Church

Church

Forward-Moving Christianity
When I think about the kind of offensive strategy God expects from His church, I think about the San Francisco Forty-niners. They were the team of the eighties. Their greatness was due to their ability to make an offensive impact. They controlled the ball, thereby controlling the game. Their offense was almost always on the field, so other teams rarely had an opportunity to score. Even if the other teams did score, the Forty-niners almost always came back and scored again.
God doesn't expect Satan to "control the ball" in his battle against the church. God expects the church to be on the offensive, executing His game plan. Satan's defense is to be kept on the field while God's offense scores the touchdowns. When Satan's team does have the ball, the church ought to be causing fumbles so the right offense gets back on the field. The church isn't in the game just to keep Satan from scoring. God has called His people to be forward-moving Christians. The Church's Responsibility
Like many Christians today, the disciples had a faulty view of the future. They focused on Christ's future kingdom rather than on their responsibility to occupy enemy territory and represent His kingdom until He returns (Luke 19:31). The church's responsibility to occupy the world can be compared to what happened in 1983 on the island of Grenada. Due to the rise of Communist insurgency, the U.S. President ordered troops into Grenada. In just eight hours, the battle was over. However, many of the Communists would not accept defeat. Rather than surrender, they sniped at our troops from behind cars, buildings, and trees. So our troops remained there until the victory was secured and a new government was installed.
When Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, He was victorious over all God's enemies. He clearly won the victory. However, Satan and his followers have not accepted defeat and still try to claim victory. Thus, the victorious Christ has established His troops-the church-to secure the victory until He returns to set up His new government. The church is God's occupational force until He comes again. Rather than focusing on their future rule with Him, therefore, Jesus wanted the disciples to focus on their impact in the world and be ready to receive God's power through the Holy Spirit.

Safety Tips
Do not ride in an automobile (or get in the way of one), as automobiles cause 20 percent of all fatal accidents.
Do not stay at home; that's where 17 percent of all accidents occur.
Do not walk across the street; pedestrians are victims of 14 percent of all accidents.
Do not travel by air, rail or water; 16 percent of all accidents are the result of these activities.
Only .001 percent of all fatal accidents occur at church and almost none of these during worship and Sunday School.
Obviously, the safest place to be is in worship and Bible Study with your family and fellow Christians. I hope to see YOU in Bible Study and worship this coming Lord's Day! Who Flew the Kite?
"I did," said the sticks. "I did," said the paper. "I did," said the boy. "No, I did," said the wind. But they all flew the kite together. If the sticks had broken, the tail caught in a tree, the paper torn or the wind has lulled, the kite would have come down. Each had a part to play. The application is inescapable. We each have a work to do. If the work of the Lord is to be a success, then all parts must be played by every member of the church. We have the work of visiting, giving, preaching, and countless other jobs to do to make the church and its work successful. We must all work together and each do what he can to help. It is a matter of teamwork (1 Corinthians 3:6-9).

Fourteen Ways to Kill a Sunday School
Attend only when convenient.
When you do attend, arrive late.
Grumble about having to attend.
Criticize the officers and teachers in front of your family and friends.
Refuse to accept any responsibility in the Sunday school. If you ever do accept any, do it grudgingly and neglect it often.
Never study your lesson.
Always show your lack of interest in the lesson.
Appear relieved when the class is over. Act as if you have wasted your time.
Refuse to welcome visitors; make them feel that you belong and they don't.
Criticize every new idea that is suggested.
Dominate discussions; always insist that your opinion is right.
Regard the teachers of your children as upstarts and busybodies.
Show your distrust or disapproval of teachers when they call in your home.
Never sacrifice for the Sunday school; leave that to somebody else. The Oldest Company
It happened at the noonday luncheon of the local Rotary. The dishes had been cleared away, and the meeting had been called to order. After the reception of new members and the introduction of visitors, the chairman asked who of those present represented the oldest company in the community.
A young man in the back of the room hesitated a moment, then arose and said: "I believe I do, sir. I am a minister of the gospel. The company I represent was founded some 1,900 years ago. And I am happy to say that it is still flourishing." His announcement was greeted with applause, for none of those present was inclined to contradict him. He did, indeed, represent "the oldest company" in the community.
It was 19 centuries ago that the Founder of this "company" had said: "Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). How true the intervening centuries have proved His startling prediction to be! On every continent and on the islands of the seven seas, from East to West, from North to South, the company of Christ's redeemed have carried the message of salvation.
It was that "company" that the youn g minister represented-indeed, the oldest, grandest, and the largest to be represented at the meeting, a "company" that you can belong to by simple faith in Christ the Savior. We are "fellow" citizens with the saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20).

