When Not to Go to Church

As a minister of the gospel, it saddens me when I hear Christians give excuses not to attend church. Previously in this blog, I listed ten reasons why one should want to come into the house of the Lord. Nevertheless, there have been instances when I opted to watch services online as opposed to sitting inside religious institutions.

During the mid-2010s, I was hosted a few times at a house in Shelby, Iowa, a town of just over 600 people. The homeowner lived 40 miles away in Omaha, Nebraska. Because of not having access to a car, I only had three churches to choose from in Shelby: Catholic, Lutheran, or Presbyterian. I looked up info on these churches and perceived it wouldn’t be beneficial to sit through their meetings. As a child, I endured many boring services at the traditional church my parents took me to. The last time I was in Shelby, the homeowner drove us to a house meeting in Omaha when the gifts of the Spirit manifested. I’d be open to going there again.

There’s also a place I occasionally stay at in Casselton, North Dakota. Unless I have a ride into Fargo (which is twenty miles away), my church options are limited there as well. During my last time in Casselton, I visited a church that just opened the year before. I showed up early looking forward to some fellowship plus coffee and snacks. Unfortunately, that was temporarily suspended because of the coronavirus. I sat through the service for only a few minutes. The opening prayers and worship music promoted sin consciousness instead of who we are in Christ. One song repeated the lyric: “Our sins are many.” I quietly slipped out of the sanctuary and later felt edified after watching anointed preaching online. 

There’s another friend I often stay with who lives in Northern Virginia. Although I got to lead him to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he still prefers attending an Anglican church that’s too structured. The last time I stayed with this man, I found out his church had mask mandates. That gave me another reason not to go there.

There may be occasions (such as vacationing in a secluded area) when you might find yourself temporarily without a good church to attend. Unless the Lord leads otherwise, I caution anyone against going to services that are void of power. 

“Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” 

- Matthew 15:6

An Open Letter to the Caravan (and Those Helping Them)

An arena in Guadalajara

To whom it may concern:

I pray this letter somehow reaches the thousands mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador who are traveling through Mexico towards the American border.

First, I don’t blame anyone for wanting to come to the United States. As a natural-born American citizen, I’m thankful for the prosperity we have here. I also recognize my nation was largely founded by immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their families. All my ancestors came over from Europe many years ago.

There’s a missionary house in Florida I often stay where I’ve met many immigrants originally from Spanish-speaking countries. As far as I know, all of them came to the United States legally. Videos I’ve seen of some caravan members forcing their way into Mexico indicate they have little respect for authority. I don’t want people like that entering my country. We have enough crime here as it is.

You should be warned here in America our citizens have the right to bear arms. If I lived near the Mexican border and illegal aliens were crossing or camping on my property, I’d have every right to defend my home. At the very least, I’d fire warning shots reminding them they are trespassing. Other Americans with guns may not be as sympathetic and will respond with force if attacked with rocks and other weapons.

Recently I watched a documentary revealing 90-95% of the migrants are men. Only a small percentage of them are women and children. Support for the caravan has come from various organizations including one called “Pueblo Sin Fronteras” (People Without Borders) that flouts American sovereignty. I also read how the Mexican government offered shelter, medical attention, schooling and jobs to the migrants if they agree to stay in southern Mexico but most of them turned that down. Therefore, I question the motives of you continuing on with the caravan.

To those of you giving aid to the caravan, I agree with doing that to a point. You may be familiar with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. If Jesus was with the migrants, I believe He would minister to their needs but also remind them to obey the laws of the land (Romans 13:1-2). If you’re encouraging migrants to illegally enter my country, you are in sin!

In closing, I encourage you to give your life to Jesus Christ if you haven’t already done so. What good would it be to have a better life in a foreign country but not be allowed to walk through the Pearly Gates after you die? I would also ask the Lord where He wants you to live. Just because the United States has more opportunities doesn’t mean you’re supposed to come here. There is a reason God had you born in your country of origin. It could be His will for you to go back and help your nation become a better one.

