I delivered some of this to my study group some weeks ago, regarding how the issue of predestination (as defined by Calvinists) seems to have too much in common with what Islamic scholars say about the matter. We find these two philosophies in lock-step with regard to the deliberate and foreordained damnation of hapless souls to whom God never intended to give a chance. :o
Below are some quotes, randomly cut and pasted, juxtaposing Calvin's views (taken from his "Institutes of the Christian Religion") on predestination with those of Mohammad, in his Quran. I'll put Calvin's words in green, and those of the Quran and Islamic scholars in orange...
Calvin said, "We call predestination God's eternal decree, by which he compacted with himself what he willed to become of each man. For all
are not created in equal condition; rather, eternal life is foreordained for some, eternal damnation for others.
“And if your Lord had pleased, surely all those who are in the earth would have believed, all of them; will you then force men till they become believers? And it is not for a soul to believe except by Allah’s permission; and He casts uncleanness on those who will not understand.” S. 10:99-100
With Augustine I say: the Lord has created those whom he unquestionably foreknew would go to destruction. This has happened because he has willed.
......salvation is freely offered to some while others are barred from access to it.
“Had Allah willed He could have made you (all) one nation, but He sendeth whom He will astray and guideth whom He will...” 16:93
"But since he foresees future events only by reason of the fact that he decreed that they take place, they vainly raise a quarrel over foreknowledge, when it is clear that all things take place rather by his determination and bidding."
Risaleh-i-Barkhavi (Islamic scholar) says: “Not only can He do anything, He actually is the only One Who does anything. When a man writes, it is Allah who has created in his mind the will to write. Allah at the same time gives the power to write, then brings about the motion of the hand and the pen and the appearance upon paper. All other things are passive, Allah alone is active.”
Orthodox Islam teaches the absolute predestination of both good and evil, that all our thoughts, words and deeds, whether good or evil, were foreseen, foreordained, determined and decreed from all eternity, and that everything that happens takes place according to what has been written for it. (sound familiar)??
Geisler wrote, "While many Muslims wish to preserve human responsibility, they can only succeed in doing so by modifying what the Qur’an actually says. Consider the very words of the Qur’an: “Say: ‘Nothing will happen to us Except what God has decreed for us” (9:51); “Whom God doth guide, -- He is on the right path: Whom He rejects from His guidance, -- Such are the persons who perish.” (7:178-179)…"
Calvin wrote: "Man falls according as God's providence ordains, but he falls by his own fault." HUH???
Calvinist, R.C. Sproul, "clarifies": “The distortion of double predestination looks like this: There is a symmetry that exists between election and reprobation. God WORKS in the same way and same manner with respect to the elect and to the reprobate. That is to say, from all eternity God decreed some to election and by divine initiative works faith in their hearts and brings them actively to salvation. By the same token, from all eternity God decrees some to sin and damnation and actively intervenes to work sin in their lives, bringing them to damnation by divine initiative. In the case of the elect, regeneration is the monergistic work of God. In the case of the reprobate, sin and degeneration are the monergistic work of God.
Let us also look at the following Hadith by Bukhari [Bukhari 6:60:473]: "While we were in a funeral procession in Baqi Al-Gharqad, Allah's Apostle (Mohammad) came and sat down, and we sat around him. He had a small stick in his hand and he bent his head and started scraping the ground with it. He then said, "There is none among you, and no created soul but has his place written for him either in Paradise or in the Hell-Fire, and also has his happy or miserable fate (in the Hereafter) written for him.
And how many pillars are there in Islam? Five,
yes. And how many "points" of Calvinism? Five again. Coincidence?
Maybe. But five in the Bible is the number of division ("from now on
there will be five in a family, three against two, two against three")...
so it's something to think about. My guess is that these two heresies have a common author.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Jesus likely WAS born on December 25th! :)
We're seeing more and more of the self appointed mall cops of Christianity blowing their gumball machine found whistles and disputing the notion that Jesus was born on December 25th.
What are some of the things they say?
Well, they'll tell you that shepherds would not have been in the field near Bethlehem tending their sheep when Christ was born. Too cold in the winter, they say. I bought into this for some time, but a quick visit to the weather channel ( www.weatherchannel.com ) will show you that overnight lows average in the mid 40's in Bethlehem in late December. Go to the weather channel website and type in Bethlehem, West Bank and see for yourself. So that argument goes into the can...
Next, you'll often hear that Christmas was actually a "pagan" feast, Saturnalia by name, and that the Catholic Church decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus this time of year to hopefully keep new Christians from reengaging the pagan festivities. Saturnalia was celebrated on the 17th of December, however, not the 25th. And even when Saturnalia got so popular that they extended the drunken orgies for a week, it was still over by the 24th.
What reportedly did occur on December 25th, on 165 BC (according to Charles Ryrie's research), was the temple was cleansed by the Maccabees and the menorah burned for eight days on a small amount of oil--reportedly enough to burn the lights for only one day! A miracle of God, according to the Jewish people. And I believe they are right, it was a miracle. :) note: as will be mentioned later, it can be a bit cantankerous to transfer the 365 day calendar date to the Jewish calendar date, but Ryrie's notes are still worth considering).
So here we have the Jewish festival Hanukkah instituted by a miracle which some scholars say happened on December 25th! What is mildly amusing is the fact that many Judiazers (those who like to force law keeping onto Christians as a requirement of their salvation) like to mock Christmas as pagan for being held on Saturnalia's date (which it isn't, of course)... but they keep the Hanukkah celebration faithfully--perhaps not realizing Hanukkah's December 25th connection.
Jesus attended the Feast of Dedication, or the "festival of lights" as it's often called, in John chapter 10. This was Hanukkah, there is little dispute. So if we understand that Hanukkah is the festival of lights, and that Jesus is the light of the world, what more appropriate time for Him to come into His creation than during the festival of lights? :) Jesus went about fulfilling prophecy, and He fulfilled Passover, First Fruits, and by the institution of the church He fulfilled Pentecost on the occasion of His first coming. Perhaps His attendance of the Feast of Dedication (festival of lights) in John chapter 10 was a subtle fulfillment of the Jew's feast of Hanukkah. The True Light walked right into their feast of lights... but most did not notice, as they did not know the time of their visitation (Luke 19)...
