The Destructive Catch in the Church

There is a destructive catch that occurs in most churches. On the one hand, the members of a church need their pastor to give them quality, substantive, "meaty" messages. The majority of the members would acknowledge that to be the case. On the other hand these same church members also wish their pastor to be a physical and material support for them.

• They want him to listen to their problems
• They want him to encourage their children
• They want him to attend their functions
• They want him to be there for them to lean upon

This is where the catch arises. The same man is not capable of doing both duties. If he performs the "pastoral care" function to the best of his abilities, he will certainly lessen the quality of his pulpit work. This lesser pulpit work will render the congregation that much more needy if his "pastoral care". But if he focuses on the pulpit work the congregation is likely to respond by either moving to a more pastoral church or else they will be critical of their pastor and refuse him the impact in their lives he ought to have.

Some churches have overcome this destructive catch by assigning a pulpit pastor and a pastoral staff for the personal ministries. The Bible's answer is the office of the deacon. While the preacher dedicates himself to prayer and the ministry of the Word, the deacons serve for the support and, if I may, "pastoral care" functions of the ministry.

But this is a difficult stage for a church to attain. The congregation often sees this care ministry as such a prime feature of the pastor that they expect his presence and participation even with a fully functioning deacon ministry. Further, those chosen as deacons are often not compelled toward or gifted in the ministry of care as they ought to be. The result is a crippled church longing to be effective but having created its own hobbles to prevent it.

Marvin McKenzie

In the field

Always Sick

• Some people are always "sick"(psychosomatic)
• Some people use illness as their excuse to stay away from God
• Some people are more prone to illness because they are seldom exposed to germs
  
  

Very few employers could afford to have their employees stay home every time they get sick. Families would suffer incredibly if every bread winner stayed home every time they got sick. Satan will help you get sick if that will keep you from the house of God.

For years I woke up sick every Sunday. It was the pressure of the ministry I was about to have to do. It was Satan's way of trying to prevent me from preaching. One Sunday I woke up complaining about not feeling well. Anita told me that I was sick every Sunday. She was right; I had just not put it together in my brain. From that day on I began rebuking the feelings of illness on Sunday and ignoring them. Eventually I stopped feeling sick on Sundays.

I beg God that people get spiritually tough enough to come to church instead of letting illness keep them home.[1]

Marvin McKenzie

In the field

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[1] Of course I make an exception for those contagious diseases that are more dangerous

Islam and Christianity are not Equal Faiths

Islam should not be given equal standing with Christianity in free lands such as America because Islam and Christianity are not equal faiths. 

By far the larger number of the world's population are Muslims but that is not because the faith of Islam is more spiritually compelling. It is because the Islamic religion gives no options for those who live in Islamic dominated countries. 

Over a millennia of experience with Islam has demonstrated that it is a faith that usurps control over governments and that, in those places where it controls the government, it forces itself upon its citizens. It is not a developing religion but a degenerating one. It has not led to the greater good of its followers but the greater sorrow. On the other hand, though Christian history has its own black mark with attempts to own governments and force itself on people:

• There was always a branch of Christians[1] who held that forced religion is opposed to the teaching of our Bible
• The influence of the Bible in places such as England and especially America, led to the Protestant conclusion of liberty of conscience[2] 

Christianity and Islam are not equal religions because Christianity provides that a man is free to disbelieve and so practice no faith if he chooses. Islam provides no such liberty. 

Christianity and Islam are not equal because Christianity insists the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. We advance our faith only with the Word of God, prayer and the help of God's Holy Spirit. Islam, to this very day, does not hesitate to use any carnal weapon it can get its hands upon:

• Guns
• Bombs
• Rocket launchers
• Mortars and even
• Jet airliners

to advance its religion upon the masses. 

Christianity and Islam are not equal and should therefore not be given equal standing among free people.

Marvin McKenzie

In the field

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[1] The Anabaptists and later Baptists.

[2] A position the Baptists had held all along and were finally successful in convincing the fathers of this land concerning.