"We know that we are the children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19, NIV).
"... And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ" (Rom. 8:9, NIV).
"So the preaching about God flourished, the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7, HCSB).
The world is possessed with the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience (cf. Eph. 2:2) and the spirit of error. They don't know the truth to set them free (cf. John 8:32), which God perchance may grant them (cf. 2 Tim. 2:25). There is the spirit of the world that we possessed before salvation and followed according to the course of Satan and his minions and authorities. We are set free from his power and he cannot touch us (1 John 5:18), for we are more than conquerors. Satan is a liar and the father of liars (cf. John 8:44), and all men are born liars (cf Psa. 116:11) and follow suit. There is only one true God who cannot lie (cf. Titus 1:2).
Christians possess two natures: the old man and the new man after Christ's image. The one we feed the most assumes the most authority over our lives; there are no carnal believers by nature, but believers can become temporarily carnal and struggle in the flesh. The two spirits are not like the yin/yang of Eastern philosophy, but evil is only a perversion and deprivation of the good. There is no such thing as pure evil because it is a parasite on the good and the deception is that it may contain an element of truth, just enough to inoculate one from the real thing and make him immune to the truth. We must always be vigilant to exercise the authority, being watchful in the same, that we have in Christ's name to tread on the enemy and claim our victory in Christ. We need not live in defeat or even become defeatists. "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God..." (Rom. 8:7, NIV).
It is paramount that we periodically test the spirit within us to see whether Christ is present or not, especially during the Lord's Supper. "Everyone should examine themselves..." (cf. 1 Cor. 11:28, NIV). We must always be on the watch for false teachers, a false gospel, a false Christ, and a false spirit (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4) because Satan seeks whom he may devour (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7) and we must test the spirits and contend for the faith (cf. Jude v. 3), lest heresy creeps in and corrupt the fellowship. The caveat we ought to heed is that Satan uses our vocabulary, but his own dictionary! He preaches another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit. But those who know their God shall be strong and resist him (cf. Dan. 11:32).
Even Christians can become taken in by or buy into the wrong worldview and the philosophies of the devil: winner take all; God helps those who help themselves; look out for number one; each man for himself; survival of the fittest; the law of the jungle; tit for tat; do unto them as they do unto you; being good without God, and even being moral and religious without religion or God as the moral center of the universe. There are many crutches the world resorts to atheism as an excuse for sin; cynicism such as getting even, not mad; escapism, such as tripping out on drugs, escaping reality, and getting high; supernaturalism, such as dabbling in the occult; and humanism, or believing in self-help, that man can solve his own problems, and pop psychology; or believing in man-made rules and theories that contradict God and dethrone Him while exalting man, and making a name for himself.
We must always put these pseudo-philosophies into perspective and realize that the Bible is the only crutch that is truly reliable and will not fail us. NB: The point should be made that everyone has a crutch, whether they admit it or not just like everyone worships something or someone because that is what we are hard-wired for (worship) and it's only natural.
True spirituality is the only answer to our problems and we must know the Answerer via the Scriptures and spiritual sanctification. We must start with God to solve our problems, not start with man and try to escape God or deny Him. The Bible is the only true and final authority that we can rely on and believe in without contradicting God's nature and being true to human nature. And the way to become cognizant of the forces of evil is to "gird up the loins of [our] mind", know the Word (Ignorance isn't bliss!), have a foundation in sound doctrine ("Knowledge is power!" according to Sir Francis Bacon cf. Prov. 25:4), and beware lest we fall into temptation, for Satan "seeks whom he may devour" (cf. 1 Pet. 5:7) like a roaring lion--no one is immune!
We can overcome the forces of darkness and transform the culture, turning the world upside down like the first believers did to Rome with the right Spirit indwelling us; however, we must become renewed in the spirit of our minds not conforming to the course of this world. For thinking right and doing right can be distinguished, but not separated--they must go hand in hand! Some people just need to get their thinking straightened out. We must long to do the right thing, not the expedient thing or pragmatic alternative. We are happy serving others!
Finally, there's a way to confirm our calling and election and that we possess Jesus ("He who has the Son has life," 1 John 5:12): by the Word of God coupled with the testimony of the Spirit ("The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God," cf. Rom. 8:16). Soli Deo Gloria!
About Me
- Karl Broberg
- 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.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Sunday, May 26, 2019
God Our Provision
"But he gives us more grace..." (James 4:6, NIV).
"... Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8, NIV).
"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19, NKJV).
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life..." (2 Pet. 1:3, NIV).
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psa. 37:4, NKJV).
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" (Matt. 6:33, HCSB).
"One's wealth consists not in the abundance of his possessions, but in the fewness of his wants." --source unknown, quoted by Billy Graham
One of the so-called Jehovah texts is in Gen. 22:8, which calls God "Jehovah-Jireh" or "the LORD will provide [your need]" literally from the Hebrew and could be interpreted as "the Lord will see to it." We all have been blessed with the provision of God to be thankful for and this is an example of true gratefulness--expectation of God's blessing and confidence that He will provide all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil. 4:19). We are to believe God for the impossible and not underestimate His blessings on our behalf. There is no most-favored status (cf. Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34) we can reach but God levels the playing field and we all can come to Him expecting God's best. Only when we realize God's blessing and become grateful are we able to spread the spirit and the word, being a blessing to others (cf. Zech. 8: 13) like the song goes: "Once you've experienced it, you'll want to pass it on!" Being thankful, giving praise, and bowed down to His glory is the way to enter His presence (cf. Psa. 100:4) --it's not how big our faith is, but how big our God is that matters!
The father of modern missions, William Carey, delivered the famous sermon, "Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God," is pertinent and we must venture out in faith, leaving our comfort zone, to be tested in our faith, which is more precious than silver or gold that are tested by fire! The crucible of the cross is what we bear for Christ. We are to be assured that if we are doing God's will, God will ensure adequacy to do it (may He "equip you with everything good for doing his will," per Heb. 13:21, NIV ). It's vital to be in the safest place we can be--God's will!
St. Theresa set out to build a monastery and only had twelve pence to her name! They believed she was a woman of God but no one had the faith to believe she could do that with only these limited resources. She claimed quite the contrary that she and God could do it! With God, we all share an abundance of resources and should live as if there is no limit to what we can accomplish for God, as long as it's God's will. He will call us to do the impossible and it's our duty to believe in the impossible from the God of miracles. "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Cf. Gen. 18:24, NIV) or "Nothing is too hard for you" (cf. Jer. 32:17, ESV). It is only a matter of Christian faith to believe "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (cf. Phil. 4:13).
We may see obstacles but God sees the big picture and from the vantage point of eternity, not one day at a time as we do. When the chips are down we are to trust all the more and realize that it's a test of faith to see if we are willing to walk with Christ through thick and thin and let the chips fall where they may! We all must be tested, provision-wise, to see where our faith is: Even Habakkuk (cf. 3:18) came to the realization after his crops failed that all he really needed was God and everything else is a bonus. He was able to thank God for knowing that God was still his Provider even in the lean times (cf. Isa. 45:7). If we cannot trust God in the small matters, what about the great ones? He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much, for of whom much is given, much is required (cf. Luke 12:48). Sometimes we all must come to the end of ourselves or suffer loss to realize that with God we will survive any trial--"If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Cf. Rom. 8:31). Knowing the meaning and purpose gives us the motive and the attitude to praise God and not to be discouraged or downcast.
We can have faith and should keep the faith that God will see to it that we are taken care of and that we can do His will. But God is good to all in some ways, that's His nature; however, He is good to some in all ways too. We are to believe God for miracles and "feed the poor" but not to be known as do-gooders who just "turn stones into bread." Even Jesus didn't want to be known just as a miracle worker or do-gooder, but only performed miracles to illustrate His Deity and to teach a lesson or to show compassion to those in need. We are to keep the main thing the main thing: The Great Commission. We can move mountains by our faith if it's in the right object--God: with God-confidence and God-esteem.
God has indeed promised to meet all our needs to glorify His name but not necessarily our felt needs or things we think we need. God knows what we need better than we do ourselves and in the end result: we will someday realize that God had the best in mind for us and that His Plan A is for our own good. And so we must get over the notion that lacking no good thing is the same as having everything or thinking that God is holding back--this leads to the false doctrine of prosperity theology! NB: The Lord's prayer makes it plain that we are not to get ahead of ourselves and worry about the needs of the future, but live one day at a time in light of eternity, and ask for the daily provision or "our daily bread" (cf. Matt. 6:11).
We must confess that everything we possess is the blessing of God, even our work (cf. Eccl. 3:13); for what do we have that we didn't receive? (Cf. 1 Cor. 4:7). However, on occasion, we have not because we ask not (cf. James 4:2) and we must keep in mind the promise of Jesus that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto us (cf. Matt. 6:33)--that means God as our first priority in His will for our lives. In God's economy, emptying comes before filling, poverty comes before riches and God cannot pour out His blessings into hands already full! Most of all, He desires us to learn to be content with what we have--the poorest are those who think they are rich and need nothing, not realizing their need of God.
Finally, to wrap things up and see God in the equation, one of the last words of Jesus on the cross was to John that he behold his mother and to Mary to behold her son: This means Jesus was concerned about the welfare of his mother to the very end and provided for her indirectly through John. This is also the message of Jesus to us, viz., His name has no definitive predicate: When He says I AM .... we can fill in the blank for whatever we need God to be, He is: I AM that I AM that I AM that I AM that ... ad infinitum, i.e., He is the eternal IS-ing or being, not an eternal IS-ness or state of being. In view of God's unlimited resources, we ought to put our requests into proper perspective. Soli Deo Gloria!
"... Freely you have received, freely give" (Matt. 10:8, NIV).
"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19, NKJV).
"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life..." (2 Pet. 1:3, NIV).
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (Psa. 37:4, NKJV).
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" (Matt. 6:33, HCSB).
