keep it for intolerance, injustice, stupidity. For hatred is the strength of the sensitive. Its power and its greatness depend on the selflessness of its use.”  --- Olive Moore, Collected Writings
How might a Christian use hatred for a cause, in a constructive manner?
Remind yourself of the ultimate source of the behavior. – Ephesians 6 tells us that we do not fight with flesh and blood, but with “powers and principalities and rulers of darkness in heavenly places.”  While it may seem that we are facing people who are worthy of hatred because of their cruel actions, the Bible tells us that there is first a spiritual problem going on. This is not saying “the devil made them do it,” and therefore overlooking personal choices, but it identifying the ultimate source of temptation and sin which is the presence of evil in the world. Being reminded of this fact will prevent us from hating any of the people whom God has commanded us to love, and keep us from acting in hateful ways toward them or taking God’s justice into our own hands. Christians should hate the enemy of God: this is healthy hatred. Identify the behavior.  --  This should be self-evident; in fact, it’s the place where m any of us stop.  We see or experience an evil action and want to end it, so we take steps to curb the behavior.  This is analogous to taking a stone away from a protester. It may stop the behavior until another weapon is found, then it may begin again. The behavior cannot be isolated from the root problem. Christians may hate hurtful behavior; this is healthy. Identify the root problem that is underlying the behavior. --  In the broadest sense, the root behavior is always a lack of respect for God’s authority and commandments.  People who seek to follow after and honor God will also honor human life, have a desire to help others, and show consideration for another’s personhood. However, there are generally unmet needs in the life of one who hurts another; needs for significance, love, acceptance, forgiveness, autonomy.  Many violent people suffer from a lack of love, and in their pain, strike out at others. Christians may hate the injustices that bring about such pain and consequent hurtful behavior, and take a stand against them. Take a stand against evil. – We are first to take a spiritual stand; hating evil and fighting against it in the dimensions of prayer. We do not tolerate evil, or even poor behavior, but we attack it first with the best weapons available to us; the weapons of intercession and supplication.  We pray against selfishness that results in neglect of a child’s well-being, and against fear that results in greedy acquisition and furthers the poverty of others.  Then we get involved in meeting the needs that come about because of the spiritual problems.  For example, the blaring, booming music that you hate is caused by lack of consideration on the part of the owner. Most likely, he was not taught to ask if his actions were intruding on anyone’s private space, and his feelings were not treated with consideration by parents and others in power. The rudeness and crudeness of political opponents can be caused by fear of loss and the resulting anger and frustration that comes from not trusting God’s providence or seeking His wisdom.  Take a stand by rebuking your own spirit of selfishness, fear, anger, or resentment. Treat everyone you meet with consideration, look for ways to inject your faith into the situation,  really get to know people so that you can understand their lives and needs, and be the change you want to see. Is it appropriate for Christians to hate?  Yes!  Hate evil, injustice, ignorance, and other causes of pain. Hate those things that demean God and God’s creation. Let your hatred for these things be the impetus that moves you to address the violence and hurt you see with the love of Jesus.  Happy hating!
]]>Sat, 11 May 2024 04:30:21 GMThttp://communitychurchdhs.org/our-blog/no-summer-slump "Roll out those hazy, crazy, lazy days of summer; those days of popcorn, & pretzels, and beer."

I don't know where those lyrics came from, but I don't think they were written by the early Christians in Palestine!  It occurred to me recently, that as our society changed from agriculture to manufacturing, our yearly calendar also changed. In an agrarian society, there are no "summer holidays" because there is spring planting, summer crop tending, autumn harvesting, and winter subsistence. In most areas, there are also autumn plantings and winter crops, so that the cycles of the seasons are endless. Plants don't take the summer -- or the weekend! -- off, and neither does livestock!  

In a manufacturing economy, or a technological one, it is possible to take a vacation now and again, and weekends as well, because machines will not starve or die without care.  However, it is the educational system that has really revamped our understanding of the seasons. It seems that, when school gets out, everything goes on hold, and even those of us who don't have children  in school somehow feel like we ought to be able to "take the summer off." So people make up for it by using weekends for play, in a sort of "mini-vacation" mode. 

In our climate, where folks want to escape the summer heat, this attitude spills over into religious life particularly. When it's "too hot to go out" on Sunday mornings, worship attendance suffers and small groups go on hiatus until fall. But what does God think of this practice? If we really believe that God has our best interests at heart, and longs to help us find fulfillment in life, then we can consult His Guidebook, the Bible, for that answer.

