Sins of the Father

Sins of the father, and Mercy of the heavenly Father

Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God.

Ezra 10:3 NLT

            In this we find that Ezra has returned to the Israel to put God’s house (temple) back in order, the remnant of Israel that will begin to rebuild the nation (currently scattered due to sins and God’s punishment). We find that the men of Israel have been marrying wives that were not of the same faith. These marriages had resulted in children. The Israelite men decide to get right with God and to do so must the divorce their wives and send them and the children away.

            I have struggled with this because it seems harsh, God wanted to send women and children away. I can understand the pagan worshiping ones to some point, but children, too young to really have done wrong. That’s when we have to realize that God is not punishing them because of their actions, he is punishing them because the actions of their father. The sins of the fathers result in the suffering of the children.

            Following this line of historical thought, we can see this throughout the Old Testament, sins of the father falling on the generations after. In fact we see the disciples following in this idea of children reaping from the parents.

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.

John 9:1-4 NLT

Jesus then proceeds to heal the blind man.

What we see here should bring joy to our hearts. Under the law that no man could maintain, children were victims. They were at the mercy of the sins of the father. But thanks to Jesus and the MERCY of the heavenly FATHER we do not have to pay for the sins of our fathers but can be healed and set free to the glory of God.

The New Standard for Church

I have been visiting church’s main worship service and I have some thoughts. Before anyone gets up in arms this is an opinion piece and is not based on anything other my suggestions to both the church and the believer. I understand that everyone chooses to have church in the way that suits them and this is just to raise awareness and get feedback.

Overview:

All of these churches consider themselves contemporary. Most state on their website or paperwork handed out, “not like other churches” or “not your typical church. On this I would beg to differ, as most of the new churches in my region are exactly like this. “Rock and Roll” or contemporary style worship music, band, projector screens, “shorts and flip-flop” dress code, short sermons, and great kids programs.

(Again, nothing wrong with this just be aware it has become the new model when planting non denomination churches, you’re not breaking the mold. Just realize you are becoming the norm for new churches, so not really non-traditional.)

Issues that have come across:

·       When entering the seating area it is hard to locate a seat as it is dark. (help seating would be nice)

·       Smoke machine?? Really??

·       Be realistic, check decimal levels, I have seen kids covering their ears and watched people leave (check decibels in front of speakers where people are seated, different then back at control booth)

·       Uniform dress, same t-shirts, or badges a must for staff -volunteers- workers. (no one drops there kid off with a teenager with green hair if they are not clearly designated as a church worker)

·       Multiple services sometimes make the service seem rehearsed; originality isn’t there, tight time frame means Holy Spirit does not have the freedom to move.

·       Ending service with “rock” music, not conductive to people trying to do business with God, not environment for decision making

·       Receiving Christ by checking a box on a card and dropping it off. Please have person’s trained standing by and direct the person making the decision to a real person.

Good things that are happening:

·       The new church dress code (this has been a hindrance/ excuse for many. And for those who say you need a suit, I remind you that business dress has definitely changed, and some jeans cost as much as a suit, so best foot forward is still in place)

·       Kids ministries, youth ministries. These are driving the growth in these churches. Awesome!

·       Small groups, bible studies being carried on outside of the church, in homes and communities.

·       Use of bands, drums, guitars, trumpets, keyboards. I see this as a resurgence of what David had in his day. When the temple was filled with music and song.

·       Less institution, no committee on committee or ritual reciting of readings

Things I miss:

·       Hymns, maybe I am old fashioned, but I miss “Just as I am” and the occasional “Just a closer walk with thee”, not all the time but once in a while would be nice

·       Bibles, words on screens and printout means most people don’t bring or use a bible

·       Alters and alter calls, time set aside for people to do business with God in his house

·       I miss adult level Sunday school classes.

·       Corporate prayer

·       An offering, standing by the coffee stand collecting after the “show”, doesn’t strike me as bringing the tithe into the store house.

I would love to hear the thoughts of others, what do you think??

True statement

- MZG

Tithe, why you should!!

Haggai 1:1-11 NIV
"In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord ’s house.’ ” Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”"

Give careful thought to your ways, the Lord says. How many times we pray for blessings, “God I need 200 dollars for this, I need a new house, I need a new job, I need a vacation, I want a new boat…..etc.”, we all have done this. It shows an immature believer. The concern is that many of us never continue on past this point. What is the next step in growth, understanding priority?

