One Pastor's Perspective

Long story short, a couple of days ago I stumbled upon a discussion of a well-known pastor and some issues he is experiencing right now.  The discussion quickly fell into a discussion of how you cannot trust pastors, most pastors are in it for the money, the concept of tithing is an invention of the organized church to scam the public out of money, and the discussion continued to sink lower.  I did not know all of those involved in this discussion.  I can imagine that some of them were once involved in churches and had been burned.  Some might have never been involved, but had read news headlines and evaluated messages of pastors and formed their opinions around those (as is our nature to do) and really did not understand what a church should be about and what our obligations, as disciples of Christ, are towards God and towards each other.  I guess I could say many of the opinions and passions expressed might be different if these folks were actively involved with a church family, but perhaps that is not mine to judge …

I cannot speak for all pastors.  I cannot speak for any pastor whom I do not know personally.  And, I guess ultimately, I can only speak for myself in some of these matters.  But I can assure anyone who reads this that all pastors are not the same.

Through my serving churches in Greer, SC, New Orleans, LA, and Florence, SC, I can attest to the fact that there are many men and women in ministry who strive to be ethical and people of strong character.  Most of the ministers I know do not do this for the money.  Some might have left careers in financially rewarding fields (like myself and the industry of Information Technology) to follow a call God placed on their lives.  Many of these men and women are not highly paid, do not live in fancy houses or drive the newest cars.  And that is quite alright!!  They are still some are the richest people I know because they have realized there is more to life than a bank balance and stuff.

Some struggle.  Some struggle with the emotional stress of helping parishioners with massive problems, preparating for teaching and preaching times, keeping things rolling at their respective churches, visiting the sick and comforting the bereaved, being everything they can possibly be for those they were called to serve, and trying on top of all of that to be the right leader of their family everyday.  They feel torn when they have to leave their family at a moments notice, over and over again, to answer the call.

Honestly, many struggle with financial issues.  But no one wants to hear that.  They struggle with unreal expectations that will be impossible to meet.  They struggle with people who compare them to the last guy, or the next guy, or the guy across town, or the next comparison (whomever that might be).  They struggle with the loneliness of the job, the feeling of being ostracized from social functions BECAUSE of who they are.  They struggle to serve their congregation effectively while their own family members struggle and suffer hours away.

I do not write all of this to receive pity or to make anyone angry.  I am simply asking you to pray for your pastors and ministers.  And realize that all pastors are not alike.  Truth is, every pastor faces issues … Temptations … Struggles.

If you attend a church, do not take your pastors for granted.  You probably have a true gem and do not even realize it.  If you do not attend church, realize that almost all of the pastors around you are fine, upstanding, ethical men and women who want nothing more than to help you know and grow in Christ.

And when they make a mistake, PRAY FOR THEM.  There has only been ONE perfect man to ever walk this earth.  And we crucified Him … So ……..

Matthew 7: 1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Exactly what do you think Jesus was saying when He spoke these words on the Sermon on the Mount?  Do we really care to understand??

I believe it is important for every follower of Christ to be aware.  Aware of our surroundings.  Aware of those in our lives and perhaps where they stand with Christ.  A little farther down in Matthew 7, Jesus said we will know (our leaders) by their fruit.  I think the same rule applies to our friends, to our families.  To anyone we know, especially if we know them well.  If you are living for Christ, others SHOULD be able to see Him in you.  And vice versa.

So, Jesus told us not to judge.  Not to be judgmental.  I think He is pleading with us to NOT follow our hearts, our human instincts, and speak poorly about those around us who fail.  To drag someone through the mud when they make a mistake.  By the way, EVERYONE makes mistakes.  But it is in our nature to do judge.  Especially if it might be one with whom we do not agree.  We sit back.  We wait.  And, when certain people fail, we yell it from the mountaintops, as if to say “I TOLD YOU SO!!!”  Friends, that is just wrong.

The funny thing (it’s not really funny) about this is, when someone takes an opportunity to pronounce judgment on another, life usually has a way of bringing that back around.  You see, we all make mistakes.  NONE of us is perfect.  And it might just be by the grace of God that you and I are surviving right now!!  Galatians 6 warns all of us to not be deceived.  We will reap what we sow!!

Our nation has been through several heart-breaking, life-shattering situations just in the past four days.  Our passions tempt us to jump to conclusions and speak words that might bring us momentary relief.  But those same words might do far more damage to others than we can imagine.

Perhaps, instead of sitting in the seat Judgey  McJudgerson (name credited to my favorite Jedi, Sandra King), we should just LOVE and PRAY.  I KNOW that is what JESUS would do.  What He wants US to do.  And, I’ll bet if you know Him, you know that as well.

