Worship And Sacramental Life

In many respects the Holy Spirit’s call to worship was a call to be faithful amidst persecution in a hostile world. There is simply no Christianity worthy of the name without it. . Bible passages such as Acts 2:42-47 indicate the indispensable centrality of worship in the lives of Christians. Corporate worship is clearly essential, and the Bible warns us against minimizing it(Hebrews 10:19-25). We are called by God to Worship. I will attempt to trace a few significant developments in the Church’s worship and sacramental life.


A two-fold thrust has characterized most Christian worship throughout history. On the one hand, Christians took from synagogue services such important features as hymns, scripture readings, prayers, sermons, etc. Secondly, the unique feature of Christian worship, the one added by Jesus himself, the only “order of service” specifically commanded by Jesus, is Communion. In some places in early Christian centuries, these two components were kept clearly separated. The first part of the Sunday service (the one with components from synagogues) included both baptized and unbaptized people. Some of these people were just learning to be Christians (the initiation and instruction period prior to baptism sometimes took as long as three years!) These Christians-in the-making were known collectively as the Catechumenate(from the Greek work “katecheo,” “to instruct”). Unbaptized persons were dismissed after the first part of the service. The second part was for baptized Christians only; it centered around the Lord’s supper. By around the sixth century, when much of society was already “Christianized,” these two parts of the worship service were combined.

From the very beginning, worship was seen not as entertainment led by some people (clergy, etc.) but as participation. Our word “liturgy” (referring to the order of service) is from a Greek word meaning “work of the people.” However, in the later middle Ages a distorted view saw clergy as the chief actors, and the congregation as spectators and recipients. The Reformation (with its emphasis on corporate hymn singing, etc.) sought to restore the participatory nature of worship. However, in many Christian circles today, the notion of worship as a “show” with people in the pews as spectators and judges is still alive and well. No, let’s put it this way: prevalent, but unhealthy…and unbiblical!

Baptism has been regarded almost universally as the sacrament of admission to the Church and to the Lord’s supper. It conveys forgiveness of sin and new life in Christ with Christ’s people. Since the New Testament primarily deals with missionary situations involving adult converts, it stresses the baptism of adults. However, passages such as Act 16:33 imply that children were baptized too. By the second century, writings refer to the baptism of infants without challenge, and nothing in the first century contradicts the notion the notion that infant baptism was practiced. In contrast, nowhere in extant writings is a dedication rite for infants (in place of baptism) mentioned. A theologian named Tertullian (who was associated at one point with the distorted teachings of Montanism; in the third century expressed his doubts about the wisdom of baptizing infants. But his very words assure us that infant baptism was the common practice. According to a noted scholar, Dr.Joachim Jeremias, in his book, Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries, it was not until c.AD.330 that we have clear evidence of a case of Christian parents letting their children grow up unbaptized. While it seems that infants of unchurched parents were not baptized (at least there is no current evidence of such a thing), clearly it was the prevailing practice to baptize children of believers as well as adults.

It was much later…in the 1500’s that the first significant attack on infant baptism arose. Perhaps it is no accident that at this late challenge arose in the heyday of a philosophy sometimes known as Renaissance Humanism. This kind of humanism stressed the great importance of individual understandings, feelings and decisions. This humanistic philosophy was probably a much more important factor in the re-baptism movement of the 1500’s than the Scriptures were, because the scriptures tell of some amazing things that God can do with infants, and even the unborn. In any event, it is safe to say that at least 90% of all the Christians who ever lived were baptized as infants and/or believed infant baptism to be Biblically and theologically valid.

Holy Communion was, from the very beginning, an integral part of worship. In the West at least, it was celebrated every Sunday by virtually all churches from the days of the Apostles through and including the Lutheran Reformation of the 1500’s. Acts 2:46 tells us that the early Christians gathered daily in the Temple. That’s how important worship was to them! In the Temple they no doubt prayed, sang psalms, heard the scriptures (Old Testament, of course), etc. But in their homes they broke bread, which very likely means celebrating the Eucharist (Communion). That was what was unique about Christian worship. That was what Christ commanded that could not be shared with everyone in the Temple. Often Christians risked their lives to gather on the Lord’s Day (Sunday)…not simply for individual prayer and meditation, but to share corporately in obedience to Christ’s command regarding Communion: “Do this in remembrance of me.”

The theology of Communion is highly complex in its development. Not all Christians believe the same things about it, other than that Christ commanded it. By the 9th century it was being suggested by some that bread and wine become the Body of Christ, i.e., are no longer bread and wine at all, except in outward appearance. To affect this miracle, a priest is essential. Here’s the way it was put in its official formulation, at the Fourth Lateran council in 1215: “The Body and Blood of Christ are truly contained…under the appearance of bread and wine, after the bread has been changed into the body, and the wine into the Blood, through the power of God. Only the rightly ordained priest can perform this sacrament. “But regardless of one’s views of the sacrament, Christ commanded it…and its blessings are immense.

Augustine (354-430) was a leading formulator of the doctrine of the sacraments in the western church. He stressed their centrality in the life of the church, emphasized their conveyance of grace, and held that they are necessary for salvation. Lastly specific patterns of worship can vary widely, but certain common components go back to the Jewish synagogue and to the Upper Room, where Jesus commanded Communion for his Church It is important to maintain these components in proper balance.

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The Organized Church

If God is opposed to highly developed organization, he nonetheless certainly let a lot of it happen in his Church! History teaches us that, for a movement to survive beyond the first or second generation, increased complexity of organization seems a necessity. What Say You?

After its early years with a relatively loose structure, the Church of Jesus Christ became more and more complex in its organization. Is this an unfortunate result of the human tendency to over-organize and to produce hierarchical structures, or is it the Holy Spirit's guidance for a church with a world-wide mission?  I believe it was the latter. In any event, a major activity of early Christianity was the matter of getting organized.

Among the factors leading toward increased organization were the challenge of false teachings and the need to establish doctrinal authority and to clarify who the Church's Lord is. Also, large numbers of pagans were converting to Christianity, and many of these people had low levels of education and were inexperienced in the kind of leadership that the church required. The need for unity in worship and in Christian living was becoming increasingly recognized. Meanwhile, the Church's struggles with Montanism had left many Christians skeptical of ultra-spontaneous, "charismatic" leadership. In short, the Holy Spirit was seen as working for order and stability in an increasingly chaotic world. The more the structure of the once-great Roman Empire eroded, the more pressing was the need for order within the Church of Jesus Christ.

In my opinion it is a misreading of scripture to think that the New Testament had little use for structure. St. Paul, in line with traditional Jewish views of synagogue organization, instructed Titus to appoint elders "in every town" (Titus 1:5). When Paul talks about "gifts" in Ephesians 4:11-16, he lists not individual endowments, but offices in the church.The Pastoral Epistles (I & II Timothy & Titus) evidence much concern for leadership in the Church, and Paul and Barnabas themselves appointed leaders in the churches of Asia Minor (Acts 14:23). The word for "bishop," which in Greek literally means "overseer," appears over and over again. But did this refer to a formal office, or merely a function that someone assumed. Perhaps at first what we might today call the "pastor" of a church is what the New Testament calls "overseer." There is no easily-recognized and constantly-followed pattern of organization in the New Testament. However, it appears that, at least by the end of the first century, there were three offices: bishops, elders, and deacons.

Early in Church history, and with increasing force, the position of bishop became what we know it to be today the overseer of several congregations. Quite early came an incredibly strong view of the office. In a letter from Ignatius himself a bishop of Antioch in Syria, and who was soon to be martyred, the view of this man toward bishops around A.D. 110 is clearly spelled out. He writes: "Shun divisions as the beginning of evils. Do your all to follow your bishop, as Jesus Christ followed the Father, and the presbytery (elders) as the apostles, and to the deacons pay respect." Also, a man named Clement of Rome, writing in the last decade of the first century, speaks of the necessity of "apostolic succession." This is a very important concept, meaning that ordained leaders had been ordained by other leaders (bishops), who in turn could ultimately trace their own ordainers back to the apostles. Also, clergy in general became increasingly distinguished from lay members of the Church. By the beginning of the third century the distinction had become quite obvious.