Some try to use the priestly courses laid out in 1 Chronicles 24 to reckon the birth of John the Baptist, son of Zechariah, whose priestly course of Abijah had just ended shortly before John the Baptist's conception. Since Jesus was born six months after John the Baptist, they work out a date of Christ's birth based on John's. This is a very problematic manner in which to estimate the timing of John the Baptist's birth, for several reasons. Foremost among them is that these courses occurred twice each year, and the Jewish calendar was a 360 day calendar, rather than the Gregorian 365 day calendar we use today. We do not know which of his two courses Zechariah had just returned from, nor do we know how soon after his course was finished that John the Baptist was conceived, nor can we be sure how to juxtapose the Jewish calendar to the Gregorian calendar to arrive at a Gregorian date. We don't even know exactly how long each mother carried her child. So it's really a mess to even attempt such a vain effort.
As an aside... history does show which priestly course was in session when the temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. By counting backwards to a suspected birth year of 4 BC (I believe it was), they affirm a late December birth of Christ. Even though one may agree on the late December date (as I do), we still should not put too much stock in calculations based on the priestly courses.
One other point to note is the census by Caesar Augustus. It is generally reported that the Roman government would call for the census after the harvest season, and of course much like our tax season people had a few weeks to comply. It would not be unreasonable at all to find many citizens in Bethlehem in late December, there to be taxed for the census.
But the most compelling evidence for the December 25th birth date of Christ is the source of the early church fathers. Hippolytus, John Chrysostom, and Cyril of Jerusalem all affirmed the 25th of December as Christ's birthday. Cyril of Jerusalem actually wrote to the Roman government, asking that the record of Jesus' birth be checked, and the date confirmed. Cyril reported that Rome sent back the December 25 date. Interestingly, there are no known writings from any credible early church fathers that suggest any other date than December 25th--that date was not questioned by anyone!
Think about it this way. If I were to write a paper of some sort and within the context of that paper I mention that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on August the 5th, I wouldn't get far with my proliferation of that document until I had been soundly corrected by a chorus of people, both scholar and lay, pointing out that December 7th was the Pearl Harbor attack date--NOT August 5th. So it should follow that with at least three early church fathers setting forth the December 25th birthday of Christ in their writings, were that not factual, we would see some derision or dissent coming from someone. In truth, were that not the actual date (December 25th), and if that date were in question at all, these early writings would have fallen from favor as unreliable, being replaced with more credible sources. But that did not happen--because no one apparently questioned the late December birthday of Jesus.
Not until very recent years did we even begin to see the December 25th date come into question. And oddly, this was not because some new, smoking gun style document was uncovered. The naysayers regarding the late December date base their notion on suppositions such as "too cold for shepherds to be in the field in December" or the priestly course calculations, both points that have been sitting there unappealed to for nearly two thousand years. Is it just that after all this time we're finally "smart" enough to question what the church has not questioned for two millennia? I think not. I think it's more sinister than that, unfortunately. It all goes toward making Christians look foolish, that we could be duped into believing a lie.
What you have in Christianity today is a "body" of so called believers, about 3/4's of whom are not yet even saved, attending and working in our churches, teaching in seminaries, and publishing documents calling everything sacred into question. We must be careful not to be led astray by those who masquerade as teachers, but whose true commodity is doubt. Satan deceived Eve by introducing doubt (Did God really say...?) ...
Granted, the actual birthday of Jesus is not recorded in the Bible, and we are not even told to celebrate it (any more than the Jews were commanded to celebrate Hanukkah), but what we do with sincerity unto the Lord, is honored by Him (see Romans 14).
One last point. There's some work you'll find on the internet using astronomical computation software to go back to 4 BC to show a convergence of several heavenly bodies that would "explain" the star of Bethlehem. This software pins down a September birth date for Jesus. I don't buy the notion for several reasons, but the foremost of which is that the Bible said it was "A" (singular) star, not "stars"... I'm a biblical literalist, and I believe it was ONE star, of a very special and singular design.
Let us be ever careful of deception, no matter how inconsequential it may seem on its face. Where subtle and seemingly harmless error creeps in, there is generally more "not so harmless" deception to follow.
Dan Newberry
What are some of the things they say?
Well, they'll tell you that shepherds would not have been in the field near Bethlehem tending their sheep when Christ was born. Too cold in the winter, they say. I bought into this for some time, but a quick visit to the weather channel ( www.weatherchannel.com ) will show you that overnight lows average in the mid 40's in Bethlehem in late December. Go to the weather channel website and type in Bethlehem, West Bank and see for yourself. So that argument goes into the can...
Next, you'll often hear that Christmas was actually a "pagan" feast, Saturnalia by name, and that the Catholic Church decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus this time of year to hopefully keep new Christians from reengaging the pagan festivities. Saturnalia was celebrated on the 17th of December, however, not the 25th. And even when Saturnalia got so popular that they extended the drunken orgies for a week, it was still over by the 24th.
What reportedly did occur on December 25th, on 165 BC (according to Charles Ryrie's research), was the temple was cleansed by the Maccabees and the menorah burned for eight days on a small amount of oil--reportedly enough to burn the lights for only one day! A miracle of God, according to the Jewish people. And I believe they are right, it was a miracle. :) note: as will be mentioned later, it can be a bit cantankerous to transfer the 365 day calendar date to the Jewish calendar date, but Ryrie's notes are still worth considering).
So here we have the Jewish festival Hanukkah instituted by a miracle which some scholars say happened on December 25th! What is mildly amusing is the fact that many Judiazers (those who like to force law keeping onto Christians as a requirement of their salvation) like to mock Christmas as pagan for being held on Saturnalia's date (which it isn't, of course)... but they keep the Hanukkah celebration faithfully--perhaps not realizing Hanukkah's December 25th connection.
Jesus attended the Feast of Dedication, or the "festival of lights" as it's often called, in John chapter 10. This was Hanukkah, there is little dispute. So if we understand that Hanukkah is the festival of lights, and that Jesus is the light of the world, what more appropriate time for Him to come into His creation than during the festival of lights? :) Jesus went about fulfilling prophecy, and He fulfilled Passover, First Fruits, and by the institution of the church He fulfilled Pentecost on the occasion of His first coming. Perhaps His attendance of the Feast of Dedication (festival of lights) in John chapter 10 was a subtle fulfillment of the Jew's feast of Hanukkah. The True Light walked right into their feast of lights... but most did not notice, as they did not know the time of their visitation (Luke 19)...
Some try to use the priestly courses laid out in 1 Chronicles 24 to reckon the birth of John the Baptist, son of Zechariah, whose priestly course of Abijah had just ended shortly before John the Baptist's conception. Since Jesus was born six months after John the Baptist, they work out a date of Christ's birth based on John's. This is a very problematic manner in which to estimate the timing of John the Baptist's birth, for several reasons. Foremost among them is that these courses occurred twice each year, and the Jewish calendar was a 360 day calendar, rather than the Gregorian 365 day calendar we use today. We do not know which of his two courses Zechariah had just returned from, nor do we know how soon after his course was finished that John the Baptist was conceived, nor can we be sure how to juxtapose the Jewish calendar to the Gregorian calendar to arrive at a Gregorian date. We don't even know exactly how long each mother carried her child. So it's really a mess to even attempt such a vain effort.
