History shows us what's next for America

I missed the 60's.

I was born in 1974 in the time of the Watergate scandal and the resignation of Richard Nixon. The Vietnam War was coming to an end, Woodstock was a pipe dream rapidly fading into the rear view mirror, The Doors were gone, Janis Joplin was gone, Jimi Hendrix was gone; JFK and RFK were gone, MLK was gone, LSD and heroin were disappearing; protest music was being replaced by ballads and disco, tie-dye t-shirts were being replaced by tempered-back avocado and burnt orange themes, and the nation was moving in a different direction.

After all the activism of the 60's, America was tired. We were tired of the Vietnam War and all the protests and arguing and fighting here at home. We were tired of marches, tired of demonstrations, tired of, well, just about everything. The music and culture of the 70's showed this.

After the decade of the 70's when America figuratively sat down on the couch and chilled out after an exhausting decade sexual liberation, protest marches, experimental drugs, wars, and division, a new decade emerged- the 80's. The election of President Ronald Reagan ushered in something that no one sitting in a New York field the summer of 1969 listening to Hendrix playing the Star-Spangled Banner could ever have imagined: a decade characterized by a massive shift to the right politically and culturally. The 80's marked one of the most conservative decades in recent history, paralleled only by the 50's (which was led by the Greatest Generation- children of the Great Depression and World War II).

No one saw the 80's coming. Especially not in the middle of the protest marches of the 60's.

The last seven years in America has been a time like the 60's. The election of Barack Obama ushered in an unprecedented chapter of liberalism: optimism about government, dreams of a post-racial society, dreams of peace, dreams of a new society based on equality and fairness. It also ushered in a time of intense division and fighting. We have done nothing but fight each other for the past seven years- liberals vs conservatives, leftists vs right-wingers, states vs federal government, Supreme Court vs the people, 1-percenters vs the 99-percenters, Wall Street vs Main Street, police vs minorities, Christians vs atheists, Muslims vs the whole world, immigrants vs nationalists, gun owners vs gun grabbers, homosexual activists vs anti-gay marriage supporters, and the list goes on.

Social media is a battleground. Activists on all sides. Common ground is out- polarization is in. Compromise is scorned, winning at all cost is valued. Arguing, gutter sniping, character assassination, media trolls, and public shaming are at an all-time high. Gay marriage was legalized after a long drawn-out fight, but instead of ending the battle, it only intensified. Our leaders seem incapable of solving any problem- in fact, they probably are the cause behind all the division. All of this is simply exhausting.

The times we are living in right now resemble, to a large degree, the 1960's.

And this era is ending.

Just like in the 1960's, reality is invading. The flower children of the 1960's found out that evil couldn't be eradicated by getting stoned and driving VW buses. They found that chasing utopia by governmental means is like chasing a will-o-the-wisp, just always slightly out of reach. The same is true of this era of liberalism and "progressivism."

We are discovering that universal health care ISN'T free- in fact, it is very expensive. We are discovering that we can't borrow our way to prosperity. We are discovering that evil can't be legislated away. We are discovering, once again, that politicians lie. We are discovering that instead of freedom, the new liberalism has given us repression and fascism- speech codes and "micro-aggressions" on college campuses, suing of businesses for not toeing the politically correct line, scandals from our supposed governmental "saviors," a bitterly divided and angry populace, fracturing of the family, unsustainable governmental debt, crushing student loans and credit card debt, and lack of trust in just about every institution that is responsible for keeping America together (law enforcement, churches, families, marriage, etc).

America is getting weary. We can only fight so long before we exhaust ourselves. No one has unlimited energy, and no one has the stomach to keep fighting, fighting, fighting.

Small children in the sixties saw their parents get all worked up over everything. They saw their parents engaging in culture wars. They saw the marches and the anger and the activism.  They saw the results.  They didn't like them. And they completely checked out.

The same is true of us today. My children have grown up in the Obama era of liberalism and progressivism. They've seen the culture wars. They've seen people argue. They've seen the social media battles, especially on Facebook, and they've seen the hatred flying around. The result?  Anyone with teenagers now know that there are no young people on Facebook.

Why are the young people abandoning Facebook? The quick answer is that their parents are there, and therefore they don't want anything to do with it. I disagree.