Another very significant development was the elevation of the Bishop of Rome. Although, in much theorizing, bishops were equal to each other, bishops of large cities tended to gain in prominence over other bishops. The bishop of Rome eventually developed much of the aura of his city's once-proud leadership of the Roman Empire and became known as the "pope" (from the local word for "father"). Rome was the only city west of Greece to which the Apostle Paul sent a letter, and Paul and Peter were reported to have been martyred there. Just a few of the countless other factors in the rise of the Roman bishop's authority were: the leadership of Roman Christians in early developments of canon and creed; much landed wealth given by well-to-do donors; a man named Irenaus, who, in what is now southern France, wrote c.185 about the primacy of the Roman leader and the need to obey him; and the claims of Pope Leo I. This pope, who served A.D. 440-461, asserted that Peter's leadership among the apostles had been passed to his successors, the bishops of Rome. Leo persuaded the Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, Valentinian III, to give him control over the Western Church (Italy, Spain, North Africa and Southern Gaul) by decree in A.D. 445. Valentinian decreed that papal decisions would have the force of law.

With these and many other developments, something was forming which became known as the catholic church. It was beginning to call itself that by the end of the second century. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch c. A.D. 110, first used the word, in the sense of "universal." He said, "wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic church." But the word has a history, and it came increasingly to be used of those who kept the historic Christian faith after encountering Gnosticism,, Marcionism, and Montanism in the mid-second century. Congregations were now much more closely tied together with one another and (in opposition to false teaching) bishops, canon and creed were firmly established. Whereas many Gnostics had claimed continuity with a secret teaching handed down orally from Jesus Catholic Christians took their stand on apostolic succession. This implied the passing along of true faith from Jesus through the apostles and bishops-the very faith embodied in canon and creeds. After the sifting process in the encounter with heretics, "catholic" became almost a synonym of "orthodox."  Finally one of the spin offs of greater unity and centralized authority is the increased ability to defend against false teachings and to maintain the faith
 under much stress. My continuing questions : Many people today frown on "organized religion" and the organized Church." What defense would you make against such attacks?  as well as how do you think the Holy Spirit wants the Church to be organized today?

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The Church's Challenge Clarify Who Its Lord is

My last two post thoughts have dealt with the call of God to early Christians to confront false teachings by delineating more clearly their own doctrine and doctrinal authority. The primary purpose of this delineation was to safeguard the center of the faith, the person and work of Jesus Christ. Now lets look more closely at the way the Church was led to spell out more clearly who Jesus Christ is.

Two primary questions about Jesus occupied the forefront of Christian thought for more than a century, from c. A.D 320 to 451, although the concerns go back far earlier than 320 and in many respects continue today. The first question was this: Is Jesus truly God? Secondly, if Jesus is divine, as the Church was to affirm, what is the relationship between his divinity and his humanity? Also, in the long process in which the Church took a stand on this, another question arose: Who is the Holy Spirit- God himself, or something less than God?

These are extremely complex and extremely important issues. Let me attempt to summaries the Church's answers first. Four major gatherings of bishops the first four gatherings known as Ecumenical Councils ( because for the most part their decisions involved, and were accepted by leaders from all over the Christian world) dealt with these big theological questions, with the following responses:
Jesus is true God... (council of Nicea, AD. 324, reaffirmed at council of Constantinople, 381) and true man... in one person... with two natures (council of Ephesus, 431 and council of Chalcedon, 451)
Also, the person of the Holy Spirit was clarified in this process, as the doctrine of the Trinity was delineated

The primary question was: Is Christ divine? Around A.D. 320 in Alexandria, Egypt, an influential Christian presbyter named Arius said: No. Oh sure, you could call Jesus "divine"..partly out of respect... and partly because in a sense he was a god..but not God in the sense that the Father is God. Arius said that Christ was created by the Father, and then Christ, in turn, made the rest of creation. Arius and his supporters were attacked for their views and were excommunicated by Egyptian and Libyan bishops. Both sides, plus a third, larger, initially more "neutral" group of church leaders, were summoned to Nicea. The man who called them together was a newly converted emperor named Constantine. Constantine had won an intense power struggle for control of the Roman Empire, and he believed that it was by Christ's help that he had conquered. He became the first Christian emperor. He was probably more concerned about political unity than about fine theological distinctions, But the issue that faced the church was no mere fringe matter. It focused on the very center of the faith. So it is good that Constantine worried so much about imperial disunity. At the heated, often raucous, council over which he presided, the verdict finally came: Christ is truly God... not just like God, as the Arians wanted to say. Jesus is "true God from true God," as today's translation of the Nicene Creed puts it. Incidentally, the Nicene Creed as we know it does not date in final form from the Council of Nicea. However, this Council of A.D. 325 did produce a prototype of our creed, called the Creed of Nicea. Not all Christians accepted tha creed. Some bitterly fought it. The leader of the Trinitarian theology that was clarified at Nicea, a man named Athanasius, was later exiled five times. But still, God used Nicea for his purposes.

The equality of the Holy Spirit with the Father and the Son, along with the reaffirmation and further clarification of the Creed of Nicea's stress on the divinity of Christ, were contributions of the Second Ecumenical Council, at Constantinople in A.D. 381. A year earlier Emperor Theodosius had, in effect, made Christianity the established religion of the Roman Empire. His edict decreed that all should "hold the faith which the holy Apostle Peter gave to the Romans." Theodosius called the council of 381.

Now that the divinity of Jesus was for the most part agreed upon (though the Arians' views continued to prevail in several areas of the Church, such as among some of the northern peoples of "barbarian" background), questions arose concerning the relationship of Christ's divinity and humanity. Was Jesus two persons-one human and one divine? No, said the council at Ephesus in A.D 431, Christ is one person.

Two natures characterized Jesus, said the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451, called by Emperor Marcian. It is a very long complex story to trace various views of how Christ's humanity and divinity were related. Let's say simply that there was heated "discussion." For instance, as someone put it at one Church meeting "books as well as insults were thrown." Another indication of violent disagreement was the fact that the Patriarch of Constantinople was so severely wounded in a riot over Christ's natures that he died of his injuries. The matter finally got settled in 451 , although, as with the unorthodox views of Arius decades earlier, other ideas prevailed in several parts of the Church. For example, a man named Nestorius said that only Jesus the man suffered on the Cross, not God incarnate. Complex and hair- splitting as these early theological debates may seem today, they were essential in lifting up the saving act of God in Christ as involving true divinity and also true humanity.

Lasting thoughts: There is a mystery in God's reconciling, act in Christ which we ought not dissolve by oversimplification,ie., saying that Christ is only God or only human. Good creeds don't dissolve mysteries, they preserve them. God can use highly mixed motives (such as emperors' political goals) in building up his Church and clarifying its message. Some theologians today try to explain Christianity without reference to the Trinity. The Holy Spirit's leading in early Church councils and through the years should indicate how very important this teaching is.Finally many people today do not accept the divinity of Jesus. Some downplay his humanity. How do we respond to these basic questionings today? How best can we speak/discuss today about who Jesus is, as we seek to introduce others the Savior?

God Bless You and this Ministry

The Church's Challenge to delineate its doctrine

Because of the many attacks by false teachers from earliest times, it was imperative that the church protect the Gospel of Jesus Christ by clarifying its own teachings. This meant dealing with the question of how the church is to decide what is true and false. In response to many assaults on the Gospel, the church clarified its doctrine with the help of three kinds of authority, which I will summarize as church, canon, and creeds.

The Church gradually (leadership) focused its chief teaching authority in the office of bishop. Bishops were viewed as rallying points of church unity and as key defenses against heresy (false teaching) as early as c.A.D. 110-115 in the letters of Ignatius, who was bishop of Antioch in Syria. A few decades later, synods (councils) of of various bishops met to deal with threats created by the teachings of a man named Montanus. Other challenges to cardinal Christian truths continued to expose the need for an office within the Church to serve as guardian of the Gospel. Th ordained ministry and especially the chief pastors developed largely as protectors of the Treasure of the Gospel. A key point in this process in the early Church wa the gathering of bishops known as the Council of Nicea, which had to deal with a denial of the full divinity of Christ. In all there were seven major councils of church leaders between A.D. 325 and 787. These are known as the "Seven Ecumenical Councils." Their pronouncements are accepted by virtually the whole Church today.

By the middle of the second century, a man named Marcion had devised his own personal canon of Scripture. A canon is a list of books to be included in the bible. Marcion's distorted theology led him to a Bible of only eleven books, all of them fro the New Testament, none form the Old. Partly because of this severe truncation of Scripture, and partly because of later continuing doctrinal threats, the Church was led by the Holy Spirit to declare an authoritative canon. A council of rabbis had done this for the Old Testament near the end of the first century A.D. Although many New Testament lasted for around two hundred years. This development culminated officially in the final list produced by the Council of Carthage in 397, so, in a sense, representatives of the Church produced the canon. But, for the most part, they were simply acknowledging the scriptural books that had already been accepted as authoritative by most parts of the church. Since every book of the New Testament was written by a member of the church, it is clear that, in the chronology of the Holy Spirit's working, the church preceded the New Testament and produced the New Testament, under divine guidance. The church's book became the single most important component of its doctrinal authority.

