After my son became lead pastor one of the many things we are taking a fresh look at is how ministers of the gospel should think and feel about being paid by the church; and how the church ought to think and feel about paying ministers of the gospel. This little study came out of those discussions.

This post is not an anti marijuana smoking or an anti alcohol drinking post as much as it is a very pro pursuing the fullness of the Holy Spirit post. I doubt there will be commercials on this – this Sunday, so I thought I would make my pitch via blogging.

The problems we face in our nation and in and among the nations of the world are of a nature and magnitude that will require wisdom and courage and a caliber of leadership that no human, political party, or political persuasion can possibly muster.

You and I – each have an account before our God. As the apostle Paul said in Romans 14:12, “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” That account when we find ourselves face to face with Him at the end of time will either cause us to be condemned to the horrors of hell for all eternity – – or it will cause us to be promoted to the glories of heaven for all of eternity.

The words “separation”, “church,” or “state” are not found in the First Amendment, the Constitution, or in any other official founding document. And yet many believe all of these words are found in the First Amendment – largely because someone they trusted said it was in the First Amendment; and because they failed to ever actually read our constitution for themselves.

Our job is not to entertain you, but rather to equip you to fulfill His will and calling on your life. And you cannot know, much less fulfill His will and calling without the gifts of the Holy Spirit being operative in your life and in those He has joined you with; and in those He has placed in spiritual leadership over you.

The Corinthian church was a very immature though highly gifted church. Paul easily could have asked them not to operate in the gifts until they matured, but he didn’t do that. Nor should we.

Most people in America have seen or at least heard of the fruits and blessings – – the good things that result from people operating in the kingdom of God or living under the rule and reign of the risen Christ – – but very few of these people have seen the kingdom itself, much less entered it.

His blood as it cleanses us from the old and infuses us with the new – enables us to begin to develop healthy God pleasing relationships with other members of the body of Christ. It enables us to become a contributing part of a people among whom He is pleased to dwell.

The poverty of spirit that Jesus says opens up to us the fullness of His kingdom in this life is the realization that we are nothing; and Christ is everything. It is that state of mind that agrees with the apostle Paul that I am truly the greatest of sinners – in great need of a Savior – all the time.