Where God guides, He provides!

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” - Psalm 37:23

Obeying God vs. Man

Burger King once used the advertising slogan, “Sometimes, you gotta break the rules.” If you’re truly living for the Lord, He will occasionally lead you to do things that may seem risky and go against man-made laws. Sometimes I have evangelized in shopping malls even though security people will try to stop that because they consider it “soliciting.”

A recent exchange of emails with a Facebook friend about illegal immigration reminded me of a situation that happened fifteen years ago. In April 2003, I flew to Berlin to share the gospel in Germany. Originally I was scheduled to fly back to the U. S. a month later but opted not to despite my return ticket classified “non-refundable.” The Lord told me my leaving Germany then would be in His permissive will but not His perfect will. Eventually, He led me to visit other European nations.

By September I was in Spain and perceived it was time to come home. One day I went to the Madrid airport hoping the airline would let me use my old return ticket. The representative I talked to put a reservation into her computer, which was denied by the airline’s home office. But when I returned to the place I was staying, a friend had called saying the Lord instructed him to buy me another airline ticket!

When I started my flight back to the Washington, DC area, one concern I had was what to say while going through customs. I found out an American could legally stay in the European Union without a visa for only 90 days every six months. After changing planes in Amsterdam, I was given a customs declaration form to fill out. One question that needed to be answered was which foreign countries I visited. The form had space to write down only two but I had been in seven on this trip. I asked a flight attendant what I should do. She told me to put down the last two countries I’d been in. 

Later at Dulles Airport, the customs official examined my declaration form and asked me how long I was in Spain and the Netherlands (the total time for both was just over a month). He didn’t inquire about any other countries I visited. The only thing that raised his eyebrows was my post office box listed as a permanent address. I explained that I’m a missionary who lives in various places for short periods of time but uses a PO Box in Virginia to collect my mail. The man shook his head and waved me through.

This testimony is not to encourage anyone to purposely overstay their visit to a foreign nation. Whenever possible, we should obey the laws of the land that don’t violate Scripture. Still, God will give grace and favor to those obedient to the Great Commission. 

The laws of man are superseded by the higher laws of God.

“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: ‘We ought to obey God rather than men.’” - Acts 5:29 

Bad Habits to Break

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma magazine who still writes a weekly column for them called “Fire in My Bones.” Brother Grady often points out things done by Spirit-filled Christians that need changing. One of his best articles is titled “9 Bad Charismatic Habits We Need to Break” (which was published five years ago). I encourage you to read Lee’s article in its entirety but will share the list of habits…

1. The body slam

2. The courtesy drop

3. The song that never ends

4. The amateur flag corp

5. The wannabe telethon offering

6. The sermon with seven endings

7. The praise-a-go-go dancers

8. The ear-shattering amp

9. The “jump-start” glossalalia

After reading Brother Grady’s article, I thought of two more annoying Pentecostal practices...

* Telling the congregation to “turn to your neighbor” numerous times to say something. I think it’s okay to do this once or twice during a service (I even tried it years ago when giving a speech on Bible prophecy at a Toastmasters meeting) but some preachers overdo it. I’ve been in meetings where the congregation was instructed to “turn to your neighbor” at least ten times during an offering. Depending on who’s preaching, I now sometimes sit in an isolated part of the sanctuary so I won’t have a neighbor next to me uttering vain repetitions.

* Adding an “a” to words when preaching. I heard Andrew Wommack point out how one could recite a nursery rhyme like this to make it sound holy (“Mary had-a little lamb-a, its fleece was-a white as snow-a...”). It actually sounds like one is trying to talk Italian here.

Two other religious habits previously written about on this blog could be included in this list:

* Overusing the word “just” when praying or praising the Lord.

* Worship singers inserting many filler syllables to songs.

Every church has its traditions and every minister has habits that are part of his or her personality. Nevertheless, congregations shouldn’t feel obligated to participate in certain practices if they are not grounded in Scripture.