Creeds developed not for the ake of intellectual disputation, but to protect the Gospel of Jesus Christ from distortions. Their purpose was not to try to explain what really are mysteries, but rather to protct the mysteries from those who wanted to try toecplain them away. For instance, the Nicene Creed seeks to safeguard the mystery of Christ as both human and divine by eliminating two simplistic options, that Christ was only God , or only human. The Apostles Creed apparently grew out of an ancient baptismal creed, in question-and answer form, used from A.D. 150 in Rome. Gradual developments led to the form in which we now know it A.D. 400 or later.

If we wanted to move beyond the earliest Christian times that we have been describing, we could add a fourth "C" to our list of sources of doctrine namely confessions. In this sense, the word applies to basic statements of faith made by church bodies after the era of the Seven Ecumenical Councils.

As always in learning about church history. the call to faith comes into play. These developments merely are a matter of human defensiveness against the unsettling positions of "outsiders"? Are they simply the scheme of an increasingly organized and privileged Church to protect its own power and authority? Faith answers differently. While always acknowledging human factors and plenty of human error! in history, faith answers with it own confession. The Holy Spirit has led the process of Church and canon and creeds, so that we may know God's wonderful gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who died for us and lives for us! So this is all part of being Christ's witnesses to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8)

God Bless You and This ministry!

The Challenge to respond to false teachings

Very early in the Church's history as early as the time of the New Testament various teachings of the church became twisted and distorted. This happened not only at the hands of outsiders, but also from within. It was very important then as it is today to recognize such teachings and to respond effectively and faithfully, in order to follow Christ's command to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

False teachings had far reaching effects on the church. The content of various teachings, and the way that Christians responded to these attacks, will be central in this post and the coming ones. But throughout history "new" versions of some of the most ancient of false teachings continued to challenge the church, as they do even today. Today lets look at three influential kinds of teaching.

Most stubbornly pervasive from New Testament times and into today's world is something that historians now call Gnosticism (from the Greek word for knowledge, "gnosis"). Among the primary teachings of this way of looking at life are the following:
Salvation is by knowledge, usually a secret form. Christians influenced by Gnosticism saw Jesus primarily as a divine (not fully human) teacher of this saving kind of knowledge.
There is a great gulf between "matter" and "spirit". Usually the spirit and spiritual things are seen as unequivocally good, and often anything physical is bad, or a hindrance to one's highest spiritual development, or, at best, not very important.
Gnosticism allows for enormous differences in matters of morality. Since physical and spiritual things were worlds apart from each other, some Gnostics counseled not indulging the body at all, while others said it didn't make any difference what you did physically, because God cared only about the spirit.
The church isn't very important compared to the individual.
A spiritual elite supposedly had knowledge of the true spiritual nature of things. They often classified people according to whether they were "spiritual" or merely "carnal."
When Gnosticism came into close contact with Christianity, the tendency was to promote such basic distortions as: Jesus is divine, but not human; salvation does not come from the Cross, but from setting one's spirit free, so Jesus becomes a teacher and example of salvation, but not in a strict sense the Savior. Also, there is a different concept of sin (lack of spiritual knowledge, rather than playing God). In these ways, Gnosticism was (and is) a direct threat to our understanding of the center of Christianity, the person and work of Jesus Christ. (The gospel of Thomas is gnostic)

Marcionism was a very influential form of Gnosticism. IT is named after a wealthy man from a city on the Black Sea in Asia Minor (present day Turkey), who joined the Church in Rome c. A.D. 140. He held most of the Gnostic views stated above, and in A.D. 144 was excommunicated from Rome and started his own church, with the idea: Jesus divine but not human was not born, but appeared fully grown at Capernaum in A.D. 29.
Jesus never suffered on the Cross, but only appeared to.
The god of the Old Testament, a crass, nationalistic "lesser" god, is not the same as the God of the New revealed by Jesus. a God of mercy and love.
Marcion was one of the first to draw up a canon of the New Testament (list of accepted books). He totally omitted the Old Testament from his Bible, and thinking that Paul was the only apostle who properly understood Jesus, included only ten letters of Paul plus the Gospel of Luke. The Marcionite Church survived for centuries, especially in the Orient (Arabia, Armenia, Egypt, etc.). Montanism is an example of taking one aspect of Christian revelation to the extreme, and adding to it. Montanus, a man from central Asia Minor who lived about the same time as Marcion, taught theat he was the "incarnation" of the Holy Spirit. His movement, which lasted several centuries, stressed highly disciplined, ascetic Christian living, manifestations of the Spirit such as speaking in tongues, and a belief in the imminent end of the world. He taught that he (and two prophetesses!) were passive instruments of the Holy Spirit. Montanus was condemned by the earliest synods (gatherings) of bishops of which we have record.

My question, how should Christians respond to false teachings these and countless other varieties? In regard to any specific teaching. three principal options are: reject it out of hand; have nothing to do with it. Swallow it all. Take it very seriously, but know where you stand.

The key result of false teachings in early Church History was for the Church to spell out more clearly its basic beliefs. In the end distortions of christian truth has occurred since earliest times. We need to be sharp theologians and know where we stand. Proclaiming the message of scripture and presenting its theology clearly are continual and essential tasks of the church. If we back away from our theological challenge, then humanly speaking, it probably will and have been destroyed.
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To Be Faithful Amidst Persecution in a hostile world

Christ sent his people into the world to make disciples Mt28:19 "You will be my witnesses," he said.." to the ends of the earth" Acts 1:8 But, in response, the world was often hostile. The good news of a crucified and risen Lord and Savior often met forceful resistance. Yet the news needed to be spread, and God's New People needed to share his love no matter what. The challenge was to remain faithful regardless of the cost.

There were a number of reasons for hostility and persecution. From the beginning, many people detected something revolutionary and disturbing about Christians (Acts 17:6) Unlike so many of the religions of the day, Christianity was not characterized by an easygoing tolerance toward other faiths. The call of Christ to life-changing discipleship led to division (Mathew 10:34-36) Christians were not able merely to "live and let live" when it came to what other people believed, because Christ commanded that the faith be spread (Matthew 28: 16-20). Also while the Roman Empire allowed Jews to practice their religion more or less freely, Christians were making it clear that they were not simply a sect of Judaism. So they came out from under the umbrella of Rome's protection. Frequent charges against Christians included that of atheism (because of refusing to worship pagan gods) and anarchy (lack of patriotism, Christian attacks on traditional family values, etc.) Most importantly, the Roman Empire demanded total loyal to Casar and the Empire. This is something that faithful Christians could not give, because their unqualified loyalty was to Christ alone.

The extent of actual persecution was not as great as is often thought. The vast majority of Christians were never confronted directly by it. However, many of them lived under the threat of it. Relatively large persecutions were those under three different emperors: Domitian (A.D. 95), Decius (250) and Diocletian (303)

These Christians had to decide how to respond to this threat. As and example, consider the first Empire-Wide persecution (A.D. 250). The government required all citizens to present certificates showing that they had worshiped a statue of the statue of the emperor, who was officially considered to be a god. If they didn't, penalties could include degradation, the confiscation of property and torture.

What wee Christians' options as they faced this challenge? Key possibilities were:actively seek martyrdom by openly declaring one's Christianity and one's refusal to participate in Emperor worship; 2 simply not get a certificate, thereby quietly but firmly taking a stand; 3 get a certificate through someone Else's help, bribery, etc.; 4 worship the emperor's image, even though this meant making a break with the Church.

What did Christians actually do when faced with these options? Someone has estimated that perhaps one-third of all Christians obtained certificates. Others broke down under torture and consented to sacrifice to Caesar. Ultimately the choice for many came down to death or deserting Christianity. Many did choose the latter. Those that succumbed to the temptation to back away from Christianity under were bitterly divided , some groups, like the Novatians and Donatists, urged rigorous condemation. Others took the gentler stance of restoring those who had yielded to temptation.

The ultimate effect pf persecution was that the church, instead of being wiped out, was actually strengthened.The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church also, the martyrs had an effect on the devotional life of many Christians, as popular admiration of them mushroomed through the years. Around A.D 313 when Constantine became emperor. He issued a number of edicts which led to the cessation of harassment and the eventual establishment of Christianity as the state religion. Thus the very empire that once attacked the faith now officially espoused it!

My thoughts:
Christians need to take a stand.
Christians need to deal with the weak who succumb
Christians need to deal with division
The Holy Spirit can bring great good even under highly adverse conditions
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Revelation

" 'Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.' Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie. 'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.' " (Revelation 22:12-16 - New Living Translation)

Jesus reminds us that when He comes, He will judge and He will reward. We should be prepared for His return.

