Church-The Broken Family

Church-The Broken Family

In a time when the term "family" has lost almost all sense of it's true meaning, it is no extreme surprise that it has lost some of it's most important elements it terms of the Church family. For some, the physical aspects of family remain as they were designed: Man, Woman, Children. For others it has become something of a more liberal view, that as long as the emotion of love is there, the family set up is of no importance. And yet for others the term family has no real meaning or value. But despite which view one might take, all would agree that there is great brokeness in the families of this generation. This is true even in the heavenly family here on this mortal dwelling earth. Some might view the family of God as being a spiritual representation of a physical family. Others might view it as a building. While some may treat it as low as a club, with memberships and all. But if each were to take a moment in scripture, it would be easily found that the Church was and is viewed by the Lord as His family. It would seem though, that just as the physical families of today are plagued with so many problems, so is the Church. But for each family there is always a lineage and heritage for which each individual can learn lessons of what to do and what not to do. This is also true in the family of God.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, Hebrews 12:1a

With that said let us learn from the heart and pursuit of our early Church "ancestry."

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Now depending on your views of when or where the Church actually began, you might find it interesting that I am starting us in Genesis. But it seems the logical place to "begin."

So he sent his brethren away, and they departed: and he said unto them, See that ye fall not out by the way. Genesis 45:24

This of course is Joseph speaking to his brothers upon his sending them back to his father to proclaim his where abouts and the fact that he still lived. Odd it may seem that I am bringing up such a verse, but in light of the fact that the life of Christ is seen so much in Jospeh, there is something to learn from this. In the Gospels we find that Christ no longer refered to His disciples as servants but rather brothers. Then He commands His "brothers" to love one another. Romans 12:9 commands that that love be without dissimulation. In other words undissembled. It is to be a unified love with no room for quarrels or strife. When Joseph commanded his brothers to go and "fall not out by the way," he was admonishing them to keep guard that they do not quarrel in their journey together, for in doing so they would become undissembled and the task incomplete. This is the same reason Christ commands that we love one another as brothers, with a unified love. Just as Joseph gave his brethren the task to proclaim that he in fact was still alive, so Christ commands His brethren to do the same and proclaim His life! That is why we are commanded to love and not quarrel, for in such love the family of God can accomplish much!

Love does not dominate; it cultivates. Johann Wolfgang Goethe

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But with every family and with every loved one, there also comes those times when we must learn forbearance. Not every one we meet is going to seem like an angel. And even those who do, are not always easy to forbear! The interesting thing is, when it comes to family, no matter how one might view them, they are still family. For instance, if I had a cousin I couldn't stand being around I could take one of two options for our relationship.

1) shun him and disown him as family

Or

2) forbear with the things that he does that drive me up the wall and still love him as family

Either option, family is always family no matter what I choose. But let's once again look at an example in scripture I think we can glean off of. This time though, I won't take us as far back in the old testiment.

But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.

Jeremiah 41:8

Obscure passage you might believe, and may not even recognize. Prior to verse five, we find that this man Ishmael was a wicked man. He led a team of men on a mission to slay all the Jews. But in this passage it says that he forbear with these ten men and slew them not. For what purpose? Because from these men he saw something he could gain from them if they were to live. Had he killed them, he would have then had to take care of the crops himself. Now how does this apply to a family forbearing with one another? Simply this. If the most wicked of men was able to find within himself the ability to forbear, because he saw something good in those he hated; how much more should the righteous forbear with those who are called brothers? For if the brother be found a child of God, washed by the shed blood of Christ, should not that be enough to forbear? No matter what be the cause or need to forbear.

Our Lord has many weak children in his family, many dull pupils in his school, many raw soldiers in his army, many lame sheep in his flock. Yet he bears with them all, and casts none away. Happy is that Christian who has learned to do likewise with his brethren. J.C. Ryle

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How amazing it is to see the Church family in Acts; how they lived, fellowshipped and worked in unity. Frankly, the book of Acts gives the present day Church something to be ashamed of, that is; our own present state. Of all the "hard to follow" examples given to us by scripture, the layout of the early Church seems to be the most unreachable example of them all. Where does one find a single group, made up of thousands of people, who live in unity with one common purpose, without there being fear of rules or punishment? The closest we could come to finding such would be perhaps the Amish. But even they have divisions of beliefs, fear of rules, and at the present moment the Truth is causing great shaking in the falsehoods of thier traditions.

Within every known religous viewpoint, there is always found to be different sects and branches of it. Even within those offshoots there are found many differences which usually cause a breaking away at some point. Only in the account of the early Church, as clearly shown in Acts 2 and 4, do we see a unified people, with a common purpose. Sadly enough, it didn't last long, as any reader of Paul's writings would see, divisions eventually arose within the early Church. Now with that said let's look at the layout of Acts 2. There is a point to be made of which I will attempt to make.

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:42-47

If you are a believer who finds himself on Sunday fellowshipping with the saints in a home rather then a Traditional style building known as a church, Acts 2:42-47 will be a common verse to your ears. But although many home churches and traditional churches seek to have that same mindset as the early believers, I believe we fall short.

The early believers did not just become one in spirit, they became in essence one in life. All things they possessed became common, that all might be blessed and that all might be able to work as a unit. What the world may have viewed as merely a group of friends or deem as a religious fanatical group, they viewed each other as family. But this was the mindset Christ himself had towards his disciples.

But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Matthew 12:48-50

How surprising would hat be to hear? Imagine visiting an Aunt or Uncle and instead of being welcomed in, you hear that they believe their family to be those who you view as nothing more then their friends. But Christ made it clear as day; His mother and His siblings were not His family due to physical blood. If you were of His family it was determined by wether you were of the Father in heaven and not if you shared the same DNA.

Our spiritual family is defined not by physical blood or government paper, it is defined by those who have been bought by the blood of Christ, and follow through with the will of God.

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

Ephesians 3:14-15

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Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:13-16

Such passages seem to leave no room for solo-Christianity. It is as though we are called to be, as it were, transparent.

The dictionary (on the dashboard of my MacBook) defines transparent, in terms of a human attribute, as: having thoughts, feelings or motives that are easily perceived.

I believe such a state of mind is what all Christians are called to have towards God, and towards one another. The flip side to this would be to have a closed off mind, and keep things to ones own self. This, dear reader, is the mind of the western culture. All through scripture we read how man kind would come to a place where all did "that which was right in his own eyes." Such a state of mind was frowned above by the Lord. We were not created or called to work within our own selves, but rather we are to work in Christ and in each other. This is so crucial if any body of believers has hope to remain in fellowship. We must be able to allow ourselves to be easily perceived, as well as ready to reach out to those who are allowing themselves to be the same. If our brother mourns, mourn with him! If our sister rejoices, rejoice with her! Can a marriage last without communication between the spouses? Can siblings grow as family without apologies for wrong doings? The answer is no. Open communication with our brothers and sisters is of utmost importance if we seek to have a relationship with the saints around us. Why should we perceive each other as the family of God if we only treat one another as friends? In some cases, friends (whether in the world or not) can be found more open towards one another then the family of God is to those in it. Perhaps, this is because the family of God has forgotten another major attribute it needs to work as a united people: Trust.

