Christians in America in churches in peril.

“No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light."

Thats Luke 11:33. I read this and I think instantly, the majority of American Christians. So career driven and future oriented and let's go to church every Sunday morning and start the week off by hiding what light they have under a roof. With fancy walls and busy parking lots. So devoid of real faith and Holy Spirit it makes real believers want to go in there and turn those places upside down with truth. They call it worship. Singing some trendy Christian hit with other middle uppers not realizing how far down this train will go. Lets buy 5 dollar coffee and give Jesus and God and all that some face time. Giving just enough time and money and resources to make a difference, but metrics and cost driven. The Holy Spirit does not need a branding strategy and catchy slogan on Sunday to render God his due. Get the hell out of church already. The harvest is great. Your light's are all together doing little good on the Gospel's reality for the lost and where these people can be found today. They are everywhere and all around in places you avoid and not, in your church

It took almost 300 years for the first known church building to be built. We call it that while they did not. They ate there often together and hung out talking life and love and all things Jesus. No bible yet. That would be another 100 years and in a different language anyway. There were equal economies between members, all without want...far cry from that when most the popular Christians today seem to be in Mega-churches that fundraise for Christ somehow. Give your money to someone else to do something for Gods Kingdom? Where is that in the Bible as a church model? There is more happiness in giving...and doing. In the 300 years real believers did not build a church, Americans have built over 400,000. That is more than all the hotels/motels and restaurants and convenience stores combined!

What did early believers know that these Joel Osteen loving pastor driven, itchy eared Christians do not? Its who they do not know. The Holy Spirit. Without it, it is not church. It's a social event for those seeking to appear faithful, but not having, real faith. Here is why. It's not a relationship with a Savior who they know as if there was not a single building called a church ever to attend. I Wonder where those 5,000 and then 3,000 who believed and got baptised went the following Sunday? I wonder if they all hid their lights under a roof somewhere and gave their 10%? What they did do was minister. Being called out of the world, to be the light and salt and Jesus here when He was not.

What is church? Technically:
1577 ekklēsía(from 1537 /ek, "out from and to" and 2564 /kaléō, "to call") – properly, people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – i.e. the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom.

[The English word "church" comes from the Greek word kyriakos, "belonging to the Lord" (kyrios). 1577 /ekklēsía ("church") is the root of the terms "ecclesiology" and "ecclesiastical."]

Who is it? Accurately. Two or more in His name. He said that and built the church with bodies and not bricks, with ministry and not masonry. It is living and breathing and only by The Holy Spirit is empowered and driven.

Where is your personal light shining? When is the last time you approached a stranger, being led by God to do so? When is the last time you went out of your way to go find someone in need? Where is your light shining on Sunday?

my dad and me

I was born a hard head. I believe this. I know it to be true. Stubborn and let me find out the hard way because I am just like you were. I did not know that then. Neither did he. Or he did. Either way, life is not a circle but things sure come round. Just like my love for my dad. I see a blend of fragility and strength within him that makes his vulnerability beautiful. I wish I would have spent a lot more time loving him than leaving him. All alone with mom and a lot of stories about me that I cannot change. But today, the truth of what loves is prevails. I know they love me and it took me coming around, not them, to know this. I always took faith, personal. Now I do not. I just miss my dad and would hold him like a baby tonight.

I am always on time nowadays. I believe my dad had keys to every Kingdom Hall he ever entered. He is so solid like that. I believe he wanted to be the first in and probably still so, so he can give more of himself. I remember winter was basically me being frozen unless I was at home, because dad liked to get up early enough to literally, hear the rooster crow. His leather hands and sweat and blood paid for that dirt. That morning trumpet from the Lord, letting him know what his purpose was. Get up and raise this family with the hands I gave you.." I believe my dad can build and fix and diagnose damn near anything I ever saw. That, or he sold it, taking a loss and calling it a gain. I love him for that. It has always been his way of giving back. It took me over thirty years to figure that out.

Wisdom is found in grey hair. It is also found in scars and tattoos and doing a lot more listening then talking. In my last few years, I have found silence in listening now to the things my dad would say. His mind is turning grey. Really grey. The baby of the family can hear fear in my moms voice. Alzheimer's. I dont want to talk about that. From what I gave them in pain and at least what has to be some pretty epic stories around those Colorado campfires, my parents, they returned to me in purpose. In the content of character that made my dad honest till the wheels fell off. Unless it was about a car he used to have. Those grew in horsepower and speed. I hope he remembers them all, just that way.

