PSA #7 Hating on Tithes and Offering

Contrary to popular belief and media, the majority of churches are NOT "stealing" your money. This does not excuse the minority that are hustling God's people. But the reality is that churches need money and funds to function to operate. It's not free just because it is a "church". Things to consider include: rent/mortgage/leases, electricity, gas/water, taxes, materials, savings, if the staff is on salary, maintenance, travel expenses, music equipment/rental, storage, etc. Let's face it, this is America...Everything costs money, a church is no exception. Besides that, why wouldn't you want to give to the place and/or people who are providing you with spiritual guidance, those who labor on your behalf, those that intercede for you and stand before God and give an account for your soul? The ones who most of the time contribute their own resources, financially, time away from their family etc and dedicate that to ministry. Not saying that they should be bought, but they should be taken care of by those who partake.

Not only the above mentioned reasons, but giving is a Biblical principle, meaning it is representative and teaches a more valuable lesson. Giving teaches us to manage our finances, to put God first, and to be disciplined and consistent. It teaches us the value of sacrificing of ourselves, and obedience, it teaches us/forces us to exercise our faith, and to trust God. Not just with our money, but we can give and contribute with our time and talents as well. Its not always about money....but money is what pays the bills!

Biblical references on Tithing/offering/giving:
Leviticus chapter 27, Malachi chapter 3, Mark 12:41-44, Luke 6:30, 6:38, 21:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:7 etc.

Online Resources:
Generous Giving: The Bible on Money
Scripture Menu: Verses about Giving

PSA #6 Making Change in The Offering Plate

Now, I have been guilty of this one myself a time or two, I don't see anything wrong with it personally, but I have been informed that its bad etiquette to do this. So, I've learned or figured rather there are a couple of ways of avoiding this awkward situation. The best thing to do is to come prepared, meaning before you get to church or perhaps even the night before stop by the ATM or the store and get yourself some change, that way you have the right amount or exact amount you will need. Another idea is to just write a check. In the event that for whatever reason, these two suggestions are not an option at the time, I know many churches would have you just indicate on your envelope that you will be needing change and how much etc. and the responsible party will get back with you before the end of service with your change, or let an usher know.

You are dead WRONG if you are trying to get change back from a $5! Please report to altar call!

PSA #5 Please Be Mindful of Your Children

Don't get me wrong, I love children....
If your church does not offer services/ministries pertaining to children...please keep your children in mind when preparing for church on Sunday morning or classes during the week! Please know, that I fight kids for fun...and if Lil Tommy turns around and throws another Cheerio at me, its on! And why is Lil Sammy licking on my stockings? And Sarah is in my purse looking for candy, as baby James is doing push-ups under the pew?! Come on now... These kids are misbehaving in church because they are BORED and parents come unprepared. Kids have very short attention spans, prepare ahead of time, bring quiet activities for your youngsters, such as a coloring book and small snacks (preferably something that will not make a mess or noise). We do understand that babies cry and get fussy etc. in the event that this happens, please kindly excuse yourself while you calm baby down and get situated. It is extremely tough to stand in front of an audience and speak to begin with, especially to preach the Word and it is very easy to get distracted by such things. Surely, you can understand that, put yourself in that position. We would all greatly appreciate it!

PSA #4 The Holy Spirit Is Not A Ghost or A Cold

The Holy Spirit, third in the Trinity, our Comforter, our guide, our help here on earth, is just that, a Spirit...not a ghost...A ghost is defined as the soul of a dead person. A spirit however, is defined as a supernatural, incorporeal being, esp. one inhabiting a place, object, etc., or having a particular character; the divine influence as an agency working in the human heart; a divine, inspiring, or animating being or influence. The Holy Spirit is very much alive and not dead!

"Catching the Holy Ghost"-- First of all, He is not a ball or a cold and is not "caught". One does not catch the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in and dwells inside of those who are born again, He is The Gift and is a very necessary part of the Salvation Package. He allows and causes those who He resides in to feel inexplicable and overwhelming feelings and sentiments of gratitude, adoration, and exuberant praise, which in turn causes us to express and release that energy in the form of praise, worship, dancing, clapping, shouting, running, jumping, etc!

