Integrity

"The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." (Proverbs 10:9 NIV)

• People with integrity live by fairness, even when fairness puts them at a disadvantage or causes them significant difficulty. They fight fair even when those around them do not.

• People of integrity consider their word their bond, allowing their "yes" to mean "yes" and their "no" to mean "no."

• People of integrity are authentic and transparent; they act the same, no matter who is present. Their lives are "what you see is what you get."

• People of integrity are straightforward in their conduct. They don't hide what they're doing, and they don't say one thing and do another. They are people "in whose spirit is no deceit" (Psalm 32:2 NIV).

• People with integrity explain the facts in an even-handed manner, not in a way that makes them look better than the other person. They are respectful, helpful, and gracious to everyone.

• People of integrity go the extra mile with a smile. They do more than is required of them.

• People of integrity are not afraid to ask for help. They're not afraid to let God be their strength. They're able to handle tough situations, knowing God is at work in them.

• People of integrity focus on "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable" - anything at all that is excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

Taken from http://purposedriven.com/blogs/dailyhope/index.html?contentid=7819

In Your Presence All My Fears Are Washed Away

Cause when we see you we find strength to face the day

And in your presence all my fears are washed away

Hosanna, Hosanna

You are the God who saves us 

Worthy of all our praises

Hosanna, Hosanna

Come have your way among us

We welcome you here Lord Jesus

The last year has been a difficult one, there is no other way to say it.  God has led me down a road and into situations that I literally begged him not to. Crying and fighting with all my might for a different way. All the while knowing that I had no choice if I was to truly fear the God I love.  Sometimes, God calls us to things that we don't want or understand.  So we step out into the unknown knowing that we won't walk that road alone. That He will give strength and encouragement as we need it.  I find it so amazing how when the darkness seems to be swallowing me up and doubt has filled my mind...God is so faithful in providing me with hope. Encouraging me. When I just don't know what to do or where to turn he provides the answer when I ask...not always right away, often after waiting on him (and oh how difficult that waiting can be).

John Bevere says in his book "The Fear of the Lord",

"To fear man is to stand in alarm, anxiety, awe, dread, suspicion, or cowering before mortal men.  Those entrapped by this type of fear will live on the run, hiding from harm or reproach, constantly avoiding rejection and confrontation.  They become so busy safeguarding themselves that they are soon ineffective in their service for God.  Afraid of what man can do, they deny God what He deserves.

The fear of God includes, but is not limited to, respecting and reverencing Him, for we are told to tremble at His presence.  Holy fear gives God the place of glory, honor, revernce, thanksgiving, praise, and preeminence He deserves. (Notice it is what He deserves, not what we think He deserves.)

God holds this preeminent position in our hearts and lives as we esteem His desires over and above our own, hating what He hates and loving what He loves, trembling in His presence and at His Word.

Hear this and meditate on it:  You will serve whom you fear.

If you fear God, you will serve Him. If you fear man, you will serve man.  You must choose."

Are you afraid of man?  A better question is am I afraid of man?

I think until we walk down certain paths we are never aware of how difficult the road He has called us to may be.  Then on top of those difficulties we have to fight the temptations of the evil one, to doubt God's love and goodness, especially when things don't turn out as well as WE think they should.  Then we say, maybe I didn't hear God correctly and now he is punishing me.  At times in our life we are going to have to make choices that will not sit well with others and may even cause them to reject us, to be offended or hurt, or to question our integrity and even our walk with the Lord.  Too often, we stop because of our fears of man. We don't want to lose a friend or the respect we may have in our circles. We don't want to be outcasts or pitied. We don't want to be forced to leave the things or places that make us feel so very comfortable. We don't want to face the unknown. If you're like me you can't stand the thought of others being upset with you or not liking you.We want to stay right where we are, not stir up the pot, in case any of these seemingly difficult things occur. 

What God is teaching me is that when I am so concerned about what others think, I lack the fear of God. I let all those potential "consequences" get in the way of truly carrying out what God has asked of me. I am saying to God that His direction is only important when it gives me more friends or more respect. When it lifts ME up.  So where do we go when His direction brings us outside of those comfortable places? We start to doubt His goodness and mercy. We blame Him for putting us in that place, all the while having no idea where He is headed. We doubt the work He is doing in the world around us. Why? Because it is hurting US...not Him...US. When will we come to the realization that this world we live in is not about us. It is about Him! About building a relationship with Him and choosing to follow Him inspite of the rough roads we may travel. It's about being refined so that we may be proved genuine.

