[Note: each of us has in our mind a statement of faith about what we believe to be true. It may be unwritten, yet it is a pattern which we use as we evaluate and compare events and hopes for the future. It may be thought of as a motto rather than a creed. But it is basic to what we see as our relationship to God. RDI]
STATEMENT OF FAITH
Rhoderick D. Ice
In 1979 there were two congregations in a northern city. Both contained students from the Big University. One was "mainline." The other "renewal." Joint talks were held to explore the possibility of joining forces as one congregation. These are some topics of discussion. As part of this discussion, a joint Sunday evening service was held, with the "renewal" group leading and structuring the worship. Eventually a Statement of Faith was drawn up to investigate "Who We Are."
*. "We are not the only Christians, but we are Christians only." As members of the Lord's church, we do not intend to write a creed nor a test of fellowship. We feel a need to put something down on paper as to the general identity of this congregation. Certainly, each Christian may answer only for himself/herself, since our personal faith must be in Christ Jesus Himself. The church cannot be a substitute for Christ Jesus; nor the Bible a substitute for The Holy Spirit.
1. Who we are.
a) We are members of the church - the Body of Christ which includes every saved person. Our obedient faith in Jesus - His Doing & Dying & Rising Again - has brought us into the Family of God (Colossians 1:13). It is our intention to reach back through the ages of time to recapture the simple vibrant faith and life of the believers we see described on the pages of the New Testament. We want to use the freedom of each congregation and each Christian to deal with those areas which are not directly matters of faith, but of opinion and expediency (note Romans 14).
b) We share an association with the "Restoration Movement" through our historical roots (Churches of Christ; Christian Churches; Disciples of Christ). We share some attitudes in common with conservative religious people known as "Evangelicals," (and with others). It is the Lord Himself who draws lines of demarcation (2 Timothy 2:19). The Lord knows who His People are! We do not want to be sectarian nor denominational in our thinking.
c) While we do stand united in Christ Jesus, we know that some diversity existed in the first century church. Some differences in Christian thought and lifestyle existed - even though they did "speak the same thing" and were united in mind and purpose. We want to widen our horizons to the extent we see the Apostles doing, and to be a church marked with Christian love, freedom, and mutual tolerance.
2. Other "churches."
a) Campbell disliked using the word "church," because of its sectarian connotations. "Church" in the Bible is the Kingdom, the spiritual congregation of the saved. Christ is the King of the One Kingdom. Not "one kind of Kingdom" with "branch locations" in various places. The Kingdom is the stone cut out without hands of Daniel 2:34,44,45 - which filled the earth! We identify with all those past, present, and future, who have responded to God's call (John 6:44-45), by taking Jesus as the Lord of their lives ["obeying the gospel"]. God has added these to the one church; "...brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son." Note the Enormous Crowd of Revelation 7:9-12.
b) Paul shows the diversity in unity which exists (compare 1 Corinthians 9:19-23; also Acts 21:20-25) in the church of the first century. Each generation, then, must rethink the Eternal Verities which God has given in the Bible. As we try to face this challenge, we affirm our freedom in Christ to believe and practice according to our knowledge of the Christian faith, as The Spirit gives us help (compare 1 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 8:26-27).
3. The Bible.
a) God has spoken to us in a Book. The Bible is a "magic door," a time tunnel which permits us to listen to the people who walked and talked with Jesus. The Holy Spirit guided these Bible writers so that they wrote what God wanted written. God Acted in History through Christ Jesus. The message of the Bible centers around God the Son: His humanity and divinity, His atoning sacrifice, His righteousness and His victory over sin and death.
b) We affirm the Bible has authority over our lives. Not, as a written code of laws, but as a friendly guide, pointing us always to Jesus the Christ and instructing us how we are to live by faith in Him. God forbids sin and commands righteousness and justice. God shows His love and His wish for all to come to Him and live eternally.
c) We recognize the Bible must be interpreted. The Old Testament develops type, symbols and figures which help explain the role of Christ Jesus. In fellowship with others, we make decisions as to the meaning of the Bible, and just how the Bible applies to present Christian life as we live daily in this world.
We recognize that the Bible arose as God worked in and through the church, and should be understood and interpreted in the broad context of Christian community. It is right to learn from the experience of the past.
d) We understand that the Bible is a complex book. Our knowledge can never be "complete." Yet surely God does intend us to understand the Bible. We dare not permit human sin and ignorance to conceal the glory of God. We therefore invoke The Spirit of God to call our lives into question, and to deepen our grasp of the will of God. (Note Romans 12:1ff).
4. Fellowship.
a) We accept our uniqueness, within the framework of Scripture, which can be a source of growth and strength. Each member is called upon to exercise a greater degree of tolerance and understanding. (Note Romans 14:12-13).
b) While recognizing our human variety and diverseness, we also maintain the fundamental unity of basic Christian Faith and the Eternal Verities. We do our best to preserve the unity which The Spirit gives by the peace that binds us together (Ephesians 4:3).
c) We intend to help each person develop and serve to his/her full potential according to ability and "calling." We wish each to find fulfillment in the life of the local church.
d) We wish each member to seek to aid, encourage, and challenge each other in Christian discipleship (see 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Timothy 1:7). We want to extend the Lordship of Christ Jesus into all aspects of our lives. [But we do not intend any cultic tendencies.]
e) We desire to be a fellowship of mutual service to one another, in which each person's needs are a concern of the others (note Acts 6:1).
5. Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
a) We believe every believer should be baptized according to the command of Jesus and the practice of the first century church. The meaning of baptism in the New Testament is associated with beginning the Christian life (Acts 22:16; Matthew 28:19). We view faith, repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sins, and God's gift, the Holy Spirit - as a package deal. We believe that every person upon coming to faith in Jesus Christ will be immersed according to the New Testament example. And so we practice as a church.
Long standing believers who enter our fellowship must make their own decision as to the validity of their past baptism. David Lipscomb, a gospel preacher of the last century, believed faith in Christ and a desire to please God were the essential prerequisites to baptism, with remission of sins being one of the results, also the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 5:32). Status and acceptance must to some degree rest upon one's personal convictions about his/her faith and obedience to Christ.
b) We believe the Lord's Supper - the Holy Meal - was a vital part of the worship and Christian community of the first century church. This Holy Meal is central to the church's understanding of her life and mission. In the Lord's Supper we call to mind that we have been summoned into a common life with Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). We share in this Holy Meal each Sunday when gathered for worship. We neither invite nor forbid any to share in this with us. All believers are free to 'judge themselves' and join in this participation.
6. Our Ministry of Service.
a) We wish to be a community of fellowship centered around the historical act of God in Christ-on-the-cross. We wish to show the love of God to this world by our actions (Matthew 5:16; 25:31-46). We realize that we cannot perform all ministries and fulfill all needs that might exist around us.
With what resources we have:
1) we wish to teach and share the message of Christ with those who do not yet believe.
2) we want to care for and heal persons whose lives are broken by evil or unfortunate circumstances.
3) supply where we can for the needs of the poor.
4) speak and work for the right in our jobs, neighborhoods, cities and nation.
* The unanimous confession of the first century Christians was: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior!!!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
TIME FOR A STANDARD CHURCH
ISN'T IT TIME YOU HAD A STANDARD CHURCH FOR YOUR BIBLE?
R. D. ICE
What might a standard church be like? Would there be a three-ring manual giving exact details of all the services down to the smallest detail? Would all the church-buildings be clones of the pattern? SciFi writers ask what if a brotherhood of churches were set up as a franchise, much like the Fast Food industry does.
The entrance room of First Church is, of course, just like all the others in the franchise. A picture of Evangelist Brother Billy-Bob is placed so you will see it as you enter. A stylized picture of Jesus receives the emphasis. A counter sits to one side, done up in fake wood so it looks like something from an old church. Behind the counter, an elderly lady sits, a flimsy sort of choir robe thrown over her shoulders.
There's a little rack along the front of the counter bearing gospel tracts, free for the taking, donation requested. The lady types some stuff into the computer. The worshiper snaps her Visa © card down on the fake wood counter top; it sounds like a rifle shot. The lady pries the card up, then she swipes the card through its electromagnetic slot with a carefully modulated sweep of the arm, as though tearing back a veil, hands over the slip, mumbling that she needs a signature and daytime phone number. Since cash and checks are no longer used, the collection must be taken up before the service. (We are to "lay by in store.").
Then it just remains for the "Word from On High." But computers and communications are awfully good these days, and it usually doesn't take longer than a couple of seconds to perform a charge-card verification. The little machine beeps out its approval code. "Thank you for your donation," the lady says, slurring the words together into a single syllable.
The worshipper hurries toward the double doors. The song leader has already walked to his place to convene the service. The interior of the church is weirdly colored. Fluorescent fixtures are wedged into the ceiling. Large colored light boxes simulate stained-glass windows. The largest of these, shaped like a fattened Gothic arch, is bolted to the back wall, above the pulpit, and features a waterfall pouring into a river basin. The baptistery is placed beneath this. The song leader announces the first number and the singing begins.
But what is the church? Campbell disliked the word church, because, he said, there were too many unreal ideas attached to it. In his "Living Oracles Version" he used the word congregation. "As Jesus was going to the district of Cesarea Philippa, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of Man is? They answered, Some say, John the Immerser; others, Elijah; others, Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets. But who, returned he, do you say that I am? Simon Peter answering, said, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus replying, said to him, Happy are you, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I tell you, likewise, you are named Stone [Peter]; and on this rock I will build my congregation, over which the gates of Hades shall not prevail. Moreover, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you shall bind on the earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you shall loose on the earth, shall be loosed in heaven." Matt. 16:13-19 Living Oracles Version
Jesus preached: "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand." If you will substitute the word kingdom for church, you will find you cannot say some things. And Paul the Apostle wrote: "who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son: by whom we have redemption, even the remission of sins." Col. 1:13 Living Oracles Version
"Now, then, you are no longer strangers and sojourners; but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God: having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the foundation corner stone; by which the whole building being fitly compacted together, rises into a holy temple of the Lord; in which you also are builded together for a habitation of God by the Spirit." Eph. 2:19-22 Living Oracles Version
[For the believer, the Church is a reality of an entirely different order. The Church is a mystery at once visible and invisible, given the task of making real the Gospel of Jesus Christ and translating it into action for each new generation. But the Church is activated by God The Holy Spirit, clothed with His power and possessing His pledge of loyalty. Compare 1 Cor. 12:12-13.]
What the question really asks is: "Can I find a church like the one I [think I] remember from my childhood?" This writer remembers a small church in Columbus, Ohio, that has not been there for many years. It was replaced by a Disciples Church. The small church was rural in nature, even though in the city. The Disciples Church was city-oriented. The small church had a series of preachers who Kept Things Just Like They Were. Then a new preacher came Who Thought Big. There was some difference in doctrine, yet basically the emphasis was still on Jesus and the gospel. But they began to Do Things and as population grew in the Columbus area, so did they! To several hundreds! [If preaching the truth means we will continue to be small - what about the Jerusalem Church? They baptized thousands!]
But when we say "standard church" we set the boundaries of the answer. The Roman Catholic Church to some extent grew out of a wish to produce a STANDARD CHURCH WHICH WOULD BE EXACTLY THE SAME EVERYWHERE. Centralized Authority ruled that each (local) Church would follow the matrix-pattern: Latin language; Latin Vulgate Bible; fixed order of worship; priestly ministers trained and certified by Authority. But even this eventually has had to change. The charismatic movement has changed even the Catholic Church. And now many speak in the language of the people.
The Old Testament does not describe in detail just how worship was done under The Law (even though we are told certain things they did). The New Testament does not show us in detail a worship-service under the Gospel. Certainly we have an opinion of what things were done, but not all the fine print details. And certainly a Jew and a Gentile did the same things "differently." [Campbell stressed FACTS over words and theories.]
"God is not impressed with what other people think of us, or even with our own opinion of ourselves. He sees what we really are, and He knows our motives as well as our deeds.... Christian worship, with familiar psalms, hymns, prayers and readings from the Scriptures, brings God the praise 'in spirit and in truth' which He seeks (John 4:23)." Wallerstedt
An English writer of the 19th century wrote: "The whole world is a temple and man is everywhere a worshiper." This is in harmony with the "living sacrifice" which Paul speaks about in Romans 12. We worship God with purity and holiness and good works and especially love. We intend to be faithful throughout our whole life. [Surprise! The Judgment is about how we treated others. Matt. 25:31-46]
Solomon's Temple was destroyed. The Jews were sent to Babylon. Temple worship was no longer possible. Certainly by God's design the synagogue was developed. Jews came together at a location to worship God, to study the Scriptures, and to share Jewish life and culture. This predates the pattern of the Christian community - the church. The synagogue was both visible and invisible. Their loyalty and relationship to God was invisible. When they met for worship they were visible.
Christians are commanded to meet together as a worship-community. "Don't give up the habit of meeting for worship." And even during times of severe persecution we see Christians meeting in secret as a group to worship their Lord and Savior. Some belittle the "institutional church," yet we see huge congregations at Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, etc. Many blessings for the individual Christian and a pooling of energies and abilities exist only in the Institutional Church. Note Paul in 1 Corinthians 12.
But all this doesn't see the one factor common to each local church congregation - God The Holy Spirit. "...that He may abide with you forever." "...but to wait for the Promise of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me.'" "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" "in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." "For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."
Jesus said in John 4:14, "But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." Note the inspired explanation of what Jesus is saying, in John 7:37-39. [Jesus was glorified in the Cross & Resurrection.] It surely cannot be right to deny grace and try to explain it away. Nor to try to depersonalize The Holy Spirit and say "It is just a power like electricity" as some do. Nor to fail to elevate JESUS in our lives and worship.
A good case can be made for the fact that it is the presence of God The Holy Spirit who "standardizes" the church The Book of Acts could be spoken of as the "Acts of The Holy Spirit." God indwells the church (The Congregation of the Saved) by The Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). God indwells each Christian by The Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 3:6,18). It isn't necessary that we become "Pentecostal" in what we do (nor JW's in what we don't do). But to "DENY" The Holy Spirit places us on dangerous ground. [Few would admit to denying The Spirit. But what are we doing? We should look carefully.]
Someone has written about Christian believers and worship.
"Without God The Holy Spirit,
God is far away,
Christ stays in the past,
The Gospel is a dead letter,
The Church is simply an organization,
Authority is a matter of domination,
Evangelism is a matter of propaganda,
Worship is no more than calling on a
deity who isn't there,
Christian living is only a slave morality."
WITH GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT PRESENT, ALL THIS CHANGES!!!
The Creation is resurrected and groans with the birth-pangs of the Kingdom (Romans 8:18-23).
The Risen Christ is there.
The Gospel is the power of life.
The Church shows forth the life of the Trinity.
Authority is a liberating service (cf. Luke 22:25-26).
Propagation of the Faith is a "Pentecost."
Worship-service is both memorial and anticipation.
Human action becomes "in the image of God."
Consider the following which I have adapted from a letter.
"I had been a member of the church for 48 years and was about as strict a Bible-Christian as anyone could be. I never missed Worship and was there every time the "church" met. Then I discovered through the Holy Spirit that what I had been trying to do for 48 years by works and service to the church, had already been done 2,000 years ago at Calvary [Hebrews 1:3]. At that moment I knew the only way to heaven was through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As I tried to share this truth with others, I got a severe lecture from the preacher. He said I could not get to heaven by grace but had to work out my salvation through the church. Sadly and reluctantly I was forced to leave. It was so strange being both in the 'Lord's Church' and on the verge of being kicked out because of my belief in salvation through grace as Paul taught."
What Jesus taught is not the normal human way of looking at things. God The Father deals with us as we deal with our children. Not punishment in the sense of revenge. But chastisement to protect and mature. God's response to the prodigal who brings himself back is to receive him home! Note what Paul said in Philippians 3:8-11. The righteousness that is given through faith in Christ! "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The average person is "soft" on forgiveness. They cannot believe that God forgives sins. Note this from one of our brothers in Romania. "In general Romanians do not trust each other, prompted by their communist experience. Associated with this is the difficulty of believing in God's grace. To them, the older brother in Luke 15 is a hero and the father inexcusably unfair in receiving the prodigal back."
