Reorganization And The God Who Conserves

I am seeing a lot of shuffling, organization, and reorganization in my life. Many of you have the same experience. Further, I have set aside some tasks only to realize that I need to pick them back up again.

 I have attempted to go down roads that were not intrinsically wrong, but were not the path that I should be on. I have seen that some plans weren't unquestionably right for me and some steps needed to be retraced. But in all of these things, I am happy that God not only uses our steps, but can also use our missteps for God's glory.

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Just Call Me Brother Cox

A church member yelled across the street at another member who he recognized. He said, "Hey Brother Lance" (not his real name). Brother Lance yelled back, "don't call me brother, call me pastor." This story illustrates something that I see a lot amongst us.

There is the question of disrespect, but there is also the issue of folks making a big deal out of titles. There is the issue of wanting to have the title without ministering.

Being in interdenominational ministry is interesting as it comes to titles. Some folks can make a really big deal out of them. Some folks care little about them. I try to use a generic title that can be applicable to everyone and I get grief. some are offended that I didn't call them Pastor. Some are offended that I called them pastor. Some are offended that I simply called them Reverend while others are offended if you don't call them reverend.

It looks like a lot of folks have a number of titles that move up. There is the lowly Brother and Sister that goes for the laity. They don't deserve the titles that we ministers believe we deserve. Then there are the lowly "ministers" who haven't been ordained yet and thus don't have the title Reverend. Some ordained ministers will get upset if you call an unordained preacher a reverend.

Then there is Reverend. They have been ordained, but they haven't got a church yet. Don't make the mistake of calling a Pastor "Reverend"...they might bite your head off.

Then there is evangelist. That can be an ordained person or it might be an unordained person that takes the title because their church won't ordain them. Likewise in some churches they take the title "minster" because their church doesn't use the term and they are trying to claim ministerial standing.

But after all that then there is Bishop.

I can just call someone what they wish to be called. But should I get into their denominational squabbles? At the end of the day, I mean you no disrespect. I often use the term "pastor" or a generic "preacher" when referring to you. yes it is probably above what some of you think you should have...and below what others think they should have.

But as for myself. I think I'm gonna take the term "Brother." Just call me Brother Cox. While I am ordained and have a theological degree, I think there can be no higher calling then to be a brother in the kingdom of God. I had been using the term "elder" which is a Biblical term and one that I have been ordained to. I have been called Reverend, because I am ordained. I have been called pastor because I have served in an assistant pastoral position. But the title game is one we need to get over...and I will make my little step in that direction. I will still call you reverend, pastor, or the like...but as for me...just call me Brother...I am your brother...

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God Is Still God

Moses came to God and asked "What is Your Name?" God answered "I am who I am" or "I was, I am" (Exodus 3:14). This old country Gospel song is a good jump off point for this reflection. God simple is. "God Is!" When you are in the midst of despair on the mountain top. "God Is." Whether you make your bed in hell, "God is." (Psalm 139:8). Whether God shows up on cue with fire from heaven. (2 Kings 1:10) "God is" Oh Yes God Is. Whether you are in jail and the church prays you out (Acts 12:11). "God Is!" Or whether you find them coming to behead you. (Matthew 14:10). "God Is!"

God is, and we can be happy that God Is. We are not happy that sometimes we have to be in the valley, but we can be happy that "God is" even there. Oh Yes, God is still God. The singer got so happy thinking about the fact that God is still God. God is bigger than my circumstances. God is larger than my pain. I may not get everything I want down here, but I can be happy that a God who has the world's best interests at heart is above and leading. Oh Yes, "God Is!"

I will not preach to you that "God is gonna give you the house", I don't know...But I can preach to you "God Is"..."God Is" is true whether you get the house or not. "God Is" will help you live in the house better or even accept the house you have now. In fact "God Is" will be a blessing to you even if you lose your house...Oh Yes, "God Is!"

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Should You Go To Seminary?

Because of my public ministry, I receive a lot of questions. One question that comes up from time to time is whether the questioner should go to seminary or the location that one should attend seminary.

I see myself in many of these people. 10 years ago, I was in the same boat, just accepted my "call to preach" and ready to go to school to get the entrance requirements into ministry.

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God Wants To Be With Us

Every year around this time when I was growing up we made the long trek from Kansas City, Missouri to Etowah, Tennessee. I can remember getting up at 1 am as my father would pack the cars and me and my two brothers would get in the back seat of the car and go to sleep. By the time we would be half way there.

I had no idea how important those long trips were. For many of those years I didn't realize that "grandma" meant "Mother's Mother." In fact, not until becoming a parent myself did I fully understand the need of parents and grandparents to just "see" their off spring.

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Wrong Time For The Blessing

Proverbs 27:14 reminds us that there can be a wrong time even for a blessing. When it is time for something else, and someone comes in and loudly shouts, even the right sounding thing, we can find our blessing turning into a curse. This scripture gives the example of someone yelling the blessing to wake up the sleeper. It is time for sleeping. Sleeping has benefits and is a needed by the human body. However, someone might feel the need to wake up the sleeper to give her a blessing.

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Traditional or Contemporary Worship…So What?

How do you Praise God? Today we have battles over the music that is sung in church. We have the traditionalists calling us back to the solid songs of their youth. They argue that the best music supports the church theologically and musically. It is largely a call to the rich heritage of the church.

In contrast there are those who argue for contemporary music. They argue that the church must reach the youth with their music by speaking to the "felt needs" of this generation or we will lose them.

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Why Worry About Doctrine When You Have Jesus?

Many Christians separate doctrine from their daily lives. This idea is manifested in the idea of "doctrine is less important than relationship." Some who each this argue that doctrine is good and fine, but a personal, vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ is more important. This is the common way that this is taught. We hear about how some Christians know too much doctrine, but don't know the Man behind the doctrine.

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Weakening Christianity By Removing The Cross

Perusing the best selling books of popular Christianity provides some interesting information. While there are certainly exceptions, it seems as though a "cross-less" Christianity has come into the drivers seat. There seems to be little difference between popular Christianity and the "present evil world." (Galatians 1:4). It appears that there is a minimization of holiness that comes from an appreciation and participation in the cross.

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The Complete Savior

As we near the close of this earth's history, we find ourselves in need of a complete savior.  Too often we fall into the trap of only wanting a partial savior.  You know the savior who drapes us with a superficial sappy "love", but never disciplines us.

However, the Jesus who came to this earth is both a savior and a from the penalty of sin and from the power of sin in our lives.  We need to stop being happy with the "Jesus-lite" that forever promises us money and fame and success, but never changes us.  We need to stop being happy with a Gospel that forgives but never empowers.  We need to stop being happy with an incomplete savior.

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Do You Want Victory?

We often lose in our battle because we don't really want to win.  We talk about desiring victory over sin, but we keep the emblems of sin around, "just in case."  Sure we want victory, just not the victory that requires sacrifice.  We want the victory that doesn't require giving up anything.  We want an easy victory

Romans 6:11 gives us the key to victory.  It is a key that is not easy.  It is not what we want to hear.  But it is simply to "reckon" or "consider" yourself dead to sin.  This is a very interesting image.  Reckon yourself dead to sin.  How does one do that?  You do that by simply treating yourself as if you already have the victory.  This is not to say that you will not fall again.  You probably will.  But what it does say is that you are not aiding the enemy in your defeat.

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