But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Rev. 2:6
A few times in the Bible, the apostles got into arguments about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus explained one time "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:11-12
I need to explain that there is a gift of "governments," and there are many Godly Christians who serve as Sunday School superintendents, treasurers, kitchen managers, etc.
There are also many Godly Christians whom the Lord calls to be shepherds of His flock, and we are commanded in Hebrews 13:7 "Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct." Notice that rulers called by God teach us the Word of God, and live lives that bring a reward.
Hebrews 12:17 adds "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you." Here we see that the people whom God calls to rule over us watch for our souls, and it is profitable for us to obey them.
So God DOES call certain Christians to rule over us! They are servants,they are humble, they teach the Word of God, they live Godly lives, and they watch for our souls.
The Nicolaitans, on the other hand, engage in activities that God hates.
To be continued...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Nicolaitan Christians
But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Rev. 2:6
If there are two groups of Christians who really oppose each other, it's the Nicolaitans vs. the soul-winners. Some early Church authors claimed that the Nicolaitans encouraged immorality among the saints, but the truth is, no one knows for sure who they were or what they believed. But we know a few things about them from Scripture:
1) The word "Nicolaitan" means "Ruler of the People," or "I Will Rule People," or "Conqueror of the People." So, what kind of people were they?
2) They committed deeds that God hates, So, what kind of deeds did they commit?
3) God is pleased with us when we hate their deeds. So, what kind of deeds should Christians hate?
To be continued...
If there are two groups of Christians who really oppose each other, it's the Nicolaitans vs. the soul-winners. Some early Church authors claimed that the Nicolaitans encouraged immorality among the saints, but the truth is, no one knows for sure who they were or what they believed. But we know a few things about them from Scripture:
1) The word "Nicolaitan" means "Ruler of the People," or "I Will Rule People," or "Conqueror of the People." So, what kind of people were they?
2) They committed deeds that God hates, So, what kind of deeds did they commit?
3) God is pleased with us when we hate their deeds. So, what kind of deeds should Christians hate?
To be continued...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
More Tares
People with long memories might remember that the purpose of this blog is to help Christians who have been hurt by churches or other Christians. If you have a really long memory, you might recall that I believe that many of these problems are caused by tares. Tares are false Christians who are trained by genuine Christians. Satan plants tares and then goes away; he does not do any great thing in their lives. When tares produce their fruit, the servants (in some parables, servants picture soul-winners) can recognise them for what they are.
Doubly redeemed Christians have tares. Troubled by their lives of sin, and perhaps influenced by Godly training in their youth, some people make a false profession of faith. Some of them can fit in well with the doubly redeemed, because they enjoy the rock music, lack of standards, and lack of condemnation of outward sin.
Conservative fundamentalists also get tares. As long as the tares cling to their man-made standards, the conservative fundamentalists believe that they are living holy lives. Colossians 2:23 talks about man-made rules, but it is almost impossible to understand in the King James Version. The New King James Version translates Col 2:23 "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
When these two types of Christians insist on genuine Biblical holiness, they have an easier time spotting tares. And when you recognise tares, it is easier to avoid being hurt by them.
Doubly redeemed Christians have tares. Troubled by their lives of sin, and perhaps influenced by Godly training in their youth, some people make a false profession of faith. Some of them can fit in well with the doubly redeemed, because they enjoy the rock music, lack of standards, and lack of condemnation of outward sin.
Conservative fundamentalists also get tares. As long as the tares cling to their man-made standards, the conservative fundamentalists believe that they are living holy lives. Colossians 2:23 talks about man-made rules, but it is almost impossible to understand in the King James Version. The New King James Version translates Col 2:23 "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."
When these two types of Christians insist on genuine Biblical holiness, they have an easier time spotting tares. And when you recognise tares, it is easier to avoid being hurt by them.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Two Types of Godly Christians
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
Why can't genuine Christians get along? Sometimes the problem is their backgrounds.
Some people go deeply into "outward" sin. They'll use drugs, get drunk, serve prison time, have a divorce or two, and then get saved. These Christians then have a greater tendency to go into outward sin. They sometimes have a harder time becoming successful pastors and teachers. They have difficulty with traditional music, and they have a problem with "standards." They also realize that they need a close walk with God, they appreciate what Jesus did for them, and they win spiritual victories over sin that most other Christians never have. They are "doubly redeemed": they are saved from sin and delivered from an evil lifestyle. They understand people better, and they do well at bringing unsaved people to church. And they have a real problem understanding "conservative fundamentalists."
Conservative fundamentalist Christians were usually better-behaved before getting saved. They understand the importance of holiness, and they are willing to obey man-made rules about music, clothing, and other standards because they fear getting trapped by sin. They have a harder time dealing with people, but their devotion to the Word of God helps them become better teachers and pastors. Unlike the Pharisees, they really do care about people, and this group produces many of Christianity's best soul-winners. They tend to confuse "numbers" with God's blessings, yet are hostile to other types of Christians whom God blesses with big numbers. They have difficulty realizing that God can bless Christians who do not act like them. They regard "doubly redeemed" Christians as "carnal" or "worldly," because they do not understand how much the first group has grown spiritually.