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In the process of writing this, I took time to ask those around me (both saved and unsaved) what a family needs to work as a family should. I received much of the same answers: God, love, good attitudes, etc. But one person mentioned trust. I believe trust is not only important to the a family in general, it is crucial in any relationship that plans to stick through thick and thin. If there is not trust between a husband and wife, the crumbling of a marriage is around the corner. If a there is a lack of trust between siblings, you will soon find them spending more time with friends then family. Trust is so vital in a relationship, for if there is no trust, there is no openness of heart but rather fear of how open to be. So I gave trust some thought.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:11:

but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

As much as the apostles had confidence in their standings with God, they desired a good standing with the saints as well. Paul did not write with thoughts of mistrust towards the saints, as though some may think bad of him; he wrote to them believing the best and trusting in the relationship he had with them through Christ. This made it easier for him to be able to write letters of reproof to certain churches and letters of encouragement to others, and vise versa. For even those he wrote to reprove, he still referred to as and considered to be brothers. It would make sense then that Christ would command us to leave our offering at the altar and make amends with our brothers before we offer it to Him. (Matt. 5:23:24) He wants the family of God in order before anything else moves forward. But with different issues that arise in the family of God, there is a great need for trust. I speak of the ability to trust each other, that wether it is in edification or reproof, it is all said and done for the spiritual growth and betterment of our brothers and sisters.

To those who have something against another, there is much to be learned from scripture. In 2 Timothy 4:2 we read,

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Now before anything, let us remember that we ought to be in prayer without ceasing. So when the need to reprove a brother arises, prayer is a vital key to a good start. But notice what Paul commands us to do when we reprove or rebuke; we are to longsuffer and speak according to doctrine. I stand on the understanding that we must realize that our brothers might not agree with our every reproof, thus we need to have a heart of longsuffering. In the same sense, we must realize that criticism without an answer of how one might make amends is, in a practical sense, worthless. That is why it is key that when reproving a brother it must be done in doctrine. So when reproving a brother we must keep the scriptures as our center for the accusations we are bringing forward. Otherwise our reproving has no ground to stand on in terms of the family of God. This means that what we speak must be done for the growth of our relationship with our brother or sister we are at odds with. This means we should make time to seek the Lord as to what we say and what we should not say. This means for the sake of our brother or sister, we must make time to keep the unity in the family of God. But again, this brings me back to trust. In such situations as bringing an accusation to another, the amount of trust between the two can make a difference as to the outcome of the situation. If the hearer has no trust for the reprover, he will most likely receive the reproof with a heavy ear. That is to say: he won't listen! As well, if the reprover has no trust that the hearer will consider his words, he may not feel open to even share his concerns. In this, the brother who is possibly at fault won't ever know due to the lack of trust others have towards him. Although some could argue that the burden falls upon each man to be the first to show trust.

Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks. Isaac Watts

Here are some anagrams that may help me to explain what I'm trying to get at.

The trust the hearer has for the brother who has "ought against him;"

Timely

Reaction

Unites

Souls

Together

In this, I am referring to the fact that when confronted by a brother, it is best to give the subject some thought instead of being "quick to speak." In lending time to the matter, this reveals ones desire to search out such accusations. In doing this, the relationship between the two will strengthen for the spiritual growth of them both.

The trust the reprover has towards the brother he is reproving;

Thoughtful

Reproof

Ultimately

Seeks

Trust

In this, I am trying to drive home the fact that when a brother goes to another for the purpose of reproof, he should go with a heart that seeks the best for his brother, all the while proving to his brother he seeks nothing more. In doing so, the reprover will gain trust from the hearer and a greater bond in the relationship will arise.

The sad thing is that in most situations it is hard to deny ourselves when confronted. Our own image is at question, and it is hard to crucify the flesh. The flip side is that it is also hard to confront. The fear of being received as an enemy, and thus rejected, leaves most brothers silent in their concerns. Thus we have churches filled with people trying to fight their own battles instead of seeking help from their fellow brothers and sisters. All because the trust that should be evident in the spiritual family relationships is at a great loss in our midst. It is time that we begin the healing process and seek a deep restoration in our spiritual relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is time that we begin to trust. Trust that the family of God has only our best interest in mind.

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Perhaps one aspect of any man, woman, child or family that makes the greatest difference in their productivity is a simple goal. The wisest of the wise once wrote,

Where there is no vision, the people perish: Proverbs 29:18

If we never have something to work for, or look to, what purpose do we have at all? Perhaps with my next illustration the term "shoot for" would be the best example to use.

Imagine you are given a group of hockey players. You supply them with pads, helmets, hockey sticks and a puck. You place them on the ice rink and give the instruction to then play hockey. But in all that you provided, the one thing you did not give them was a simple metal frame with a net: also known as a goal. Before long the players realize their lack of a goal, and begin to question the purpose of even playing with the puck. You hear one call out, "Pass me the puck" and another ask, "What for?" If there is no goal for which the players are to shoot for, the question of why they are even on the ice with a hockey stick and puck would make complete sense to ask.

Now imagine you are beholding a group of people who are brought together in one place. They are given a Bible, spiritual armor, spiritual gifts, and a call to meet together. But as a group they have no goal for which to shoot for. Is it to hard to believe that some might not come or others might begin to question why they are even there if they have no goal to pursue? I believe Paul saw that such a goal needed to be clarified, and so he made sure to clear the matter up.

And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Ephesians 4:11-13

That there is our purpose; our mark; our goal to shoot for. Gathering on sunday, praying together, breaking bread; such things are good but they are not the final product we are to press on towards. They are the "passing the puck" requirements for a well functioning body. But the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God for the purpose of becoming a perfect man as Christ was on earth; that is our goal and our mark for which we are call to press on towards. When we "pass the puck" (pray, teach, break bread, etc.) we do it for the purpose of unity. If we do it only because we are told to; and we find ourselves without a goal; then we should not be surprised to find some questioning their reason for teaching or praying or dare I say: gathering.

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A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself. A.W. Tozer

A lot of problems arise amidst friends, family, coworkers, and just about everyone else when one person thinks himself better then another. Such a sinful mindset was a very noticeable issue amongst the Pharisees. In reference to the Pharisees, Christ described them by saying they,

Love the uppermost rooms at the feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

Matthew 23:6-7

With the exception of a few, the Pharisees enjoyed viewing themselves as the leaders of Israel. They enjoyed performing their "righteous" acts in public so as to be seen by men. But how does such an attitude point the world towards a closer relationship with the Father?

