Tagged: church RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Eugene Adkins 6:03 pm on May 23, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, ,   

    Praying Together as a Body 

    Lessons upon lessons have been given over the importance of personal prayer; and rightly so. For one, the New Testament places a great emphasis upon the importance of it (Luke 11:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 & James 5:16-18). For another, despite the clear teaching, we often neglect it because of various reasons which sadly, more often than not, are really just excuses or doubt (Matthew 26:26-43 & James 1:5-8). We cannot say enough good things about the importance of prayer in our personal life, but one lesson concerning prayer that is often overlooked is the importance of praying as a body (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 & Colossians 1:18,24).

    Early in the book of Acts we find that the church made a habit of praying together! After Jesus returned to Heaven the Bible records concerning the apostles, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and   supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” (Acts 1:14) When the church exploded after Pentecost, so did the habit of church prayer (Acts 2:42). They prayed together for boldness (Acts 4:23-31).  They prayed together in the face of persecution (Acts 12:5,12). The point is simply that the church had a desire to pray together (Acts 20:36).

    Today, when the church gathers together for worship, Bible study, times of sickness, fellowship meals, etc. our prayer as a body should not be neglected, ignored or underestimated! Gatherings are a prime opportunity for powerful body prayer. But for this to be true we must actually pray as a body. Please keep the following suggestions in mind:

    (1) Gatherings are an opportunity to make our concerns and anxieties known to each other and God. Do not be afraid to speak up.

    (2) The prayer leader must not forget about himself, but he must also keep in mind that for that moment he is representing a congregation sized prayer. A prayer of the body must be for the body. Leading prayer is not a time to preach – it is a time to pray.

    (3) Body prayer is meant to be done with respect and order just as any other form of worship found in the New Testament is meant to be. A chaotic group prayer is just that – chaotic! (1 Corinthians 14:14-19) Listen to the prayer leader as carefully as possible. Our “amen” must be said truthfully. If we do not listen to it then how can we say “amen” with it?

    (4) Remember who we are praying to! The Creator and Sustainer of our life and the church cares for us (1 Peter 5:7 & Matthew 18:18-20). We would not be taught to pray together if it did not work (1 Thessalonians 5:25). God was there for His church in the past and He is here for us today.

    A praying body is a strong body, a listening body, a loving body and a closer body. Powerful prayerful can come from a body that prays like a body should – together!

     

  • Richard Mansel 10:51 am on May 22, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , church,   

    Christ is in you 

    Scripture is filled with passages teaching that the Lord dwells with His followers. This bond is sacred.

    Salvation is described in the New Testament is existing in Christ and only there can we find spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3). We are baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27) and added to the Church, his body (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 1:22-23).

    Burton Coffman sums it up succinctly in his commentary on Galatians.

    God is in Christians.
    Christians are in God.
    Christ is in Christians.
    Christians are in Christ.
    The Holy Spirit is in Christians.
    Christians are in the Holy Spirit.
    The mind of Christ is in Christians.
    The word of Christ is in Christians.

    From this, we can clearly see why transformation is so important (Romans 12:1-2). We have a very high calling as God’s people and that brings a lot of responsibility (Ephesians 4:1). Yet, it will all be worth it in the end! Praise be the Lord!

     

  • TFRStaff 6:42 am on March 25, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, first day,   

    A blessing on all God’s saints today 

    May all of the members of Christ’s body be blessed today through their mutual edification and strengthened for the task always at hand, that of proclaiming the Good News to all. No greater work has been given us than this. No greater glory is ours than to belong to Christ and to see the Creator up close. May his Spirit inhabit in every soul, to the glory of God.

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 7:01 pm on February 19, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, communion meditation, ,   

    Sunday night depressurization 

    I pigged out on meat at lunch. I never do that. Why did I do that today? I’m a “flexitarian,” as House-to-House pub calls vegetarians who like their sausage now and again. (The spiritual point was negative.) Still lunch was unusual for me. Haven’t figured that out yet.

    • The Maiden has gone over the holidays with a group to a Christian retreat. We’re getting a feel for what it’s going to be like before long, when she leaves for work, school, life.

    • I love this passage, used it this morning for the communion meditation:

    18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. 20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. Isaiah 43:18-21 NIV

    Want to take a shot at how I connected it to the Lord’s supper?

    • Don’t tell anybody, but I have on one of my Twitter accounts a Catholic who posted today’s liturgy (English version here). Out of curiosity, I clicked on it, saw this passage, and thought it a good one to use. So while I read this passage this morning in the church, it was also being read to thousands of the pope’s followers.

    • The speakers this morning and this evening were both good, as they usually are. We don’t have a single preacher in either congregation. The men rotate in the pulpit. What we may lack in continuity of thought (not a lack of continuity of doctrine; we speak the same thing), we gain in richness of each man’s perspective.

    • Some outside interference has been thwarted for now. Amazing how some authoritarians want to show up and run the show. Our people here have the spirit of cooperation. We pray it may always be so.

     

    • John Henson 7:35 pm on February 19, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Our spiritual drink is Christ, we honor and worship Christ, who is our spiritual drink. We are his chosen, his people who proclaim his praise. I LIKE IT!

      • J. Randal Matheny 3:55 am on February 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Glad you liked it, John. I took the idea of living in the past, as not letting past sins weight one down, but rather, when we look back, seeing Christ rather than our sins.

  • John Henson 12:45 pm on September 14, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Bildad, church,   

    Following Tradition 

    An old song says, “I want a girl just like the girl that married dear, old Dad.” Isn’t tradition nice? Sometimes, it’s almost as comforting as an old blanket on a cold day.

    But, there’s the trouble. It’s all too often the case we turn to tradition for answers when we ought to be turning to God’s word.

    Bildad the Shuhite was a great one for tradition. He told Job, “Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right? (Job 8:3 NET). Bildad, in a question, accused Job of sin. But, Bildad’s assumption was incorrect. He assumed a number of wrong things. He assumed Job’s son’s sin caused his house to fall from a mighty gust of wind killing everybody inside. With Bildad, every effect has a cause and both may be readily seen if we employ the power of tradition.

    Yes, we should learn the lessons of the past. But, we must never become a slave to tradition. Some traditions are not rooted in the truth. Bildad’s idea that God’s blessings always equal material wealth was not correct, though that’s what his traditions taught him.

    Some people think Bildad was right. When they see a big church with plenty of members and money, they’re impressed and assume that church must be doing things correctly.

    If that church is not following the commands of God as laid down in the Bible, then it’s not righteous, is it? Many churches are numerically large with a spiritual famine going on inside. Prosperity does not always equal God’s blessing.