References and Resources on the Holy Spirit, who He is and what He does:
Found on the net:
The Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit Explained
The Spirit is a Person

Bible References: Matthew 3:11, Mark 3:29, 13:11, John chapter 3, 4:23-24, 6:63, 7:39, chapters 14-16, Romans chapters 7-8, Acts chapter 2, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 3:16, 6:19, 2 Corinthians 1:22, 3:6, 5:5, Galatians chapters 3-5, Ephesians 1:13, 2:22, 6:18, Philimon 3:3, 1 Thesselonians 1:6, 5:19, 2 Timothy 1:14, Titus 3:5, Hebrew 2:4, Jude 1:20, 1 John 3:24 (there are plenty more but here are just some for reference/study if you wish to do so)

PSA #3 Communion

FOLKS....Communion is not SNACK! No, you cannot have seconds; and don't be greedy and ask for your neighbors, "Hey man, since you not having communion today, do you mind if I get yours?" or "Let me get yours...you don't need it, your straight with HIM, I need double". WHAT?! Eat before you get to church if you're that hungry!

PSA #2 Cell Phones at Church

Ladies and gentlemen, please turn your cell phone ringer OFF before entering the sanctuary! Better yet, leave the phone in the car all together. There is nothing worse than hearing a phone go off in the middle of service....Then to realize it is YOUR phone going off! Doesn't it always seem as though you can never get to it to shut it off fast enough. At this point you fumble around in your purse or pocket trying to shut off the noise, you frantically try to push any button you can in hopes that the embarrassment will end.

Oh, but it gets worse...How about sitting in church enjoying service and all of a sudden you hear "Pop, lock, and drop it" or "Lollipop" blaring from across the aisle during altar call! And worst of all are the people who have the nerve and audacity to actually take a call during the service! It goes something like this:

(phone rings) "POP, LOCK, AND DROP IT....POP LOCK AND DROP IT..."
(person answers) "Hello...HELLO? Hey girl I'm at church right now. Girl, where you at, I thought you were coming today? You missing a bomb message!"

This person then has the nerve to get an attitude when people begin to shush her and look at her strange. Or the alternative to this scenario, is the "Excuse me, I gotta take this call" person. You must be thinking, surely I am exaggerating....and oh how I wish I was...however, I have seen each and every one of these scenes play out first hand!

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

I found this article/booklet thingy that discusses Why God Allows Suffering etc. For the most part I agree with its content. But it is just a resource for those seeking answers to the question. I would love to discuss it or take questions concerning this subject or any....(smile)

Christian PSA....

This is just a quick public service announcement to new or existing church goers.... please do not come to church unprepared... When you hit the front door you should have in hand your Bible...it don't even have to be yours, just A Bible, paper (a notebook is a great idea), and a pen/pencil (heck, crayon, marker, paint brush...some sort of writing utensil).

You wouldn't send your kids to school unprepared without their books, paper, pencils etc, so why would you come to school (Church is considered a learning enviornment) unprepared??

Do not give me that, "I don't need to write it down, I will remember it all" stuff...unless your brain is manufactered by memorex, you will more than likely NOT remember it all and it is helpful to jot down notes..... Okay, if not notes, the bare minimum should be the scripture references.... (yes even if they are showing an the jumbo-tron, or movie screen, or virtual reality, or whatever else they are using these days....)

The whole point is, you go to church on sunday, take notes, write down references, key points, and questions about anything you did not understand or need clarification on, or just whatever thoughts came to mind during the service....(the ones that actually had something to do with what was being said...) then, when you get home or some point during the week, you break out your notes and.....(plot thickens) STUDY!! Go further into what was said, look up more about the parts of the message that spoke to or related to you. Try to find answers to your questions on your own, double check to make sure what was said was in line with the Word, never just take anyones word for it, find out for yourself! Then, (nope the fun doesn't stop there!) attend a Bible Study class during the week, bring with you, your notes, and what you have studied...again come prepared for class! This is the setting where any questions, comments, concerns can be expressed and discussed. And any clarification you may need can be addressed.