I think they are off of Facebook because they are sick of the battles.

Teens flock to social media where you can't argue. They love Instagram and SnapChat. You can't argue there. You can't have character assassination and trolling and public shaming there. It's a different kind of connection- a place without battles. That's where the kids are. They are tired of the Twitter wars and Facebook battles and division.

I think we are about to see a period of rest, just like the 1970's. Activism is going to fade away- people just won't have the energy for it. If history has anything to say about it, we are about to see a new era of conservatism, maybe not socially, but definitely politically. Activists will be publicly shamed and shunned- they've burnt through their capital and will be increasingly seen as more annoying than anything else. This new era will be marked with cynicism and distrust of our institutions. That will continue. The new normal in America will be one of moodiness and gloom as the nation tries to process the changes that have occurred in the Obama administration years.

I anticipate that there won't be many large court cases for awhile. America will enter a time of settling down, pulling back, disengaging from fights and battles and arguments. After that, there will be a new era of conservatism that will be the exact opposite of the Obama years. This has already happened from 1960-1988. It will most likely happen again.

The younger generations typically do not follow the older ones. The children of the 60's flower children rebelled and voted for Reagan. The children of the Reagan era conservatives rebelled and voted for Obama. The children of the Obama activists and social media warriors will rebel and move the other way. I believe this is what is next for America.

The question is- how does the church navigate these changing waters? Simple- the gospel message is more relevant now than at any other time in American history. As the pipe dream of the governmental savior fades with disillusionment, the eternal hope of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ becomes even more attractive. The Church has been given an amazing opportunity to lead this nation. Right now, more than any other time in my life, Christianity stands in stark contrast to the culture. It is time to show this world the beauty of the Church- it's message of love, forgiveness, turning the other cheek, faithfulness, sexual fidelity, purity, honesty, and truth. It is time for the Church to step up in leaderless, disillusioned communities and be the voice of sanity and reason.

We've been given a great opportunity. Let's not waste it.

There's really only been one change in America in the last forty years

What in the world is happening to America?

I tell you the truth, this is what my face looks like half the time when I read the news or hear the latest story in the media:

I just don't get what's going on half the time.  There are millions of Americans who feel the same way, and it seems as if each of these news stories is unrelated: the advance of same-sex marriage, Bruce Jenner becoming a woman, the church declining in numbers, public schools failing, violence in the cities, anti-cop rhetoric, redefinition of families, etc.

However, all of these stories have one common theme, and it is the great unspoken change that has hit America in the last forty years. It is the foundation for all of what we see going on today, and it is the reason why older Americans don't understand what is happening to our country while younger generations see no problem.

What, pray tell, is this common theme? What is this great, grandiose shift in American culture causing all the mayhem and craziness that we see?

Here it is:  Instead of the individual adapting to the institution, now the institutions have to adapt to the individual.

In previous generations, individuals were called to adapt to the institution.  The institution was king, and society was based on individuals falling in line with what the institution said.  For example, if someone wanted to be married, he or she would marry someone of the opposite sex. The institution said, "Marriage is between a man and a woman, and if you want to be married, adapt to it." So, individuals adapted to the institution.  Nowadays, however, individuals are calling the institution to adapt to them.  "I'm gay, and I want to be married, so marriage must adapt to me," is the new cry in today's society.

In previous generations, it was assumed that the institution would provide bathrooms for men and women. Biological males went into one bathroom, biological females went into another. The individual adapted to the institution.  Now, the individual is calling for legislation to force the institution to adapt to him or her. "Whatever I decide I am, you must accommodate me," is the rallying cry from the gender-fluid crowd.

Or, for instance, take the institution of learning. In previous generations, children went to school and adapted to the rules laid down by the institution.  The school said, "You must study and work hard to achieve A's, and if you don't, you fail." So, children who wanted A's studied hard.  If they brought home F's, students were grounded, punished, and the assumption was- they didn't study. In other words, the individual adapted to the institution. Nowadays, however, if a student fails, parents storm the teacher's office, demanding that the teacher be fired, blaming the principal for not giving an "individualized learning plan" calling the school to adapt to the student to ensure the student's success.  Instead of looking at the school as the given, now the student is the given, and it is the school's job to adapt to the student.

