If you think it might be difficult working in a building with "too much heat" you should try being a pastor!
I feel kind of sorry for pastors. They have been called by God to feed His sheep and sometimes it seems like all they do is serve as objects of wrath from their congregations.
"The music is too loud."
"Why do we always have to have contemporary worship songs? What's wrong with hymns?"
I don't like the big screen. We've gotten along without it for 2000 years. Why change now?
"The pews are too hard."
"Your sermon ran two minutes long."
'Another sermon about tithing? Didn't you do one of those last year?"
It's one thing to pick on your pastor if he says something contrary to God's Word but he doesn't need to hear every little nit picking detail. We're not going to send him to jail over this stuff. Or are we?
Did you hear what happened in Canada last year?1 A pastor got arrested for calling homosexuality a sin. It's hate speech they said.
Well, that was just an isolated incident, right? Wrong. A pastor was arrested in Sweden for doing the very same thing - reading out of the Bible.2
So, where is all this going? In my opinion, in our current society of political correctness, where it is taboo to offend ANYONE, we will continue down our current path of censoring all those who speak out against ANY group of people, for fear of hurting them. Our pastors will face increasing persecution for their messages, should they not line up with what our government believes. We ourselves could be arrested for making statements of faith. Do you think I'm exaggerating? Do you think I am crazy?
Read the stories at the end of this blog post. The first one is about the mayor of Houston. She wants to review the messages delivered by area pastors. That's right. Proposed censorship by the government. And if you think it's just that one incident, remember when our current president wanted to censor conservative talk shows?3 The battle is here my friends. The battle has become real.
When you see your pastor this Sunday, give him a big hug and tell them how much you appreciate what he does. Then ask him this question. "If it was against the law to speak certain portions of God's Word on Sunday morning, would you continue to do so, regardless of the consequences?" If they answered yes, give them another hug and tell them you love them . . . before it is time for them to begin their prison ministry.
Jesus warns His followers during the Sermon on the Mount . . .
"11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." = Matthew 5:11
Jesus warns His disciples . . .
"16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." = Matthew 10:16-22
I believe we are in the last days, biblically speaking. These things that are happening today are all in God's Word. We have already been told these things will happen. And things are going to get worse. But there IS hope. There is a Light at the end of the tunnel. The Light's name is Jesus and He IS going to be making a visit. He is coming for His church.
Jesus talks about "The End of the Age" . . .
"9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Matthew 24:9-14
You know, we are all creatures of comfort. I complained when the temperature in our office reached the upper 70's. Yet, I have a job. I have the ability to earn money to feed my family. I have been given all these things by God. There should be no complaining. Only a desire to spread the Gospel to all people, in His name. So . . . how we doin' with that?
Houston Demands Oversight of Sermons
1 - Preacher Arrested for Calling Homosexuality A Sin
2 - Criminalizing Christianity: Sweden's Hate Speech Law
3 - Don't Censor Talk Radio
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