I’ve spent wayyy too much time on social media in the past few days.  One theme I see over and over is the fact that we DO live in a broken world, and it is a world that desperately needs change.  AGREED!!!  Some of my brothers and sisters in Christ even go so far to remind everyone that this world DESPERATELY needs Jesus.  Again, AGREED!!!  (And, I want to ask:  How are YOU sharing Him with this world?  But that’s another blog for another day.)

So, we all agree that we need change.  Who is going to do it??  Our favorite political candidates?  Activist organizations?  Our military?  Our police?  WHO will take the reigns and initiate the change we so desperately need?

Interestingly enough, another theme I’ve picked up on the last couple of days is the idea that we need to be TRUE to our friends.  Reminders that those who talk bad about others to us will probably speak ill of us to others.  That is a CHARACTER issue.  You can be sure that one is true as well.  It is in our human nature to highlight the flaws of others in hopes of diverting attention from our own shortcomings.  (Seldom works, but it makes us feel better about our imperfections, so we do it anyway.)

So, here we are … WHO WILL STOP THE RAIN??

The ONLY WAY this world will change is FOR US TO BE THE CHANGE.  CHRISTIAN, THAT MEANS TO BE EXACTLY WHAT WE SAY WE ARE.  Exactly what Jesus Christ calls us to be.  People of LOVE.  People of GOD.  People of CHARACTER.  Careful with our words about others.  Careful with our actions towards others.  And liberal.  LIBERAL WITH OUR LOVE!!!  LIBERAL WITH OUR LOVE FOR GOD and LIBERALLY LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR.

Yes, this conservative Southern Baptist pastor is BEGGING YOU TO BE LIBERAL.  Heck, WASTEFUL with your love!!!  LOVE EVERYONE, EVEN IF THEY DO NOT DESERVE IT!!  EVEN IF THEY’VE SPOKEN ILL OF YOU!!  EVEN IF THEY’VE SET THEMSELVES AGAINST YOU AS AN ENEMY!!

SHOW THEM THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST!!!!

BE THE CHANGE!  And watch what it does to our world!!!!!!

(Sorry for all of that yelling)

Put on your thinking caps . . . Close your eyes and answer this . . . If God walked into the door right now, how would He look?  God walks in the door … Who do you see?

Some see a kindly, older gentleman . . . Pair of khakis, golf shirt, jacket, maybe wearing glasses and a cap. Maybe even smoking a stogie.   A grandfatherly figure, much like the one George Burns portrayed in the “Oh God” movies. A kind, benevolent God who is very much misunderstood . . . Loving.  Forgiving.  All-embracing.

Some might see an older man in a long flowing white robe with a long beard. He bears a striking resemblance to Father Time. He is watching and waiting, looking for the right time to unveil the rest of His plan for all creation.

Some even see a vengeful and angry God, perched high upon His throne, watching like a hawk with a bloody sword in hand. Ready to punish evil-doers and having little to no mercy on those who sin.

Who do you see?

Voltaire said: “If God made us in His image, we have certainly returned the compliment.”

In other words, we have forgotten that we were created in His image, and have tried to re-create Him in our image . . . To make Him something that fits our expectations, our lifestyles . . . To have a convenient, comfortable God who never challenges us, who is there at our beck-and-call, and who is NOT there when we don’t want Him to be.

Is this what He intended when He created us in His image?

Some freely admit they don’t exactly know what to think, BUT The fact that we are created in the image of God brings us to the sanctity of human life.  That, above all other life forms, human life should be revered.

What does this mean to you?

In Genesis 1, God said “Let us make humanity in Our image.” Ancient Hebrews would have understood, at this point, God is the ONLY AUTHORITY on earth.  The human race would be caretakers of this earth.  WE would be stewards.  WE are responsible of this place.

To be made in the image of God means that we bear an extreme likeness to God . . . However, we are not God.  We are not deified, we are not gods, but we do reflect the divine nature within our humanity.  And only the human race is described as being made in God’s image.

The image of God is so basic to mankind’s structure that the Fall into sin did not destroy it.  Sin has spoiled it . . . sin blurred it . . . But men and women remain as reasoning, moral, creative creatures.  Still intended to have dominion over the earth.

ALL of us.

The implications are many, and they are DEEP:

• There is something special about the human race
• We should hold human life in highest regard
• This goes back to the very beginning, and transcends any lines of nationality, race, social status, etc.