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

James 1:2-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

We can let these hard trials cause us to bow down to other gods like bitterness, unbelief, anger, envy, self-pity and doubt. We can let the world tell us that we have been done an injustice, that life or people are treating us unfairly. Or we can fight and hold our heads high knowing that the God of this universe loves us.  We can have confidence that God knows, plans, and directs our lives for the good. We need to persevere. We can express our grief but we cannot give into bitterness and despair. And we can stand with courage because with Jesus as Brother and Saviour, we need not be afraid.  He who suffered for us will not abandon us. Jesus carries us through everything. Even as imperfect as we are. Even when we make a mistake and screw up, He loves us! When no one else seems to love us or even like us. If we have no respect from anyone. HE LOVES US!! I can't say it better than Laura Story, in her song Blessings, "When friends betray us. When darkness seems to win we know. The pain reminds us all, that this is not our home." And that there is a loving God who will give us the strength and love to live in this "home" until the time comes for us to see His beautiful face.

Psalm 55:16-18

But I call to God, and the Lord saves me.  Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.  He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me.

My prayer is that we will stand on His TRUTH over everything. That nothing will stand in the way of our Fear of God. That we will have the courage to overcome any fear or obstacle that may come our way and we will Stand! On His Truth. On His Love. And On His Amazing Grace!

Membership and Covenants - Part 3

So here is my conclusion...

I have read a lot of scripture and different interpretation and a ton of different articles.  I have found little support in favor of church covenants or membership policies.  While there were covenants made in scripture they never involved a specific church.  The covenants were often between people at war or between God and man.  I find it a stretch to say that this makes "church covenants" okay.

On the other side, I believe that covenants, especially in a church, are filled with many dangers of it becoming legalistic in nature and of it becoming a way for those who are in charge to feel in control.  We know that we were freed from law and are told not to place ourselves under bondage.  We are also shown that as Christians we are equal under God, that there is no hierarchical structure.  Elders are called to lead but they are to lead as servants not as a master.

I will admit that there is no hard line saying that we should or shouldn't make a covenant.  There are times in our lives where we will make covenants, such as when we get married.  Even when we sign our name to our mortgage, however some may argue that this is not a spiritual promise, we are still responsible to uphold what we are promising.  Scripture is very clear that we need to take making any kind of promise/covenant extremely seriously and that once made they are unbreakable.  It seems a very foolish idea to make a vow you cannot keep or to play games with God by only partially fulfilling your vow.  It's better not to make a vow (as there is no sin in not making a vow) than to make a vow and break it (which is sin).

Deuteronomy 23:21-23

When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.

Proverbs 20:25

Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost.

Matthew 5:37

Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

What? "From the evil one?"  How?  Well there are 2 ways that I can see.  They can be false and a cover for dishonesty or they can be genuine but can bring us judgment if we fail to keep them.

I believe and agree with the following statement: "Satan, who wishes to snare well-intentioned Christians and bring them into condemnation gets them to swear binding oaths.  Sacred oaths may feel right and seem solemn and deep and spiritual but they are a spiritual snare.  This is why Jesus always attacks the making of oaths, vows and pledges, and did not require his disciples to make them." (http://www.aibi.ph/articles/oaths.htm)

In addition, we are to try to steer clear of actions forbidden by Scripture, but sometimes Scripture is silent or unclear.  Then we need to follow our conscience. The bible says "Everything that does not come from faith is sin".  This means to go against a conviction will leave a person with a guilty or uneasy conscience.

Romans 14:23

But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.

So, for me, I have to decide at this point that I need to be extremely careful in what covenants/promises I make.  I also need to realize that I can't make statements about any promises like "It's not a big deal" or "I don't have to follow everything...I'll just sign it so I can keep doing what I am doing".  I have also had to realize in all this study that this goes much further than just a church covenant though...this goes into our daily lives.  And I for one need to be much more careful what kinds of things I promise or say I will do and to consider the cost before engaging.  When I do promise or say I will do something that I better not break those promises.  And if there is absolutely no way to keep it and I need to break it, I need to make sure that I repent both to God and anybody that may have been part of the promise.

Membership and Covenants - Part 2

In this part, I want to show the other side of the argument.  The side against having covenants within the church. I am going to use a fair amount of quotes in this post because I feel that they are well said and I couldn't say it better myself.  I will give a list of the articles that I quote and have found useful at the bottom of this post.

