“I am just not getting fed.”

I’ve heard this and so have many pastors.

“Pastor, we are going to head somewhere else where we can get fed.”

Join the club.

The “I am not getting fed club”originated in Numbers when “rabble among the Israelites who followed from Egypt had greedy desires and the Israelites wept again and said, ‘Who will give us something to eat?” Numbers 11:4

A couple of lessons to determine if you are a rabble:
1. Unfortunately, there will always be rabble in our churches who have greedy desires. Just don’t be among them.
Listen to God, not man.

2. Not being fed stems from selfishness and a desire to be a consumer. They were greedy. It was all about their needs and their comfort. You have heard this before....
—I need something more in a kids/youth ministry. It’s not flashy enough or cool enough
—I don’t like the music
—the preaching is too long or too short or the pastor can’t relate to me
—you mean you want me to serve?
Rabble have a “Poor Me” attitude rather than a “Pour Me” attitude.

3. Rabble want to go back to the good ‘ole days (v. 5). “We remember the fish we ate freely and without cost....”.
They look at past victories and want to relish is those victories rather than chasing new opportunity to advance the Gospel.
They say, “we’ve never done it that way before!”
(We can no longer operate in the good ‘ole days unless you want your church to die!)

4. Rabble aren’t willing to sacrifice. They are looking for free stuff and just want to consume. They don’t want to give, they just want to take.
They aren’t willing to serve anywhere in the church. The only time they show up is to occupy a seat.

5. They can’t see the spiritual food in front of their face. “There is nothing at all to be seen but this manna.” (V. 6)
They can’t see the investment in them from those pouring into them. They really don’t want to make disciples, they want to make complainers.

6. Rabble sound wise but are fools. They are false teachers and instigators. They are instigators of dissatisfaction and make discomfort an excuse to agitate rebellion.

7. These rabble in Numbers weren’t all in. They pretended they were, but all indications pointed to just wanting the benefits.

8. Post traumatic church syndrome is real and most pastors have it.
Moses endured it but it came at a great cost. He wanted to die, “So if this is the way you are going to deal with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in your sight.
Most pastors have been at the end of this rabble and has taken an emotional toll that creates real pain.

Pastors are human too. Pastors are fleeing the ministry in droves not because of the ministry but because of rabble.

Monday’s are the days most pastors think about quitting because of foolish arguments or statements from Rabbles.

Would you do me a favor and examine your heart and ask if you have been a rabble?

If you find yourself being a rabble, STOP IT, confess and repent to God. Then, go to your pastor and seek His forgiveness.

The lack of advancement of the Gospel is not due to the laws of Washington. The lack of advancement is RABBLES. You keep our eyes (pastors) off the goal. You keep the Gospel from moving forward.

Another word for rabble? REBEL.

If you know of a rabble, go to them and lovingly confront these false teachers and instigators.

“I am just not getting fed” excuse needs to stop. If you aren’t spending time in the Word yourself, there is no sermon or ministry that can help you.
​
Just be grateful that the fire of the Lord does not consume you. (Numbers 11:1)
#mobilemissionsnetwork
#churchinsideout