As always though Christ did not just take time to reveal the faults of the Pharisees without a purpose or goal. Only a few verses later we read:

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:11-12

Such a concept of being a servant to those you are to lead was not a concept the Pharisees had a grasp on. But to have the mindset of a servant and the attitude of viewing those around you as brothers and sisters instead of servants is of a huge importance in the family of God. What family can withstand the storms of life if the children think they rule each other? Now there is the aspect of maturity, and with maturity comes wisdom for those not yet at that level to gain from. But in the family of God we are to work as a team, as a unit. Brother to brother, hand in hand. If one thinks he needs not his brothers and sisters, or that by some "righteous act" he has been elevated to a higher place of spirituality then those around him, then he has been very much misguided.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Romans 12:3, 10

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In all this, I believe that much of our mindset towards the family of God is determined by where our priorities lay. The greatest confusion I see though is that many seem to think that the physical family responsibilities are somehow separate from the spiritual family. As if when a man is called by God to do something, he has to find time aside from his family to fulfill it. I know of many missionaries who regret to this day that instead of sharing the calling of the Lord with their whole family, they shipped their kids off else where. Saints, if God commands a man to accomplish a task, He is calling that man's wife and children as well. But sadly men in the Church act as if they have to first deal with their families problems so that they can then go off and take care of their spiritual families issues. But as rough as it may be to bring up such a verse, I feel I must.

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26

Am I saying that we must not love our physical family? No. And neither is Christ. But we are given a challenge: where do our priorities lay? If our love for Christ is greater then our love for our families, then we will be more apt to carry out the will of the Father. Am I saying that a man must deny his responsibilities as a father and husband? By no means. But his responsibilities were not given to him as a stumbling block in his obedience to his heavenly Father, nor in his role in the family of God. Ask yourself: Do I value my children more then the will of God? The answer can clear up a lot of things.

So if we are truly ready to work and live and carry on as the family of God, we must set our priorities straight. We must realize our need for each other. We must have a un-dividing love for all saints. We must realize that the family of God cannot work as a family until the members within view each other as family! We must learn to forbear with one another. Within each church we ought to seek the will of the Father for the spiritual growth of the body. All this is for the purpose that we all grow in the knowledge of Christ unto a perfect man. That in the process of it all we

May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Ephesians 3:18-19

I do not wish to step on any toes, but I desire to play what ever part I can in the body of Christ for the sake of my brothers and sisters who I have in the family of God. For I have gained much encouragement, edification and admonition from such, and to such I must perform the same as well. This is our duty towards one another in the family of God!

Brother Nathaniel

While The Church Warms Her Hands

Have you ever stumbled upon something in scripture and felt like you just found something no one else had? Well I began to look into the endings of the four gospels, during the time when Christ was on trial. I was looking at them in regards to Peter’s actions revolving around the trial at hand. But before I get to far into sharing what I have seen portrayed in that event I want to take a look at a passage just prior to it. Let’s begin with the familiar scene of the last supper. With Christ and Peter being the center of our focus.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.
And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. Luke 22:31-34

If you noticed the Lord has just stated that Satan had desired to sift Peter as wheat, and he doesn’t say he stopped him from doing so. Instead He indicates that Peter will be sifted, and will have to be converted. If I haven’t said it before I will say it now, I love Peter because he is one who makes the boldest statements of all the disciples, falls the hardest, and learns the quickest. I can relate to this man more than the other eleven. Upon hearing such words from Jesus, one would think Peter would fall on his knees seeking for strength and a way out from the desires of Satan. Instead Peter leans on his own strength by saying that both in prison and death he would follow Christ. This would appear to be what leads him to deny Christ three times as we will read in a moment. I wanted to read this passage to sort of set the scene a bit more as we will now turn to my favorite of the four Gospels: The Gospel of John.

By this time Jesus has been taken from the garden, by the soldiers and religious leaders. All the disciples have run just as Christ predicted when He said that all would be offended. But if you look at Mark 14:29 you will see Peter once again makes a bold statement that he would never be offended of Christ even though all others were. In this next passage I am going to break it down instead of looking at it in one large portion.

And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

We see so far that Peter is remaining true to his promise. When all others ran in offense, Peter followed, as Christ was lead away.

But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.

Already Peter is offended. He hasn’t even taken more then two steps into the palace of the high priest and he is already denying the very one whom he declared was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:69

And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

As I came upon this I was struck with the thought that it was the soldiers and servants of the high priest who made the fire. Peter was allowing himself to take comfort in what the world had prepared for their own comfort, while Christ was only a short distance away on trial. Peter’s attitude prior to Christ being arrested was that he would follow Christ through thick and thin. But as we have read instead of standing by Christ side, Peter is off warming his hands with the very ones who arrested his Master.

The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.
Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.

I found it very interesting that this scene of the trial was sandwiched between Peter warming his hands and then denying the Lord. Here is the reason why. In the gospel of Mark we see that all the witnesses testifying against Christ were so false that even the Pharisees were seeking a true testimony. (Mark 14:53-56) Here in John we see that Christ is now seeking a witness for Himself. Why would the Pharisees ask Christ to speak on what He openly taught? Shouldn’t they not ask those who heard Him? And yet right there in that very room, warming his hands with the wicked stood the very one who truly knew who the Accused was. The Son of God! In silence, as the false accusations continued the stable faith of Peter began to weaken. Another thing to take note on is that the false accusers and testifiers were quoting Christ’s exact words. They had the knowledge of what He said, but not the understanding of what He spoke. If they had known they would have realized that though they destroyed the temple, in three days he would rebuild it once again, for no grave could hold Him down. John 2:19/ Matthew 26:61

And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew. John 18:15-27

We have now come down to the final point for Peter, He has denied the Lord once already and just as prophesied he denies twice more that he never knew Christ. Luke reveals that upon Peter’s third denial, the Lord looked upon Peter. Luke 22:61

The reason I have taken the time to look into this is not for the purpose of slamming Peter. Rather I see in this event a sad but very close resemblance to the Church. Now please hear me out, if this does not convict you then perhaps it is not for you personally. I am not one to preach or teach something and say you all better feel convicted as I am. What I saw in this was that Christ is once again on trial before the world. They are seeking witnesses, and what they are getting are those who know a Jesus but not the Jesus. They are hearing from those who know the scriptures but do not understand the scriptures. It has become so horrendous that not only is the Lord seeking a true witness, the world has begun to seek out a true understanding of who Christ is and what He taught. Where are those who understand? Where are those who said that through thick and thin, prison and death, trial and pain they would follow all the way with Christ? Sadly they are standing in the same courtyard, hearing all the false teachings and doctrines of cults about who Christ is and they are remaining silent. Not only that, but even worse they are warming themselves by a fire which their Father did not provide but the very ones who have drug their Lord around and placed Him on trial prepared. They are, comforted by the accusers while the Lord is being accused. When will they open their mouths? Many are opening their own mouths but not with the truth, only with what appears to be. It is our calling to show forth the One True Jesus, to proclaim His name for all to hear.