"One's wealth consists not in the abundance of his possessions, but in the fewness of his wants." --source unknown, quoted by Billy Graham
One of the so-called Jehovah texts is in Gen. 22:8, which calls God "Jehovah-Jireh" or "the LORD will provide [your need]" literally from the Hebrew and could be interpreted as "the Lord will see to it." We all have been blessed with the provision of God to be thankful for and this is an example of true gratefulness--expectation of God's blessing and confidence that He will provide all our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (cf. Phil. 4:19). We are to believe God for the impossible and not underestimate His blessings on our behalf. There is no most-favored status (cf. Rom. 2:11; Acts 10:34) we can reach but God levels the playing field and we all can come to Him expecting God's best. Only when we realize God's blessing and become grateful are we able to spread the spirit and the word, being a blessing to others (cf. Zech. 8: 13) like the song goes: "Once you've experienced it, you'll want to pass it on!" Being thankful, giving praise, and bowed down to His glory is the way to enter His presence (cf. Psa. 100:4) --it's not how big our faith is, but how big our God is that matters!
The father of modern missions, William Carey, delivered the famous sermon, "Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God," is pertinent and we must venture out in faith, leaving our comfort zone, to be tested in our faith, which is more precious than silver or gold that are tested by fire! The crucible of the cross is what we bear for Christ. We are to be assured that if we are doing God's will, God will ensure adequacy to do it (may He "equip you with everything good for doing his will," per Heb. 13:21, NIV ). It's vital to be in the safest place we can be--God's will!
St. Theresa set out to build a monastery and only had twelve pence to her name! They believed she was a woman of God but no one had the faith to believe she could do that with only these limited resources. She claimed quite the contrary that she and God could do it! With God, we all share an abundance of resources and should live as if there is no limit to what we can accomplish for God, as long as it's God's will. He will call us to do the impossible and it's our duty to believe in the impossible from the God of miracles. "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" (Cf. Gen. 18:24, NIV) or "Nothing is too hard for you" (cf. Jer. 32:17, ESV). It is only a matter of Christian faith to believe "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," (cf. Phil. 4:13).
We may see obstacles but God sees the big picture and from the vantage point of eternity, not one day at a time as we do. When the chips are down we are to trust all the more and realize that it's a test of faith to see if we are willing to walk with Christ through thick and thin and let the chips fall where they may! We all must be tested, provision-wise, to see where our faith is: Even Habakkuk (cf. 3:18) came to the realization after his crops failed that all he really needed was God and everything else is a bonus. He was able to thank God for knowing that God was still his Provider even in the lean times (cf. Isa. 45:7). If we cannot trust God in the small matters, what about the great ones? He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much, for of whom much is given, much is required (cf. Luke 12:48). Sometimes we all must come to the end of ourselves or suffer loss to realize that with God we will survive any trial--"If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Cf. Rom. 8:31). Knowing the meaning and purpose gives us the motive and the attitude to praise God and not to be discouraged or downcast.
We can have faith and should keep the faith that God will see to it that we are taken care of and that we can do His will. But God is good to all in some ways, that's His nature; however, He is good to some in all ways too. We are to believe God for miracles and "feed the poor" but not to be known as do-gooders who just "turn stones into bread." Even Jesus didn't want to be known just as a miracle worker or do-gooder, but only performed miracles to illustrate His Deity and to teach a lesson or to show compassion to those in need. We are to keep the main thing the main thing: The Great Commission. We can move mountains by our faith if it's in the right object--God: with God-confidence and God-esteem.
God has indeed promised to meet all our needs to glorify His name but not necessarily our felt needs or things we think we need. God knows what we need better than we do ourselves and in the end result: we will someday realize that God had the best in mind for us and that His Plan A is for our own good. And so we must get over the notion that lacking no good thing is the same as having everything or thinking that God is holding back--this leads to the false doctrine of prosperity theology! NB: The Lord's prayer makes it plain that we are not to get ahead of ourselves and worry about the needs of the future, but live one day at a time in light of eternity, and ask for the daily provision or "our daily bread" (cf. Matt. 6:11).
We must confess that everything we possess is the blessing of God, even our work (cf. Eccl. 3:13); for what do we have that we didn't receive? (Cf. 1 Cor. 4:7). However, on occasion, we have not because we ask not (cf. James 4:2) and we must keep in mind the promise of Jesus that if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added unto us (cf. Matt. 6:33)--that means God as our first priority in His will for our lives. In God's economy, emptying comes before filling, poverty comes before riches and God cannot pour out His blessings into hands already full! Most of all, He desires us to learn to be content with what we have--the poorest are those who think they are rich and need nothing, not realizing their need of God.
Finally, to wrap things up and see God in the equation, one of the last words of Jesus on the cross was to John that he behold his mother and to Mary to behold her son: This means Jesus was concerned about the welfare of his mother to the very end and provided for her indirectly through John. This is also the message of Jesus to us, viz., His name has no definitive predicate: When He says I AM .... we can fill in the blank for whatever we need God to be, He is: I AM that I AM that I AM that I AM that ... ad infinitum, i.e., He is the eternal IS-ing or being, not an eternal IS-ness or state of being. In view of God's unlimited resources, we ought to put our requests into proper perspective. Soli Deo Gloria!
Thursday, May 23, 2019
In The Beginning...
Note that the Bible doesn't start out "once upon a time." But we have to commence somewhere! In the beginning what? That's the million dollar question! My premise is that God is the genesis of everything that exists and He's the reason for everything, truly being above and beyond. Athanasius said that "the only system of thought that Christ will fit into is the one where He is the starting point." This makes sense because the humanist wants to begin with man as the measure of all things and explain everything from there, even explain away God--dethroning Him, exalting man, giving him the glory and robbing God of just worship.
The Bible begins with the phrase "In the beginning God" for a reason: This is not just a way to begin the Bible or story of man, God and man's relationship with God, but the beginning of all logic and sense as we can know it. The opening verse shows God taking the initiative in reaching out to man in creation, revelation, and salvation. God has stepped into the time-space continuum and entered history on our behalf to rescue us!
You have to begin somewhere. Imagine if there was no beginning! What if everything was eternal and had always existed--scientists have disproved this, but wouldn't everything be perfect by now? They say that matter cannot be destroyed or created but only transferred to other forms. Someday scientists claim there will be a "heat death" of the cosmos when all usable energy is depleted., proving a beginning to the cosmos. But the Bible says that God created everything out of nothing, ex nihilo in Latin. Humanists want to explain away God and remove Him from life's equation and they don't see Him and His place in the big picture--glory to man in the highest as man makes a name for himself and gives himself all the credit.
Time by definition is the corollary of space and matter and is relative, and if matter and space didn't exist, neither would time. Time actually had a beginning at the Big Bang because that's when the cosmos began. God pulled the trigger and started it all into motion and therefore is outside the time-space continuum. He had no beginning and is, therefore, eternal and cannot have a cause, for He is not the effect of anyone or anything and needs no one for His existence, therefore being self-existent. There are only three possibilities for the beginning scenario: In the beginning God; in the beginning matter/energy; in the beginning nothing! Matter in its natural state is chaotic and without form and must be organized, just as the Bible says: "the earth was without form and void...." We must have an intelligent input to get to organized life as we see it today--for we observe intelligence!
Don't jump to the conclusion that everything had a genesis; we cannot say that everything had a beginning because then there would be a time when there was nothing and the axiom goes: ex nihilo, nihil fit in Latin or out of nothing, nothing comes! We could have nothing today if everything had a beginning! And so we conclude that God is that being that had no beginning and started the motion as the initiator.
The issue is whether mind precedes matter or matter precedes or is superior to mind. The reason is that the logical order is thinker, thought, action, object or creation. Matter or energy cannot create or organize itself for it is disorganized and needs the missing ingredient of intelligence to develop life and complexities. How can matter/energy/quanta be self-conscious on its own? Whence life forms? What we see today is highly complex forms of matter which would've required an intelligent design or Designer or Intelligent Input. This is referred to as the argument from design. Thought requires a thinker! That's where the Bible comes in: In the beginning, was the Word (Logos or expressed thought in Greek). Mind did, therefore, precede matter and not vice versa!
Now God has revealed Himself in general revelation so that everyone is without excuse to know of His existence. The Bible is not unhistorical, unscientific, irrational, unbelievable, incomprehensible, or unverifiable. If you dehistoricize it you destroy and discredit, for it's the only Scripture-based in fact, truth, and history and has never been disproved in any way. The resurrection, for instance, is a historical fact, and is the most attested fact in antiquity by various and multiple proofs: Luke said many infallible proofs. The point is that the Bible invites you to discover it for yourself and test to see if the Lord is good on your own. The proof of the pudding is in the eating! I don't have to prove the Bible, it proves itself, the skeptic can prove it by reading it with an open mind and willing spirit.
We don't commit intellectual suicide to believe in God's explanation of the beginning. It's actually the inception of all coherent, rational thought. In the final analysis, where you begin determines where you'll end up; taking God out of the equation only leads to chaos because cosmos minus logos or logic equals chaos or confusion! Soli Deo Gloria!
The Bible begins with the phrase "In the beginning God" for a reason: This is not just a way to begin the Bible or story of man, God and man's relationship with God, but the beginning of all logic and sense as we can know it. The opening verse shows God taking the initiative in reaching out to man in creation, revelation, and salvation. God has stepped into the time-space continuum and entered history on our behalf to rescue us!
You have to begin somewhere. Imagine if there was no beginning! What if everything was eternal and had always existed--scientists have disproved this, but wouldn't everything be perfect by now? They say that matter cannot be destroyed or created but only transferred to other forms. Someday scientists claim there will be a "heat death" of the cosmos when all usable energy is depleted., proving a beginning to the cosmos. But the Bible says that God created everything out of nothing, ex nihilo in Latin. Humanists want to explain away God and remove Him from life's equation and they don't see Him and His place in the big picture--glory to man in the highest as man makes a name for himself and gives himself all the credit.