First, the Bible reveals that God never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:3) and that He is always working for His children's good. (Romans 8:28) God never takes the summer off! (Aren't you glad?) Proverbs contains many gems about the value of industry; "Do not love sleep or you will grow poor," (Proverbs 19:13) and in the parable of the talents, Jesus refers to the one servant who did not use his talents as a "wicked, lazy servant." (Matthew 25:26)

Second, Scripture tells us that rest in important, "on the seventh day, God rested from His labors" (Genesis 2:2), and God commands us to also take rest periods, "so that you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy." (Exodus 31:12-17) The purpose of the Sabbath day was intended for us to rest and worship God, to gain perspectives on the facts of His ownership of us and His will for our lives. It was not intended to help us escape from Him!

Our culture has imposed upon us the expectation of doing "something different" during the summer months. We can use these hot days to sleep more, travel more, visit family more, eat more, read more, or watch more television. We can "hole up" in reverse hibernation!  But there is something else we can do in the summer, something that can be a part of our leisure activities in a way that we may be too stressed out or busy to experience from September to June. We can take up the practice of seeking God in every activity, from swimming to traveling to family visits. We can decide to look for spiritual lessons in our daily lives, and praise the Lord for our discoveries. We can remain faithful, and allow the summer to become a time of spiritual restoration that will sustain us the rest of the year. 

As you slide into your hot car, can you be awed by a Creator who spoke the sun into being? When you gather with your family to remember the good old days, can you praise the Lord for the common memories you share? When you travel, can you look for new expressions of salvation in different churches across the country?  When you part with your hard-earned money to provide for the enjoyment of your summer vacation, can you rejoice that you have remained faithful to your financial commitments at home, in your own church?

We are so blessed by the God-given miracle of a thing called ZOOM! Most people can find an internet connection that will allow them to connect, even from across the country! Can you take an hour on Sunday to worship with your church family, lending your strength to their prayers and your encouragement to their lives? Here is the link - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89004834331?pwd=WDkzWG8vS3V3QmE2K0ZSVHRLenk4dz09     Meeting ID: 890 0483 4331  Passcode: 777777

It is my prayer and my desire that our congregation will not be one that takes faithfulness to God lightly during the summer months, but that we will seek out new ways to grow spiritually each and every day. I personally promise you that I will spend just as much time on Sunday School, worship planning, and sermon preparation during June, July, and August as I do the rest of the year, and I know I speak for Rev Mark as well. While there will be weeks in which we meet only on Zoom, and not in our worship space, we will be able to be together each Sunday. God is faithful to us in every season of life, and there are many ways to express our commitment to Him during these "lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer."           -- Blessings,  Pastor Randa]]>Sun, 03 Mar 2024 01:28:32 GMThttp://communitychurchdhs.org/our-blog/dream-bigDo you remember the old song on Christian radio called "Dream Big"? The lyrics contain the following words:
                "Dream big! It's the Lord's desire for you to
                    Dream big, in everything you say and do! 
                   You'll find your greatest dreams come true;
                    the God of Heaven is dreaming big for you!"
What wonderful words!  We worship a God who has big dreams for us, who goes before us and prepares the way for our blessing. We may not be able to see what He is doing, and at times may question His methods, but we should be confident in the witness of Scripture.
​
Take Joseph, for example He dreamt that he would rule over his family, which so angered his brothers that they sold him into slavery in Egypt. Because of their evil actions, Joseph suffered the indignities of slavery, imprisonment, betrayal, and separation from those he loved.  However, because of God's blessing, Joseph became steward in charge of all the resources of Egypt. When Joseph's family in Israel had a famine many years later, he had the means to rescue them. Joseph's comment to his frightened brothers reminds us that God is not out of business just because we don't understand His ways! "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Gen 50:20) 

On Good Friday, when the gravestone rolled into place and sealed Jesus' lifeless body into the tomb, it seemed to the disciples that their dreams had died with Him. They had begun to catch a vision of God's Kingdom, where there was peace between God and humanity, where dignity was integral to human life, where daily toil could become more rewarding.  Now all was lost, and this new relationship with their Heavenly Father seemed like the lie of a madman.  For three days that must have been an eternity to them, they grieved for their broken dreams and mourned their beloved rabbi.  Their faith had vanished along with their master.  But then, quite unexpectedly, God came to the rescue! Jesus was alive, and even more, He had opened the way to eternal life for all who followed after Him.  Jesus' comment to his frightened disciples reminds us that God works behind the scenes: "Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed!" 

During the Lenten season, we prepare ourselves to serve God by reflecting on His bountiful grace and our own unworthiness. We intentionally try to remove any "fripperies" or distractions that might keep us from true worship.  But God does not deprive us of a meaningful life; it is God's desire that we might be vibrantly alive, fully aware of our possibilities. God has big dreams for us, and He wants us to fulfill them!