We see this also in law enforcement. In previous generations, it was understood that if you broke the law, you got what you deserved. If you were foolish enough to resist arrest, whatever happened was your own fault. Now, however, people who break the law are the victims, and the arresting officers are the ones who are at fault. Now, I'm sure there are instances of police brutality and those officers need to be arrested and tried like any other criminals, but I think we can all agree that there is a wave of anti-police sentiment calling on the police force to adapt to the individual, instead of the individual adapting to the institution of law enforcement.

The church hasn't escaped this either. In previous generations, churches preached the gospel, and it was the job of the individual to submit his or her sin to the power of God. The person was called to be repentant, to be willing to change, to be willing to surrender his or her life in submission to God for the forgiveness of sins and the joy of eternal life. Biblical Christianity was based on the sovereignty of God, and the church was the bearer of that message.  Now, however, the institution of the church has to adapt to the people. Preachers can't mention hell, or sin, or change, because that offends people. The church must now have all kinds of great fun children's events, neat games and fun trips for youth, flashy smoke machines and intelligent lighting to create fantastic and entertaining Sunday morning experiences. Churches, instead of preaching repentance and change, now have to adapt to individual "felt needs" and deliver motivational lectures on achieving your "best life now" instead of revealing a humanity in rebellion towards God in need of redemption.  Instead of individuals adapting to the institution, now the institution must adapt to the individual.  And if that church is so woefully unready to do so, the churchgoer will happily leave that church and go to one down the street that will tell them what they want to hear.

Where does this all lead?  Nowhere good, I can tell you.

This is simply the fall of man, described in Genesis chapter 3 so well, on full display.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve decide they know better than God. They decide to BE God, and therefore commit sin. This new phenomenon in American culture is simply that- the individual deciding that he or she is sovereign, that he or she is the given, and that everything and everyone must adapt to him or her.

I think that this trend is so entrenched in American culture that I don't see it changing.

The net result of this is that the institutions which propped up American society in previous generations will disappear. The church, the family, law enforcement, schools, or any kind of authority will become so compromised that they will not be able to do their jobs. We are already seeing this in education. Teachers can't teach anymore. They are too busy dealing with kids and parents who want the school to adapt to them. We will continue to see this in law enforcement, with increasing lawlessness as people, instead of respecting law enforcement and adapting to what it says, resist and demand that law enforcement let them do what they want.  We will continue to see this in the church, with less and less tolerance for Biblical teaching ("For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."- 2 Timothy 4:3). 

A society where the institutions are forced to adapt to the individual will not survive. A society with strong institutions- family, church, school, law enforcement, etc- will thrive. America became strong because her institutions were strong. America will become weaker as her institutions grow weaker. Christians, we have a duty to stand against this- we have a duty to strengthen our institutions through commitment to God.

Christians, we should be the first ones to keep our families together.

Christians, we should be the first ones to emphasize the importance of education and discipline in our schools, calling for respect for teachers, principals, and authorities in the classroom.

Christians, we should be the first ones to support law enforcement, calling for the punishment of bad cops but respecting and honoring the ones who keep us safe.

Christians, we should be the first to strengthen our churches by our attendance, financial support, and commitment to ministry. We should be the first to pray for our leaders, support our pastors, and actively engage in repentance and life change.

Christians, we should stand against the tide of culturally suicide that America is committing right now. Be aware of how you live in this day and age. True Christians will stand out like a sore thumb in this society, and we should be ready in each and every situation to speak of the grace and truth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Changing your church by guarding your Sunday mornings

I was talking with a friend of mine who is an elder in his church (in Christian church circles, an elder is a layperson who overseas the spiritual health of the church. It is different from a Methodist or Baptist understanding of an elder- for my Baptist friends, think deacon) and he described to me what his Sunday mornings were like:

"I get to church and within five minutes someone is complaining to me about a program that went wrong. I try to deal with that person, then within thirty seconds someone is asking me about a water bill being paid, then someone tells me what went wrong on the youth trip and how they are probably leaving the church because of it, then someone comes up to me with some pressing problem about a fundraising dinner in two weeks and how so-and-so is messing it up, and so on. I'm usually late to the service, fifteen minutes or so, and I'm in such a bad mood that I can't worship. I hate Sunday mornings."