Fishing and Wishing
While some are wishing for the church to somehow grow, others are preparing themselves to be instruments of God in church growth as "fishers of men" (Mark 1:17). From My Heart
"It is written, 'My House is the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers'" (Luke 19:46).
The week preceding Jesus' crucifixion is one of the busiest recorded in Scripture. The reason would seem to be that Jesus knew His time was drawing near. For this reason, everything He did was for a purpose-from the riding on the donkey to the cursing of the fig tree; from the breaking of the bread to the cleansing of the temple.
The Temple of Jerusalem was a major attraction for visitors. The temple was also, unfortunately, a major place of business. The merchants sanctioned by the temple abused their business privileges. They also used special temple currency which was exchanged at unfair rates. However, this was only a small part of what upset Jesus.
The temple was divided into several courtyards. The outermost courtyard was the one designated for the Gentiles. They could not go any further into the temple, so that was their place for prayer.
Here there was buying and selling, hordes of people talking, and animals all over the place, which made it hard to focus on fellowship with their heavenly Father. Not only that, but God was being robbed, too.
Today we face a similar problem in our churches. They have become social centers where we come to catch up on the latest gossip or to be seen by the masses. And when we casually approach worship, we hinder someone else in the process. They are hurt by our gossip or they can't focus on God because of our distraction.
Now let's take it the next step toward personal application. Is my body the "temple of the Holy Spirit?" Everything I do with my body, I do it to God's temple. Am I robbing Him or is my body truly a house of prayer?
Dear Jesus, Come examine your temple and cleanse me of all that distracts me from You. Amen.

Mystery Doesn't Bother Us in the Dining Room
Did you ever raise a radish? You put a small black seed into the black soil, and in a little while you return to the garden and find the full grown radish. The top is green, the body white and almost transparent, and the skin a delicate red or pink. What mysterious power reaches out and gathers from the ground the particles which give it form and size and flavor? Whose is the invisible brush that transfers to the root, growing in darkness, the hues of the summer sunset? If we were to refuse to eat anything until we could understand the mystery of its creation, we would die of starvation-but mystery, it seems, never bothers us in the dining room; it is only in the church that it causes us to hesitate.

Remedy for a Prune Face
Under a caption in the Detroit Free Press appeared a new prescription for retaining beauty. It continued with the following: "Ladies, do you want to stay young? Then join a church choir. Women who sing stay younger looking. A singer's cheek muscles are so well developed by exercise that her face will not wrinkle nearly so soon as the non-singer."
This is the article we have been waiting for. Now women and men, if you do not want to look like a prune, join the choir!

Why Sit Near the Front?
There is a tendency to "spread out" and leave vacant pews in the front of the auditorium. I have come to the conclusion that you will never be motivated to sit toward the front until you convince yourself of the value of doing so. Here are some of the reasons for sitting up front that you might consider.
Because it is considerate of other people. People who come in late, especially visitors, want to be seated as quickly as possible. If they have to walk to the front of the auditorium to find a seat it is quite embarrassing.
There are fewer distractions during worship. By sitting toward the front, I avoid a lot of distractions that disrupt my concentration during worship. I do not see the latecomers filing in, nor the darling baby perched on mother's shoulder. My mind is clear to marvel at the cross of Christ during the Lord's Supper and to sing with "understanding!"
The singing is more enjoyable. Sitting up front means that all the voices are pointed in your direction. You are surrounded by the sound of harmonious voices singing praise to God. I am stirred to sing more enthusiastically myself.
The preaching is better. I am serious. You miss a lot in the back of the auditorium. The expression on the face of the speaker (and the song leader) adds depth to the message being communicated. I feel more a part of the message, as if the speaker were talking directly to me.
It makes a positive statement about my interest and involvement in what is happening. Question: When you buy a ticket to a concert, theater or a sporting event, do you ask for the seat farthest away? When visitors see rows of empty pews at the front, what impression does that make on them as to our involvement in worship and our excitement about the Lord?