As I felt convicted and began to realize the size such a task has become I wondered if Peter had anything to say about this in his epistle. Many times in his epistles Peter seems to reference back to his dealings with Christ. Such as when Christ asked him to feed the sheep, John 21:16 Peter then commands the elders to feed the flock. 1 Peter 5:2 Here is what I found.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

It is as if Peter is referring back to when Christ looked upon him after his denial. Christ looked upon Peter and found him without peace, with spot, and much to be blamed. Not that Christ goes around casting blame upon His sheep, but Peter was found unfaithful to his own claims. This is in part due to the fact that his claims of what he would do for Christ were based upon his own strength.

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

This is exactly the very picture of the false accusers Peter heard on that very dark night in which Christ was on trial. They were unlearned, unstable and they were in some sense wrestling with one another in what they stated, carrying themselves to their own destruction.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

And then Peter uses a word, which I love to read in scripture. He calls us beloved. He warns us to not do as he did. We know the truth, so let us not be led away by the wicked to the fire for warmth, in doing so it will lead us to fall from the stable foundation to which we are built upon. Look at Peter, he knew who Christ was, but he allowed himself to be led towards the comfort of his flesh and in turn fell from his stability and denied his King. Let us heed this warning.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 2 Peter 3:14-18

Peter found grace in the resurrected Lord. He found knowledge in the death and resurrection and power of Christ. He is showing us that our hands are not for warming by a fire but rather for work, so let us be about the work of the ministry. Let us grow in grace for it is the only thing that will give us strength to carry on when we fall, and let us grow in understanding so that when we are strong we can be the witness Christ desires, and the testifier the world needs!

In Christ,
Brother Nathaniel

The Fellowship Of The Saints

The Layout Of The Meeting

Before I begin I would like to say one thing, that in all things we as the Church must be careful so as not to take things by the letter of the law, but by the Spirit.

In today’s American church the set up is very much the same. One pastor, two to three elders; perhaps a deacon, Sunday school teachers, and the usual crowd that shows up each Sunday. On a normal given Sunday around 9:00am Sunday school starts ending around 10:00am. Then from 10:30am worship starts with around five songs pre-picked by the worship leader, perhaps to better suite the pastor’s sermon. Following the time of worship the pastor relays his message for the day, after this everyone rises to leave and the meeting of the body of Christ is over. Now I want to be careful on how I write this, for to some this may seem over the top. Is the diagram of the church layout in American society scriptural? At this point I could do as many believers do when writing about Theology and Christian living, I could ramble on and on about my own knowledge. I will do that most likely, be assured, but first I believe we need to look to the scriptures first.

Order In the Church, Order In The Church

In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is dealing with order in the church, something I believe has been abused in the denominational church and yet forgotten by many of the home churches.

1 Corinthians 14:23-26
If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?
But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
¶How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.

In verse 23-24, notice that Paul gives an hypothesis; a what if. That what if, is that if all the church comes together, and all speak with tongues. These verses immediately raise a question in my mind. How could all speak in tongues or prophesy if on Sunday it is the pastor who shares his message? Paul shows in vs. 26 the answer to this seemingly confusing mishap between today’s church and the scriptures. He first asks a question. How is it then, brethren? Or, How should it be brothers? The way the church should function when together is everyone either has a psalm, doctrine, tongue, revelation, or interpretation. We must remember that we are the body of Christ. How useful is an arm that plays not out its role for the body? It is useless. So then we as the body of Christ should all be moving and working for the sole purpose that the rest of the body might be edified to the glory of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:4-12
Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
¶For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

So what things could be done in the church for the edification of the church? Well one of course is teaching, which teaching is a gift. So let us look at another great passage.

Ephesians 4:9-16
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Following the ascension of Christ into glory, the anointing of the Holy Ghost, gifts were given. As the purpose of the saints is to edify the body as shown in the previous passage, God has supplied gifts to His children that they might better build up the body of Christ. Now let us carefully look at each one of these gifts. Let us scrutinize and not legalize.

The Five Gifts Of Ephesians

Apostles
apostolos -- pronounced: ap-os'-tol-os
from 649; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers): KJV -- apostle, messenger, he that is sent.

In today’s words: a missionary. Although many argue that there are no longer apostles these today’s, that is simply untrue. If anything, there are more sent out into all the world then there were in the early church, due of course to the growth of the church since then.


Prophets
profetes -- pronounced: prof-ay'-tace
from a compound of 4253 and 5346; a foreteller ("prophet"); by analogy, an inspired speaker; by extension, a poet: KJV -- prophet.

Although throughout the Old Testament a prophet usually spoke of future events, the gift of prophesy is more then that alone. A prophet is merely one who speaks at a certain moment by the very inspiration of God.

Evangelists
euangelistes -- pronounced: yoo-ang-ghel-is-tace'
from 2097; a preacher of the gospel: KJV -- evangelist.

The evangelist is much like the apostle, only instead of being sent out from the local body of believers into the world, he rather remains local as a preacher of the gospel.

Pastors
poimen -- pronounced: poy-mane'
of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively): KJV -- shepherd, pastor.

Although today’s American church would view otherwise, I look at the gift of pastor as merely one, who just as a shepherd, watches out and cares for the spiritual and physical needs of the body. This is the same command to the elders. In fact the same Greek word for pastors used in Ephesians 4 is the same Greek word for elders used in 1 Peter. Peter exhorts the elders to feed the flock. He goes further by saying they need not be lords over the flock, but rather examples. (1 Peter 5:1,3) For, there is only One Shepherd who is Lord over the flock, the others just care for them as examples to the others to do so as well. Todays church view of a pastor is a mix-mash of both teacher and pastor into one. I am not saying that a pastor cannot have the gift of teaching, but that the gift of teaching is different from the gift of pastoring. I believe that an elder and a pastor are dealing with the same gift and calling as they both come from the same Greek word.

Teachers
didaskalos -- pronounced: did-as'-kal-os
from 1321; an instructor (genitive case or specially): KJV -- doctor, master, teacher.

This gifting is simply having a better ability to project the truth of the word to the believers, whether it is the tough meat for the mature believer, or the milk for the newly saved.

The Five Bars Of The Tabernacle

If we turn to the Old Testament we will find a great picture of what Corinthians 4 is describing. In almost every aspect the Old Testament was historical, but it also extends further as a picture how of the church was to work.

Exodus 26:26-28
And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.

If you have ever built a fence before you would know that if you leave your fence posts standing in the ground alone for to long, the weather and elements of the climate will begin to twist and warp the posts. But if you place your fencing on immediately, your posts will remain straight and stable, come what may. The tabernacle was much the same way in its design. It’s posts or boards as described were held together by five bars, one of which reached from one end to the other. If you turn to Ephesians 2:20 you will find that the Apostles and Prophets were the foundation of the church. I believe that middle bar as found in Exodus could very well be a picture of the evangelist, as the calling of making disciples is sent forth to all the saints. But that is up for interpretational debate. What I am trying to show in these scriptures from both the old and new Testament is that without the five bars or the five gifts in use, the boards of the church will over time become twisted and deformed perhaps even beyond repair. If all the gifts are not in use the walls of the church are in dire danger. So many churches today mark off apostles and prophets as being a thing of the past. Then they take the gifts of pastor and teacher and try to squeeze them together into some mega gift that certain people with a degree obtain. All in all by doing so, the church at large has removed the foundation of the church, the apostles and prophets, and has taken away the working of the Spirit in the midst of the meetings by simply handing out gifts in the form of a paper diploma. This is not found in scripture nor is it seen in early church history. We must be careful so as not to hinder the Holy Ghost, and we must needs be cautious so as not to mold the church in an unbiblical setting for the sake of traditional secular ways. Scriptural truth must supercede all human notions of church function.