Time by definition is the corollary of space and matter and is relative, and if matter and space didn't exist, neither would time. Time actually had a beginning at the Big Bang because that's when the cosmos began. God pulled the trigger and started it all into motion and therefore is outside the time-space continuum. He had no beginning and is, therefore, eternal and cannot have a cause, for He is not the effect of anyone or anything and needs no one for His existence, therefore being self-existent. There are only three possibilities for the beginning scenario: In the beginning God; in the beginning matter/energy; in the beginning nothing! Matter in its natural state is chaotic and without form and must be organized, just as the Bible says: "the earth was without form and void...." We must have an intelligent input to get to organized life as we see it today--for we observe intelligence!
Don't jump to the conclusion that everything had a genesis; we cannot say that everything had a beginning because then there would be a time when there was nothing and the axiom goes: ex nihilo, nihil fit in Latin or out of nothing, nothing comes! We could have nothing today if everything had a beginning! And so we conclude that God is that being that had no beginning and started the motion as the initiator.
The issue is whether mind precedes matter or matter precedes or is superior to mind. The reason is that the logical order is thinker, thought, action, object or creation. Matter or energy cannot create or organize itself for it is disorganized and needs the missing ingredient of intelligence to develop life and complexities. How can matter/energy/quanta be self-conscious on its own? Whence life forms? What we see today is highly complex forms of matter which would've required an intelligent design or Designer or Intelligent Input. This is referred to as the argument from design. Thought requires a thinker! That's where the Bible comes in: In the beginning, was the Word (Logos or expressed thought in Greek). Mind did, therefore, precede matter and not vice versa!
Now God has revealed Himself in general revelation so that everyone is without excuse to know of His existence. The Bible is not unhistorical, unscientific, irrational, unbelievable, incomprehensible, or unverifiable. If you dehistoricize it you destroy and discredit, for it's the only Scripture-based in fact, truth, and history and has never been disproved in any way. The resurrection, for instance, is a historical fact, and is the most attested fact in antiquity by various and multiple proofs: Luke said many infallible proofs. The point is that the Bible invites you to discover it for yourself and test to see if the Lord is good on your own. The proof of the pudding is in the eating! I don't have to prove the Bible, it proves itself, the skeptic can prove it by reading it with an open mind and willing spirit.
We don't commit intellectual suicide to believe in God's explanation of the beginning. It's actually the inception of all coherent, rational thought. In the final analysis, where you begin determines where you'll end up; taking God out of the equation only leads to chaos because cosmos minus logos or logic equals chaos or confusion! Soli Deo Gloria!
Monday, May 20, 2019
But None Of These Things Move Me
"... God left him to himself [withdrew Himself], in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart" (2 Chron. 32:31, ESV). ["God left him to test him" in NIV].
"God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. They are God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world." --C. S. Lewis
"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!" --Corrie ten Boom
"Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways, He is the only way." --A. W. Tozer
As the Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:24, "None of these things move me," so we must learn to bear the cross Christ has given us for the sake of the Name. Our cross is not the problems everyone commonly has, but what happens because we name the name of Christ and how that affects us; e.g., persecution. But we can know the peace of God despite this cross. God never promised us a bed of roses and Reality 101 is that we will be involved in the angelic conflict. We are not meant to become stoics who think that the aim in life is to grin and bear it, but we are to show our attitude that we see purpose in all circumstance due to Providence and are assured of Christ's presence through the affliction--and many are the afflictions of the righteous (cf. Psa. 34:19).
We rejoice in our sufferings (cf. Rom. 5:3) without getting a martyr's complex or thinking that the more we suffer, the holier we are. It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God (cf. Acts 14:22). All believers will experience tribulation, adversity, and affliction to produce character and Christlikeness: "We know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character" (Rom. 5:3, NCV).
Having read the novel by Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, I realize that the seasoned believer, the one who has matured through adversity and has had his faith tested and passed with flying colors, doesn't wear the faith as a badge of honor, for it's a gift--not something we conjure up of our own effort or doing (we don't achieve it, we receive it!). We don't need self-esteem or self-confidence but we must cultivate God-esteem and God-confidence! We go through these trials for our own good to strengthen and confirm our faith. No believer is exempt, and Christ was honest enough to warn us. He didn't exempt Himself and our crosses pale in comparison! |
Job is the example of suffering par excellence in Scripture, whereby we cannot comprehend its full meaning since we are finite beings. God doesn't owe us an explanation! He never explains Himself to Job, but just reveals Himself. Someone has said, "God is too wise to make a mistake, too kind to be cruel, and too deep to explain Himself!" In the meantime, there is an angelic conflict going on behind the scenes. We may ask, "Why?" but God says, "Who?" We must learn to keep focused on Christ and not get tripped up by Satan. It was John Milton who wrote, "Who best can suffer, best can do." Our faith is more precious than silver or gold and we must know if it's genuine and can stand the test of time and affliction or adversity. It's for our sake, not God's sake, that we must be tested--we must have confidence that we have faith!
We must realize that the same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay! We either become bitter or better by tribulation! We all have a crucible to carry and must realize that without a cross there's no crown! We tend to wonder why bad things seem to happen to good people (as Harold Kushner's book ponders), but then again, there are no good people in God's estimation! We should be asking why do good things happen to bad people? Scripture says that we are privileged to suffer for Christ and this comes with the territory! Job faithfully proclaimed: "... When he has tried me, I will come out as gold" (Job 23:10, ESV). A word of encouragement is that even Christ learned obedience by what He suffered (cf. Heb. 5:8).
Finally, when you've been through a trial with the Lord, you have a certain fellowship of suffering (of having been there and done that with the body of Christ per Phil. 3:10) and you can use it to help others in their time of testing and trial. The God of all comfort comforts us so that we can comfort others in their time of need--but we don't want to be like Job's comforters who judged him! The best we can do is to be there for them and offer consolation and sympathy. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!
"We must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God," (cf. Acts 14:22).
"God left him, to try him, to know all that is in his heart," (cf. 2 Chron. 31:22).
"He speaks to them in their affliction," (cf Job 36:15, NIV).
"God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. They are God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world." --C. S. Lewis
"If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you'll be at rest!" --Corrie ten Boom
"Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways, He is the only way." --A. W. Tozer
As the Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:24, "None of these things move me," so we must learn to bear the cross Christ has given us for the sake of the Name. Our cross is not the problems everyone commonly has, but what happens because we name the name of Christ and how that affects us; e.g., persecution. But we can know the peace of God despite this cross. God never promised us a bed of roses and Reality 101 is that we will be involved in the angelic conflict. We are not meant to become stoics who think that the aim in life is to grin and bear it, but we are to show our attitude that we see purpose in all circumstance due to Providence and are assured of Christ's presence through the affliction--and many are the afflictions of the righteous (cf. Psa. 34:19).
We rejoice in our sufferings (cf. Rom. 5:3) without getting a martyr's complex or thinking that the more we suffer, the holier we are. It is through much tribulation that we enter the kingdom of God (cf. Acts 14:22). All believers will experience tribulation, adversity, and affliction to produce character and Christlikeness: "We know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character" (Rom. 5:3, NCV).
Having read the novel by Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, I realize that the seasoned believer, the one who has matured through adversity and has had his faith tested and passed with flying colors, doesn't wear the faith as a badge of honor, for it's a gift--not something we conjure up of our own effort or doing (we don't achieve it, we receive it!). We don't need self-esteem or self-confidence but we must cultivate God-esteem and God-confidence! We go through these trials for our own good to strengthen and confirm our faith. No believer is exempt, and Christ was honest enough to warn us. He didn't exempt Himself and our crosses pale in comparison! |
Job is the example of suffering par excellence in Scripture, whereby we cannot comprehend its full meaning since we are finite beings. God doesn't owe us an explanation! He never explains Himself to Job, but just reveals Himself. Someone has said, "God is too wise to make a mistake, too kind to be cruel, and too deep to explain Himself!" In the meantime, there is an angelic conflict going on behind the scenes. We may ask, "Why?" but God says, "Who?" We must learn to keep focused on Christ and not get tripped up by Satan. It was John Milton who wrote, "Who best can suffer, best can do." Our faith is more precious than silver or gold and we must know if it's genuine and can stand the test of time and affliction or adversity. It's for our sake, not God's sake, that we must be tested--we must have confidence that we have faith!
We must realize that the same sun melts the butter, hardens the clay! We either become bitter or better by tribulation! We all have a crucible to carry and must realize that without a cross there's no crown! We tend to wonder why bad things seem to happen to good people (as Harold Kushner's book ponders), but then again, there are no good people in God's estimation! We should be asking why do good things happen to bad people? Scripture says that we are privileged to suffer for Christ and this comes with the territory! Job faithfully proclaimed: "... When he has tried me, I will come out as gold" (Job 23:10, ESV). A word of encouragement is that even Christ learned obedience by what He suffered (cf. Heb. 5:8).
Finally, when you've been through a trial with the Lord, you have a certain fellowship of suffering (of having been there and done that with the body of Christ per Phil. 3:10) and you can use it to help others in their time of testing and trial. The God of all comfort comforts us so that we can comfort others in their time of need--but we don't want to be like Job's comforters who judged him! The best we can do is to be there for them and offer consolation and sympathy. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15, ESV). Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Neither Were They Thankful
"Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy" (Psalms 107:22, NIV).
"But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you..." (Jonah 2:9, NIV).
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and grateful" (Col. 4:2, NIV).
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (Rev. 7:12, NIV).
"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD" (Psalm 116:17, KJV).