The "older brother" was loved and accepted by the father. Yet the older brother had problems with the "grace" extended to the prodigal. Perhaps he felt no need of grace for himself. He had works and faithfulness! Yet his acceptance by the father also involved his own acceptance of the returned prodigal. Note 1 John 4:20. "...for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" Our own love of God is circumscribed by our love for our "brother."
And take note of what God said to Jonah. "But the Lord said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left--and much livestock?"
Jonah 4:10-11 (NKJV)
R. D. ICE
What might a standard church be like? Would there be a three-ring manual giving exact details of all the services down to the smallest detail? Would all the church-buildings be clones of the pattern? SciFi writers ask what if a brotherhood of churches were set up as a franchise, much like the Fast Food industry does.
The entrance room of First Church is, of course, just like all the others in the franchise. A picture of Evangelist Brother Billy-Bob is placed so you will see it as you enter. A stylized picture of Jesus receives the emphasis. A counter sits to one side, done up in fake wood so it looks like something from an old church. Behind the counter, an elderly lady sits, a flimsy sort of choir robe thrown over her shoulders.
There's a little rack along the front of the counter bearing gospel tracts, free for the taking, donation requested. The lady types some stuff into the computer. The worshiper snaps her Visa © card down on the fake wood counter top; it sounds like a rifle shot. The lady pries the card up, then she swipes the card through its electromagnetic slot with a carefully modulated sweep of the arm, as though tearing back a veil, hands over the slip, mumbling that she needs a signature and daytime phone number. Since cash and checks are no longer used, the collection must be taken up before the service. (We are to "lay by in store.").
Then it just remains for the "Word from On High." But computers and communications are awfully good these days, and it usually doesn't take longer than a couple of seconds to perform a charge-card verification. The little machine beeps out its approval code. "Thank you for your donation," the lady says, slurring the words together into a single syllable.
The worshipper hurries toward the double doors. The song leader has already walked to his place to convene the service. The interior of the church is weirdly colored. Fluorescent fixtures are wedged into the ceiling. Large colored light boxes simulate stained-glass windows. The largest of these, shaped like a fattened Gothic arch, is bolted to the back wall, above the pulpit, and features a waterfall pouring into a river basin. The baptistery is placed beneath this. The song leader announces the first number and the singing begins.
But what is the church? Campbell disliked the word church, because, he said, there were too many unreal ideas attached to it. In his "Living Oracles Version" he used the word congregation. "As Jesus was going to the district of Cesarea Philippa, he asked his disciples, saying, Who do men say that the Son of Man is? They answered, Some say, John the Immerser; others, Elijah; others, Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets. But who, returned he, do you say that I am? Simon Peter answering, said, You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Jesus replying, said to him, Happy are you, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I tell you, likewise, you are named Stone [Peter]; and on this rock I will build my congregation, over which the gates of Hades shall not prevail. Moreover, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you shall bind on the earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you shall loose on the earth, shall be loosed in heaven." Matt. 16:13-19 Living Oracles Version
Jesus preached: "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand." If you will substitute the word kingdom for church, you will find you cannot say some things. And Paul the Apostle wrote: "who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son: by whom we have redemption, even the remission of sins." Col. 1:13 Living Oracles Version
"Now, then, you are no longer strangers and sojourners; but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God: having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the foundation corner stone; by which the whole building being fitly compacted together, rises into a holy temple of the Lord; in which you also are builded together for a habitation of God by the Spirit." Eph. 2:19-22 Living Oracles Version
[For the believer, the Church is a reality of an entirely different order. The Church is a mystery at once visible and invisible, given the task of making real the Gospel of Jesus Christ and translating it into action for each new generation. But the Church is activated by God The Holy Spirit, clothed with His power and possessing His pledge of loyalty. Compare 1 Cor. 12:12-13.]
What the question really asks is: "Can I find a church like the one I [think I] remember from my childhood?" This writer remembers a small church in Columbus, Ohio, that has not been there for many years. It was replaced by a Disciples Church. The small church was rural in nature, even though in the city. The Disciples Church was city-oriented. The small church had a series of preachers who Kept Things Just Like They Were. Then a new preacher came Who Thought Big. There was some difference in doctrine, yet basically the emphasis was still on Jesus and the gospel. But they began to Do Things and as population grew in the Columbus area, so did they! To several hundreds! [If preaching the truth means we will continue to be small - what about the Jerusalem Church? They baptized thousands!]
But when we say "standard church" we set the boundaries of the answer. The Roman Catholic Church to some extent grew out of a wish to produce a STANDARD CHURCH WHICH WOULD BE EXACTLY THE SAME EVERYWHERE. Centralized Authority ruled that each (local) Church would follow the matrix-pattern: Latin language; Latin Vulgate Bible; fixed order of worship; priestly ministers trained and certified by Authority. But even this eventually has had to change. The charismatic movement has changed even the Catholic Church. And now many speak in the language of the people.
The Old Testament does not describe in detail just how worship was done under The Law (even though we are told certain things they did). The New Testament does not show us in detail a worship-service under the Gospel. Certainly we have an opinion of what things were done, but not all the fine print details. And certainly a Jew and a Gentile did the same things "differently." [Campbell stressed FACTS over words and theories.]
"God is not impressed with what other people think of us, or even with our own opinion of ourselves. He sees what we really are, and He knows our motives as well as our deeds.... Christian worship, with familiar psalms, hymns, prayers and readings from the Scriptures, brings God the praise 'in spirit and in truth' which He seeks (John 4:23)." Wallerstedt
An English writer of the 19th century wrote: "The whole world is a temple and man is everywhere a worshiper." This is in harmony with the "living sacrifice" which Paul speaks about in Romans 12. We worship God with purity and holiness and good works and especially love. We intend to be faithful throughout our whole life. [Surprise! The Judgment is about how we treated others. Matt. 25:31-46]
Solomon's Temple was destroyed. The Jews were sent to Babylon. Temple worship was no longer possible. Certainly by God's design the synagogue was developed. Jews came together at a location to worship God, to study the Scriptures, and to share Jewish life and culture. This predates the pattern of the Christian community - the church. The synagogue was both visible and invisible. Their loyalty and relationship to God was invisible. When they met for worship they were visible.
Christians are commanded to meet together as a worship-community. "Don't give up the habit of meeting for worship." And even during times of severe persecution we see Christians meeting in secret as a group to worship their Lord and Savior. Some belittle the "institutional church," yet we see huge congregations at Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, etc. Many blessings for the individual Christian and a pooling of energies and abilities exist only in the Institutional Church. Note Paul in 1 Corinthians 12.
But all this doesn't see the one factor common to each local church congregation - God The Holy Spirit. "...that He may abide with you forever." "...but to wait for the Promise of the Father, 'which,' He said, 'you have heard from Me.'" "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" "in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." "For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people."
Jesus said in John 4:14, "But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." Note the inspired explanation of what Jesus is saying, in John 7:37-39. [Jesus was glorified in the Cross & Resurrection.] It surely cannot be right to deny grace and try to explain it away. Nor to try to depersonalize The Holy Spirit and say "It is just a power like electricity" as some do. Nor to fail to elevate JESUS in our lives and worship.
A good case can be made for the fact that it is the presence of God The Holy Spirit who "standardizes" the church The Book of Acts could be spoken of as the "Acts of The Holy Spirit." God indwells the church (The Congregation of the Saved) by The Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). God indwells each Christian by The Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 3:6,18). It isn't necessary that we become "Pentecostal" in what we do (nor JW's in what we don't do). But to "DENY" The Holy Spirit places us on dangerous ground. [Few would admit to denying The Spirit. But what are we doing? We should look carefully.]
Someone has written about Christian believers and worship.
"Without God The Holy Spirit,
God is far away,
Christ stays in the past,
The Gospel is a dead letter,
The Church is simply an organization,
Authority is a matter of domination,
Evangelism is a matter of propaganda,
Worship is no more than calling on a
deity who isn't there,
Christian living is only a slave morality."
WITH GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT PRESENT, ALL THIS CHANGES!!!
The Creation is resurrected and groans with the birth-pangs of the Kingdom (Romans 8:18-23).
The Risen Christ is there.
The Gospel is the power of life.
The Church shows forth the life of the Trinity.
Authority is a liberating service (cf. Luke 22:25-26).
Propagation of the Faith is a "Pentecost."
Worship-service is both memorial and anticipation.
Human action becomes "in the image of God."
Consider the following which I have adapted from a letter.
"I had been a member of the church for 48 years and was about as strict a Bible-Christian as anyone could be. I never missed Worship and was there every time the "church" met. Then I discovered through the Holy Spirit that what I had been trying to do for 48 years by works and service to the church, had already been done 2,000 years ago at Calvary [Hebrews 1:3]. At that moment I knew the only way to heaven was through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As I tried to share this truth with others, I got a severe lecture from the preacher. He said I could not get to heaven by grace but had to work out my salvation through the church. Sadly and reluctantly I was forced to leave. It was so strange being both in the 'Lord's Church' and on the verge of being kicked out because of my belief in salvation through grace as Paul taught."
What Jesus taught is not the normal human way of looking at things. God The Father deals with us as we deal with our children. Not punishment in the sense of revenge. But chastisement to protect and mature. God's response to the prodigal who brings himself back is to receive him home! Note what Paul said in Philippians 3:8-11. The righteousness that is given through faith in Christ! "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The average person is "soft" on forgiveness. They cannot believe that God forgives sins. Note this from one of our brothers in Romania. "In general Romanians do not trust each other, prompted by their communist experience. Associated with this is the difficulty of believing in God's grace. To them, the older brother in Luke 15 is a hero and the father inexcusably unfair in receiving the prodigal back."
The "older brother" was loved and accepted by the father. Yet the older brother had problems with the "grace" extended to the prodigal. Perhaps he felt no need of grace for himself. He had works and faithfulness! Yet his acceptance by the father also involved his own acceptance of the returned prodigal. Note 1 John 4:20. "...for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" Our own love of God is circumscribed by our love for our "brother."
And take note of what God said to Jonah. "But the Lord said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left--and much livestock?"
Jonah 4:10-11 (NKJV)
Friday, December 3, 2010
FORGIVE FOR YOUR OWN GOOD
A FORGIVENESS PRAYER 11-14-2000
Rhoderick D. Ice
David wrote: "Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitudes of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight --" Psalm 51:1-4
Jesus said: "For if you forgive men when they wrong you, your spiritual Father will forgive you, too. But if you don't forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your wrongs." [Matthew 6:14-15 Jordan].
Paul said Love is the greatest of all [1 Corinthians 13:13]. Christian love is key to everything else, especially dealing with the difficulties of life. LOVE enables us to FORGIVE. [1 Peter 4:8]
There are some who use unforgiveness to dominate others. They think they have power because of their harsh and unforgiving ways. And so long as we refuse to forgive them, we become a slave to our resentment and anger. Which is what they intend. But we can escape from their domination by bringing them before God’s Throne of Grace and FORGIVING them. Paul wrote: “Be angry, and do not sin”; do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” Eph. 4:26. The GNB words this: “’If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day.’ If revenge is due, let God take care of it. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it. For the scripture says, ‘I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord. If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will make him burn with shame.’ Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21 GNB. For after all, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance.
A member of a mission team felt the team leader had treated him unfairly. For months he nursed a grudge against the leader. He paid a physical toll for this as his stomach tied in knots and his health deteriorated. Finally in desperation he knelt and prayed, "Father, I forgive Steve (not his name) and I release him from my anger. I believe he was in the wrong, yet I cannot continue in this way. I ask You to bless him and give him wisdom. Fill my heart with Your peace! In Jesus' name, Amen." His health began to improve from that day. And, he found it easier to work with Steve.
Forgiveness is a choice - an act of will - rather than a feeling. If we pray for a person, we can be assured that we have forgiven that person. Visualize the person and say to the Lord: "I love him/her because You love him/her." 1 John 4:7-21. Christian love is not an "ooey-gooey feeling," but relating to others through Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness is a life long obligation. This does not mean that we excuse trespasses against us. It does mean that we do not allow ourselves to be held hostage by unforgiveness and bitterness.
Jesus said: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." [John 15:12 NKJV]
Jesus said: "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." [Mark 11:25-26 NKJV]
Peter asked the question: "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." [Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV] Jesus is saying that one of His disciples should never stop forgiving.
The very essence of effective "healing" is forgiveness. Healing may be needed in a relationship with a father, mother, sisters or brothers, friends, church leaders, brothers & sisters in Christ. Most people require healing in self-relationship. The doorway to being "perfect" is almost always forgiveness.
To begin, visualize Jesus putting His hand on your head, saying: "I have come to liberate you today. Go deeply into the valley of forgiveness and be set free!" [compare 1 John 4:20-21; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7]
At times we tend to blame God when things go wrong. It is right to complain to God, but not to murmur and blame Him. Note the many examples in the Psalms; also Job 13:15. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my ways before him." Job defended his own ways before God, and so will we. This was not presumptuous, nor murmuring, but a child reaching up to his Father.
"Holy Father, there is so much that I do not understand. I forgive You (but it was I who was at fault) for the times death has come into the family, hard times, financial difficulties, or things that I thought were punishments sent by You. People said, 'It's God's will,' and I became bitter and resentful toward You. Purify my heart and mind today. Help me to look always to You and Your Glory."
"In life, we all have unfair things that happen to us. We can choose to hold on to the hurt, become bitter and angry, and let it poison our future; or, we can choose to let it go and trust God to make it up to us. You not think that you are able to forgive because someone hurt you so badly. You might say, “Joel, you don’t know how I was raised.” “My ex-spouse caused me a lot of pain.” “This friend betrayed me.” “I just can’t let it go.” But realize, you don’t forgive for their sake; you forgive for your own sake. When you forgive, you are taking away their power to hurt you. But if you hold on to that offense and stay angry, you are only poisoning your own life and disconnecting yourself from God." Osteen
In Acts 7:55-59 Stephen prayed to Jesus. "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit....Lord, do not charge them with this sin."
"Lord Jesus Christ, I ask today to forgive everyone in my life. I know that You will give me the strength to forgive. I thank You that You love me more than I love myself and want my happiness more than I desire it for myself." [compare Psalm 130]
Many have trouble accepting the reality of God's forgiveness. It will be necessary for me to forgive myself - to accept the fact that God has forgiven me - to release myself from guilt and despair.
"Heavenly Father, I forgive myself for all my sins, faults and failings. [compare Psalm 51 in this context]. I forgive myself for unbelief in Your goodness, and for not truly believing in Your love for me. I release stored up bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness. I forgive myself for not spending enough time in prayer, for allowing myself to be distracted from praise and worship to You. I forgive myself for any sins against purity, for compulsive behavior, for hurting my parents or friends, for wounding people with words and behavior. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the grace to forgive myself and the power to change."
The past is gone forever, and we cannot change it. Yet we cannot blot it out of our minds. But we must move on to tomorrow. Forgiveness is key to moving on.
"Heavenly Father, I forgive my mother for any negativity and unlove she may have extended to me throughout my life. I forgive her for any times she may have hurt me, resented me, been unreasonably angry with me, or punished me unfairly."
"Heavenly Father, I forgive my father for any negativity and unlove he may have extended to me throughout my life. I forgive him for any nonsupport, lack of love, affection or attention."
"Lord, I extend forgiveness to my sisters and brothers, my spouse, my children, my mother- in-law, father-in-law, son/daughter in law, and other relatives by marriage, who may have treated my family with a lack of love. For all their words, thoughts, actions or omissions which injure and cause pain, I forgive them."
"Heavenly Father, I forgive the leaders of the church who may have been harsh, cold or overly strict with me in my formative years. I forgive them for any expression of negativity or unlove. I forgive them for any lack of support, affirmation, bad sermons, lack of friendliness, not providing me or my family with the inspiration we needed, for any hurts they have inflicted on me or my family, even in the distant past. I forgive them today."
Children may misunderstand the words and actions of church leaders. Sometimes children are ignored and pushed aside. Adults may experience these same things. Church leaders may appear to be insensitive and unloving. Yet we forgive and do our part to correct the situation. We are all One in Christ!
"Heavenly Father, I forgive those who have hurt me the most, those who are the hardest to forgive. I now choose to forgive, even though I may still feel angry and hurt. I also make peace with the one family member, the one friend, the one church leader who has hurt me most in life."
"Lord, I beg pardon of all these people for the hurt I have inflicted on them, especially my mother and father, and my marriage partner. I am especially sorry for the three greatest hurts I have inflicted on each one."