How sad.

How many of us could say the same thing?  I can remember being at one church where we had an elder meeting every Sunday morning before church. I was requested to be there, and usually received a grilling about someone who didn't like the way youth group was going. I could completely relate to that elder. I hated Sunday mornings. I was always in a bad mood after those meetings, and in no way was I ready to worship God. The good news is- it doesn't have to be that way. As a matter of fact, I can't believe we've let it become that way.

Pastors and leaders, guard your Sunday mornings.

I challenge every one of you who is a pastor or leader to make a new policy. Write it in huge letters in the church bulletin, put it up on the screen, put it on the marquee outside:  "Sunday is for worship only."

Sunday is for worship only.

In my church, we tell people, "Unless the church is on fire or someone is getting murdered in the parking lot, it doesn't need to be dealt with today. Call me tomorrow."

In other words, we guard our Sunday mornings.

I have never seen anything brought to me on Sunday morning that can't be dealt with on Monday. The problem is simply that Sunday morning is when the church is together, and that's sometimes the only time people see their leaders. People have become accustomed to bringing every problem, issue, and concern to leaders on Sunday mornings.  While that may be the only time they see them, that turns Sunday morning into a gripe-fest filled with issues and problems instead of a worship service.

Church members, your pastors and leaders need to worship. Believe it or not, when you bring issues and concerns and problems to them on Sunday, it affects them. They are not able to focus on God, on worship, on being renewed in the Spirit. They are troubled, in a bad mood, distracted, and unable to focus on the primary purpose of Sunday morning.

Your churches are affected by it. Your leaders approach Sunday morning the way that you approach a "we need to meet immediately" summons from your boss at work. They approach Sunday mornings expecting to get an earful of every little thing that is wrong, every problem that needs immediate fixing, every little argument that has happened during the week. Believe me, it affects your church. Worship is merely an afterthought in many churches, because everyone is in a sour mood due to the drama.

Guard your Sunday mornings.  Pastors and leaders, announce this Sunday that from this point forward, unless someone is getting murdered in the parking lot or the church is on fire, no problems or concerns or issues will be dealt with on Sunday morning. Sunday will be for worship only. If there are problems, the church office is open Monday-Friday, and we will deal with them then.

Learn these words and repeat them often: "Sunday is for worship only."

Church members, do not bring issues and problems to your leaders on Sunday mornings. Most of the time, they are not pressing. There is nothing that you want to deal with on Sunday morning that can't be dealt with on Monday. I know it is convenient, because that is when you see them, but resist this urge. Let your leaders worship. Let them enjoy church. Let them connect with their Lord and Savior. Let them be part of the church for that hour.

You will see an new excitement invade your church as Sunday morning takes on a whole new life. People will be genuinely happy to be at church. You will see a new enthusiasm, a new breath of fresh air, a new life growing in your church. Your gatherings will be joyful, not sour. Do not allow your Sunday meetings to be affected by anything other than worship.

Pastors and leaders, by not dealing with issues on Sunday mornings, you allow yourself to focus completely on worship.  Church members, by not bringing issues and problems to leaders on Sunday mornings, you are more focused on the purpose of Sunday mornings.  Please, for the health of your church, guard your Sunday mornings.

Look at complaints, issues, concerns, and anything else as intruders bent on destroying the church. Pastors, battle these intruders. Do not let them in. Do not give them an ear. Constantly say, "Sunday is for worship only," when someone attempts to bring an issue to you. Guard your flock. Guard your Sunday morning. Like I said before, there is nothing that needs to be dealt with that day. Deal with it on Monday.

By guarding our Sunday mornings, we keep our focus on what Sunday morning truly is- a celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Guard it. Honor it. Protect it. Love it. Be watchful. Be consistent. Be firm. Sunday is for worship only.

When you simply don't "feel like it"

One of the things I do as a pastor, in the role of a shepherd, is round up strays. On any given Sunday, there are any number of people who for whatever reason miss church. Most people like to know that they've been missed, so if I notice that someone is missing, I give them a call or send them a message to let them know that we missed them.

I was following up with a guy who missed church last Sunday. He's been having some tough times, and he said, "I just woke up Sunday morning and I just didn't feel like coming to church."