Making Simple Things Hard
We are great planners. We like to spend many hours drawing up complex organization charts, carefully constructed diagrams, and in-depth plans for building the church. Most of these never come to fruition. Many are just "pipe dreams."
Would you be interested in a simple, yet profound, plan that will help you build the church? Listen to the simple formula for a growing church set out by Mack R. Douglas in his book, How To Make A Habit of Succeeding:
1. Set a Goal. That's logical. You can never know if you've arrived at the place you wanted to go unless you first had your target pinpointed. Right?
2. Get a Plan. Planning is drawing a map as to how you are going to reach your goal. Ever have someone try to tell you how to get to someplace and have them say, "Get me a piece of paper." He draws you a map that tells you how to get from where you are to where you want to be. That's what we mean by planning.
3. Go to Work. Somebody always has to foul up a good idea. This is our biggest stumbling block. We've got lots of goal setters and planners, but are short on workers. But this is where the "rubber meets the road." No church is going to grow unless we've got people working! Jesus felt this pain during his ministry, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few" (Matthew 9:37). Douglas then adds this fourth point: "Don't be discouraged by anything or anybody."

Some Don'ts for Church Attenders
Don't visit: worship.
Don't hurry away: speak and be spoken to.
Don't dodge the preacher: show yourself friendly.
Don't dodge the collection plate: contribute what you are able.
Don't sit in the end of the pew: move over.
Don't stare blankly while others sing: join in.
Don't wait for an introduction: introduce yourself.
Don't criticize: remember your own frailties.
Don't monopolize your hymn book: be neighborly.
Don't stay away from church because you have company: bring them with you.
Don't stay away from church because the church is not perfect: how lonely you would feel in a perfect church. Is the Church Costing Too Much?
On June 2, 1940, a little girl was born. She cost money from the moment she was born. As she grew from babyhood to girlhood, she cost even more. Her dresses and shoes were more expensive as well as the doctor through all those childhood diseases. She was even more expensive during her school and teen years. She needed long dresses to go to parties. When she went to college, it was discovered that all college expenses are not listed in the catalog. Then after graduation she fell in love and married. She had a church wedding, and that, too, cost a lot of money.
Then, five months after her marriage she suddenly sickened and within a week she was dead. She has not cost a penny since the day the parents walked away from her grave.
As long as the church is alive she will cost money, and the more alive a church is, the more money she will cost. Only a dead church, like a dead child, is no longer expensive!

What Do You Get Out of Church?
Have you heard the story of Jim Smith and Ron Jones? Jim went to church one Sunday morning. He heard the organist miss a note, and he winced. He saw a teen talking when everyone else was praying. He felt certain the usher was watching to see what he put in the offering plate, and it made him boil. Five times, by actual count, he caught the preacher in slip-of-the-tongue mistakes. During the invitation, he slipped out the side door, all the while muttering to himself, "What a waste of time!"
Ron went to church, also. He heard the pianist play an arrangement of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," and he was stirred to worship by the majesty of it. A special missions offering was received, and he was glad his church was doing what they could for people around the world. He especially appreciated the sermon that Sunday; it really spoke to a need in his life. He thought, as he shook the preacher's hand and left, "How can anyone come here and not feel the presence of the Lord?"
Both men were in the same church the same day. Each found what he was looking for. It has been said that churches and banks are much alike in one respect: "What one gets out is, for the most part, dependent upon what one puts in." A Church Garden
Three Rows of Squash
Squash indifference.
Squash criticism.
Squash gossip.
Four Rows of Turnips
Turn up for meetings.
Turn up with a smile.
Turn up with a visitor.
Turn up with a Bible.
Five Rows of Lettuce
Let us love one another.
Let us welcome strangers.
Let us be faithful in duty.
Let us truly worship God.
Let us give liberally.

Make Church Your Starting Place
A traveler stopped in a small town and asked of the people, "What is this place noted for?" The reply from the people was, "This is a very important place. It is the starting place for any place you want to go. You can start from here and go anywhere you wish."
What is so important about this church? Your home? Your class? You can start from there and go any place you wish to be. You can go to the town of forgiveness, the mountain of faith, the island of eternity, the community of friendliness. The church is important because you can start there and go anywhere you wish.