"Thank You, Jesus, that I am being freed from the evil of unforgiveness. I praise You and Thank You for granting me repentance and forgiveness and setting me free. I want to offer my life to You as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. In Jesus' name, Amen."
"Holy Spirit, pour the love of God into my heart [Romans 5:5]. Fill me with Holy Joy, Christian Love, and all the Fruit of the Spirit. Mold me and make me. [2 Corinthians 3:17-18] I claim the Victory, in Jesus' Name. Amen."
"Blessed Trinity: Father, Son, Spirit. I lift my voice to You. Thank You for giving me life and existence. Thank You for sending Jesus to be the Lamb who takes away sin. I claim the Victory which He won and I claim all Your blessings. In Jesus' name, Amen."
“Thank You, Lord, for forgiving me! You said that You would forgive my sins and no longer remember my wrongs [Hebrews 8:12; Psalm 130:3-4]. You said that if I would confess my sins and weaknesses to You, that You would forgive my sins and purify me from all wrongdoing [1 John 1:9]. I do confess my sins and my weaknesses. I do want to be right with You. Fill me with all Your love and mercy and blessings through the Holy Spirit. I claim it all in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
PS: The devil uses "unforgiveness" to destroy souls. Phil. H was harsh and unforgiving, very extreme in his attitude toward his own family as well as others. Finally his wife left him, and he attempted suicide. Joe C. was also very extreme and unforgiving. He suffered a heart attack and this destroyed his "faith." Eventually he shot and killed himself. It is so very important to be able to come with boldness and confidence to God's Throne of Grace to seek His forgiveness and blessing. Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-22; 2 Cor. 2:10-11.
"Holy Father, we know it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. We know You love us and want us to come to You. We do have faith; help our unbelief. Increase our faith and hope and love. Through Christ, Amen."
Rhoderick D. Ice
David wrote: "Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitudes of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight --" Psalm 51:1-4
Jesus said: "For if you forgive men when they wrong you, your spiritual Father will forgive you, too. But if you don't forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your wrongs." [Matthew 6:14-15 Jordan].
Paul said Love is the greatest of all [1 Corinthians 13:13]. Christian love is key to everything else, especially dealing with the difficulties of life. LOVE enables us to FORGIVE. [1 Peter 4:8]
There are some who use unforgiveness to dominate others. They think they have power because of their harsh and unforgiving ways. And so long as we refuse to forgive them, we become a slave to our resentment and anger. Which is what they intend. But we can escape from their domination by bringing them before God’s Throne of Grace and FORGIVING them. Paul wrote: “Be angry, and do not sin”; do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” Eph. 4:26. The GNB words this: “’If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day.’ If revenge is due, let God take care of it. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God’s anger do it. For the scripture says, ‘I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord. If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for by doing this you will make him burn with shame.’ Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21 GNB. For after all, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance.
A member of a mission team felt the team leader had treated him unfairly. For months he nursed a grudge against the leader. He paid a physical toll for this as his stomach tied in knots and his health deteriorated. Finally in desperation he knelt and prayed, "Father, I forgive Steve (not his name) and I release him from my anger. I believe he was in the wrong, yet I cannot continue in this way. I ask You to bless him and give him wisdom. Fill my heart with Your peace! In Jesus' name, Amen." His health began to improve from that day. And, he found it easier to work with Steve.
Forgiveness is a choice - an act of will - rather than a feeling. If we pray for a person, we can be assured that we have forgiven that person. Visualize the person and say to the Lord: "I love him/her because You love him/her." 1 John 4:7-21. Christian love is not an "ooey-gooey feeling," but relating to others through Jesus Christ.
Forgiveness is a life long obligation. This does not mean that we excuse trespasses against us. It does mean that we do not allow ourselves to be held hostage by unforgiveness and bitterness.
Jesus said: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." [John 15:12 NKJV]
Jesus said: "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." [Mark 11:25-26 NKJV]
Peter asked the question: "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." [Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV] Jesus is saying that one of His disciples should never stop forgiving.
The very essence of effective "healing" is forgiveness. Healing may be needed in a relationship with a father, mother, sisters or brothers, friends, church leaders, brothers & sisters in Christ. Most people require healing in self-relationship. The doorway to being "perfect" is almost always forgiveness.
To begin, visualize Jesus putting His hand on your head, saying: "I have come to liberate you today. Go deeply into the valley of forgiveness and be set free!" [compare 1 John 4:20-21; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7]
At times we tend to blame God when things go wrong. It is right to complain to God, but not to murmur and blame Him. Note the many examples in the Psalms; also Job 13:15. "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my ways before him." Job defended his own ways before God, and so will we. This was not presumptuous, nor murmuring, but a child reaching up to his Father.
"Holy Father, there is so much that I do not understand. I forgive You (but it was I who was at fault) for the times death has come into the family, hard times, financial difficulties, or things that I thought were punishments sent by You. People said, 'It's God's will,' and I became bitter and resentful toward You. Purify my heart and mind today. Help me to look always to You and Your Glory."
"In life, we all have unfair things that happen to us. We can choose to hold on to the hurt, become bitter and angry, and let it poison our future; or, we can choose to let it go and trust God to make it up to us. You not think that you are able to forgive because someone hurt you so badly. You might say, “Joel, you don’t know how I was raised.” “My ex-spouse caused me a lot of pain.” “This friend betrayed me.” “I just can’t let it go.” But realize, you don’t forgive for their sake; you forgive for your own sake. When you forgive, you are taking away their power to hurt you. But if you hold on to that offense and stay angry, you are only poisoning your own life and disconnecting yourself from God." Osteen
In Acts 7:55-59 Stephen prayed to Jesus. "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit....Lord, do not charge them with this sin."
"Lord Jesus Christ, I ask today to forgive everyone in my life. I know that You will give me the strength to forgive. I thank You that You love me more than I love myself and want my happiness more than I desire it for myself." [compare Psalm 130]
Many have trouble accepting the reality of God's forgiveness. It will be necessary for me to forgive myself - to accept the fact that God has forgiven me - to release myself from guilt and despair.
"Heavenly Father, I forgive myself for all my sins, faults and failings. [compare Psalm 51 in this context]. I forgive myself for unbelief in Your goodness, and for not truly believing in Your love for me. I release stored up bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness. I forgive myself for not spending enough time in prayer, for allowing myself to be distracted from praise and worship to You. I forgive myself for any sins against purity, for compulsive behavior, for hurting my parents or friends, for wounding people with words and behavior. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the grace to forgive myself and the power to change."
The past is gone forever, and we cannot change it. Yet we cannot blot it out of our minds. But we must move on to tomorrow. Forgiveness is key to moving on.
"Heavenly Father, I forgive my mother for any negativity and unlove she may have extended to me throughout my life. I forgive her for any times she may have hurt me, resented me, been unreasonably angry with me, or punished me unfairly."
"Heavenly Father, I forgive my father for any negativity and unlove he may have extended to me throughout my life. I forgive him for any nonsupport, lack of love, affection or attention."
"Lord, I extend forgiveness to my sisters and brothers, my spouse, my children, my mother- in-law, father-in-law, son/daughter in law, and other relatives by marriage, who may have treated my family with a lack of love. For all their words, thoughts, actions or omissions which injure and cause pain, I forgive them."
"Heavenly Father, I forgive the leaders of the church who may have been harsh, cold or overly strict with me in my formative years. I forgive them for any expression of negativity or unlove. I forgive them for any lack of support, affirmation, bad sermons, lack of friendliness, not providing me or my family with the inspiration we needed, for any hurts they have inflicted on me or my family, even in the distant past. I forgive them today."
Children may misunderstand the words and actions of church leaders. Sometimes children are ignored and pushed aside. Adults may experience these same things. Church leaders may appear to be insensitive and unloving. Yet we forgive and do our part to correct the situation. We are all One in Christ!
"Heavenly Father, I forgive those who have hurt me the most, those who are the hardest to forgive. I now choose to forgive, even though I may still feel angry and hurt. I also make peace with the one family member, the one friend, the one church leader who has hurt me most in life."
"Lord, I beg pardon of all these people for the hurt I have inflicted on them, especially my mother and father, and my marriage partner. I am especially sorry for the three greatest hurts I have inflicted on each one."
"Thank You, Jesus, that I am being freed from the evil of unforgiveness. I praise You and Thank You for granting me repentance and forgiveness and setting me free. I want to offer my life to You as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. In Jesus' name, Amen."
"Holy Spirit, pour the love of God into my heart [Romans 5:5]. Fill me with Holy Joy, Christian Love, and all the Fruit of the Spirit. Mold me and make me. [2 Corinthians 3:17-18] I claim the Victory, in Jesus' Name. Amen."
"Blessed Trinity: Father, Son, Spirit. I lift my voice to You. Thank You for giving me life and existence. Thank You for sending Jesus to be the Lamb who takes away sin. I claim the Victory which He won and I claim all Your blessings. In Jesus' name, Amen."
“Thank You, Lord, for forgiving me! You said that You would forgive my sins and no longer remember my wrongs [Hebrews 8:12; Psalm 130:3-4]. You said that if I would confess my sins and weaknesses to You, that You would forgive my sins and purify me from all wrongdoing [1 John 1:9]. I do confess my sins and my weaknesses. I do want to be right with You. Fill me with all Your love and mercy and blessings through the Holy Spirit. I claim it all in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
PS: The devil uses "unforgiveness" to destroy souls. Phil. H was harsh and unforgiving, very extreme in his attitude toward his own family as well as others. Finally his wife left him, and he attempted suicide. Joe C. was also very extreme and unforgiving. He suffered a heart attack and this destroyed his "faith." Eventually he shot and killed himself. It is so very important to be able to come with boldness and confidence to God's Throne of Grace to seek His forgiveness and blessing. Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-22; 2 Cor. 2:10-11.
"Holy Father, we know it was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. We know You love us and want us to come to You. We do have faith; help our unbelief. Increase our faith and hope and love. Through Christ, Amen."
Thursday, December 2, 2010
LET'S HAVE CHURCH
LET’s HAVE CHURCH!
R. D. Ice
[When we look back some years (when such things were common), we are impressed by the faith & power of the Gospel of Christ - Crucified, Risen, Coming again! Some today have pulled the plug on power, Christian love, holy joy, and the fruit of The Spirit. Paul warned: "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." Look back with me to those days of glory.]
It was just before WWII in one of the large cities of the South. Trucks rolled into the inner city and the crew began putting up the Gospel Tent on the vacant lot where the Circus came each year. Loudspeaker vans went through the city streets blaring the congregation singing: “There’s POWER In The BLOOD.” The song leader’s voice could be heard shouting: “Gospel Meeting tonight in the big tent! Everyone come!”
And people did come. A rainbow of ethnic groups. Many of the poor and dispossessed. Some in suits & ties. Old people and young children and those in between. But they came and they filled the Gospel Tent. Finally everyone was seated on the rickety folding-chairs.
“Let’s all sing!” shouted the song-leader. “Everyone join in and sing as loud as you can!” He began singing: “Would you be FREE from the BURDEN of SIN? There’s POWER in the BLOOD!’”
The people sang with enthusiasm! “POWER, POWER, Wonder working POWER, in the BLOOD, of the Lamb, there is POWER, POWER, Wonder working POWER, in the Precious BLOOD of the LAMB!”
They were lifting the VOICE of JOYFUL PRAISE to the Lord. Would the Apostle Paul have done what this tent evangelist was doing? Read what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, and compare Philippians 1:15-18.
Brother Ed, the Evangelist, stood up to speak. “Glory to God!” he shouted. “The Bible says Jesus came so that the world through Him might be saved! I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL! There is POWER in the BLOOD!”
“Let’s have CHURCH!” he shouted. He waved his Bible in the air. “Let's have CHURCH! - Unashamed! With Power! Jesus- Worshipping! Sin-Busting! Devil- Chasing! Bible-Loving! Saving! Renewing! Praising! and With All The Joy The Holy Spirit Provides!!!”
(And I remembered 2 Timothy 1:7. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”)
Brother Ed continued: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of how Christ died and rose again from the dead! Jesus is a Hero! He rescued us from sin and death. The real Day of Atonement was that Day when Jesus was Nailed to the Cross. The Lamb of God took away the sin of the world! Jesus said that when He was lifted up on the cross, He would draw everyone to Himself. Everyone who believes Jesus was raised from the dead will come to Him!”
Brother Ed said: “I have never heard anyone say, ‘When I studied geography my whole life changed.’ But I do know that when I studied Jesus Christ I was set free from sin! I don’t beat my wife or abuse my children. I am honest and pay my debts. I try to do good to everyone. The love of Christ fills my heart and soul! I want to share this Love with everyone who will listen!”
“Church, let’s have POWER! When God’s people of old prayed - things happened! Elijah prayed and God turned off the rain for three and a half years. Elijah prayed again and the rains came down. Every Christian has the authority to PRAY! Let everyone who is FREE IN CHRIST come to the Foot of the Cross in prayer and praise and let us lift ONE VOICE to our GOD!”
“It is time for a Christian revolution,” he shouted! “We are in the battle for the hearts and souls of mankind! If God crushed Satan beneath the feet of the Christians at Rome [Romans 16:20], HE certainly is able to do the same today if we reach up to Him in prayer. God is saying, ‘By thy faith command thou Me!’ When we believe and then ACT - our God will do what we cannot do!”
Perhaps we do need a more aggressive faith (not an arrogant faith); certainly a more joyous faith. The Tent Evangelists came into an area and practiced “Guerrilla Evangelism.” People would come to a tent service who would not consider going to a “church.” On Pentecost in Acts 2, crowds of people were reached and 3,000 were baptized into Christ that one day. Thousands more flooded into the Kingdom and the Jerusalem Church grew to perhaps 100,000 believers. When these people were scattered by persecution in Acts 8, they took CHRIST with them everywhere they went! Like gasoline poured on a fire, these believers exploded the Gospel of Christ across the First Century world. Certainly God-The-Holy- Spirit was enabling them [Compare Acts 1:8,14].
The Gospel is the POWER of God at work - saving all who believe and obey! The Word of Christ cannot fail! Revelation 7 speaks of the great number of the Saved!
A huge crowd of people,
too many to count them all,
standing in front of
the Throne and the Lamb.
They are from every race
and language, every nation
and tribe, dressed in white,
the sign of Victory!
Who are these? Where do
they come from?
They came through the
terrible persecution.
They’ve washed their robes,
scrubbed them clean
in the blood of the Lamb.
They stand in praise and worship
standing in front of the Throne,
serving Him day and night,
in the Eternal Temple.
The Lamb is in the center of
the Throne. He will shepherd
the people of God, and lead them
to Eternal spring-waters of Life.
No more tears, no sickness,
no sorrow, no persecution,
no death! All is new!
Oh, Yes! I’m on my way!
I’ll soon be there!
Come! Lord Jesus!
God-The-Holy-Spirit is vital to the life of Christ’s church. Note John 7:37-39.
Jesus stood
on the final day of the Feast.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come
to Me and drink.
Rivers of living water
will brim and spill out
of the depths of the one
who believes in Me.”
Jesus said this about
The Holy Spirit Who
would be given when
He - Jesus - was glorified
in the Cross and Resurrection.
God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah!
If you sewed together arms, legs, a body and a head, you might make a “baby.” But without the “spirit” it would not be living. In every generation a Movement arises that seeks to duplicate the New Testament church of the Apostles. They install elders and deacons, and all the known programs of the apostolic church. They set in order baptism and the Lord’s Supper. But without the life-giving Holy Spirit it is just a copy. The church is built for a “habitation of God through the Spirit” [Ephesians 2:22].
Campbell stressed “head” religion. If we merely impart knowledge of the scriptures and biblical principles, we have not made them “spiritual.”
Stone stressed “heart.” The Eunuch went on his way rejoicing. We need both “head” and “heart” in our life in Christ Jesus. It is said of those first Christians: “Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
No person or institution has the power to produce spirituality in someone. There are no shortcuts. Only God The Holy Spirit does that. We need to stress the “renewing of the Holy Ghost” [Titus 3:5] “which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” The Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for us [Romans 8:26-28]. Christians are being changed into the “same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." [2 Corinthians 3:18]
We Christians have been sanctified and we must live holy lives as living sacrifices to God [Romans 12:1-2]. The God who called us is holy, and we are to be holy too in our conversation/ conduct [1 Peter 1:15-16]. We Christians are to shine as lights in this dark world [Matthew 5:16]. Our hearts are to be full of Christian love, holy joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit! [2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7; Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 8:31-38].