"When we become Christians, God places us under the New Covenant, which is a covenant of grace.  By grace, God actually takes believers out from under law and its condemnation and places them in Christ Jesus where there is no condemnation." 1

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

"To create another covenant - a man-made covenant - that repeats what is already in the New Covenant between all believers and God seems to be a way of saying that one doesn't take the New Covenant seriously.  Another covenant - one that the Bible never mentions - must be added on top of Jesus Christ's New Covenant. Church covenants and membership policies are fundamentally legalistic. They are, after all, a set of laws that a member binds himself or herself to keep.  Such covenants and policies are clearly asking Christians - who are now supposed to be under grace and not law - to put themselves back under a law.  This is to be absolutely disobedient to Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." 1

"A church membership/covenant is, in essence, saying that the grace of the New Covenant, the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, and faith are insufficient.  To these we must add a law...In response, I say with Paul, 

Galatians 3:1-5
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Galatians 2:21
I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. 

"Even when their rules agree with those of the New Covenant, they still directly contradict the principles Paul teaches in such passages as Romans 14.  They inherently cause us to judge one another and to not trust that God is leading a believer on a walk that is between him or her and God." 1

Romans 14:4
Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

"A church covenant or church membership policy, then, is a legalistic usurpation of the grace of the New Covenant.  Quite frankly, I believe these covenants/policies to be attempts by the leadership of local churches to control the behavior of members with laws because the leadership does not have the faith to believe that Christians can be left to the care of the Holy Spirit and God's Word.  It seems to come down to a matter of control." 1

Matthew 5:33-37
“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

James 5:12
But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

I have looked at so many different church covenants and membership policies and surprisingly many are the same.  Often stating in various ways that we will "work towards the fulfillment of the purpose and vision of the church" or "to guard the peace and unity of the church" or "To honor the leadership of the church through Christlike submission".

What happens when the purpose or vision don't line up with the purpose/vision of the bible?  And God never chooses unity over truth, so what happens when truth is being squashed or twisted?  "A Christian in obedience to Christ will not set out to cause disunity in the body of Christ, however sometimes it is a result of defending God's truth, honor, purity of His Word and proclaiming His true gospel of repentance." 2

Further, "It makes one wonder why leaders of a church feel like they need to require their members in ministry to sign a document stating they will submit to the leaders.  If a christian is rightly related to God, they will have a spirit of submission to biblical spiritual authority, but it will not be to a leader who is not following the Holy Spirit's lead.  It will not be to a minister or a church leader who does not follow the Word of God.  And it should not be to leaders who replace the leading of the Holy Spirit for man-centered pragmatic techniques and the latest trends in church-growth methodology." 2

"Before you're confronted to sign a covenant ask yourself this question - Why does a christian need to make an additional commitment to another man to abstain from sin and remain obedient to God when he has already committed his whole life in submission to Jesus Christ and to sanctification by his Truth which is His Word?" 2

"Previously the Ten Commandments would have been taught, now they are replaced by new church laws which are subjective and potentially heretical. Previously these churches would have taught that Christ won on the cross liberty from the laws of men, and that the conscience is subject to God alone. The Reformed church used to teach that man lives by faith, and through His strength man is able to keep His commands. Now a new structure has been erected, with man-made laws, and man-directed accountability....." 3

"Oaths and covenants are a new form of legalism entering the church like a flood. They require more of us than Scripture requires. It is a horrible new form of bondage, accomplished in the name of a new church for the 21st century. This is a “transformation” not a “reformation.” ....This movement did not arise from God, but from the rapacious desires of evil men." 3

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool. When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved. Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.

On to my conclusion...

Articles to read...
http://www.wordofhisgrace.org/mempolicyqa.htm 1 
http://thinkerup.blogspot.ca/2006/08/should-you-sign-church-covenant_30.html 2
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/shepherding.htm 3
http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/2003/1-purpose.htm
http://rickwarrenquotes.blogspot.ca/2010/04/saddleback-membership-covenant.html
http://www.thepropheticyears.com/comments/Our%20Church%20covenant.htm
http://www.aibi.ph/articles/oaths.htm

Membership and Covenants - Part 1

Over the course of the last several months I have found it necessary to really search out what the Bible says about church membership and covenants.  I have spent hours reading scripture and different articles.  It is now time to put it all together. Here is my conclusion.  I will also attach several links to articles that have solidified my own beliefs.

