Beware of snakes!

An African American pastor friend of mine asked me to speak at his church the other day. I gathered from what he told me that it was a very charismatic church. When I asked about it, he confirmed that indeed they like to praise God and have a good time in their services. I asked what the dress code was and he told me that I probably needed to wear a suit or sport coat and slacks. I told him that I had a big problem with his dress code in that my knee high snake-proof boots are camo and I don’t have any suits or sports coats that match.

He laughingly told me not to worry, that the members of his church didn’t handle snakes or drink poison; he indicated that the worst I might encounter would be some animated shouting and clapping. I told him that would be a good thing because if they pulled any five foot “rattlers” out during their celebration, I would be heading for the door. I went on to tell him that if there wasn’t a door readily available for me to exit through, then he needed to go ahead and decide where he wanted one, because one way or another I was getting the heck out of there.

Isn’t if weird how so many different denominations worship the same God and the same Jesus Christ and yet are miles apart in how they conduct their services. I have spoken at churches where you could have heard a pin drop and others where I could feel my hair moving up and down in time to a bass amp that was cranked to the maximum as the band blared out gospel music that no doubt could easily be heard all over heaven.

I went to such a church with one of my best friends and people were running all over the aisles yelling and clapping and praising God. Some of them were uttering unintelligible mutterings that sounded like so much garble-de-gook to me but I quickly surmised they were doing their best to talk in unknown tongues. I chided to him, “You’re nothing but a “Holy Roller”. “That’s right, he said with a huge smile on his face, and I’m gonna roll all over heaven”.

I say more power to him. I don’t agree with many things that various denominations espouse, but I’m convinced that we are all part of the “body of Christ” and it takes different strokes for different folks. For example I personally don’t believe the Pope should be a Pope. The best I can tell “Popedom” started with Jesus stating “upon this rock I will build my church”. Catholics believe the “rock” to which He referred was Peter; I believe the “rock” was Jesus. Even if it was Peter, I don’t see how this position got passed down to all of the others. The Bible also instructs we should call no man “Father, but He who is in heaven”.

Hmmm Every priest I’ve ever known goes by that handle.

Some churches do actually handle snakes and drink poison; this because there are verses that describe how those powers were given to the Apostles after the death and Resurrection of Christ. Methodists could baptize the entire county with a glass of water, but I need a dunking pool because I believe the Bible teaches baptism by immersion and not sprinkling. Some churches worship on Saturday, others on Sunday. Some refuse to put windows in churches and won’t celebrate birthdays. I don’t know where they got that, but I don’t doubt that there is some obscure verse that someone interpreted that way. One group will not recognize the cross because a verse states that Jesus hung “on a tree”. I could go on and on.

Many of you write and tell me that you do not agree with everything I say.

Bravo!

I can assure you that I feel likewise about many of your statements. My belief system is really rather plain and simple; I believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. My writings reflect my belief system based upon my Bible study and interpretation of it. If you disagree with my interpretation of it, I don’t have a problem. Some things are just flat out hard to interpret and even ambiguous.

I have read the Bible too many times to remember and I study it every day and the churches to which I belong, or that I regularly attend must interpret the Bible similar to my interpretation of it, or I’ll find another. I don’t determine my church home based upon who attends that church and I do not go to church to be seen or see others. I go to church to worship God and have fellowship with other Christians with similar beliefs.

I say all of that to recommend to you that you find a church that suits YOU. If loud music and clapping makes you uncomfortable, find a serene and sedate church. If you want to rock out instead of drift off to sleep, then find one with a good band. I can assure you there is something for everyone in the body of Christ even if it is meeting in someone’s home like early Christians did when they were being persecuted by the Romans. I encourage you to be diligent and continue to look for a place to worship until you find the one that best suits you. Just make sure that at the end of the day the holy word of God is preached verbatim without additions of flawed and fallen human logic.

At the end of the day we must all put on the full armor of God and by so doing enter battle knowing that your enemy cannot win against an all powerful God.

Eph 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.