Holes

"We’ve got a plague of holes in our theology, holes in our worship, and holes in the thinking of the folks in our churches. Holes in our mission, holes in in our witness, we have good intentions but a glance at our efforts show that something is missing. Is it love? Is it faith? Is it compassion? Or is the secret truth that we hate HIM? Is it energy? Vitality? Are we equipped to see reality? Is the simple truth that the church folk are happy and unconcerned with the plight of the unredeemed? Do you go to church once a week just to see and be seen!? While God is still on mission, and God is still omniscient, are we satisfied stuffing our own faces on religion?"- Quest-boogie, Quest-ions

Church boy sits in weekly service, and listens to repetitive expressions that we use in our gatherings to describe and honor our King, our LORD, and our redeemer. Listening in, I can’t help but ask the question . . .is this it?


Is this what the preacher tries to convince me to give my time, talents, and treasures to support? Is this the purpose of the church? Is this all I can expect from the God they told me about? Is all that I can expect from the faith, just 2 hours on a Sunday morning, most of it wasted with mundane chatter, listless "worship", low views of both God and scripture? Is our structure so removed from the God that we were told about that we breed people who go through the motions of worship service without engaging God in worship or others in service? Is this what Christ dwelled among us for? Is this the call of ministry, rhetoric? Are we content with a "Christianity" without Christ, community or compassion? Historic articles of faith without action. "Worship" without wonder? Religion without relationship?

I hear us describe the infinite, omniscient, holy, God who created heaven and earth, as "alright", merely "good all the time", "my homie" and any other number of distorted cliches.

How dare we reduce the incomprehensible God with whom all things are possible to an understatement? How dare we allow ourselves to hold and propagate such a low view of GOD? Have we really encountered his goodness? Do we really comprehend the value of His finished work? Is there anything of substance to our faith or is God just the stuff of cliches or is he more?

Church boy listens to our praise and our worship and observes our impact, or lack there-of, in our communities and remembers Fredrick Douglas' critique of the church,

"A worship that can be conducted by persons who refuse to give shelter to the house less, to give bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and who enjoin obedience to a law forbidding these acts of mercy, is a curse, not a blessing to mankind. The Bible addresses all such persons as "scribes, pharisees, hypocrites, who pay tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith." from Fredrick Douglas', What to the Negro is the 4th of July?

Is this us? Have we substituted being "wise" and common sense for being loving to our neighbor?

Are we truly concerned with the being witnesses to His worth and His person? Are we living as disciples, or merely engaging in self-centered entertainment? I want more! or is that less?

"We've got holes in our search and, holes in our purpose, holes in the revolving doors of our churches."

I wonder, is the reason that we aren't as effective as we could be is because we've erected barriers to the faith? Are we so consumed with programs, busy-work and professionalism, that we've lost sight of the gospel, community, life together, and maturity? Have we organized the organism into a static robot of status and structure? Have we lost sight of our purpose as the redeemed people of God in the world? Are we wasting the time instead of redeeming it? Are we waiting for the return of the Lord before we begin living in obedience? Are we really going to hide in a dark world without living a public faith that touches life where it happens. WE CAN BE MORE!

In the times where life slows down some, a sneaking suspicion peeks through the calm that there is a life that is more intentional, more selfless, more sacrificial, more loving and more authentic, "The good life".

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my soul, beats a desire for something less complicated, less busy, less shallow, less self-absorbed, "The good life". I want less waste and more life, less redundant, more abundant, LIFE less complicated, more simple. A life of loving God passionately, loving others sincerely, loving the body deeply, is that less? Is it more? Is it the key to plugging the, holes?

Consumed with the Commission

-II Timothy 2:15-

15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

-II Timothy 4:1-4-

1I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

-Need-

There is a tremendous need in the world for men who have by diligence and faithful service and focused study are well equipped with the tools to accurately handle, present, and communicate the word of God.

There is a huge need among the nations for truth to be proclaimed with faithfulness and boldness to a world who have seen inaccurate glimpses of God. There are many who have been turned away from or who now turn a deaf ear to discussions of religion, or more specifically God because those who claimed to be ambassador's of God have actually misrepresented God and instead have presented their fallen selves to a world seeking real answers.

Those who are in sin who are content to offend God need the truth of God to be lovingly and rightly communicated to them and thus,

In the church, there is a need for sound doctrine to be proclaimed from pulpits across the world.

-Contextually speaking-

Timothy's mentor, his disciple maker, the apostle Paul is writing to one whom he loves as a son, one who was entrusted with the spiritual condition of a some people older, more mature, more established in the faith, one left to be a shepherd. In writing to Timothy, Paul gives the exhortation to study the word of God, not just as an intellectual exercise, but for the purpose of rightly dividing, chopping up the word of God skillfully and accurately. Paul also gives in context the exhortation to preach the Word of God faithfully both when its convenient and when it isn't, again NOT for an intellectual exercise, not just to be a cultural irritant, but because in light of the coming storm, Timothy knows that as capricious that the culture is, people will still NEED truth. Because no matter if truth is in vogue or not, truth is always in season. Paul tells Timothy to study to show yourself approved a workman who needs not to be ashamed RIGHTLY dividing the word of truth (caps mine). Not only that though, but to also preach the Word at all times because in the end, people won't hear it. He says that in the last days, men will not want to hear the true, objective Word of God, but in the last days individuals will be intellectually and morally dishonest, so much so, that they will gather to themselves teachers to reinforce their own fleshly desires, they will heap teachers who will tell them that NOW you can live your best life.

-The Commission-

Its been a few years since the Lord called me out, put me on front street for the purpose of proclaiming HIS written and spoken word to a people who are surrounded by a culture that is attacking the core of their foundational beliefs. The task is just as urgent now as it has ever been.

To both study and proclaim at all times the word of God, to accurately share the word of God to a people who may or may not have ears tuned to what God has to say.

In a day where Oprah's heresy and other "ministers'" pop psychology, self help, man centered theologies are running rampant with little or no public rebuke, there is a necessity for those called of God to be trained in the things of God, by men who have proven themselves faithful men, not wavering, not backing down, not evolving away from the Truth of God.

-The Need-

Or should I say the needs are plenty:

-Pray that God would open doors for His men to get the word out.

-Pray that God would open financial doors for myself to be better equipped with the Word of God.

-Pray that God would burden more men with the need for sound education in the text, the interpretation, the communicating, the application of His word.

-Pray for the fellowship in the body of Christ to grant grace one to another.

-Pray that those who are in seminaries and bible colleges are not discouraged by the financial toll that education costs.

-Support a seminarian with your prayers, your support, and your wisdom.

-Pray for the educators that their mission of training young men and women in the WORD of God would continue to motivate and drive them to excellence.

-Pray that seminary students would have the courage to walk out their faith in a mature, missionary way.

In Christ

Rev. Smith