As an aside... history does show which priestly course was in session when the temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. By counting backwards to a suspected birth year of 4 BC (I believe it was), they affirm a late December birth of Christ. Even though one may agree on the late December date (as I do), we still should not put too much stock in calculations based on the priestly courses.
One other point to note is the census by Caesar Augustus. It is generally reported that the Roman government would call for the census after the harvest season, and of course much like our tax season people had a few weeks to comply. It would not be unreasonable at all to find many citizens in Bethlehem in late December, there to be taxed for the census.
But the most compelling evidence for the December 25th birth date of Christ is the source of the early church fathers. Hippolytus, John Chrysostom, and Cyril of Jerusalem all affirmed the 25th of December as Christ's birthday. Cyril of Jerusalem actually wrote to the Roman government, asking that the record of Jesus' birth be checked, and the date confirmed. Cyril reported that Rome sent back the December 25 date. Interestingly, there are no known writings from any credible early church fathers that suggest any other date than December 25th--that date was not questioned by anyone!
Think about it this way. If I were to write a paper of some sort and within the context of that paper I mention that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on August the 5th, I wouldn't get far with my proliferation of that document until I had been soundly corrected by a chorus of people, both scholar and lay, pointing out that December 7th was the Pearl Harbor attack date--NOT August 5th. So it should follow that with at least three early church fathers setting forth the December 25th birthday of Christ in their writings, were that not factual, we would see some derision or dissent coming from someone. In truth, were that not the actual date (December 25th), and if that date were in question at all, these early writings would have fallen from favor as unreliable, being replaced with more credible sources. But that did not happen--because no one apparently questioned the late December birthday of Jesus.
Not until very recent years did we even begin to see the December 25th date come into question. And oddly, this was not because some new, smoking gun style document was uncovered. The naysayers regarding the late December date base their notion on suppositions such as "too cold for shepherds to be in the field in December" or the priestly course calculations, both points that have been sitting there unappealed to for nearly two thousand years. Is it just that after all this time we're finally "smart" enough to question what the church has not questioned for two millennia? I think not. I think it's more sinister than that, unfortunately. It all goes toward making Christians look foolish, that we could be duped into believing a lie.
What you have in Christianity today is a "body" of so called believers, about 3/4's of whom are not yet even saved, attending and working in our churches, teaching in seminaries, and publishing documents calling everything sacred into question. We must be careful not to be led astray by those who masquerade as teachers, but whose true commodity is doubt. Satan deceived Eve by introducing doubt (Did God really say...?) ...
Granted, the actual birthday of Jesus is not recorded in the Bible, and we are not even told to celebrate it (any more than the Jews were commanded to celebrate Hanukkah), but what we do with sincerity unto the Lord, is honored by Him (see Romans 14).
One last point. There's some work you'll find on the internet using astronomical computation software to go back to 4 BC to show a convergence of several heavenly bodies that would "explain" the star of Bethlehem. This software pins down a September birth date for Jesus. I don't buy the notion for several reasons, but the foremost of which is that the Bible said it was "A" (singular) star, not "stars"... I'm a biblical literalist, and I believe it was ONE star, of a very special and singular design.
Let us be ever careful of deception, no matter how inconsequential it may seem on its face. Where subtle and seemingly harmless error creeps in, there is generally more "not so harmless" deception to follow.
Dan Newberry
Sunday, November 20, 2011
How To Concoct False Doctrine (It's easy) !! :)
I was thinking the other day about false Christian doctrine, and how so many people fall for it... then I began to wonder just how this stuff comes about. I think all false Christian doctrine follows the same basic process, delineated in the following five steps...
The "five points" of birthing a false doctrine...
1. Decide what you want to believe. (note: it is really best to do this before ever cracking the cover of your Bible).
2. "Search the scriptures" to find passages, verses, and even portions of verses that seem to support your fledgling notion.
3. Purpose to ignore other verses in the Bible which unquestionably refute what you've chosen to believe.
4. When challenged with those verses mentioned in step 3, resort to eisegesis--meaning that you read a new and different meaning into those bothersome passages and then hope that your antagonist will just go away and leave you alone. It may also help to act aloof during such encounters, which can give your opponent the impression that he or she is not intellectually advanced enough to see things as they actually are.
5. Lastly and very importantly, purpose to consort only with other Christians who share your newly contrived point of view, avoiding at near any cost fellowshipping with those who may have a tendency to bring up verses that you really just wish weren't in the Bible in the first place.
...and voila! You're done. It will also help a lot if you'll be careful not to read anything other than the writings of those who agree with your point of view. Once you have a following, you can begin working to ensure that your members avoid these same troublesome publications. And watch out for those pesky ministers who remain uninitiated to your new understanding. ;)
The "five points" of birthing a false doctrine...
1. Decide what you want to believe. (note: it is really best to do this before ever cracking the cover of your Bible).
2. "Search the scriptures" to find passages, verses, and even portions of verses that seem to support your fledgling notion.
3. Purpose to ignore other verses in the Bible which unquestionably refute what you've chosen to believe.
4. When challenged with those verses mentioned in step 3, resort to eisegesis--meaning that you read a new and different meaning into those bothersome passages and then hope that your antagonist will just go away and leave you alone. It may also help to act aloof during such encounters, which can give your opponent the impression that he or she is not intellectually advanced enough to see things as they actually are.
5. Lastly and very importantly, purpose to consort only with other Christians who share your newly contrived point of view, avoiding at near any cost fellowshipping with those who may have a tendency to bring up verses that you really just wish weren't in the Bible in the first place.
...and voila! You're done. It will also help a lot if you'll be careful not to read anything other than the writings of those who agree with your point of view. Once you have a following, you can begin working to ensure that your members avoid these same troublesome publications. And watch out for those pesky ministers who remain uninitiated to your new understanding. ;)
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Emergent Church tripe... (don't tell me what's in my hotdog)
I like hotdogs as much as the next guy, probably more than the next guy, to be quite honest. But one thing that we hotdog lovers don't want to hear is a list of ingredients of what's in our beloved wieners. We just want the food police to put a sock in it and let us enjoy our hotdogs. (I like to claim Mark 7:18-19 over my food when I eat such things, by the way).... :)
Hotdogs and other such "meats" will often have listed among their ingredients "tripe." But what is tripe?