Flying Together
Have you ever wondered why the Canadian geese fly only in the V formation? For years specialists in aerodynamics wondered the same thing.
Two engineers calibrated in a wind tunnel what happens in such a V formation. Each goose, in flapping his wings, creates an upward lift for the goose that follows. When all the geese do their part in the V formation, the whole flock has a 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. Each depends upon the other to get to its destination.
Something else-When a goose begins to lag behind, the others "honk" it back into place.
Now, let us learn from God's animal creation. The church needs to fly in a spiritual V formation, "honking" one another into steadfastness. And it must be at least 71 percent easier to live the faithful Christian life flying with the flock as opposed to going it alone. "Let us consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works" (Hebrews 10:24).

Someone Else
The church was bowed in grief this week to learn that one of our most valuable members, Someone Else, passed away. This death creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Someone Else has been with us for many years. During all these years, he did far more than a normal person's share of the work. Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results.
Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend-one name was on everyone's list: "Let Someone Else do it."
Someone Else was also among the largest givers of the church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed that Someone Else would make up the difference.
This beloved church member was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing superhuman; but a person can only do so much. Everyone expected too much of Someone Else.
Now Someone Else is gone. Who will pitch in to do the things that Someone Else has done? If you are asked to take a job in church, we hope you won't reply, "Let Someone Else do it." Now we need you to pick up where Someone Else left off.

One by One
A young man, walking along the beach at dawn, noticed an old man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Catching up with the man, the youth asked what he was doing. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun.
"But the beach goes on for miles, and there are millions of starfish," countered the young man. "How can your effort make any difference?"
The old man looked at the starfish in his hand, and then threw it to safety in the waves. "It makes a big difference to this one," he said.
The attitude of many, in today's churches, is, "since we cannot completely deal with the problem, we will not do anything."

Even God Cannot Get Into Some Churches
For more than a year a little old charwoman who lived on the wrong side of the tracks had been trying to join a fashionable downtown church. The preacher was not eager to have a seedy looking person in faded, out-of-style clothes sitting in a pew next to his rich members. When she called for the fifth time to discuss membership, he put her off for the fifth time.
"I tell you what," said he unctuously, "you just go home tonight and have a talk with God about it. Later you can tell me what He said."
The poor woman went on her way. Weeks moved into months, and the preacher saw no more of her, and his conscience did hurt a little. Then one day he encountered her scrubbing floors in an office building, and felt impelled to inquire, "Did you have your little talk with God, Mrs. Washington?" he asked.
"Oh, my, yes," she said, "I talked with God, as you said."
"Ah, and what answer did He give you?
"Well, preacher," she said, pushing back a wisp of stringy hair with a sudsy hand, "God said for me not to get discouraged, but to keep trying. He said that He himself had been trying to get into your church for 20 years, with no more success than I have had."

How Far Is God From Your Church?
A stranger who once visited a church where the service proved to be formal, prayed so loudly, the usher bent over him and whispered, "You don't have to pray so loud-God is not deaf!"
In response, the stranger whispered softly to himself, "God isn't deaf, but He is a long way from this place." This Is My Church
It is composed of people just like me.
It will be friendly if I am.
It will do a great work if I work.
It will make generous gifts to many causes if I am generous.
It will bring others into its fellowship if I bring them.
Its seats will be filled if I fill them.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of faith and service.
If I who make it what it is, am filled with these,
Therefore, with God's help, I dedicate myself to the task of being
All these things I want my Church to be.

Dusted or Cleansed
He was only a boy of four, so there was nothing unusual about the fact that he did not like soap and water. One day his mother, endeavoring to reason with him, said, "But surely you want to be clean, don't you?" "Yes," the boy replied through his tears, "but can't you just dust me off?"
This is amusing when coming from a boy of four, but pathetic when grownups are content with a once-a-week spiritual dusting. (And some only let the duster be applied a few times a year.) The inner filth goes undisturbed in their lives and they seem content to have it so.

What God Can Do, and Does
Someone has estimated that the average member of the church has heard 6,000 sermons, 8,000 congregational songs and saved zero sinners! Here is the way the problem stacks up:
200 total membership
20 too old to work
180 left to work, but...
18 too timid to accept much responsibility
162 left to work, but...
12 work out of town or away for school
150 left to work, but...
25 work long hours six or seven days a week
125 left to work, but...
20 tied down with children
105 left to work, but...
20 handicapped by poor health, aches and pains
85 left to work, but...
35 are unfaithful-do not attend-indifferent
30 left to work, but.. .
20 attend, but refuse to work
10 left to work, but...
8 are very tired and ask to be relieved
2 left to work. You and I... But I'm too busy with other things, so you do the work. The Church
The church is never a place but always a people; never a fold but always a flock; never a sacred building, but always a believing assembly. The church is we who pray, not where we pray. A structure of bricks or marble can no more be a church than one's clothes of serge or satin can be he. There is in this world nothing sacred but man, no sanctuary of God but the soul.