They knew God but didn't give Him thanks and for this reason, God darkened their foolish heart. We are responsible for the light God has given us or we will be judged accordingly. Thanksgiving is a sacrifice to God (cf. Psa. 50:14) and praise is another sacrifice to God (cf. Heb. 13:15) that we can offer God as a way to gain entree into His divine throne room and presence. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise..." (Psa. 110:4, KJV). That seems to stipulate a formula for getting into the spirit of worship and prayer. They are juxtaposed in this verse and go hand in hand--thanksgiving for what He's done or will do and praise for who He is and how He reveals Himself in glory.
You can be sure that an ingrate is not filled with the Spirit, neither knows it, for this is a basic lesson of spirituality we all learn to mature in the faith. But a lot of ingratitude is habitual and a matter of nurture and upbringing; i.e., it might be the parents who didn't bring them up right! As Romans 1:21 equates the two and says, "they glorified him not as God." Gratitude and praise go together to comprise an act of worship that we owe God as creatures, knowing that He is alone is worthy of our worship. We ought to be so thanksgiving oriented that we are grateful that someone thanks us for kindness rendered in Christ's name-it should make our day! But we should remember that our tasks in the Lord are often thankless tasks!
Paul targets thanksgiving as the right mental attitude in his epistles: "Giving thanks always for all things unto God..." (Eph. 5:20, KJV); "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:7, KJV); "In everything give thanks" (1 Thess. 5:18, KJV); "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts ... and be ye thankful" (Col. 3:15, KJV). This is stated as the will of God for us. He wants us to learn to see the silver lining behind every cloud and to learn that all our adversity and affliction is Father-filtered and will work together for our good (cf. Rom. 8:28).
The amazing example of having the right attitude of gratitude in dire circumstances is when Paul and Silas were in prison and sang joyfully unto the Lord. No one can take away our attitude and that's why we must cultivate this as a sure way to stay focused on God. Paul demonstrates his attitude of gratitude in prison writing Philippians by opening with thanksgiving.
Gratitude is not the ultimate proof of faith per se but is the sign of a right mental attitude (cf. Col. 4:2; Psa. 100:4). God condemns ingrates: "... for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 5:6, ESV). Nowhere in Scripture are gratitude and faith equated, correlated, or juxtaposed as a measure or keynote of each other; however, faith and obedience are in Hebrews 3:18-19, NASB, as follows: "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief" (cf. Heb. 4:6, 11). Some translations mistranslated these verses and put in "unbelief" instead of "disobedience." James 2:18, NIV, says, "... and I will show you my faith by my deeds."
But the NASB and ESV are more literal and use what is functional equivalence; i.e., word for word translations not thought for thought. Faith and obedience are eternally equated in Romans 1:5 and 16:26 (that they might "come to the obedience that comes from faith," cf. NIV) and in Acts 6:4, "They were obedient to the faith."
Also, note that Dietrich Bonhoeffer said quite dogmatically, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." These two are definitely equated in the Word. Doctrinally speaking, the only proof of faith is obedience just as Christ admonished that if we love Him we will obey Him. Thanksgiving, even praise, can be signs of faith but not the ultimate litmus test, but obedience is the plumbline (cf. John 14:21). We don't have the law to obey but are measured by our obedience to the will of God (we are free in Christ but not free from God's will!), which is an easier yoke and we have the Spirit which bears witness with our spirit to give us peace. Clearly, obedience is the test: "... Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22, NKJV).
Jesus made it clear love would be the telltale sign of the believer (cf. John 13:35) and the world would know we are Christians by our love. Love is the distinguishing trait of our faith and its greatest contribution in charity, outreach, missions, evangelizing, and labor. Faith is what pleases God and its expression is love: "... The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV). Soli Deo Gloria!
"But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you..." (Jonah 2:9, NIV).
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and grateful" (Col. 4:2, NIV).
"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (Rev. 7:12, NIV).
"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD" (Psalm 116:17, KJV).
They knew God but didn't give Him thanks and for this reason, God darkened their foolish heart. We are responsible for the light God has given us or we will be judged accordingly. Thanksgiving is a sacrifice to God (cf. Psa. 50:14) and praise is another sacrifice to God (cf. Heb. 13:15) that we can offer God as a way to gain entree into His divine throne room and presence. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise..." (Psa. 110:4, KJV). That seems to stipulate a formula for getting into the spirit of worship and prayer. They are juxtaposed in this verse and go hand in hand--thanksgiving for what He's done or will do and praise for who He is and how He reveals Himself in glory.
You can be sure that an ingrate is not filled with the Spirit, neither knows it, for this is a basic lesson of spirituality we all learn to mature in the faith. But a lot of ingratitude is habitual and a matter of nurture and upbringing; i.e., it might be the parents who didn't bring them up right! As Romans 1:21 equates the two and says, "they glorified him not as God." Gratitude and praise go together to comprise an act of worship that we owe God as creatures, knowing that He is alone is worthy of our worship. We ought to be so thanksgiving oriented that we are grateful that someone thanks us for kindness rendered in Christ's name-it should make our day! But we should remember that our tasks in the Lord are often thankless tasks!
Paul targets thanksgiving as the right mental attitude in his epistles: "Giving thanks always for all things unto God..." (Eph. 5:20, KJV); "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Phil. 4:7, KJV); "In everything give thanks" (1 Thess. 5:18, KJV); "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts ... and be ye thankful" (Col. 3:15, KJV). This is stated as the will of God for us. He wants us to learn to see the silver lining behind every cloud and to learn that all our adversity and affliction is Father-filtered and will work together for our good (cf. Rom. 8:28).
The amazing example of having the right attitude of gratitude in dire circumstances is when Paul and Silas were in prison and sang joyfully unto the Lord. No one can take away our attitude and that's why we must cultivate this as a sure way to stay focused on God. Paul demonstrates his attitude of gratitude in prison writing Philippians by opening with thanksgiving.
Gratitude is not the ultimate proof of faith per se but is the sign of a right mental attitude (cf. Col. 4:2; Psa. 100:4). God condemns ingrates: "... for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience" (Eph. 5:6, ESV). Nowhere in Scripture are gratitude and faith equated, correlated, or juxtaposed as a measure or keynote of each other; however, faith and obedience are in Hebrews 3:18-19, NASB, as follows: "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief" (cf. Heb. 4:6, 11). Some translations mistranslated these verses and put in "unbelief" instead of "disobedience." James 2:18, NIV, says, "... and I will show you my faith by my deeds."
But the NASB and ESV are more literal and use what is functional equivalence; i.e., word for word translations not thought for thought. Faith and obedience are eternally equated in Romans 1:5 and 16:26 (that they might "come to the obedience that comes from faith," cf. NIV) and in Acts 6:4, "They were obedient to the faith."
Also, note that Dietrich Bonhoeffer said quite dogmatically, "Only he who believes is obedient; only he who is obedient believes." These two are definitely equated in the Word. Doctrinally speaking, the only proof of faith is obedience just as Christ admonished that if we love Him we will obey Him. Thanksgiving, even praise, can be signs of faith but not the ultimate litmus test, but obedience is the plumbline (cf. John 14:21). We don't have the law to obey but are measured by our obedience to the will of God (we are free in Christ but not free from God's will!), which is an easier yoke and we have the Spirit which bears witness with our spirit to give us peace. Clearly, obedience is the test: "... Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22, NKJV).
Jesus made it clear love would be the telltale sign of the believer (cf. John 13:35) and the world would know we are Christians by our love. Love is the distinguishing trait of our faith and its greatest contribution in charity, outreach, missions, evangelizing, and labor. Faith is what pleases God and its expression is love: "... The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (cf. Gal. 5:6, NIV). Soli Deo Gloria!
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
The Successful Church
This topic is problematic because everyone has their own idea or definition of success, and it isn't always the opposite of failure--there is wiggle room or spiritual no-man's-land where it is not definitive either way, but only a value judgment call by subjective members or observers. Success doesn't necessarily imply numbers or high membership rolls, though this may be an element or sign of success, as it keeps a tally on the numbers in Acts, for instance, going from 120 in the upper room to 5,000.
Some megachurches are failures at being what a church body is meant to be--a family, an organism and not an organization, and an open door to the Great Commission. If it isn't in the process of fulfilling the marching orders of the Great Commission, it is a failure. Numbers is a byproduct when we aim to do God's will, not when we specialize in gathering "crowds."
We must be able to participate and interact with fellowship and service in the body according to our gifts, and not just observe others doing the work of ministry and mission on our behalf. We are all called to be ministers of reconciliation and to contribute according to our unique gift or gifts and not be passive, but active in the church. And that implies we don't worship by proxy or vicariously.
The purpose of the church is given in the Great Commission to evangelize, equip for ministry, and build up the body of Christ to fulfill the mission to the world. The onus and responsibility for the Great Commission aren't just the pastor's but shared by all--each with a different gift, but the same Spirit. The church's job description involves discipleship, worship, and fellowship, and even one-on-one mentors.
Only when the body is functional and not ultimately dependent on any ONE gifted teacher or preacher, that even might have the charisma or be celebrated, do we have a genuine church--we don't want to build cult-like followings or personality cults, based on the teaching of one individual, no matter how gifted. Some megachurches are just crowds and you can get lost in the shuffle going there, being completely incognito or unnoticed. One should always wonder what he or she can contribute to the church's ministry to the believer or mission to the lost.
The church is to be obedient to God's Word and not try to focus on being like the world at large, or be the "church of what's happening now." There are many fads that spread throughout the body and some churches don't think they are in tune with the times if they don't follow the latest thing.
How does a church grow? By the faithful preaching of the gospel, the power is in the gospel message and it should never get old to preach or to hear. Paul strove to know nothing but Christ and Christ crucified. The lost should be able to come to the church assembly and be convicted and find out the way of salvation--this is the raison d'etre of the church!
