POWER BLOG

Link: http://www.powerofaith.com

A preacher that I have heard on a few occasions used to say that at the closing of his sermon. "Well, It's time to Beat the Baptists to the Buffet"

He of course was being humorous. However, there was allot of truth to it. I don't know what it's like in your city or in your church, but here in Flint, most of the Church folks go out to eat directly after the service, and they usually go to an "All you can eat buffet".

You want to get there as fast as you can too. If you don't, it is not only very crowded, you will end up waiting in a very long line to get in. Any Sunday, in almost any restaurant, >(especially all you can eat buffets) you will find an almost 100% Christian clientele. We're talking people from all different churches and denominations. Your probably saying to yourself "that's a good thing", but actually, no it isn't.

If you want to observe Christianity at it's very worst, visit an all you can eat buffet between 12:30 or 1:30 pm on Sunday. Magically, the same people who were just an hour or two ago, referring to you as "Brother Dan" or "Sister Betty", have now switched off their Christianity and are cutting in front of you to get to the roast beef first!

They tend to be rude and if you look around, you will hardly see anyone smiling. I don't say this because I've made a single observation, I say this based on "years" of observation. These are the same people who just an hour or so ago were singing together, hugging each other in the foyer and pretending to have fellowship.

An hour later, after leaving through the church doors and given a chance to have "real" fellowship, they fail miserably. Something else I've noticed (or haven't noticed) is that hardy anyone prays or gives thanks before they eat. If these folks are ambassadors for Christ, I would have never met the Lord, if I had met these people first.

I must admit, There was one big exception about a year ago. My family and I were at a buffet on a Sunday afternoon and it was business as usual. The place was crowded, people were cranky and miserable, except . . There was a large Church group all together.

There was something that struck me very different about this group of people. "They were smiling" (gasp) And not only were they smiling, they were very pleasant and polite. One older gentleman said to me "excuse me sir" to get through. I thought Wow, this man is twice my age and called "me" sir. (and that's saying something because, when I was 18 years old, Abe Lincoln was president)

I truly regret not asking any of them what church they were from. I would love to visit them and find out what their secret is. Either it's coincidence and a whole bunch of really nice people accidentally ended up in the same church, or there is a pastor there that actually explained the "Joy of the Lord" and how to get it.

Anyway, we need to bottle whatever they have and sell it to the rest of the churches. You don't get the Joy of the Lord from the works preachers instruct you to do. Tithing won't bring you joy and refraining from smoking, drinking and swearing won't bring you joy. (Matter of fact, it kind of makes "me" cranky)

The joy of the Lord isn't something that you work for, and are then rewarded with. It is not something that you earn. It is something that will hit you from out of the blue! It will hit you suddenly one day that you can only enter heaven because Jesus will gently pull the door man aside and say: "Let them enter, I have already paid their way".

It will finally hit you that "You don't deserve to enter based on your own merits". It will hit you that "It's only by his mercy that you are allowed to enter". When it does hit you, you may find yourself being nicer to the folks at the buffet (even if they don't deserve it) because you what to be more like him. "That" is the Joy of the Lord.

P.S. - Don't call me brother (That's only designed to make "you" look good) instead, just treat me like one.