Please know that this conclusion is my own and that I am open and willing to discuss.

I want to define a covenant, for the purpose of this post as an agreement, contract, commitment, or written promise between two individuals that frequently constitutes a pledge to do or refrain from doing something.

"Church covenants and membership policies list certain requirements for membership and/or describe expected behavior of members, what I am addressing here are not confessions of faith but policies or covenants that bind the behavior of members." (www.wordofhisgrace.org)

Please also know that, I understand that modern day churches need a membership to be recognized as a legal entity and am not opposed to people committing to a church body for this purpose.  I am also not opposed to signing a Statement of Faith as long as those statements follow the definition that "a statement of faith is a statement of the core beliefs of a religious group" and that they are completely scriptural.  Cam said to me one day that I should ask "Am I willing to die for each of those statements?".  Now while, I may not be able to go to the extreme that I would be willing to die for each statement in the one that my church requires, I do at this time believe those to be my core beliefs.  I also have understood that by agreeing to be a member we are also committing ourselves to attendance, giving, prayer and services with that body of Christ.  While these are, in our church, unspoken, they are part of what is understood as stated in the "Why Church Membership?" paper I was given at the time of me becoming a member.

However, what happens when a church requires you to sign anything other than a Statement of Faith.  What does the Bible say about that?

In Part 1, I want to give you several scripture references that I have come across that are used to make an argument for a signed covenant.

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

2 Corinthians 8:5

And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

John 13:33-34

“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

1 John 3:16

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Now while I completely agree that we need fellowship with other believers and that this is highly expressed in the bible, I do not see how any of these confirm for me that I should be willing to sign a paper saying that I am committed to a specific church and promising to "men" that I will do a list of things.  My covenant is with God and if I am truly following Him then it will be by our actions and our faithfulness in belonging to a group that we show we are committed.  Anyone can say/sign that they are committed but it's a lot harder to live it.

I have also heard arguments stating that because God had covenants with people like Abraham, Moses and the Israelites that it is then okay for us to have them too. To some degree they are right, at least about the part of God making covenants between himself and people, but that cannot be compared to a covenant between man and man.  We make a covenant with God when we accept him as our Saviour and Lord.  By His "new covenant" we are freed from all law.  God is perfect and can perfectly uphold that Covenant. As men, we are not perfect and will absolutely not be able to perfectly uphold any man made documents.

There are also several instances in Scripture where there were covenants made between men.  Here are 2 that seem to be used often.
1) Genesis 21 - where Abraham and Abimelech make a treaty at the well of Beersheba
2) Genesis 31 - where Laban and Jacob make a covenant to end the fighting and be friends.  

In both of these cases, wars/fights were in progress and it was decided that a "cease fire" was in order and a deal was made.  So while they did make a covenant to each other it was in the best interests of both parties and it was during a time of war.

Again, I am unable to draw the line to connect what these verses are showing to the covenant or commitment that churches are asking members to sign.

Others have said that since we are willing to covenant ourselves in marriage, why should we "the bride of Christ" not be willing to covenant with a church.  In my opinion, that is a weak argument as the institution of marriage was designed by God and this is clear in scripture.

Ephesians 5:31
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."

While the bible speaks of us being in fellowship with other believers it never says I should leave my father and mother and covenant myself to a specific church.

The 2 links below are articles that I read that give arguments for a covenant.  They are the best I could come up with. There are lots of articles that have great arguments but they don't have any solid scripture to back them up.   If you have any other ones please let me know, I would love to read them.

On to Part 2...

Articles to read...

http://blog.mattalgren.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/saddleback-covenant.pdf

http://www.independencebaptist.org/Online%20Books/The%20Church%20Covenant.pdf

Be Prepared to Give An Answer

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 3 :15 that we are to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have".

The NIV Study Bible Commentary says, "We should always be ready to give an answer, gently and respectfully, when asked about our faith, our lifestyle, or our Christian perspective."  Not just our hope but our perspective.

Proverbs 22:20-21

Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you true and reliable words, so that you can give sound answers to him who sent you.

Proverbs 15:28

The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.

Our church recently has told it's congregation that we will have to sign a Ministry Commitment in order to serve within the church.  That is not what this post is about but I will make a post in the near future to give you what I believe.  However, it is a new topic of conversations and before you hear what I think I would encourage you to search it out for yourself.  Do it honestly, looking at it from all sides openly and prayerfully.  Not just on this issue, but anytime you are faced with such decisions. If someone asks you why you are doing something or why you believe what you do the following are NOT suitable answers and here is why...