When a child is the spittin’ image of a father or mother, that child is a reflection of the parent. Sometimes a child can look like both  That child is a reflection . . . You can look into that child’s face and see the face of the parents.

THAT is what is so special about the human race.  We are God’s creation . . . There is something about every one of us that should reflect the face of God.

Not saying that God has eyebrows . . . arms . . . legs . . . a body, roughly six feet tall with ten fingers and toes.

There is something about who He is that is bound up in who we are.

This is why life is so incomplete for one who does not know Christ.  The world discourages this kind of talk, but this explains the God-shaped void in our hearts.

At the end of it all, two things stand out:

1. Any person who does not know Christ will NEVER be complete, will NEVER be happy until they have a relationship with God.  They will never know true happiness and completion until they have asked Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
2. Every Christian has the charge to reflect the image of our Savior, Lord, and Creator in our lives . . .

In how we live.  In how we love.  In how we handle adversity, such as those we face as Americans today.  Even in how we celebrate victory.

LITERALLY in EVERYTHING we do.

Many things can be said about being made in the Image of God, but the MOST VITAL IS THIS: EVERYONE in the world should be able to look at us and see HIM.

YOU need to know:

• You are created in His image
• He desires a relationship with you
• He wants to save you from your sins
• But, He gives that choice to YOU

WE WERE MADE TO DO THESE THINGS.

Because we were made in the Image of God.

We humans are amazing creatures.  Capable of great accomplishment, unimaginable love and grace.  And capable of destruction beyond compare.  Beyond reason.

Sometimes we fail to realize those things of which we are capable.  Sometimes we fail to realize the great things we do, the terrible things we do, and everything in between.  And, sometimes, we know all too well what we are doing and upon whom we are inflicting pain.

Our world teaches us to live and let die.  Get the other guy before he gets you.  Survive, thrive, succeed, and do it all at the expense of others (or, at least at the expense of those for whom we have no love).   Human nature moves us to do things that keep others down and make us feel better about ourselves.

And NONE of these things have any place in the Kingdom of God.  Jesus really did say it is all about love!!  Love GOD with all that we are, Love EACH OTHER (our neighbor, our enemy, and everyone in between) with THE SAME KIND OF LOVE, and that we should love the world so much that we are willing to BE the difference.  We are willing to LIVE A CUT ABOVE the world.  We really are called to a higher calling, a higher standard than the world.  When the world looks at us, they should see something different.

Yes, we really should look DIFFERENT from the world.  Set apart.  Holy.  And, if we do not, we are doing something wrong!!!

I spoke with a friend a few days ago whose family was facing something unimaginable.  Something horrible.  One of those things about which our worst nightmares are made.  It was a situation in which his family would have every right to hate with a white-hot hatred the man who inflicted this pain upon them.  And God is leading my friend to lead his family to put down the hate.  To forgive.  This young man, this young Christian has figured something out:  When we HATE, when we allow things like this, like envy, like jealousy to invade our lives, those things will eat us up from the inside out.  One of the greatest freedoms we can know is to FORGIVE, even when another doesn’t seek forgiveness.  When we hold a grudge, it will separate us from God.

When we forgive (especially when forgiveness doesn’t seem warranted), we are loving with God’s kind of love.  We are loving with the same kind of love that took Jesus to His cross to bear our sins.  A love which we did not deserve.

When we love with that kind of love, we are BEING the salt and light that Jesus Christ called His church to be.  And one more thing:  You really don’t have to tell ANYONE you are doing this:  When you love this way, HIS LIGHT will be seen brightly in it all.

Live and let live!!!

Our world is changing at a break-neck pace.  Social media has been a huge player in this change, even changing the ways we relate to each other.  One change of which I am not a fan is the ever-popular social media “disagreement.”  I believe it has influenced our society in a tremendous way.  In an extremely negative way.

It plays out in disagreements over sports teams (professional teams, college, and even high school and little league athletics).  It drifts into political discussions (of which I am convinced should be done more face-to-face and less in the one-dimensional world of the internet.)  And it is a heavy player in the ever popular court of public opinion and being politically  correct.

And here we are.  We have become a world that cannot handle the thought that our friends could possibly disagree with us.  We cannot conceive that others might have another opinion or idea about areas in which we are most passionate.  And we become less and less able to walk away, and more likely to pick a fight and then lose a friend.  WHAT HAVE WE BECOME??

I learned a long time ago that opinions are like noses … Every one has at least one, and each one is a little different.  And I might not agree on everything with my friends.  AND THAT IS OKAY.  If I only seek friends who agree with me on everything in life, life would be boring and uneventful.

