Do You Really Want To Be A Part Of A First Century Church?

Normally when a question like this is asked, the person asking is trying to make a point about the heart of the audience.  Like, "Do you want this, or are you just saying you do?"  Not me, not today.  I've asked it like that before.  I've questioned people's motives before.  I've asked people if they want to follow the Bible or just their desires.  We are familiar with that.  But I'm going to put a new spin on this one today.  Let me ask it this way, "Is the church we see in the first century really what we should be using as our template for the church?"

Now that you all think I'm crazy, let me add to chaos.  I think the first century church is put on an undue pedestal.  For instance, we were in worship the other day and a word was being said before taking up the collection.  The man said, "We do this because we see that the church in the first century did it, in Corinth."

So???

The church in Corinth did a lot of things.  Most of which Paul came down on them pretty hard for.  So why are we suddenly using the most liberal church in scripture as our standard?

You wanna see the church of the first century?  Liberal [and I don't just mean financially, I mean morally] (Corinth), Bigoted (Rome), Back sliding/giving up (Hebrews), adopting other creeds and traditions (Galatia), self-centered (Ephesus), proud (Laodicea), etc.  This is a pretty bleak picture.  These churches are just as bad off, or worse, than many today.

Here is my point.  The church, while established by God, is made up of human beings, fallible and weak.  We should never, ever, ever use any group of people as our authority.  Do I think the church in Corinth was right in giving money?  Absolutely.  Do I think that their doing it makes it the reason we give money?  Nope. 

Instead of saying we want to be like the first century church, or even "The churches we see in the New Testament, I believe we should be in churches that follow the New Testament, the Word of God.  Our authority comes from word of God, not people that came before us that got close.

As a side note, this should especially be our point of view when studying "Restoration History".  Campbell, Stone, Lipscomb, etc were good men, but they were not apostles, or prophets or the second coming.  They were men.  They did a lot of good.  Follow their spirit.  Be inspired by their mission.  But don't look to the 1850's like Jesus came back and set the church up right again and use them as authority.  The word of God and it alone is our authority.

He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13

"How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?

How long will you hide your face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul,

Having sorrow in my heart all the day?

How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;

Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,

and my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"

And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.

But I have trusted in Your loving kindness;

My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.

I will sing to the Lord,

Because He has dealt bountifully with me."

        We don’t often pray like this.  David is begging God to hear him, as if God has been ignoring him for quite some time.  But haven’t we all felt like this before at some point or another?  Like Satan just won’t cut us any slack? And no matter how often we pray, or how fervently we beg God there just seems to be no end in sight?  We definitely have those bad days…or even those bad weeks.  But check out what David says here in Psalm 13.

        First – “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?”  Ok, that is a cry of desperation if I’ve ever heard one.  David seems to be in some serious trouble here but feels like God has not giving him the time of day.  But more over, look how he ends this first stanza, “How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day?  How long will my enemies be exalted over me?” Not only does David feel like God is ignoring him, he sees the enemy gaining a foot hold.  His enemy has the advantage and defeat seems like it is inevitable.

        Second – David recognizes his own weakness and lack of ability to personally fight off the enemy.  He needs God or he will die.  Plain and simple.  And if he dies like this, he says, the enemy will win and mock him and his faith.  And this just doesn’t work for David.

         Third – and here is the cool part.  What is David’s solution to God’s “silence”?  Praise Him!  That’s right.  God does seemingly nothing and He still gets the attention and respect of David.  Why is that?  It seems so foreign to us.  We ask “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  We may ask. “Why do good things happen to bad people?”  Whatever our circumstance is, it is easy to blame God for our problems and for our enemy’s success.  But David has a totally different perspective.  David says, “I will sing to the Lord, because He has bountifully with me.”  What a great thought!  Allow me to paraphrase this, “I will praise the name of God, and I will trust in His grace. Not because I see Him working right now, but because I have seen Him work in the past, and I trust Him to work it all out for good in His own time.  I am alive.  He has gotten me this far and its more than I deserve as it is.  Blessed be the Lord!”

        

         We have failed on our own again and again.  We know that it is only through God that we can even begin true change, but temptation is yet again rearing its ugly head, and we have to trust that God will deliver us in His way and in His time.  It is up to us to trust Him, and praise His name for the blessings He has already given us.

"...speaking to one another is psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs..."

 ^{Ephesians 5:}

 ¹⁵  " Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶  making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰  giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹  submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Hey ya'll, (all 8 of my followers, thanks for being there for me).  So, This is my first post in almost a year.  Between computer problems and life getting in the way, I just haven't gotten around to doing...I need to get back in the habit.