“making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” - Mark 7:13

Standing Up for the Word

50 years ago when Bud Grant became coach of the Minnesota Vikings, he instructed his players to stand still at attention during the national anthem. This discipline helped them become one of the least penalized teams in the NFL. Nowadays, a select number of players are dishonoring the national anthem by taking a knee or staying in the locker room. President Trump’s recent S.O.B. comment was a bit harsh but I agree with reprimanding players who won’t participate just like they are fined for other acts of unsportsmanlike conduct.

In some churches, the congregation is asked to stand whenever the preacher reads the opening text of his sermon. The first time I noticed this practice was while watching Pastor John Hagee on television ministering from his church in San Antonio, Texas. A short time later, I started making trips to Pensacola, Florida to attend revival meetings at Brownsville Assembly of God. Then-pastor John Kilpatrick also had everyone stand up as he read from the Bible during Sunday services (I don’t remember the other revival speakers doing this).  

Since then I’ve visited additional churches where they “stand up for the reading of the word.” Once I posted a question on Facebook asking friends if they knew of any Bible verses supporting this. One pastor made reference to Nehemiah 8:5…

“And Ezra opened the book [of the law] in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.” 

If I’m visiting a church, I will honor the pastor and stand up if he asks the congregation to do so. Otherwise, I prefer sitting when reading my Bible during a service. Either way, we shouldn’t be ashamed to take a stand for God’s word both physically and in a spiritual sense. Just yesterday while witnessing at Burger King, a pastor friend and I met a fellow minister who invited us to stand and pray with him right there in the restaurant. Sinners often use the Lord’s name in vain in public. I’d like to see more Christians boldly praising His name in public.

It’s often been said, “If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.”

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” - Ephesians 6:13

Critiquing Confirmation

During the late 1970s, I went through two years of confirmation at the Lutheran Church I attended as a kid. Back then I didn’t have much interest in spiritual things. It didn’t help I was mistreated by some of my classmates. Nevertheless, I learned more about the Bible from reading assignments and listening to tapes. One of the latter was a comedy routine by Bill Cosby about Noah that had me laughing hysterically.

Occasionally I served as an acolyte, which the dictionary defines as “a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession.” My duties were to light candles and put them out at designated times while wearing a long white robe. Another thing confirmands had to do was turn in critiques of the pastor’s sermons. That was an adjustment for me. I was used to letting my mind wander while sitting through unemotional messages containing few (if any) Scriptures.

My confirmation class also went on retreats. We traveled to a campsite in rural North Dakota on a bus that often broke down. Aside from the obligatory lessons, we played volleyball and other games. A couple times the pastor practiced hypnosis on us for fun (I didn’t know at the time that can open up doors to the devil).

Finally in October 1979 I was officially “confirmed” during a Sunday morning service. Hands were laid upon me but I felt nothing significant happened. It was simply a ritual I had to go through. Afterwards I ate lunch with family members and received a few gifts. One of them was a small wall cross a Lutheran business gave to all the confirmands. Included was a note suggesting I write a thank you letter. My parents told me I didn’t have to do that. They suspected it would put us on a mailing list to receive solicitations.

Looking back on all this, I can see why confirmation influenced me to stop going to church for a while. I wasn’t taught how to be born again and live a victorious Christian life. Instead we studied Lutheran doctrine through a catechism booklet. Jesus criticized the Pharisees for “…making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.” (Mark 7:13)

We also made recitations like the Apostles’ Creed, which meant nothing to me since it was said rote like the Pledge of Allegiance. Jesus said in Matthew 6:7, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.”

Two decades after going through confirmation, I reconnected with one of my old Sunday school teachers. She was thrilled to hear I became born again and filled with the Holy Spirit. Although my former teacher had remained a member of that Lutheran church (I just found out this morning she passed away ten days ago), I don’t desire to go there again. I’d rather go to fellowships where miracles are happening and God confirms His word through accompanying signs (Mark 16:20).