    I married a girl very similar to the kind my father married, but I didn’t blindly follow his type exactly. Traditions must never be followed simply because it’s a tradition. Socrates reportedly said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Blind, unexamined traditions must never be followed without question.

    The apostle Paul said, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

     

  • Ron Thomas 12:29 pm on August 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church,   

    Divine Pattern 

    The church in the New Testament, though, does not allow us to accept or reject issues and doctrines as we like. In fact, it calls upon us to accept the Lord and His way since He is the Author of eternal salvation. “Think of it – a DIVINE church. To many people, especially those who have been disappointed by a church member, the church is anything but a divine institution. However, let us pause for reflection. When we talk about the church in the Bible we are talking about a pattern or an ideal – yea, a pattern or an ideal for our reproduction. This is almost axiomatic for since the Bible is a DIVINE book anything within would be of divine origin. But, wait just a minute! IF THERE IS A DIVINE PATTERN FOR ME TO FOLLOW, AM I NOT MORE THAN PRESUMPTUOUS TO FOLLOW ANYTHING ELSE? What would it mean for me to fabricate my own pattern and call men to follow it when all the while there is a divine pattern awaiting my use?” (Don Dewelt, The Church in the Bible, p. 18).

     

    • Mike Riley 3:26 pm on August 25, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Good thoughts, Ron! Fabricating one’s own pattern, wouldn’t be a good idea (Gal. 1:6-10).

      • Ron 4:59 am on August 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        Thank you, Mike. Don DeWelt (deceased) was a Christian Church preacher, professor. When some in the brotherhood want to speak against a NT pattern and be aligned with the Christian Church, it’s worth noting that even some there understand the NT concept.

  • Richard Mansel 9:09 pm on August 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church,   

    Sunday Morning Attendees 

    Christians mock the Sunday morning attendees for not attending Sunday night or Wednesday night. Not me. I give them reasons why they should attend more often. But, I am glad the are attending on Sunday morning. They are being blessed by being there and serving God. And they, as Christians, are a part of the Lord’s body. Let’s show them some respect.

     

    • Sandra Moore 9:27 pm on August 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Richard, I feel sorry for those who only attend on Sunday morning, when they can be there other times but just choose not to be. I don’t mock them though. I’m thinking about those I know of who only come for Sunday morning worship, not even getting there for Bible class. I have to question the part where you say they are “serving God.” These I’m thinking of are blessed by being there, and they may be worshiping God, but is that serving Him? They do not participate in any other activities of the church at all.

      • Richard Mansel 9:40 pm on August 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks for your reply, Sandra. I feel bad for them, too. They are missing the wealth of a fuller relationship. That is what I stress. I said that they are serving God in that they are coming to worship and many of them are trying to live faithfully. Yet, they have a different definition than God does in Scripture. We need to teach/model righteousness without mocking them. I feel the same way about those who only attend at Easter and Christmas. They will never be led to become more faithful or to become Christians by us laughing at them.

  • Larry Miles 12:00 am on August 3, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church, , , ,   

    Praise God We Have Changed Kingdoms 

    Jesus is Coming back for us! This is a reality! Praise the Lord that He has called us out of a “dark world into the light of the Gospel.”

    “For He has rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in who we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13-14)

    Most of us, I’m sure, prefer light to darkness. Without Jesus all of us were in darkness, members, though we might not have known it, in the kingdom of Satan. Our Heavenly Father desires that we all come to a saving knowledge ans has provided the means through His Son, the Lord Jesus. We are glad that we can share in the inheritance He has for us (Col. 1:12)

    The Word of God describes this transformation as changing kingdoms. We have been brought out of darkness into the marvelous light of the Gospel. The terminology used here by Paul is a military illustration. It pictures Rome going into a free country and as a result of waging a war and winning they subdue that nation and take them into captivity.

    But in the spiritual realm, we are the ones in “bondage” and when we accept the Lord Jesus and obey the Gospel, we are “transferred’ (NASB) or “translated” (KJV) or are “conveyed” (NKJV) out of that bondage into the light of the Gospel. But it does not end there. Since we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins (Col. 1:14) we must put our new found faith to the test.

    We have been called out of that dark kingdom, changed by the light of the Gospel and now have the privilege to go back into that kingdom, now empowered by the Holy Spirit and utilizing the Whole Armor of God (Eph. 6:10-20) to help others find their way out.

    We can never work our way into Heaven, but upon salvation, we are to be the best workers the Lord has. So, my fellow believer, while we are waiting and watching for the Lord’s return, let’s be letting our light shine for Him! (I Peter 2:10)

     

     

     

  • Ron Thomas 6:39 am on July 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church,   

    The Role I Play 

    What role do I “play” in the local church?

    It is most unfortunate when a member or a family makes a remark like this: “There is not enough activity for me, my children here. I think I will visit other churches.” In the context of a person’s life a remark like this suggests a waning of interest in the Lord’s cause and more of an uptick in the cause of the family’s interest. It is not about the Lord, at this juncture, it is about me and my family. All the while the local church struggles to promote the Lord’s cause in the local area, and the family that left feels better about themselves.

    A sermon lead in Sunday

     

    • J. Randal Matheny 2:30 pm on July 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Ron, with such people who selfishly are looking to be served, it seems to me that, although it’s unfortunate they will not come to repentance by running away, the congregation is better off by not having such people weighing down the work of the church.

      • Ron 2:38 pm on July 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        I think this is true enough, Randal. I want, however, to encourage a different way of thinking with those who actually think along these lines. Sometimes it appears that some are confused concerning what role may be “played” by them in the local church. If I can encourage them to think of themselves as solutions rather than not, ISTM, much good can be accomplished.

        This is the lead-in thrust of my lesson this Sunday.

  • J. Randal Matheny 7:12 pm on June 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, ,   

    Communion with the saints 

    Our preacher this morning seemed to get choked up near the end of his sermon as he talked about being grateful for finding the church. I’m not sure what prompted it, unless it was the support shown his family in the death of his father-in-law last Thursday.

    Yesterday, we had four non-Christian couples to participate in our little get-together in Taubaté. Ricardo and Marilia did a great job putting it together. It was a three-in-one event: a couples’ shindig, a country party typical of June, and Valentine’s Day (June 12).

    Coming up Saturday is our monthly advanced Bible study, part three of what I’m calling the “Theology of the Biblical Model.” The word “theology” is a favorite here, so I used it, for the first time, in the advanced study. I suppose it’s good shorthand for “What the Bible teaches about …” When I first put it together, it was seven pages of outline, and I’ve added to it since then. I might stretch it into July, but will probably need to give it rest after that.