Those who obey God, those who repent and believe, will enter into the New Jerusalem. They will spend eternity in joy and happiness.

Those who refuse to accept Jesus will not enter into the New Jerusalem. Those who continue in their sin in this life will endure torment in the next.

Jesus is the One who sent the angel to tell John and us this prophecy. Jesus is the root of David; the one who gave David life. Jesus is the offspring of David; born into his family. Jesus is the bright and morning star who will announce the coming of a new and perfect dawn. The dawning of the new heaven, new earth and New Jerusalem.

Just as Genesis is the book of beginning, Revelation is the book of the end. It is God’s final statement about the return of Jesus Christ to earth. John writes, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, Amen”. Thus to me the key word is prophecy. The predictions that have been prophesied in the Old Testament and by Jesus are fulfilled here in the book of Revelation. Even though many books have prophetic messages, the book of revelations deals with it in a prophetic manner and it’s fulfillment. My final thoughts today is that the key verse in Revelation is “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3).

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Thoughts about Revelation

May 23,2010
First of many thoughts about Revelation

Well, after one year, I have finished going through the Book of Revelation. Like every time I have read through this Book, I have had to re-examine some of my ideas, and even discovered I have conflicting opinions of this book, My first questions I have about Revelation is, What is the main focus? To me Revelation is not primarily a focus on prophetic events, but on Jesus Christ. The first verse indicates it is” Revelation of Jesus Christ”. This word revelation means an unveiling or disclosure and thus it is the final disclosure of who Jesus Christ is. This book is a self revelation because Jesus Chrit is giving these revelations to John therevelator to write down.

"And the Spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that hearth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He, who testified these things, saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:17-21 - King James Version)

There are two views regarding verse 17. Some believe that the Spirit, the bride and him that hears call for Jesus to come. Others that they are calling for the lost to come to Jesus. Both are true.

The Spirit calls upon all people to come to Jesus for salvation. The redeemed who are now with God call upon others to trust the Lord. Those who read and believe God's Word today call upon others to believe it as well.

Whoever will hear the call to come may drink of the water of life freely. There is no charge for salvation. All that a person must do is come to Christ.

John adds a warning to his writing. Before the invention of the printing press, there was the danger that a copyist would change the wording, add to or take away from what he was copying. This warning should be taken as applying to not only such actions but also to doing the same through teaching. Any who deliberately distorts and misuses the Word of God is in danger of great judgment.

One last time Jesus reminds us that He is coming again, and that it will be quickly. John adds his own prayer to this statement. Every born again believer should have the same desire. We should pray, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

This final prophecy and book of the Bible contains both great tragedy and great glory. It tells us of the throne room of God, and of stubborn rebellion against God. It tells us of the horrors of the Tribulation and the wonders of the New Jerusalem. It is meant to encourage, to warn and to inform us.

More than anything else, studying this book should make us more committed to the Lord, and more faithful in reaching those who are yet without Him. God Bless You and this Ministry!
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Our Bird House

It seems to me that much of church is about relationships, trust, leadership, prayer and teaching especially in the moment. The hard part is when we build those relationships we begin to bump into one another with our differences. The organizational part of church is not most of my concern here but the people. Let me explain, we do because of the “Blood of Jesus Christ”. I became a Christian at the dinner table of one of my relatives. I did not know at the time that's what was happening. I can't point to one decisive moment when intellectual assent turned to trust. But it was at the dinner table that Christianity became real to me. Each evening as my relatives ate together, we would process the day's events. "How was school today?" "Who's going to take my cousin to basketball practice?" But as the events were being processed, we also had to decide what to do about difficult issues. As I watched my relatives work through the difficult issues of life, I saw that their faith made a difference in how they acted. They often prayed before they made big decisions; they often looked to Scripture for guidance, "what does the Bible say?" they would ask; they sometimes even chose the more difficult option simply because they believed that was the Christian thing to do. That is when I learned that faith mattered. I learned that I needed to see my own life in light of God's love; I needed to ask how spiritual resources like prayer and Scripture could help me make sense of life; and I needed to choose to act faithfully - even if that meant taking a more difficult path. I became a Christian by following the decision-making models I saw at the dinner table of my second family. This was unlike a healthy church committee, aligned in one accord.
Relationships through leadership can have the greatest impact for people by having that interconnection that bonds people together. My question is are we on the same page aligned, helping people to the fullness of life in Jesus Christ? Showing how even the most mundane issues must be seen in light of God's presence with us. Finding someone to salt the icy winter sidewalks, for example, is not just a liability issue; it's a matter of hospitality. It is in committee meetings that church leaders offer not just perspective but spiritual resources. There is a deep Biblical tradition, for example, demanding that God's people practice hospitality. And it is in committee meetings that church folks see the church choosing to live up to its belief, even if it is inconvenient. The elder in charge of facilities, to finish the example, may say that she will salt the sidewalks herself if she cannot locate someone else to do it. Just as I learned Christianity by watching my parents at the dinner table, so congregations learn to see faith in action by watching their leaders in committee meetings.
This emphasis on teaching in the moment points to an odd contradiction inherent in Christian ministry. Ministers spend most of their time doing tasks, but doing tasks is not the essence of ministry. In this way, a pastor's situation is not unlike the time spent by a stay-at-home mom. I know of friends, for example, who are stay home mothers that spends two days a week home with school-aged girls (the other three work-days each week, she is a computer programmer). She stays home with her daughters because she wants to have a direct influence in shaping their personalities and forming their characters. Yet she spends most of the time on those days doing chores - running errands, washing clothes, and wiping noses. The surprising thing about this experience, however, is that she is accomplishing just the goal she hoped to achieve. As the girls spend time with their mother, they learn how to relate to the world - they absorb her values (kindness, sharing, patience, diligence) and imbibe her practices (caring for strangers, putting others first, listening to others) - even as they go through the routine of daily life. As those children accompany her through the day, they learn what it means to embody faith. She may spend her time doing tasks, but she is really forming her children.
A pastor shapes his congregation in just the way a mother molds her children. In committee meetings and chance encounters, in hallways and the parking lot - that is where the pastor embodies his beliefs and models faith-in-action. That is where the pastor gives his congregation an example of what it means to see the world through Christian eyes, to care for the world with a Christian heart. Theology and biblical studies are not distinct from administration any more than me being separated from my wife. Theologically formed faith and biblically informed trust, animate administration; they make it alive. Enveloping the daily routine of a pastor is an ether of theological substance and a cloud of biblical meaning. You will spend a lot of time doing mundane tasks. But in this course you will learn to see how to relate those tasks to the beliefs, values, and ultimate purpose that make those tasks worth doing. Ministry cannot be summed up in the daily-duties of a minister any more than parenting can be reduced to washing clothes and wiping noses.
How, then, does one teach church leadership that is all about teaching in the moment? I believe you have already begun to learn it through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The very preaching, teaching and counseling skills it takes to be a good pastor (we all are pastors) are the skills it takes to be a good administrator or leader of the faith. This often amounts to little more than teaching on the fly - i.e. showing how faith, theology and Scripture apply in a specific situation. So the best way to be connected is to do what my relatives did with me at the dinner table: exegete situations and describe how we might think theologically about then, pray and model for you the skills I hope you will carry into the settings where it can bring all into the Fullness of Life through Jesus Christ.
God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Slowly, Simple and Truthfully”

I was once asked,” how do you talk to someone who is maybe a non-Christian or unsaved?” This made me think how would I like to be talked too as a Christian, “slowly, simple and truthfully”. Then I thought, “We should not expect unsaved people to understand us. God has said,The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor.2:14).The “natural” person is a lost person, who is spiritually blinded and cannot understand the spiritual motives, values, or insights of the Christian life. So then how can we as Christian’s be more understanding and supportive?

One-way would be to engage people like you would want to be engaged; talk about things that you like or dislike. For example books that are non-Christian (one is “How to be good” by Nick Homby). I may read such a book and then engage them in questions that are thought provoking and before you know it our conversation is about Christianity. Often as a football coach during practice, I have verses (scripture) written in plan view with my football plays to remind me to coach biblically and my non-believing coaching friends may ask me about that. I never try to convert but do try to be me and open to all things.

I must say that as a Christian, I do not see Christianity as either restrictive or exclusive. I believe in a God who is quite inclusive, loving and just and I believe that this point of view is well supported in the Bible. I suppose my focus would more be with why a person (the one’s posing the question) are not ready to engage in a conversation with people about their belief’s and desire to not believe. I believe our purpose as Christians is to proclaim the Good News, as we know it to be true in our lives. It is not our purpose to convert; only God can convert so to claim to be engaging in conversion is to claim to be gods ourselves. I would therefore, encourage us to engage our friends, families who don’t believe in a conversation about our individual faith.