Websters defines it:
1: stomach tissue especially of a ruminant (as an ox) used as food
Hotdogs and other such "meats" will often have listed among their ingredients "tripe." But what is tripe?
Websters defines it:
1: stomach tissue especially of a ruminant (as an ox) used as food
2: something poor, worthless, or offensive
Yuk. So I'm eating guts. Disgusting, rancid guts. Fourteen quarts of greasy grimy cow or pig or who-knows-what guts. See why I just wanted you to leave me and my hotdog alone?? :)
But much like the hotdog aficionado who will stop his ears and keep chomping on his dog when the truth of what he's eating is revealed to him, I have found the misled masses who are involved in the emergent church movement to do much the same. Many of these Christians should know better than to eat the tripe that emergent church "pastors" such as Rick Warren, Tony Campolo, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones and others feed them--but they seem blissfully complacent... lulled by the pie-in-the-sky pseudo-gospel of "kingdom now" theology.
The kingdom now, or "dominion" theology advocates follow a philosophy that says the church is going to make the world such a better place that Jesus will one day look down from heaven and declare "Now that's more like it. I think I'll just initiate operation 'second coming' right now because I just love what you've done with the place!"
What a crock.
The satanic motive behind such a theology is pretty obvious. The Bible is explicit about how there will be a great falling away in the last days. Paul, Peter, and Jesus Himself have told us what to expect. In spite of an abundance of scripture that shows us how the apostasy will grow worse--and humanity will get more evil by the decade--kingdom now (emergent church) followers have been duped into thinking they can turn this puppy around somehow. We are seeing hundreds of thousands of church members buying into this false premise, and the aforementioned satanic motive is this: When these idealists eventually realize that the world is (just as the Bible foretells) getting worse and worse--rather than better and better--they will fall into a spiritual depression, feeling they have championed a lost cause. They will become complacent in their service to Christ, and multitudes who were never truly born again will fall away. Perhaps this is the mass falling away that we see mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2.
Our Lord has written in Hosea 6:4a My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
I have become more and more painfully aware that emergent church followers really don't want to hear the truth about what they are believing. As the lies get more and more obvious (even to the novice Christian), they just stop their ears all the more. They like the music, the camaraderie, and the feeling that they are "making a difference." In such settings they learn all kinds of "neat stuff." Rob Bell has recently informed his congregants (and the lost world around him) how all mankind will go to heaven. So we get to spend eternity with Adolph Hitler and murderous child molesters and the like. Thanks for clearing that up for us Rob.
One of the things that many emergents will declare when asked about Bell or Campolo or other apostate teachers is... "Well, I don't agree with everything he has to say, but a lot of his stuff is really good--really worth listening to." I've heard this several times from various people. They seem to be advocating the "eat the meat and spit out the bones" approach, when in reality all they're doing is eating around the tire track on the road kill. :o
Satan twisted God's Word to deceive Eve in Genesis chapter 3. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”(NIV)
Did God really say that?? (emphasis mine)
And this is what is going on still today, with Satan's ministers putting various new "twists" on the truth, leading people deeper into error, all the while causing them to think they're doing the right thing. When you tell the emergents that their soup lines and social gospel approach aren't going to fix the planet (Jesus said we would always have the poor), they view you as cold hearted... as uncaring. But if you merely feed a poor person and deprive him of the Truth that will truly save him, is that love? If you hand him a sandwich and a blanket and a pamphlet leading him to the nearest emergent church, where he'll find out wonderful "truths" such as how homosexuality is perfectly natural and how Islam is just another way to God and how you can just "love" your way to heaven... if you direct such a soul to a place where Christianity and pagan rituals seem to peacefully coexist--then what earthly good are you doing him? Without question, you've done more harm than good.
At Rick Warren's Saddleback church, that wayward, hungry soul can learn how to "get fit" from some new age pagan types who will hypnotize you and teach you "Christian yoga" (Hinduism, actually)... check out some of what Warren is actually doing in his "church" to see it for yourself.
http://airocross.com/2011/02/08/rick-warren-daniel-plan-news-dr-oz-hypnotizes-america/
http://airocross.com/2011/01/28/daniel-plan-news-dr-oz-and-deepak-chopra-promote-meditation/
Why does Warren let such hellions take the stage in his church?
We are commanded in 1 John 4:1 to "test the spirits, to see whether they are from God." But in order to test spirits, we have have God's Holy Spirit in us. That requires regeneration, or being "born again" as Christ put it. This is sadly what may be lacking in most emergent church congregations. John 16:13 tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. When professing Christians continue to putter around in falsehoods, and dabble in eastern mysticism, we must ask where the evidence of the Spirit actually is.
Check out the testimonies of Nazarene church members who blew the whistle on emergent false teaching in their own churches. In these interviews, Eric Barger reveals how many are having to leave their churches because the false teachers and false brethren have come to greatly outnumber those who are truly saved.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs018/1102797716062/archive/1102946701045.html
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs018/1102797716062/archive/1102968389949.html
None of this is to advocate letting hungry people starve. Jesus has certainly commanded us how to treat the poor, the hungry, and the otherwise needy around us. And so we should obey by sharing what He has given us. But being generous will not get you, or anyone else into heaven. The Mormons are more generous than all the emergent church followers put together, but unless they repent and get saved they're going to be doing time for all eternity with other advocates of works based theologies... in the place Rob Bell says doesn't exist: Hell.
Check out what your pastor is reading. Ask him who his influences are these days. Find out where the Sunday school material is coming from. Youth ministers are particularly subject to getting duped by emergent church tripe. It's getting tough out there, and it's almost certainly going to get a lot worse before our Lord returns.
Yuk. So I'm eating guts. Disgusting, rancid guts. Fourteen quarts of greasy grimy cow or pig or who-knows-what guts. See why I just wanted you to leave me and my hotdog alone?? :)
But much like the hotdog aficionado who will stop his ears and keep chomping on his dog when the truth of what he's eating is revealed to him, I have found the misled masses who are involved in the emergent church movement to do much the same. Many of these Christians should know better than to eat the tripe that emergent church "pastors" such as Rick Warren, Tony Campolo, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Tony Jones and others feed them--but they seem blissfully complacent... lulled by the pie-in-the-sky pseudo-gospel of "kingdom now" theology.
The kingdom now, or "dominion" theology advocates follow a philosophy that says the church is going to make the world such a better place that Jesus will one day look down from heaven and declare "Now that's more like it. I think I'll just initiate operation 'second coming' right now because I just love what you've done with the place!"
What a crock.