    Almost every Sunday we eat lunch with a Christian family, either here at home, when The Missus is able to get it together, or at a buffet restaurant. That, plus the meetings of the two congregations we work with, means we’re all day Sunday with Christians, which we enjoy. And sometimes after the second meeting, some opportunity comes up as well.

    Well, much of me and we here tonight. Let me end with this:

    Communion with saints is always sweet,
    And all the more in trials;
    In church with faithful friends we meet,
    Who’ll walk with us for miles.

     

  • Richard Mansel 7:29 am on May 24, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, , ,   

    Are We IN Christ? 

    Today I begin a series of articles examining what it means to be in Christ. We need to talk about this more often because it clarifies so many doctrines. Being in Christ means that we are a partaker of  “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

    My article begins:

    “The concept of being in Christ is one of the most powerful in all of Scripture. It will answer many questions about salvation, sanctification and unity. We will have a greater, more complete understanding of God’s plan of salvation if we understand what it means to be in Christ.”

    What does being “In Christ” mean to you?

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 7:10 am on May 20, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , church, spiritual family   

    Re: Together 

    Ron, your post reminds me that a brother who used to be a part of the fellowship here often commented that, without Christ, we’d never have been brought together, both from our points of origin as well as our diverse backgrounds. How true that is!

    As much as I love my physical family, I see in the saints here (here being SJCampos and Taubaté) how important the spiritual family of God is. For some, the church is pretty much all they’ve got. For others, there’s a physical family that isn’t supportive or is hostile to faith. Some of us are blessed in that much or most of our physical family is also spiritual family, but even at that, what heightens and informs our love and intimacy is the bond of the Spirit.

    What blessings in our godly unity!
    We have a single Lord, a single mind;
    Among us love, acceptance, liberty,
    With old and hard opinions left behind. —JRM

     

    • Rick Kelley 7:13 am on May 20, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      True, true!

    • Ron 7:23 am on May 20, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Good words, Randal. It takes much effort to continue to apply Galatians 2:20. In part, this is why I throw out my questions to those I regard highly – just to be sure I am not going further than is warranted.

  • Richard Mansel 12:43 pm on May 1, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, , , ,   

    Thinking Past the Flood 

    I covered for my wife’s Bible class this morning, teaching middle school children. We were looking at the story of the flood and the Ark.

    Something occurred to me. As with so much of the Old Testament, the things that were done happened for more reasons than seemed apparent at the time.

    From our perspective, thousands of years out, we see that the flood happened for other reasons than simply to punish mankind for sin. The flood prepared man for the eventual final judgment of God. While the second instance will occur because of fire (2 Peter 3:10), the totality of the destruction of the judgment will far exceed what God accomplished in Genesis. A taste of what God can do, ought to be enough to get our attention!

    The Ark prepared man to understand the Church, when it was established. Only those who were righteous and added by God, were allowed into the Ark. A study of the comparisons of the Ark and the Church are profoundly revealing.  In fact, if we examine the Ark and the  Church, several of the persistent misunderstandings people have about the church, disappear.

    The story is also a sobering reminder of the wrath of God and the powerful grace of the Father, who saved Noah and his family. We must heed the lessons of the Genesis flood, if we wish to be in heaven for all eternity.

     

  • Richard Mansel 12:04 pm on April 14, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, , ,   

    Greatest Problem in the Church 

    If you asked most people in the Lord’s body, to name the biggest problem in the church, most would probably say false doctrine. While that is certainly plentiful, that would not be an issue if we had better men in leadership. Accordingly, I think the biggest problem we have in the Lord’s church is that we need more godly Elders.

    Do we encourage young men to work toward becoming Elders? Is it even considered a priority any more? Why do we have so many congregations over 10o members that do not have Elders? How do we change that?

    What do you think is the greatest problem in the church?

     

    • Mike Riley 9:44 pm on April 15, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Richard, in my view, the greatest problem in the Lord’s church is indifference toward the authority of the Scriptures, with regard to instrumental music, marriage-divorce-remarriage, authority of elders, frequency of observing the Lord’s Supper, etc.

      • Richard Mansel 9:49 pm on April 15, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        All of these are serious problems. My point is that if congregations across the brotherhood had strong leaders, then these things would not be so prevalent.

  • Richard Mansel 11:38 am on April 1, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, ,   

    Huge Cultural Shift 

    The Wall Street Journal reports some startling new data on the job situation in America.

    Stephen Moore writes:

    More Americans work for the government than work in construction, farming, fishing, forestry, manufacturing, mining and utilities combined. We have moved decisively from a nation of makers to a nation of takers. Nearly half of the $2.2 trillion cost of state and local governments is the $1 trillion-a-year tab for pay and benefits of state and local employees. Is it any wonder that so many states and cities cannot pay their bills?

    Every state in America today except for two—Indiana and Wisconsin—has more government workers on the payroll than people manufacturing industrial goods. Consider California, which has the highest budget deficit in the history of the states. The not-so Golden State now has an incredible 2.4 million government employees—twice as many as people at work in manufacturing. New Jersey has just under two-and-a-half as many government employees as manufacturers. Florida’s ratio is more than 3 to 1. So is New York’s.

    Even Michigan, at one time the auto capital of the world, and Pennsylvania, once the steel capital, have more government bureaucrats than people making things. The leaders in government hiring are Wyoming and New Mexico, which have hired more than six government workers for every manufacturing worker.

    This is an enormous shift in the mindset of Americans. As preachers, teachers and students of God’s Word, we need to examine any large cultural shift and consider how it may impact the Lord’s work. As an agrarian lifestyle becomes a distant memory, some of the parables of Scripture become foreign concepts.

    Of course, as governments continue to grow, bureaucracy explodes so institutions ensure their own relevance. What impact will that have on the Lord’s church? The more we ask and answer these questions, the better prepared we will be for the future.

     

    • Mike Riley 10:35 pm on April 1, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Good points, Richard! Studying cultural shifts is important in how we approach folks with the saving gospel of Christ.

  • Richard Mansel 1:21 pm on March 22, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church, , greek   

    Literal Reading 

    I am a novice at Greek. Yet, I enjoy using the tools that I have to do research on God’s Word. I enjoy the word studies that we can do as students of the inspired Scripture. In the process, I get my NKJV Greek  English New Testament Interlinear out and read what the passage says in a literal translation. Even though their word orders differ from ours, their usage does illuminate some interesting nuances that can be special to the student and teacher as they prepare to impart lessons to their listeners.