We've all been there. Let me let out a little secret- a lot of pastors feel that way too.

However, I said, "What does that have to do with anything?"

I went on, "There are times I don't feel like coming to church, and I'm a pastor! I also have times where I don't feel like playing sports with my kids. Sometimes I don't feel like praying. Sometimes I don't feel like paying a bill, or going to work, or talking with my wife, or working out. There are times I don't feel like mowing the grass, doing the laundry, washing the car, going to one of my kids' ball games, or even reading the Bible."

"So you're equating worship of God with mowing the grass?" he asked.

"No," I said. "I'm equating it with life. Why is it that even though we don't feel like doing those things, we do them anyway?  Answer: because it's our duty."

Duty.

The word "duty" is a bad word in American culture right now, especially in the church. American Christians have bought into a false ideology that says we have to feel it for it to be real. If we "feel" close to God, we are; and if we don't feel close to God, we aren't. If we "feel" like going to church, then it is real; if we don't "feel" like going to church, we are being hypocrites if we go. If we don't "feel" like worshiping, we shouldn't.

Maybe that's why the church is in the shape it's in today- we have based our entire concept of spirituality on a fleeting feeling that has more to do with our emotional state at the time than it does on any real spiritual condition or truth.

The Bible is full of stories of people who did things even when they didn't "feel" like it.

I doubt very seriously Jesus "felt" like going to the cross, but He did it anyway.

I doubt very seriously the apostle Paul "felt" like getting flogged, stoned, shipwrecked, beaten with rods, and slandered; yet he did it anyway.

I doubt very seriously that Peter "felt" like getting crucified upside down for his preaching, yet he did it anyway.  And the list goes on.

What set the heroes of the faith apart from the others was the fact that they emphasized duty over feelings. Yes, Christians- we have a duty. Sometimes we aren't going to feel like praying, studying, sharing our faith, attending church, or making a God-honoring decision. So what? Life is full of things we do without "feeling like it." Why should our faith be any different?

Here is what I, as a pastor, am imploring all of you to do. When faced with a decision, do not give regard to your feelings, which change according to mood, circumstances, and whims. Give total regard to your IDENTITY.

I told my friend, "Stop paying attention to how you feel, and instead, ask yourself "What does a Christian do? Does a Christian attend church on Sunday? Yes. So that's what you do. There will be times when you are completely and totally excited about church, and there are other times when you would rather be fishing or shopping or sleeping in or watching Sportscenter. But what difference does that make to a Christian? If you are a Christian, then do what a Christian does."

Do what a Christian does. It's a revolutionary concept.  But it's one that is desperately needed in the church.

Are you a Christian? Then do what a Christian does. Christians don't hem and haw when it comes to being part of a church.  Christians don't hem and haw when it comes to prayer, studying the Word, or sharing their faith. Christians don't hem and haw and fart around when it comes to practicing their faith in day-to-day living.

Athletes train when they don't feel like it.
Workers work when they don't feel like it.
Parents parent when they don't feel like it.
Spouses love the other when they don't feel like it.

Why?

Because that's their duty.

Yes, Christians, we have spiritual duties, and many of us have been woefully negligent of them. We have cast our spiritual life as something to be practiced when we "feel like it." Well, that is why the church is so impotent and lukewarm. It's not that we don't love Jesus- it's that we have neglected our duties as Christians. We only practice our faith, or attend church, or pray, or anything else when we are in the mood.

No great athlete has ever become great because he practiced only when he "felt like it."
No great employee has ever become great because he went to work only when he "felt like it."
No great parent has ever become a great parent when she only parented when she "felt like it."
No great marriage has ever become great when the spouses loved each other only when they "felt like it."

No person has ever developed a strong faith when they only were spiritual when they "felt like it."

So, here's the honest truth: a lot of our walk with Christ is duty. Yes it is. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something. Part of the Christian faith is work; hard, unrelenting, thankless work. There will be Sunday mornings where you don't feel like worshiping. There will be Monday afternoons when you don't feel like praying. There will be Thursday mornings when you don't feel like forgiving your spouse. That's life. Deal with it.

Some of us believe that we have to "feel" it for it to be real.  I disagree. It isn't what you feel that makes it real; it's what you are committed to that makes it real. I would even go as far as to say that you, your identity, is simply made up of the sum total of your commitments.