The satanic motive behind such a theology is pretty obvious. The Bible is explicit about how there will be a great falling away in the last days. Paul, Peter, and Jesus Himself have told us what to expect. In spite of an abundance of scripture that shows us how the apostasy will grow worse--and humanity will get more evil by the decade--kingdom now (emergent church) followers have been duped into thinking they can turn this puppy around somehow. We are seeing hundreds of thousands of church members buying into this false premise, and the aforementioned satanic motive is this: When these idealists eventually realize that the world is (just as the Bible foretells) getting worse and worse--rather than better and better--they will fall into a spiritual depression, feeling they have championed a lost cause. They will become complacent in their service to Christ, and multitudes who were never truly born again will fall away. Perhaps this is the mass falling away that we see mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2.
Our Lord has written in Hosea 6:4a My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
I have become more and more painfully aware that emergent church followers really don't want to hear the truth about what they are believing. As the lies get more and more obvious (even to the novice Christian), they just stop their ears all the more. They like the music, the camaraderie, and the feeling that they are "making a difference." In such settings they learn all kinds of "neat stuff." Rob Bell has recently informed his congregants (and the lost world around him) how all mankind will go to heaven. So we get to spend eternity with Adolph Hitler and murderous child molesters and the like. Thanks for clearing that up for us Rob.
One of the things that many emergents will declare when asked about Bell or Campolo or other apostate teachers is... "Well, I don't agree with everything he has to say, but a lot of his stuff is really good--really worth listening to." I've heard this several times from various people. They seem to be advocating the "eat the meat and spit out the bones" approach, when in reality all they're doing is eating around the tire track on the road kill. :o
Satan twisted God's Word to deceive Eve in Genesis chapter 3. “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”(NIV)
Did God really say that?? (emphasis mine)
And this is what is going on still today, with Satan's ministers putting various new "twists" on the truth, leading people deeper into error, all the while causing them to think they're doing the right thing. When you tell the emergents that their soup lines and social gospel approach aren't going to fix the planet (Jesus said we would always have the poor), they view you as cold hearted... as uncaring. But if you merely feed a poor person and deprive him of the Truth that will truly save him, is that love? If you hand him a sandwich and a blanket and a pamphlet leading him to the nearest emergent church, where he'll find out wonderful "truths" such as how homosexuality is perfectly natural and how Islam is just another way to God and how you can just "love" your way to heaven... if you direct such a soul to a place where Christianity and pagan rituals seem to peacefully coexist--then what earthly good are you doing him? Without question, you've done more harm than good.
At Rick Warren's Saddleback church, that wayward, hungry soul can learn how to "get fit" from some new age pagan types who will hypnotize you and teach you "Christian yoga" (Hinduism, actually)... check out some of what Warren is actually doing in his "church" to see it for yourself.
http://airocross.com/2011/02/08/rick-warren-daniel-plan-news-dr-oz-hypnotizes-america/
http://airocross.com/2011/01/28/daniel-plan-news-dr-oz-and-deepak-chopra-promote-meditation/
Why does Warren let such hellions take the stage in his church?
We are commanded in 1 John 4:1 to "test the spirits, to see whether they are from God." But in order to test spirits, we have have God's Holy Spirit in us. That requires regeneration, or being "born again" as Christ put it. This is sadly what may be lacking in most emergent church congregations. John 16:13 tells us that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. When professing Christians continue to putter around in falsehoods, and dabble in eastern mysticism, we must ask where the evidence of the Spirit actually is.
Check out the testimonies of Nazarene church members who blew the whistle on emergent false teaching in their own churches. In these interviews, Eric Barger reveals how many are having to leave their churches because the false teachers and false brethren have come to greatly outnumber those who are truly saved.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs018/1102797716062/archive/1102946701045.html
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs018/1102797716062/archive/1102968389949.html
None of this is to advocate letting hungry people starve. Jesus has certainly commanded us how to treat the poor, the hungry, and the otherwise needy around us. And so we should obey by sharing what He has given us. But being generous will not get you, or anyone else into heaven. The Mormons are more generous than all the emergent church followers put together, but unless they repent and get saved they're going to be doing time for all eternity with other advocates of works based theologies... in the place Rob Bell says doesn't exist: Hell.
Check out what your pastor is reading. Ask him who his influences are these days. Find out where the Sunday school material is coming from. Youth ministers are particularly subject to getting duped by emergent church tripe. It's getting tough out there, and it's almost certainly going to get a lot worse before our Lord returns.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Statement of Faith...
It occurred to me recently that although an official "statement of faith" is something you would typically expect to see decreed by a church denomination--or local assembly--it's not such a bad idea for each of us, as believers, to fashion a personal statement of faith, putting into words what we believe and why we believe it. For me and my household, we believe the following...
1. We trust that the the Bible as we have it, unadulterated from the most reliable texts, is God's Holy and Inspired and Inerrant and Infallible Word. We believe that God has not failed to exercise His sovereignty over the translation of His Word, and that while there are many good translations available, we note that the King James Version has been proven in use for more than 400 years. We therefore conclude that God considers it sufficient to this day, and we believe that Christians do well to compare the modern translations to the King James Version during study.
2. With God's printed Word as our guide, we have been taught to affirm that God indeed has come to visit His creation, in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ, and He has paid the owed penalty for all of the sins of ALL mankind. We reject notions of "limited atonement," affirmed by some doctrines of men, and do so based on 1 John 2:2 and 2 Peter 2:1. Jesus has paid the price for the sins of every man, and salvation is available to all mankind.
3. We further affirm that there is no other way to be saved, except through faith in Jesus Christ as our savior. We believe that the grace of God which brings salvation has appeared to ALL men, which we learn from reading Titus 2:11. We understand that not every man has heard the gospel spoken to him directly; however, Psalm 19 tells us that God's Heavens have declared--and continue to declare--His Glory. We find further evidence of this doctrine in Romans chapter 1. Therefore we affirm that God has made salvation available to every person, for all ages, through His Divine Providence, holding each man and each woman accountable for what he or she has known of God. Acts 17:30 and the full text of Psalm 19 give us hope for peoples who have lived and died having never heard the gospel preached verbally.
4. Salvation is, in its totality, the work of God. Man has nothing to add to the finished work of Christ. We reject as heresy any teaching that asserts that man must perform some sort of additive work to either take hold of, or else to maintain his salvation.
5. We have noted the intrusion of false doctrine in these seeming last days, as the Apostle Paul warned us about. We believe we must stand firm for what the Bible actually teaches, and that we must speak out against the heresies of false teachers whenever and wherever we hear them.
