Roger

It’s a language spoken by those meshed into church culture.   “Churchy” Christians speak it fluently!   Let me illustrate. “I’m so glad I’m saved, regenerated and born again.   I appreciate His wonderful mercy and grace in my life.   Every day I seek His face, asking Him to meet every need of my life, as I place my hands in His nail-scarred hands.   I ask Him to lead, guide and direct me in His perfect will.    I plead the blood over all the details of my life.   I invite Him to daily convict me of my sin that I might experience His sanctifying grace.   I look forward to each and every Lord’s Day, when I gather with those of like-precious faith to lift up holy hands and to hear messages from God’s Holy Word.   I enjoy listening to the testimonies of God’s saints.   What about you?   Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb?” Did you enjoy the preceding cliché festival? I’m really not trying to poke fun at what I call “Chri...

I admit it.   I don’t like beer.   It’s not because I’ll go to hell in a hand basket if I drink it; I simply don’t like the taste of beer.   My choice of beverage is normally coffee.   Can I get an “AMEN?” Back when, I was taught that alcoholic beverages were a “no-no” for believers.   Our teetotaler theology was non-negotiable.   Some went so far as to say, “Real Christians avoid alcoholic drinks – period!”   I don’t know about that, but battle lines continue to be drawn. And I do know that if my wife and I appeared on Facebook eating dinner with a cold brew on our table, the subsequent backlash and tremors would measure at least 8.2 on the spiritual Richter Scale!   I feel my witness for the Lord would definitely be compromised.   That’s my conviction only! Before you chew your knuckles to the bone, remember that non-Christians often kid about buying their six-packs and getting wasted.   And before you chew your knuckles completely off...

It seems we’re always looking for something to celebrate.   Americans sure are party animals!   I get tickled at some of the celebrations: ·       National Chocolate Day (Yummy) ·       National Pierogie Day (for our Hungarian friends) ·       National Angel Food Cake Day (Can’t wait for Carrot Cake Day) ·       National Moldy Cheese Day (Really?) ·       National Fossil Day (That reminds me, I saw Godzilla with his size fifteens at Walmart the other day) ·       National Kick Butt Day (Go Cavs) ·       National Clergy Appreciation Day (I like this one) And of course, the potential celebrations run off the page.   Go ahead.   Celebrate to your heart’s content.   What celebratory days do you suggest for our daily national calendar?   If I may, let me suggest several calendar celebration...

Years ago my late friend, Dr. Richard Dobbins said, “ The primary role of the pastor is to “tend the flock” (shepherd). The secondary role of the pastor is to assist in the “healing of the saved’” (discipleship).     After we come to Christ, the question then becomes, “How much of the saved man will be saved?”   Let me explain. Salvation may be an event, but it is lived out in process.   I love how John Wesley explained it.   He said, “I’m saved, I’m being saved, and I shall be saved.”   Then why do we at times expect perfection from those who have been forgiven?   We are often known for giving others flack instead of cutting them slack! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says it this way: “ If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new .” Dr. Dobbins suggests the following parenthetical additions:   “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away (and continue to pass awa...