The church's function is twofold: pastoral and prophetic to the body, while its ministry is to them, its mission is to the world. They should have a relative message to the world and an edifying message for the believer. Prophecy entails interpreting the times and making people aware of what's going on in the world, not foretelling, but forthtelling. This is because the church is the "pillar and ground of truth," according to 1 Tim. 3:15 (and all truth, according to Augustine, is God's truth), and Christians are to be the salt and light in the world, but not of it (cf. John 15:19).
Being faithful is more important in God's eyes than success in the eyes of the world; small churches can be successful because God can require some just to be faithful in little, according to their opportunities and gifts. The most important sign of a successful church is a church that is alive and vibrant and it is apparent that the Spirit is moving in the body and speaks through the preachers with edification. Jesus severely rebuked the church of Laodicea for being "lukewarm" or lackluster and lackadaisical in their worship, which was tepid and lacked spirit--We must worship "in spirit" (cf. John 4:24): "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
If people confess that they met God or that they sensed the moving of the Spirit during worship, God is alive in that church--there are many a moribund church that needs revival, on the other hand. If the individual members are healthy and walking with the Lord, the byproduct will be a healthy church. We want to be careful that we don't get so seeker-sensitive that people become converted to the program, instead of converted to Christ.
Don't ever lose track of keeping the main thing the main thing, our fulfillment of the Great Commission. This is why the social gospel is a misnomer, and we are not to turn stones into bread, to use metaphoric language. The church is in the business of changing lives through Jesus Christ and doing it one person at a time, and no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. It is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. and no perfect people need to apply.
Samuel said to Saul that "to obey was better than sacrifice" (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22f) and this means avoiding the Dance of the Pious or going through the motions. There are too many Christians "playing church" and even see it solely as a social event and/or opportunity to make friends. We are to obey in spirit and in truth and according to the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law, as in legalism. God is still looking for that church willing to do His will--trust and obey. This can only be done when believers realize their duty doesn't end at church attendance; which is one of the biggest misconceptions in the body. Caveat: the church should never get complacent and feel it's arrived at success--there's always room for improvement; perfection is the standard, the direction is the test.
The purpose of the church is manifold and is accomplished corporately and to be done as a family united in Christ: The mission of the Great Commission consists of a mission to the outsider or lost (evangelism), discipleship of members and attendees of the corporate body, and ministry or exercise of the gifts (including preaching or pastoral/prophetic gifts) to the church body, while observing the Great Commandment that necessitates worship of God (loving God) and mission to the lost (loving our neighbor) or what's called turning stones into bread, but not without keeping the main thing the main thing and eyes off the mission, for without vision (i.e., the mission statement or goal) the people perish (cf. Prov. 29:18). It has been well said that a great Christian has a great commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment., which define the fivefold function of the church (worship, mission, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism). Soli Deo Gloria!
Some megachurches are failures at being what a church body is meant to be--a family, an organism and not an organization, and an open door to the Great Commission. If it isn't in the process of fulfilling the marching orders of the Great Commission, it is a failure. Numbers is a byproduct when we aim to do God's will, not when we specialize in gathering "crowds."
We must be able to participate and interact with fellowship and service in the body according to our gifts, and not just observe others doing the work of ministry and mission on our behalf. We are all called to be ministers of reconciliation and to contribute according to our unique gift or gifts and not be passive, but active in the church. And that implies we don't worship by proxy or vicariously.
The purpose of the church is given in the Great Commission to evangelize, equip for ministry, and build up the body of Christ to fulfill the mission to the world. The onus and responsibility for the Great Commission aren't just the pastor's but shared by all--each with a different gift, but the same Spirit. The church's job description involves discipleship, worship, and fellowship, and even one-on-one mentors.
Only when the body is functional and not ultimately dependent on any ONE gifted teacher or preacher, that even might have the charisma or be celebrated, do we have a genuine church--we don't want to build cult-like followings or personality cults, based on the teaching of one individual, no matter how gifted. Some megachurches are just crowds and you can get lost in the shuffle going there, being completely incognito or unnoticed. One should always wonder what he or she can contribute to the church's ministry to the believer or mission to the lost.
The church is to be obedient to God's Word and not try to focus on being like the world at large, or be the "church of what's happening now." There are many fads that spread throughout the body and some churches don't think they are in tune with the times if they don't follow the latest thing.
How does a church grow? By the faithful preaching of the gospel, the power is in the gospel message and it should never get old to preach or to hear. Paul strove to know nothing but Christ and Christ crucified. The lost should be able to come to the church assembly and be convicted and find out the way of salvation--this is the raison d'etre of the church!
The church's function is twofold: pastoral and prophetic to the body, while its ministry is to them, its mission is to the world. They should have a relative message to the world and an edifying message for the believer. Prophecy entails interpreting the times and making people aware of what's going on in the world, not foretelling, but forthtelling. This is because the church is the "pillar and ground of truth," according to 1 Tim. 3:15 (and all truth, according to Augustine, is God's truth), and Christians are to be the salt and light in the world, but not of it (cf. John 15:19).
Being faithful is more important in God's eyes than success in the eyes of the world; small churches can be successful because God can require some just to be faithful in little, according to their opportunities and gifts. The most important sign of a successful church is a church that is alive and vibrant and it is apparent that the Spirit is moving in the body and speaks through the preachers with edification. Jesus severely rebuked the church of Laodicea for being "lukewarm" or lackluster and lackadaisical in their worship, which was tepid and lacked spirit--We must worship "in spirit" (cf. John 4:24): "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
If people confess that they met God or that they sensed the moving of the Spirit during worship, God is alive in that church--there are many a moribund church that needs revival, on the other hand. If the individual members are healthy and walking with the Lord, the byproduct will be a healthy church. We want to be careful that we don't get so seeker-sensitive that people become converted to the program, instead of converted to Christ.
Don't ever lose track of keeping the main thing the main thing, our fulfillment of the Great Commission. This is why the social gospel is a misnomer, and we are not to turn stones into bread, to use metaphoric language. The church is in the business of changing lives through Jesus Christ and doing it one person at a time, and no one is beyond the reach of God's grace. It is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints. and no perfect people need to apply.
Samuel said to Saul that "to obey was better than sacrifice" (cf. 1 Samuel 15:22f) and this means avoiding the Dance of the Pious or going through the motions. There are too many Christians "playing church" and even see it solely as a social event and/or opportunity to make friends. We are to obey in spirit and in truth and according to the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law, as in legalism. God is still looking for that church willing to do His will--trust and obey. This can only be done when believers realize their duty doesn't end at church attendance; which is one of the biggest misconceptions in the body. Caveat: the church should never get complacent and feel it's arrived at success--there's always room for improvement; perfection is the standard, the direction is the test.
The purpose of the church is manifold and is accomplished corporately and to be done as a family united in Christ: The mission of the Great Commission consists of a mission to the outsider or lost (evangelism), discipleship of members and attendees of the corporate body, and ministry or exercise of the gifts (including preaching or pastoral/prophetic gifts) to the church body, while observing the Great Commandment that necessitates worship of God (loving God) and mission to the lost (loving our neighbor) or what's called turning stones into bread, but not without keeping the main thing the main thing and eyes off the mission, for without vision (i.e., the mission statement or goal) the people perish (cf. Prov. 29:18). It has been well said that a great Christian has a great commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment., which define the fivefold function of the church (worship, mission, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism). Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, May 12, 2019
The Wonderful Spirit-energized Life
"Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:17-18, ESV).
"[F]or we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7, ESV).
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25, ESV).
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7, ESV).
"TRUE HOLINESS CONSISTS OF DOING THE WILL OF GOD WITH A SMILE." --MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA, CANONIZED AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER
All Christians have the power to walk in the Spirit with the Lord all the days of their lives, not just in church or among their friends and fellow believers--but even with the sinner! "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (cf. Gen. 6:9). That would look good on any resume! Likewise, "Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him"--he was translated into heaven like being raptured! To enjoy a continuing, ongoing, progressive fellowship with God the Father and God the Son through the resident Spirit is a blessing and privilege all believers share. It is good that Jesus left us the legacy of the Spirit so we would learn to lean on Him and realize we are actually better off that way than if He were still residing on earth. He promised not to leave us "orphans" but to send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit! Few believers avail themselves of the fullness of the Spirit and find their otherwise unrealized potential.
We all have an innate ability to walk with God and are commanded to continually be filled with the Spirit from Day One of our salvation. To do this we must keep short accounts with God and readily confess all known sin as we get convicted, not letting them get stacked up and having a backlog or spiritual "docket." Martin Luther mentioned progressive repentance in his Ninety-Five Theses as his first objection! In God's economy, emptying comes before filling and repentance before faith; they go hand in hand: if one doesn't believe, repentance is to blame; if one can't repent, belief is the issue! All in all, it's not always how big our faith but how thorough our repentance. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear" (cf. Psa. 66:18). We must come clean and fully surrender! We don't have permission to live in the flesh, but a new power and energy to live in the Spirit!
The genuine Spirit-filled believer isn't one who goes by feeling or walks about on Cloud Nine or on some perpetual, religious high, but must learn to lean on his faith in times of testing and trial, for his faith must be tested, being more precious than silver or gold. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote a book entitled He That is Spiritual in 1918 that was a bombshell in the doctrinal schools because he introduced the terminology of carnal believers as a separate class of believer (i.e., not spiritual).
There is no dichotomy in the body, for all believers are spiritual and all are subject to becoming carnal or getting out of fellowship or falling into temporary sin unless confessed. A believer who thinks it's all right to live in a carnal lifestyle needs to repent and surrender to the lordship of Christ, not just call himself carnal.
But one thing is certain, Jesus left us the legacy of peace in turmoil and faith to move mountains as it were. We are more than conquerors in the power of the Spirit as a fringe benefit of salvation. The primary perk of salvation is inner peace with God and oneself. It is a proven fact that one can face any trial if one has peace about it!
