Preach To Win Souls...Not Fill Your Pockets

Stop With The Play On Emotions.....

I have to admin that I am beyond a little upset this evening.  While attending our Wednesday evening service I was more than taken back by what my ears had heard.  

Let me begin be describing the chain of events that lead me to be more than a smoking gun.  After opening prayer the Pastor of the church that we attend began by opening the service by collecting their offerings.  After an explanation of how they had collected more money from the smaller crowd this past Sunday than from when they have larger crowds.  Let me say that I above all people realize that churches have bills to pay just like everyday folks like you and me and they do so by the money that they collect from the people who attend there.  So, you are asking what has me so aggravated?  Simple...

While myself and my fiance have been in the midst of a huge home renovation for nearly the past year we have not been able to attend services due to both of us having to work a full-time job and still keep a schedule with this project to be completed prior to our wedding date.  Tonight, the Pastor's wife actually had the audacity to tell us "don't be such a stranger".  Why does this aggravate me so?  Due to the fact that NOT ONCE  did anyone bother to call and see if we were alive, if something may have been wrong with either one of our health or if something was wrong within our family unit (which it was).

Mine Isn't Good Enough

I suppose if I had an abundance of money that I would have had various member's as well as the pastor himself beating down my door wanting to know about where I had been.  However, since I am a working stiff just like many others I am not as important that the others.  That is the source of my anger.  How many times I listen to ministers around the country preach about how God wants us to prosper, how if we tithe that God will put it back in our pockets and on and on and on.  Look, I realize and know exactly what the Bible says about tithing.  What irritates me to no end is the mere fact that without money, I seem to hold no importance in my church's eyes.

How Do You Know

How do you know exactly what I have to offer and what I don't.  I can tell you this, though, I only give my money to ministries that put their works back into their own people and truly demonstrate a yearning and desire to take care of their own and their community.  Don't judge me based on what you think I may or may not have.  It may very well be you that is missing the blessings.

Do You Even Know...

I am almost certain that many pastor's do not even know the names of many of the people who sit in their churches.  Look, while I am more forgiving of this for those who say pastor a church that has let's say more than 500 people.  However, for those that are smaller I certainly can't find any excuse other than pure laziness on the part of the ministry and any of their staff as to why they don't.

If you truly want me to get involved and especially financially you better get to know me and my family and make us feel a part of something.  I have certainly embarrassed larger ministry's and while this is not my goal I am not beyond this.  I am a name, I am a person and most importantly is that I have feelings.  Start noticing all of them or stay out of my emotions and quit trying to pick my pockets with your sob stories.  After all, everyone is paying attention to your lifestyle and the fact that you are not lacking.  Don't make those of us who are struggling financially feel like a heel just because we are not pouring money into your pockets.

Is It Really?

I want to encourage to everyone to take a listen to what I have to say!  So, the elections are over and we have installed a new set of lawmakers in our government.  There is so much that is wrong in our country and a great deal of healing and restoration has to take place to bring her back to where she once use to be.  However, with that being said and me taking time to thoroughly think through a variety of item's that are beyond wrong in this country I have come to a conclusion of what it is that is so sorely missing in this country.

So many of us wonder around saying what is missing and what needs to be corrected and what we wish would take place or would happen.  However, have you truly taken the time to examine exactly where each of you fit into this equation?  I know once I had this stark revelation it nearly took me off of my feet and truly sat me down and placed into a deep state of thinking.

You may be saying to yourself "OK, Greg what exactly are you getting at?".  It is quite simple.....

Rather than suggesting we need less government, or we need to cut this out or cut that out or replace everyone throughout the current administration that runs this country and a whole list of other things that many of us arm chair President's would suggest all I can suggest is that we have all missed to boat!  What this country needs is a return to the roots we came from.  Not only am I suggesting from a governing stand point but one from a Godly stand point as well.  Have you given time to think that part of the reasoning our country is experiencing the difficult times we are is because we as a nation have turned our backs and face on God?

Just take a look at the numbers that are out of control with item's such as marriages, foreclosures, addictions, suicides and other social crisis' and issues.  Is this really a result of what is going on with our government or is it more directly the result of the fact that we as a nation have for one reason or another shut God out of the equation?

Once I started to really carve into this and evaluate it for myself it was like a spiritual awakening and almost like I have had my head in the sand.  Sad part of it is....I have and so has the rest of the country.  I truly believe that if we as a nation would put God back into our country the way that he was meant to be that a majority of the issues that we as a society would not have to endure.  Do you not see this as well?  Stop and just think back to the day when we prayed in our schools, when families attended church together, bible studies were conducted in homes weekly and people truly sought out the hand of God and the direction that he desired for us to proceed not only as individuals but as a nation.

We are in need of a spiritual breakthrough more now than at any other point in American history and there is no better time for America to bow down before God and seek his perfect will than right now!

We need to start with the leaders of this country as well as the people who live within it.  It is time to put away all the trivial things that make us spend more time turning our wheels then to rely upon the wheel maker himself, so to speak.

Abortions, murders, hate crimes and other horrific tragedies and crimes taking place at greater numbers than most record keepers can adapt to keeping up with.  Does this by itself indicate that their is a need for a breakthrough in our country that will turn the direction of our country?  Seriously, we need to do it now before America falls from God's grace.  We were once one of the most powerful and cherished countries around the globe and we are slowing sinking into becoming the laughing stalk of the world!  Is it any wonder? Just for one second....give me the benefit of participating here.....imagine if you were God?  How exactly would you see America and would you continue to pour out your blessings upon a group of people who have done nothing more than to spit into your face, spite you and continue to defy your written word and commandments for us as a people?  This truly gives you something to think about, don't you think?  Share with us what your opinions on this are and let your voice be heard!