Uninvolved Church Members
Someone once called a preacher to say he wanted to place church membership. But, he went on to explain that he did not want to worship every week, study the Bible, visit the sick, or serve as a leader or teacher.
The minister commended him for his desire to be a member, but told him the church he sought was located in another section of town. The man took the directions and hung up.
When he arrived at that address, the man came face to face with the logical result of his own apathetic attitude. There stood an abandoned church building boarded up and ready for demolition. The Church Is a Trading Post
During the century of westward migration in America, the trading post was a familiar landmark in every frontier town. To the trading post came the hunters, trappers, miners, and homesteaders with such things as furs and gold, and these they traded for things they needed more-food, tools, weapons, clothing.
In a very real way, the church is a kind of trading post. Here some things may be put down and left, and others may be picked up and taken. We may bring our cares and fears, our sins and guilt, and we may take forgiveness, joy and peace. Can a Person Be a Christian Without Joining the Church?
Yes, but it is like a soldier without an army; a student who will not attend school, a salesman without a customer, a sailor without a ship, a bee without a hive, an author without a reader, or a baseball player without a team.
These situations might exist, but they would not be very satisfactory.

They Won't Miss Me!
Try to imagine how unattractive our church building would be if bricks in the wall were missing. Not only would it be unattractive, but it would also be weakening to the rest of the structure. If our building were missing bricks, we would get busy and correct that situation immediately.
Simon Peter tells us that the Lord's spiritual house (the church) is made up of "lively stones." But often we observe numerous stones missing from the worship assembly. The result is a most unattractive and weakened structure.
Even as every brick in our church building is needed, so every living stone in the spiritual house is needed. How unfortunate when some member has the idea, "I'm only one; I won't be missed!" The Bible teaches that every person must bear his own burden. Our daily prayer should be, "Lord, help me always be in my place carrying my share of the load."

I Am Your Church
I am your church. Make of me what you will, I shall reflect you as clearly as a mirror. If outwardly my appearance is pleasing and inviting, it is because you made me so. If within my spiritual atmosphere is kindly, yet earnest; reverent, yet friendly; worshipful, yet sincere; sympathetic, yet strong; divine, yet humanly expressed; it is but the manifestation of the spirit of those who constitute my membership.
But if you should, by chance, find me a bit cold and dull, I beg of you not to condemn me, for I show forth the only kind of life I shall receive from you. I have no life or spirit apart from you.
Of this may you always be assured: I will respond instantly to your every wish practically expressed, for I am the reflected image of your own soul. Make of me what you will. A Shining Light
In the Alps in Switzerland nestles an obscure village, with a castle and a church of rough, hewn stone, reached by worn steps up the mountainside. The peculiar thing about this church is that it has not a lighting system nor has ever had one.
A traveler there heard a church bell ringing and saw folks coming out of the narrow streets, each bearing a quaint little bronze lamp filled with oil and having a wick. She approached a worshiper and said, "Please, I am a stranger here, will you tell me why you carry a lamp to church?"
The woman replied, "Why, yes, I would be happy to. Years ago a duke lived in that castle. He built the church, endowed it, and asked that each worshiper bring his own lamp." The traveler replied, "I should think that would keep folks from attending the evening services."
"Oh, no, it works just the other way. It is called The Church of the Lighted Lamps. Everybody that goes makes it a little brighter and when anybody is tempted to stay at home or go somewhere else, he just remembers that the dear old church needs everybody's lamp, and if your lamp isn't there, there is so much less light." Not Good If Detached
Did you ever notice on a railroad ticket, or on many coupons of various nature, "Not good if detached?" The coupon was made of the same material as the rest of the ticket, was printed with the same ink, on the same press, and was kept in the same office and used by the same company. But it was not good if detached. Its usefulness, its ability to take you places, was dependent upon its relation to the rest of the ticket.
Of how much worth is a church member detached from the rest? How much fruit can a branch bear detached from the vine? How good is your hand when it is detached from your body? A Christian is one who stays with the rest of the church. He cannot serve apart from it. You may be a foot, a hand, or an eye of the body of Christ, but you are not worth much to yourself or to anyone else separated from the church, which is His body. Did you ever notice just how quickly a banana gets skinned after it leaves the bunch? So remember: "Forsaking not the assembling of yourselves together...." (Hebrews 10:25).