Yes, my friends, it is fine to actually care about and love those who are not just like me.  Who perhaps do not agree with me on everything I believe.  And I do not have to change them.  And I do not have to force them into a mold of my making.  (TRUE CHANGE is a work of the Holy Spirit.  If there is a spiritual issue at hand, the best thing I can do is LOVE, show them Christ and allow HIM to work on them.  And resolve myself to NOT be a hindrance to that.)

Even two giants in the early church, Paul and Barnabas, disagreed over a situation so sharply that they had to part ways (read about it in Acts 15).  But they agreed to disagree and God used BOTH of them to build His kingdom.

You and I decide how we respond.  How we get along with others.  How much our pride will influence our lives, and how much we live at war… and at peace.

Romans 12:18 says “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Give peace a chance!!

It’s kind of funny … Well, not really.  You see a friend.  Someone you’ve missed at church.  You mention to them that you’ve missed them … (CATCH-22 alert!!!  If you DON’T say anything, they might get mad as well)  Anyway, you mention it and they immediately get defensive:  I had a headache … I just don’t feel welcomed … My dog ate my dress shoes …  The excuse really doesn’t matter.

Neither does perfect attendance!!  (WHAT?!?!?  Wait …)  Does St. Peter have his heavenly iPad out to keep your record of church attendance??  Will you be asked about that when you approach the proverbial Pearly Gates??  (How did my dog swallow an entire pair of shoes???)

WHAT DOES IT MATTER?

In my opinion (THIS and two dollars WILL buy you a cup of coffee at Bojangles), our attendance patterns DO NOT MATTER.  But THEY DO.  NO, no one in Heaven will likely ask you about your percentage of attendance.  But there is something deeper at stake here.  Something important.  Something with eternal consequence.

It’s not your ATTENDANCE that is the question, but what is your level of ENGAGEMENT with the Body of Christ?  Are you participating in what WE, THE CHURCH, are called to BE??  Are called to DO??  If you are … If you are plugging into a growing relationship with Christ, WILD HORSES CANNOT STOP YOU FROM BEING THERE!!!  You CRAVE time with other growing Christians.  The scary part about this is that we must make ourselves vulnerable when we do this.  We open ourselves up for accountability.  In turn, we need to be strong and help others.

It’s called BEING FAMILY.  Look it up.

Much like a guest speaker shared a few weeks ago at Ebenezer, IT IS A PRIVILEGE to serve GOD!!!  SHE IS RIGHT!!  If it is a chore to you, there is something wrong with your relationship.  Plain and simple.  Churches just like Ebenezer are purposed to be the FAMILY of GOD, the BODY OF CHRIST together.  To help each other.  To reach the lost.  To serve with all of our hearts.

DOES IT REALLY MATTER??  OF COURSE IT DOES!!  Do not fall for the lies … KNOW THE TRUTH!! HE WILL SET YOU FREE!!

There is absolutely nothing spectacular about my story.  Or, maybe there is?  I am a child of the King.  I believe with all of my heart that our individual stories might make an impact on another.  THAT is why we should be ready to share them when the time is right.  But there is nothing extraordinary about David Wike in these words at all.

I grew up in a home with a mom and dad who were both active in my life.  Both of them feared God and knew the value of a relationship with Him.  They made sure I was in church every time the doors were open.  And they talked about their faith in different ways.  Mom was much more vocal about the power of God in her life and in our lives.  Dad was more steady, but really didn’t talk about his faith much.  But there was no doubt that God was in charge.

As a high schooler and into college, I was a typical kid of the ’80s.  I did things that are definitely not worthy of pride (or mentioning here).  Acts of rebellion.  The same things most other guys my age were doing.  When I look back and think about those days, I realize there were several times when I was one left-turn away from falling into life-changing trouble.  Honestly, I have no idea why I am where I am today (except for the GRACE of GOD).  And the most striking thing about those times is the fact that I found NO ANSWER to life.  NO PEACE.  NO TRUE SATISFACTION.  Whatever the world was selling as happiness was NOT at the end of the path on which I walked.  It was empty.  Lonely.  And I didn’t have clue.  But, I met this girl …

She let me know pretty quickly that she wasn’t all about those answers the world was selling.  I worked to clean things up as best I could, because I knew there was something special about this girl!  (32 years later, I still believe there is something really special about her)

She had answers.  She had a peace.  I had to know more.  And, to make a really long story a little shorter, I realized one day that Jesus Christ was the answer!!! BUT WAIT:  I KNEW THAT ALREADY!!  Or so I thought.  I knew the answers.  I could play Biblical Trivia Pursuit and put the smartest people in the dust.  And it was then I learned there was a HUGE difference between HEAD knowledge and HEART knowledge.