1) My Pastor/Leadership told me to and says that it's okay.

1 Thessalonians 5:20-22

Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

3) It is required. 

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

2) "It's no big deal" or "Every other church does it" or "It's harmless, just do it" or "It's only a small concession" or "It doesn't mean anything".

1 Peter 4:5 (also see Romans 14:12 for a similar verse)

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

These statements are cop outs, no different then the one your parents used when you were a child "If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?".  You and only you will be accountable to God for your decisions and actions.  He will not accept the above answers and neither should you.

If you look at mainstream ideas (even within the church) and concede it must be okay, you are setting yourself up for deception - just because others do it does not make it right. (See my post on False Teachings and Discernment for more on how we can be deceived and how we can avoid it.)

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 

Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ 

Daniel shows us this in the stance he took against King Nebuchadnezzar and resolved not to "defile himself with the royal food and wine". (Daniel 5:8) He stood up to what was mainstream even though he was in a world where no one would have questioned him if he did do it.  Only him and his 3 friends stood their ground.

Look at the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews 11.  All of these men and women of faith had to stand at some point against mainstream ideas or do something that was unpopular because it was truth and because God had instructed them to. 

Why could they stand alone?  Because they were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was God they were following and NOT man. 

So again I challenge you that any time you do something you make sure you are able to give a real reason that can be backed up by Scripture and not the words of man.  Questions are NEVER bad. If after studying it for yourself, it is still muddled or unclear - WAIT - and ask God for wisdom.  Don't just do it.

Romans 14:23

But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Satan will come and deceive many...it's not a matter of if, but when...and the bible is clear that he will come in "Sheep's clothing" and will be hard to recognize and that we need to be on guard for those times. 

Matthew 7:15

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

I will continue to challenge you on what you believe and you need to own it for yourself, even in the little things.  Those "little things", "harmless things" are practice for the big things.  Otherwise, when things get tough, you won't know how to stand.

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Discernment of False Teachings

Below is an article I have found from John MacArthur that I feel speaks well to how we as Christians also need to be discerning when it comes to false teaching and how some are better at this than others.

JOHN MACARTHUR ON THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT

discerning of spirits(v.10)—Satan is the great deceiver (John 8:44) and his demons counterfeit God’s message and work. Christians with the gift of discernment have the God-given ability to recognize lying spirits and to identify deceptive and erroneous doctrine (see Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1).

Paul illustrated the use of this gift in Acts 16:16-18, as Peter had exercised it in Acts 5:3. When it was not being exercised in the Corinthian church, grave distortion of the truth occurred (see v. 3; 14:29).

Though its operation has changed since apostolic times (because of the completion of Scripture) it is still essential to have people in the church who are discerning. They are the guardians, the watchmen who protect the church from demonic lies, false doctrines, perverted cults, and fleshly elements. As it requires diligent study of the Word to exercise gifts of knowledge, wisdom, preaching, and teaching, so it does with discernment.

An important gift for the protection of the church is that of discernment, the distinguishing of spirits. The basic meaning of distinguishing has to do with separating out for examination and judging in order to determine what is genuine and what is spurious. Satan is the great deceiver, “the father of lies” (John 8:44), and ever since the Fall he and his demons have counterfeited God’s message and God’s work. All Christians should judge carefully what they hear and read and “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).

That is what the God-fearing and “noble-minded” Jews of Berea did when they first heard the gospel from Paul (Acts 17:11). They tested Paul’s word against what they knew of God’s Word, and because the two words matched they believed that what he preached was from God and not from demons. That is what every believer should do with every message that claims to be from God. No preacher or teacher of the gospel should resent having what he says judged against Scripture.

Those to whom God has given the gift of discernment have a special ability to recognize lying spirits, and this gift is the Spirit’s watchdog. Some ideas that are given as scriptural and that on the surface seem scriptural actually are clever counterfeits that would deceive most believers. Those with the gift of discernment are the Holy Sprit’s inspectors, His counterfeit experts to whom He gives special insight and understanding. The gift was especially valuable in the early church because the New Testament had not been completed. Because of the difficulty and expense of copying, for many years after its completion the Bible was not widely available. The Holy Spirit’s discerners were the church’s protectors.