“All Ye Are Brethren”

Matthew 23:8-12
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

The intent that God seems to make so very clear for the church is that we are all on one level, that level is simply based upon the calling and working of God. This is clearly lost in the Catholic Church. Going from the Pope down to the priest, this is considered the positions that God speaks through in the Catholic religion. The congregation has no need for biblical studies, just the hearing of the daily sermon from the priest. We can see how this goes against what God desired from the beginning. Turn to Exodus and there we will find that with Israel, God desired to speak directly to them Himself. He no longer wanted them to have to go through Moses, He desired a relationship with them. Yet it was due to their sin that they could not all hear from God but had to wait for Moses to bring the word of God to them.

Exodus 20:18-22
¶And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

The Lord desired greatly to be able to speak directly to His people. But because they were fearful and unbelieving and because the Spirit of the God was not in them, they left the task for one man to bring to them. In the end the Lord took this burden from Moses and laid it upon the priests and prophets of the tabernacle. But as seen in Acts, after the ascension of Christ to His throne, by the power of the Holy Ghost to which He left for the church, we have all become priests. It is not left to only a certain tribe, but to one tribe, the tribe of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:1
¶And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

1 Peter 2:9-10
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

So Christ has made us all partakers in the church. As priests we all have our duties before God to perform in the meeting. If we heed not the working of the Spirit but rather stand back due to the schedule or layout of the traditional church, so prevalent in America, we become a useless part on the body of Christ. God forbid that we should become that. As Peter puts it, we are a royal priesthood. Let us be faithful to the calling and duties to which God so desires to work through us for the edification, admonition, encouragement, and even correction of the brethren around us. If we slack in our work, the fence posts of the church will become twisted and unworkable in hard times, and in due time even non-repairable. I fear the traditional church is already there. Let us take caution in this world, and action in the Word of God.

Wells Of Salvation

John 4:13-14, 21-24
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

Jesus makes it clear to the woman at the well. It is from Him that we receive the water of life, and that by Him we will have a well springing up inside of us. Isaiah prophesied of this in chapter 12.

.Isaiah 12:3-4
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
¶And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

The Lord has made us wells of salvation. As wells of salvation the church is able to draw from one another. As vs.4 shows that we not only draw from the brethren, but we also must spring forth the truth and declare the doings of the Lord among the people. This is what the Lord desired to do with Israel in Exodus, and what Christ stated as being done through Him. The well springing up was no longer subject to the Levite priests, but rather to the whole church; for we all are priests. Jesus continues in Gospel of John, showing that not only is the Spirit now working in all for the edification of the saints, but that He is not limited to location. He works where He wants and how He wants for the one purpose: to accomplish God’s eternal purpose.

John 4:21-24
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Then He explains that worship of the Lord among the saints is no longer subject to physical locations such as the temples in Jerusalem or the mountains of Israel. So bodily ministry is not something that the “home churches” do, but it is something all fellowships when meeting together should be practicing. Whether it is the mid week Bible study or the Sunday morning meeting, the Church needs to be listening to the voice of the Lord and allowing Him to use them at any give moment, so that all may draw from the well Christ has placed in them. I am not saying that all men are teachers, but all men should be open to teach should the Lord desire to have them do so. 2 Timothy 2:23 shows us that “the servant of the Lord must be apt to teach.” Let us not hinder the working of the Holy Ghost, but let us spring forth the river life that should be, if not is, flowing out from our inner most being. We are one body, the body of Christ Jesus, let us act as such that God might be glorified, the saints be edified, and the lost be mystified as they were in Acts 2.

Heavenly Citizen, Living In The World

¶I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2

It has come to my attention that there is a lack in Christian understanding as to where God draws the line when it comes to the world’s influences and our take on them. Before I go any further I would first like to say that I write this with caution and carefulness. I have found that when discussing Biblical doctrines one must use the scriptures to do so, or else ones thoughts and words have no foundation. With this though one must take very careful measure so as not to conform the scriptures to ones own views. I desire not to add nor take away from scripture. Lend me grace.

The subject of our citizenship being in heaven and not on earth has come to my attention recently. I have heard what would appear to be both sides of an argument and I have found myself trying to grasp the truth of both sides in light of the scripture. For in our American culture it is so easy to latch onto that which is pleasing to ones ears. Although I believe this is not only subject to American idealism but rather the mind of the lost soul of every man. Then on the other hand we find those who are so tired of the life they try to build, that they in turn run so radically to the opposing side and wind up running right past the very truth they so needed.

As previously shown Paul states in Romans that we must not be conformed to the world. This word simply means “to fashion alike.” Strongs G4964 Interestingly enough, Paul states that we are to rather be transformed by the renewing of our minds. He uses here a different word. From the Strongs the word transformed means “to change or transfigure.” When I just take his first exhortation at face value, it is easy to understand with a potter in mind. Outside of Christ being the Potter of our lives, we ourselves are the potters. Apart from the will of the Father we fashion ourselves to look like the world. The interesting thing about most Christians is that we either state this as being a physical forming, leaving us to worry about looking conservative yet lacking spiritual growth or we write it off as a spiritual change so that we do not have to change our outward likes and dislikes. But, as I will go into more depth on, I believe that we to often choose between two extremes and miss the liberty and the ground to which we should stand upon.
Now if Christ is our Potter, if it is he who molds us and transforms us, then we really need to be seeking Him as to what we should do and how we should live. If not, then we are only creating our own religion. Either a religion of physical pleasure or a religion of false spiritual desires. Now I would hope that we all agree that God is the same. He is the same God in the Old Testament as He is in the New Testament. The only difference is we have a far greater covenant through Christ Jesus, in our relationship with the Father. But if God is the same then we must be open to both Old and New Testament passages. I would like for us to take a look at one from both halves of the Bible.

¶The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. Hosea 1:2

Hosea is given a command like no other we have ever been given, and yet it is for the purpose to which God has for it. If we look back at the law of God in the Old Testament we will find that this would appear to go against many lawful commands. For instance, if an adulterous woman were to be found she was to be put to death, as commanded in Leviticus 21:9 and many other passages. So did God go against His previous command when He commanded Hosea to marry? No. We must realize that God has His plan that He works His way. The laws to which we must abide to, God is not held captive to. Yet in all He does He never sins. God needed to illustrate to Israel their abominations and what better way then to have His prophet marry a harlot who would be unfaithful to him.
Now moving to the other half of your Bible you will find in Acts 16:1-3 our next passage.