It may surprise you but many people do not have any dreams beyond satisfying their daily needs.  They go from activity to activity, from home to job to recreation, without ever formulating a long term goal or dream. But this is not God's will!  What are He places dreams in our hearts, if we will only take time to look at them, and not be distracted by what seems "possible" or "feasible." Maybe you are old, and think your dreaming days are over. It's too late to choose a career, find a mate, or become famous! But God calls us to make a difference no matter what age we are. I recently became involved with the Ophelia Project, which provides mentors for high school girls, encouraging them to achieve, to dream big, and fulfill their dreams. I don't have any particular ability in this area, but I am trusting God to show His love and His encouragement through me (without words, because no preaching in school, of course.) What are God's dreams for you? DREAM BIG!       - ​Blessings, Pastor Randa

]]>Sun, 13 Aug 2023 02:36:30 GMThttp://communitychurchdhs.org/our-blog/what-is-the-place-of-sinners-in-the-churchSome years ago, I preached a sermon that addressed Christ’s teaching on the subject of divorce. In it, I stated that, although Jesus does regard divorce as wrong, and against God’s expressed intention for the marriage relationship, it falls within the same category as so many other kinds of sin; gossip, judgmentalism, greed, failure to tithe, bitterness, drunkenness, failure to attend worship regularly, etc.  As a failure to live up to the full commandment of God, divorce, and indeed all sin, must be acknowledged and repented, in God’s forgiveness may be known.

I was astonished at the number of people who said that this message had spoken to them, especially at those who had not been divorced. But perhaps this is not so strange, for I believe that all Christians struggle with the issues of sin and restoration as they strive to become more Christlike each day.

Much of Paul’s writings in the book of Romans deal with the problem of sin, grace, and restoration.  We know that we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his work on the cross is sufficient to pay the penalty for our sin.  We know that we cannot DO anything to make us more acceptable to God. Still, we do not take God’s grace lightly or casually.  We have Biblical standards to uphold, standards of purity, holiness, and moral character.  We strive to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received being completely humble and gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Eph 4:1-2)

But we inevitably fail.  Clearly, the Scriptures make it plain that each of us falls into that category, for “all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)   Whether big or little, sin is sin in God’s eyes.  Jesus said that we are to “be perfect, even as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48)  There is no such thing as “almost perfect.”

One accusation that the world levels at the Church is that “hypocrites” are to be found there.  People who talk about being holy and good, but are actually failing to live up to holy standards in their personal lives, are welcomed at Church. So the question arises, “What is the place of sinners in the Church?” (I mean the organized Church, really, the Church is the people.)  But should sinners be allowed to attend worship, serve in missions, teach classes, lead worship? Is their giving acceptable to the Lord? Are their prayers effective?  Peter says that the prayers of a man who is inconsiderate of his wife are hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)  James writes, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more quickly.” Yet immediately following are the words, “We all stumble in many ways.” (James 3:1-2)   Paul writes that he does not judge anyone, or even himself, in regard to trustworthiness as a servant of Christ, and warns them not to judge others. (1 Cor 4:1-5) But one chapter later, Paul tells this same group of people that he has already passed judgment on a sinner in the church, and that they must put such a one out of fellowship.  What a contradiction! What did Paul mean?

The Jews practiced excommunication, although more of a social than religious ostracism, as the temple was still open to the person. The synagogue was the center of community life, where discussion, debate, and teaching occurred.  I believe that Paul was speaking of this social kind of fellowship, when he said in effect, “Don’t hang out with such a person or practice similar behavior.” Or when he said “Don’t eat with such a one.” In the culture of Jesus’ time, and Paul’s, there were “in-groups” and “out-groups.” The “in-group, rooted in kinship and its extensions (friendships, workmates, patronage, etc.) is always to be supported, respected, and given loyalty.  The “out-group,” (all other persons) simply doesn’t count.  Often they may be treated as a different species.  (Bruce Malina, Windows on the World of Jesus, p 47)

What, then, is the place of sinners in the Church? I believe that the evidence shows that the Church, the house of worship, is open to all who seek to love and serve the Lord, no matter how imperfectly. God doesn’t limit His acceptance to those who are perfect in deed, but receives all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.  He would rather have one sinner trying to serve, than ten who only observe and criticize!  The Bible is full of imperfect saints who strive, and fail, and strive again, and God is pleased with them. (Abraham, David, Peter, James, John, Paul, etc.)  Let us follow in their footsteps!


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