The Power in Loving Your Church

 There is power in loving your church. The future of your church depends on how you care about it now. If you love your church, you will do all you can to see it succeed. It will cause you to actually do something progressive to help your church in its time of need. And yes, love hurts. 

         As a pastor, it breaks me to see failing moments occur in our churches. Whether it be programs not reaching their full potential, brothers and sisters in Christ struggling, or any other rift in our ministries; my love for progress and success through Christ in our churches motivates me to do all I can to help turn what seems bleak to a bright triumphant moment for our church.

 

A People of Worship – Through Giving

 How can we be a people of worship in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of a crisis, or when we are simply uncertain of what our futures hold? One way it through our giving. Giving puts our faith to a true test in the middle of a storm. Across the United States, and other areas of the world, I have heard and read from pastors of the decline in offerings in our churches. The International Offices of the Church of God of Prophecy have also seen a significant decline in harvest partner (missions) offerings. We have been programmed that church has to happen a certain way; and therein lies the problem. We shouldn’t be “doing church”, we should be worshipping.

Healthy Churches are Giving Churches

 Often when I think about giving, I am reminded of an analogy: “How can God bless us if our hands are clinched, clinging onto all we have?” He can’t. However, if our hands are open, freely giving what we have, then our hands are open to receive what God wills.

In an article published by the International Missions Board, David Platt states: “A healthy church by its very definition, will create other healthy churches.[1]” As a part of the larger corporate body of the Church of God of Prophecy, we have a mission to support the work of the church around the world. By our faithful giving as members of the church, in both tithes and offerings, the faithful churches of this body are able to give to the corporate structure that goes on to help build other healthy churches. While what we think is small and will not matter, in the hands of our God goes forth to be a great sum combined with our family of faithful stewards.

Sent Forth

In John chapter seven verse two, Jesus on the eighth day of the feast of tents or tabernacles, stands up and he proclaims “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” This scripture opens up an amazing thought of where the Holy Spirit is leading the church. Too often we have used this scripture as we pray for those who are seeking the gift of tongues. When instead of seeking the gift of tongues we need to be seeking the giver and listening to the heart of the one who is leading. The Holy Spirit does not want us to place him on a pedestal, his work is to honor, and glorify the one who was sent, Jesus Christ. We as the church, rooted in Pentecostal tradition, need to remember and ensure that our ways of worship bring reverence, honor, and point to the savior whom the Holy Spirit came to glorify. 
 

Facing the Future- The Relevant Church

 Have we become an irrelevant church in a world that progresses by the minute? I do not say that to imply that our message is irrelevant, as the message of Christ will always be relevant in every life and in every church. We use too many excuses to explain why our churches are small. I once heard a church member say the “small church” was God’s plan for the Church of God of Prophecy. Do we really believe that? Looking into the future, the existence of the Church of God of Prophecy is largely in the hands of the local churches and their desire to be relevant churches. Large corporations such as Apple, Google, and Amazon became relevant in our society because they adapted to trends and met the needs of their customers. These three companies did not reach the top four market cap companies by sitting idly by, waiting for increase. I recently visited a church for their services, and my senses - the sights, the smells, and the things I heard - told me I had stepped back in time 30 years. How can we face the future, when we are already behind?