6. We believe in a pre-millennial rapture of true believers in Christ. Prior to the tribulation period to come, Christ will take His bride--the church--away from this world while judgment is poured out upon those left behind. We believe that many will come to true faith in Christ during this time, and we praise God for that. We know these things from reading the book of Revelation and accepting its literal Truth.
7. We reject the allegorical interpretation of scriptural prophecies, and trust that where no obvious reason is given in the text to take these prophecies in a symbolic manner, we should take them literally. Since the prophecies which have been fulfilled so far in the Bible were all fulfilled in a literal manner, we trust that those yet remaining to be fulfilled will come true literally.
8. We believe in Bible study. Not occasionally reading a verse or chapter here and there, but rather applying ourselves to the understanding of God's Word. Since we are commanded to study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15), we seek to zealously apply ourselves to this task.
9. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5 not to despise prophecies. We understand that God has included a substantial amount of prophecy in His Word, and we would be remiss not to study it. The Jews in Jesus' day missed their Messiah because they did not understand the PROPHECY which God had given them. Therefore we study prophecy, and ask God to reveal to us the Truths therein, by His Holy Spirit. We must understand the times in which we are living.
10. We believe that those who sew discord among the brethren will be dealt with by God. Therefore we truly seek to avoid doing such. Romans 14 shows us that we are not to divide ourselves over disputable matters. We must accept each other's differences on non-essential matters such as which Bible version they favor, dietary issues, eschatology, and such. We must treat each other with love.
11. We believe in sharing our faith as Christ commanded us to do, and we understand that as Christians we represent Jesus Christ to the world around us. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, we know that we can truthfully tell everyone who will listen that He died to cover their sins. True believers will have a heart for lost souls, and we therefore pray that God will make opportunities for us to share the Truth with the unsaved people in our lives.
12. We know that once we are saved, we have become Christ's sheep. Since Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we trust that He will keep us in the fold. Just as any earthly shepherd is the one charged with keeping account of his sheep, we trust that our Lord will keep us, as His Word affirms in Jude verse 24. Therefore we fear God, and know that He will chasten those who are His (Hebrews 12), but we do not fear losing our salvation, as that would be His failure, not ours, and our Sovereign and Loving and Long Suffering God does not fail! :)
1. We trust that the the Bible as we have it, unadulterated from the most reliable texts, is God's Holy and Inspired and Inerrant and Infallible Word. We believe that God has not failed to exercise His sovereignty over the translation of His Word, and that while there are many good translations available, we note that the King James Version has been proven in use for more than 400 years. We therefore conclude that God considers it sufficient to this day, and we believe that Christians do well to compare the modern translations to the King James Version during study.
2. With God's printed Word as our guide, we have been taught to affirm that God indeed has come to visit His creation, in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ, and He has paid the owed penalty for all of the sins of ALL mankind. We reject notions of "limited atonement," affirmed by some doctrines of men, and do so based on 1 John 2:2 and 2 Peter 2:1. Jesus has paid the price for the sins of every man, and salvation is available to all mankind.
3. We further affirm that there is no other way to be saved, except through faith in Jesus Christ as our savior. We believe that the grace of God which brings salvation has appeared to ALL men, which we learn from reading Titus 2:11. We understand that not every man has heard the gospel spoken to him directly; however, Psalm 19 tells us that God's Heavens have declared--and continue to declare--His Glory. We find further evidence of this doctrine in Romans chapter 1. Therefore we affirm that God has made salvation available to every person, for all ages, through His Divine Providence, holding each man and each woman accountable for what he or she has known of God. Acts 17:30 and the full text of Psalm 19 give us hope for peoples who have lived and died having never heard the gospel preached verbally.
4. Salvation is, in its totality, the work of God. Man has nothing to add to the finished work of Christ. We reject as heresy any teaching that asserts that man must perform some sort of additive work to either take hold of, or else to maintain his salvation.
5. We have noted the intrusion of false doctrine in these seeming last days, as the Apostle Paul warned us about. We believe we must stand firm for what the Bible actually teaches, and that we must speak out against the heresies of false teachers whenever and wherever we hear them.
6. We believe in a pre-millennial rapture of true believers in Christ. Prior to the tribulation period to come, Christ will take His bride--the church--away from this world while judgment is poured out upon those left behind. We believe that many will come to true faith in Christ during this time, and we praise God for that. We know these things from reading the book of Revelation and accepting its literal Truth.
7. We reject the allegorical interpretation of scriptural prophecies, and trust that where no obvious reason is given in the text to take these prophecies in a symbolic manner, we should take them literally. Since the prophecies which have been fulfilled so far in the Bible were all fulfilled in a literal manner, we trust that those yet remaining to be fulfilled will come true literally.
8. We believe in Bible study. Not occasionally reading a verse or chapter here and there, but rather applying ourselves to the understanding of God's Word. Since we are commanded to study to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15), we seek to zealously apply ourselves to this task.
9. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5 not to despise prophecies. We understand that God has included a substantial amount of prophecy in His Word, and we would be remiss not to study it. The Jews in Jesus' day missed their Messiah because they did not understand the PROPHECY which God had given them. Therefore we study prophecy, and ask God to reveal to us the Truths therein, by His Holy Spirit. We must understand the times in which we are living.
10. We believe that those who sew discord among the brethren will be dealt with by God. Therefore we truly seek to avoid doing such. Romans 14 shows us that we are not to divide ourselves over disputable matters. We must accept each other's differences on non-essential matters such as which Bible version they favor, dietary issues, eschatology, and such. We must treat each other with love.
11. We believe in sharing our faith as Christ commanded us to do, and we understand that as Christians we represent Jesus Christ to the world around us. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, we know that we can truthfully tell everyone who will listen that He died to cover their sins. True believers will have a heart for lost souls, and we therefore pray that God will make opportunities for us to share the Truth with the unsaved people in our lives.
12. We know that once we are saved, we have become Christ's sheep. Since Jesus is the Good Shepherd, we trust that He will keep us in the fold. Just as any earthly shepherd is the one charged with keeping account of his sheep, we trust that our Lord will keep us, as His Word affirms in Jude verse 24. Therefore we fear God, and know that He will chasten those who are His (Hebrews 12), but we do not fear losing our salvation, as that would be His failure, not ours, and our Sovereign and Loving and Long Suffering God does not fail! :)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Favorite anchors of Calvinism... another view.
One of the most often quoted Bible passages of Calvinism is the one in Ephesians, chapter one, which speaks of predestination. By using the following passage, John Calvin (and many since his time) have taught that only those chosen and predestined are going to heaven, and all others will haplessly go to hell.