Contrary to popular belief, once a week is not enough, you cannot learn all you need to know on Sunday morning! You don't send your kids to school one day a week do you? Bible Study is the training ground, Sunday morning is the refueling station.

Anyway, just a thought....

Sunday Morning Message: The Greatest Gift of God's Administration is LOVE

Today in church we began the first part of a series on LOVE... which I am personally very excited about, because it is one of my favorites and that one word alone contains so much within it.

Breaking down the title: The Greatest Gift of God's Administration is Love

Greatest- the highest of importance and/or meaning

Gift- something given voluntarily without payment in return

Love- penetrating to the depths of ones being, set apart, ordain for a deity and sacred purpose; affectionate concern for the well-being of others


Putting it all together:
The most important and meaningful thing/substance freely given by God is the affectionate concern for the well-being of others (mainly, His affectionate concern for us) that penetrates to the depths of our being, sets us apart, and ordains us for His purpose.

1 Corinthians 12:31
But eagerly desire the greater
gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

-The first thing we must do is have an eager desire for this gift (which is love).

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life.

The Son= the greatest gift, because He was given by His father out of His love for us.

-Would you or do you know anyone that would sacrifice his/her child, let alone their only child to save or redeem others?

Love- affectionate concern for the well-being of others

Gave- sacrificed; surrendered for the sake of something/someone else

Putting it all together:
For God was so affectionately concerned about [insert your name here] that He sacrificed and surrendered His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him (His Son) shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 is fundamental and key to this subject because this is where it all started, this verse is the foundation of our salvation. It lays the ground work for love. It defines and demonstrates love. It personifies love and brings it to life. If you don't believe and have not grasped on to this verse right here and what it is laying out for you, then you have not grasped on to REAL, unadulterated, uncut LOVE. Bottom line.

1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Gong- a shallow bell
Clanging- a loud sound or noise

Putting it all together:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not the affectionate concern for the well-being of others, I am only a resounding shallow bell or a loud noise.

-In other words, I'm all talk, just a bunch of noise. I cannot speak in tongues and praise God with my mouth one minute and then curse you out the next and claim to have LOVE.


1 Corinthians 13:2
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Fathom- understand
Nothing- non existent

(You can put this one together yourselves I'm sure...lol)

-This is telling me that I can have all the degrees I want, all the letters behind my name, can read every book on the planet, and still it means nothing....not a thing without love... I can have all the faith in the world but without love it is still useless?!

-People get the impression that because they have a lot of "knowledge" that they are somehow ahead of the game, but what does all your "knowledge" mean or do for someone who is starving, lost, hungry, or hurting? I'm sure you can refer them to a good book on their condition...

-Even in the Church and within the body of Christ, we miss the mark so many times by thinking once we get a title or a position or because we have been in the church so long that we have somehow "arrived" and this could not be further from the truth. As Christians we can give people all the scriptures there are in the whole entire book, but the letters on the page mean nothing without the LOVE that they represent. In this cold and dying world, no one is looking for words on a page...they are searching for love and longing to fill a void in their lives, that unbeknownst to them, only HE can fill and satisfy.


1 Corinthian 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

-Good deeds are not enough to capture the hearts of the broken...it is love that covers the multitude of sin, not good deeds and kind acts. The love of Christ brings about salvation. Not to knock selfless acts, but we must make sure that our motives remain selfless as well and not self-serving.


1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Patient- constant, to maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty or pain
Kind- showing awareness of anothers feelings
Envy- spite and resentment at seeing the success of another
Boast- to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, esp. about oneself Proud- an excessively high opinion of oneself; conceit.

Putting it all together (this one really packs a punch):
Love is constant, and maintains it purpose through difficulty or pain, love shows awareness for the feelings of others. It does not harbor spite or resentment at seeing the success of another, it does not exaggerate, it is not conceited.

-We all know it is hard to love or feel love from an arrogant person or someone who is so full of themselves there is no room for anything else, like love...give up some of yourself, pour out some of yourself, so that you can receive some love, how about that?