We remember You, Lord Jesus,
in the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Meal.
Your body of flesh was nailed
to the cross, Your blood was
poured out for the sins of us.
Your death and resurrection
is the atoning sacrifice for sin.
You are the Scapegoat who
carried away forever the sins
that have been forgiven.
You purged our sins and sat down.
You give us the authority to say
Abba, Father, to God the Almighty.
You make us joint heirs with Yourself.
Oh God, our God, how majestic is
Your Name above all the earth!!!
R. D. Ice
[When we look back some years (when such things were common), we are impressed by the faith & power of the Gospel of Christ - Crucified, Risen, Coming again! Some today have pulled the plug on power, Christian love, holy joy, and the fruit of The Spirit. Paul warned: "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." Look back with me to those days of glory.]
It was just before WWII in one of the large cities of the South. Trucks rolled into the inner city and the crew began putting up the Gospel Tent on the vacant lot where the Circus came each year. Loudspeaker vans went through the city streets blaring the congregation singing: “There’s POWER In The BLOOD.” The song leader’s voice could be heard shouting: “Gospel Meeting tonight in the big tent! Everyone come!”
And people did come. A rainbow of ethnic groups. Many of the poor and dispossessed. Some in suits & ties. Old people and young children and those in between. But they came and they filled the Gospel Tent. Finally everyone was seated on the rickety folding-chairs.
“Let’s all sing!” shouted the song-leader. “Everyone join in and sing as loud as you can!” He began singing: “Would you be FREE from the BURDEN of SIN? There’s POWER in the BLOOD!’”
The people sang with enthusiasm! “POWER, POWER, Wonder working POWER, in the BLOOD, of the Lamb, there is POWER, POWER, Wonder working POWER, in the Precious BLOOD of the LAMB!”
They were lifting the VOICE of JOYFUL PRAISE to the Lord. Would the Apostle Paul have done what this tent evangelist was doing? Read what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, and compare Philippians 1:15-18.
Brother Ed, the Evangelist, stood up to speak. “Glory to God!” he shouted. “The Bible says Jesus came so that the world through Him might be saved! I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL! There is POWER in the BLOOD!”
“Let’s have CHURCH!” he shouted. He waved his Bible in the air. “Let's have CHURCH! - Unashamed! With Power! Jesus- Worshipping! Sin-Busting! Devil- Chasing! Bible-Loving! Saving! Renewing! Praising! and With All The Joy The Holy Spirit Provides!!!”
(And I remembered 2 Timothy 1:7. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”)
Brother Ed continued: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of how Christ died and rose again from the dead! Jesus is a Hero! He rescued us from sin and death. The real Day of Atonement was that Day when Jesus was Nailed to the Cross. The Lamb of God took away the sin of the world! Jesus said that when He was lifted up on the cross, He would draw everyone to Himself. Everyone who believes Jesus was raised from the dead will come to Him!”
Brother Ed said: “I have never heard anyone say, ‘When I studied geography my whole life changed.’ But I do know that when I studied Jesus Christ I was set free from sin! I don’t beat my wife or abuse my children. I am honest and pay my debts. I try to do good to everyone. The love of Christ fills my heart and soul! I want to share this Love with everyone who will listen!”
“Church, let’s have POWER! When God’s people of old prayed - things happened! Elijah prayed and God turned off the rain for three and a half years. Elijah prayed again and the rains came down. Every Christian has the authority to PRAY! Let everyone who is FREE IN CHRIST come to the Foot of the Cross in prayer and praise and let us lift ONE VOICE to our GOD!”
“It is time for a Christian revolution,” he shouted! “We are in the battle for the hearts and souls of mankind! If God crushed Satan beneath the feet of the Christians at Rome [Romans 16:20], HE certainly is able to do the same today if we reach up to Him in prayer. God is saying, ‘By thy faith command thou Me!’ When we believe and then ACT - our God will do what we cannot do!”
Perhaps we do need a more aggressive faith (not an arrogant faith); certainly a more joyous faith. The Tent Evangelists came into an area and practiced “Guerrilla Evangelism.” People would come to a tent service who would not consider going to a “church.” On Pentecost in Acts 2, crowds of people were reached and 3,000 were baptized into Christ that one day. Thousands more flooded into the Kingdom and the Jerusalem Church grew to perhaps 100,000 believers. When these people were scattered by persecution in Acts 8, they took CHRIST with them everywhere they went! Like gasoline poured on a fire, these believers exploded the Gospel of Christ across the First Century world. Certainly God-The-Holy- Spirit was enabling them [Compare Acts 1:8,14].
The Gospel is the POWER of God at work - saving all who believe and obey! The Word of Christ cannot fail! Revelation 7 speaks of the great number of the Saved!
A huge crowd of people,
too many to count them all,
standing in front of
the Throne and the Lamb.
They are from every race
and language, every nation
and tribe, dressed in white,
the sign of Victory!
Who are these? Where do
they come from?
They came through the
terrible persecution.
They’ve washed their robes,
scrubbed them clean
in the blood of the Lamb.
They stand in praise and worship
standing in front of the Throne,
serving Him day and night,
in the Eternal Temple.
The Lamb is in the center of
the Throne. He will shepherd
the people of God, and lead them
to Eternal spring-waters of Life.
No more tears, no sickness,
no sorrow, no persecution,
no death! All is new!
Oh, Yes! I’m on my way!
I’ll soon be there!
Come! Lord Jesus!
God-The-Holy-Spirit is vital to the life of Christ’s church. Note John 7:37-39.
Jesus stood
on the final day of the Feast.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come
to Me and drink.
Rivers of living water
will brim and spill out
of the depths of the one
who believes in Me.”
Jesus said this about
The Holy Spirit Who
would be given when
He - Jesus - was glorified
in the Cross and Resurrection.
God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah!
If you sewed together arms, legs, a body and a head, you might make a “baby.” But without the “spirit” it would not be living. In every generation a Movement arises that seeks to duplicate the New Testament church of the Apostles. They install elders and deacons, and all the known programs of the apostolic church. They set in order baptism and the Lord’s Supper. But without the life-giving Holy Spirit it is just a copy. The church is built for a “habitation of God through the Spirit” [Ephesians 2:22].
Campbell stressed “head” religion. If we merely impart knowledge of the scriptures and biblical principles, we have not made them “spiritual.”
Stone stressed “heart.” The Eunuch went on his way rejoicing. We need both “head” and “heart” in our life in Christ Jesus. It is said of those first Christians: “Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
No person or institution has the power to produce spirituality in someone. There are no shortcuts. Only God The Holy Spirit does that. We need to stress the “renewing of the Holy Ghost” [Titus 3:5] “which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” The Holy Spirit Himself makes intercession for us [Romans 8:26-28]. Christians are being changed into the “same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." [2 Corinthians 3:18]
We Christians have been sanctified and we must live holy lives as living sacrifices to God [Romans 12:1-2]. The God who called us is holy, and we are to be holy too in our conversation/ conduct [1 Peter 1:15-16]. We Christians are to shine as lights in this dark world [Matthew 5:16]. Our hearts are to be full of Christian love, holy joy, and all the fruit of the Spirit! [2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7; Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 8:31-38].
We remember You, Lord Jesus,
in the Lord’s Supper, the Holy Meal.
Your body of flesh was nailed
to the cross, Your blood was
poured out for the sins of us.
Your death and resurrection
is the atoning sacrifice for sin.
You are the Scapegoat who
carried away forever the sins
that have been forgiven.
You purged our sins and sat down.
You give us the authority to say
Abba, Father, to God the Almighty.
You make us joint heirs with Yourself.
Oh God, our God, how majestic is
Your Name above all the earth!!!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Take The High Ground
TAKING THE HIGH GROUND
In the recent political campaign experts prepared attack ads to try to destroy the other guy. Accuse him of everything you can even imagine. Only 7% of voters really pay attention to these (so we are told). When the election is over, they shake hands (hold their nose while doing it) and work together for the common good. But they work together.
Someone has written: "I can remember a preacher who had done SO much good for the Lord in a tri-state area. I know that because everyone told me about what he used to be like. But when he got older, he couldn't turn the reins over to anyone else. He became hard to deal with and out of touch. In his later years — the years I knew him — he nearly undid all the good he had done and suffocated a couple churches in front of my eyes. I can remember my father getting on his knees in his office and praying that God would take him before he ever got to the point where he was doing more harm than good."
It is vitally important to take the "High Ground." Paul the Apostle wrote: "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." Romans 14:10 (NKJV)
And: "Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:16-17 (NKJV)
Righteousness and peace and joy come through taking the grace of God seriously. The Bible says: "when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," Heb 1:3 (NKJV) This is God in action. He has done what we cannot do. Our good works are necessary, but they do not add to what He Has Done.
"Raccoon John" Smith was one of our pioneer preachers in the early 1800s. He said he once preached a sermon which was NOT TRUE and which he did NOT believe. But, he said, it helped to clear the air. He preached "Universal Damnation," that no one at all could ever be saved and that Jesus had failed. He reasoned: The righteous are scarcely saved (1 Peter 4:18). But there are no righteous (Romans 3). Therefore no one at all can be saved. This would mean that Jesus had failed in His mission to be the world's Savior. But, he said, this is NOT TRUE! "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." And "when He had by Himself purged our sins." (2Cor5:19; Hebrews1:3) WE ARE SAVED BY GOD'S GRACE. And it is this fact that we are "sinners saved by grace" (Titus 3:3-7) that requires us to throw ourselves on God's mercy. We sing: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way." And: "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow."
A Parable. (This Parable is a made-up story to show us a truth.)
"Ben Trying died and came to the Pearly Gates. There he met Peter who was the gatekeeper. "Before I can let you in, said Peter, I must examine you. You must have 10,000 points. Tell me why I should let you in." "I was an elder in the church for many years before my death." "Good for you," said Peter, "that's one point." Ben looked startled and then continued. "I attended every service of the church for many years." "Wonderful," said Peter, "that's one point." Ben shifted his feet and had a wild look in his eyes. Ben said, "I was baptized into Christ as a teenager." "That's another point," said Peter. Ben threw up his hands. "Why at this rate it would only be by the grace of God that anyone could be saved." "Oh, the grace of God," said Peter. "That's worth far more than 10,000 points! Come right in."
A parable. "Joe Doaks 'obeyed the gospel.' As he was coming up out of the baptismal pool, he stumbled and fell dead." Was he saved? Certainly. If not, why not? He was saved by God's act in Christ by which He put the world right with Himself (2 Cor. 5:17-21; Phil. 3:9-11).
"It is the supreme discovery of life that we need not punish ourselves in a hopeless effort to earn God's forgiveness. It is freely offered to all. We must gladly accept his gift of love on the terms offered. A grateful heart will make the best effort to please Him. No longer do we as criminals seek by our own strength to escape our chains, rather as faithful children we do our best to please our loving Father." JHW
Since we have received God's grace, we must pass this grace along to others in our relationships. We - having been forgiven by God - must have a forgiving spirit. We must take the high road with fellow believers. John the Apostle wrote: "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." 1 John 5:16-17 (NKJV) The extreme Pharisee by his attitude considered Jesus to be a Sabbath-breaker and a glutton and wine-bibber. Yet Jesus was right in everything that He did - without sin - and they were wrong..
"If we should succeed in routing the enemy - if we refute their every error and see them gone - what will we have at the end? If we are left a narrow, bitter band of do-nothing-but-fight church folks, we will have a hollow victory. The survivors will soon bite and destroy one another (Gal. 5:15). Let's fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12), but let's remember to be "good soldiers of Christ Jesus (II Tim. 2:3) whose code is fidelity, honor, and service. JHW"
God created us to live in a world of Time. This world is incredibly complex and things are interconnected. God is presently judging us. Islam, which claims to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, may be a judgment on the church. It is at least a judgment on Western Civilization. Yet God's Answer is JESUS CHRIST - Crucified, Risen, Coming Again. And, GOD The Holy Spirit is continually at work in our world.
Jude, the brother of James, wrote: "Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude 1:3-4 (NLT)
There is a salvation shared in common by both Jew and Gentile believers. This salvation is preserved in the apostolic tradition once for all delivered to the saints, and it cannot be changed. (Some of the issues are recent inventions.) But as we defend the faith, we must avoid the devil's wiles and pitfalls. "Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." Matt 16:6 (NKJV)
Satan would push us into overreacting. As some would say: "Run out of Babylon so fast that you run on past Jerusalem." The church at Ephesus became so intense in identifying false apostles that they pushed Jesus aside and forgot to love Him. They "left their first love." They still attended church, but forgot Him who they came to worship.
Ignorance is NOT a virtue. And willful ignorance is disbelief and it is sin. Jesus accused the Pharisees. "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." John 5:39-40 (NLT) The scriptures which they searched intently were filled with huge stomping clues about JESUS! But they made themselves willfully ignorant of Jesus. And Paul wrote: "But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ." 2 Cor 3:14 (NLT)
Christ bought the church with His own blood! But as someone has said: There is something indecent about the Church which turns all attention to herself and shoves Christ out of the focus. Having said that, anyone can win a war. But only the noble can win justly and bring about PEACE.
The great problem of the church today is to find the necessary bond between institution and liberty. We need not invent this bond. It is not of our making nor does it come from debating ourselves into agreement. This bond has a personal name - The Holy Spirit. HE is the One who gives life to the entire church from within (Eph. 2:19-22). Paul speaks: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." 2 Cor 13:14 (NKJV) Note Romans 16:20; Jude 1:21; Phil. 2:1-2.
1. We must not be only against what we view as unauthorized additions and distortions. We must emphasize those positive facts of Christianity that are the heart and core of the Faith. Jesus spoke a parable about this (concerning the Pharisees). "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." Matt 12:43-45 (NKJV)
Jesus put a high priority on justice, mercy, faith, holiness and all the fruit of the Spirit (Matt. 23:23). Those who know only how to oppose something will never succeed in building up the kingdom of God. Daniel Sommer (one of our Pioneer preachers) spoke of those who spent their time "baptizing aliens and capsizing sectarians," but who did nothing to edify the church. Paul said he planted (evangelized), Apollos watered (edified), but God gave the increase. God Himself made the church grow.
2. We must be guided by love (Eph. 5:2). Love for the cause of Christ; love for fellow Christians; love for our opponents in this struggle for the heart of the church. Paul warned: "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." 2 Thess 3:15 (NKJV) "Our goal should be to snatch from the fire those who have turned away from the holy Word. "And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." Jude 1:22-23 (NLT)
3. We must be kind (Eph. 4:32), considerate, and courteous (1 Peter 3:8-9 KJV) when dealing with those whom we feel we must confront. We must not allow our anger to lead us into sin.
4. We must be Christian soldiers of high honor, integrity, honesty, and truthfulness in dealing with those we view as not following "our old paths." Paul the Apostle said: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-- meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." Phil 4:8-9 (NKJV) We dare not say: "All is fair in love and war." Nor: "The end justifies the means." We must strive lawfully or we are throwing away the truth we wish to defend.
5. We ourselves must be strong in faith, prayer, holiness, and good works. Paul warns: "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Eph 6:12 (NLT) We ourselves must first come boldly to God's throne of GRACE. Then we can reach out in spiritual power.
6. Do we in fact believe that the "gates of hell shall NOT prevail against His church?" God said: "So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts." Zech 4:6 (NKJV) Again: "Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands." 1 Sam 17:47 (NKJV) And again: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 8:31 (NKJV) "Victory will not be won because we are smarter, better educated, tougher soldiers, or because we can hit harder. Nor will shouting, bullying, or any other expressions of physical strength turn the tide. JHW"
7. We must not be devoured by opposing what we view as error. When preachers fall into this trap, their congregations wither and die, even as they make war on what they view as error. We must "lift up Christ for all to see!" We must reclaim the fallen and inactive, and we must edify and illuminate the church. But at the same time: "Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching." 2 Tim 4:2 (NLT)
8. We must be willing to hear and evaluate those criticisms raised against our practices. It is said that God sometimes speaks to us through an enemy. No honest soul would claim to have perfectly "restored" our vision of the ideal church of the First Century. And the church under the guidance of the Apostles had the same problems which we have today. Rather than react in anger, we must examine the ground upon which we stand and strive to "go on to perfection (maturity)."