Here is that passage, from the NIV:
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Further, you see Paul use the "us and we" and then transition to the "you" elsewhere in his letters. Here are the first six verses of 1 Thessalonians 2:
1 For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. 3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been F2 burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
So now, let's look afresh at the same passage of Ephesians shown earlier, but I am going to insert in parenthesis "the apostles" where it seems obvious that Paul is indeed speaking of the apostles. I will also color ORANGE some parts of the passage that really need to be considered and understood...
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us (the apostles) in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us (the apostles) in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us (the apostles) to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us (the apostles) in the One he loves. 7In him we (the apostles) have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us (the apostles) with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us (the apostles) the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Here is that passage, from the NIV:
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
Now... if you examine the initial verses of Colossians, Romans, and 2 Corinthians, you find that Paul uses persuasive language intended to show the reader what his credentials are--in other words, "this is why you should believe us." Read especially 2 Corinthians 1 to really see this trait of Paul's letters.Further, you see Paul use the "us and we" and then transition to the "you" elsewhere in his letters. Here are the first six verses of 1 Thessalonians 2:
1 For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. 3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: 4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been F2 burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
So now, let's look afresh at the same passage of Ephesians shown earlier, but I am going to insert in parenthesis "the apostles" where it seems obvious that Paul is indeed speaking of the apostles. I will also color ORANGE some parts of the passage that really need to be considered and understood...
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us (the apostles) in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us (the apostles) in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us (the apostles) to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us (the apostles) in the One he loves. 7In him we (the apostles) have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us (the apostles) with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us (the apostles) the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11In him we (the apostles) were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we (the apostles), who were the first to hope in Christ (are we among the first to hope in Christ, living in the year of our Lord 2011?), might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.
It should seem obvious now that Paul is initially speaking of the apostles (the first to hope in Christ, vs 12), and it is the apostles who are the ones who were chosen and predestined, and this for the benefit of all of us who could not have heard the gospel unless God had provided some specially selected people to share that gospel. By the way, "chosen" with reference to the apostles does not mean "invited," it's a different Greek word and it means hand picked, selected... so the apostles were hand picked according to God's good pleasure, and the majority of the church are those who have accepted an invitation from the Holy Spirit to be saved. Accepting that invitation means that God the Father will draw you to Jesus Christ, His Son.
In verse 13 of Ephesians 1 the focus shifts to the believers in the Ephesian church (and to all other believers, of course), when Paul says, "you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth." So it's pretty clear... the apostles were chosen... they were predestined for a mission... hand picked by God to spread the Gospel...
And when were all others included in Christ? When they heard the word of truth... and believed.
To interpret the verses preceding verse 13 as referring to all Christians, for all time, we have to satisfactorily explain two key issues: First, why would Paul refer to all believers for all time as "the first hope in Christ," and secondly, why the change from "us" and "we" to the pronoun "you?" (verse 13).
It would not seem wrong to say that God may effect the conversion of apostles differently than with the rest of the church. Even today, we see the phenomena of Muslims being visited in visions and dreams by Christ Himself, and they come away with a true conversion. Then they go about spreading the gospel--usually at great risk--in their communities.
Most Christians come to the faith after being persuaded... Paul "reasoned" in the synagogues. God says "Come let us reason together."
I believe it is of vital importance to understand at what points in Paul's letters the focus shifts from the church (usually addressed as "you"), to the apostles themselves, referred to as "us." Granted, there are passages that apply both to the apostles and also the church as a whole where Paul writes "us", so we need to really observe the surrounding text to know for sure exactly who is being referred to.
Dan Newberry
Sunday, November 15, 2009
On Starting a Home Church...
Romans chapter 16:
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.(NKJV)
Colossians chapter 4:
15Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.(NASB)
From reading the two passages shown above, we find that in the early days of the church, home churches were not only sanctioned by God, but likely the norm. Brick and mortar buildings for the specific purpose of meeting together for worship and teaching were not always practical and affordable, so smaller groups would meet together in homes. We find this very thing going on today in China, and also in other parts of the world where the church is growing so well.
I find this manner of assembling ourselves together to be a wonderful blessing. Each Christian in attendance gets an opportunity to bring what he or she is led of the Lord to share. In 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 26, Paul says this:
How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.(NKJV)
From this passage, you can see that the early church assembly was likely a lot more interactive, with some folks wanting to share a hymn (psalm), or a doctrine, or tongue or interpretation or revelation. I have learned through our Thursday night Bible studies that folks often get a lot more blessing from interacting with other believers than they do from the typical Sunday sermon.
Of course order must be maintained, and this was one of the many problems that Paul was addressing when he wrote to the Corinthians. If chaos and confusion is allowed to get a foothold in the assembly, no one will be edified...
The traditional American church service, held as it most often is behind stained glass windows, can be quite intimidating for many new Christians--and for many "would be" Christians as well. These individuals feel as though they don't fit into such a template, and they often feel unaccepted by the rest of the congregation.
But here is the thing: The very humility they feel as they nervously sit in the plush sanctuary of a "Church Street Church" for the first time is exactly the humility that Christ would want us to have as we approach the Throne of God. That feeling of unworthiness, that downcast heart--that is the mindset that moves us toward salvation in the first place.
Many folks will try a new church once, or maybe twice... but they'll ultimately leave that final Sunday with a feeling of emptiness and rejection. Rejected by the church... by its people... and by association they feel rejected by God Himself.
In many cases we have turned the church assembly into just such a machine. We have become, to use the words of J. Vernon McGee "knife and fork clubs." Our congregations are filled with unsaved people, who are typically the first to unfairly judge newcomers. Love has been replaced with pride. We tolerate what we ought not, and we are often very intolerant of Truth. Our leaders are careful not to ruffle any feathers, lest the numbers (and collections) drop off. Men (and even women) go into the ministry for selfish gain, never having been called of God to pastor and teach...
But where, then, can a true seeker go? Can there be a friendly haven where he or she can find true Christian love and fellowship? A place where the Word of God is trusted, followed and believed? A place where they won't be taught by Laodiceans and false converts that the Bible is full of mistakes? Is there somewhere these can go to learn what Christianity truly is, and also (and of equal importance) what it truly isn't?
Many of you reading this may be members of good churches, where the Bible is held in high esteem and the Word is being taught with such fervor that the false converts sitting in the congregation scatter like startled mice--or else get saved. That is what preaching should do. As the minister conveys the Word, it divides bone from marrow--sharper than any two-edged sword (see Hebrews 4:12)...
Still others of you may have that bothersome feeling that you are missing something in your worship, and in your assembly. Perhaps you have invited people you have witnessed to to your church, and they have come a time or two then they've fallen away. They say they just don't feel right... they can't put their finger on it...