Some times just finding out why a person feels that Christianity could be restrictive or exclusive then share with them why you feel it is not that way. However, if your first approach is to say that, “you will never be truly happy unless you are a Christian.” Then stop before you start. I find that the place to start is with personal experiences, not theological content that comes later. What is your personal experience of being a Christian? What difference does it make in your life to say that you are a Christian? Here what is said and then ask your friend to hear you as well, not for the purpose of conversion but for the purpose of building up one another.

Finally remember the words of one wiser than me. “Bidden or not, God is present” You may not ever know what difference such a conversation might have but you can know that God will be present in the conversation and that is enough.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

People are Looking

Jesus told us that he came so that we would have “life to the fullest” (John 10:10). If that was Jesus’ goal while he was on earth, don’t you think that should be a goal of the church?
Most people in my 100 foot circle aren’t living life to the fullest in my opinion. Sure, most people have full lives. They’re always going from one place to another, from one accomplishment to another, and often from one relationship to another. Many people’s schedules are full, but that’s a far cry from living life to the fullest through Jesus Christ.
First and foremost for me, living life to the fullest starts with Jesus. We cannot have a full life without him. Salvation is the starting point to a life fulfilled, but it’s not the end. There are a lot – I mean a lot – of unfulfilled Christians. And that devastates our witness to the world.
After salvation, a fulfilled life is one of the following four basic needs (support, stability, self expression and significance) and how they are met. God has uniquely called the Body of Christ to meet those needs. Everyone wants to know they’re not alone. God said in Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for man to be alone,” but there are a lot of factors in today’s world that are causing us to be more alone.
The vast majority of us live in cities, and we don’t know our neighbors.
We’re increasingly separating people into different boxes – further isolating ourselves.
In just a few generations, we’ve gone from the extended family to the nuclear family to the single-parent family.
To many people and things have become more important than people.
People are coming into the church searching for something to belong to. They want to know they aren’t alone. They want to know someone cares about them.
That’s where the church steps in. God designed the church to be a family (Ephesians 2:19). Small groups are crucial to this. That’s where we meet the need for support in people’s lives.
People are looking for a strong foundation to build their life on. This is surprising to me because. Every study you read about truth these days says people don’t believe in absolutes anymore. but people want absolutes to center their life on The sad part is that even regular church goers aren’t acknowledging absolute truth. But if you have no absolutes in your life, you’re asking for anxiety and stress.

Deep down, the people in your community know that. Those who walk into your church this weekend want absolutes to build their life around. Whether they want to admit it or not, they’re looking for principles to help guide them. Until people establish an authority in their life, they’ll never have life to their fullest.

You have an opportunity to do that. We must teach people that God’s Word is that kind of authority. It’s an anchor that we can depend upon when life gets rough.
God made us all a unique mix of gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences. And he gave us an irrepressible desire to express our uniqueness. When we can’t express that uniqueness, it produces frustration, dissatisfaction, and boredom.

The vast majority of men and women who’ll walk through your church doors this weekend – and the vast majority of people you’re trying to reach – are bored out of their mind. They have no opportunity to express their uniqueness. Often, the media, their jobs, their family, and their friends are trying to stuff them into a box that makes them just like everyone else. When they come to your church, they’re hoping you’ll help them express that uniqueness.

The church should be that kind of place. Helping people discover their uniqueness by finding out about their S.H.A.P.E. (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences). Teaching how to minister through the unique way God created us.
We all want to know our life matters. We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We’ve been wired for this. Man’s search for meaning wrote the history of the 20th century. Communism and nationalism thrived because people long to be a part of something bigger than them. Today, radical Islam operates in that same way.

We should corner the market on meeting this emotional need. You and I are a part of the biggest mission imaginable – sharing the Good News about God’s Kingdom. I can’t think of any bigger mission to center our lives around. As we help people see their unique part in this mission, we’re meeting this huge need in their lives.

Philippians 2:13 in the New English Bible says, “For it is God who works in you, inspiring both the will and the deeds for his own chosen purpose.” God has a purpose for our lives even before we were born. One of the greatest things we can do for people is helping them to discover that. What is their unique mission? How does God want to use their uniqueness to tell his story? Your church has the opportunity to help people discover that.
Romans 5:2 sums up my heartbeat and what I hope is your heartbeat for your church: “We can confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all God has in mind for us to be.” I want to be able to say that I’ve helped my congregation become all God wanted them to be. That means I have to be meeting these four basic needs in the ministry of our church.
Here’s my underlying message. If you’re built around the biblical purposes of the church (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism), you’re meeting those needs. A church committed to fellowship meets the need of support. A church committed to discipleship meets the need of stability. A church committed to mobilizing members for ministry meets the need of self-expression. And a church committed to evangelism and missions meets the need of significance.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

How alive is your life?

People look at lot of places to find “life” they become big time sports fans, material fans, social network fans, who are my friends fans and finally of this world fans;
I say a Possible, popular sources of “life is in ” Romans 8:6-11

Jesus said:
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. The Message
Jesus Christ claims to be able to give you more and better life than any of these other sources, better than you can imagine.
What does this mean? Our first inclination is to think that this has something to do with heaven, with extending our life after we die. That is true, but it is only part. It obviously has to do with the life that you and I have, that we experience right now. If you watch certain folks on television, you might come to think this has to do with wealth, with prosperity. As attractive as that sounds, it is not what Jesus means. He’s not just promising to dump on you a load of cash. He is promising something far better than that. He’s promising the most real, satisfying, best life you can imagine.
How does he do that? Have you ever wondered how?
The vehicle of this new life, this great and eternal life, is the Holy Spirit.
This is what Jesus told his followers before he left them:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

When you believe in Jesus Christ, you receive the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell inside of you. And this Spirit gives you life. The Holy Spirit is the source of new life that Jesus gives you.
Today’s vital parts of you that I see that the Spirit brings alive are that the Spirit of God gives life to..
The first place that God’s Spirit brings you life is found in Romans 8:5-6.
You have a mind
Paul begins here talking about your mind. Today we are going to talk about your mind. Do you mind?
When I ask you to define your mind, what comes to mind?
Probably something about your brain, the part of you that thinks, reasons, understands things. When we say, “What’s on your mind?” we mean “what are you thinking?” But your mind is much more than that. Your mind is also your outlook on things, your assumptions, values, desires, and purposes. It is what you think, how you respond. These things make up your ‘mindset.’
We say, “I have a mind to…” and that shows determination, purpose. We say, “Make up your mind,” and that has to do with choices, decisions.

And your mind often governs your body, it determines how you act, the course you take.
Illus.: Lately I’ve heard some of the women in our church talking about tackling some of Colorado’s 14ers this summer. Nobodies body just pops out of bed one morning and starts hiking up a mountain. No, it begins with a decision, a determination in your mind.

Your mind is a significant aspect of the immaterial part of you – what we might call your soul. Your mind represents the rational side, whereas we refer to your heart as the more emotional component of your soul, your inner being.
You experience mind control
Did you notice what Paul said about our minds? Paul describes two kinds of minds: one belonging to someone who lives according to the sinful nature, and one belonging to someone who lives according to the Spirit. To live “in accordance with” means ‘to be under the control of.’ That’s clear in verse 6, where it talks about the mind controlled by the Spirit. In other words, Paul is talking here about mind control.

In fact, he says each of us is subject to mind control. That’s right, mind-control. One of the things we like to think about our minds is that they are independent. We pride ourselves in having a “mind of my own.” But Paul points out that none of us has a truly independent mind. They are controlled, either by “the sinful nature” or by “the Spirit.” The sinful nature (also called “the flesh”) refers to your nature left to its own devices, infected and impacted by sin.

Our natural state, the way we are born, because of sin running rampant in the human race. If your life is dominated by, controlled by your sinful nature, it effects your mind. Your outlook, disposition, values, desires, purposes, etc., are shaped, literally controlled by this sinful nature. This mindset results in death. It produces nothing but death.
Romans 8:7-8 shows us why.
The sinful mind, the mind dominated by the sinful nature, is by nature hostile to God. It resists doing things God’s way, preferring it’s own way. By definition, it does not follow or obey God, thus it cannot please God, and that leads to death.

The other kind of mind-control is when your mind is dominated or controlled by the Holy Spirit. This person, by definition seeks to live for God. The Spirit-controlled mind results is life and peace.

