The Message Is Clear

Peter the apostle is also a bit of a theologian. In second Peter chapter three he addresses an issue relating to the creation story. Evidently, the apostle was dealing with a question that had come up about the second coming and what seemed to be a delay or even a failure of God's promise to return. Verse 3 and 4 talks about scoffers and lustful people who are the ones calling into question God's word.

"Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 2Pet.3:4

Peter says that these people are "willfully" ignorant. They are not just forgetful or unsure. They have examined the facts and chosen to not believe God's word. Peter takes a moment to remind them, and us, that creation proves the reliability of God's promises. He talks about creation, the flood, and the coming fiery judgement as proof that God's word is reliable and true.

"But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." verse 8

The reason for delay is found firmly in God's unwillingness that any should go into eternity without having a chance to repent. Just as sure as the world was created by God, so all people will give an account of their lives and stand for judgement with God.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." Verse 9.

It is interesting to me that the message of the first apostles is always repent, and believe.

More Than Conquerors

 In our last home Bible study the thought came up about being more than conquerors found in Romans chapter 8. The question was, once you have conquered, how can you conquer more? One answer had to do with quantity. We win one so that we can win more. But that didn't quite sound right to me. So I came home and did a little Bible study.

The word "more than conquerors" is the Greek word hupernikao, and it means what it says. To gain a surpassing victory, to have victory beyond measure, to thoroughly conquer. But again, if you have victory, how can you have more than victory? In this instance, when this is the only place this word is used in the New Testament, the context of the usage sheds some light on how the word was used or intended to be understood.

In verse 35 the apostle talks about the trials of life; tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, the sword. In verse 36 he says that life can eat you up and spit you out. We are counted like mere sheep for the slaughter. The world cares little for us except by how much they can gain from us.

Then, in verse 37, the apostle says that in light of our trials and troubles, God makes us to be more than conquerors. Not in the number of times we overcome, but in the depth of faith that we cling to in the midst of our troubles. Not in our own strength, but by His mighty power.

In verse 38 and 39, the apostle uses the word persuaded. Paul had been through some things. And the lesson he learned through it all was that he became persuaded that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ. This begins to make it all become clear. When we love God in spite of the current difficulties we are more than conquerors. When we love God in spite of our situation or our circumstances we are more than conquerors, When we hold fast to Jesus no matter who is trying to tear us away we are more than conquerors. This speaks of quality, not quantity. 

Once again we find that it is in Jesus that we find all that we need. He did not bring us this far to leave us.

More, or Better?

 "And the apostles said to the Lord, increase our faith. So the Lord said, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you." Luke 17:5-6

In this verse the apostles asked for bigger and better methods. They thought that by having more they could do more. If we had more men or more money or bigger churches we could really do a lot for you, Lord. But Jesus responded by talking about quality of their faith, not how much faith they had. Jesus told them, as he tells us today, that a little good faith can do more than a truck load of tradition.

Just because you find yourself on third base does not mean you have hit a triple. The guy who strikes out and the guy who hits a home run both end up in the same place. On the bench.

Some people are underwhelmed the first time they visit the Prescott church and find out how ordinary the Prescott saints are. They are not the best and the brightest. But they have been faithful to do what they could.

In the end we are all unprofitable servants who have only done what was required of us. This really is a work of God, not the product of human intellect or man's genius.

Quality or Quantity?

 I remember a time in our Fellowship when the worker was more important than the work. It was a work of God because, while we focused on building better men, God multiplied people and churches. There was a time when we focused on building better men and better pastors. When the focus was on quality, not just quantity. It has been said that men look for better methods while God looks for better men.

The first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament has revealed a change in the atmosphere of college athletics. The old school coaches who focused on recruiting good young men and building a quality, winning program has been replaced by big money and paying top athletes to play to win. Winning championships has become more important than a college education and building a team that plays well together. The goal of college athletics is still a diploma, not a trophy.

Our Fellowship seems to be more focused on the number of churches announced at conference than the quality of the couples we are sending out.

I once asked pastor Wayman Mitchell why we had so many small churches. His answer, because we have so many small men. We concern ourselves with things and issues that are not that important.  

Discipleship is the transformation of a Christian into a minister. This involves character as well as talent.

Keeping the main thing the main thing only works when we get the main thing right.