The gift of discernment is also especially valuable when the church and the gospel are considered acceptable in society. When Christianity is persecuted, counterfeit teachers usually are scarce, because the price for being identified with the gospel is too high. They are much more likely to appear in times and in places where Christianity is considered respectable or at least is tolerated. In parts of the world today, evangelicalism is popular and often profitable. All sorts of teachers, preachers, writers, and counselors claim to be evangelical and biblical.

Although any thinking person realizes that all the ideas cannot be biblical, simply because many of them are so contradictory of each other, it is not always easy to know which are true and which are not. Most often they are a mixture. Counterfeit teachers used by Satan usually have some truth in what they say. Unfortunately, many basically sound teachers sometimes undiscerningly pick up ideas from psychology, philosophy, or popular thinking that seem biblical but are not. It is the ministry of those with the gift of discernment to help separate the wheat from the chaff.

The Corinthian believers who had that gift either were not using it or were being ignored. Otherwise the perverted ideas and practices that Paul deals with in this letter could not have flourished as they did. Discernment is the gift, along with prophecy, that the Apostle urges the Corinthians to use in relation to judging the use and interpretation of tongues. Those with discernment are to judge even those who prophesy (1 Cor. 14:29).

Obviously, the gift of discernment is valuable to the church in assisting Christians to settle disputes among themselves rather than going to court. That seems to be the gift needed by the person Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 6, the “wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren” (v. 5).

Even praise of the gospel can be deceitful and misleading. When Paul and Silas began to minister in Philippi, Luke reports that “a certain slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortunetelling. Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, ‘These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation’ ” (Acts 16:16-17). What the girl said not only was true but seemed to be favorable to the gospel and to those who were proclaiming it.

But the purpose and motivation of what she said was exactly the opposite. The demons who controlled her meant to attract the people and, gaining their trust, then ridicule and undercut God’s Word and the work of His ministers. In that case Paul could not judge by what was said, because the girl’s words were true. He knew she was a demonic instrument only because the Holy Spirit revealed the false spirit that controlled her.

False teaching can be judged by comparing it with Scripture, but false spirits can be judged only by the true Spirit’s gift of discernment. That gift may be called the Spirit’s gift on gifts, because God uses it to reveal to His church whether or not a manifestation of the other gifts is of Him. All imitation of the gifts is not demonic. Much of it is simply the work of the flesh, carnal Christians trying to serve the Lord in their own power and for their own benefit and glory. Summarizing, it can be said that the gift of discernment is given to tell if the other gifts are of the Holy Spirit, if they are merely natural imitations, or if they are demonic counterfeits.

I believe God still empowers some of His people to unmask false prophets and carnal hypocrites. He gives them insight to expose imitations and deceptions that most Christians would take as genuine. The gift of discernment, however, can easily deteriorate into a critical, proud, and self-righteous spirit. It can be judgmental instead of corrective when it is imitated in the flesh. But rightly used it is a great protection to God’s people.

John MacArthur

http://apprising.org/2012/02/14/john-macarthur-on-the-gift-of-discernment/

False Teachings vs. False Teachers

The other day as I was browsing the internet for some new bible study material and I typed in the words "Beth Moore".  Immediately pages of links popped up and near the top was one that said "Beth Moore's Dangerous Bible Twisting".  So, I had to go in and read this.  Now, I have to admit that I admire and respect Beth Moore as a teacher of the bible, however, I have not always agreed with everything she has stated and have at times felt that she has made a stretch to draw certain conclusions.  That said, as I read this it came to my mind that if she is getting publicity as a false teacher who else is?

So this began a hunt to see if I could find any respected theologian, bible teacher, preacher, book author that I could think of to see if there were any who did not get labeled as a false teacher in some way, shape or form.  Interestingly, enough there were none.  Each name I searched had an article or more that said they were teaching falsely.  That might not surprise some of you but it actually took me off guard for a bit.

Is there no one that we can trust implicitly?  Can we not listen to messages and trust that they are speaking truth?  How do we know what teachings we can hold on to and what we have to throw away?  I know that I have been guilty in the past of just listening to a message and accepting it as "gospel".  What lies have I been told?  Maybe none, but maybe some. 

The bible says...

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
“Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”

Matthew 24:4-5

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. Matthew 24:4-5

Hebrews 13:8-9

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings."

A heretic is defined by Peter as one who lays error alongside of truth, secretly introducing destructive heresies.

2 Peter 2:1 

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them-- bringing swift destruction on themselves.

Christians are to reject those who preach a false gospel because they are condemned by the Lord.