There it is. Did you see it? The Holy Spirit gives life to your mind. He brings your mind fully alive. This is a key component of who you are. God says that with his Spirit in you, controlling you, your mind can be fully alive. That means your outlook, your perspective, your decisions, the course you choose, all of that can be more and better than you can imagine. Your mind can produce, result in life, real life. And peace. Would you like a mind characterized by peace?

You see, eternal life begins now. It isn’t just about living on after you die, although that’s pretty good too. It begins now because part of the rich full life Jesus came to give you includes a mind that is fully alive, full of life and peace. A Christian’s mind is controlled by the Spirit
Now, look at Romans 8:9. Paul says if you are a Christian, if you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit of God in you, and you are no longer controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit. There is no such thing as someone who belongs to Christ but doesn’t have the Spirit in him. That’s what that verse says.

So let me ask you a question: Who is in control of your mind. Is your mind characterized by life and peace? That’s the test for who is in control of your mind. Is your mind, are your decisions, outlooks, choices, purposes characterized by life and peace, or by hostility and rebellion against God that leads to death?
If you are not yet a believer in Jesus Christ, the solution is simple. Let Christ free you from the control of your sinful nature. Believe in his death and resurrection. Admit your need for his forgiveness, and this wonderful Spirit will live in you, and will control your mind so that you can please God.

If you are a believer, but you aren’t characterized by life and peace, the key is back in Romans 8:5. We must learn to live in accordance with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” A lot of us never take seriously this business of living by the Spirit. He is in us, but we don’t let him control us, we let our sinful nature have control. The results are disappointing at best, disastrous at worst.

Living by the Spirit, in accordance with the Spirit is a daily process of humbling ourselves before God and learning to hear and obey his leading. This is a big subject, but suffice it to say that you will never accomplish it if you don’t stop thinking you are in control and if you don’t take time to stop and listen, really listen to God, primarily as he directs you through his Word. The Spirit gives life to our minds
God’s holy spirit, that lives in us when we turn our lives over to Jesus Christ, brings our minds to life, resulting in life and peace.

In Romans 8:10 we see what else the Holy Spirit brings alive in us.

The second crucial part of you that the Spirit brings alive is your spirit. Did you see that? Paul says “If Christ is in you” and that is equivalent to the Sprit of Christ back in verse 9 which is equivalent to the Spirit of God also in verse 9. Paul uses all of those phrases interchangeably. They mean the same thing.

If Christ is in you, literally in the person of the Holy Spirit, your body is dead because of sin. That means your physical body still dies – you and I experience physical death as a consequence of sin that infects the world. But, he says, your spirit is alive because of righteousness. Your body may die, but your spirit is made alive. This is the result of righteousness, meaning the effect of Christ’s perfect righteousness being placed in you, replacing your own faulty righteousness. The Spirit of God makes you spiritually alive. In theological circles, this is called regeneration. The Spirit of God regenerates your dead spirit into an alive spirit.

Just as you have a mind, which makes up your inner man, your soul, you also have a spirit. You are, at your core, a spiritual being. There is far more to you than just what you see in the mirror. The Scriptures tell us in Genesis 1:27,
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
The Scriptures also tell us that God is spirit, (John 4:24a)
This means you, who are in the image of God, are also spiritual.

Your spirit is the part of you that can communicate with God. It is the part of you most connected with God. This part has to come alive before you can have a relationship with God. Your spirit is literally dead until you come to faith in Christ, and receive the holy spirit. The Spirit brings your spirit to life!

The Spirit gives life to your spirit. You now have the capacity to truly connect and commune with God. You can hear his word, understand him, know him, communicate with him, love him. You now speak the same language, on the same terms, with God. This is a profound spiritual resource for your life!
The Spirit gives life to our spirits
God’s holy spirit brings your spirit alive. His spirit makes your spirit alive!
Transition: A mind that is alive and a spirit that is alive – that’s pretty good, don’t you think? But there is more. There is one more component of you that God’s spirit brings to live. Notice what it is in Romans 8:11.

It’s not just your mind and your spirit that come alive through God’s spirit. He also gives life to your body – your physical body. Paul tells us here that if the Spirit dwells in us, we can be assure of the resurrection of our bodies. If the spirit that raised Christ from the dead is in you, your body too will be raised from the dead.

Although your body is still subject to death, because of sin, you have the promise of resurrection. The logic is, if he could do it for Jesus, he can do it for you too.

Paul describes a little bit of what this will be like in the book of 1 Corinthians. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15:50-54.

That’s quite a scene. The gist of it is that the body you have, the one you will die with, isn’t fit for eternity. That’s no big surprise to most of us, is it? If my body can’t even make it out of bed some mornings, how is it going to last for eternity? So your body will be changed. What is currently perishable, will be made imperishable when your body is raised from the dead. This is made possible by the power of God, who’s Spirit lives in you.

This is the one area we are most familiar with – our bodies. We sense that they won’t last, so we spend a lot of time, money, and effort trying to keep them going, even looking for some secret to longevity. But Jesus says I have the key to the life you are looking for. Sure, it involves your body, but it involves far more. If you will come to me, I will give you life!
The Spirit gives life to our bodies
God’s spirit, with the power that raised Christ from the dead, will raise our bodies from the dead.

That’s a lot of life! Will you enter into his life today?

God's Word All Over Again

Psalm 8:3-4: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?"

What is your fate? Why do you subsist? Is there a reason, a purpose, for human life? These questions have baffled me lately.
Have you ever pondered the meaning of life? A child naturally wonders, "Where did I come from?" As adults we ask, especially in our twilight years: "Is this physical life all there is? Does my life have a purpose?"
Think about your own existence. Can you see a purpose for your own life with its ups and downs, its mixture of joys and sorrows? Do you sense lasting value in its toil, challenges and uncertainties?
Just why were you/we born? Understanding that only God can reveal His purpose for creating us, the overwhelming majority of people have failed to grasp the amazing future God has in store for those who develop a proper relationship with Him. As the apostle Paul put it: "No eye has seen no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT).
The Scriptures tell us that our destiny can exceed anything we could imagine in our wildest dreams! Isn't it time we let God explain—from His Word—what He has in mind for us?

A prophetic passage gives us our first clue to our fantastic future. Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, it tells us that a time is coming when "many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." It adds: "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3).

Is this but just a hint of the amazing future God has planned for us— to live forever, shining in glory like brilliant stars! Before I/we can grasp man's eternal fate, however, I think we need to clearly understand what man is now. That is how God created us: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). This to me means a physical being composed of the chemical substances of earth mortal, rather than immortal, Gods servants are those who "seek for glory, honor, and immortality" (Romans 2:7) Immortality is available only through mankind's Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The human spirit is critical to our destiny, since God's Holy Spirit joining with it is what makes us God's children (Romans 8:16). And just as the human spirit gives us human understanding, so God's Spirit gives us higher, godly understanding (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). We are not born with the Holy Spirit but receive it from God following repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38).

Our eternal life “purpose” is the gift God has in store for those who turn from the way of sin and begin obeying Him from the heart. Again, it is not something we inherently possess. Rather, it is something God offers to us— if we turn from our old sinful ways and, through Christ, accept His forgiveness and direction for our life. This to me is what He wants for everyone: "God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God desires to give us the precious gift of life forevermore. He will do everything he can to ensure that we receive this timeless destiny he has planned for us!
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Retirement

Philippians 3:7-11
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh – though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
All through out my years, I have pondered these questions, “What plans do you have for the rest of your life Ron?” That is not an uncommon question, is it? We make plans that affect our finance, retirement, housing, and physical needs, just to mention a few concerns that call for serious planning. I often say to myself, “What about your relationship with the Lord in the years to come?”

You ask where I got this thought for my faith journey this month; well it has almost been one year since my departure from an ELCA Lutheran Church and while thinking about that I read a message by St. Paul that caused me to ask the following question: Is Christianity divisive? It can be. That doesn’t seem right, does it? We shy away from people who cause dissension and admire people who are able to unite a group of people. When Paul came to Philippi he came with the Gospel. He told the people that we are sinners. However, God has come into this world in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross as a payment for our sins. He then personalized the message by saying, “If we repent of our sins and trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will be forgiven and restored into a personal relationship with God.”

While some people in Philippi believed this Gospel, others bitterly opposed St. Paul’s teaching. They insisted that in order to be saved it was necessary to obey the Jewish laws, such as circumcision, eating special foods, and celebrating Jewish holidays. This group also told the people that Paul was a false prophet and should not be heard.

Paul’s response was, “Watch out for these dogs.” You see at times at that church I was only receiving one part of the gospel message and what a struggle because I did not want to cause divisiveness or to be a righteousness of only the mind I stayed and kept quiet. But my concern never went away and soon I left. “He who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22)
St. Paul tells us in our text what he wants to happen in his relationship with the Lord Jesus, and I believe it is good advice for all God’s children.