    For example, John 14:23 says in the NKJV,  “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’”

    However, the literal reading in my Interlinear paints a more passionate and personal version of the same verse. It says, “answered – Jesus and said to him ‘If anyone loves  Me,  word My he will keep. And – Father My will love him, and to him We will come and Our abode with him We will make.”

    That is wonderful to me. “…loves Me, word My he will keep…” They are one and same! The Word and the Savior cannot be separated.  “father My” is also poignant and denotes a passionate bond between them. Finally, I love the statement: “to him We will come and Our abode with him We will make.” That is so much more expressive than the English in my mind.

    If we would look at the Word, the Savior and the Kingdom in such personal, familial terms, we would all have a deeper relationship with them.

     

  • Mike Riley 3:59 pm on March 18, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , church, , , , , , ponder, , , , toughest, urge   

    The Toughest Question 

    The toughest question I was ever asked, was by an elder in the church before I became a Christian. He asked me, “Have you thought about your soul?”: http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2008/10/05/have-you-thought-about-your-soul/

    I was 15 years old at the time, and I had never been asked that question. For some time, my grandmother had been urging me to obey the gospel. After pondering this question in light of Scripture, I came to the conclusion that my soul was indeed in great jeopardy of being eternally lost.

    I quickly decided that my soul was far more important than anything else I could imagine. There was no rational reason whatsoever to delay my obeying the Lord in baptism any longer, and thus I was baptized on January 1, 1960.

    I’ve never regretted the decision.

     

  • Richard Mansel 10:00 am on March 15, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church,   

    How Weak and Selfish Are We? 

    I came across this fictitious letter from a 1976 Bardwell, Kentucky bulletin. We need to let God’s will be done without our selfish interference. This isn’t about us.

    ***************

    A Letter:

    Dear Brother  Paul,

    I have been discriminated against, offended and harassed, and it looks like I may be withdrawn from. I just want you to know that YOU are to blame. You see, I’m a member of the church here in Ephesus, and well, it’s like this: I don’t believe it is necessary for us to always attend church.

    Why do I blame you? Do you remember how you talked to our elders over at Miletus? Well after they got back home, they’ve never been the same. Nowadays, every time I miss worship, they’re over at my house pumping me, nosing into my business. It’s nobody’s business what I do! And YOU talk about freedom in Christ!

    Then, too, Timothy told us what you wrote him. You know, Timothy would be a nice guy if you would just leave him alone.

    In your letter to Timothy you said something about “rebuke, reprove, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.” Well, he’s started doing that in every sermon! Most of the time he looks straight at me!

    Also he mentioned what you said about Hymeneus and Philetus, and I tell you I almost lost my temper. Those two good men are related to me and you had no right to insult them. These things aren’t THAT important and you need to stop making more out of things than are necessary!

    And another thing. You’ve hurt my reputation here. Demetrius and I belong to the same civic organization. He tells me you came here and hurt his business. I told him that I’m not as fanatical as you are and that I don’t always go along with you in everything. But, he still doesn’t treat me the same way that he did before your meddling.

    It’s evident that if I keep my membership here where they have endorsed your work, even your fanaticism against sin (Nobody’s perfect you know!), I’ll never be elected to higher office.

    I have to close this letter because I have to write to Demas to express my sympathy to him after the way you embarrassed him!

    Yours in this life only,

    I.M. Weak

     

  • Mike Riley 10:25 am on March 11, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , church, , , meeting, , , , , , , , vogue,   

    Name An Item Or Habit 

    From a spiritual perspective, the following are some of my observations regarding items or habits no longer in use today (comparatively speaking) as they were three to four generations ago:

    1) The Bible is no longer habitually read, studied and used by members of the Lord’s church like it was in the 1940′s and 1950′s (we used to be called “walking Bibles” by those outside the church – http://cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/cpcofc/index.php?n=Articles.2010DailyBibleStudy).

    2) Looking at all of the immorality in our society today, we can plainly see that Interest in spiritual values and principles are no longer “in vogue.” If they were, children would be taught these values at home and our society today would be less immoral as a result.

    3) Hell fire and damnation sermons are today rarely heard from the pulpit (I grew up hearing these type of sermons on a regular basis back in the 1940′s). And guess what? The Lord’s church grew dramatically.

    4) Home Bible studies with others are virtually non-existent today (no time to study, folks say).

    5) Personal bible study at home is virtually non-existent today. Too many worldly influences (too many digital “toys”), thus, no time to study.

    6) In the 1940′s and 50′s, folks habitually assembled to worship the Lord – so much so, that two to three week gospel meetings were not uncommon (I attended some of them). Today, they are unheard of. If we can get members to come to a three-day gospel meeting, we count ourselves successful.

    7) Pews are not being filled today as they were three to four generations ago. The testimony of the “empty pew” is a testimony to our lack of focus on spiritual things (Colossians 3:1-2): http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2008/08/09/lessons-from-an-empty-pew/

    I could go on and on and on (like the energizer battery bunny), but the above are enough samples to let folks see the fact that spirituality has greatly waned in our country and in the Lord’s church.

    What’s the solution to all of the above? Open the Book! (read it and do what it says do – James 1:22-25): http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2008/01/08/lets-open-the-book/

     

    • Sid Williams 11:42 am on March 11, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      The “Second Dark Ages” was “Satan Loosed A Little” (Rev 20.3; A|D 1959-2004). But that is gone, and still, we see no one with the former good traits that you have merntioned. What is needed to make men seek God is the Fulfillment of Prophecy. It is in the secular news but not in the churches. The 2nd Dark Ages wass ushered in by denial of prophecy and Revelation.

  • Richard Mansel 7:48 am on March 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, older men, , young men   

    Someone Needs to Step Up 

    At the congregation where I preach, we always gather at the end of winter to rake the leaves around the church building. Today is that day. This year, things are different, however. We have a great group of men but some of them, me included, have had health problems and cannot do as much as we could in the past. Therefore, I told some of the younger men that they needed to step up and do more, as a result.

    Isn’t that the way it should be in the Lord’s church? We need to be preparing our younger men to be leaders, so we will have a next generation. Yet, the older men are accustomed to doing everything and they can inadvertently form a clique and exclude the younger men. Accordingly, they are never trained and are unaccustomed to being involved. We must correct this blind spot immediately.

    The young men need to step up and the older ones need to allow them in to their circle, so the Lord’s work can continue and thrive.

     

     

    • Tim Hester 8:00 am on March 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Good points Richard. As a matter of fact the article I wrote for this weeks bulletin is entitled “Who’s Going To Fill There Shoes”.