So many of us go to church expecting to be entertained and to participate in the activities, let our kids play with friends, we like the fact it is a “Moral Country Club”. And best of all we consider it free. We think we did a good thing if we toss a $20 in the offering. Here you go God this will cover the coffee and my kids snack, your welcome.

All things belong to God, he allows us to keep 90% and we provide back 10%. This is not an option. God’s word clearly states in the passages above, God will not bless our actions if we fail to take care of his house. This can be seen today, do you ever wonder why some people at your local church receive blessings, and are always at peace? Ever wonder why some struggle and experience turmoil?

When people tell me about their financial issues, I always ask do you tithe? If the answer is no, then that is the first thing you need to do, period. Nothing else will help until you get in right standing with God, the fruits of your labors will come back void if his house is not taken care of.

People will say but I dance, sing, clap, demonstrate, teach a class, and have all the outward signs. But do you tithe?? People hate it when it is mentioned but it is true. And some will say I can’t make all my bills if I give 10 percent, so I give what I can with what is left over. If this is you, you are outside the will of God. God is not pleased with leftovers. Cut back the cell phone, turn off the cable, stop eating out, buy some stuff at a thrift store, clip coupons, make the sacrifice you need to make to tithe and get back into the will of God.

When you give the God through his house, the rest of your finances will see a blessing. This does not mean that you will get rich, doesn’t mean you will see increase. It means that you will be able to rest in the peace and that God will take care of you.




- MZG

Personal Testimony

Personal Testimony

            I am the example of grace. Let me begin by saying that only by the grace of the Lord and my personal Savior Jesus that I am writing this today.

            I was raised in the home of a good Christian family; in fact my father was a full time Southern Baptist pastor. I was raised with knowledge of the scripture and the church. I felt the call to ministry but really was unsure how to even make it happen. I was a little wild as a teen but calmed it down. I felt the call of God upon my life too strong to ignore, so I sought and began an ordination process. I also entered the seminary. I was married. Things were good.

            Tragedy strikes my life, I failed as a husband, I ended up at the age of 19 fighting through a divorce. In the time that I needed it most family and friends abandoned me. The largest damage to my faith came from the fact that I felt the church abandoned me (I associated church and God as items that could not be separated). I was told God could no longer use me in ministry, because I was divorced (they sited Paul stating that “he must be the husband of only one wife”). So in one big swoop I lost my wife, church, calling, future…..etc. In fact I even asked mentors why God was allowing all this; I was told it must be that my faith was not strong enough. I was defeated…………..my story is not unique, many people have suffered due to what I like to refer to as “church people”. Much like the ones that drug the adulterous woman before Jesus, the true love one for another was not there, only church bylaws and selfish motives.

            I spent the better part of the next 10 years in a bottle. I had other failed relationships. During tough times God took care of me, even when I was an addict, a liar, abusive, hateful, mean spirited, always angry, and living in adultery. I was worth nothing, yet I know that all good things are from God and he gave me the chance to raise a step daughter. He gave me a job in which I had success. He provided for my college education. He gave me leadership roles (so I could try to be a man under my own power, and fail). I crawled out of most of the sinful ways, and became by society’s standards a good and moral man. I was trying to be a man by my own hand. But I was not happy, I found myself knowing I was about to fall, living in fear, knowing one little thing could shatter this life image I created. I was a man lost.

            I turned to God, he said “are you done”, and I gave it all to him. While I was in the church before I understood, but only knowledge. I had no true relationship. While I had accepted Christ, I had not personal relationship. Then I met a Jesus that changed my whole heart. My Jesus provided grace that has let me become the man I am, and gives me the freedom to strive for even more with boldness and without shame. The man I was is no longer. I am a new creation.

And here is the best part, God is blessing me. I have a wonderful wife (restored by God from a relationship lost years ago due to alcohol and pills). I have a passion for the one that saved me. I had all I wanted materially and I was miserable, now I trust God and find joy in what I have, he is enough. I awake every morning to great my Lord as a friend. 

And it gets even better, God has given me purpose, he has returned me to where he intended me to be, striving to minister his word. I argued it could not be so, and he said, Paul was a murderer, David was a murder, thief, and an adulterer, and Peter was a liar and a coward. The Bible is a story of God’s grace, a perfect Savior, and all the bad people that were used for the kingdom. I am a sinner that God has chosen to use. This is what God requires of Godly men, let God be what defines your story, not your sins.