9. We must take the offensive without being offensive. We must "contend for the faith" without being "contentious." No doubt the ugly, harsh, abrasive attitude of some have alienated members and driven them away. But notice Jesus reserved His harshest condemnation for those religious leaders who "strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel." "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."
Matt 23:15 (NKJV)
10. But in the end GOD will take us where He wants us - even though we are kicking and screaming all the way. We believe that the King James Translators were Christians. The borders of the Kingdom extend farther than some thought. But the Lord may turn the vineyard over to other tenants. The balance of power in Christian circles is shifting to China, India, Africa, South America, etc. HE is the Awesome God, the Loving Father (who loves us with a tough love), and Who is Himself everything that the Bible says HE is.
In the recent political campaign experts prepared attack ads to try to destroy the other guy. Accuse him of everything you can even imagine. Only 7% of voters really pay attention to these (so we are told). When the election is over, they shake hands (hold their nose while doing it) and work together for the common good. But they work together.
Someone has written: "I can remember a preacher who had done SO much good for the Lord in a tri-state area. I know that because everyone told me about what he used to be like. But when he got older, he couldn't turn the reins over to anyone else. He became hard to deal with and out of touch. In his later years — the years I knew him — he nearly undid all the good he had done and suffocated a couple churches in front of my eyes. I can remember my father getting on his knees in his office and praying that God would take him before he ever got to the point where he was doing more harm than good."
It is vitally important to take the "High Ground." Paul the Apostle wrote: "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." Romans 14:10 (NKJV)
And: "Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:16-17 (NKJV)
Righteousness and peace and joy come through taking the grace of God seriously. The Bible says: "when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high," Heb 1:3 (NKJV) This is God in action. He has done what we cannot do. Our good works are necessary, but they do not add to what He Has Done.
"Raccoon John" Smith was one of our pioneer preachers in the early 1800s. He said he once preached a sermon which was NOT TRUE and which he did NOT believe. But, he said, it helped to clear the air. He preached "Universal Damnation," that no one at all could ever be saved and that Jesus had failed. He reasoned: The righteous are scarcely saved (1 Peter 4:18). But there are no righteous (Romans 3). Therefore no one at all can be saved. This would mean that Jesus had failed in His mission to be the world's Savior. But, he said, this is NOT TRUE! "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." And "when He had by Himself purged our sins." (2Cor5:19; Hebrews1:3) WE ARE SAVED BY GOD'S GRACE. And it is this fact that we are "sinners saved by grace" (Titus 3:3-7) that requires us to throw ourselves on God's mercy. We sing: "Trust and obey, for there's no other way." And: "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow."
A Parable. (This Parable is a made-up story to show us a truth.)
"Ben Trying died and came to the Pearly Gates. There he met Peter who was the gatekeeper. "Before I can let you in, said Peter, I must examine you. You must have 10,000 points. Tell me why I should let you in." "I was an elder in the church for many years before my death." "Good for you," said Peter, "that's one point." Ben looked startled and then continued. "I attended every service of the church for many years." "Wonderful," said Peter, "that's one point." Ben shifted his feet and had a wild look in his eyes. Ben said, "I was baptized into Christ as a teenager." "That's another point," said Peter. Ben threw up his hands. "Why at this rate it would only be by the grace of God that anyone could be saved." "Oh, the grace of God," said Peter. "That's worth far more than 10,000 points! Come right in."
A parable. "Joe Doaks 'obeyed the gospel.' As he was coming up out of the baptismal pool, he stumbled and fell dead." Was he saved? Certainly. If not, why not? He was saved by God's act in Christ by which He put the world right with Himself (2 Cor. 5:17-21; Phil. 3:9-11).
"It is the supreme discovery of life that we need not punish ourselves in a hopeless effort to earn God's forgiveness. It is freely offered to all. We must gladly accept his gift of love on the terms offered. A grateful heart will make the best effort to please Him. No longer do we as criminals seek by our own strength to escape our chains, rather as faithful children we do our best to please our loving Father." JHW
Since we have received God's grace, we must pass this grace along to others in our relationships. We - having been forgiven by God - must have a forgiving spirit. We must take the high road with fellow believers. John the Apostle wrote: "If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." 1 John 5:16-17 (NKJV) The extreme Pharisee by his attitude considered Jesus to be a Sabbath-breaker and a glutton and wine-bibber. Yet Jesus was right in everything that He did - without sin - and they were wrong..
"If we should succeed in routing the enemy - if we refute their every error and see them gone - what will we have at the end? If we are left a narrow, bitter band of do-nothing-but-fight church folks, we will have a hollow victory. The survivors will soon bite and destroy one another (Gal. 5:15). Let's fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12), but let's remember to be "good soldiers of Christ Jesus (II Tim. 2:3) whose code is fidelity, honor, and service. JHW"
God created us to live in a world of Time. This world is incredibly complex and things are interconnected. God is presently judging us. Islam, which claims to worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, may be a judgment on the church. It is at least a judgment on Western Civilization. Yet God's Answer is JESUS CHRIST - Crucified, Risen, Coming Again. And, GOD The Holy Spirit is continually at work in our world.
Jude, the brother of James, wrote: "Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." Jude 1:3-4 (NLT)
There is a salvation shared in common by both Jew and Gentile believers. This salvation is preserved in the apostolic tradition once for all delivered to the saints, and it cannot be changed. (Some of the issues are recent inventions.) But as we defend the faith, we must avoid the devil's wiles and pitfalls. "Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." Matt 16:6 (NKJV)
Satan would push us into overreacting. As some would say: "Run out of Babylon so fast that you run on past Jerusalem." The church at Ephesus became so intense in identifying false apostles that they pushed Jesus aside and forgot to love Him. They "left their first love." They still attended church, but forgot Him who they came to worship.
Ignorance is NOT a virtue. And willful ignorance is disbelief and it is sin. Jesus accused the Pharisees. "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life." John 5:39-40 (NLT) The scriptures which they searched intently were filled with huge stomping clues about JESUS! But they made themselves willfully ignorant of Jesus. And Paul wrote: "But the people's minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ." 2 Cor 3:14 (NLT)
Christ bought the church with His own blood! But as someone has said: There is something indecent about the Church which turns all attention to herself and shoves Christ out of the focus. Having said that, anyone can win a war. But only the noble can win justly and bring about PEACE.
The great problem of the church today is to find the necessary bond between institution and liberty. We need not invent this bond. It is not of our making nor does it come from debating ourselves into agreement. This bond has a personal name - The Holy Spirit. HE is the One who gives life to the entire church from within (Eph. 2:19-22). Paul speaks: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." 2 Cor 13:14 (NKJV) Note Romans 16:20; Jude 1:21; Phil. 2:1-2.
1. We must not be only against what we view as unauthorized additions and distortions. We must emphasize those positive facts of Christianity that are the heart and core of the Faith. Jesus spoke a parable about this (concerning the Pharisees). "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." Matt 12:43-45 (NKJV)
Jesus put a high priority on justice, mercy, faith, holiness and all the fruit of the Spirit (Matt. 23:23). Those who know only how to oppose something will never succeed in building up the kingdom of God. Daniel Sommer (one of our Pioneer preachers) spoke of those who spent their time "baptizing aliens and capsizing sectarians," but who did nothing to edify the church. Paul said he planted (evangelized), Apollos watered (edified), but God gave the increase. God Himself made the church grow.
2. We must be guided by love (Eph. 5:2). Love for the cause of Christ; love for fellow Christians; love for our opponents in this struggle for the heart of the church. Paul warned: "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." 2 Thess 3:15 (NKJV) "Our goal should be to snatch from the fire those who have turned away from the holy Word. "And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." Jude 1:22-23 (NLT)
3. We must be kind (Eph. 4:32), considerate, and courteous (1 Peter 3:8-9 KJV) when dealing with those whom we feel we must confront. We must not allow our anger to lead us into sin.
4. We must be Christian soldiers of high honor, integrity, honesty, and truthfulness in dealing with those we view as not following "our old paths." Paul the Apostle said: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-- meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." Phil 4:8-9 (NKJV) We dare not say: "All is fair in love and war." Nor: "The end justifies the means." We must strive lawfully or we are throwing away the truth we wish to defend.
5. We ourselves must be strong in faith, prayer, holiness, and good works. Paul warns: "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." Eph 6:12 (NLT) We ourselves must first come boldly to God's throne of GRACE. Then we can reach out in spiritual power.
6. Do we in fact believe that the "gates of hell shall NOT prevail against His church?" God said: "So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the Lord of hosts." Zech 4:6 (NKJV) Again: "Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands." 1 Sam 17:47 (NKJV) And again: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 8:31 (NKJV) "Victory will not be won because we are smarter, better educated, tougher soldiers, or because we can hit harder. Nor will shouting, bullying, or any other expressions of physical strength turn the tide. JHW"
7. We must not be devoured by opposing what we view as error. When preachers fall into this trap, their congregations wither and die, even as they make war on what they view as error. We must "lift up Christ for all to see!" We must reclaim the fallen and inactive, and we must edify and illuminate the church. But at the same time: "Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching." 2 Tim 4:2 (NLT)
8. We must be willing to hear and evaluate those criticisms raised against our practices. It is said that God sometimes speaks to us through an enemy. No honest soul would claim to have perfectly "restored" our vision of the ideal church of the First Century. And the church under the guidance of the Apostles had the same problems which we have today. Rather than react in anger, we must examine the ground upon which we stand and strive to "go on to perfection (maturity)."
9. We must take the offensive without being offensive. We must "contend for the faith" without being "contentious." No doubt the ugly, harsh, abrasive attitude of some have alienated members and driven them away. But notice Jesus reserved His harshest condemnation for those religious leaders who "strained at a gnat and swallowed a camel." "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves."
Matt 23:15 (NKJV)
10. But in the end GOD will take us where He wants us - even though we are kicking and screaming all the way. We believe that the King James Translators were Christians. The borders of the Kingdom extend farther than some thought. But the Lord may turn the vineyard over to other tenants. The balance of power in Christian circles is shifting to China, India, Africa, South America, etc. HE is the Awesome God, the Loving Father (who loves us with a tough love), and Who is Himself everything that the Bible says HE is.
Q and A For Preachers
SO PREACHER, HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?
adapted from Oran W. Rhodes, Editor "Sound Words."
[My response to a paper received in the mail 1-29-05 R.D.Ice The answers are mine. In 1972 I was 43 and had been preaching since 1950.]
He writes: While rummaging through my files recently, I came across the notes which I had used for a preacher's luncheon at Stephenville, Texas, on November 27, 1972. At the time I was thirty years old and had been in full time local work for about three years. Of the fifteen or so preachers present only one or two had less experience, while most had five to ten times as long in local work. However, I also remember clearly the disappointment of that day in the kind of answers received from those of considerable experience. For the kind of response I honestly wanted in order to better serve and grow, I had to turn elsewhere. So, preacher, in 2005, how would you answer the following ten questions?
1. Is there any question of ethics involved in using someone else's sermon outlines? If so, where does one draw the line? What are the advantages or aid of such outlines?
A. "The cow grazes in many pastures, but the milk she gives is her own." Some "Meeting preachers" used to publish outlines of their sermons. These can serve as "sermon starters" and help to organize thoughts and abilities. As ability grows, they can still serve as a skeleton which is to be filled in. Outlines, however, are not a substitute for personal study. It is vital to be a student of the Word.
2. In Biblical perspective, what part does the preacher play as a counselor? What qualifications or experience is necessary for one to do the work of counselor? How much a part of the preacher's work is to be spent as a counselor, per se?
A. Compare 1 Timothy 5:19-22. Since the preacher is not a lawyer, he should speak with great care. Giving practical advice may be helpful, but serious personal difficulties should be put in the hands of trained professionals. This is especially true when dealing with members of the congregation where the preacher lives. Time is on an "as needed" basis. Avoid being a "meddler." Avoid jumping to conclusions and being judgmental.
3. What role should the preacher play in the business meetings of the congregation?
A. The preacher is also a member, and a catalyst. He should give his support as an adviser when necessary. He should be present at business meetings and also elder's meetings. He is the "de facto" one to whom the congregation turns for help and information. And he helps coordinate the work.
4. How much responsibility does the local preacher have for keeping the congregation informed as to what the current problems in the brotherhood are?
A. This requires great wisdom. On the "where there's smoke there's fire" principle, it is possible to stir up trouble where there was none before. Also, when the major focus is on "issues," Christ tends to get shoved aside (such as Rev. 2:1-7). Yet of course forewarned is forearmed.
5. What should a preacher do when he realizes he is working in a nearly impossible situation, whether it be an unqualified leadership, or other scriptural error?
A. Pray! A "moving van" may be the right answer. But sometimes the Lord may want the preacher to continue on just where he is. Always continue "preaching Christ" and be sure to leave in such a way that you could return if you wanted to.
6. If the trends and events taking place are not true to the Word, what should concerned preachers do? Do you?
A. First ask the question: What did the Bible actually say on this subject? Am I following the Bible, or only someone's opinion. I always try to speak the truth in love, and to be confidently positive in what I do and say. I do find myself shaking my head when I see brothers "biting and devouring" one another.
7. How does a preacher keep from being known as a "boat-rocker"?
A. What is your motivation? Are you indeed being a "boat-rocker"? What are the benefits and consequences? What will be the consequences of "rocking the boat"? Will it help create love and dedication among the Lord's people? But Jesus did "yell" at the Pharisees!
8. What value in terms of the preacher's overall task does the funeral sermon and wedding ceremony have?
A. We are not the "sheriff" nor the "judge." A funeral sermon is both a time to comfort the bereaved, and a time to point to the central gospel message of Jesus Christ and eternal life. It is right to honor the dead and to remember the high points of life. I always make mention of the plan of salvation and encourage a loving response to God.
At weddings I always emphasize that "marriage takes three" - including Christ as the third yet most important Person. I seldom marry people with whom I have not already had contact. Both weddings and funerals are an essential part of reaching out to the community with the gospel of Christ - building lines of communication.
9. Does the present attitude existing within the church give itself over to the sentiment of a clergy-laity division? (Think about how many things people [and some preachers] feel only a preacher should do.) What can be done if you answer in the affirmative?
A. Is there an elder-laity division? We are all one in Christ Jesus. But we each have responsibilities and work to do. The preacher cannot avoid being a quasi- elder (virtual elder) in the minds of the people. Some ("mutual edification") envision a congregation where all are equal and no one is "in charge." But this is impossible, since someone will always be "in charge." There are a few things that only preachers who are legally qualified may do (weddings), and not everyone would want to do a funeral.
10. How much time should a preacher spend studying in a normal week?
A. Time cannot be divided out equally. Having said that, some have suggested forty hours. But there are things to do, lessons to prepare, people to visit, letters to write, as well as family time. It would do little good to "save the world" and lose our family. Most preachers find they follow the "squeaking wheel gets the grease" pattern of dealing with the most pressing things first, and trying to squeeze the rest in later.
* Rhodes writes: How much has changed in the last thirty-two years when it comes to the preacher and his work, other than there being today even more questions that need answers?
A. The church has always faced questions and problems. This led the inspired writers to record answers and just how they dealt with things. Some said Jesus "only appeared to be flesh & blood." John wrote 1 John 4:1-4. Some said there would be no resurrection and the dead would just stay dead. Paul wrote 1 Cor. 15:12-26. Some said the world would just go on and on, and that Jesus would never Come Again. Peter wrote 2 Peter 3:1-18. Some created an "issue" over food and days. Paul wrote Romans 14. It is not sin to be a vegetarian, nor a sin to eat the meats that Christ has purged, Mark 7:19. Paul himself could observe days at times, because he knew they were not part of his salvation. Yet Paul condemned those who tried to make days and the law into saving items. Some were harsh and unforgiving. Paul wrote 1 Cor. 13. And Paul wrote: "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (2Thessalonians 3:15). Some taught that there could be no further forgiveness of sins once you had been baptized. This caused some to say they had no sin and were perfectly sinless. John wrote 1 John 1:1-10. Some claimed it was impossible to be too strict. Note Jesus in Matt. 23. Note also that the Holy Spirit is the author of the written word. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church is His Bride.
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things?" Romans 10:15
adapted from Oran W. Rhodes, Editor "Sound Words."
[My response to a paper received in the mail 1-29-05 R.D.Ice The answers are mine. In 1972 I was 43 and had been preaching since 1950.]