    • Tim Hester 8:08 am on March 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Sorry that should be: “Who’s Going To Fill Their Shoes.”

    • Richard Parsons 8:46 am on March 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Yes Richard, that is exactly the way it should be in the Lord’s church.

      I grew up in a congregation where the young men were included and trained in every area of church work; from maintenance on the building to the actual work of the church. We have a small congregation and it is easier to include everyone. I have seen the younger men kind of get lost in the “shuffle” in a larger congregation. I remember the older men teaching us about how important it was that we learn to do the Lord’s work so we could carry on when they were gone. We continue to include and train our young men. I guess we are the older ones now.

  • Mike Riley 3:00 pm on February 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , church, , link, posting, , , wondering   

    Restoration Christian Church? 

    I’m wondering if anyone in The Fellowship Room has ever heard of the “Restoration Christian Church”? I’ve heard of the Christian Church, but not the “Restoration Christian Church.” The following link comes from a Twitter posting: http://www.faithfulpreaching.com/index.html

     

    • Ron 5:03 am on February 27, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Mike, I can’t say I have heard of it, but what I did look at it reminded me of material Gareth Reese (in commentary form).

  • Ed Boggess 9:05 am on January 11, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, ,   

    Happiness is . . . – JAM 

    “Happiness is having friends at church” – That was the USA-Today headline last Dec 7th (2010). The article related results from the latest scientific study published in the American Sociological Review that revealed church-going folks who develop close friends in the church are happier and more satisfied with their lives. Even those who attended irregularly increased their sense of well-being when they developed church friendships. This came as no surprise to sociologists; they had long suspected it. God did not create us to be loners. God said, “it is not good that man should be alone.” Thus he created Eve. God created us for community and there is no finer community than those who seriously try to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. This is Just-A-Minute with Ed Boggess

     

  • Ed Boggess 8:11 am on January 7, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church,   

    “It’s good for you!” – JAM 

    “Happiness is having friends at church” – That was the USA-Today headline last Dec 7th (2010). The article related results from the latest scientific study published in the American Sociological Review that revealed church-going folks who develop close friends in the church are happier and more satisfied with their lives. Even those who attended irregularly increased their sense of well-being when they developed church friendships. This came as no surprise to sociologists; they had long suspected it. God did not create us to be loners. God said, “it is not good that man should be alone.” Thus he created Eve. God created us for community and there is no finer community than those who seriously try to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. This is Just-A-Minute with Ed Boggess

     

  • Ron Thomas 6:35 am on January 7, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , church, , role of women   

    A Restrictive Passage that is Limited 

     It is terribly unfortunate when people who call themselves Christians depart from the Lord’s teachings, but we have come to expect this. Still, it brings great angst when a group of men think they know more than the Lord and thus alter His word. These same men will deny they are altering the Lord’s teaching, but that is exactly what they are doing (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:11; 11:13-15). Let me illustrate.

    Not long ago I received a link from a brother who shared the teachings of a church concerning the role of women in the church assembly. This church is in the Atlanta area (www.northlake.org). It is with great disappointment that we read, “Thus, with confidence in God’s leading, we affirm that both men and women who have the desire to serve should be permitted to fully participate in our assemblies, including activities such as reading Scripture, serving communion, teaching or offering prayers.” To make this very plain and nonnegotiable they further state, “As a living community, ‘a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people’, we can do no less as we embody the truth of the gospel (1 Pet 2:9.” The implications of this last remark are clear.

    The role of the female in the Lord’s church has been clearly defined and outline by the Lord Himself. Since that time, brethren have been addressing the issue because of wayward men and churches such as we read above. Here are the primary reasons (arguments?) set forth by the elders of this local church: 1) God’s truth must meet the ever-changing context of “contemporary life.” 2) The restrictive passages by Paul were the result of men and women hindering the gospel message. From this it is extrapolated that preventing women from serving is also a hindrance of the gospel message. 3) This is a matter of judgment, not doctrine. 4) The church has failed to reckon with cultural realities and this has hindered the message of God to this new reality. 5) There is historical precedence.

    In further explication the document states that the “gifts” of I Corinthians 12 correspond to the “gifts” people have today. Thus, “[t]o allow some to use their gifts and others to be restricted runs counter to the inclusive nature of the gospel message.” These “gifts,” however must be understood in relation to the restrictive passages of Paul, the next paragraph states. With some brief consideration, they opine, “After much study and prayer, we have concluded that Paul made his restrictive statements to specific and limited circumstances.”

    For men and women dedicated to the Lord’s teaching and staying with that, there is nothing new in this document. The general points thrust upon all who read it are as old as the life of the one reading my remarks. In fact, these justification points have been around a good deal longer. However, just as they have in the past, they still fail to make the biblical case for the altering of the role of the female in the church assembly. Let me encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 14 and 1 Timothy 2; be sure, when you read, that you consider the whole context of the subject and even the book. After having done this, ask yourself this question: where did Paul limit his words or, better yet, where did the Holy Spirit limit His words to “specific and limited circumstances”?

    There is more to be said, but on this post my words will be adequate. Perhaps others will take a look at the document and write more.

     

    • Mike Riley 10:17 am on January 7, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Ron, if you haven’t already read it, I would heartily recommend Bro. Frank Chesser’s paperback book entitled, “The Spirit of Liberalism” in which Bro. Chesser devotes Chapter 17 to “Liberalism and the Role of Women.” In that chapter on page 171, he states: “Liberalism does not respect woman. If liberalism respected woman, it would respect the law of limitation that God has laced upon her. It would view that law as a shield to protect woman from the woes of attempting to operate in a sphere for which she is not designed [a leadership role over the man - my insert]. Instead, liberalism discards the shield and invites woman to join man as his equal in matters relating to authority. Moreover, liberalism does not believe that woman has sufficient work and responsibilities to fulfill, operating in her own world as ordained by God. Liberalism wants woman to assume man’s role and tasks in addition to her own.

      Bro. Chesser ends the chapter by stating: “God, Christ, man, woman: that is the divine order (1 Cor. 11:3). How far we have departed from this principle. The problems resulting from such departure are legion. In many instances, the spirit of liberalism has sought to reverse God’s divine arrangement for man and woman. “From the beginning, it was not so.”

      Here’s a link to Bro. Chesser’s book: http://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Liberalism-Frank-Chesser/dp/0929540271/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1294174519&sr=1-1

      What these elders are doing, is attempting to override God’s order of things regarding the role of woman in the church, and it will not work.

