October
Text Box: Pastor’s Thoughts My mind and heart seem to focus more and more on the future of church. I tend to glance in the rearview mirror, remembering the highlights of my spiritual journey. What a blessing to sit with the saints as a young convert, sense their strong commitment to Christ and resolve to proclaim the truths of His eternal Kingdom throughout the world. I can recall going to Camp Meeting for the first time and experiencing the reality that the church was so much larger than a local congregation. My God and His Kingdom where released from the small box in which my mind had placed them. As His vastness increased within my own vision, my perspective and attitude toward the church of God and its impact on our families, our communities, our culture, and the whole world was dramatic. My role and the responsibility of a local congregation of the Church of God became far more complex than I ever imagined. The task at hand would demand Spirit filled saints willing to seek God’s enabling grace that they could fulfill His divine mission. Nearly forty years later, I must admit, our generation has not made the impact it could have. These are my thoughts, not prophecies or biblical facts, and observations of my own walk. I have seen flickers of light, sparks here and there, but no flames of lasting revival that has impacted the eternal scope of a world bent on defying God. I can’t help but wonder; has the church focused too much on tradition and social needs to be relevant to this generation? In our quest not to compromise on our way of doing church have we lost our connection with what our gatherings were suppose to be accomplishing? We have focused on the “Spiritual Birth” and neglected “Spiritual Growth”. Called on by Christ to make disciples, it appears we have failed to produce a generation aware, let alone, equipped to stand up and rekindle the fame. If it were not for the Holy Scriptures my heart could but grieve as I look forward. God what of the future of the church? How many times did Israel of old drop the ball? They fumbled the promises, they got distracted, and they at times seemed to abandon God totally; but God didn’t abandon them!