​A long lost spiritual discipline: WAITING and LISTENING.
Our Amazon culture has created a right now frenzy. We want everything right now. Waiting creates tension.
In Numbers 9, there were certain men who were unclean because they touched a dead mans body and they could not observe Passover on the appointed day, so they can to Moses and Aaron to get their wisdom.”
“Why are we being restrained from presenting the Lords offering at its appointed time among the Israelites?”
Check out their response:
“”Wait, and I will listen to what the Lord will command concerning you.”
Moses and Aaron did two things:
1. They waited.
2. They listened.
AND
God answered!
How many of us would have given a quick response/answer. I know I would have. I would have said what I thought was best.
The ability to wait on the Lord stems from being confident and focused on who God is and in what God is doing. It means confidence in God’s person: confidence in His wisdom, love, timing, understanding of our situation and that of the world. It means knowing and trusting in God’s principles, promises, purposes, and power.
As a pastor, there is a lot of waiting. Waiting to make weighty decisions that will affect the whole body. Most want a quick, microwave decision.
But oh how many times has my quick decision derailed God’s process.
In my experience, the waiting has happened through being in the Word and prayer seeking (listening) the Lord for his answer.
Quick decisions without inquiring of the Lord could lead to long term consequences (like wandering in the wilderness).
Inquiring of the Lord and waiting may seem to prolong the issue, but can melt the obstacles and get to the destination quicker.
In our waiting, it’s not just doing nothing. It’s actively waiting through reading His Word and praying.
God will shine a light on the path you are to go. “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
How many times do we see that David waited in the book of psalms?
A few examples: Psalm 27, Psalm 33, Psalm 130.
When we wait on the Lord, you have the backing of the creator of the universe.
Think about a doctors note. You have the backing of a doctor to let someone know of your ailment.
God’s note (His Word) gives you the backing to walk forward.
What sounds better? “I think” or “God said”.
Side note: if you say God said, “we must be very careful that we don’t use His name in vain and stick a decision on him that he didn’t make.
Can you back the decision truly from a God’s Word?
Also, don’t allow pressure from people to make you make a quick decision. (There will be times you have to make a decision on a timeline, but in this fast and seek)
Back to Moses and Aaron...
Numbers 9:9, “The Lord spoke to Moses”.....
He told them what to do next.
God still speaks today.
Let me say that again, “God still speaks today!”
In Psalm 127, David gives us insight into how to wait and listen:
1. Abide (4,5)
2. Praise (6,7)
3. Seek (8)
4. Trust (9,10)
5. Learn (11, 12)
6. Believe (13)
7. Wait and Expect (14)
So, we see thought this we don’t just twiddle our thumbs in the waiting, but our minds and hearts are active in seeking.
“Wait for and confidently expect the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, Wait for and confidently expect the Lord.” Psalm 127:14
May we develop the art of waiting and listening on the Lord.

​Scaredy Cat Christians.....

Behind every conspiracy theory, every vaccination and every decision coming down from Washington we think is the mark of the beast.

(I don’t disagree that there is terrible legislation happening in our country)

We try and try guessing who the AntiChrist is and what the mark of the beast is going to be.
Give me a vaccine, a tattoo of the mark—these don’t determine my eternity! The Holy Spirit when we were saved (and if we were saved) “were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit as OWNED and PROTECTED by God!” Ephesians 1:13
(Many Christians need to read that again!)

We waste our time playing Bible trivia while friends and neighbors are destined for Hell.
If you are not pursuing Christ and obeying Him, you are the anti-Christ.

““Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:30‬ ‭

“For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3:18-19‬

You are working against His plan and purpose.

So what if something is handed down? Does it affect my faith in Christ! Heck no!
I focus my eyes greater on the cross and His resurrection and my eternal home.

We as believers need to stop being fearful.

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set
Me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can mere
Man do to me? The Lord is on my side, He is among those who help me; therefore I will look (in triumph) on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” Psalm 118:5-9

Are you fearful?

My wise words of wisdom :”Stop it”

Now, there are legitimately those fearful. There are legitimate concerns about decisions being made but we can’t be fearful about every single thing.

But then there are those that are Christian fearmongers-everything that pops up is the end of the world and we need to boycott! (Remember Disney? Yikes!)

Many believers proclaim what they are against more than who lives in them!

If you are legitimately fearful:
1. Turn off the tv and talk radio.
2. Open your Bible. Start with Psalm 118:5-9.
3. Confess your fears.
4. Want to hear God speak? Read the Bible out loud .
5. Marinate on the Word. Don’t just eat a crumb of the word and post it on social media. Eat the bread-His Word daily!
6. Remind yourself—the God who created the heavens and there earth is on your side!
7. Look in triumph on those people and situations against you. Look in the other side of the situation.
8. Take refuge in God—this comes through spending time with Him. The amount of time we spend in the Word/prayer vs time in social media amd news determines a lot who our refuge is!

Read the rest of Psalm 118-so Good and stop being a scaredy cat!
​
If we want to change the direction of our country: MAKE DISCIPLES and RUN FOR OFFICE