      • Chad Dollahite 11:19 am on January 7, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        I lived in Montgomery & attended Panama St. when Frank was writing that book, so we covered a lot of it in college classes, & I have read the book, as well. It is definitely top notch, as is anything that Frank Chesser does! He captures & portrays the true spirit of liberalism as well in that book as anything I’ve ever seen. His other book Portrait of God, is excellent, as well.

        • Mike Riley 1:46 pm on January 7, 2011 Permalink

          Great points, Bro. Chad! Every member of the Lord’s church needs to read Bro. Chesser’s book, and leave denominational ideologies and philosophies behind.

    • John T. Polk II 11:18 am on January 7, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Again, well done, Ron. In the past 10 years, I have seen this very issue split churches of Christ in various areas. It seems brethren have fallen under the intense propaganda of the world in this matter, what with the books, movies, TV, entertainers, public schools, and even government endorsing anti-biblical teaching about gender. Although “current American society allows women essentially the same rights and privileges as men–making discrimination on the basis of gender illegal” as some brethren point out, such should never be the reason for changing “the faith.” What other practice(s) should Christians adopt because of what society currently allows: abortion? divorce and remarriage for every cause? homosexuality? debauchery? drug addiction? spousal abuse? murder, rape, robbery? hatred? And from what part of “current society” should standards of Christians be set: courts? legislatures? schools? pulpits? streets? Since when has the doctrine of Christ been remodeled after the world (James 4:4-5)? Remember that Demas left the faith having loved the here and now (2 Timothy 4:10).
      I have made a fuller response to these matters, but don’t know where it needs to be posted.

      • J. Randal Matheny 4:27 pm on January 7, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        John, how many words is it? We can find a place for it.

        • John T. Polk II 12:33 am on January 8, 2011 Permalink

          Thanks. I’ll email it to you, and you can decide.
          Good to hear from you, Randal.
          God be with you in your labors.

    • John T. Polk II 12:51 am on January 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Randal,
      Since I replied to every paragraph of a “position paper,” there are 3366 words in all on 4 1/2 pages. This may not be conducive to your space. And by the way, I cannot find your email address. If you please, send it to this email address of mine: jjttjii@aol.com.

  • Mike Riley 9:34 am on January 5, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , brand, cheap, church, , , , , product, purchase, ,   

    Looking At Brand Fidelity 

    As far as brand fidelity, I don’t look at the brands when I grocery shop. I just look at the cheapest products, no matter what the brand name, and purchase them.

    Regarding brands, I wrote the following article entitled “The Problem of Brand Conditioning” that looks at the contrast between different religious “brands” and the Lord’s church:

    http://mbriley.preachersfiles.com/2009/02/28/the-problem-of-brand-conditioning/

     

  • Ron Thomas 1:47 pm on January 2, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, , , ,   

    The Fundamentals – The Church 

    The other day I received in the mail Ministry magazine, a publication of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. It comes free to the office (how we begin to get it, I do not know). In the publication was an article titled, “Find the right church” (January 2011, pp. 13-16). The focus of the article was on helping “pastors” find the right church for them with respect to employment. The title, however, is more illustrative of a frame of mind.

    From this I gave thought of how a great many people view the church. The church is an institution that one can take or leave, depending upon the whims of the person. Since they think in a denominational sort of way, this is not far from the truth of the matter. However, when one thinks in terms of a biblical position, those who leave the church or take it somewhere the Lord did not purpose for it to go, this is a catastrophic sentiment. Since the Lord established the church (Matthew 16:13-19), only He can determine anything about it. Those who have false ideas about the church need to consider all over again what the teachings of Scripture.

    Such a teaching that we are part of a larger denominational entity is biblically false! The Lord’s church is strongly opposed to denominationalism for by its very nature denominationalism is fragmented into to contrary doctrines: contrary to Scripture and contrary to one another. There is more to the Lord’s church than just believing Jesus is Lord, that He died and was resurrected, and His second coming is pending.

    The Lord’s church is a necessary institution because 1) Jesus established it (Matthew 16), 2) it was in the mind of God in eternity (Ephesians 3), 3) by it the manifold wisdom of God is declared to all creation (Ephesians 3), 4) through it the local members receive much edification (Acts 14:22), and 5) its benevolent spirit radiates the glory of God (Galatians 6:7-10).

    It is a shame when men and women, professing to be Christian, do not know what the Lord said about His body, the institution of which they are, supposedly, members. The church is the blood-bought institution of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are saved are members of His body and members of no man-made institution. It is a challenge to each of us to faithfully live the life of Christ, to faithfully speak the words of Christ, and to cheerfully, lovingly, gently, but firmly share the message of Christ with others. Remember, only those who are members of His church will be saved because there are no saved people outside the Lord’s church!

     

    • Mike Riley 2:51 pm on January 2, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Great points as usual, Ron! Christ and His church cannot be separated. In fact nothing can separate us from the love of God or Christ (Romans 8:35-39). If we love Christ, we must love the church for which He died (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-32).

      • Ron 2:54 pm on January 2, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        Mike, you are very kind in your remarks. What is really unfortunate is the Xian who cares not very much about it.

  • Mike Riley 6:00 pm on December 9, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , backside, , , church, comic, farm, , , kid, , , , , , , , , weird, wind   

    Entertaining At Three 

    This is a story my parents didn’t tell about me, but one I vividly remember myself. From the age of one to six, I often stayed with my grandparents on their farm. When they would take me to the church building on the Lord’s Day, I was like all other kids my age – I was constantly moving in order to not be bored.

    One Sunday, while the preacher was preaching his sermon, I (who was then three years old), stood up and began making all kinds of weird faces (sticking my tongue out, etc.) at the audience seated behind me.

    Needless to say, there was quite a few giggles and some laughter going on. I’m certain that the preacher wondered why his serious biblical message was suddenly turning humorous. Well, it wasn’t too long before my grandparents got “wind” of the situation, and my humor-producing antics came to an abrupt halt.

    My granddad took me to the rear of the auditorium and proceeded to “warm” my backside (no humor there). Needless to say, my day of trying to be a comic suddenly ended – my entertainment career being over. Never again did I make any more faces in the assembly, for which I’m certain the preacher was thankful. :)

     

  • John Henson 10:17 am on December 6, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, ,   

    Daily Bible Study — Revelation 11 

    George Frideric Handel was born February 23, 1685 in Germany, but he spent the majority of his life in England.

    In his lifetime, Handel eloquently composed 42 operas; 29 oratorios; 16 organ concerti; over 120 cantatas, trios, and duets; and numerous arias, chamber music pieces, odes, and serenatas. Of his over 200 masterpieces, the most famous piece is the Messiah, which features the Hallelujah Chorus.