All churches that have confirmation classes need to teach their students the whole counsel of God. Joining a church or denomination will not get anyone into heaven. Without knowledge of the new birth, confirmation will lead to damnation.

“how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him” - Hebrews 2:3

A Christian Response to Immigration

One of the most contested political issues today is immigration. It’s estimated there are now at least 11 million illegal aliens in the United States. Many Americans want to see them deported. What makes the situation more complex is anchor babies born to aliens are recognized as American citizens.

Recently two minister friends who are immigrants themselves posted comments on Facebook suggesting we shouldn’t have any border controls. One of them claimed, “...restricting immigration is part of Marxist Socialism and is totally contrary to Biblical Christianity.” Yet when the Scriptures were written, cities had massive walls to keep certain people out. Even the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 will have a wall around it.

While Native Americans have contributed to our society, the United States was predominately founded and built by immigrants and their descendants. The Statue of Liberty has a plaque on its base with this inscription: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” 

The Bible has many things to say on how to relate to foreigners. Deuteronomy 17:15 says, “You shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.” This Scripture inspired the writers of the Constitution to make it a requirement for the President to be a natural-born citizen.

Under the Old Covenant, certain religious activities were forbidden to foreigners. Exodus 12:43 says, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it.” It also says in Ezekiel 44:9, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.”

On the other hand, the Old Testament commanded God’s people 36 times not to mistreat foreigners. For example. Leviticus 19:33-34 (NLT) says, “Do not take advantage of foreigners who live among you in your land. Treat them like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself. Remember that you were once foreigners living in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

One of Christ’s earthly descendants was a foreigner name Ruth who found favor in Boaz’ eyes. When He was a young child, Jesus received gifts from three wise men who traveled from Persia (Matthew 2:1). Jesus soon became a foreigner Himself after Joseph moved the family to Egypt to avoid being killed by Herod. Later when describing the Judgment of the Nations, Jesus commended those who obeyed Matthew 25:35, “I was a stranger and you took Me in.” 

Hebrews 13:2 tells us, “Do not forget to entertain strangers...” Therefore as a Christian, I welcome foreigners wanting to move to America as long as they do so legally and assimilate as law-abiding citizens. They shouldn’t insist on us changing our laws and customs to accommodate their preferences. One executive from the Council on American Islamic Relations declared, “If we are practicing Muslims, we are above the law of the land.” He would be better off moving to a country that practices Sharia Law.

I do believe some restrictions should be in place regarding who gets into the United States particularly those connected with terrorism and drug trafficking. Any foreigner who engages in illegal activities like these shouldn’t be allowed in the country. Those that get in and commit crimes within our borders should be prosecuted and deported. 

Unfortunately, the U. S. Government has made it harder for potential immigrants with godly motives. Not too long ago, a Christian family from Germany seeking political asylum to homeschool their children here was threatened with deportation. Now President Obama wants to allow 10,000 Muslim refugees from Syria into the United States within the next year. There are reports that 75% of those refugees are young men who could be potential terrorists. 

Then again, these could be opportunities to minister to people who might not hear the gospel otherwise. Once immigrants receive salvation, they “...are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” (Ephesians 2:19)

Our ultimate focus should be on eternal matters. 

“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.” - 1 Peter 2:11 (NLT)

Take Me to Church

When I’m evangelizing and find out someone is already saved, usually I’ll ask them where they go to church. Some reply, “I used to go to such and such church.” Others will say, “I have church at home” or “church is in my heart.” Sadly, many who give answers like that tend to act very unChristlike. 

One time at the Florida State Fair, I saw two men handing out brochures. I offered one of them a gospel tract in exchange and discovered they were Christians. When I asked this man which church he went to, he defiantly replied, “I am the church!” At that point, I knew there was going to be trouble. He then tried giving me another brochure about all the “corruption” going on in various churches. Not wanting to read stuff like that, I responded by quoting 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Acting like a spoiled child, this man returned my tract saying he didn’t want to read it.