Shortly after I remembered I could now access my blog, I realized I had something weighing on my heart worth writing about.  Music.  Who doesn't like music.  It is probably the biggest growing industry in the world.  New formats, new artists, new songs, etc.  But what doesn't change is the effect music has on us.  Music is an art that touches everyone.  Not everyone digs Picasso,  Andrew Lloyd Webber, Hemingway, Frost, or Hollywood; but who doesn't listen to/ sing along to some kind of music.  Music is an art that reaches the soul.  And, frankly, I think God did that on purpose.  Singing is a natural emotional response.  We hum and whistle almost without thinking about it when we are in the right mood.  We sing lullabies to children.  And hymns at funerals.  Music is a universal thing.  Every culture has it in some form.  

So What?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the music I listen to.  On road, doing homework, working out, etc.  So much of today's contemporary music is about 3 basic topics. 1) Alcohol 2) Sex/Lust 3) A combination of 1 and 2.  And, I am ashamed to say, some of the songs I sing loud and know all the words to are like these.  It's sad.  Something that is so beautiful, and given by God to both express our deepest thoughts and to move our hearts is so wrapped up in Fornication, Idolatry, and Debauchery.

 It breaks my heart to realize that Christ-followers, myself included, have this so infused in our lives that we don't even think twice when Usher sings, "She's all up on me screamin' 'Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!".  And we sing along!!  ...I sing along.  How is that edifying my soul?  


I'll do you one better...How is that glorifying God????


I opened this blog with Ephesians 5:15-21 and here are just a few things to pull out of here:


1) Be wise as you walk through life.  Self expounding..
2) Don't waste time in the senseless things of this life, but make the most of your time doing things that eternally beneficial.  How much time do we waste on things that tear down our own spirits and destroy our effectiveness in reaching out to others?  Romans 8 is all about our lives reflecting what our minds dwell on...I'll blog about that passage soon I'm sure.  
3) Spend time in God's word understanding how to be more like Him!
4) Don't waste time in self indulgence, nor finding your inner-self in the things of this world
     RATHER....
5) Find yourself through the Spirit of the Most High God!  Let Him fill your life with all the pleasure and joy you can possibly handle!  And it is eternal, never ending, true joy.
6) Let us (not only on Sundays!!!) be filled with so much Godly emotion that we are filled with songs of praise that encourage each other in Him!! (Ah, the tie in)  Don't waste time with the music that makes sin look even more appealing than it already is!!!  Sing and make music that points to God, glorifies Him, and encourages the world.  I don't know how you feel about "Christian Rock"/ "Whatever they are calling contemporary Christian Music these days"  But I love it, maybe I'll write one day about my reasoning on that.  But this is one of the reasons.  It gives me music that I not only dont have to feel ashamed about, but it overtly praises God...and we (I) need more of that in my life.
7)  Submit to one another...We are servants of God and therefore servants of each other.  Let's not do things, listen to things, watch things, etc, that are going to discourage our brothers and sister; or even encourage sinners in their sin.  


Grace and Peace to all,
Harris

Time. Managed. Saved. Used.

Time is like money. We like to use it. We often waste it. And when we need it there is never enough.

If you actually follow my blog you will have noticed that I haven't posted in about a month. I have had severe writer's block, on top of computer problems, on top of the fact that I haven't had the time sit down, fix my computer and think about what to write....Or have I??

So yesterday I watched like 5 hours of tv. Time Management Fail. 

I have this bad habit of instead of saddling up and do when I need to do when I have a lot going on I just waste time and ignore all the things on my plate.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says, "Now walk circumspectly, not as fools but as the wise, redeeming the time, for the days are evil."  Other versions say, "Be careful how you walk". 

Wise men "redeem" or "buy back" time. Basically they don't let it go to waste, but get everything out if they can.  This doesn't mean we can't relax now and again, we just can't waste our time. We need to be productive. Sometimes it is most productive to sit and unwind. If we get so overwhelmed that we can't think or work then we are going to end up making mistakes. But, if we can do something, we need to do it. Fools waste time. Fools aren't careful how they walk. Fools don't understand that the days are evil.

They days are evil, not because they are innately of Satan, but because they are fleeting, and time has a way of working against us if we aren't redeeming it.

Prioritize.  I have been taught this my whole life. But, frankly, I'm not real good at it. I do things as they come to  me regardless on their lack of importance.

Use.  While TV isn't in and of itself evil. Watching 5 hours or more like me is a little excess. I wasn't even enjoying what was on! TV is a great way to unwind and chill out. But after yo"your show" goes off. Turn it off and get back to work. Or if you are a person who can have the TV on in the back ground and work at the time time, more power to you. I am not that person.