Gates and Gatekeepers
The strongest walls are useless if the gates are weak or if the gatekeepers are careless or disloyal. The Great Wall of China was penetrated by enemies at least three times, and each time the guards were bribed. The church desperately needs strong gates and loyal gatekeepers.

Too Many Cathedrals
An elderly woman was being conducted through a great cathedral in Europe. The guide spoke of its beauty of design, calling attention to the statues and paintings. The woman was unimpressed. At the conclusion of the tour she asked the guide, "How many souls have been saved here this year? How many people have drawn near to God here?" "My dear lady," said the embarrassed guide, "this is a cathedral, not a chapel." That's the trouble. Unfortunately we have too many cathedrals and too few chapels where the warmth of the Spirit of God is felt, conducive to a spiritual life that enhances our knowledge of God. The Devil's Property
A Finnish infidel once bequeathed his farm to the devil. The will was studied by the courts, and it was decided that the way to carry out the provisions would be to leave the farm untouched by human hands. In a few years it was overgrown with brush, the buildings had tumbled down, and the whole farm presented a scene of desolation and ugliness. That's the way property looks when Satan owns it. Also churches left desolate are the result of Satan's work. No Schisms in the Body
The word "schism" is a transliteration from the Greek schisma, which literally means "a tear in a garment or a crack in a stone." A torn garment is useless; it fails to accomplish its purpose of covering the body. A cracked stone endangers the whole structure that rests upon it. Paul writes that no member of the body should behave in such a way as to render the whole body useless. The way to avoid such schism is for the members of the body to help each other, since they are capable of recognizing one another's strengths and weaknesses.

Let the Other Do It
There is an incipient danger in thinking, since there are so many belonging to the Church, "Why not let George do it?" An eastern story tells of four brothers who decided to have a feast. As wine was rather expensive, they agreed that each one should bring an equal quantity and add it to the common stock. One of the brothers thought he might escape making his contribution by bringing water instead of wine. "It won't be noticed in the common wine jar," he reasoned. But when, at the feast, the wine was poured out, it turned out not to be wine at all but plain water. All four brothers had thought alike. Each one had said, "Let the other do it." The Wolves and the Dogs
Have you heard the fable of the wolves and the dogs? It seems the wolves were afraid of the dogs for they were many and strong, so they sent out a spy to observe them. On his return the scout said, "It is true the dogs are many, but there are not many who can harm us. There are dogs of so many kinds one can hardly count them, and, as they came marching on, I observed that they were all snapping right and left at one another. I could see clearly, though they all hate us wolves, each dog hates every other dog with all his heart." How we need to take to heart the words of Paul to the Galatians: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another" (Galatians 5:14-15). The Church Where God Wasn't Welcome
There was a dear black saint of God who happened to enter a fashionable church. After the service he approached the preacher and told him that he wanted very much to join the church. The pastor knew that his consent to such a request would certainly not meet with the approval of the official board of the church and of the congregation. At the same time he did not want to appear cruel and harsh. So he said to this man, "John, go home and pray for two weeks for the Lord to guide you definitely whether He wants you to join this church." Accordingly, humble John took the advice and went home. When the two weeks were up, he came again to the church, and after the service the preacher said to him, "John, what was the guidance of God?" "Sir," John replied, "God told me that He has been trying to get in here for the past fifteen years and He hasn't succeeded, so I had better give up trying where God cannot find entrance."

Church Attendance
A Christian once said to his minister, "I can worship God and enter into the Holy of Holies just as easily in my garden as I can in a church pew." Later on the two men were sitting before a fireplace in which the embers glowed cheerily. Silently the minister went to the fireplace, took the tongs, and lifted a single glowing coal from the fire and placed it alone on the hearth. Soon it became black ash. The church-neglecting Christian said, "Ah, you need not say a word. I understand what you mean. I cannot worship alone any more than I can live alone. I'll be in my place at the church next Sunday." The environment of the church is basic to Christian growth, providing it's the right kind of church. Ask yourself two questions before joining: Is Christ preeminent there? Is the Holy Spirit at work?