¶Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. Acts 16:1-3

In this passage we find Paul meeting up with Timotheus, a young man who loved the Lord. Now we see in Galatians, Paul is dealing with Peter over the Peter’s flip floppy ways. He says,

¶But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. Galatians 2:11-12

Peter had a major issue; he was trying to please those around him due to his fear of man. That is a key point in this; it was due to his fear that he pleased them. It was neither wrong for Peter to eat with the Gentiles nor was it wrong for him to draw himself away from them. But that is only true if he was doing such due to a command by the Lord. This is why Paul was upset with Peter over pleasing man, when he himself went and circumcised Timotheous. John Piper puts it this way,

“In Timothy’s case, what was at stake was how unbelieving Jews might best be won to Christ.”(For more on John Piper’s thoughts go to: www.desiringgod.org/resourcelibrary//tasteandsee/bydate/1983/3005_why_was_timothy_circumcised/)

If Paul planned on taking Timothy with him as his companion in evangelism, Timothy would need to be equipped in certain areas. No Jew would even dare listen to an uncircumcised man when it comes to God and His holiness. Timothy was not circumcised due to the fear of man, but rather for the better ability to spread the gospel.

But this seems to go against Paul’s exhortation that we be not conformed to the world. Scripture even amplifies it by saying that we are not of this earthly kingdom but of a heavenly one. I believe Paul clears a lot of this up when he said in Colossians,

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Colossians 2:20-22

The moment we state something as being a “touch not; taste not; handle not object” without any scripture that confirms such a stand, we must take it as what the Lord has set for our life for His purpose. Many might look at the scripture and say, “The early church met in homes, hence they were not like the world.” Some one else might say the contrary, “The early church road donkeys, and in this they were like the world.” Both are true and both are wrong. Just because one might physically do something that an unbeliever does just as well, does not mean the believer is seeking to look like the world. In America, it is true that we see the Christian’s tendency is to run after that which will make him more expectable to man and man’s ways. But if we are dressing and living not based upon pleasing man’s ways, but rather wholly for the purpose to which God has called us to, then we have no reason to question ourselves. It is like when a believer, (or as many prefer to call him,) a missionary goes into a different country his desire is to save that which was lost. In many countries one must take upon him the same garb of the culture to which he is dwelling in. Whether it is for the sake of the climate or the cultural acceptance to even speak of such matters as eternal as the scripture, as exemplified by Paul in Acts 16.

Our real problem in American Christianity, which I cringe putting those two together, is that we do not seek after the Father’s will in our lives for His eternal purpose. We lay aside our discernment and grab a hold of men’s ways, and in turn seek after that which is but for a moment. Peter has a pretty good handle as to describing the man who walks after the flesh.

¶But chiefly them that walk after the flesh…………………These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 2 Peter. 2:10a, 17

I believe Paul in all his writings over how the Church is to be separate from the world, boils down to being focused on the will of God, rather then the ways of man. With this we must be cautious that we do not despise another man’s walk if it is not a direct disobedience to scripture. If we do despise such, we have created within our own minds a religion apart from God. Sometimes we might find a believer standing on something that sounds so strange to our own calling. Let us once again use the Old Testament for an example. In 1 Kings 13 a young prophet is commanded by God to give a message and then to return home. He was not to eat nor drink until he returned to his home.

¶Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. ¶And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. 1 Kings 13:11-24

In this story we are dealing with two prophets of God. Was it a sin for the first prophet to drink and eat? Yes. Is it a sin for man to drink and eat? No. It is not a sin unless God in His great plan relays to you that it is. Now for those, as the older prophet did, who find it hard to understand why a man would not eat or drink, they must focus on the will of God and not hinder or cause doubt to enter the mind of the fellow brother.

Both sides of the argument are at fault. If we say wearing clothes that look like the world but have a different color is wrong, then we may have erased the words that God so desired to write in our lives pages. If we say it is not wrong to wear clothes that look like the world for the purpose of looking like the world, then we have caused a major wall to be built between us, and the working of God in our lives.
God has given us discernment; let us base that discernment on His plans and not our own presumption of what is right and what is wrong. Can a believer be a citizen of Heaven yet dressed like a citizen of earth? Yes. If it is for the purpose God has given him to fulfill. It does not matter whether he is in the heart of an American city or the remote villages of Africa, one can have just as much fleshly desires to look like the world as the other. It is when both set their eyes on eternal things and take no thought for what they shall wear or what they shall eat, but rather wear and eat what God gives them. It is when the believer tries to provide for himself, instead of grasping what God has already provided for him.

I have heard the phrase “life in America is not normal” far to often. It is a statement to which I agree with and yet have some reserve. Life outside of Christ is not normal. It does not matter where one resides, it is easy to see that without Christ, one lives a life apart from the eternal Giver of Life. I know of many who would think that to understand normal living one must leave the shores of America and land on some foreign idol worshipping jungle where men and woman die of sickness and children of starvation. Ask yourself honestly, is the other side of the sea normal living? Did Paul go out into the world to understand “normal living?” Whether it is in riches or in an idol made up of dirt, the fallen man lives off of the material things of this world. We as believers must realize where ever we are that those around us are not living a normal life. We need to surrender the terms that the fallen man deems life and realize that Jesus is life. (John 14:6) Anything apart from Christ is truly not living. So let us not go into another country based upon wanting to see “normal living” unless of course God commands us to do so. Our purpose for going into the world is to make disciples of men. And even that may call for what would appear as material work to do so. Take caution that we do not diminish what God might desire to use for His purpose.

Once again I would ask that you lend me grace. John Calvin upon his deathbed stated that he would not take back one thing that he wrote in all the years of his ministry. I find this rather foolish of a statement. So please understand that I do not say I have a perfect handle on this matter, this is just some thoughts to throw into the minds of the believer for the purpose that we all might understand our citizenship better. Iron sharpens iron. There is so much more I need to say and will, but I will leave it with this.

In Christ Our Perfect Redeemer,
Nathaniel Chapman

Leaders In Power

There are in scripture many instances where I can’t help but wish I was there at the time of the scene. I would like to look at one such case in scripture.

Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: John 19:10-12a

Jesus was known for speaking with great authority. At one time soldiers, who were sent to arrest Christ, returned without their prisoner saying that He “spoke as no other.” I am very much impressed by what the Lord says to Pilate in this passage. Here we have the Son of the Living God standing before the governor of one of the greatest cities of the then known world. When most men would have been battling in there minds for a way out, Christ remains silent until the time came for Him to speak a “word fitly spoken.”

Christ in one sentence reveals to Pilate that no man has anything without the Father’s consent. The revelation here gives such insight in that though a man might have power, and he might use it for evil, he would never have it had it not been given from on high.
We deal today with leaders who both compromise and utterly revoke the very foundations of scriptural truth. It is at times hard to believe that the Lord God gave them the power and leadership over nations when they themselves give no respect to the Lord. The biggest problem though in what we see is not in the use of their power, but in how we view the leaders in whole. See if we view our leaders and the powers that be as being themselves more then just mere men, we tend to become far more motivated to worry.
To help us understand who these men are we can turn our attention over to Titus.

Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. Titus 3:1-2

How much different were we in our lost state in comparison with Pilate? We were as Paul wrote, not at all different. We were foolish, disobedient, etc. We were not of the mind and spirit of Christ. In our lost state we would have both condemned and followed through with the crucifixion of Christ. We would have done as Pilate did. Though he found no wrong with Christ, though nothing that the religious leaders brought against Christ stood strong, Pilate none-the-less sentenced Christ for the sake of the people. The leaders of today are no different then the common sinner. They all seek after the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. They all go after their own ways. We are not surprised when a sinner runs after his flesh, so I say, neither should we be surprised when an adversary to the gospel makes laws that contradict the core of our salvation. Would we do anything different then they had we not been saved and our eyes opened? We are the Church we are led by no man save one, that is Christ our Lord. If Christ Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate in the restfulness of God’s will, knowing that all things work together for good, shouldn’t we as the children of God, heirs with Christ, also rest in our present time knowing that the “servant is not greater then his Lord” and the Lord does not give us more than we can handle, but gives us the strength to carry on through what we can? Leaders arise and leaders fall, but the promise that Christ will neither leave me nor forsake me should be the foundation on which my worries fall. It should be the wall to which all worries come up against, so that they are left to crumble before the promise of God: if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

There is still more to be learned though when it comes to the leaders and rulers of our times. It would be one thing if all we had to do was realize that the unjust leaders of our time were no worse then we were in our lost state, but Paul once again takes a another step forward in how we are to look at our leaders.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2:1-4


There are many things we are commanded to do in scripture that to be honest are at times hard to fulfill when the flesh is allowed access to our choices. But here, in 1st Timothy, Paul exhorts us to not only pray for our leaders in authority, but to be thankful for them as well. It is even harder to believe that such a statement would be made by one who was both imprisoned and persecuted by the authorities of his time for his belief in the Lord Jesus. How could we pray and be thankful for such leaders as Pontius Pilate, or even more recent, Adolph Hitler? Why should we pray for such men? The Lord desires “that none should perish,” however evil or wicked they might be. Our Father who sent His only begotten Son, sent Him not only for us, but for the whole world. Christ died for the poor man struggling to survive yet seeking the Lord, as well as the froward leader who walks not after the spirit but after the flesh. For this purpose are we to pray and be thankful for our leaders that they too might come to know and understand the truth, and believe that the truth shall not only set them free but, even more so, make then free! For if the power of God could transform a persecutor of the church, into a son of God, then I have confidence that it can also transform the very lowest of men into the greatest of saints.

Matthew 5,6,7 (Old Writing)

The Two Kingdoms
The Kingdom of God is much different then the kingdom of darkness. Values, government, and economy work completely different in these two places.
It would seem that the things listed next are things all Christians could do, and I believe should do. Like being poor in spirit, meek, merciful etc. Note: If a man is meek, merciful or poor in spirit, God will bless him.

Poor In Spirit 5:3
Jesus said that the poor in spirit would get the kindom of heaven. Poor in spirit = Broken before God. Jesus promised that if the weak and heavy laden would come unto Him, He would give them rest.Throughout scripture God tends to use the weak and poor in His most powerful works, people such as, Abraham and Sarah, Gideon, David, not to mention Christ's own disciples. God loves the broken, and the weak, for they are the ones empty of themselves, ready to be used for Him.

Mourn 5:4
When we sin, and are caught for it, there are usually only two reasons why a man would cry. One, he is repentful of his crime, or two, he is in sorrow at being caught for what he did and not really repentful.
Jesus says that those who mourn will be comforted. I believe that who He is talking about here, are those who are repentful of what they have done, broken before His throne, weeping for forgiveness. He will comfort them.

Meek 5:5
In todays lingo, if the word meek were to be used, it would be looked at as meaning weak. Meek actually means one who has power, but keeps it under control. In todays culture, self control is not a big thing. But it is a fruit of the spirit, thus it's importants in the Christian life is valuable. Jesus Himself showed us the perfect example of meekness. For even when He was on trial, though He had all power to overcome His enemies, He opened not His mouth, but fulfilled the will of His Father. Another meaning for meek, is humble. In the book of James it says that God resists the proud, but give grace to the humble. James 4:6. In Isaiah 29:19, it says that in the Lord, the meek would increase in joy.

Hungering And Thirsting For Righteousness 5:6
If we as Christians were to hunger after the righteousness of God, it would seem that our desire for such things of this world would deminish. David is a man to whom we see in Psalms, crying out to God for holiness, his attitude is a picture for us as to what hungering and thirsting really is. David cried, I set no evil thing before mine eyes. If we cried such a thing, I am sure alot of the movies we watched would go down the drain. How can we hunger and thirst after righteousness, if we're chewing on sin all day? We must hunger and desire the pure righteousness of God.

Merciful 5:7
To be merciful with some one, doesn't quite mean that we feel sad or sorry for them, but rather that we are compassionate with them. To have compassion for some one goes a little farther then just feeling sad for them. Compassion tends to incorperate some duties, like fellowshiping with the hurting, praying with the needy. The man who watches his tv and feels sorry for the poor kids in Africa, isn't really all that merciful/compassionate if he doesn't do much about it. I'm not talking about giving his money necessarily, but rather giving prayer time for them, if able, fellowshipping with them and encouraging them.
Titus 3:5 tells us God had mercy on us, which saved us. God didn't just sit back feeling sad for us, He had mercy on us, which required work do be done in order for us to have redemption and be saved.

Pure In Heart 5:8
Keep evil out of the heart, for the life is based upon the desires of the heart. Prov. 4:23 Our hearts are the most important thing to guard in life from sin. The pharisees gave their hearts to sin, thus thier actions weren't right with God.
Through Christ our position in life has been made pure, but by being in Him, we are to continue in all purity, purifying ourselves in Him. Thus our condition in life is to purify ourselves for God.

Peacemaker 5:9
We as Christians should not act in riotousness or arguing, but in peace we should deal with all problems. A peacable person knows when to open his mouth. Prov. 25:11 Christ was a wonderful example of being at peace in a very unpeaceful situation. Thus we, as followers of Christ, should also remain in peace in what ever we do.

Persecuted 5:10-12
The world hates us due to the fact that we are not of this world. There is a difference between persecuted and judgement (which pre-tribers don't understand). To be persecuted means, to be punished and afflicted for no evil doings. Judgement is when you have been caught for wrong doings and must now be punished. We should not worry though about our body being hurt or killed, but keep focus and trust in Him in whom has the power to kill both body and soul. Matt. 10:28

Ye Are The Salt 5:13
We as believers should be having the influence on this world, and not allow this world to have the influence on us. But if we allow the world to be the influence, we are worthless before God, for we have given over to the world and it's ways. We must let Him who is within us, Jesus Christ, shine out of us as a sweet savor to this dying world.