He writes: While rummaging through my files recently, I came across the notes which I had used for a preacher's luncheon at Stephenville, Texas, on November 27, 1972. At the time I was thirty years old and had been in full time local work for about three years. Of the fifteen or so preachers present only one or two had less experience, while most had five to ten times as long in local work. However, I also remember clearly the disappointment of that day in the kind of answers received from those of considerable experience. For the kind of response I honestly wanted in order to better serve and grow, I had to turn elsewhere. So, preacher, in 2005, how would you answer the following ten questions?
1. Is there any question of ethics involved in using someone else's sermon outlines? If so, where does one draw the line? What are the advantages or aid of such outlines?
A. "The cow grazes in many pastures, but the milk she gives is her own." Some "Meeting preachers" used to publish outlines of their sermons. These can serve as "sermon starters" and help to organize thoughts and abilities. As ability grows, they can still serve as a skeleton which is to be filled in. Outlines, however, are not a substitute for personal study. It is vital to be a student of the Word.
2. In Biblical perspective, what part does the preacher play as a counselor? What qualifications or experience is necessary for one to do the work of counselor? How much a part of the preacher's work is to be spent as a counselor, per se?
A. Compare 1 Timothy 5:19-22. Since the preacher is not a lawyer, he should speak with great care. Giving practical advice may be helpful, but serious personal difficulties should be put in the hands of trained professionals. This is especially true when dealing with members of the congregation where the preacher lives. Time is on an "as needed" basis. Avoid being a "meddler." Avoid jumping to conclusions and being judgmental.
3. What role should the preacher play in the business meetings of the congregation?
A. The preacher is also a member, and a catalyst. He should give his support as an adviser when necessary. He should be present at business meetings and also elder's meetings. He is the "de facto" one to whom the congregation turns for help and information. And he helps coordinate the work.
4. How much responsibility does the local preacher have for keeping the congregation informed as to what the current problems in the brotherhood are?
A. This requires great wisdom. On the "where there's smoke there's fire" principle, it is possible to stir up trouble where there was none before. Also, when the major focus is on "issues," Christ tends to get shoved aside (such as Rev. 2:1-7). Yet of course forewarned is forearmed.
5. What should a preacher do when he realizes he is working in a nearly impossible situation, whether it be an unqualified leadership, or other scriptural error?
A. Pray! A "moving van" may be the right answer. But sometimes the Lord may want the preacher to continue on just where he is. Always continue "preaching Christ" and be sure to leave in such a way that you could return if you wanted to.
6. If the trends and events taking place are not true to the Word, what should concerned preachers do? Do you?
A. First ask the question: What did the Bible actually say on this subject? Am I following the Bible, or only someone's opinion. I always try to speak the truth in love, and to be confidently positive in what I do and say. I do find myself shaking my head when I see brothers "biting and devouring" one another.
7. How does a preacher keep from being known as a "boat-rocker"?
A. What is your motivation? Are you indeed being a "boat-rocker"? What are the benefits and consequences? What will be the consequences of "rocking the boat"? Will it help create love and dedication among the Lord's people? But Jesus did "yell" at the Pharisees!
8. What value in terms of the preacher's overall task does the funeral sermon and wedding ceremony have?
A. We are not the "sheriff" nor the "judge." A funeral sermon is both a time to comfort the bereaved, and a time to point to the central gospel message of Jesus Christ and eternal life. It is right to honor the dead and to remember the high points of life. I always make mention of the plan of salvation and encourage a loving response to God.
At weddings I always emphasize that "marriage takes three" - including Christ as the third yet most important Person. I seldom marry people with whom I have not already had contact. Both weddings and funerals are an essential part of reaching out to the community with the gospel of Christ - building lines of communication.
9. Does the present attitude existing within the church give itself over to the sentiment of a clergy-laity division? (Think about how many things people [and some preachers] feel only a preacher should do.) What can be done if you answer in the affirmative?
A. Is there an elder-laity division? We are all one in Christ Jesus. But we each have responsibilities and work to do. The preacher cannot avoid being a quasi- elder (virtual elder) in the minds of the people. Some ("mutual edification") envision a congregation where all are equal and no one is "in charge." But this is impossible, since someone will always be "in charge." There are a few things that only preachers who are legally qualified may do (weddings), and not everyone would want to do a funeral.
10. How much time should a preacher spend studying in a normal week?
A. Time cannot be divided out equally. Having said that, some have suggested forty hours. But there are things to do, lessons to prepare, people to visit, letters to write, as well as family time. It would do little good to "save the world" and lose our family. Most preachers find they follow the "squeaking wheel gets the grease" pattern of dealing with the most pressing things first, and trying to squeeze the rest in later.
* Rhodes writes: How much has changed in the last thirty-two years when it comes to the preacher and his work, other than there being today even more questions that need answers?
A. The church has always faced questions and problems. This led the inspired writers to record answers and just how they dealt with things. Some said Jesus "only appeared to be flesh & blood." John wrote 1 John 4:1-4. Some said there would be no resurrection and the dead would just stay dead. Paul wrote 1 Cor. 15:12-26. Some said the world would just go on and on, and that Jesus would never Come Again. Peter wrote 2 Peter 3:1-18. Some created an "issue" over food and days. Paul wrote Romans 14. It is not sin to be a vegetarian, nor a sin to eat the meats that Christ has purged, Mark 7:19. Paul himself could observe days at times, because he knew they were not part of his salvation. Yet Paul condemned those who tried to make days and the law into saving items. Some were harsh and unforgiving. Paul wrote 1 Cor. 13. And Paul wrote: "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (2Thessalonians 3:15). Some taught that there could be no further forgiveness of sins once you had been baptized. This caused some to say they had no sin and were perfectly sinless. John wrote 1 John 1:1-10. Some claimed it was impossible to be too strict. Note Jesus in Matt. 23. Note also that the Holy Spirit is the author of the written word. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church is His Bride.
"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things?" Romans 10:15
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Eating The Lord's Supper
EATING THE LORD'S SUPPER
Lord's Supper: Christ Jesus instituted this memorial as a physical act with deep spiritual meaning. The ceremonial eating of bread and drinking of wine which Jesus said was His body and blood [by faith]. Churches in the Restoration tradition celebrate this each Sunday (the Lord's Day).
Robert Milligan wrote, 1859: "We must, therefore, simultaneously eat of the commemoration loaf and of the bread of life; and while we literally drink of the symbolic cup, we must also, at the same time, drink spiritually of that blood, which alone can supply the wants of the thirsty soul. Unless we do this, the bread that we eat can in no sense be to us the body of the Son of God; nor can the wine that we drink be in any sense the blood of the New Covenant, which was shed for the remission of the sins of many." [from the Millenial Harbinger]
Place: Bethany, (W) VA. Time: Sunday morning, some years before the War Between The States. Alexander Campbell is presiding at the Table, assisted by his father, Thomas. On the Table are the customary loaf of bread, baked by one of the sisters; and two chalices containing the cup of fruit of the vine [fermented], also produced by a sister. Campbell read: "Then, taking a cup, he gave thanks, and said, Take this, and share it amongst you; for I assure you, that I will not again drink of the product of the vine, until the Reign of God be come." [Luke 22:17-18 Living Oracles Version] Thomas Campbell, the father, then worded a prayer of thanks and blessing for the bread and fruit of the vine. Then the congregation came forward, two by two. Both Alexander and Thomas broke off a piece of the bread, dipped it in the fruit of the vine, and put it in the mouth of the brother or sister. It was their intention to commune in the body and blood of the Lord. They have done what the Lord said to do.
Place: here. Time: last Sunday. We were gathered to worship. The brother who served that day presided at the Table. On it were two circles of crisp bread [on plates], baked by one of the sisters. Also two trays with individual cups [containers] of grape juice. The brother read a few verses of Scripture, then prayed. Three brothers, who were assisting this day, passed through the congregation with the bread. Each person broke off his/her piece and ate it. Returning to the Table, each assistant served the bread to the other. The brother prayed a second time. Those assisting took the trays of cups [containers] and passed through the congregation. Each person took a cup and drank it. Returning to the Table, each assistant served a cup to the other. We have done what the Lord said to do. We have celebrated His death and resurrection and coming again. We have recognized His body which was crucified; and we have recognized His One Body of which we are part. We have proclaimed His death until He comes again! It was our intent to commune in the body and blood of the Lord.
1. What is this Holy Meal?
a) A memorial feast by faith.
"And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Luke 22:19
In the Bible remembrance is reliving the original event.
b) A communion (sharing) with Christ.
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" 1 Cor 10:16
c) A FACT celebrated in real time.
It is an action in which we share.
It has a deep spiritual reality.
We are discerning the Lord's sacrifice.
We are asking God to remember what His Son’s death effected between Him and us - the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13).
We are remembering that we are one body in Christ. "For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread." 1 Cor 10:17
2. Who should eat?
a) Citizens of the Kingdom.
"And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Luke 22:29-30 [This was to the Apostles. But we are in the Kingdom and we eat and drink as He commanded.]
A kingdom is relationship and loyalty. In obeying the gospel we "put on Christ."
Paul wrote: "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Col 1:13-14
b) Those who discern the body.
We discern His body of flesh & blood that was nailed to the cross.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." 1 John 4:1-3
We discern His spiritual body - which we are members of.
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Cor 12:13
c) Those who have examined themselves.
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified." 2 Cor 13:5-6
Some think they must punish themselves for sin by refusing to eat the Supper. This is an error.
"Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world. You took away my sin when You died on the cross. I am celebrating You in eating this Holy Meal."
"how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." Heb 9:14-15
Properly humble and repentant.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
d) We should neither invite nor forbid. The Supper is open to all. Each knows his/her faith. Each who eats and drinks take upon themselves the worship of the Risen Christ.
3. We should want to remember Him often.
The "first day" (Sunday) comes once a week. We - the church - gather to worship Him. Every Sunday we eat the Supper to praise Him and thank Him for His sacrifice. We show forth His death until He Comes. We presently celebrate the Supper in Christ's invisible presence, though one day we will see Him face-to-face in His eternal Kingdom.
Lord's Supper: Christ Jesus instituted this memorial as a physical act with deep spiritual meaning. The ceremonial eating of bread and drinking of wine which Jesus said was His body and blood [by faith]. Churches in the Restoration tradition celebrate this each Sunday (the Lord's Day).
Robert Milligan wrote, 1859: "We must, therefore, simultaneously eat of the commemoration loaf and of the bread of life; and while we literally drink of the symbolic cup, we must also, at the same time, drink spiritually of that blood, which alone can supply the wants of the thirsty soul. Unless we do this, the bread that we eat can in no sense be to us the body of the Son of God; nor can the wine that we drink be in any sense the blood of the New Covenant, which was shed for the remission of the sins of many." [from the Millenial Harbinger]
Place: Bethany, (W) VA. Time: Sunday morning, some years before the War Between The States. Alexander Campbell is presiding at the Table, assisted by his father, Thomas. On the Table are the customary loaf of bread, baked by one of the sisters; and two chalices containing the cup of fruit of the vine [fermented], also produced by a sister. Campbell read: "Then, taking a cup, he gave thanks, and said, Take this, and share it amongst you; for I assure you, that I will not again drink of the product of the vine, until the Reign of God be come." [Luke 22:17-18 Living Oracles Version] Thomas Campbell, the father, then worded a prayer of thanks and blessing for the bread and fruit of the vine. Then the congregation came forward, two by two. Both Alexander and Thomas broke off a piece of the bread, dipped it in the fruit of the vine, and put it in the mouth of the brother or sister. It was their intention to commune in the body and blood of the Lord. They have done what the Lord said to do.
Place: here. Time: last Sunday. We were gathered to worship. The brother who served that day presided at the Table. On it were two circles of crisp bread [on plates], baked by one of the sisters. Also two trays with individual cups [containers] of grape juice. The brother read a few verses of Scripture, then prayed. Three brothers, who were assisting this day, passed through the congregation with the bread. Each person broke off his/her piece and ate it. Returning to the Table, each assistant served the bread to the other. The brother prayed a second time. Those assisting took the trays of cups [containers] and passed through the congregation. Each person took a cup and drank it. Returning to the Table, each assistant served a cup to the other. We have done what the Lord said to do. We have celebrated His death and resurrection and coming again. We have recognized His body which was crucified; and we have recognized His One Body of which we are part. We have proclaimed His death until He comes again! It was our intent to commune in the body and blood of the Lord.
1. What is this Holy Meal?
a) A memorial feast by faith.
"And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Luke 22:19
In the Bible remembrance is reliving the original event.
b) A communion (sharing) with Christ.
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" 1 Cor 10:16
c) A FACT celebrated in real time.
It is an action in which we share.
It has a deep spiritual reality.
We are discerning the Lord's sacrifice.
We are asking God to remember what His Son’s death effected between Him and us - the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:7-13).
We are remembering that we are one body in Christ. "For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread." 1 Cor 10:17
2. Who should eat?
a) Citizens of the Kingdom.
"And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Luke 22:29-30 [This was to the Apostles. But we are in the Kingdom and we eat and drink as He commanded.]
A kingdom is relationship and loyalty. In obeying the gospel we "put on Christ."
Paul wrote: "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Col 1:13-14
b) Those who discern the body.
We discern His body of flesh & blood that was nailed to the cross.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." 1 John 4:1-3
We discern His spiritual body - which we are members of.
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Cor 12:13
c) Those who have examined themselves.
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified." 2 Cor 13:5-6
Some think they must punish themselves for sin by refusing to eat the Supper. This is an error.
"Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world. You took away my sin when You died on the cross. I am celebrating You in eating this Holy Meal."
"how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." Heb 9:14-15
Properly humble and repentant.
"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
d) We should neither invite nor forbid. The Supper is open to all. Each knows his/her faith. Each who eats and drinks take upon themselves the worship of the Risen Christ.
3. We should want to remember Him often.
The "first day" (Sunday) comes once a week. We - the church - gather to worship Him. Every Sunday we eat the Supper to praise Him and thank Him for His sacrifice. We show forth His death until He Comes. We presently celebrate the Supper in Christ's invisible presence, though one day we will see Him face-to-face in His eternal Kingdom.
Monday, September 20, 2010
THE BOOK THAT BREATHES WITH LIFE
The Book that Breathes with Life.
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2Tim3:16-17 (ESV)
"That breath transmits life today, as surely as when the Holy Spirit breathed the Book into existence. It is also dynamic, and I love to relay its life to others - especially to help build believers in Christ, to help them grow in His loving fullness." (Hayford)
Public reading. Scriptures were hand copied and expensive. Church services included reading portions of Scripture. Christians worked to memorize the words.
"Now when this epistle (Colossians) is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea (Ephesians)." Col 4:16
"What then do I ask of you? That each of you take in hand that part of the Gospels which is to be read in your presence on the first day of the week or even on the Sabbath; and before that day comes, sit down at home and read it through; consider often and carefully its content, and examine all its parts well, noting what is clear, what is confusing, what seems to assist the position of the adversaries but really does not. And, in a word, when you have sounded every point, then go to hear it read. From such zeal as this there will be no small benefit both to you and to me." (John Chrysostom, died 407 AD)
OT + NT = Scripture
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb 4:12
Free At Last!
"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John8:31-32
"but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31
"And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor 6:11
"And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy." 1Cor7:13-14
In Judaism the family was joined to the covenant through the father. But in the church, the family is holy if either spouse is a believer (compare 2 Timothy 1:5). This does not mean that all are saved, but that all are touched by the faith of the Christian believer. The family is a spiritual unit: if one member is a Christian, the whole family is set apart by God's grace. [The Christian believer is to bless the whole family by invoking God's loving touch upon eacn one.]
Power For Victory
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12-13
Trial, temptation, and struggle hold high promise and hope if seen from the Lord's perspective. Scripture gives us that insight.
Breathing deeply
a) Read the Bible daily to listen. Read as you would a newspaper - to hear and learn. Read especially Isaiah, the Psalms, the Gospel of John, and also Revelation.
b) Pray the Bible joining your concerns with His promises. Note the promises in Romans 8. We tend to see only the problems and the warnings. Some are unaware of the precious promises of God.
c) Trust the Author. The Holy Spirit is faithful to prompt us. [Note our God Jehovah is a Trinity and The Holy Spirit is presently in our world and working.]