In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is the primary manifestation of the Spirit-filled Christian. We are to become fruit inspectors of our fruit and we also are to know others by their fruits! These two are different meanings of fruit since we judge others by their actions since we cannot see their thinking and heart's condition. False teachers will be exposed by their fruit or deeds!
It is a known fact that those who know their God are able to do great exploits in His name and have great energy for God (cf. Dan. 11:32). Having great thoughts of praise for God is another sign of filling (cf. Dan. 4:35). Spirit-filled believers display boldness for God and are content in their relationship, as we stand up for the truth and fly our Christian colors and realize that God meets all our needs in Christ so that He will give us everything we need to do His will (cf. Phil. 4:19).
Athanasius is known as taking such a stand against Arianism that he said he'd be "Athanasius contra mundum" if the whole world embraced the heresy. It is oh so very important to be vigilant of heresy creeping into the church! Likewise, Ignatius and Polycarp, two disciples of John the Elder, gave up their lives as martyrs rather than do homage to the emperor Trajan.
When you hate your life without Christ and only live for the glory of God you are being filled. With Christ at the helm, life is worth the risk and the venture. Just like Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ..." (cf. Phil. 1:21). That's the essence of spirituality: to not think or dwell on ourselves, but to be overcome with thoughts of Christ and to be obsessed with divine thoughts from the Spirit, not selfishness--we don't think less of ourselves, but of ourselves less! We live for the glory of God to be displayed in us as His vessels of honor!
In the power of the Spirit, we find that energy to do His will that cannot be done in the energy of the flesh! We have the power of God at work within us both to do and to will of His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13). In fact, everything done solely in the flesh is in vain and cannot be rewarded! Paul would boast of nothing but of what Christ accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18). The world may ask us, "Where do we get our strength?" Our answer must be that we have a secret: We can do all things through Him who strengthens us! (Cf. Phil. 4:13). The Christian life is not hard, it's been said, but impossible! We must learn to seek His face and find God's strength to do His bidding. That power resides inside us because we all possess the same Spirit, and it's not how much of the Spirit you have, but how much of you He has! John 15:5 says that apart from Christ we can do nothing!
That's why the Spirit is called the Comforter and the Paraclete, or the One called alongside. We must learn by experience how God speaks to us and to realize that the primary M.O. is the Word of God and our relationship to the Word is an indicator of how in tune we are to His will. We are all anointed by the Spirit (cf. 1 John 2:20-21) and need no one to teach us these things if we only get into the Word God will illuminate it for us. One telltale sign of the apostles was that when they were filled with the Spirit they spoke the Word of God with boldness. The Spirit-filled believer has his antennae sensitized to the Word and realizes when God is speaking to him through it by conviction and enlightenment. He will open our eyes to wonderful things in the Word!
Only the power of the Spirit transforming their lives can explain the way the apostles turned the Roman world topsy-turvy! That was the biggest miracle to witness--their conversions from cowards to bold witnesses for the resurrection. Today we don't so much as witness the resurrection but we do see the miracles of transformed lives and what God can do. We must realize that what He's done for others He can do for us!
Our prayer ought to be: Just a closer walk with Jesus! Richard of Chichester prayed to help people "to know Jesus Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly." Job was admonished: "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee" (cf. Job 22:21, KJV). Brother Lawrence, a monk in a French Carmelite monastery in the seventeenth century, practiced the presence of God throughout the day no matter what he did, even washing dishes according to his book, The Practice of the Presence of God.
We must realize the divine order of events: fact, faith, feeling! We must first get our thinking straightened out and know right to think right, then we are equipped to do the right thing, and finally, we will reap the benefits of feeling right! A good litmus test is having peace as Christ's legacy (cf. John 14:27). We must rejoice in the Lord always as Habakkuk said, "[Y]et I will rejoice in the LORD..." (Hab. 3:18, ESV). And Nehemiah said, "... [F]or the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10, ESV).
NB: THE ONLY HINDRANCE TO ENJOYING THE WONDERFUL SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS THE AMOUNT OF YOUR SURRENDER, AND IN HOW CLOSELY YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROMPTINGS OF THE SPIRIT TO DO GOD'S WILL. TEST THE SPIRIT: IS THERE A SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING AND OF PRAISE TO GOD? WHEN WE GET OUR EYES OFF OURSELVES AND DWELL ON THE GLORY OF GOD IT HUMBLES US!
CAVEAT: DON'T ASSOCIATE THE FILLING WITH FEELINGS PER SE, THEY MAY ACCOMPANY IT AND MAY NOT FOR GOD REQUIRES US TO WALK BY FAITH AND STEP OUT IN FAITH TRUSTING THAT HE'S WITH US TO EMPOWER US. ("BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED!") Soli Deo Gloria!
"[F]or we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7, ESV).
"If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25, ESV).
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7, ESV).
"TRUE HOLINESS CONSISTS OF DOING THE WILL OF GOD WITH A SMILE." --MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA, CANONIZED AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER
All Christians have the power to walk in the Spirit with the Lord all the days of their lives, not just in church or among their friends and fellow believers--but even with the sinner! "Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (cf. Gen. 6:9). That would look good on any resume! Likewise, "Enoch walked with God, and was not, for God took him"--he was translated into heaven like being raptured! To enjoy a continuing, ongoing, progressive fellowship with God the Father and God the Son through the resident Spirit is a blessing and privilege all believers share. It is good that Jesus left us the legacy of the Spirit so we would learn to lean on Him and realize we are actually better off that way than if He were still residing on earth. He promised not to leave us "orphans" but to send another Comforter, the Holy Spirit! Few believers avail themselves of the fullness of the Spirit and find their otherwise unrealized potential.
We all have an innate ability to walk with God and are commanded to continually be filled with the Spirit from Day One of our salvation. To do this we must keep short accounts with God and readily confess all known sin as we get convicted, not letting them get stacked up and having a backlog or spiritual "docket." Martin Luther mentioned progressive repentance in his Ninety-Five Theses as his first objection! In God's economy, emptying comes before filling and repentance before faith; they go hand in hand: if one doesn't believe, repentance is to blame; if one can't repent, belief is the issue! All in all, it's not always how big our faith but how thorough our repentance. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear" (cf. Psa. 66:18). We must come clean and fully surrender! We don't have permission to live in the flesh, but a new power and energy to live in the Spirit!
The genuine Spirit-filled believer isn't one who goes by feeling or walks about on Cloud Nine or on some perpetual, religious high, but must learn to lean on his faith in times of testing and trial, for his faith must be tested, being more precious than silver or gold. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, wrote a book entitled He That is Spiritual in 1918 that was a bombshell in the doctrinal schools because he introduced the terminology of carnal believers as a separate class of believer (i.e., not spiritual).
There is no dichotomy in the body, for all believers are spiritual and all are subject to becoming carnal or getting out of fellowship or falling into temporary sin unless confessed. A believer who thinks it's all right to live in a carnal lifestyle needs to repent and surrender to the lordship of Christ, not just call himself carnal.
But one thing is certain, Jesus left us the legacy of peace in turmoil and faith to move mountains as it were. We are more than conquerors in the power of the Spirit as a fringe benefit of salvation. The primary perk of salvation is inner peace with God and oneself. It is a proven fact that one can face any trial if one has peace about it!
In other words, the fruit of the Spirit is the primary manifestation of the Spirit-filled Christian. We are to become fruit inspectors of our fruit and we also are to know others by their fruits! These two are different meanings of fruit since we judge others by their actions since we cannot see their thinking and heart's condition. False teachers will be exposed by their fruit or deeds!
It is a known fact that those who know their God are able to do great exploits in His name and have great energy for God (cf. Dan. 11:32). Having great thoughts of praise for God is another sign of filling (cf. Dan. 4:35). Spirit-filled believers display boldness for God and are content in their relationship, as we stand up for the truth and fly our Christian colors and realize that God meets all our needs in Christ so that He will give us everything we need to do His will (cf. Phil. 4:19).
Athanasius is known as taking such a stand against Arianism that he said he'd be "Athanasius contra mundum" if the whole world embraced the heresy. It is oh so very important to be vigilant of heresy creeping into the church! Likewise, Ignatius and Polycarp, two disciples of John the Elder, gave up their lives as martyrs rather than do homage to the emperor Trajan.
When you hate your life without Christ and only live for the glory of God you are being filled. With Christ at the helm, life is worth the risk and the venture. Just like Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ..." (cf. Phil. 1:21). That's the essence of spirituality: to not think or dwell on ourselves, but to be overcome with thoughts of Christ and to be obsessed with divine thoughts from the Spirit, not selfishness--we don't think less of ourselves, but of ourselves less! We live for the glory of God to be displayed in us as His vessels of honor!
In the power of the Spirit, we find that energy to do His will that cannot be done in the energy of the flesh! We have the power of God at work within us both to do and to will of His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13). In fact, everything done solely in the flesh is in vain and cannot be rewarded! Paul would boast of nothing but of what Christ accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18). The world may ask us, "Where do we get our strength?" Our answer must be that we have a secret: We can do all things through Him who strengthens us! (Cf. Phil. 4:13). The Christian life is not hard, it's been said, but impossible! We must learn to seek His face and find God's strength to do His bidding. That power resides inside us because we all possess the same Spirit, and it's not how much of the Spirit you have, but how much of you He has! John 15:5 says that apart from Christ we can do nothing!
That's why the Spirit is called the Comforter and the Paraclete, or the One called alongside. We must learn by experience how God speaks to us and to realize that the primary M.O. is the Word of God and our relationship to the Word is an indicator of how in tune we are to His will. We are all anointed by the Spirit (cf. 1 John 2:20-21) and need no one to teach us these things if we only get into the Word God will illuminate it for us. One telltale sign of the apostles was that when they were filled with the Spirit they spoke the Word of God with boldness. The Spirit-filled believer has his antennae sensitized to the Word and realizes when God is speaking to him through it by conviction and enlightenment. He will open our eyes to wonderful things in the Word!