Recently a friend shared an article on her Facebook wall critical of “organized religion” and suggested ten reasons why one should stop going to church. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for not attending a particular fellowship. Nevertheless, that article inspired me to put together this list of ten reasons why one would want to go to church...

1. We are commanded not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25). Many Christians argue they don’t have to meet inside a building. I agree a church would be defined more as a body of believers than an actual meeting place. Then again, Psalm 122:1 says, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” Jesus often taught in the synagogues. So did the Apostle Paul.

2. Mentors help us mature spiritually. Ephesians 4:11-13 says, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Until the Lord returns, He will continue using ministers in the church to bring instruction...and correction when necessary. John Paul Jackson says, “We are life long students of the ways of God; trouble starts when we think we have graduated."

3. God usually assigns His people to a particular place. Unless you’re a traveling minister like myself, it’s best to consistently attend one church you consider “home.” Instead of selecting “the church of your choice,” ask God where He wants you connected. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.” If you live in an area without a Christ centered, biblically balanced church, I would prayerfully consider moving or starting a new fellowship.

4. Our lives will bear more fruit. While it’s good to see what God is doing in different parts of the body of Christ, Psalm 92:13 says, “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” I heard John Bevere compare “church hoppers” to a plant that will die from constantly being dug up. We grow stronger when our roots are allowed to sink deep somewhere.

5. It keeps us accountable. One could argue the Apostle Paul didn’t attend a fellowship for a season after coming to Christ. He wrote in Galatians 1:16 “...I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.” However, Hebrews 13:17 (which many Bible scholars believe was also written by Paul) says, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.”

6. It will decrease the possibility of backsliding. “Iron sharpens iron” says Proverbs 27:17. Numerous individuals I know fell back into old sinful habits after they stopped going to church. Too much time away from other believers makes one prone to deception.

7. It helps us stay sensitive to recognize and reject false doctrine. One minister I used to live with talked about being kicked out of numerous churches as if he was proud of that. He soon started preaching profanity-laced messages online from his home. Proverbs 18:1 says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.”

8. The Body of Christ suffers when we don’t take our place. Church shouldn’t be a minister running a one-man show behind the pulpit. All of us have gifts and talents that will bloom when we are rightly connected with the brethren. Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) says, “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”

9. Blessings will manifest. Isaiah 1:19 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” Countless times provision came to me inside the house of the Lord. One night as I was leaving a church sanctuary in Tulsa, a woman I didn’t know wrote me a check for $50. At the time I needed gas money to leave town. Another time I found myself stranded in Pittsburgh without a place to stay. I walked into a church where after the service, a man offered to let me stay in his apartment until I had the funds to travel to my next destination.

10. We will be victorious when spiritual warfare occurs. Often I’ve noticed a greater anointing in a corporate setting as opposed to watching or listening to sermons by myself. Deuteronomy 32:30 says if one can chase a thousand, two can put ten thousand to flight. Jesus told us in Matthew 16:18 “...I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

I’ve had Christians tell me they don’t need to go to church because we are all temples of the Holy Spirit. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary gives eight different definitions for the word “church.” Not one of them refer to an individual. Regardless if you meet in a cathedral, shopping mall, home, tent, barn, or outside, a real church is a body of believers gathered to fulfill God’s purposes, not someone’s personal agenda. One cannot serve the Lord without serving others.

It’s unfortunate mistreatment by ministers and other Christians have prompted many people to give up on church altogether instead of locating a better one. It’s often been said if you find the perfect church, it would no longer be perfect once you become part of it. God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect plans.

Just going to church in itself doesn’t automatically make one a stronger Christian. It’s going to Jesus and then obeying His word. Still, greater things will happen when more believers get over past offenses and take their place in the Body of Christ. 

Where and with whom has God called you to?

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” - Matthew 18:20