"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." John 16:8-11
"Our shock at evil testifies to the predominance of good. Headlines we consider terrible wouldn't be headlines if they described usual events. The atheist who points out the horrors of evil unwittingly testifies to good as the norm. When we speak of children dying, we acknowledge that they usually don't. When a natural disaster hits, 99 percent of the world remains untouched." Randy Alcorn, (Multnomah, 2009)
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." ~Samuel Johnson, 18th-cenutry British author
We must allow the light of Christ to shine in us and through us.
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." 2Tim3:16-17 (ESV)
"That breath transmits life today, as surely as when the Holy Spirit breathed the Book into existence. It is also dynamic, and I love to relay its life to others - especially to help build believers in Christ, to help them grow in His loving fullness." (Hayford)
Public reading. Scriptures were hand copied and expensive. Church services included reading portions of Scripture. Christians worked to memorize the words.
"Now when this epistle (Colossians) is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea (Ephesians)." Col 4:16
"What then do I ask of you? That each of you take in hand that part of the Gospels which is to be read in your presence on the first day of the week or even on the Sabbath; and before that day comes, sit down at home and read it through; consider often and carefully its content, and examine all its parts well, noting what is clear, what is confusing, what seems to assist the position of the adversaries but really does not. And, in a word, when you have sounded every point, then go to hear it read. From such zeal as this there will be no small benefit both to you and to me." (John Chrysostom, died 407 AD)
OT + NT = Scripture
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Heb 4:12
Free At Last!
"Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John8:31-32
"but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31
"And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Cor 6:11
"And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy." 1Cor7:13-14
In Judaism the family was joined to the covenant through the father. But in the church, the family is holy if either spouse is a believer (compare 2 Timothy 1:5). This does not mean that all are saved, but that all are touched by the faith of the Christian believer. The family is a spiritual unit: if one member is a Christian, the whole family is set apart by God's grace. [The Christian believer is to bless the whole family by invoking God's loving touch upon eacn one.]
Power For Victory
"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12-13
Trial, temptation, and struggle hold high promise and hope if seen from the Lord's perspective. Scripture gives us that insight.
Breathing deeply
a) Read the Bible daily to listen. Read as you would a newspaper - to hear and learn. Read especially Isaiah, the Psalms, the Gospel of John, and also Revelation.
b) Pray the Bible joining your concerns with His promises. Note the promises in Romans 8. We tend to see only the problems and the warnings. Some are unaware of the precious promises of God.
c) Trust the Author. The Holy Spirit is faithful to prompt us. [Note our God Jehovah is a Trinity and The Holy Spirit is presently in our world and working.]
"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." John 16:8-11
"Our shock at evil testifies to the predominance of good. Headlines we consider terrible wouldn't be headlines if they described usual events. The atheist who points out the horrors of evil unwittingly testifies to good as the norm. When we speak of children dying, we acknowledge that they usually don't. When a natural disaster hits, 99 percent of the world remains untouched." Randy Alcorn, (Multnomah, 2009)
"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good." ~Samuel Johnson, 18th-cenutry British author
We must allow the light of Christ to shine in us and through us.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
POTENTIAL ELDERS
The Top Ten Questions for Potential Elders
There has been a Tradition that said no one is "perfect enough" to be a Church Leader. But what happens then is that someone unqualified takes the control, often as a "church boss" in the worst sense. What a person is NOW is most important. Compare 1 Cor. 6:11. The church in the New Testament appointed elders and deacons in a short time. Being "full of the Holy Spirit" and of "common sense wisdom" is vitally important. Read Acts 6:1-6.
"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:26-28 (NKJV)
"Now it's up to you overseers.
Be on your toes—both for yourselves
and your congregation of sheep.
The Holy Spirit has put you in charge
of these people—God's people they are—
to guard and protect them.
God Himself thought they were worth dying for.
Not bossily telling others what to do,
but tenderly showing them the way.
When God, who is the best Shepherd of all,
comes out in the open with His rule
He'll see that you've done it right
and commend you lavishly.
The Jewish Synagogue as model.
The synagogue was developed while Israel was held captive in Babylon. Since they no longer had access to the Temple, some form was needed for Bible study and worship. This same form provided the pattern for the church as they spread across the first century world. Church leaders (also called elders, bishops, pastors) were to take the lead in spiritual matters as a board of directors. Church helpers (also called deacons, servants) were needed to administer to the physical needs of the congregation. In the Christian Family, the whole person (body, soul, spirit) was encouraged to grow and to develop into a Christ-like maturity. Paul speaks of church organization and body-life in Ephesians, 1 Timothy and Titus.
Eph. 4:11-16
And He filled earth with His gifts.
He handed out gifts of apostle,
prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher
to train Christians in skilled servant work,
working within Christ's body, the church,
until we're all moving
rhythmically and easily with each other
efficient and graceful
in response to God's Son,
fully mature adults, fully developed
within and without,
fully alive like Christ.
No prolonged infancies among us, please.
We'll not tolerate babes in the woods,
small children who are
an easy mark for impostors.
God wants us to grow up,
to know the whole truth and
tell it in love—like Christ in everything.
We take our lead from Christ,
who is the source of everything we do.
He keeps us in step with each other.
His very breath and blood
flow through us, nourishing us
so that we will grow up healthy
in God, robust in love.
1 Tim. 3:1-7
If anyone wants to provide leadership, good!
But there are preconditions:
A leader must be well-thought-of,
committed to his wife,
cool and collected,
accessible, and hospitable.
He must know what he's talking about,
not be overfond of wine,
not pushy but gentle,
not thin-skinned and touchy,
not money-hungry.
He must handle his own affairs well,
attentive to his own children
and having their respect.
For if someone is unable to
handle his own affairs,
how can he take care of God's church?
He must not be a new believer,
lest the position go to his head
and the Devil trip him up.
Outsiders must think well of him,
or else the Devil will figure out a way
to lure him into his trap.
1. Is this man committed to his wife and family? One who dearly loves his wife and family will be able to dearly love God's People.
2. Has this man shown wisdom in decision-making? Does he have "common sense wisdom"?
3. Has this man shown the ability to keep his temper in check? Everyone has a 'temper' but we learn to control it. Some are more controlled than others. The man who will make a good elder will have a tough skin, a tender heart, a short memory, and a long fuse.
4. Is this man willing to be inconvenienced for others? Will he go the "second mile"?
5. Is this man capable of teaching Scripture to others? You are not simply looking for a man who knows how to say something, but rather a man who has something to say - something from God.
6. Has this man established wise personal habits?
7. Does this man have a strong sense of stewardship?
8. Does this man have a track record of discipling leadership? You're looking for a man who's got a track record of leading people closer to Jesus.
9. Has this man been a Christian long enough to maintain humility? Paul says he must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited. The chief occupational hazard of spiritual leadership is pride, and too much visibility too soon in a man's Christian pilgrimage can inflate his ego.
10. Is this man respected in the community? The first quality listed is "above reproach," literally meaning "not able to be held." In other words, if charges were leveled against this man, he wouldn't even be held for questioning because his reputation is so solid. He's Teflon, not Velcro. His integrity is such that accusations just won't stick.
A Final Word of Challenge
"The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders." If it's true that everything rises and falls with leadership, then as your congregation selects its elders, you'll want to take a close look again at this picture of a spiritual leader in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. The work of the church is too critical, the stakes are too high, the consequences are too eternal for a congregation to choose its leaders hastily (1 Timothy 5:22). Choose poorly, and the church will miss opportunities to build the kingdom.
But if leaders are chosen wisely, the church will flourish. And when the church flourishes, the gospel is preached, the lost are found, souls are saved, sin is confronted, children are taught, marriages are mended, addictions are broken, the hungry are fed, the grieving are comforted, the lonely are embraced, the wounded are healed, the community is transformed, and the nations are reached with the good news of Christ.
When the leaders are at their best, the church will be at its best, and when the church is at its best, it is breathtaking to behold. Look out world!
A final reminder. Remember: this picture Paul provides in 1 Timothy 3 is a sketch, not a snapshot. As you search for leaders, you're looking for a great resemblance, but you may not find an exact likeness.
Keep in mind that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Look for excellence in character, but apply these standards with grace. You can (and should) find men who have learned to sin less, but you will never find men who are SINLESS. (1 John 1:6-10; 2:1-3)
At the end of the day, the good news is this: everything rises and falls with One Leader, and while we may fail, He never does.
The Local Church Is A Work In Progress
The church must be forever "restoring and being restored." The church of the New Testament set an example we try to follow.
What does the Bible say about this? The Bible is our Instruction Manual about what God wants us to do. We ask: "What did God say?" But we must read with care. We may "read into" the Bible things not there and miss the point. Compare 2 Cor. 3:14,17. "But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.... Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Tim 1:7 (NKJV)
"For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you-- " Titus 1:5 (NKJV)
To Set In order. Some things required time to complete. To appoint church elders. These were spiritual leaders in the local congregation, and there were always more than one. Compare 1Tim. 3:1-7. Note that the church at Ephesus had church elders in less than three years time (Acts 20:17). In every city. Each congregation had its own church elders and church deacons. (R.D.Ice BSNT)
Church Elders are:
1. "Clerks watching the store while the Boss is away."
Someone has to keep things running smoothly.
Compare the Parable of Pounds. "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'" Luke 19:13 (NKJV)
2. "Older brothers watching out for the younger children."
They need protection and guidance. "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Hebrews 13:17 (NKJV)
3. "Not dictators but facilitators." 1 Peter 5:2-4. "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;" (NKJV)
4. "Coaches urging and directing the team on to victory."
Compare Hebrews 12:1 where Paul uses the Olympic Games as a teaching example. "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," (NKJV)
There has been a Tradition that said no one is "perfect enough" to be a Church Leader. But what happens then is that someone unqualified takes the control, often as a "church boss" in the worst sense. What a person is NOW is most important. Compare 1 Cor. 6:11. The church in the New Testament appointed elders and deacons in a short time. Being "full of the Holy Spirit" and of "common sense wisdom" is vitally important. Read Acts 6:1-6.
"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:26-28 (NKJV)
"Now it's up to you overseers.
Be on your toes—both for yourselves
and your congregation of sheep.
The Holy Spirit has put you in charge
of these people—God's people they are—
to guard and protect them.
God Himself thought they were worth dying for.
Not bossily telling others what to do,
but tenderly showing them the way.
When God, who is the best Shepherd of all,
comes out in the open with His rule
He'll see that you've done it right
and commend you lavishly.
The Jewish Synagogue as model.
The synagogue was developed while Israel was held captive in Babylon. Since they no longer had access to the Temple, some form was needed for Bible study and worship. This same form provided the pattern for the church as they spread across the first century world. Church leaders (also called elders, bishops, pastors) were to take the lead in spiritual matters as a board of directors. Church helpers (also called deacons, servants) were needed to administer to the physical needs of the congregation. In the Christian Family, the whole person (body, soul, spirit) was encouraged to grow and to develop into a Christ-like maturity. Paul speaks of church organization and body-life in Ephesians, 1 Timothy and Titus.
Eph. 4:11-16
And He filled earth with His gifts.
He handed out gifts of apostle,
prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher
to train Christians in skilled servant work,
working within Christ's body, the church,
until we're all moving
rhythmically and easily with each other
efficient and graceful
in response to God's Son,
fully mature adults, fully developed
within and without,
fully alive like Christ.
No prolonged infancies among us, please.
We'll not tolerate babes in the woods,
small children who are
an easy mark for impostors.
God wants us to grow up,
to know the whole truth and
tell it in love—like Christ in everything.
We take our lead from Christ,
who is the source of everything we do.
He keeps us in step with each other.
His very breath and blood
flow through us, nourishing us
so that we will grow up healthy
in God, robust in love.
1 Tim. 3:1-7
If anyone wants to provide leadership, good!
But there are preconditions:
A leader must be well-thought-of,
committed to his wife,
cool and collected,
accessible, and hospitable.
He must know what he's talking about,
not be overfond of wine,
not pushy but gentle,
not thin-skinned and touchy,
not money-hungry.
He must handle his own affairs well,
attentive to his own children
and having their respect.
For if someone is unable to
handle his own affairs,
how can he take care of God's church?
He must not be a new believer,
lest the position go to his head
and the Devil trip him up.
Outsiders must think well of him,
or else the Devil will figure out a way
to lure him into his trap.
1. Is this man committed to his wife and family? One who dearly loves his wife and family will be able to dearly love God's People.
2. Has this man shown wisdom in decision-making? Does he have "common sense wisdom"?
3. Has this man shown the ability to keep his temper in check? Everyone has a 'temper' but we learn to control it. Some are more controlled than others. The man who will make a good elder will have a tough skin, a tender heart, a short memory, and a long fuse.
4. Is this man willing to be inconvenienced for others? Will he go the "second mile"?
5. Is this man capable of teaching Scripture to others? You are not simply looking for a man who knows how to say something, but rather a man who has something to say - something from God.
6. Has this man established wise personal habits?
7. Does this man have a strong sense of stewardship?
8. Does this man have a track record of discipling leadership? You're looking for a man who's got a track record of leading people closer to Jesus.
9. Has this man been a Christian long enough to maintain humility? Paul says he must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited. The chief occupational hazard of spiritual leadership is pride, and too much visibility too soon in a man's Christian pilgrimage can inflate his ego.
10. Is this man respected in the community? The first quality listed is "above reproach," literally meaning "not able to be held." In other words, if charges were leveled against this man, he wouldn't even be held for questioning because his reputation is so solid. He's Teflon, not Velcro. His integrity is such that accusations just won't stick.
A Final Word of Challenge
"The local church is the hope of the world, and its future rests primarily in the hands of its leaders." If it's true that everything rises and falls with leadership, then as your congregation selects its elders, you'll want to take a close look again at this picture of a spiritual leader in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. The work of the church is too critical, the stakes are too high, the consequences are too eternal for a congregation to choose its leaders hastily (1 Timothy 5:22). Choose poorly, and the church will miss opportunities to build the kingdom.
But if leaders are chosen wisely, the church will flourish. And when the church flourishes, the gospel is preached, the lost are found, souls are saved, sin is confronted, children are taught, marriages are mended, addictions are broken, the hungry are fed, the grieving are comforted, the lonely are embraced, the wounded are healed, the community is transformed, and the nations are reached with the good news of Christ.
When the leaders are at their best, the church will be at its best, and when the church is at its best, it is breathtaking to behold. Look out world!
A final reminder. Remember: this picture Paul provides in 1 Timothy 3 is a sketch, not a snapshot. As you search for leaders, you're looking for a great resemblance, but you may not find an exact likeness.
Keep in mind that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Look for excellence in character, but apply these standards with grace. You can (and should) find men who have learned to sin less, but you will never find men who are SINLESS. (1 John 1:6-10; 2:1-3)
At the end of the day, the good news is this: everything rises and falls with One Leader, and while we may fail, He never does.
The Local Church Is A Work In Progress
The church must be forever "restoring and being restored." The church of the New Testament set an example we try to follow.
What does the Bible say about this? The Bible is our Instruction Manual about what God wants us to do. We ask: "What did God say?" But we must read with care. We may "read into" the Bible things not there and miss the point. Compare 2 Cor. 3:14,17. "But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.... Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Tim 1:7 (NKJV)
"For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you-- " Titus 1:5 (NKJV)
To Set In order. Some things required time to complete. To appoint church elders. These were spiritual leaders in the local congregation, and there were always more than one. Compare 1Tim. 3:1-7. Note that the church at Ephesus had church elders in less than three years time (Acts 20:17). In every city. Each congregation had its own church elders and church deacons. (R.D.Ice BSNT)
Church Elders are:
1. "Clerks watching the store while the Boss is away."
Someone has to keep things running smoothly.
Compare the Parable of Pounds. "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'" Luke 19:13 (NKJV)
2. "Older brothers watching out for the younger children."
They need protection and guidance. "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Hebrews 13:17 (NKJV)
3. "Not dictators but facilitators." 1 Peter 5:2-4. "nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;" (NKJV)
4. "Coaches urging and directing the team on to victory."
Compare Hebrews 12:1 where Paul uses the Olympic Games as a teaching example. "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," (NKJV)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
COUNTERFEITING RELIGION
COUNTERFEITING RELIGION
Jesus warned about the leaven of the Pharisees. "Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadduccees." Matt. 16:12 Compare Matt. 15:1-9.