I wonder what people would think if I said this: My favorite memory with and of my dad? I have to be honest. Me and him and my brother Dale went to a bar in Wellington Colorado years ago. They had karaoke and pool and Long Islands. He knew what he was doing. It was the last time we were all together like that. That's the only time I ever got intoxicated with my dad like that. He was singing along with my version of "You never called me by my name", sitting next to his other boy, singing as loud as he could, and we were happy. That memory will always make me laugh, Or cry. Life is not a circle. It might come around, but it is only, right now.

Your best life now.

It is true. You can have your best life now. Now is all you or I have right now, every second ticking by these days it seems we as a nation are falling apart; Not just here. Everywhere. There is an anxiety beginning to grip aspects of our lives that are becoming too difficult to ignore. ISIS is going global and Putin and Russia are in Crimea and now too fighting in Syria where the UK and USA and Russia and Turkey and now enter NATO into the plan and that's just the proxy war. North Korea/South Korea. The South China Sea dispute. Borders of the world are seeing a mass migration not seen since...WWII. What is going on? Lets keep it real. Just considering things militarily/geopolitically everywhere it is chaos at best and the struggle of nations to not overcome the human and historical embrace of war and death is knocking on the door. I can feel it. You can too. This and the economy and unfunded liabilities and the price of oil and violence beginning to creep in as the norm all over the news...This is not all going to end well. And I am an optimist. But remember, you can have your best life now.

You shall become sheep amidst wolves and they will hate you on account of the name of JESUS. But remember, you can have your best life now. But it needs to be right now. I never talk obedience and 'get right with God' and repentance but the Church is screaming this message in unison at the top of their lungs and I would be a fool myself to not listen and declare. It falls silent upon the ears of many, who are bound to be prosperous now and build their castles and inheritance upon this land that is sand in the eyes of our Lord and Creator. Now is the time for abandon and repentance and fasting and prayers unending for the end draws near. Your best life now, and my best life now is well spent drawing nearer to Jesus Christ on an individual, personal and intimate basis. Act as if it is only He and you alone in this world at times. He alone makes this relationship real. We feel Him, when He fills us from within. Without this relationship, you will be deceived into taking the 'mark of the beast'. The deception when the Anti-Christ arrives on the scene is an act of God, not Satan. It will be the great sword of truth that divides left from right, right from wrong. Everything will be vastly different after that.You can have, your best life now.

I think of the Samaritan woman at Jacobs well, encountering "living waters", that were the very words of Jesus. His, words...eternal life changing our destiny and destination. She proved that when she abandoned her water pail and ran to her village. Her words of testimony saved that whole village. Jesus words...read them often with intent. Not Romans or Revelation or Leviticus as much as you do The Gospel. They are the words of The Father spoken through the Son by the power of The Holy Spirit that belongs to the Father. They have power. The Bible is Gods word. The Gospel, is the living Word, and the more we read this, the more alive we become. Shortly after Jesus death, what saved and rocked the entire globe? Testimony and Holy Spirit. There was no John 3:16 to put on a poster. They spoke of what He said and what He did and who He was and why He came. Simple truths changed everything because the Holy Spirit had no obstacle. Today I believe, His words hold that same power, providing we have the same faith. Our testimony becomes, the word and work of Christ through us. Seek His waters and speak of them often and relentlessly. You can have your best life now.

Pray and do. Read and hear. I desperately want to have my best life now. Right now. Truth is knowledge is life. His wisdom is necessary for our best life now. It is becoming much more about abandon, obedience and prayer. The pursuits of this world, whatever they are, either draw us nearer or enhance the chasm between us and our Savior. He came to SAVE us. There is evil and darkness and separation and an eternity without His love and hope and grace ahead and it is real. I for my part and going to do what I say in these words today. That is what His Church would do in a time like this. Draw closer to Him and His love and protection. And closer to His Church family. He seeks to deliver us into His glory above in an eternity we cannot fathom or comprehend. It will be the best life then. Your best life now, is His life within you today. Your best life now, is not yours at all.