Only the power of the Spirit transforming their lives can explain the way the apostles turned the Roman world topsy-turvy! That was the biggest miracle to witness--their conversions from cowards to bold witnesses for the resurrection. Today we don't so much as witness the resurrection but we do see the miracles of transformed lives and what God can do. We must realize that what He's done for others He can do for us!
Our prayer ought to be: Just a closer walk with Jesus! Richard of Chichester prayed to help people "to know Jesus Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly." Job was admonished: "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee" (cf. Job 22:21, KJV). Brother Lawrence, a monk in a French Carmelite monastery in the seventeenth century, practiced the presence of God throughout the day no matter what he did, even washing dishes according to his book, The Practice of the Presence of God.
We must realize the divine order of events: fact, faith, feeling! We must first get our thinking straightened out and know right to think right, then we are equipped to do the right thing, and finally, we will reap the benefits of feeling right! A good litmus test is having peace as Christ's legacy (cf. John 14:27). We must rejoice in the Lord always as Habakkuk said, "[Y]et I will rejoice in the LORD..." (Hab. 3:18, ESV). And Nehemiah said, "... [F]or the joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10, ESV).
NB: THE ONLY HINDRANCE TO ENJOYING THE WONDERFUL SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS THE AMOUNT OF YOUR SURRENDER, AND IN HOW CLOSELY YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROMPTINGS OF THE SPIRIT TO DO GOD'S WILL. TEST THE SPIRIT: IS THERE A SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING AND OF PRAISE TO GOD? WHEN WE GET OUR EYES OFF OURSELVES AND DWELL ON THE GLORY OF GOD IT HUMBLES US!
CAVEAT: DON'T ASSOCIATE THE FILLING WITH FEELINGS PER SE, THEY MAY ACCOMPANY IT AND MAY NOT FOR GOD REQUIRES US TO WALK BY FAITH AND STEP OUT IN FAITH TRUSTING THAT HE'S WITH US TO EMPOWER US. ("BY FAITH ABRAHAM OBEYED!") Soli Deo Gloria!
The Church With A Reputation
"... When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up" (1 Cor. 14:26, ESV).
"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psa. 122:1, KJV).
"[F]or there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized" (1 Cor. 11:19, ESV).
NB: ALL CHURCHES HAVE A REPUTATION; THE JURY MAY STILL BE OUT AS TO WHAT KIND THOUGH! SPURGEON WAS RIGHT: THE CHURCH HAS SO LITTLE INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS SO MUCH INFLUENCE ON THE CHURCH! ALSO, THERE IS A SOCIAL COMMISSION ONLY IN LIGHT OF BEING THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD--WE MUST NOT TURN STONES INTO BREAD AND NOT MEET SPIRITUAL NEEDS AS GOD OPENS DOORS.
Sardis, the church mentioned in the Book of Revelation, had a reputation that it was alive; but it was dead! Even today many people mistake the church's vitality and life because of its "social gospel". They are "turning stones into bread" and not preaching the Word in tandem. We ought not to get a reputation of do-goodery! Even Christ didn't want to get the reputation of being a miracle worker. They are meant to go hand in hand! The Spirit-filled (energized) and consecrated church bears fruit and has a witness to the outsider that it is against sin and for Christ--it will take a stand lest it loses its focus by default. Christ through the church offers hope to a lost world!
The Bible says that we ought to preach the Word in season and out, and the gospel is always relevant, front and center. They keep the main thing the main thing and encourage members to get with the program. This can only be accomplished by the power of the Spirit: "... Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (cf. Zech. 4:6, ESV). But what we seem to see in the Evangelical Right is a loss of its bearings to forget about the moral compass of the rule of law it must set, and not keeping the main thing the main thing--we are salt and light, not the sanitizer of the world! The church's calling and mission is to complete the Great Commission, not to get sidetracked with a political agenda. Baptists traditionally and firmly adhere to the belief of separation of church and state, as one theologian said, when they are joined, "it's good for the state but bad for the church!"
A church can have quite the reputation and be dead spiritually, even a megachurch or media empire can become apostate or heretical! But authentic fellowships are organisms, not organizations. We can be edified in a crowd, for instance, but not be able to function in our capacity as believers using our spiritual gifts. The church must become a living entity and that means spiritual growth: life means growth and removal of what's dead! This doesn't necessarily mean growth in members! One must not compare ministries and size isn't the measuring stick. There will always be those who "play" church and go through the motions as they "nod to God" once a week singing "Onward Christian Soldiers," then go AWOL on Monday.
God clearly condemns lip service and halfhearted worship. We must "worship the Father in spirit and in truth"--that means being filled with the Spirit and with integrity and correctness of doctrine--not heresy. We must know the Author of the book we are reading and studying, and not for academic reasons. Even though doctrine is important, it's not everything (necessary, but not sufficient), one's heart must be in the right place. We must not give place to faction and contention over disputable points and gray areas, and reason from the Scriptures as the arbiter of truth and final word of authority. Sectarianism is a sin: As Augustine's dictum says, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
The vibrant church isn't for socializing: we attend for fellowship, worship, edification, discipline, getting our spiritual batteries charged and energized, taking spiritual inventory, getting a spiritual check-up, and the opportunity to serve with our gift. The functional church displays the gifts of the Spirit as people enjoy each other and submit to one another in the Lord as unto Christ; i.e., no one lords it over the others, but in love preferring one another.
Love is manifest and people will say, "Behold, how they love one another." They will know we are Christians by our love, not our bottom line or 401(k)! Sinners attending a sound church will get convicted and not feel comfortable in their sin, but they will realize they don't have to live in it but can have a way through life without sin controlling them. Different strokes for different folks; i.e., different denominations. In sum, we never should judge one another for their experience with the Lord or church affiliation; for there's no one-size-fits-all for worship! (No church can claim a monopoly on truth or doctrine.) Soli Deo Gloria!
"I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the LORD" (Psa. 122:1, KJV).
"[F]or there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized" (1 Cor. 11:19, ESV).
NB: ALL CHURCHES HAVE A REPUTATION; THE JURY MAY STILL BE OUT AS TO WHAT KIND THOUGH! SPURGEON WAS RIGHT: THE CHURCH HAS SO LITTLE INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD BECAUSE THE WORLD HAS SO MUCH INFLUENCE ON THE CHURCH! ALSO, THERE IS A SOCIAL COMMISSION ONLY IN LIGHT OF BEING THE SALT AND LIGHT OF THE WORLD--WE MUST NOT TURN STONES INTO BREAD AND NOT MEET SPIRITUAL NEEDS AS GOD OPENS DOORS.
Sardis, the church mentioned in the Book of Revelation, had a reputation that it was alive; but it was dead! Even today many people mistake the church's vitality and life because of its "social gospel". They are "turning stones into bread" and not preaching the Word in tandem. We ought not to get a reputation of do-goodery! Even Christ didn't want to get the reputation of being a miracle worker. They are meant to go hand in hand! The Spirit-filled (energized) and consecrated church bears fruit and has a witness to the outsider that it is against sin and for Christ--it will take a stand lest it loses its focus by default. Christ through the church offers hope to a lost world!
The Bible says that we ought to preach the Word in season and out, and the gospel is always relevant, front and center. They keep the main thing the main thing and encourage members to get with the program. This can only be accomplished by the power of the Spirit: "... Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts" (cf. Zech. 4:6, ESV). But what we seem to see in the Evangelical Right is a loss of its bearings to forget about the moral compass of the rule of law it must set, and not keeping the main thing the main thing--we are salt and light, not the sanitizer of the world! The church's calling and mission is to complete the Great Commission, not to get sidetracked with a political agenda. Baptists traditionally and firmly adhere to the belief of separation of church and state, as one theologian said, when they are joined, "it's good for the state but bad for the church!"
A church can have quite the reputation and be dead spiritually, even a megachurch or media empire can become apostate or heretical! But authentic fellowships are organisms, not organizations. We can be edified in a crowd, for instance, but not be able to function in our capacity as believers using our spiritual gifts. The church must become a living entity and that means spiritual growth: life means growth and removal of what's dead! This doesn't necessarily mean growth in members! One must not compare ministries and size isn't the measuring stick. There will always be those who "play" church and go through the motions as they "nod to God" once a week singing "Onward Christian Soldiers," then go AWOL on Monday.
God clearly condemns lip service and halfhearted worship. We must "worship the Father in spirit and in truth"--that means being filled with the Spirit and with integrity and correctness of doctrine--not heresy. We must know the Author of the book we are reading and studying, and not for academic reasons. Even though doctrine is important, it's not everything (necessary, but not sufficient), one's heart must be in the right place. We must not give place to faction and contention over disputable points and gray areas, and reason from the Scriptures as the arbiter of truth and final word of authority. Sectarianism is a sin: As Augustine's dictum says, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."
The vibrant church isn't for socializing: we attend for fellowship, worship, edification, discipline, getting our spiritual batteries charged and energized, taking spiritual inventory, getting a spiritual check-up, and the opportunity to serve with our gift. The functional church displays the gifts of the Spirit as people enjoy each other and submit to one another in the Lord as unto Christ; i.e., no one lords it over the others, but in love preferring one another.
Love is manifest and people will say, "Behold, how they love one another." They will know we are Christians by our love, not our bottom line or 401(k)! Sinners attending a sound church will get convicted and not feel comfortable in their sin, but they will realize they don't have to live in it but can have a way through life without sin controlling them. Different strokes for different folks; i.e., different denominations. In sum, we never should judge one another for their experience with the Lord or church affiliation; for there's no one-size-fits-all for worship! (No church can claim a monopoly on truth or doctrine.) Soli Deo Gloria!