What if Simon the Pharisee had been the one to meet the Eunuch on the road??? Would he have said something like this?
The Ethiopian said: "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Acts 8:36 "And Simon said, 'First, our scribes have searched the Law and found 613 laws. You must be taught these and be able to speak to each of these laws. Further, our scribes have found a hundred or more new laws from the silence of God - from the things He did not say. You must learn these also. And then we have another problem. You need to be circumcised, and that is impossible since you are a eunuch. So I see no hope at all for you.'"
NOT!!! The truth is: upon the Ethiopian's confession of faith in Christ -"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" - Philip immediately baptized him into Christ! Which included the Holy Spirit of the Living God as a gift (Titus 3:5-6). And the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing! When he got back home he joyfully spread the Good News Gospel that God had acted in Christ to put the world right with Himself! Old barriers and walls have been torn down. It no longer mattered that he was a Gentile, or that he had been surgically neutered. Whosoever will may come and be saved eternally!
Damnable heresies come in different forms. Jesus said of the Pharisees: "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."
John 5:40 (NKJV)." They were intense Bible students. They carefully read & studied each word, researched the fine print, and read between the lines. But their minds were already made up against Jesus! They refused to believe in Jesus. They were “agents of change” while they convinced themselves they were preserving The Old Ways. Thus they rejected Jesus, and crucified Him.
Jesus speaks to the Pharisees:
You have your heads in the Bible always.
You studied for degrees in the Sacred Books.
And PhDs in books about the Sacred Books.
And you're convinced this will get you into Heaven.
But you miss The Point: IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!
The Holy Scriptures are jam-packed with
huge stomping clues about ME!
But you can't find it in your heart to admit it.
Because then you would have to ask ME
for the eternal life you want so much.
Believe ME and live eternally!
[adapted from Rob Lacey]
[compare 1 John 5:9-13]
Counterfeits. “God has told us in His precious Word that we should know a tree by its fruit. Wherever we find the real, we find the counterfeit also. But praise God for the real. We find in the time of Peter, when men and women were receiving the power of the Holy Ghost, the counterfeit appeared in Ananias and Sapphira. But God’s power was mightier than all the forces of hell, so their sin found them out. Be careful, dear loved ones for your sin will surely find you out. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” William J. Seymour, 1906
An example.
Marvin is a guy in the house church and John is one of the main two characters.
After a few moments Marvin let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know, John. I always thought the institution I left wasn’t working because it had the wrong principles. I thought we were getting the right ones in place so we could finally experience real church life.” Murmurs of agreement buzzed around the table. “But you don’t see it that way?”
“No, I don’t. If it helps, I think you’re finding better principles–onesthat reflect more accurately the life of the early believers. But keep in mind that following priciples didn’t produce their life together. We can observe what happened as they followed Jesus, but copying that won’t produce the same reality.
“Jesus didn’t leave us with a system; he left us with his Spirit–a guide instead of a map. Principles alone will not satisfy your hunger. That’s why systems always promise a future revival that never comes. They cannot produce community because they are designed to keep people apart.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because they keep the focus on services or rituals, principles turn most people into spectators. By holding up standards and motivating people to conform to them they only encourage people to pretend to be what they are not, or to act like they know more than they really do. Questions and doubts are discouraged and people can’t deal with the things they are hiding. Thus they only let people see the shadow they want them to see, not who they really are. Feeling isolated, they only become more focused on their own needs and what others aren’t doing to meet them. They fight over control of the institution, however large or small, so that they can make others do what they think is best. It is a story that has been repeated for a couple of thousand years.”
Following a pattern or copying whether it is 2000 years ago that you copy or if it is the group whose conference you went to just doesn’t produce the same reality. I love that line about He gave His Spirit instead of a map. And I know the part about people pretending is so true. So whether you are in a big church, little church, house church, fluid church, coffeehouse church or whatever, Here’s to everyone, following the Spirit’s leading and to seeking God’s guidance on every decision.
Imitaion or Real?
Be careful to turn away from the counterfeit and run to the Living God. As one has said: “We must recover holiness without legalism, boldness without presumption, and power without pride. When the church does this she will gain the attention of both the heavens and the earth, because her God will be with her in His manifest presence.”
There is an energy, a dynamic, a power, a strength imparted by God through the Holy Spirit, love poured out into our hearts that energizes us to act. “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily (Colossians 1:28-29 NKJV).
Christian love and spiritual power are intended to be profoundly linked; when they are not, something less than the fullness of the gospel is present. Strengthened now, in faith, hope, love, and spiritual power, let us look again at the situation in which we and the whole Church are living.
Ralph Martin wrote in 1994: “Seventeen hundred years of Christendom are falling into ruins around us. An age is coming to an end, not just the end of a remarkable century but the end of seventeen hundred years of Christendom. The greatest apostasy since the birth of the Church is clearly far advanced all around us.” Yet at the same time we can see that Africa and India have emerged as a new center of Christendom.
God has made all mankind with an instinct for truth, a sense of right and wrong, and most of all a hunger for God Himself. Eventually, truth will win out. Perhaps after great suffering and great waiting, but truth will win out!!!
God is judging His church. Judgment begins at the house of God. 1 Peter 4:17. Our choice: Throw up our hands in despair? Lift up our hands in prayer, praise, joy, hope! Note 1 Timothy 2:8. We are privileged to live in a time that while exceedingly difficult, is also a time where we have seen and will see yet more of the great interventions of God. But one thing is certain, God is not worried about the situation. He is not anxious. He is not afraid. He is in control and will see to it that all things work out to the good of those who love Him. The nations may rage. Mankind may scheme. God laughs. Compare Psalm 2:1-6.
At her best the Church is full of faults, many warts and wrinkles. An ideal church is nowhere to be found, but a church with an IDEAL is found wherever there is a church in which the Holy Spirit dwells. She - the Church - believes that great things are struggling to birth in the womb of the present. She “abounds in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” ([Romans 15:13]. The Holy Spirit fills her life with a never failing hope. “Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true saying of God.’” Revelation 19:9.
Jesus warned about the leaven of the Pharisees. "Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadduccees." Matt. 16:12 Compare Matt. 15:1-9.
What if Simon the Pharisee had been the one to meet the Eunuch on the road??? Would he have said something like this?
The Ethiopian said: "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" Acts 8:36 "And Simon said, 'First, our scribes have searched the Law and found 613 laws. You must be taught these and be able to speak to each of these laws. Further, our scribes have found a hundred or more new laws from the silence of God - from the things He did not say. You must learn these also. And then we have another problem. You need to be circumcised, and that is impossible since you are a eunuch. So I see no hope at all for you.'"
NOT!!! The truth is: upon the Ethiopian's confession of faith in Christ -"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" - Philip immediately baptized him into Christ! Which included the Holy Spirit of the Living God as a gift (Titus 3:5-6). And the Ethiopian went on his way rejoicing! When he got back home he joyfully spread the Good News Gospel that God had acted in Christ to put the world right with Himself! Old barriers and walls have been torn down. It no longer mattered that he was a Gentile, or that he had been surgically neutered. Whosoever will may come and be saved eternally!
Damnable heresies come in different forms. Jesus said of the Pharisees: "But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."
John 5:40 (NKJV)." They were intense Bible students. They carefully read & studied each word, researched the fine print, and read between the lines. But their minds were already made up against Jesus! They refused to believe in Jesus. They were “agents of change” while they convinced themselves they were preserving The Old Ways. Thus they rejected Jesus, and crucified Him.
Jesus speaks to the Pharisees:
You have your heads in the Bible always.
You studied for degrees in the Sacred Books.
And PhDs in books about the Sacred Books.
And you're convinced this will get you into Heaven.
But you miss The Point: IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!
The Holy Scriptures are jam-packed with
huge stomping clues about ME!
But you can't find it in your heart to admit it.
Because then you would have to ask ME
for the eternal life you want so much.
Believe ME and live eternally!
[adapted from Rob Lacey]
[compare 1 John 5:9-13]
Counterfeits. “God has told us in His precious Word that we should know a tree by its fruit. Wherever we find the real, we find the counterfeit also. But praise God for the real. We find in the time of Peter, when men and women were receiving the power of the Holy Ghost, the counterfeit appeared in Ananias and Sapphira. But God’s power was mightier than all the forces of hell, so their sin found them out. Be careful, dear loved ones for your sin will surely find you out. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” William J. Seymour, 1906
An example.
Marvin is a guy in the house church and John is one of the main two characters.
After a few moments Marvin let out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t know, John. I always thought the institution I left wasn’t working because it had the wrong principles. I thought we were getting the right ones in place so we could finally experience real church life.” Murmurs of agreement buzzed around the table. “But you don’t see it that way?”
“No, I don’t. If it helps, I think you’re finding better principles–onesthat reflect more accurately the life of the early believers. But keep in mind that following priciples didn’t produce their life together. We can observe what happened as they followed Jesus, but copying that won’t produce the same reality.
“Jesus didn’t leave us with a system; he left us with his Spirit–a guide instead of a map. Principles alone will not satisfy your hunger. That’s why systems always promise a future revival that never comes. They cannot produce community because they are designed to keep people apart.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because they keep the focus on services or rituals, principles turn most people into spectators. By holding up standards and motivating people to conform to them they only encourage people to pretend to be what they are not, or to act like they know more than they really do. Questions and doubts are discouraged and people can’t deal with the things they are hiding. Thus they only let people see the shadow they want them to see, not who they really are. Feeling isolated, they only become more focused on their own needs and what others aren’t doing to meet them. They fight over control of the institution, however large or small, so that they can make others do what they think is best. It is a story that has been repeated for a couple of thousand years.”
Following a pattern or copying whether it is 2000 years ago that you copy or if it is the group whose conference you went to just doesn’t produce the same reality. I love that line about He gave His Spirit instead of a map. And I know the part about people pretending is so true. So whether you are in a big church, little church, house church, fluid church, coffeehouse church or whatever, Here’s to everyone, following the Spirit’s leading and to seeking God’s guidance on every decision.
Imitaion or Real?
Be careful to turn away from the counterfeit and run to the Living God. As one has said: “We must recover holiness without legalism, boldness without presumption, and power without pride. When the church does this she will gain the attention of both the heavens and the earth, because her God will be with her in His manifest presence.”
There is an energy, a dynamic, a power, a strength imparted by God through the Holy Spirit, love poured out into our hearts that energizes us to act. “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily (Colossians 1:28-29 NKJV).
Christian love and spiritual power are intended to be profoundly linked; when they are not, something less than the fullness of the gospel is present. Strengthened now, in faith, hope, love, and spiritual power, let us look again at the situation in which we and the whole Church are living.
Ralph Martin wrote in 1994: “Seventeen hundred years of Christendom are falling into ruins around us. An age is coming to an end, not just the end of a remarkable century but the end of seventeen hundred years of Christendom. The greatest apostasy since the birth of the Church is clearly far advanced all around us.” Yet at the same time we can see that Africa and India have emerged as a new center of Christendom.
God has made all mankind with an instinct for truth, a sense of right and wrong, and most of all a hunger for God Himself. Eventually, truth will win out. Perhaps after great suffering and great waiting, but truth will win out!!!
God is judging His church. Judgment begins at the house of God. 1 Peter 4:17. Our choice: Throw up our hands in despair? Lift up our hands in prayer, praise, joy, hope! Note 1 Timothy 2:8. We are privileged to live in a time that while exceedingly difficult, is also a time where we have seen and will see yet more of the great interventions of God. But one thing is certain, God is not worried about the situation. He is not anxious. He is not afraid. He is in control and will see to it that all things work out to the good of those who love Him. The nations may rage. Mankind may scheme. God laughs. Compare Psalm 2:1-6.
At her best the Church is full of faults, many warts and wrinkles. An ideal church is nowhere to be found, but a church with an IDEAL is found wherever there is a church in which the Holy Spirit dwells. She - the Church - believes that great things are struggling to birth in the womb of the present. She “abounds in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit” ([Romans 15:13]. The Holy Spirit fills her life with a never failing hope. “Then he said to me, ‘Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true saying of God.’” Revelation 19:9.
CALLING OR CAREER
Calling or Career?
I received an e-mail from a young man in the Philippines.
"My beloved brethren and sisters, I am one of your brethren in Christ here in the Philippines especially in Southern Mindanao . I am so sure that we are one in Christ; I am member of the "church of Christ conservative (non-instrumental and non-institutional)." I had been looking to communicate some christian (sic) brethren whom I don't know yet. I am only 17 years old but age doesn't matter in preaching the Gospel of Christ."
Has he received a call from God to reach out in Christian love to the world with Christ? Or is he seeking a career to advance himself? God knows, but I do not. Some sought religion as a means of gain (1Timothy6:5). But we are to be constrained by the Love of Christ (2Cor.5:14-18). And those who would be spiritual leaders should themselves pursue spirituality (1Timothy6:11-16).
The faith and worship of the church is a sacred trust. This is to be preserved intact. Personal likes and dislikes, and personal gain should not be in the picture. Spiritual ignorance is not a virtue. Some would best serve the Lord by working at a day job and avoid being busybodies.
Paul the Apostle said: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1Cor 2:1-5 (NKJV)
On the other hand, Timothy was barely a teenager when Paul called him to be a Christian worker (Acts16:1). Timothy was destined to be one of Paul's chief coworkers and was to receive two of Paul's Letters. Paul was the church planter. He surrounded himself with young people who would share the call of God. And he reached out to people who were already tuned in to God. In Philippi he found Lydia, a believer in the true God of Judaism, a Gentile. She was a well-to-do business woman with a large home sufficient to host the Christian missionaries. And this led eventually to the conversion of the Philippian jailer. Lydia's house became the center of a Christian congregation to which Paul addressed his Letter to the Philippians.
A proverb says: "It is better to get 10 men to work, than to try to do the work of 10 men." Paul sometimes found it necessary to "make tents" to support himself. But he multiplied his efforts by using all available talent. Another proverb says: "Good enough is good enough." Experience is a great teacher and there are no shortcuts. One who loves the Lord and is doing his/her best at the moment, will gain expertise as time passes. Things learned today will prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow. We must reach out in faith asking the Spirit of the Living God to point us in the right direction.
And Paul the Apostle said: "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1Cor 13:13 (NKJV)
I received an e-mail from a young man in the Philippines.
"My beloved brethren and sisters, I am one of your brethren in Christ here in the Philippines especially in Southern Mindanao . I am so sure that we are one in Christ; I am member of the "church of Christ conservative (non-instrumental and non-institutional)." I had been looking to communicate some christian (sic) brethren whom I don't know yet. I am only 17 years old but age doesn't matter in preaching the Gospel of Christ."
Has he received a call from God to reach out in Christian love to the world with Christ? Or is he seeking a career to advance himself? God knows, but I do not. Some sought religion as a means of gain (1Timothy6:5). But we are to be constrained by the Love of Christ (2Cor.5:14-18). And those who would be spiritual leaders should themselves pursue spirituality (1Timothy6:11-16).
The faith and worship of the church is a sacred trust. This is to be preserved intact. Personal likes and dislikes, and personal gain should not be in the picture. Spiritual ignorance is not a virtue. Some would best serve the Lord by working at a day job and avoid being busybodies.
Paul the Apostle said: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1Cor 2:1-5 (NKJV)
On the other hand, Timothy was barely a teenager when Paul called him to be a Christian worker (Acts16:1). Timothy was destined to be one of Paul's chief coworkers and was to receive two of Paul's Letters. Paul was the church planter. He surrounded himself with young people who would share the call of God. And he reached out to people who were already tuned in to God. In Philippi he found Lydia, a believer in the true God of Judaism, a Gentile. She was a well-to-do business woman with a large home sufficient to host the Christian missionaries. And this led eventually to the conversion of the Philippian jailer. Lydia's house became the center of a Christian congregation to which Paul addressed his Letter to the Philippians.
A proverb says: "It is better to get 10 men to work, than to try to do the work of 10 men." Paul sometimes found it necessary to "make tents" to support himself. But he multiplied his efforts by using all available talent. Another proverb says: "Good enough is good enough." Experience is a great teacher and there are no shortcuts. One who loves the Lord and is doing his/her best at the moment, will gain expertise as time passes. Things learned today will prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow. We must reach out in faith asking the Spirit of the Living God to point us in the right direction.
And Paul the Apostle said: "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1Cor 13:13 (NKJV)
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