First, Paul wants to be a righteous man. He writes, “I do not want a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith”. This means to me, I live out of love for Christ and not by trying to obey the law. It seemed to me while attending this one ELCA church that was the only message I heard, “the Law”. As the spiritual relationship with Christ grows, he motivates us to live according to his will. A righteousness that is based on keeping the law says that I must do this or that, because it is what God wants me to do. I am fulfilling an obligation. Sometimes this obligation gets quite heavy.

A righteousness that comes from God and is by faith says that I want to do this or that. Let us take something as simply as going to church on a Sunday morning. When I am living under the law, I go to church because I have to if I am a Christian. It is an obligation. That is what his law tells me to do. When my righteousness is a fruit of the Gospel, I attend church because I love him who first loved me, and I want to be in his house so that I may be fed by his word and fellowship with other believers. Again, it is not that I have to, but that I want to.

Paul knew what a man-made righteousness was. That is what he had experienced in Judaism. It could often be burdensome. When Christ had captured his heart, it was a love relationship and he wanted to please him.

Second, Paul writes, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.” Paul had known Christ and lived in a close relationship with him for many years, but he wanted to know him better. Is that our desire?

For us it means spending time with Jesus in his word and prayer. Through Christ’s resurrection, the Savior has won victory for the believer over sin, death, and the devil. This affects our lifestyle. It means that, when temptation confronts us, Christ gives us the power to overcome it. When life seems like it is coming apart, the Holy Spirit is there to lift us up and assure us that “though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil for (he) is with us.”

Obviously Paul is talking to the Christians in Philippi. These people were aware that they were terrible sinners, but Jesus was a mighty Savior. When they received Christ as Savior, they were justified by grace through faith. Now they were committed to spend the rest of their lives growing in this relationship with God.

This is the desire of every Christian who truly knows the Savior. However, while justification is instantaneous, sanctification is lifelong. We say with St. Paul, “Not that I have already obtained all of this, or been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Is this not our desire also?

Each day we see the need of that power that only the Holy Spirit can give us to press on. Satan has a new set of temptations to confront us with each day of our lives. He never stopped attacking Jesus while he was here in the flesh. Only hours before he was crucified, the tempter was trying to convince our Lord that there was still time to escape this suffering and death. Yet Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, was given strength to pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.” With that power he set his face toward Calvary where he died for the sins of the world.

What about the rest of our lives when we know that it cannot be long before we will die? Our bodies tell us that they are wearing out. We cannot do the things we used to do. We even sell our houses to escape the chores that go with owning property. We are tempted to become very apathetic about carrying any responsibilities in our community or church.

Satan finds a powerful servant who is twenty-five or thirty years younger than you and they suggest that you and your peers move out of the picture and let the younger generation take over. You find yourself saying, “Yes, he is right. It is time for us to quit giving of our time and experience of past years.” It is time to withdraw and bring younger people into places of responsibility. However, it is also possible that it is not an “either-or” but a “both-and.” The old need the young, and the young need the old. There is no substitute for youth, and there is no substitute for age and experience.

The time comes when retirement is in order. However, there is no retirement from serving Christ and his kingdom. Now that is not spiritual chatter. I am willing to admit that we do not have the strength at age 70 that we had at 40 to 50. However, I am also convinced that walking with our Lord for those extra years has equipped us to share insights into God’s plan that will bring blessings to Christ’s church and other people.

What about the rest of your life? I like the counsel given to me by my former coach when I was in my 20s. I pass it on to you. “It is better to wear out than to rust out.” Let us keep on growing spiritually until we die.
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Coaches Ministry

What has Coaches Ministry meant to me?
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The Coaches Ministry has helped me with a deeper understanding of why I coach and what is coaching. Through this ministry I learned that we as coaches should help our student athletes build vision and move toward the future. To me coaching is not reactive, looking back; it’s proactive looking ahead. It is not about healing; it’s about growing. It focuses less on overcoming weaknesses but more on building life skills, discipline and help strengthen our youths faith. It is that discipline that Jesus talked about in Matthew 28:19. I feel that through football, I can teach, witness and share with the student athlete, my life lessons, my spiritual journey and the love of God through Jesus Christ by my Actions.

My best advice for coaches out there who want to coach Biblically? My best advice is to use the’ KISS’ method keeps it simple. As a Christian coach we know that none of us can be completely neutral. I constantly remind myself of my own youthful story (and it was not always perfect). One of my goals in coaching is to ask questions that will help the student athlete identify and clarify his or her own Christian values. Usually as a Christian coach I seek to listen and encourage with short anecdote stories about my life. Avoid imposing my own agendas. I rarely have direct advise unless I am invited, and I never tell people what they should do. Instead, I encourage them to set their own goals and directions, crystallize their own visions, and formulate their own mission and plans of Action. When the situation presents it’s self; stand up to what you believe as a coach, share your faith, be prepared by knowing your doctrine and tell your story. Be ready for some of the follow questions:

1. What you like about Jesus?

2. Why do you go to Church?

3. What about the Bible?

4. When did you become a Christian?

5. Is there a God?

And finally know the following:

Grace- free gift and not earned. Man- Sinner and cannot save himself. God- loves us and he is Just.

Christ- 100% man, 100% God and went to the cross for us. Faith Do you believe it and it is a life change.

God Bless You and this Ministry!

I will leave it to God

I Corinthians 6:9-11
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

In 1980, my mother in-law presented me with a Bible in honor of my adult baptism. She reminded me that this was God’s inspired Word and it had the power to change my life. At that time, I believed this because it was what our church believed and what I had been taught as a youth. Today, however, I believe this because of personal experience. What a powerful gift that Bible was! God’s Word truly has changed my life.

Now, twenty-eight years later, some believe the Bible needs updating. To safeguard against such changes, our church has stated in its confessional writings that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the only authority in matters of faith and life. If this is true, why are we hearing so many strange statements about biblical changes?

Let me give you an example. One day a man, whom I have always respected, asked if I believe all people are saved. He was visibly upset and went on to say that his pastor told him that all people would go to heaven. I told him to read Jesus’ words: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He replied that he had shared these words with his pastor and was told that there is more than one way to interpret this statement.

A few days later I was having coffee with a group of teachers when a woman asked me the same question. She told the group that her pastor, who has freshly progressive ideas, had told her that Jesus was not the only way to heaven. When I asked how she responded to his statement, she assured us that she let him know this was not what she had been taught and believed.

It saddened me to hear this woman, who was so disturbed that her pastor had openly denied one of God’s inspired truths.

Another way, in which we see some, clergy and lay alike, attempting to change the Word of God, is in the call to ordain practicing homosexuals, using code words like “a Reconciling in Christ Church” and bless same-sex marriages. If you ask them why they are departing from what Scripture says about these practices, their answer is simply that the Bible must be interpreted in light of its culture. In other words, we need an updated Bible.

Listening to today’s sermons, I ask, why less focused on sins by some and others preach on it routinely. Trying to avoid a debate from either side or being labeled as a sin phobia, I read I Corinthians 6:9-11, which reads, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy, nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

I asked myself, haven’t the church dealt with all of these sins? None are condoned. We would not ordain a person who was living in adultery. I don’t believe we would ordain drunkards if we were aware of their problem. A person found guilty of stealing would be dismissed from the clergy roster, I pray.

In my mind none of us are without sin. But we can be forgiven if we repent and turn to Christ. Notice, Paul says to the Corinthians that this is the way they used to live, but they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. The practicing homosexual, on the other hand, does not want to repent; rather, he or she wants to remain in this lifestyle and still be ordained by the church. This is the difference.

It is one thing to fall in sin and be forgiven by God’s grace. It is quite another for the church to say that some behaviors should be looked on charitably because of modern cultural changes.

We cannot condone sin and update our Bible. What, then, shall we do? Listen to the words of Paul: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

In other words, we use church discipline. Who does the disciplining? In most churches, the documents of the church tell us. Within the congregation, it generally falls to the leaders, people chosen by their brothers and sisters in Christ, When clergy are to be disciplined, the responsibility is with the bishops and those trusted people of God who are their counselors. But if the group or leaders has this philosophy and it is affecting your vision of life,"what are you to do?" At this point in my life because of my love for all, I will leave it to God.

The church is in serious trouble. Part of it is because we have given in to diluting the Scripture in order to satisfy the culture of our day “This is the easy way” and if you speak about it you are labeled or told they don’t understand you. however, Jesus never said that the way will be easy. Culture is not to shape the church; the church is to shape culture. We are the salt of the earth, according to the Word of our Lord.