Galatians 1:8-9 

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! 

Even Paul, a foundational Apostle, encouraged his listeners to test his teaching against the written Word of God, and he stated that those who teach must not "go beyond what is written.".

Acts 17:11 

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

1 Corinthians 4:6 

Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 

Believers are to be discerning.

Philomen 1:9-11 

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God.

Proverbs 15:14 

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

Proverbs 17:24 

A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 18:15 

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.

Proverbs 28:7 

He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father

Proverbs 3:21 

My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; 

Why do we test teaching against the Scriptures? Because we are commanded to remain in sound doctrine, to keep the faith, to follow the teachings of the prophets, Apostles and Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 4:3 

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Titus 1:9 

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 2:1 

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. False teachers are liars and do not remain in sound doctrine.

We can also look for and test their fruits.

Matthew 7:15-20 

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 

I also want to say that we have to be careful not to be too critical, especially if it is a teacher that we have personal issues with.  It is easy then, because we do not appreciate them personally that we critique everything they say and label it as false.  This may not be so.  We may be looking through tainted eyes and so we then have to be willing to look and search out what is in our own hearts first.

That all said, I would not want to be quick to label someone a false teacher.  So what do we do with teachers that say things that we find do not line up with scripture...are they a false teacher?  Not necessarily.  I personally think that the decision can be made only after we have approached them with what we believe to be false or in error and ask them to expand, clarify, or prove what they are saying with the Word of God.  If they willing accept the challenge and are willing to dialogue and discuss and study the scripture together with you, genuinely hearing your side and considering that they may have been wrong, then in my opinion we will either then ourselves have been corrected or the teacher will have been corrected.  If found to be in error a true teacher will then be willing to admit that they made a mistake.  They will also be willing to fix and clarify that with the audience to whom they stated it.  If the teacher is NOT willing to dialogue or discuss and is unwilling to search scripture and show what is being stated thoroughly, we need to be very careful.  Not only do we need to be very careful but we may have to completely separate ourselves from them and their teachings.

Romans 16:17 

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Ephesians 5:11 

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

2 Thessalonians 3:6 

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh DISORDERLY, and not after the tradition which ye received of us.

2 Tim. 3:1-9

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

2 John 1:10-11 

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

2 Corinthians 6:17 

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch no the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Jude 1:12 

These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm-- shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted-- twice dead.

Here is a link that summarizes this quite nicely as well...


http://www.gotquestions.org/judge-teachings-leaders.html
 

Ezekiel 34

I've been struggling with what to do when we see others pulled into believing things that aren't true or that are misleading.  What to do when we see people being deceived. There isn't always a right way to clearly express what we see happening as others are not always in a place to hear it. And it is beginning to make me angry and bitter.  I know that it is something I have to work out inside of my heart.  The bible says in Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  But what happens when you see something that others are unaware of?  Sometimes there is just no way to expose the wolves.  So sometimes even when we recognize it, we have to sit and watch and maybe even risk some persecution, while others come to that conclusion on their own...and maybe they never will.

My MIL gave me a great insight today.  I don't think that what caught my attention was exactly what she intended (as she was referring more to the responsibility of the so called Shepherds) but the following verses have brought me a lot of peace in this situation...

I have included the whole of Ezekiel 34 but focused on verses 11-16.

The Lord Will Be Israel’s Shepherd

34 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? ³ You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. ⁴ You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. ⁵ So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. ⁶ My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.

⁷ “‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸ As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, ⁹ therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.

¹¹ “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. ¹² As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. ¹³ I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. ¹⁴ I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵ I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. ¹⁶ I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

¹⁷ “‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. ¹⁸ Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? ¹⁹ Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

²⁰ “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹ Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, ²² I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. ²³ I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. ²⁴ I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.

²⁵ “‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. ²⁶ I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing.^[a] I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. ²⁷ The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. ²⁸ They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. ²⁹ I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. ³⁰ Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. ³¹ You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

 God promises that he will take care of the sheep...even the ones led astray, those who are hurt and left behind.  He promises that all things will be brought to justice.  It doesn't need to rest on my shoulders and it may not be mine to expose.  He will take care of His sheep...HE IS GOD!

One Day You'll Have a Daughter Just Like You

I think these are words my mom must have said under her breath one time too many...because it's TRUE!!!