As a pastor, I'm impressed with someone who has every reason not to show up on a Sunday morning, every reason in the world not to forgive, every reason in the world not to pray, every reason in the world not to serve, but does it anyway.  I am more impressed with that person than a person who shows up eagerly. Why? Because anyone can serve when they are eager. That takes no great dedication. But the one whose life is falling apart, the one who has been hurt, the one who is exhausted, the one who has every excuse in the world not to stay faithful but stays faithful anyway? Now that's impressive. That's faith. And that's what is woefully absent from most if not all of our churches today.

I think it's time that we as Christians, especially pastors, start emphasizing the word "duty" again. It is a bad word in churches today. It connotates dead and stale religion; a "going-through-the-motions" kind of deal, rather than a "My-heart-is-in-it-and-therefore-it's-real" mentality. Nothing could be further from the truth. Duty was what built the church in the first place. The early church, and early church leaders, had an overwhelming sense of duty that motivated them beyond what felt right. It is because of their unrelenting sense of duty that now one out of every three people on this planet calls himself or herself a Christian.

If you don't have a strong sense of Christian duty, you will fall away every time the ebb and flow of passion reaches a low point. You will justify your dereliction of duty by saying, "I don't want to be a hypocrite- I don't feel it so it must not be real," but in the end, it will simply be a shirking of your responsibility and duty to God. We don't put up with dereliction of duty in other areas of life- we don't allow ourselves to shirk our parenting responsibilities, do we? How many mothers truly feel like cleaning up vomit at 2 am? Yet we do it anyway, because it's our duty.

One thing is certain- every time that I, as a pastor, have fought through my apathy and done my duty even though I didn't feel like it, I am always glad I did. It formed character within me, it formed faith within me, and it formed morality and righteousness within me. I am challenging you to do the same. Let's bring the word duty back into the church. Let's do what we need to do even when we don't feel like it. Let's do what Christians do, even when we'd rather do something else.

Duty.

What I've learned from the persecuted church overseas that American churches need to start doing

How can a church, whose heroes all died as criminals, whose Bible is filled with stories of people being arrested, tortured, and killed by angry mobs and government forces, be part of the mainstream culture?

Answer: it really can't.

Oh, it can for awhile. America has proven that. Christianity has been the majority religion here in America since its inception. It still is, and probably will be for a long time. Faith isn't as easy to stamp out in a society or a people as you might think, no matter what the liberal press and militant atheist social media warriors would like you to believe.

However, there is no doubt that America is changing.

The guys who have been in youth ministry have known this for a long time.

I was a youth minister for 9 years before being a senior pastor, and the front-page news headlines screaming about America's changing spiritual landscape was common knowledge to all of us ten years ago. Working with the upcoming generation, we all saw it.

And honestly, a lot of us welcomed it.

See, Christianity in its truest form can only exist when it is a minority outside the mainstream. When Christianity becomes popular, when it becomes cool, when there are societal benefits associated with being part of a church or being called a Christian, the true faith is watered down.

When Christianity is mainstream, people will join a church because of friends, or because of business contacts, or because of social status, or simply because "that's what a good American does." When churches are filled with people who want the benefits of Christianity but aren't in relationship with Jesus, aren't willing to pay the costs, not willing to accomplish the Great Commission, aren't willing to sacrifice anything at all, the church suffers.  Big time.

When Christianity is moved to the fringes, when it isn't cool, convenient, or popular, the church sheds a lot of dead weight. When the heat is turned up, when Christianity begins to cost, when Christianity begins to be dangerous and risky, there is a major pruning that goes on.  When that pruning is over, all that is left are hardcore, committed disciples of Jesus Christ. That's when Christianity begins to exist in its purest form.

That's what's happening in America right now. Casual, lukewarm Christianity is disappearing. And I say good riddance.  God is refining His church right now. He has gone into full-blown Gardener mode (see John 15) and is ruthlessly pruning off dead, unproductive branches of His church. He is refining His church, destroying casual, nominal Christianity and leaving His church full of people who are serious about discipleship.

How do I know this?  I spend a lot of time with Christians in other countries who are distinct minorities.

