Voices

There is no debate that the western church is alive.  She is active.  She is well.  That being said, some would debate those statements.  What I say here, to some, will be offensive and harsh.  That is not the intent.  The intent is tha t it is time for us to be honest with ourselves and the people of God.  1 Peter 4:17 states that “it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.”  Now you may be thinking, “Who are you to judge?”  I am of the household of God and throughout Scripture it tells us to examine ourselves, so I am examining.  Within our culture, here in the west, we have allowed those who are clubs to maintain that they are churches.  People gather at these clubs to hear what they want to hear, to be entertained, and to set their own agenda.  Men and women of God, we should be aware of these places, and we should stop calling them churches. Here are three ways you can tell if your “church” is a club: 1. Lack of full biblical teaching These places tak

Kingdom Culture and Focus Prevailed My wife and I attended the Southern Baptist Convention that met last week in Dallas, Texas.  I want to share what happened, as I know you have likely heard or read things in the news that may seem troubling to you.  Let me assure you, all is not how it seems.  Yet in all, there is usually a grain of truth. I went into this year’s convention meetings on my face before God begging for unity, wisdom, and peace.  I was troubled in my spirit over major issues that we would be facing that could split us apart if we let our personalities, personal desires, and personal agendas get in the way and hinder our reliance upon God, Himself. There were two major issues that I knew we were facing.  We would be electing a new president, as Steve Gaines’ term came to an end, and we would be dealing with heartache and heartbreak over the firing of Dr. Paige Patterson as the president of Southwest Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. From the start of t