The Darkness Around Us

 Pastors used to be anti social media because they had to deal with the fallout of failed humanity caused by immoral conduct. I am not a fan of social media, but for a different reason. I feel like a stranger in a strange land today. I feel like I don't fit in. Everything that I hold dear is dead or dying. Things that are of no value to me are highly esteemed by society. We live in a world where increasingly evil is called good, and good is called evil.

My revelation came when I realized that I am living in a computer nerd's fantasy world. A world where lonely, unfulfilled kids feel accepted, leaving me feeling lonely and unsatisfied. This tech revolution did not come from socially adjusted normal people. It did not come from established institutions of higher learning. It came from the brilliant minds of maladjusted kids and college dropouts. Guys who could not get a date or who had been molested by adults. When you can look in a mirror and be confused about your gender, how can you be trusted to decide what is best for the whole world? They are trying to change the world into their image and likeness.

I am not anti technology. I am not tempted by the lies of modern society. This is not an age issue.  This is not even a faith issue. I know that by following Jesus Christ I will be at odds with society. But I also know that the reason why so many young people feel lost and alone and lonely and unfulfilled is that they are living in a world created to make damaged people feel more at home.

"And even as thy did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things that are not fitting;" Romans 1:28

Ultimately this is a God issue. Like all of life, we reject or ignore Christ to our own peril. That is why the first word in the Gospel declaration is "repent". Only in Christ can people of any age be brought out of darkness into God's marvelous light. Only in Christ can humanity see where they are going and stop wandering in the darkness of sin and rebellion.

Rules I Abide By

 One of my rules in writing on this blog is to not get personal. No naming names if I am being critical. I violated that rule recently so I took that post down. I have thoughts on things and people but I do not want to be critical of someone personally if i can help it.

We are all just people. If we were flawless Christ would not have had to go to the cross. If we were perfect we would not need to go to church on a regular basis. If we were strong on our own we would not need the Holy Spirit to strengthen us day by day. Pastors are people, called by God and set in place by Christ himself. But they are people first, with hopes and dreams and frustrations like the rest of us. We need them to give us grace, we need to give them grace as well.

I am grateful for my church and my pastors. 

What Now?

 Looking back over the years I remember the early days of salvation and discipleship. How it was then, what I did then, back when everything was new, and all was potential, and no shadows had yet crossed my path. Then I look at where I am now. What I have been through, what I have or have not experienced in 50 years. How things have changed for me.

The question today is, what now? What do I do now or what is next for the remaining years of my life? Potential is not a word that I think of any more. My hope is not to get sent out and to venture for the Lord again. I am still here, still involved, still serving the Lord to the best of my abilities. I still do my best to forget those things that are gone  forever. I am always aware of the great cloud of witnesses looking down from Heaven. 

I cannot go back and live like I used to and do what I used to do. I am not the man I used to be. There has to be something for men like me to do without falling into the Sun City trap of old folks acting like teenagers. I am too old to dig and I am ashamed to beg.

Why sit we here until we die? Is this all that is left for men like me?

Time Will Tell

There are many things that we, as a Fellowship, take for granted, that were lessons learned through faith and overcoming obstacles by pastor Mitchell and the Prescott church in the early days. Church planting was not done the way we do it now until pastor Mitchell tried something that seemed to line up with scriptures. Discipleship instead of ministerial school training. These and a hundred other smaller issues were begun by someone taking a great leap of faith.

Some of the things we do we gleaned from our previous association with Foursquare. Our liturgy was not unique to us. Our church structure was patterned after Foursquare. Pastoral leadership, church tithing, and many other things we learned because that was what pastor Mitchell was save in. I learned things as a new convert the same way that Wayman learned them as a new convert.

When pastor Mitchell says that discouragement is a failure of the will, he is speaking from personal experience first, and experience dealing with new pastors second. The indigenous church principle of self governing, self supporting, and self propagating was an idea that Foursquare knew in theory but pastor Mitchell learned to practice in the Prescott church and in time, throughout the Fellowship.

Time and time again pastor Mitchel reminded us that this is a work of God and not a work of man. Over time the proof of that sentiment has been proven over and over again. The Prescott church has overcome betrayal, and rebellion, and mutiny, and discouragement, and is still flourishing today. They have dealt with the death of their founder and are still staying true to his vision. The principals that pastor Mitchell forged in the fires of adversity still work around the world today.

Only time will tell how this story ends.

