But how can they call on Him they have not believed in?  And how can they believe without hearing about Him?  And how can they hear without a preacher?  And how can they preach unless they are sent?  As it is written:  How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!  Romans 10:14-15 HCSB

I have been blessed, along with the rest of my church family, for the last ten years.  You see, I left the Baptist church and went to the Methodist church because I got tired of seeing good preachers being railroaded out of the church.  In the Baptist churches, the preacher preaches at the pleasure of the members and the governing board which consists of the deacons.  In Methodist churches and Catholic churches, ministers and priests are assigned to a church and the congregation really has no say.  Now, I understand that if there are enough valid complaints that the higher ups in the organization may move them to another church.

But growing up, I saw good preachers come and I saw good preachers go.  Now you may say, why on earth would anyone want a good preacher removed?  Well, I am glad you asked.  It has been my observation that many church members go to church to have their ears tickled. We are told in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.  They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. Well, God’s Word is true and my friend, that time has come.

Many times church members develop a “my way or the highway” mentality and the devil deceives them into thinking that it is their church and they should be running it.  When members fail to realize that the church is God’s church, then you have problems.  A preacher that allows God to run the church has problems when members try to take over God’s job.  Thom Rainer wrote a really good, short book called I am a Church Member.  It takes about an hour to read and explains why so many churches today are having to close their doors because of problems that lead to removal of good pastors and eventually the downfall of the church.

I was drawn back to my home church when I heard Brother L. C. Lord preaching God’s word there.  I would go back on Mother’s Day and other holidays to make my mom happy.  I was impressed by his bold proclamation of God’s word.  No ear tickling going on there.  Then one day he stood in the pulpit and told some members that were causing him and his wife some problems that if they were unhappy with them they could find another church because he wasn’t going anywhere.  That was it for me.  I returned to my home church.  God knew that I would need to be shepherded and that this is where I needed to be.  You see the other thing about the Methodist church is that I was just attending.  I would drop in when it was convenient and pay them my tithe but I wasn’t involved.  When I returned to my home church, God put a yearning in my heart to get involved.  He had not intended for me to merely warm a pew a couple Sundays a month, He wanted me working.

On October 28, 2016, God called Brother Lord home.  This was a truly sad day not only for his family but for our church family.  A great man of God was called up to heaven to be healed from the sickness that had taken hold of his body on earth.  While it was a great day for Brother Lord, it was hard on us.  I remember thinking, “what will we do?”.  But you see, God always has a plan for us.  God sent us Brother Dan Munson who was one of Brother Lord’s best friends.  Yes, the Lord works in wonderful and mysterious ways.  He took over the sometimes daunting task of shepherding us and now we no longer feel like sheep wandering around in the pasture.

I am telling you all this in hopes that you will understand that we are lost without a good shepherd.  There are pastors out there today that will cave and tell people what they want to hear in order to keep their job and there are true men of God that will tell it like God would have them to tell it.  There is a saying when a sermon hits home that the preacher stepped on our toes.  There are times when I leave a church sermon with sore feet, but I know that this is necessary to keep me on the right path.  I praise God for the men of God that are willing to tell is like it is and not just tell us what we want to hear.  I praise God that for the last ten years He has given me two pastors that are there for their congregation.  They are there to pray with us when we need prayer.  They are at the hospital and in our homes in times of sickness and grief.

If you are not in church, then you need to be.  Hebrews 10:24-5 tells us  And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.  

Take a minute to think about your church life.  Is it non-existent?  Are you just dropping in occasionally when it’s convenient for you?  Are you going to a church where the preacher never steps on your toes?  If he does, do you have your feelings hurt?  Or perhaps you hear a good sermon and think about all those you know that it applies to, well you better look in the mirror.

Praise God for good preachers.  Praise God for those that speak God’s word and warn us and encourage us to do what is right and not what feels good.  These men are being persecuted on a daily basis by those that call themselves Christians.  Inspect the fruit, if you attend church be sure that your pastor is the real deal.  And if you have a good, God fearing, Bible teaching pastor then support Him wholeheartedly.

Now maybe you have been hurt in church.  Maybe you have run across an ear tickling pastor that is just in it for the money or the personal praise. But don’t let that stop you from finding a good church.  Maybe you are sitting at home watching a preacher on TV.  Well, let me ask you this, can you call on that preacher if you are sick and need prayer?  Will that preacher come to your home or the hospital to pray with you?  Will that pastor be there when a loved one is dying?  Will that pastor preach a loved one’s funeral for you?  You need a good church and a good pastor, don’t fail to find one today.  If you are in the Hammond LA  area, then I encourage you to come to Grace Fellowship Baptist Church (11638 Hwy. 1064 Tickfaw LA 70466) about three miles West of Natalbany.  We have a good preacher who is not there to tickle our ears.  Brother Dan Munson and his wife have shepherded us through some really hard times and they have stood strong.  I encourage you to find a church and a pastor that will do the same for you.

Have a great day!