    The lyrics in the Hallelujah Chorus are derived from three passages of the New Testament, Revelation 19:6, Revelation 19:16, and Revelation 11:15. It is this last biblical reference that is the centerpiece of the entire 11th chapter of the book.

    Many people believe the two witnesses of the chapter mirror with the woman in the wilderness of Revelation 12 and that both represent the church. The witnesses are killed and their bodies are displayed for the satisfaction of evil entities. The witnesses, however, are resurrected, giving rise to the hymn of praise in verse 15 that Handel used.

    The church may be down and out, but it can never be killed. God rules the world, not man. As Paul wrote the preacher Timothy, “he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen,” (1 Timothy 6:15-16 ESV).

     

  • Mike Riley 3:53 pm on November 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: agency, , church, , , , foreign, , interdenomination, , , ,   

    God’s Work Continues? 

    Here’s a site I found today while scanning some Twitter posts. This gives us an idea of what the Lord’s church is up against in foreign countries (as well as our own country).

    Here is an interdenominational mission agency in Thailand that is promoting the idea that baptism is not a part of the conversion process, but is simply an afterthought, i.e. “if you want to” (note the last paragraph).

    http://www.omfisaan.org/?p=431#more-431

    This is why I added a question mark to the title of this article. Is God’s work really “continuing” with the promotion of this false teaching?

    The devil is still hard at work deceiving folks (Revelation 12:9)..

     

  • Ed Boggess 8:35 am on November 10, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: anglicized, , church   

    “Church” – because not only is it not translated but an entirely different word is substituted in place of the original that the Holy Spirit inspired. “Church” is the anglicized “kuriokos” (a Greek word meaning “belonging to the Lord”, found twice in scriptural but never referring to the assembly of saints). But that is not the word in the Greek text for what Jesus built! That Greek word is “ekklesia”, which when translated means “assembly” or a synonym of the same. In view of this Romans 16:16 should read “the assemblies of Christ salute you.” Instead we find the anglicized substitute. Then someone contends it is the only true and acceptable name, unaware that it isn’t even scriptural, but a made-up distortion of God’s revelation.

     

  • Mike Riley 9:37 am on October 19, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church, structure, synagogue,   

    Some Unique Church Buildings 

    Here are some church buildings as well as synagogues that are pretty unique in structure:

    http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Church_(building)

     

  • Glenda Williams 7:25 pm on October 15, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church,   

    What do we do differently? 

    We count the morning attendance at worship. That night we count the new people who come and add them both together.  That is the total posted on the board up front.  Does anybody else do it that way?

     

    • Don Ruhl 8:11 am on October 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Glenda, I have never heard of that method, but I think it is interesting and worth considering.

  • Richard Mansel 10:32 am on October 2, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church,   

    Proud 

    I’m at the building writing a manuscript for a lectureship. We have a carload of Ladies who are at a Ladies’ Day in Savannah. A man is cutting the grass at the building and two more are doing repairs and cleaning the baptistry for our meeting that starts tomorrow. When brethren act on their own, it is a beautiful thing!

     

  • Mike Riley 9:58 am on September 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: accumulate, church, , , collector, employ, , surrounding, throw   

    Are my surroundings cluttered or clean? They are relatively clean. I’m not a pack rat nor a collector, plus the fact that anything accumulated that is over six months old, is either given to the church, Good Will, or thrown away. I take pride in possessing and employing good organizational skills.

     

    • J. Randal Matheny 10:10 am on September 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Wanna work on my office space?

      • Mike Riley 10:26 am on September 30, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        No sir, I’m afraid I’d make a “mess” of things! HA! I once worked with a lady (office was next door to mine) who had her paperwork scattered all over her office desk. However, she could find the exact paper she was looking for immediately (how she did that, is a mystery to me).

        Whenever she would go on vacation, no one could find any important paperwork they were looking for. On one of her vacation jaunts, her supervisor came into her office and “straightened” up everything (neatly stacked all of her paperwork). When she returned, she was furious, retorted with a “bleeped” euphemism, and stated, “I can’t find anything!” HA!

        It takes all kinds to make up our world, doesn’t it? :)

  • Mike Riley 2:14 pm on September 23, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, despise, , ,   

    Despising Our Youth 

    I’m wondering if we are despising our youth in the Lord’s church today?

    http://www.worldmag.com/articles/17102

     

  • J. Randal Matheny 11:43 am on August 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church, ,   

    Grandbaby is wonderful 

    • I held Eden Lynne, age 3 weeks, for the first time last night as we introduced ourselves. She calls me vovô. We have lots to talk about.
    • Trip updates on my blog, the latest: “The Bed of Hospitality.” No bed like my own, but if I can’t sleep there, this is a good one. Glad to welcome the Sherman Drive congregation in Denton TX and the Central church in Chandler OK as ministry partners. They join Eureka IL as the most recent congregations.
    • Have stayed several places with no Internet access or limited service. We’re finally in a spot, until tomorrow, that has wifi. Tomorrow, state #4, Alabama.
    • Lunched with son Micah yesterday in Jackson TN, supped with Joel, Tansy and Eden last night in Mt Juliet TN. Just haven’t seen Valerie yet. Tomorrow, Val.
    • Just now listened on iPreach to preachers Jason Moon of Chase Park church and Ron Williams of Lincoln congregation, in Huntsville, Ala., talk about the latter hosting the former while their new building was going up. Valerie grew up in the former, then Memorial Parkway, where she married son Micah, and where they now worship. Valerie’s dad Derek is the deacon in charge of the building process. Ron and his twin brother Don were in my class, and same dorm, at FHU.
    • Chris Gallagher posted my guest article about why I love the church on his website.
    • I wrote a short article on “5 Reasons Not to Blog” on my website. Negative approach, maybe still valid.
    • Stephen is getting up a committee to change the theme back to the old P2 group blog. I might join it. Seems we’ve had fewer posts since we went to the default theme. I’d like to hear more people comment on his post about this, especially from the Fellows. What say you?
    • Time to visit the grandkid again. I hear her calling me.
     

    • Tina Cutsinger 12:03 pm on August 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      YaY !

    • Richard Mansel 12:17 pm on August 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      We can go back to the older setup. We will just have the comment problems again.

      Granddaughters are wonderful! Enjoy!

    • Ron 1:25 pm on August 22, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Richard, Stephen, and I talked about how we like it the other way also. However, Richard M, I suspect, is probably correct. Just the same, there has to be a trade-off on some things. I need to click the “box” to send me the replies that come.

