Dearly Beloved,
I hope all of you have had a blessed and safe fourth of July. Unlike other
churches, our doors were open last night for worship. Some people might think that it
was unneeded, for most would be celebrating the fourth and this mindset goes for
other holidays as well. It saddens me to think how the majority of Christians "take off"
a Sunday here or a Wednesday there when it falls on a holiday. In times past, we
have closed our doors on Christmas and have canceled evening services for
Mother's Day, Father's Day, and similar days. Recently I have been burdened by this
and as the pastor I aim to keep the church doors open, so that all who thirst for the
water of life may come in.
Did you know that holiday actually is a shortened form of Holy day? On these Holy
days people would come to the church house and then proceed with their activities.
Today in a sign that we are seeing the falling away of this generation, we see people
do their activities, skipping the church house. Sure everybody else might do it, but
that doesn't mean that it is right.
Last night I preached on full independence and fake independence. Some people
wonder why God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life in the
garden of Eden. The answer is that He wanted to provide Adam and Eve with a
choice. People say they wouldn't eat from the tree of life anyway and God knew that,
so why bother putting the tree there in the first place? If Adam had not had the two
trees, then he would be forced to choose the one left, thus if there was no tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, then Adam would have been forced into mandatory
worship of God. If he had only the tree of knowledge of good and evil to choose from,
then he would have been forced into becoming a sinner. The point of this is that
when we are lost, the Bible teaches us that the only thing we know how to do is sin.
Therefore a lost person thinks that he is free, but in reality he only has one option
and that is to sin.
On the other hand, a person who is saved (John 8:36) is free indeed. We are the
only people that have the true ability to choose to serve our Savior or to serve
ourselves. Thus if 99 of you choose not to come to church and want the church
doors closed on a holiday, it forces the 1 to choose not to come to his home church.
So why not give the option? The doors are open, you can choose either to come or
not to come. I think that we should be vigilant in this day in which live, because the
churches across the land are open so very little. Just two days a week. And to train
Christ's army for two days while the world has full reign the other five shows me that
we need all the preaching, all the teaching, and fellowshipping we can get.
This is not done to cater to any one person, or to guilt people. This is done that
the Word of God may be preached, that the people of God may be equipped in
accordance to the precepts of God's Word. I don't ever recall reading where Peter
shut the church down because it was Passover. So the choice is yours. It's between
you and God. As Joshua said, As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.
Lord willing we'll see you Sunday, or in the Rapture, which ever comes first.
Heather and I both send our love to you. I remain,
Your brother in Christ,
Creig Lovelace
Last updated on 7/05/2007 by Heather Lovelace
Danieltown Baptist Church
E-Update for July 5th, 2007
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