I think that American churches need to learn from them. Here are two things that I believe the American church will need to do in order to thrive in a post-Christian America.

1) De-centralize.  Our brethren in China showed me one thing: they do not have massive places of gathering. They do not have real estate. They do not have offices. They do not have anything, really, other than their homes. Whatever you have can be confiscated by the government. So, they are de-centralized. Their churches are incredibly hard to shut down, because there ARE no churches. At least, no church buildings. One house gets shut down, they move to another.

Also, their leadership is de-centralized. If the police break into a church meeting and demand to know who the pastor is, all raise their hands. If they arrest one, another takes his place. Their locations and their leadership is de-centralized, and therefore impossible to destroy. Right now, here in America, leaders are easily identified and buildings are easily spotted. Learn the lesson from our persecuted brethren and be ready for the day when we will need to act as they do.  De-centralize.

2) Orphan care.  Churches outside the mainstream need to look for ways that they can have legitimacy in the eyes of the unbelievers. Every society has helpless members, and the most prominent are the orphan children. Our persecuted brethren overseas all have orphanages.  This is for two reasons- one, because the Bible commands it, and two, because it afford the church protection. If a church runs an orphanage with 150 children, what happens when the government comes in and threatens to shut the church down?  The leaders say, "Okay, these children are now your problem."

No local government wants to deal with orphan children, so they back off. Also, many local people are won over to Jesus Christ by seeing the compassion of the church for the orphan children.

I see these two things- de-centralization and orphan care- as being two things of absolute necessity in the American church in the coming years. These are things our persecuted brethren have done to survive in their communities. American churches need to do this as well.

So, to the average churchgoer, are you willing to raise your hand and say you are the pastor? Are you ready to take over leadership of the church when your pastor is arrested? Are you ready to take seriously the care of orphans?

The time to decide that is now. The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining. When it starts to rain, it's too late.

The time to decide these things is now, before government forces begin shutting down churches and persecuting the faithful. Decide now.  But don't worry. Our rich history is filled with people who stayed faithful in face of violent persecution. They are our heroes. They are our examples. If they faced it, so can we. God bless you all.

Parents, teach your child this one thing to ensure their success in life

I was in India when I learned the secret of life.

It was my first time in Asia. My parents had hammered manners into me as a child. I couldn't speak the local language yet I interacted with many of them, so I was careful to over-communicate my thankfulness and enjoyment and respect to the people there. (I frightened one poor lady- we were at her home and I was sitting at the table talking with some other men when she approached the table with tea. Being a good southerner, when I saw her approach the table, I stood up. I thought I was showing respect, but I startled her so much that she almost dropped the platter and spilled the tea. She thought I was leaving and that somehow she had offended me. Clash of cultures!)

I was about ready to speak at a nightly outdoor service. There were over two thousand people in attendance, about half Christian and about half Hindu. Many were people who were curious because they had never seen a white person before. I was a first for many of them.

When it was my time to stand up to speak, I walked to the platform, sat down on the ground, took off my shoes, and then went up on stage. I preached the message along with my awesome translator, and then afterwards many people came forward to receive Christ and request baptism.

The next day, we rode with the seventy people who were going to be baptized out to a river. No baptistries were around- they used the Biblical old-school river baptisms straight out of the New Testament. One of the men, when it was his turn for baptism, turned to me and told me the following:

"I am a Hindu, from a Hindu family. I had never heard of Christ before, and I had no intention of listening last night. The only reason I showed up was that I had never seen a white person before. Well, I saw you. When you stood up to preach, I was about ready to leave, but when I saw you sit on the ground and take off your shoes, I was stunned. I said, 'This man respects us.' I was not expecting that. No man of dignity, let alone a white person, would EVER sit on the ground. That's what children do. But after you removed your shoes, I decided to sit and listen. I'm glad I did. Now I know about Jesus."

What I learned from that experience is that respect is the universal language.

Respect is the way to open doors, to open hearts, to open opportunities that were previously closed. A respectful person- a person who values others, does not insist on his or her own way, a person who uses manners, expresses gratitude, and exercises self-control especially around his or her elders is a person who is going to be successful in this life.