Manage. Along with priorities that thing that has helped me the most is keeping a list of everything i need to get done. I'm not a pro yet. But it helps.

The more you organize, manage and use time time to your advantage the more extra time you will find in your day. This is the end meaning of redeeming the time. There is always more if we invest in it. Use this extra time as your relaxation time. But even better, use it as a time to recharge spiritually. Use the extra time you have to pray and study the Bible. Use it to praise God. Express yourself in whatever means he has blessed you with. Breath....but all in good time.

Forgiving Yourself?

This is a topic pretty close to my heart for a number of reasons.  The problem is, the Bible never really address this issue specifically.  I have a philosophy about emotions.  Emotions are good; God has given them to us to help express our love to Him, to keep ourselves in perspective, and to get our attention sometimes.  Guilt is one of those good emotions.  In an ideal world no one would feel guilt, because no one would sin or do anything to feel guilty for.  However, as it stands, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Guilt helps us realize our faults, and gives us the motivation we need to come to God for salvation. The Bible does, however, talk a great deal about God's forgiveness of of us.  In particular a verse I want to point out is Jerimiah 31:34.  The last phrase of the verse says, "For I will forgive them of their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."  If we seek God, submit to His will, He will forgive us.  But He also forgets the sin. This is a cool concept that I have trouble wrapping my own mind around.  We as humans, we remember things. But God in all His power and glory has the power to make Himself forget, or at least to not bring it to rememberance. What happens when we hold on to what God lets go? We feel helpless.  If we won't accept that God has forgiven us, the we begin to feel like we have sinned so much or so badly that we have fallen to far for God to love us.  Paul recognized this fact, and several times talked about the fogiveness that God had given him.  He wrote to Timothy in 1 Tim 1:15-16, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into the world to saver sinners of which I am foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ might disply His perfect patience as an example for those who were to believe in Him for eternal life."  Paul accepted his salvation, but also kept his sins in remembace, not to wallow in self pity, but as a reminder to him of God's great love!  Self pity is the Devil's decptive counterpart to guilt.  We have a hold guilt, that brings us to God, but if we do nothing with that guilt and begin to wallow in it, it turns into self pity.  Through self pity we lose confidence in God  and our ability to come to Him.  So come to the Lord.  Accept your salvation.  And use your mistakes to guide others.

Your Soul is NOT a Used Car....

Hey guys, it has been ages since I posted on here. I'm still trying to make it a habit. But here is a good thought for the day...or life, whatever.  I don't know why I thought of this one morning last week. But your soul is not a used car.  Have you ever bought a used car? The guy asks a certain price; say 5K. You decide you want that car. So you offer the guy $3500.  He says, "Um...How about $4500?" Then you finally agree to $4000.
   God has told us the price of our salvation. Jesus says in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."  We can't just offer God lip service and act like that should be enough to cover it. We have to give him his asking price. No less. Jesus says again in Mark 8:34-35, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."  We have to deny ourselves. That's heavy. But it is necessary.  Paul says in Romans 12:1, "I appeal to you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."  A living sacrifice. What does that mean? To deny ourselves. To do the will of the Father. To serve others.  That is the asking price for our souls.  And we must pay it all, or we get nothing. We can't bargain hunt with the Lord.

A Word on Worth

"When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
     The moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
 What is man that You are mindful of him,
     The son of man that You care for him?"  (Psalm 8:3-4)

    Psalm 8 is one of my favorite passages!  It decribes how awesome and powerful our Lord is; but even greater, it describes His love and His regard for us!!  I think we have all been where David was at some point in our lives. "What is man that you are mindful of him?"  More specifically: "Who am I that You love me?"  We see God, we recognize His greatness, and somewhere in there we lose sight of our value.  I don't mean to say that we have value because of our merit, or because we are so good.  I mean to say that God has given us value! 
   Get a load of Genesis 1:26-27! "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over all the livestock, and over all the earth and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.  So God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them."  We have been A) made in God's image, and B) given dominion over all the earth.  How cool is that???  Picture this: God picks up a handful of dirt, forms is into a person, and then sees fit to give that clay figure, not only life, but a spirit that God wants eternal fellowship with! 
    Paul wrote a powerful message to Titus.  Titus 2:11-14 says, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from lawlessness and to purity for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works."  The particular thing I want to pull from this passage is the word REDEEM.  What does REDEEM mean? It means to buy back. How did He buy us back? By giving His life for us.  His blood was the currency of that spiritual transaction.  We are worth something to God if He is willing to die for us.
   To say you aren't worth forgiveness (or anything to that effect) is to call God either a liar or stupid.  And I thing we would all agree that neither of these are the case.  You are worth it! Because God made you worth it!

Make it a great day!!