Clever Free Methodist

Many Churches around the world have sung, in worship, the song “As the Deer.” This song reflects the words of Psalm 42:1-2 , that reads, “ As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God."   In the song, we sing the words, “I love you more than any other, so much more than anything.” So, with those thoughts combined, I must take an honest assessment and ask “do I really thirst for the living God?” “Do I really want him more than anything in this world or love him more than anybody I love?” We must take “spiritual inventory” and be candid and honest to see if our level of intimacy with Jesus and our depth of relationship with God is at the proper level of “thirsting” and “longing.” That is, do we really crave and yearn for our time with God? Do we want to love him, seek him, serve him, obey him and worship him? I am not talking about just “a devotional time” with God where I read a short Scripture passage and then ...

My entire life, I have pretty much grown up in the Church. I have heard many messages, techniques, programs and ways to grow in my faith, to serve in the Church, and to find my calling in life and in ministry. Usually, it wouldn’t be uncommon that the information I received along the way about these things have varied or differed according to what Church I was attending at the time. However, there is one thing that hasn’t changed…or hasn’t seemed to have been offered in a different context or become varied throughout the years. That “one thing” was about “going to Heaven.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I DO “want to go to Heaven” upon my death. However, my reasoning for “going there” and sharing about salvation and eternity has had to change in the recent years. For years, I have heard it said (evangelically) time and time again, “accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Savior, so that you can go to Heaven.” Alright. That’s a positive question and something good to a...

This is tough to write. Needed. Necessary. Love will do that! It is lengthy, but my prayer is that it is received well. Here goes…….. We really need a lot of helping hands from Volunteers who will dig in and use their abilities, time, talent, personalities, and gifts in ways to push the mission of the Church consistently forward in a positive and successful way that gives God glory and encourages others to commit their lives to Jesus Christ. We have somewhere between 200-300 people who worship together each Sunday and call the Church “their home” for worship and Sunday services. Some of those have taken the next step of commitment by becoming members of the Church as well. As many people that grace the threshold of our Church doors, it would seem obvious that we have plenty of people to help out and assist with the various missions and outreach events of the Church. Sadly, the answer to that has been a resounding “no!” No, we don’t. We struggle to fill positions an...

There is a drawback to annual celebrations and events in our lives. That drawback is when we allow those events to develop into a mindset that they only occur “that one time” in the year. Not so! For example, Thanksgiving is an annual national holiday, but we should be thankful every day and be mindful of the poor and hungry every day. The same is true with Easter. Yes, the literal resurrection of Jesus happened “once,” but the significance of that event should be recognized and lived out every single day. We are a “resurrection people” and should live out and express our beliefs joyfully each day. One of the ways to “live out” our joy of Easter is to remember that the risen Christ is always with us, not just on Easter and not just when we’re in church on Sunday. He died and rose so that he could live within us and be close to us at all times . But just as Mary had difficulty recognizing Jesus in the garden ( John 20:11-18 ), we often fail to notice that the Lord is with u...

We have reached the pinnacle of the Christian faith: Holy Week . For some, it is referred to as “The Triduum” which begins after Palm Sunday and includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Resurrection. Why is this so special….or, maybe be bold enough to ask, “why should I care?” Well, Holy Week is the most solemn and glorious week in Christianity, the pinnacle of the liturgical year. This is because Holy Week commemorates the final week of Our Lord's life and the establishment of the New Covenant. Here is why we should care : HOLY THURSDAY: Jesus sets the example. He washes the Disciples’ feet (John 13:14-15) and gathers them in the Upper Room. Here Jesus is literally celebrating the Jewish Passover with them….but then, stops at the institution of the Third Cup (Cup of Blessing) …as told in Mark 14:22-26, Jesus introduces the NEW covenant by telling his Disciples to both “eat” and “drink” his body and blood given and shed for them (and for us). I am sure, knowing ...

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that hostility towards Christians and the Christian faith is on the rise. I'm not talking about people who just "get mad," but those who openly express their deep anger towards Christianity, God, the Bible and the Church. To them, everything associated with Christianity must be silenced, removed, marginalized and mocked. Anger that spews forth venomous wrath, vile language and actions of blind furry towards all that is sacred. They seem to be on an energetic crusade to have anything and everything that is "Christian" stripped away and wiped clean from our society. WHY? I wonder why they are so adamant about stopping Christianity because it sure doesn't seem that they are overly concerned about stopping the message of other faiths. I think I might know why! Could it be that we, as Christians, are setting a poor example to others about God? Are we REALLY portraying God the right way? According to Nehemiah 9...

The forty days of  Lent  is a time for us to remember and reflect upon the word “sacrifice” and how that definition applies to our spiritual lives. It is a “surrendering” of sorts as we make our life “less about us” and “more about others.” It is also a time that we learn how to give up something that is a sacrifice, an act of self-denial, or some act that will remind us of Christ. Lent is sacred and spiritual for every Christian. It isn’t a “Catholic thing” or a “Protestant thing,” or even “just during Lent, thing,” but a way of life for every Christian. Yes, more emphasis is placed on “sacrifice” during Lent, because there needs to be a season that reminds us of the great sacrifice of Christ for each one of us. Centuries ago Jesus Christ went through an agony, a scourging, a crowning and a crucifixion. The tragedy of Good Friday led to the triumph of Easter Sunday. The acts of self-denial, the acts of sacrifice we make during this season helps us identify with th...