The Pastor's Perspective

     Have you ever felt like sin has its "hooks" in you and won't let go? Sometimes we aren't just flirting with a bad habit or "straddling the fence"—we have fallen into outright depravity. It often starts small: a single look, one drink, or hanging out with the wrong crowd. But eventually, we find ourselves like the Prodigal Son, sitting in a pig trough and trying to satisfy our souls with the "slop" of this world.      The church in Thyatira reached this point. Outwardly, they looked like a "super-church"—they had love, service, faith, and patience. But inwardly, they had a major blemish: they readily accepted a false teacher whom Jesus calls "Jezebel". This woman led the church into deep wickedness, and because she was charming or perhaps a major contributor, they allowed her to stay.      If you feel like you are struggling alone, remember: church is for recovering sinners. Every one of us is, in a sense, addicted to sin. Y...

     Have you ever felt like you were just "going through the motions" in your faith? On the outside, everything looks fine—you attend church, you say the right things, and you might even be involved in various programs. But on the inside, the fire has gone out. You feel spiritually cold, dry, and perhaps even "dead."       The church in Sardis was the ultimate "zombie" church. They had a reputation for being alive and active, but Jesus—who sees past the surface—delivered a staggering diagnosis: "You are dead."       It is a sobering reminder that a church's health isn't measured by the size of its budget, the number of its programs, or the crowd in the pews. There are churches that are filled with thousands upon thousand of people but that does not mean that they are a church or that the pastor is a true man of God. One pastor reminded me that not everything that "grows" is good, because tumors grow too! God’s standard for a li...

     Have you ever found yourself "straddling the fence"—holding onto your faith with one hand while flirting with the world’s values with the other? It is a common struggle in our modern walk. This is especially true as we see the divide between God and the world to continue to widen.       We often try to hide our compromises and our hypocrisies. We strive to keep on pretending we have it all together, but Jesus reminds us clearly: "I know where you dwell". You might try to cover the scent of compromise with the "perfume" of religious activity, but God sees right through to the truth of our conduct. We play church on Sunday and live like the Devil throughout the week and think that we have fooled everyone. Yet you will never fool God!       The church in Pergamum was exactly in this position. They were living in a "corrosive culture" and, while they held onto their faith in some areas, they had begun to ignore sin and false teachi...

     Have you ever felt like a "stranger in a strange land" because of your faith?. In a world that is increasingly antagonistic toward biblical values, it can feel like you are being pressured to stay silent or keep your beliefs strictly to yourself. We often wonder: is it possible to be truly faithful when the culture around us seems to be moving in the opposite direction?.      The church in Smyrna knew this tension intimately. They lived in a city that demanded emperor worship and indulged in lifestyles that directly contradicted their faith. Because they refused to compromise, they were labeled as unpatriotic, narrow-minded, and intolerant. They didn't just face "mean comments"; they suffered the loss of jobs, property, and even their lives. Yet, when Jesus looked at this suffering church, He didn't offer a critique. Unlike other churches, Smyrna received only praise. While the world saw them as poor and marginalized, Jesus declared, "You are rich...

     What would you say is the one thing you and I should look for in a church?. We often look for dynamic preaching, wonderful programs for our children, or deep Bible studies. While these are all excellent, it is possible to have a "perfect" church on paper that is actually in a state of spiritual emergency.      The church in Ephesus was exactly that kind of place. They had an incredible spiritual pedigree: the Apostle Paul spent three years there, and leaders like Timothy, Aquilla, Priscilla, and Apollos all ministered to them. Church tradition even suggests the Apostle John served there. They were busy, doctrinally sound, and persevered through intense persecution. Sounds pretty Good Right? I mean sign me up!!      Yet, despite their impressive resume, Jesus had a devastating "prescription" for them. They had become a "working" church that had eclipsed their "loving" relationship with Him. The Danger of the "Cold Heart"    ...

    The Christmas season is marked by universally recognized images: twinkling lights, festive music, and perhaps the most iconic of all—the Nativity scene. These symbols are so commonplace that it is easy to fall into what we might call The Christmas Assumption : the belief that because people celebrate the holiday, they must understand the actual story of Jesus Christ.      Several years ago, a Baptist Press story highlighted the danger of this assumption. A missionary traveling through a staunchly Buddhist area of Southeast Asia noticed something unusual in an open-air market: several beautifully crafted Nativity sets.      The missionary was curious and tracked down the family making them. To his surprise, they knew nothing about the pieces they were selling. A French tourist had simply suggested they make the sets to sell alongside their other handmade items. The family had absolutely no idea what the Nativity figures represented.  ...

     The Christmas story is the greatest event in human history. So great in fact that history has been divided by that very event.       Everything prior to the birth of Christ was labeled as B.C. which means "Before Christ". Meaning that all of recorded human history that happened before the birth of Christ has that label. For example Alexander the Great died either  June 10 or 11, 323 BC. Another words Alexander the Great died 323 years before Jesus Christ was Born, B.C.       Accordingly everything that happened after the birth of Christ is labeled with A.D. This stands for the Latin phrase "Anno Domini" which means "in the year of our Lord" So this year is 2025 A.D. which means 2025 years after the birth of Christ.     The birth of Jesus did more than help us categorize historical events. It was t he moment when God fulfilled centuries of prophecy by stepping into our world. The God of the Universe who spoke the ...