Or perhaps you would like to see friends or even family members begin regularly attending church, but you can't think of a church within 50 miles that would seem to fit their needs...
Perhaps you should prayerfully consider whether God might be calling you to begin a home church. This does not mean you have to leave your current church--and you don't even have to hold your meetings on Sundays (though that would be preferred, if possible, since more people are available to come on Sundays due to work, school, etc.). If you don't feel qualified to lead the meetings, you could ask around for someone who may be willing to do it for you. Begin with as few as three or four people... then start getting the word out. :)
Serve a light refreshment (cookies, cinnamon rolls, donuts...), and coffee and hot chocolate and iced tea...
The leader of the assembly should keep in mind the spiritual maturity of each individual attending, and make sure that they get useful and edifying teaching from the Bible. You don't want to bore the advanced Christians, nor do you want to go over the heads of new Christians and seekers. Fortunately, God's Word is so incredible that you can choose a simple passage of scripture, read through it together, then discuss it as a group and everyone will be blessed. When the Holy Spirit is allowed to lead the meeting, it will always be good.
Be sure to include prayer requests and praises in every meeting, and have a question and answer segment near the end, so that folks can get clarification on things they're unsure about. Remember that iron will sharpen iron, and even if you're the leader of such a group you will learn from even the most novice of Christians in attendance--so keep your mind ready to learn, and ready for a blessing. :)
I believe that you will find that many new and would be Christians will feel more comfortable coming to your home (since you're inviting them) than they will to a traditional church. Let them know that your home church meeting is geared toward reaching out to new believers, and to those who are seeking God. God's word says in Jeremiah 29:13
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.(NKJV)
So could it be that someone will seek and find God through having been invited to a church meeting in your home? Remember that God does work in mysterious ways... :)
Dan
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.(NKJV)
Colossians chapter 4:
15Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.(NASB)
From reading the two passages shown above, we find that in the early days of the church, home churches were not only sanctioned by God, but likely the norm. Brick and mortar buildings for the specific purpose of meeting together for worship and teaching were not always practical and affordable, so smaller groups would meet together in homes. We find this very thing going on today in China, and also in other parts of the world where the church is growing so well.
I find this manner of assembling ourselves together to be a wonderful blessing. Each Christian in attendance gets an opportunity to bring what he or she is led of the Lord to share. In 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 26, Paul says this:
How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.(NKJV)
From this passage, you can see that the early church assembly was likely a lot more interactive, with some folks wanting to share a hymn (psalm), or a doctrine, or tongue or interpretation or revelation. I have learned through our Thursday night Bible studies that folks often get a lot more blessing from interacting with other believers than they do from the typical Sunday sermon.
Of course order must be maintained, and this was one of the many problems that Paul was addressing when he wrote to the Corinthians. If chaos and confusion is allowed to get a foothold in the assembly, no one will be edified...
The traditional American church service, held as it most often is behind stained glass windows, can be quite intimidating for many new Christians--and for many "would be" Christians as well. These individuals feel as though they don't fit into such a template, and they often feel unaccepted by the rest of the congregation.
But here is the thing: The very humility they feel as they nervously sit in the plush sanctuary of a "Church Street Church" for the first time is exactly the humility that Christ would want us to have as we approach the Throne of God. That feeling of unworthiness, that downcast heart--that is the mindset that moves us toward salvation in the first place.
Many folks will try a new church once, or maybe twice... but they'll ultimately leave that final Sunday with a feeling of emptiness and rejection. Rejected by the church... by its people... and by association they feel rejected by God Himself.
In many cases we have turned the church assembly into just such a machine. We have become, to use the words of J. Vernon McGee "knife and fork clubs." Our congregations are filled with unsaved people, who are typically the first to unfairly judge newcomers. Love has been replaced with pride. We tolerate what we ought not, and we are often very intolerant of Truth. Our leaders are careful not to ruffle any feathers, lest the numbers (and collections) drop off. Men (and even women) go into the ministry for selfish gain, never having been called of God to pastor and teach...
But where, then, can a true seeker go? Can there be a friendly haven where he or she can find true Christian love and fellowship? A place where the Word of God is trusted, followed and believed? A place where they won't be taught by Laodiceans and false converts that the Bible is full of mistakes? Is there somewhere these can go to learn what Christianity truly is, and also (and of equal importance) what it truly isn't?
Many of you reading this may be members of good churches, where the Bible is held in high esteem and the Word is being taught with such fervor that the false converts sitting in the congregation scatter like startled mice--or else get saved. That is what preaching should do. As the minister conveys the Word, it divides bone from marrow--sharper than any two-edged sword (see Hebrews 4:12)...
Still others of you may have that bothersome feeling that you are missing something in your worship, and in your assembly. Perhaps you have invited people you have witnessed to to your church, and they have come a time or two then they've fallen away. They say they just don't feel right... they can't put their finger on it...
Or perhaps you would like to see friends or even family members begin regularly attending church, but you can't think of a church within 50 miles that would seem to fit their needs...
Perhaps you should prayerfully consider whether God might be calling you to begin a home church. This does not mean you have to leave your current church--and you don't even have to hold your meetings on Sundays (though that would be preferred, if possible, since more people are available to come on Sundays due to work, school, etc.). If you don't feel qualified to lead the meetings, you could ask around for someone who may be willing to do it for you. Begin with as few as three or four people... then start getting the word out. :)
Serve a light refreshment (cookies, cinnamon rolls, donuts...), and coffee and hot chocolate and iced tea...
The leader of the assembly should keep in mind the spiritual maturity of each individual attending, and make sure that they get useful and edifying teaching from the Bible. You don't want to bore the advanced Christians, nor do you want to go over the heads of new Christians and seekers. Fortunately, God's Word is so incredible that you can choose a simple passage of scripture, read through it together, then discuss it as a group and everyone will be blessed. When the Holy Spirit is allowed to lead the meeting, it will always be good.
Be sure to include prayer requests and praises in every meeting, and have a question and answer segment near the end, so that folks can get clarification on things they're unsure about. Remember that iron will sharpen iron, and even if you're the leader of such a group you will learn from even the most novice of Christians in attendance--so keep your mind ready to learn, and ready for a blessing. :)
I believe that you will find that many new and would be Christians will feel more comfortable coming to your home (since you're inviting them) than they will to a traditional church. Let them know that your home church meeting is geared toward reaching out to new believers, and to those who are seeking God. God's word says in Jeremiah 29:13
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.(NKJV)
So could it be that someone will seek and find God through having been invited to a church meeting in your home? Remember that God does work in mysterious ways... :)
Dan
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