Being a genuine believer in Christ Jesus has to be more than my simply saying that I am; than this being evidenced by simply attending church, even regularly, saying the right words, hanging out with other professing believers and even reading my Bible. No, being an authentic believer, blood bought and washed, Holy Spirit filled and sanctified, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, must have more evidence than simply this or even these kinds of things.
We continue our discussion today with a couple of scriptures out of First Timothy.
1 Tim 3:4-6 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? ESV
1 Tim 3:12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
Let us continue our discussion from the last post with another quote from Brian Knowles. We continue with the thoughts of our needing, as the Body of Christ, to return to an understanding that the family is the church in miniature.
Therefore, we as parents, must accept our responsibility to see that our families and homes become, in spirit and truth, the church in miniature.
I was struck recently by an article that I was reading which began its discourse with a discussion regarding the importance of the family in Jewish thought and practice. This article was written by Brian Knowles. I was definitely impressed with it overall.
I would like to take a couple of quotes from this article and respond or expand on them over a couple of posts, as I found his remarks speaking to right where I am at, regarding this whole issue of the importance of the family.
John 14:22-24 (ESV) Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
*Derek Prince outlines four vital facts that are of vital importance for everyone who claims to be an authentic Believer/Disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ from verse 23. They are:
Let us say, just for argument sake, that one is born a homosexual, would this in any way change the fact that homosexuality is sin, wrong and immoral? No, it would not. Why? Simply because the Written Word of God says that all immorality is sin and homosexuality is included and specifically listed as sin, as immoral and therefore as wrong as well.
So, what if one was born a homosexual, shouldn’t we be more tolerant of this sin, this product of the fall? Well, the truth be known, No.
Everyone is born in sin and therefore is a sinner. As a result of this reality we are all born with a very real propensity to sin or as people like to say today, an orientation toward sin and sinful behaviors. Because humanity is born in sin, with a sin nature, that is a nature that is given over to sin and therefore sinful lifestyles, we are all in the same kind of boat as it were. Apart from the work of God’s grace as revealed in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, there are no exceptions here. While there are many different kinds of sin, there is only one sin nature and each of us is born with it. This sin nature is reflected in a wide variety of evidences, forms, heart conditions, attitudes, and behaviors, but regardless, they are all rooted in the same base. This base is called the sin nature, the fallen state of humanity. It is in man’s nature to sin and thus to it is in man’s nature to rebel against the will, word and ways of the Lord God Almighty and therefore to do and be what the Lord God has called for us to not do and be.
Just a quick note to say we are in the process of moving and downsizing. As a result, I won’t be posting anything for a little while. Sorry, but this move was not expected and the need to do so has come upon us rather suddenly. Thank you for your prayers and understanding. Blessings in the Lord Jesus Christ!
If what we call Christianity today, is our only hope then we are in real trouble. For me, I do not believe our nation, our cities, our families or even the world is in need of the institution that is described as Christianity. I do believe with all of my heart and soul that we are in desperate need of a Savior and that savior is and can only be Christ Jesus, God the only begotten Son of God the Father.
What the world needs now is Jesus, Christ Jesus. They do not need Jesus the man, while He was a man who lived in our midst for an all too brief of a season, yet just long enough. They do not need Jesus the historical figure, yet he was a very real historical figure who indeed changed the world forever. Nope! They and we all, need Christ Jesus, God the Son, who is both Savior and Lord.
Acts 4:12 (ESV) And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
I found myself again becoming deeply disturbed when I heard that another church organization was in the throes of falling apart from internal conflicts. What organization it is, isn’t what is important. In fact, there is not enough room on this blog to attempt to list out all of the churches and church organizations that are going through the throes of crisis, crisis of one sort or another. Surprise! Surprise!
No, it is an all too familiar affair; ministries crumbling for one reason or another. However, in the end the only one who gains, in and through this internal, yet all too public church conflicts, is the enemy and his all too dark world. I so grieve at this, Christians majoring on minors and minoring on majors. Fore when we are left to our own solutions, we become self-destructive. I have seen this through out church history, literally and throughout my many years in the ministry. I acknowledge that sometimes conflicts are of a sort that needs to be engaged in and worked through. However, in this day and age, there seems to be far too many that are rooted in something other than vital church growth, and the holy and righteous sanctifying process of the Holy Spirit through the Lord’s Holy Word at work within the Church .