Ye Are The Light 5:14-16
Just as the moon reflects the light that the sun shines on it, so are we who believe in Christ are. He is the light, and in Him we shine that light too. He shines on us, and we shine on the world. Prov. 4:18 says that the path of the just is as the shining light, which shines more and more. But that light can be hindered by sin and fear. When witnessing, fear can hinder that light from shining out to the world. The light that we allow Christ to shine through us, is what leads people to the Father. If we hinder the light, we hinder the lost from being led to Christ.

The Law 5:17-20
The law is for sinners. Christ fulfilled the law, thus if we're in Christ the law is fulfilled. Christ became a curse for us, thus releaving us of our curse, thus fulfilling the law. Gal. 3:13
Purpose of the law-
A) To show us all are fallen and guilty, and in need of a Savour.
B) It is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Thus the law is very important when witnessing to the lost, to show them where their at before God.

Thou Shalt Not Kill 5:21-26
Christ's standards for the Church are much higher then that of what the law required. If a man hated his brother for no reason, in God's eyes that is murder. God, throughout scripture deals with the heart of man, and not the appearance.
One thing God desires from us is that we are in accord with those in the Church. In fact He wants our problems with each other dealt with before we come to worship Him. If we can't be in fellowship with those we see, how could we possibly be in fellowship with Him to whom we can't see? Or how can we love God, who we can't see, if we hate him who we can see? 1 John 4:20

Thou Shalt Not Lust 5:27-30
As stated before, God looks at the heart of man. Adultery to the average man is looked at as a physical sin, but God starts with the heart. If a man looks on a woman to lust for her, to God, that man has commited adultery with that woman in his heart. Before any action has been taken place, the sin that leads to such actions has already been commited in the heart. Thus before God, if a man lusts, he is an adulterer at heart and is worthy of judgement.

Divorce 5:31-32
Jesus mentions in Matt. 19:8, that it was due to the hardness of mans heart that he gave man the means to put away his wife. But from the beginning it was not something to be done. God had not intended for man to put away his wife. The only justification that God gives man, when it comes to divorce, is if fornication has been commited.

Oaths 5:33-37
Jesus seems to be hitting hard on man making a choice. God doesn't want man to be standing in the middle, or walking the fence. To God their is no grey area, it is either black or white. Christ said, Let your communication be yea, yea, nay, nay: for whatsoever is more then these, cometh of evil. If man is going to make a promise to God, God doesn't want that man acting wishy washy as to whether he'll fall through. God wants a man to stand on his word, and fulfill that which he said he would do.

Eye For An Eye Or Loving Our Enemies? 5:38-48
It is so easy as humans to react out of anger towards those who do us wrong. But Christ calls for something far greater then letting our anger go.
Do not use carnal means to react to those who do evil to us. It was while we were yet sinners Christ died for us, and while dying He cried, "Father forgive them". Thus if we as children of God and purified by the blood of Christ, we ought to forgive those who hurt us and love those who hate us.

Almsgiving 6:1-4
The problem man has is he desires to be seen of men. God on the other hand calls for man to want to be seen of God. When we give unto the Lord, don't go sounding a trumpet as to how much your giving or that your even giving, but be joyful that your Father in heaven sees what your giving and blesses you for it.

Prayer 6:5-15
One of the greatest things we have as children of God, is the allowance to come boldly before the throne of God with our requests. But it is so easy to focus on things of ourselves or wants rather then needs, thus Jesus gave us an example as to how our hearts should be, and how our prayers should be directed when we come before the throne. We should address the Father, worship Him, intercede for others, ask for our needs, confess our sins, and asking continuely for His leadership and guidance. But above all, being in His will and not in ours, that we may be used by Him.

Fasting 6:16-18
Just like almsgiving, man has a problem with wanting other men to see what he is doing for God. God does not desire a man showing off what he as a man can do for God, but rather coming to the Father in all humbleness, and doing the works of the Father's will in all humbleness laying aside the pride of life. For if we remain unnoticed by men in our fasting, our Father who sees us in secret, will reward us.

Treasures In Heaven 6:19-21
Jesus commanded earlier that our heart remain pure. Jesus commands now that our treasure that our heart desires, be that which will remain in heaven. Don't desire things of this world, and make them your treasures, for the things of this earth can easily be destroyed or stolen. But that which is laid up in heaven can neither be destroyed or stolen.

Full Of Light 6:2-23
Again God calls for us to be focused on His light, His will, that our whole body might be filled with that light. For there is a darkness that seems like light. Religion of man is as a darkness that seems like light, or as a wolf in sheeps clothing. God calls for us to be aware not to think we have the light cause we do good, but know we have the light cause Jesus is in us.

Seek God's Kingdom 6:24-34
God's main desire out of His children is that they would completely rely on Him. He tells us to take no thought as to what we will eat for the day, but believe that He Himself will give us what we need. The birds, and the lillies are examples to us at how our Father in heaven provides for them. We must as His children believe in our hearts that He will provide for us as well.

Judging 7:1-6
Many people take this verse and say a man cannot judge any one for anything. Sure I can't sentance a man to hell, but I sure can tell him, through the word of God, that what he is doing will lead to hell. We are to judge not according to the appearance of a man, but by his fruit. A man can be judged righteously (John 7:24) by God's word (John 12:48) according to his fruit (Matt. 7:20).

Seeking God's Help 7:7-12
God desires of His children to ask Him, according to His will, for provisions. For He promises that he who asks shall receive, he who searches shall find, he that knocks, the door shall be opened.

The Narrow Way 7:13-14
With God there is only one way. It is a narrow and sometimes hard path for man. But with Christ we can make it. He said, I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. John 14:6. No other religion in this world can be linked in with Christ. Christ said that narrow is the way that leads to life, and wide is the way to destruction. To the world, Christ is hard to follow, but blessed are they who do follow Him.

False Prophets 7:15-20
It's hard these days to know who is for the Lord and who is against Him. Christ laid it out very simple. By their fruit of what they do, they give their hidden hearts desire away. Thus we as believers should show them where their at fault, according to the scriptures, and whether they hearken to the word of God or not, one can see where their heart is.

"I Never Knew You" 7:21-23
A man can do good works and be moraly right in life, but if He does not believe in His heart that Jesus is Lord, he will perish. There is more then just confessing with the mouth, but it is the believing that He is truelly Lord of lords, and not by our works but by what He did for us, we are saved. For if we just confess with our mouths, and even do good things in His name, but have no relationship with Him and no real belief that He is Lord, we will perish. He will say unto us on that day, "Depart from Me, I never knew you".

Firm Foundation 7:24-27
With all those words with which He has taught us, Christ demands action. Do not be just a hearer, but a doer also. For if you only hear, you are not obeying, but he who both hears and does what Christ has commanded, shall have a firm foundation in Christ.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22