November 12, 2008

The No God Move

Posted by Brad under News, Scripture
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The American Humanist Association unveiled its new $40,000 campaign to open people’s minds to rational thought in Washington D.C. this week by putting ads on metro buses about there is no God. I3_61_111108_busad1_320t implies for people to be “good for goodness sake”. It seems that human thought is that the good outweighs the bad.

Our culture wants to do as it wished with no responsibility or consequences. We even see this in the modern day church as many try to alleviate the Word of God from influence by replacing it with other activities. But for the culture in general, we seem to be headed down a path far more dangerous with no moral guidelines making our decision. If there is no ‘god’ then who do we have to answer to? We can live as we wish without fear of punishment, at least that’s the message I get from this group.

In our family catechism it is asked, Ought every one to believe there is a God? Yes, of course in Hebrews 11:6, Psalms 14:1 the scriptures share with us the reasons. How may we know there is a God? The light of nature and the works of God plainly declare there is a God (Romans 1:19, 20; Psalms 19:1-3; Acts 17:24) but His Word and Spirit only do it fully and effectually for the salvation of sinners (I Cor 2:10; 2 Timothy 3:15,16)

All we can do as believers is teach the Word of God. It opens the eyes of sinners to the hope of the gospel. The world, however, continues to believe in humanistic approach of relative thinking that the good in man is better than the hope in God. Our nation seems bent towards this direction.

 

November 4, 2008

House Church - Part 2 - Giving

Posted by Brad under Scripture, Theological
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The ‘offering’ in our house church is simple. We have a small box where people put their offering is at any time, before or after the service. We don’t practice any special method in doing this. Beside the offering box is the statements of the bank account. Everyone, if they chose, can look and see the expenses and deposits for the past month. We believe in being above reproach in matters of this nature. Because there is so much corruption that abounds today we want to be sure there is no ambiguity in the financial portion of our church.

WHAT WE DO WITH OUR OFFERING

Obviously we pay for any expenses incured, supplies, etc. for our services. We have a small donation to the host family for the month, donate to other ministries and missionaries. Our main reason and understanding for giving comes from Acts 2:45, 4:34,35. We find the scripture says in Acts 2:45 “And sold their possessions and goods, and parted to all men, as every man had need.” Now we are not to sell all we have in today’s terms but we are to give to those in our community of believers. If a family has a need that worships with you, shouldn’t we be giving and helping that family? Yes, I believe we should. Many are spending thousands of dollars on programs, yet, a single mom in the church needs her a/c fixed. We want to be able to meet the needs, not wants, of the family of God. In Acts 4:34 “Neither was there any of them that lacked need…” and the believers came together to meet that need. I have been involved in churches where more was spent on fertilizer for the cemetary than mission needs.

We want to be good stewards of God’s money. We want to be able to minister to people by meeting their needs and if they are not beleivers, then to be able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. One of our men recently was able to identify a need where a lady’s children had no jacket. She was working 40 hours a week, recently divorced with no help from her ex-husband. He called me and shared what God had laid upon his heart to help her buy her kids a jacked and shoes. We were blessed to be able to do that. We always want to be able to help. None of use are expemt from losing “all” we have at any given moment.

Its good to be able to know that as beleivers we can come together and give and by giving be able to help each other and those as God directs us to.

 

October 29, 2008

House Church - Part 1 - Numbers

Posted by Brad under Scripture, Theological
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Almost all that we do in life is based upon numbers. We determine the success of a church based upon the number of people that come. Maybe we don’t do so intentionally, but we do it. Many say numbers don’t matter but our philosophy is numbers based. Worship services, youth programs, men’s groups, women’s groups and choirs are all based upon numbers. There is comfort in large numbers if your numbers driven. I thought I was not numbers driven until I let numbers determine the success and failure of programs, then I realized I was numbers driven. It was not intentional but the culture had created this philosophy in me and it was not good.

That brings us to the question of house churches or family integrated churches. Basically the same I suppose, but house churches obviously meet in homes. Because most homes are just that homes, they are not designed to be hold only those determined to live there. Thus, fifty people in a home is probably not possible. We can fit into our home about 40 people in the basement area. But are numbers what were after? Not now. At first, yes I was but now, I realize it is not really about numbers but people, relationships, and driving each other to holiness and spiritual truth.