Getting Something Out Of Church
Most believers go to church for the wrong reason: For comfort; for fellowship; for making friends; for spreading their agenda or ministry; for music; for a sermon; ad infinitum. We may go to church for the wrong motive, but we ought, nevertheless, go: "Let us not abandon the assembling together of ourselves as is the manner of some (cf. Heb. 10:25), but encourage one another." Today, the typical Christian will die for a church he won't attend! God wants us to have the right motives, but can work with us even if our motives are wrong--He wants us in church and that is where we belong.
The church is an organism (a living entity) and not just an organization or a business run by some well-intentioned do-gooders. All the members need each other and no one has all the gifts necessary to make the body function. We all bring our gifts to share with the body or family we are part of and contribute as God has equipped us (cf. 1 Cor. 14:26). Our gifts are for the edification of the body, and not to be selfishly used for our own service or profits. We do not peddle the Word of God but make it available without price and without cost. Our ministry is to the body and in another vein, our mission is to the unchurched or unbeliever.
Someone might say, "I didn't get anything out of worship today!" That person went for the wrong intent and needs to examine his motives and heart and the doctrines pertaining to the church's raison d'etre. Christ established the church for the edification of the body and the dissemination of the gospel message to the world at large. The church's primary goal is to fulfill the Great Commission.
When you go to church do you feel better equipped to do that? You may need a spiritual workout or even a checkup!
Worship isn't passive, but active, it is contradictory to listen to worship because worship is giving and not receiving. It is an invitation to worship and an opportunity to prepare our hearts. And God has commanded all creation to worship its Creator and corporate worship can only be done in the assembly of believers known as the local church. There is a special presence of Christ when two or three are gathered together in His name.
The key to worship is surrender and the more one loves God, the more he has to give in worship--there must be a relationship there to build on. In God's economy, the way to be filled is to be emptied first! Some churches teach that there should be no holds barred in worship and everyone should feel free to be as spiritual as they are inclined to be and not inhibited or concerned about what others think, but the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all worship service and everyone is at a different "stage" or phase, in there spiritual journey and walk in the Lord, and we cannot compare ourselves with each other. "Everything should be done decently and in order," (God is not the author of confusion).
Everything we do in church is worship: Singing spiritual songs and hymns; giving of our tithes and offerings; fellowshipping and reaching out to others; serving with our gift, and even listening to the sermon is worship! "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).
We go to church to contribute something of our spiritual gift and to receive from other's gifts in exchange--it is mutual and we need each other; no one is an island to himself. We only get what we put into it and we shouldn't go unprepared, like showing up without any spiritual preparation or devotion. We all can minister to one another and reach out to those in need with our gift.
Finally, to get the most out of worship, we must empty ourselves, or stop dwelling on ourselves, and get our eyes on Jesus. The gateway is to focus on others and not be self-centered but reach out in love to one another. Emptying comes before filling, and being filled with the Spirit is imperative because worship is unnatural and we can only do it in Spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).
To conclude: We are to be active listeners: Listening with a purpose like we want to learn and be challenged. We don't go to church solely to hear a wonderful sermon and get uplifted, but that may be part of the equation of well-balanced church attendance. This may involve taking notes or discussing the sermons afterward--anything that reinforces it and it doesn't end up in oblivion after church. You will find that the more in the Word you are the more interesting you will find the sermons and the ability to follow them critically and positively. God commands our respect and attention, and it is sacrilegious to purposely be a distraction and cause others to lose focus on the message. Remember, God has anointed the minister and has something in mind for you to learn and apply directly to your life. Soli Deo Gloria!
The church is an organism (a living entity) and not just an organization or a business run by some well-intentioned do-gooders. All the members need each other and no one has all the gifts necessary to make the body function. We all bring our gifts to share with the body or family we are part of and contribute as God has equipped us (cf. 1 Cor. 14:26). Our gifts are for the edification of the body, and not to be selfishly used for our own service or profits. We do not peddle the Word of God but make it available without price and without cost. Our ministry is to the body and in another vein, our mission is to the unchurched or unbeliever.
Someone might say, "I didn't get anything out of worship today!" That person went for the wrong intent and needs to examine his motives and heart and the doctrines pertaining to the church's raison d'etre. Christ established the church for the edification of the body and the dissemination of the gospel message to the world at large. The church's primary goal is to fulfill the Great Commission.
When you go to church do you feel better equipped to do that? You may need a spiritual workout or even a checkup!
Worship isn't passive, but active, it is contradictory to listen to worship because worship is giving and not receiving. It is an invitation to worship and an opportunity to prepare our hearts. And God has commanded all creation to worship its Creator and corporate worship can only be done in the assembly of believers known as the local church. There is a special presence of Christ when two or three are gathered together in His name.
The key to worship is surrender and the more one loves God, the more he has to give in worship--there must be a relationship there to build on. In God's economy, the way to be filled is to be emptied first! Some churches teach that there should be no holds barred in worship and everyone should feel free to be as spiritual as they are inclined to be and not inhibited or concerned about what others think, but the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all worship service and everyone is at a different "stage" or phase, in there spiritual journey and walk in the Lord, and we cannot compare ourselves with each other. "Everything should be done decently and in order," (God is not the author of confusion).
Everything we do in church is worship: Singing spiritual songs and hymns; giving of our tithes and offerings; fellowshipping and reaching out to others; serving with our gift, and even listening to the sermon is worship! "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22).
We go to church to contribute something of our spiritual gift and to receive from other's gifts in exchange--it is mutual and we need each other; no one is an island to himself. We only get what we put into it and we shouldn't go unprepared, like showing up without any spiritual preparation or devotion. We all can minister to one another and reach out to those in need with our gift.
Finally, to get the most out of worship, we must empty ourselves, or stop dwelling on ourselves, and get our eyes on Jesus. The gateway is to focus on others and not be self-centered but reach out in love to one another. Emptying comes before filling, and being filled with the Spirit is imperative because worship is unnatural and we can only do it in Spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:24).
To conclude: We are to be active listeners: Listening with a purpose like we want to learn and be challenged. We don't go to church solely to hear a wonderful sermon and get uplifted, but that may be part of the equation of well-balanced church attendance. This may involve taking notes or discussing the sermons afterward--anything that reinforces it and it doesn't end up in oblivion after church. You will find that the more in the Word you are the more interesting you will find the sermons and the ability to follow them critically and positively. God commands our respect and attention, and it is sacrilegious to purposely be a distraction and cause others to lose focus on the message. Remember, God has anointed the minister and has something in mind for you to learn and apply directly to your life. Soli Deo Gloria!
The Seeker-sensitive Church
The church is "the pillar and ground of truth," not a safe haven for the lost and happy place for the sinner, who must become convicted and find the truth. The church is not to be consumer-driven or aim to please everyone and become all things to all people. It can be sound in its doctrine and still miss the boat (it's necessary but not sufficient), for the most important goal is to have the heart in the right place, not to have one's doctrine impeccably correct, which can become a source of pride and faction. Seekers are not to become comfortable in their sin, but not feel singled out and judged by the members. Church is always in a state of renewal and reform; hence, the slogan of the Reformers: Semper reformanda or always reforming. Martin Luther said he had only begun his reforms when dying.
The marching orders of the church should always be front and center and the biblical evangel is never to be neglected, keeping the main thing the main thing--the fulfilling of the Great Commission. The church has a duty to preach the Word and to disciple the family that gathers for spiritual renewal and checkups and to exercise their gifts. Church should throw out the welcome mat to sinners and be ready to accept people for who they are, after all, it's a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints, and no perfect people need to apply. Remembering that Christ loved us while we were yet sinners and enemies of the cross! We learn to love by showing it to those in need of it and the most difficult recipients. Christ is the friend of sinners and those who realize their sin are on the road to recovery and salvation. But this doesn't mean the preaching ought to be watered down, dumbed down, nor its gospel domesticated and contextualized to suit the fancy of the listeners. Let God do the convicting and He will!
The church is more than an organization; it's an organism of a body that functions in a synergistic manner as a family to fulfill the Great Commission. The body together can accomplish more than individuals can solo. The evangelical church has become The Church of What's Happening Now doing its own thing, trying to be popular and see how big a crowd it can amass. What the latest thing is and seems to be the focus is being all things to all people, and not the gospel message. We don't go to church for socializing, but fellowshipping, worshiping, edification, discipling, and ministering--basically getting our spiritual batteries charged and our growth assessed and appraised as we examine ourselves and take a spiritual inventory. We are there to prepare for the Lord's battle and get equipped for our mission to the lost.
The truly seeker-sensitive church is one where the truth is preached and defended, not where it's watered down and avoided. The sinner needs to hear the gospel which should be the consummation and finale of every sermon. Church is to be the hospital for saints and those who realize their sin. Outreach starts with the truth being preached as the expository Word of God. Preachers ought to be biblicists of the first order--men of the Book--who rely on the Word and the Spirit, not their own acumen, scholarship, talents, academic training, for many preachers have been effective without seminary training, e.g., Spurgeon, Moody. God always honors the preaching of the Word which will not come back void and be used to God's glory to convict and edify. Doctrine is important for vitality, but church shouldn't be content just to be doctrinally correct and pure--orthopraxy (right actions) are just as important as orthodoxy (right belief).
Sinners ought not to be comfortable in their sin and realize they need salvation and came to the right place! Remember, the church is a functioning family and builds relationships, missions, and ministries. Whenever the body gathers in the name of Jesus, each member should feel free to exercise their gift and feel like themselves in their comfort zone. The seeker is the one who is out of his element and should be convicted of this. Megachurches often miss the point not seeing the church as a living, functioning body, and become some sort of a personality cult focusing on the preacher, who is more of an entrepreneur, and not the mission and gathering crowds, not families. If there is no opportunity for the member to serve, then he's in a crowd, not a ministering body that meets members needs and exercises the gifts. In a healthy church, there is a place for everyone and everyone feels welcome and part of the family! Soli Deo Gloria!
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