Ichabod
A flourishing church was once reduced to complete ineffectuality. Sunday school had customarily been held in the afternoon. But the pastor and others in the church wanted to change it to the morning hour. They knew that the Sunday school superintendent was strongly opposed to this. Rather than face the matter openly with him, they met in secret and voted to change the hour. When he learned of it, his feelings were deeply hurt. Angry words were exchanged. People in the church began to take sides, and soon a sizable faction moved out. Bitterness quenched the work of the Spirit, and what was once a deeply spiritual and soul-winning church became a poorly attended one. Lacking support, the edifice itself became shabby and unattractive, reflecting outwardly the destructive result of jealousy that led to strife and divisions. The Decaying Church
The building is not really the Church. God's people are. Yet the Church today spends more money for buildings than for anything else. When an artist was asked to paint a picture of a decaying church, to everyone's astonishment, instead of putting on canvas an old, tottering ruin, the artist painted a stately edifice of modern grandeur. Through the open portals could be seen the richly carved pulpit, the magnificent organ, and the beautiful stained glass windows. To one side was an elaborately designed offering plate for foreign missions -covered by a cobweb!

Permission to Bury a Baptist
Don't be like that bishop of whom I heard. It seems a Baptist family had a death in the family while their minister was out of town. They asked a minister of another denomination to conduct the funeral service. He said he would have to check with the bishop, so he wired him, "Can I bury a Baptist?" The bishop wired back, "Sure, bury all the Baptists you can!"

Unity Not Uniformity
That divisions exist in the body of Christ is apparent to everyone. The spirit of exclusive denominationalism is evidence of it. Denominations need not be schismatic; they need not cause the entire body of Christ to accomplish less than God intended it. All born-again believers are members of the same body, with God-created differences. We are not uniform, but we need not fight each other on that account; we are to care for all the members of Christ's body equally. Isolationism kills the effectiveness of the body of Christ. Paul says in Romans 14:1, "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." A Sympathetic Body
In our physical bodies a toothache makes the whole body react in sympathy; the cessation of that ache makes the whole body give a sigh of relief. Why can't it be that way in the Church? Is it because we're so blind to the close and sympathetic union that Scripture enjoins between the members, that we allow the folly of selfishness to take the place of the wisdom of unselfishness? The Church-an Organism
Seminary graduates are needed, and God can use them mightily, but Christ's body is not to be served only by those who have 20-20 vision, but also by some myopic Christians who have to wear glasses. Is it any wonder that after two thousand years the Christian gospel is still unknown to three out of every four people in the world? It's because the Church has become an organization devoted to uniformity instead of realizing that it should be an organism, a body that has a diversity of organs with varied gifts to serve the unified body of Christ. A lack of committed believers with no college education is just as deadly to the progress of the Church as a lack of seminary graduates.

Every Member Valuable
The eye is placed in the upper area of the head, so that by virtue of its position it's easy for it to entertain a high opinion of itself. The human hand drops down at the side of the body, so that it's natural for the eye to look down upon it in both a literal and figurative sense. But the hand knows how to speak up and defend its usefulness. Suddenly a fly alights on the eye. Instantly and instinctively the hand elevates itself and brushes the fly away, saying, "Who said, Eye, that you don't need me?" The hand goes on to plow the ground, sow the seed, and reap the harvest. It mills the wheat into flour and kneads the dough to make bread. Then it turns to the eye and says, "You, Eye, would have died long ago if it hadn't been for my labor for you. Without the food I've earned, you'd have become sightless and starved to death. You can't do without me any more than I can do without you." Paul rightly says, "The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee" (1 Corinthians 12:21).

Blended for Harmony
The body is a delicate instrument which needs to be looked after with great care. Yet many of us don't value it as we should or take sufficient care of it. God has made each of us a living musical instrument, so to speak, capable of showing forth His praise. Each of us is like a harp of a thousand strings on which the most varied and beautiful music may be played. Every part of our body is skillfully constructed and admirably adapted to do its proper work. God has tempered or blended every organ to produce a harmonious whole. But this instrument is exceedingly liable to go wrong. The least thing spoils it and makes it unfit for its work. Unless it's properly treated we can't use it to the best advantage to glorify or show forth the perfect nature of God, its Architect and Creator. This is also true of the body of Christ, His Church. We are His members, diverse in our make-up and performance but duty-bound to blend our differences to produce harmonious music and praise that will attract the world instead of repelling it. Just as we wouldn't listen very long to an orchestra whose instruments were out of tune, neither will the world listen to Christians who sound forth the gospel against a background of divisions and quarrels.