Respect cut through language barriers in India. I couldn't communicate words, but believe me, I was still communicating. A small gesture that I thought was insignificant was HUGE to the people of India. It pleased them greatly to see a foreigner respect their customs and ways. It opened hearts to the gospel.

Parents, raise respectful children. Do not allow your children to refer to adults by their first names. Do not let them get away without saying "Please," "Thank you," and "Yes," (not yeah). Teach your sons and daughters to hold the door for people behind them. Teach them to be polite in other peoples' homes. Teach them to over communicate their thankfulness when someone does something for them. Insist that they write thank-you notes at birthdays and Christmas.

Respect.

You raise children that do those things, and the world will open up for them.

I was at my son's taekwondo class. Class had just gotten over, and parents and children were heading for the door. I opened the door and three of the cutest little girls (couldn't have been more than 4, 5, and 6) walked through. As they went through, all three of them, almost in unison, looked me IN THE FACE and said with a smile, "Thank you sir."

I said, "Wait! Whoa!" I turned to their mother, who was right beside them, and I said, "Your children have excellent manners." I got down on the children's level and said, "Do you have any idea how nice, as an adult, it was to hear that from you? Do you have any idea how respected I feel right now? Thank you." Turning back to their mother, I said, "Your children will have no trouble in this world. If this is the way they make adults feel, they will get every job they apply for, they will get every opportunity they try for, because they have absolutely no competition."

I have worked in many places. I have hired people, managed people, and lead a staff right now. I believe I would argue that I would rather have a respectful employee than an intelligent employee. I would rather have an employee that is respectful to customers than one who got straight A's but treats people terribly. Parents, are you emphasizing respect as much as grades? Are you emphasizing respect as much as sports?

Believe me, respect is the universal language. Disrespect is the universal turn-off. People have all the time in the world for a polite, respectful person. They've got no time at all for a disrespectful jerk. If doors are closed to you, or your children, take a look at how respectful you are or they are. Do you use "sir" or "ma'am" especially when speaking to someone older? Do you use "thank you" and "please" or are they absent from your vocabulary?

Maybe your problem is that you simply aren't respectful, or your children aren't. Model respect for your children. They will follow suit. By teaching them respect, you will ensure their success in this world. They will stand out because, like I said before, they will have NO competition.

"I don't do business with churches."

Early in Catalyst Christian Church history, when we were only about two years old, I went looking around our town for a new location to house our church. We wanted to be more visible in the community and have a larger space to accommodate our future growth.

My friend and co-worker, John Kelley, and I drove up and down Main Street, looking for available space.  We found a large, empty storefront with a huge "For Rent" sign in the window. The location was perfect.  It was about 10,000 square feet, right on the main drag, highly visible, huge parking lot- in other words, it was ideal.

After glancing in the window, I decided to call the number in the window.  A man's voice answered, "Hello?"

"Hello," I said. "I'm interested in your property located at (address withheld)."

"Sure," said the guy, perking up at the potential tenant. "It's ready to move in. What kind of business are you?"

"We're a church," I answered.

His tone changed immediately. "I don't do business with churches," he said abruptly, and hung up.

You know exactly what John and I did.  We immediately went and found a lawyer, filed a complaint against the guy, listed our symptoms of emotional bereavement including but not limited to: headache, fever, depression, feelings of isolation, trouble sleeping, and worst of all a strong compulsion to listen to Nickelback.  We hauled the guy into court, sued him for all he's worth, crucified him on social media, picketed his offices, made death threats against his family, broke windows in the property, and shut down a GofundMe page set up to help him out.  Right?

Nope. We said, "Oh well," and went someplace else.

And that was it.

That's what decent people do.

He has a tenant that he wants to work with. It's his property. He can rent it to whoever he wants.

He lost out on the rent money we would have paid him. That's his business. Quite honestly, I didn't want a guy who feels that way towards churches to be our landlord.

America is based on the freedom of voluntary transactions between business and consumer. Voluntary. I believe he has the right to rent to whoever he wants. It's his property. He owns it. He invested his own money in it, it's his livelihood, and if he doesn't want to rent to us, he shouldn't have to. He doesn't own every building in this town. There are plenty of others.

He rented to someone else. We rented from someone else. No big fuss. No big deal.
We are in a fantastic location that works great for us. We can rent from whoever we want to.

And that's how a free society works.