My testimony is this:  KNOWING FACTS ABOUT JESUS REALLY IS NOT ENOUGH.  Everything clicked into place with a whole new meaning when I really MET Him for the first time.  When I really started pursuing that relationship that He was BEGGING me enter into for years.

And the best part???  I realized my efforts to clean myself up were meaningless.  And I didn’t need to do that.  Because He started reshaping me … Reforming me into what HE wanted me to be!  And I am a work in progress!!

Do I make mistakes??  Of course I do.  And He promised that if I will confess my sins He will forgive them.  Then He gives me the desire to WALK AWAY from them.  He gives me strength to do exactly what He wants me to do.  And He is so patient with me … Far better than I deserve.

There is NOTHING spectacular about David Wike in this story.  But Jesus Christ, HE IS THE STAR of this one!!  HE IS SPECTACULAR, even in spite of my shortcomings and failures.

And He can do the same for you …..

In 1 Samuel 8 (and following), the Children of Israel told Samuel (and God) that they wanted a KING!!  They had thought about it … ALL of their neighboring peoples had a king.  THEY WANTED A KING!!  God warned them, through Samuel, that they REALLY did NOT want a king.  That they were trading their freedom under God for tyranny.  They immediately replied “NOPE!!  WE WANT A KING!”  And God allowed them to have a king.  And He allowed them to suffer the consequences of their short-sightedness.

Where was the problem here???  The problem was the people decided they knew better than God.  They had a better plan.  They wanted what they wanted.  Period.

I see many parallels between this event and where we are as a nation.  Many of us have decided we have the ONLY plan for helping America to recover.  We are not asking God for His help.  We’ve got this one.

And, much like the Children of Israel in 1 Samuel, the truth is we are HEADED FOR DISASTER and TYRANNY if we are walking into this without God.  Pray for our nation.  We need God to intervene right now more than ever before.

In the Ebenezer pulpit yesterday we talked about really BEING the Body of Christ.  How it extends beyond our property lines.  How we are called to build the Kingdom of God alongside other like-minded people of our faith, such as Trinity Presbyterian across the way from us, and St Paul United Methodist, and so on …  At one point we were thinking about what it means to be a FAMILY at Ebenezer.  I went on a mini-tangent with NO IDEA that hours later I would see it unfold before my eyes!!

At Ebenezer, the word FAMILY … the very CONCEPT of FAMILY extends far beyond the nostalgic images the word FAMILY might conjure up in our hearts and minds.  It really does look a lot like the Acts 2 church.  When I wrote that sermon last week, I didn’t write that little mini-rant that came out of my mouth.  In fact, it was one of those things God put on my heart as I was in the pulpit.  It kind of came out at our 8:30 worship.  20 minutes after that worship service was over, I was standing in the Young SS Class room with a bunch of my friends learning that one of their member’s parents (who is ALSO a part of the EBC family) was missing.  It seemed some medical issues have clouded her judgment and she walked out of the house after everyone was asleep at some point the previous night or the next morning and no one knew where she was.  It struck home with me knowing how many times Dad tried to “escape” to get back to his three small children that lived in Greenville.  (That might’ve been the ONLY thing that was good about his being wheelchair-bound).

We prayed for that family in the 11:00 service, and afterward I watched Ebenezer mobilize.  We coordinated our efforts as best we could with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.  I saw how God had the RIGHT person on point, the RIGHT person coordinating the map and people, and I saw tons of Ebenezer people join with others in our community and give up a Sunday because we were hoping to find this dear lady.  There were around 150 volunteers with feet on the ground, and somewhere between 75-100 were being routed from the EBC Family Life Center.

We searched.  We prayed.  As we drove to our different search areas, we scanned the woods and back yards.  We had no idea how long she had been out and knew it had been cold and rainy in the early morning hours.  In the afternoon, it was mostly cold and windy.  We started realizing we were running out of daylight and she might’ve been running out of time.

God blessed us with a happy ending.  Our dear friend wasn’t far away and she actually walked back up into the circus that was the search.  It was frightening but that moment was wonderful.

On the other side of it all when the adrenaline stopped pumping, I realized that I had JUST SEEN the words of my sermon come true.  NOT because of anything I did … But because of what GOD is doing in the midst of His people at Ebenezer.  And in other churches.  In the midst of His people in Florence, He did something incredible and amazing.  As hard a day as that was, I am thankful for the result.  And thankful to be part of a people who love each other as much as I saw yesterday.