Clearing Out the Cobwebs

 I almost get the sense in some circles that when it comes to church growth, it is you either grow, or you die. Grow or die. That sounds pretty dramatic except for one thing. It is not true.

I have not grown one fraction of an inch in height since high school. We grow to our natural height and then we stop growing. We may get bigger, but we will never get any taller.

We are only democratic when it comes to serving in our churches. Everyone can and ought to serve in some capacity. We are an all voluntary congregation when it comes to serving and evangelism.

We are a command and control church when it comes to preaching or teaching adults. No one is allowed to do anything no matter how qualified they are unless they are the pastor. Or an active evangelist.

We do what works and we do what we have been taught to do. Most of what we do is not spelled out in the Bible. No one in the first century gave any thought as to how churches should operate in the 21st century. God is eternal, but we aren't. We can only see what is obvious. To us.

Pastor Wayman Mitchell built or enlarged buildings when we were bursting at the seams. He used tents for conference. The church building was too small. The tents met the need for a long time. Now we build conference centers that we only use occasionally and that cost a lot of money. Our building is still not finished completely. Two years since we moved in and we just got a sign up.

Well, that clears out the cobwebs for this week. I am grateful to have this outlet to share what's on my mind.

Thought On What I believe.

 I am a protestant. I was saved, and I am saved, by faith, in Christ alone. No saints, no rituals, no vain traditions. Save by grace through faith. God is not an idea or a theology or a concept. Christ is risen from the dead and He is making intercession for me in Heaven.

We are not Catholic in our structure or our liturgy at our church. We strive to follow the Biblical guidelines, as ancient and archaic as they are. We rely on church history to fill in the gaps that Acts never thought to include.

We have no Pope, or priests, and we call no man father as a title of respect.

We see the Holy Spirit in action in our lives and in our assembly.

We do not care what the other pseudo-Christian religions do or believe. We do not care what another Jesus says or does. We contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints.

Doctrine is a way to understand what we believe. Pastor Mitchell taught us Bible doctrine in the early days. He taught us what to believe and he taught us how he studied the Scriptures. This is a pastor's job; to rightly divide the word of truth, not just to preach another sermon on the same topic.

One last thought today. It is important to know what you believe and why you believe it. It is important not to let yourself be carried about by winds of doctrine. It is important to read the Bible yourself.

Work Boots

 Part of the plan for our teens to raise money for Boot Camp is what we call the Work Boots program. This allows teens to work for anyone who needs help with their wages going towards their tuition. It can be any household chore indoors or outside. Car washing, lawn mowing, house cleaning, etc.

Today, I have two teen boys here at my house giving it a good, deep cleaning. My job is to be here, and to stay out of their way! So far, so good. I hired them for three hours, but it will not take them that long to do what I need done. But I agreed to pay them for three hours even if they get done faster.

This is my first time supporting our teens who want to help pay their way to this years boot camp.

A blessing.

 Today, after prayer, a brother sent 3 teens to my house to mow my lawn. This was unexpected and frankly was a great blessing to me. No charge for doing this either. A real blessing for me.

God, bless those who bless me. Amen.

A Parable

 There once was a successful couple. Happily married with two kids, a dog, and a house in the suburbs. Jack was a successful salesman and he made a good living. But his work took him away from home on a regular basis. Jill, his wife, was a dutiful and faithful spouse to Jack. She took care of the house and the the children. She paid the bills. She did her best to be a good wife to her busy husband Jack.

As time went on Jack began to feel pressure from his work. He began to come home from a trip and his words and actions left his family puzzled. He began to criticize his wife and his children. His words to them were often too strong for their liking. It seemed that, no matter what the family did, it was not enough to please Jack.

Jill began to pray for wisdom and she went to her pastor for advice. The next time Jack came home in his usual bad mood she met him at the door with an ultimatum. Jill said to Jack, either change your ways, or go away for good. We have put up with you long enough.

I don't know how this story ends. I will say that no family can endure when dad is always critical and unappreciative. Did Jack change? Did he get help? Or did he blame Jill for their problems? The ball is in Jack's court. The outcome of this story depends on what Jack does.

When leaders take out their frustrations on their followers it makes it hard for those followers to respect their leader and follow them.  Leaders should be grateful that there are people willing to follow them. They should treat their followers with kindness and respect. Followers may not physically leave. But they will no longer trust or respect an unappreciative leader.

Change must begin at the top.