Harmony in the Church
As one member of the human body harmonizes its function with the other members, we must harmonize our individual functions in the Church with those of others. There is beauty in variety, even as there is a spiritual uplift from music that harmonizes a variety of instruments and voices. We must never get out of tune by harping on the one gift we consider ours. No one of us can act independently as a member of the body. We have to cooperate with other members if we are to be of any use to the body of Christ as a whole. The Church's One Foundation
Paul calls himself a wise architect because the foundation he laid was not different from the one eternally laid. How foolish an architect would be if he refused to follow the laws of nature and civil engineering which are actually the laws of God. You, too, are unwise if you diverge from the Church's one Foundation, "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified," laid down by God from the beginning. The Perfect Church
I think that I shall never see
A church that's all it ought to be:
A church whose members never stray
Beyond the strait and narrow way;
A church that has no empty pews,
Whose pastor never has the blues,
A church whose deacons always deak,
And none is proud, and all are meek;
Where gossips never peddle lies,
Or make complaints or criticize;
Where all are always sweet and kind,
And all to others' faults are blind.
Such perfect churches there may be,
But none of them are known to me.
But still, we'll work, and pray, and plan
To make our own the best we can.
-Author Unknown The Lord's Trumpet
In the Old Testament, under God's command, trumpets were used to call the princes and the congregation together, to announce the journeying of the camps, and as an alarm or notification device. Trumpets were also blown in the days of Israel's "gladness," "set feasts," and over their sacrifices in the beginning of their months (Numbers 10:1-6, Numbers 10:10). I believe that it is in this sense of gladness for the Church of Jesus Christ that this last trumpet will be blown. Can there be any more joyous event than this, when the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible, and living believers shall be similarly changed? The Lord's trumpet will call all believers, dead and living, to join Him in possessing a glorious resurrection body. The Discontented Member
Hubert Brooke comments: "A selfish existence in one, who is in membership with many others, is a contradiction of terms, and must mean loss to all the rest, and misery to the idle member." May not this explain the restless discontent of many who are really united to Christ? They are not subject to the Head; they are not using His gifts for the common profit; they keep for themselves what is given for all. In short, they are disobedient and dishonest, and therefore discontented and missing the joy of the Lord.

Spirit of Christ Makes Us Like-minded
An eminent preacher says, "I was walking in a beautiful grove where the trees were wide apart and the trunks were straight and rugged. But, as they ascended higher, the branches came closer together, and still higher the twigs and branches interlaced. I said to myself: Our churches resemble these trees. The trunks near the earth stand stiffly and rudely apart; the more nearly they ascend toward heaven, the closer they come together until they form one beautiful canopy, under which men enjoy both shelter and happiness. Those who have the Spirit of Christ will be like-minded."

Just Keep Praising the Lord
A rural brother, considered a bit old-fashioned, visited a great city temple. As the eloquent minister drove home some great truth, the ruralite shouted, "Praise the Lord!" Whereupon an usher touched him on the arm and whispered, "Be quiet. "You can't 'praise the Lord' in this church." God pity both preacher and church!

Strength in Unity
If the body is ill, the head hurts, the body temperature is elevated, the heart races, the lungs labor, the skin flushes or cools as needed. The kidneys work overtime to filter out infection; the brain directs each organ and each function of the body to cooperate in throwing off the enemy and restoring the organism to health. This cooperation, this united effort against outside forces that invade the body, is an illustration of how the separate members of the Body of Christ ought to unite to work against threatening forces of evil. Where Is the Piccolo?
It is a great discovery to know what we can do well; doing it well is the only way the whole body of Christ can function. Don't be like that member of an orchestra who played the piccolo. Amid the thunder of the organ, and the roll of the drums, the player on the piccolo said to himself, "In all this din, my little instrument doesn't matter," and he ceased to play. Suddenly the great conductor threw up his arms, and all was still. "Where is the piccolo?" he cried. God listens for our share in His orchestra no matter how small that share may be.

Sad but True
An old deacon was once asked about the state of his church. He replied, "We are in sad straits; the church is slipping back, getting worse all the time; but, thank the Lord, none of the other churches in our neighborhood is doing any better."