I see it a little more everyday and it scares me for what I have coming.  It's started with little things like she doesn't want her shoes to touch anywhere so we buy them too big, or her clothes can't touch her anywhere, and now it's "you don't do laundry enough" (which I do quite often) but really it's just that she has 2 outfits that she really likes and that is all she wants to wear.  My mom has told me often how I learned very young how to do laundry because I always wanted the same clothes and she said if I wanted them that bad I should do my own laundry. And I distinctly remember having arguments on how much too big the shoes I wanted were.

So...if these things are happening...I can only imagine what the years to come will hold.  I'm gonna need a lot of patience and even more humility as I'm gonna be shown all the horrible ways I treated my mom and have to apologize. 

Sorry Mom...if it makes you feel better...it's my turn now...hopefully she gets some of my good things too...

I think my sister has it right...I should have just had boys...that way I'd never have to say "she's just like me". :)

Women in Leadership

Also, a topic I would like to study someday.  I have heard a message recently and my curiosity was peeked by what this man had to say.  Honestly, my initial reaction was "What would make him think women shouldn't serve in leadership roles".  But as I listened to what he had to say I had to pause...I believe that there is some truth to what he said but at the same time can not agree fully...at least not yet...

These are the links that brought this to my attention...

http://bibleinayearandbeyond.blogspot.com/2011/11/tuesday-november-15th.html

http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/scripture/1-timothy 

http://www.neverthirsty.org/pp/other-bible-studies/role-of-women-in-the-church/a01.html 

http://www.wordofhisgrace.org/women.html 

Another link to an article that gives another perspective

http://www.wadeburleson.org/2013/02/artemus-and-end-of-us-evangelical.html

Fear of the Lord

What does it mean to Fear the Lord?

I read this (see below) in a ladies post the other day and would like to explore this topic more.  I have read a few books on this topic and actually just started "Fear of the Lord" by John Bevere.

I want to try to be like the woman in Proverbs 31:10-31. I have to be honest though, I don't know much about what it means to fear the lord, can you shed some light on this for me, I haven't ever studied much about this.

Do It Again!

Point of Grace sings a song that I love. It's called Do It Again. The words are below but I needed to post this so that I would be reminded of how often these words hold true and if I pay attention how often I see God's hand at work in my own life.

Just when I think it couldn't be
Any harder down here
Another blow comes out of nowhere
And knocks me out again
And when I think I'm all alone
The phone starts to ring
It's just the voice I needed to hear
On the other end
You do it again, You do it again
You speak to me just like a friend
You always seem to show up right on time
You do it again, I guess you know when
My heart needs to hear your voice
I'm so forgetful, that's why I'm thankful
You do it again

I could be driving in my car
I turn the radio on
Trying to figure out my thoughts
Then I hear the perfect song
I can open up Your word
And not be sure where to turn
But I start to read and it's like you know
Just what I need

You use all these things to speak to me
Could it be you're using me
In someone else's life

Well I wouldn't be surprised

I'm reminded over and over again that God hears us and it's amazing how when we are searching for Him and reaching out, He answers. Often we have to wait but lots of times that answer comes quietly and quickly. It can come through a friend or family. It can come in those quiet moments we spend in His word. It can come in a song or in a smile from a stranger.

So often we miss it because we are too busy to take the time to recognize it for what it is. We pass it off and shrug our shoulders and go on with our day.  But the more we train ourselves and take the time to hear His word and recognize it the more we see Him speak into our lives.

We also need to remember that we might be His voice and light in a persons life.  We need to watch for opportunities to be the blessing in someone else's world.

This Is Discipling

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=F921C1NU

I love this video...I have had so many of the same thoughts over the course of the last couple weeks.  However, we live in a culture where church (as in the building we go to on Sunday) is traditional and where attendance is expected.  Where we seem to think there is only one way church can look (with some variety inside), that we should be serving and tithing to a specific place where most of the time and money is spent on those who attend the church not those who we need to reach and who could benefit from our charity. Where programs and a nice put together facade equals success. I wonder how to do this and what that change would look like...

If we didn't spend so much time making programs for the people in the church and spent the time with those not in the church.

If we didn't spend all the money it costs to make the buildings and run large churches and instead used that money for those who need it.

If we didn't worry about how put together and perfect our church looks to outsiders and instead worked to make ourselves more perfect and to love those around us.

If instead of large settings where no one really knows each other we created small settings where we could really connect and grow and where administration costs are so low that most of the tithe goes to God instead.

If people saw our love for God and our excitement to know more about Him we wouldn't need all the entertainment value that some churches seem to strive for.