Our culture has driven people in the ministry to base God’s will of numbers. Lost in this drive has been the development of relationships that drive people to serve the Lord. Not just on Sunday’s but at every chance given them in their life. After spending some time teaching and studying Acts 2:42-47 in which, I have titled in my personal study “The First Christian Fellowship” I have found that the Lord added to the church (vs. 47). I know many doctrinally sound churches that have several hundred people attending and I don’t believe they are in error. I have come to the conclusion that by teaching doctrine, sound doctrine (Titus 2:, fellowshipping, breaking bread, and praying together is what defines the church. If it meets in a home, let it be, but the number of people attending cannot define if it is growing or not. Thus, numbers don’t determine our success or not.

 

October 25, 2008

Some Thoughts

Posted by Brad under News, Theological
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This Sunday (26th) we will finish up Acts chapter two by closing with how the early church functioned. It is amazing how far we have strayed from a simple structure into a complicated corporate style church. There are four things that united the early church, doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. I am afraid it was the stress drive bi-vocational pastorate that brought burnout in my life. When God opened up His word to me about the plurality of elders in the NT church I was relieved but didn’t know what to do. God brought my fellow elder, brother Grizzard into my life and we began what is now The Believers Church.

I am more relaxed and less stress filled than ever before. No were not ‘coffee shop’ church, we believe in sound doctrine and personal holiness. Too much of today’s ‘modern churches’ put off doctrine. We believe it is something that should be taught to each other and to our families.

Elder Grizzard will be teaching in November and December. I have had the responsibilities since August 31, which has led brought us to the end of Acts 2. If I am not mistaken, Elder Grizzard is going to pick up in Titus 2, where he left off after becoming ill. I look so forward to hear the exhortation of God’s Word.

Sola Del Gloria!

 

October 18, 2008

Our Priorities

Posted by Brad under Family, Theological
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Our priorities seem to get out of balance many times. Over the past month I have observed the downturn in the financial markets. There is fear everywhere in the world concerning the economy. Christians are fearful for they have seen their balances drop some, including mine. I have been able to sleep at night knowing that God is in control and He has a divine plan. There has not been a time in history where God has made a mistake, not then, not now! I wanted to share something I read from R.C. Sproul Jr. entitled “Idols for Destruction”. Enjoy.

I’m confident that many Christians have not slept well these last few nights. I suspect that tonight they won’t do much better. Over the last several days, as I write, the stock market has not performed well. It has reached a five year low, having lost over forty percent of its value since its peak. It is not difficult to muster sympathy in these difficult economic times. Forty percent is rather much to lose, though only slightly more than half of seventy percent.
I lose sleep at night not because Christians have lost forty percent of their investments. I lose sleep at night because Christians are losing seventy percent of their children. They spend their days in institutions where Jesus doesn’t matter. Seven hours a day, 180 days a year, Jesus doesn’t matter. I am not surprised that when they graduate Jesus doesn’t matter to them. The children of professing Christians who are schooled by the government are more likely than not to reject the faith. And we’re worried about our stock portfolios.
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that where our treasure is, there will our hearts be as well (Matt 6:21). Our treasure is in our treasure, rather than in our children. We lose our children by the millions, but only cry when we lose our millions. The Christian church is a willful band of idolaters. We send our wives off to work because we worship mammon. We send our children off to “free” schools rather than private schools where Jesus is honored because we worship mammon. And we mourn at the death of our mammon, rather than the death of our children’s’ souls.
Every time tragedy hits, Christians fall back on this same chestnut of wisdom- we pray that so and so will learn something important from all the suffering. My prayer is the same. My hope is that as God destroys the idols in His church, as He shows that He is almighty, rather than the almighty dollar, that His people will repent and turn to Him. My prayer is then that He might turn our hearts back to our children, that we might in turn raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. God could do this. Or, He could lead us into physical starvation, even as we have starved our own children of His Word.
The more likely scenario is this. Professing Christians will continue to cry out to Washington to be their savior. Washington will continue to fail. And some, a very few, but some will in their financial pain turn and repent. Narrow is the path of life, and wide is the way of destruction. Before you get on your knees, asking God to deliver us from financial calamity, confess your sins. Confess that all of us, even those who homeschool, value too much that which bears Caesar’s image, and to little that which bears His image. Then, do not ask Him to fix your portfolio. Ask Him to help you invest in the only investment that bears dividends into eternity, your children.
Even when Christians begin to take steps to raise their children ‘in this world’ but not ‘of this world’ which include homeshooling or even not participating in church youth groups we are branded as radicals. Yet, our treasure in not in this world and that should show forth in our lives.
 

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