Do we need an updated Bible? Definitely not, instead, we need to take the teachings of God’s word seriously.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

My Dream

Luke 10:25-29
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God; with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”


I truly believe in dreams and that no dream in life is beyond a persons ability to accomplish. God would not plant a seed in your mind if he did not plan to give you the means to nurture and cultivate it into a beautiful flower. God is working with us and we can cherish our dreams as divinely inspired visions of our new life. We must hold firmly to our dreams especially during the moments of doubt and challenge. The key for my transformation has been to keep my mind and heart focused on my dreams in a positive manor by working hard and constantly seeking those moments of ah-ah for Christ.

Your dream is a sprouting creation that needs desire and support to develop to full maturity. Then it returns the care by nourishing the dreamer as well as those who promote it. Every great achievement begins as a dream. A vision of success is a decisive idea that must be cultivated and strengthened by the individual who believes in his or her dream to stand by it in moments of difficulty.

Are you willing to stand by your dream in times of opposition? Especially when someone says they don’t understand you. Are you willing to say yes to yourself and your thoughts (ideas) when others stand against you? For your dream is none other than God’s dream for you, His love”! If you believe you will obey your dream and if you obey you will believe! Sometimes we humans need to be faced up with reality, and that is what Jesus does in his Word. But remember, He does this in love.

My dream sometimes lacks in much understanding I have for Christianity. I like to emphasize in both faith and life in what we believe and how we live. To me if we place all the emphasis on Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for our sins and never talk about the fruits of this faith, we have only told a part of the story. On the other hand, if we talk only about the kind of life that Jesus taught, and place little or no emphasis on our salvation, but Justice there is no power to live this life. Jesus then in that view is no more than another moralist, and with that we have little relationship with our Heavenly Father. A part of that Christian message is never adequate in my mind. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no way that we can even make a contribution to our salvation, but when Christ’s dream lives in us, this relationship produces fruits of good works, which means helping people plus trusting and walking with Christ. Sing these words to yourself. What does this song remind you of?
“Love and marriage,
Love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother,
You can’t have one without the other.”

You can’t have just faith or just dreams without love!

God Bless You and This Ministry

“The Other Shoe”

Whether you agree with me or not here are some of my naive thoughts. What is Worship as a Christian Church today? And have we changed to far? After belonging to numerous congregations that were Lutheran (ELCA), the other day this thought came to my mind. What are Lutherans unique perspective on worship and Church issues period? That is one question I have never asked a Pastor with out feeling a little guilty and confused. So I decided to first discus this with a number of people. I prepared myself for the follow type of answers: Worship is praising the Lord" or "Worship is what human beings do to express their thanks to God" or "Worship is going to church," or something like that. Well, I didn’t exactly hear those same words but it wasn’t far from it though. While there is some truth to each of those answers, they did not adequately feed me spiritually, help with describing the main purpose of Lutheran worship today or understand what message I was hearing today. It only has made me wonder where is the Lutheran Church Today?

I thought to myself I know that God's Word and His holy Sacraments are His precious gifts to us and are the tools the Holy Spirit uses to give us forgiveness, life and salvation. Then is the main purpose of our worship and church life to receive these gifts from God? But how do we understand this during this climate of change? Hmm, I am not sure whether we have adequately emphasized this important truth or maybe we are limping with two different gospels. The one we all grew up with at the foot of the cross that is based on repentance, and another that follows a different gospel of acceptance that has been foisted on us. You see this new gospel is emphasizing, “God is love and God is only love, and since Jesus’ ministry was all about love, his followers were to love others in the same way.” Again, love is to be defined solely in terms of inclusion, acceptance and not to be reminded of our ungodliness. The result of this new gospel’s love is not repentance and death to ourselves, but instead love for and acceptance of ourselves because God has accepted and loved us. It has taken me a while to understand this second gospel but given such assumptions, that is why to me our gospel message has focused so much on social justice. (A reason found for the church to exist today). This second gospel mission cannot be proclaiming God’s justification of the ungodly, because the gospel of acceptance does not believe that people are ungodly, except to the extent that they exclude people. Instead, that is why the mission worship message of the church today as been dominated by social and political issues in my view.

But we cannot do both because it divides us.” My ears have been closed to it and it needs to be revisited. God gives His gifts. We receive them. He does this as His Gospel is proclaimed, as His Word is read, as His forgiveness is announced and sinners are absolved, and as we receive our Lord's body and blood in Holy Communion. In these wonderful ways, God is present with us, His people, drawing us to Himself and giving us what we need so much--His mercy, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, power and comfort! The purpose of worship, therefore, is to be gathered by God around His gifts. Then why is this today such a battle between the mind and the heart? Boy oh boy We need to take great care with change today help our visitors as well as ourselves appreciate and understand what is happening with changing things just so that every point is new guy but old perfectly clear.

Then it follows that our worship is Christ-centered from the heart or as we take a look at the liturgical orders of service now I understand why everything said and done is filled with His Word for the mind as well. Why? Remember what St. Paul wrote to the Galatians? “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one that called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to another gospel – which is no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6 - 7).”

Because our focus is on Christ and His work, that's why. The focus of church service worship is on Christ, not man. Who is present for us and with us in His Word and Sacraments? He is truly among us. We are not contemplating a far-off Christ, or meditating on abstract ideas. Lutheran worship is not like going to a self-help group or a therapy session. It is God who gathers us for worship around the gifts He gives to us through Word and Sacrament. But I would like to remind you that it is not really our church, it is the Lord's church. As long as the church tries to acknowledge two different gospels, we will never be united or have answer to those little questions, it will never be at peace, and it will never settle all the issues of today.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Numbers in the Pews

READ: Luke 9:57-62

Luke records for us in this passage an account of three men whom Jesus met as He traveled along with His disciples. Two of these men declared that they wished to follow Jesus; to become His disciples. The other was one whom Jesus summoned to follow Him.

What immediately strikes me is the way in which Jesus handles these inquirers (and I think that this is Luke’s reason for recording the details of these meetings). Some think that men with a cause are busy trying to recruit as many as they can. Most preachers, council leaders and lay people are busy trying to get as many members for their church as they possibly can (and most have good intentions). I like seeing new members myself!

It’s natural. It’s what we expect to see. But Jesus is radically different in His approach I think. He seems to spend a great deal of His time trying to advise against men from following after Him - or at least that’s what it looks like.

It’s funny how I can remember advice that was given to me by an aging preacher when I was on church council; I was really concerned about numbers in the pew. This person whom I greatly respected would say to me, Ronnie “Son, always endeavor to keep the church as small as you can!” That’s strange talk isn’t it? And that was coming from a man who himself had pastored quite a large congregation. But what he meant was, preach the truth of God’s salvation, and the demands of following Jesus, clearly that only those who have counted the cost and are ready to give up ALL for Christ will join themselves to you.

Boy what an impact that statement made on me during a time in my spiritual journey when I thought church was only to be worked on, maintenance wise, it has been my desire to see as many as possible come to Christ - I pray to see them come in their hundreds and even thousands - BUT I DON‘T JUST WANT TO GET A CROWD . . . that doesn’t interest me at all! I want to see men and women, young people, boys and girls turning to Christ with whole hearts; becoming true sold out disciples committed to the fullness of Life in Jesus Christ for all. Hallelujah!

And so, it’s interesting to read of Jesus’ way of dealing with those who expressed a desire to follow Him; He seems to be trying to discourage them. But not really. In actual fact Jesus’ desire is that people will follow Him but He wants them to think it through first . . . to count the cost involved . . . so that once they do follow Him they’ll never turn back. Even as He spells out what is required in such clear, shocking terms, inside He is longing for them to accept it - He’s rooting for them - but the cost is the cost . . . it’s non-negotiable . . . and they/we MUST be prepared for it.

What can the call to discipleship, the faithfulness to the word of Jesus, mean today for us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on one of many of my summer readings, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. For me Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing an influential reading of the separation between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship.... Costly grace is the gospel, which must be sought again and again, the girl, which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know.... It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.” Man’ these words are strong, aren’t they? Here is what it will cost you to follow after Jesus. In short, it will cost you EVERYTHING. He calls for us to commit ourselves completely to Him, and hold nothing back and help all in need. And that to me is the picture of the authentic numbers of Christian in the Pews.

Jesus said to the first man: “COUNT THE COST”. He said to the second man: “LEAVE IT BEHIND”. And He said to the third man: “DON’T LOOK BACK”. The bell to your heart's door rings today. There stands Jesus. He is recruiting you to join Him in the mighty job of “Building” numbers in the pews, and help those who are vulnerable, which is forever.

God Bless You and This Ministry!