-Attention: If you are a HATER, you are not operating in LOVE! Instead of us hating on each other, let us be glad for one another, encourage one another, congratulate those that are doing well around us.

-Be patient with others, I know its hard to believe, but everyone is not as perfect as you are! (smile)


1 Corinthians 13:5
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Rude- impolite
Self-seeking- the seeking of one's own interest or selfish ends
Angered- provoked; to bring about ill thoughts

Putting it all together:
It is not impolite, it does not seek its own interest or selfish ends, it is not easily provoked, IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.

-That's right ladies and gentlemen...throw away your score cards!

-Road rage....nope...thats' not the kind of love He meant! (I'm guilty too)


1 Corinthians 13:6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Delight- to take pleasure in
Rejoice- to express great joy

Putting it all together:
Love does not take pleasure in evil but expresses great joy with the truth.

-Man, I wish that the young people (and not so young as well) would really take heed to this, that it would really sink in. Sometimes when choosing our friends and relationships we have a tendency to overlook the obvious.... anyone that is encouraging you to do wrong, who enjoys seeing you do wrong, who takes pleasure in participating in wrong with you, who stands by and watches and says/does nothing while you do wrong....I would really question their so called "love" for me.

-A lot of times we refrain from telling those we love the truth, because we are afraid of hurting their feelings or offending them, but when we withhold the truth from one another we are really doing each other a disservice and are not operating in love. I would rather run the risk of hurting your feelings and tell you the truth now, than to have you hurt by a lie later. And on the flip side of that, often times we do not want to hear the truth, because it is a lot easier to believe or live a lie, or because we don't want to face certain truths or be held accountable.

1 Corinthians 13:7
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Protects- to keep from being attacked, stolen, or damaged.
(wow, doesn't that sound familiar, satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, so LOVE protects me from this happening? Amazing!)

Trusts- reliance on the integrity, strength, ability of a person or thing

Perseveres- remains constant to a purpose despite obstacles and discouragement

(You put it all together)

-Love keeps you focused

-Most people will not see the vision if/because they do not understand or recognize the LOVE behind it!

1 Corinthians 13:8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Fails- performs without producing results or fulfilling a need

Love NEVER performs without producing results or fulfilling a need!!!

- Love is the wellspring of all the gifts God gives. Salvation is based in love.

This is as far as I will go in this one post, there is more on the rest of the chapter, but I will come back and add that later, because I want to study it a bit more. But at this point I think anyone who reads this should have a clear understanding or at least definition/knowledge of what love is...

Knowing now, what really and truly love is, may cause you to examine your life, examine your relationships, friendships, to think more carefully before you throw that word around or claim to love someone... When you say "I love you" is your love conditional as the worlds love is or is it based on and rooted in what is presented here?

Its easy to love the ones we like, but real love, requires that we even love the ones we don't like, the ones that talk about us, that hurt us, that do us wrong, those that we don't even know. Do you have love? Are you operating in Christ's love (which is consistent and unconditional) or love the emotion aka the worlds love (which is based on conditions, its here today, gone tomorrow, shifting like the wind)?

I'll be back soon with part 2!

Impacted Christians...

Have you ever had an impacted wisdom tooth? Well I just had 3 removed....the pain the teeth caused was no joke, it made it hard to function, and medication did little to help, I finally had to have them removed by surgery...and afterwards I'm feeling better...

Impacted Christians, you know who you are. Those of you who are stuck just below the surface, wanting to go farther and uproot yourselves, but seem to run into opposition (whether from within or outside sources) every time you begin to grow forth. Being in an impacted position usually causes pain and friction in your life as you push to break past the surface. Sometimes being impacted calls for surgery....and there is none other qualified like our Lord Jesus, the master surgeon, whose Sword of Truth can divide even bone from marrow and cut away any unnecessary growths that may be in our way or hindering us from coming forth....So, if you're impacted today, uncover what it is that is keeping you below the surface, what is stopping you from growing and coming forth? Let the surgeon help you to break past the surface and spring forth....(smile)