About Me

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I am a born-again Christian, who is Reformed, but also charismatic, spiritually speaking. (I do not speak in tongues, but I believe glossalalia is a bona fide gift not given to all, and not as great as prophecy, for example.) I have several years of college education but only completed a two-year degree. I was raised Lutheran and confirmed, but I didn't "find Christ" until I was in the Army and responded to a Billy Graham crusade in 1973. I was mentored or discipled by the Navigators in the army and upon discharge joined several evangelical, Bible-teaching churches. I was baptized as an infant, but believe in believer baptism, of which I was a partaker after my conversion experience. I believe in the "5 Onlys" of the reformation: sola fide (faith alone); sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); soli Christo (Christ alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (to God alone be the glory). I affirm TULIP as defended in the Reformation.. I affirm most of The Westminster Confession of Faith, especially pertaining to Providence.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Are You With The Program?

God doesn't want any spiritual Lone Rangers, we are in this together as the body of Christ. Some believers march to a tune of a different drummer from that of the church. They don't take part in any of the activities, especially Bible study, and shun contact or fellowship because they don't want to be held accountable. To be with the program of the church is vital and if you can't honestly agree with it you'd be better off in another church where you can consent. The book of Judges is about Israel doing their own thing and it says each man did what was right in his own eyes. They are doing their own thing! "All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each to his own way" (cf. Isa. 53:6).

The pastor of the church is the under-shepherd and will give account for you at the judgment. Heb. 13 and verse 17 says to "obey your leaders and submit to their authority." We are not lone wolves in the church that can survive on our own; we need fellowship, accountability, and support from other believers. Going to church regularly is like getting a spiritual checkup.

I am writing this from experience because I refused to do a Bible study that our pastor wanted everyone to do because I disagreed with some Pentecostal elements. Some Christians are really members of the "nod to God crowd" that just shows up on Sunday and doesn't have any intercourse during the week with the body of believers. If you don't like Christ's body you don't like Christ!   Soli Deo Gloria!