      Once again, appreciate the work of all, especially Randal in the initiating of it.

  • Ron Thomas 8:09 am on July 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church, contribution, salvation army   

    The Salvation Army 

    Each year, about Christmas time, we see in front of various buildings a person with a little bell ringing it to prompt people to contribute to the needs of the community. In fact, however, this ringing is a prompting of the community to contribute to the Salvation Army church. This is not very well known, but it deserves our attention.

    In our local paper (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, A-3, July 20, 2010) there is an article of a new leader (and his family) having come to town to serve the local Salvation Army chapter (church). Speaking about their recent arrival they said the, “‘Salvation Army is very flexible in its mission for helping people. We like to let people know we’re a church that does social services. That is why we have a chapel here. We are ordained ministers and we do all this because we are a church,’ said Jeff” (complete paragraph).

    Each year, about Christmas time, we do our Christmas shopping and many of us find it difficult to walk past the commendable effort of the Salvation Army’s charitable work. However, in order to encourage and remind you, keep in mind that when you contribute to the “pot” you are contributing to a church. Yes, it might be a contribution to some one’s need, but you are also contributing to a local church that uses that money to serve the Lord as a religious institution in a way that has not the Lord’s approval/authorization.

    Has not the Lord’s approval, how can this be said? Consider along these line: it is not the charitable effort that I speak of, but the organization of a man-made institution callings itself a church. Here is the mission statement of the Salvation Army: “The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination” (salvationarmyusa.org). Moreover, as a church, they believe in the “standard” Christian positions, but it is as a church that they set forth these positions.

    Thus, each year we see one standing before a kettle ringing a bell; each year some who walk past struggle with whether something should be put in the kettle or not; each year, those who struggle, talk to themselves about it.

    Speaking for myself (obviously), I will not speak against the Salvation Army and the charitable good accomplished by them. However, I cannot conscientiously support a church that has not the Lord’s approval to exist. Do I talk to myself when I walk past the “kettle”? Sometimes, I do, but I walk past it just the same knowing that the charitable contributions we (my wife and I) make to other organizations (mostly the Lord’s church) should not be relegated to something inferior to the work of the Salvation Army.

    The Scriptures teach, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:7-10, ESV).

     

    • Weylan Deaver 9:14 am on July 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Good thoughts, Ron. I’ll give to the Lord’s church, but can’t conscientiously drop a quarter into the Salvation Army’s bucket–it would be like propping up any other denomination.

    • Laura 9:55 am on July 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      We have a big Salvation Army Thrift store here where one can donate old clothes, furniture, etc. Years ago we gave to them because we did not realize they were religious based. Once we realized that, we stopped. There are other organizations in our area that provide the same services and do not teach false doctrine. We all need to stop and consider the Biblical teaching on assisting and/or bidding godspeed to those who teach falsely. We don’t want to be found as partakers of their evil deeds.

    • Tim Hester 4:01 pm on July 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      A few years ago my daughter asked my wife as we were coming out of a store about why we didn’t drop money into the “bell ringers” bucket. After we explained it to her I then sat down and wrote an article which I now run in my bulletin at Christmas time every year. It surprises me each year at the number of christians who will come to me and tell me they did not realize that the Salvation Army was actually a religion. It also surprises them that a percentage of the donation money goes to further their religious teachings.

    • Richard Hill 10:01 pm on July 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Ron, I’m glad you brought this up. I’ll admit it bothers me not to drop money in those kettles. I want to be generous. They do many good works. They help the outcasts of society get back on their feet and so much more. How can I not help them?

      I can’t help them for the reason everyone has listed. They are a religion. One with which I have a number of serious disagreements. I cannot in good conscience assist them.

      So what should our response be? Just say can’t support them and leave it at that? I know none of us believes that and no one should. We need to see the Salvation Army’s example. We need to step it up. We must reach out and help every level of society including the outcasts with the love of God and with the truth. If we are unwilling to do that then we don’t really have the truth.

      I’m grateful to all my fellows for their many examples of reaching out in love and truth.

    • Ron 6:06 am on July 21, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      Thank you, all, for the remarks. I enjoyed reading them.

  • Mike Riley 3:26 pm on July 19, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , church, , phenomenon, ,   

    The “House Church” Phenomenon 

    From the Denver Post, comes the following article heading: “Growing number of worshipers make themselves at home.”

    Just wondered what views you brethren have on this growing phenomenon?

     

    • Richard Mansel 3:34 pm on July 19, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      As you know, this has been around for several years. But, it’s revival, I expect, is based in the Emergent Church movement. I fail to see how it fulfills the concept of a spiritual family gathering together as one for worship.

      Is it a rebellion against leadership? Does it yield a more compromising faith built on emotion? Does doctrine become diluted?

      I have serious questions about this old and new movement.

      • Mike Riley 3:55 pm on July 19, 2010 Permalink | Reply

        Richard, I have questions myself about this growing phenomenon. While I understand that the apostle Paul taught “from house to house” (Acts 20:20), and the church definitely assembled in houses (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2), I’m wondering if present-day assemblies include elders and deacons, or is it just a hodgepodge of members getting together at a house to eat and conversing with one another?

    • Ron 5:04 am on July 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      I have nothing against them in and of themselves, but I do become concerned when a fad, like house churches, becomes a norm. That said, however, I am of the opinion that the elders of the local congregation have the authority to exercise judgment in the implementation of “house churches” if they think it best for the local congregation. The concerns expressed by others, I think, can be reasonably addressed even to the point, if need be, of not having “house churches.”

    • John 7:42 am on July 20, 2010 Permalink | Reply

      How did the church in Acts assemble in the absence of a meeting house like was introduced after the close of the NT? Hebrews 10 refers to some kind of assembly. Was it one assembly or many? As the church became increasingly gentile, I doubt they would have been offered the synagogues. Where did they meet?

  • J. Randal Matheny 3:48 pm on July 16, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , church,   

    David Lemmons has rescued from the pages of the old Firm Foundation a nice little poem, “The Church of His Choice.” Since it’s not online, I’ve added it here:

    http://jasrandal.posterous.com/the-church-of-his-choice-a-old-poem-by-dick-e

     

  • Richard Mansel 12:18 pm on July 12, 2010 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: church, , , , racial diversity   

    New Poll Question on Race 

    Poll Question – Will you vote on my blog, please? “Do you worship with a racially diverse congregation?”

     

← Older posts

c
compose new post
j
next post/next comment
k
previous post/previous comment
r
reply
e
edit
o
show/hide comments
t
go to top
l
go to login
h
show/hide help
shift + esc
cancel
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 3,603 other followers