A lot of the hurts that Christians get are due to a lack of understanding between two groups of people who are actually trying to live Godly lives.
Why can't genuine Christians get along? Sometimes the problem is their backgrounds.
Some people go deeply into "outward" sin. They'll use drugs, get drunk, serve prison time, have a divorce or two, and then get saved. These Christians then have a greater tendency to go into outward sin. They sometimes have a harder time becoming successful pastors and teachers. They have difficulty with traditional music, and they have a problem with "standards." They also realize that they need a close walk with God, they appreciate what Jesus did for them, and they win spiritual victories over sin that most other Christians never have. They are "doubly redeemed": they are saved from sin and delivered from an evil lifestyle. They understand people better, and they do well at bringing unsaved people to church. And they have a real problem understanding "conservative fundamentalists."
Conservative fundamentalist Christians were usually better-behaved before getting saved. They understand the importance of holiness, and they are willing to obey man-made rules about music, clothing, and other standards because they fear getting trapped by sin. They have a harder time dealing with people, but their devotion to the Word of God helps them become better teachers and pastors. Unlike the Pharisees, they really do care about people, and this group produces many of Christianity's best soul-winners. They tend to confuse "numbers" with God's blessings, yet are hostile to other types of Christians whom God blesses with big numbers. They have difficulty realizing that God can bless Christians who do not act like them. They regard "doubly redeemed" Christians as "carnal" or "worldly," because they do not understand how much the first group has grown spiritually.
A lot of the hurts that Christians get are due to a lack of understanding between two groups of people who are actually trying to live Godly lives.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Spiritual Gifts
What happens when a good church service is in progress, and someone suddenly gets up and starts "speaking in tongues"? Many Godly people will say that it is a work of the Holy Spirit, and the person should not be stopped. Other Godly people will say that the person is only jabbering and should be stopped.
The Assemblies of God is a charismatic religion that includes a lot of Godly Christians. The group is Godly enough that they have an unusually high number of non-charismatics who attend their churches because of the good preaching and Godly living that they teach, but these Godly people won't join because they disagree with charismatic doctrine. What happens if a person suddenly interrupts one of their services to "speak in tongues"?
Some Godly people will say that Christians are allowed to exercise their spiritual gifts in a charismatic church, while others will simply stop attending.
The Bible tells us that spiritual gifts are for the profit of all. If the speaker is driving people away from good preaching and teaching, that person is not using a spiritual gift. Likewise, when Christians do anything else that exalts themselves while hurting other Christians, they are not using spiritual gifts.
If you left a church because the leaders were hurting people, you probably did the right thing. But if you left because you disagreed with someone who was helping people, you probably did the wrong thing.
The Assemblies of God is a charismatic religion that includes a lot of Godly Christians. The group is Godly enough that they have an unusually high number of non-charismatics who attend their churches because of the good preaching and Godly living that they teach, but these Godly people won't join because they disagree with charismatic doctrine. What happens if a person suddenly interrupts one of their services to "speak in tongues"?
Some Godly people will say that Christians are allowed to exercise their spiritual gifts in a charismatic church, while others will simply stop attending.
The Bible tells us that spiritual gifts are for the profit of all. If the speaker is driving people away from good preaching and teaching, that person is not using a spiritual gift. Likewise, when Christians do anything else that exalts themselves while hurting other Christians, they are not using spiritual gifts.
If you left a church because the leaders were hurting people, you probably did the right thing. But if you left because you disagreed with someone who was helping people, you probably did the wrong thing.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Fake or Real?
1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
The context of this pasage shows that God is talking about spiritual gifts. Every single born again Christian has at least one spiritual gift. But these gifts are designed to benefit the rest of us. Often, Christians get hurt because they do not agree with the direction of the church. They will accuse the pastor of being a dictator. The church will accuse the Christian of being a rebel. Who is right?
If a domineering pastor has a church dying under his leadership, with Christians getting hurt and becoming bitter, is he using spiritual gifts in his ministry?
What if a strong pastor has a healthy, growing church, with people getting closer to God under strong preaching, but some Christians are upset at his leadership? Are those people using spiritual gifts when they attack him and his ministry?
In both cases, the answer lies in "results." The "result" of using spiritual gifts is that God's people benefit. "Feeling good" of "enjoying the sermon" are not necessarily the results of using spiritual gifts. Spiritual growth by the church is the result of using spiritual gifts.
The context of this pasage shows that God is talking about spiritual gifts. Every single born again Christian has at least one spiritual gift. But these gifts are designed to benefit the rest of us. Often, Christians get hurt because they do not agree with the direction of the church. They will accuse the pastor of being a dictator. The church will accuse the Christian of being a rebel. Who is right?
If a domineering pastor has a church dying under his leadership, with Christians getting hurt and becoming bitter, is he using spiritual gifts in his ministry?
What if a strong pastor has a healthy, growing church, with people getting closer to God under strong preaching, but some Christians are upset at his leadership? Are those people using spiritual gifts when they attack him and his ministry?
In both cases, the answer lies in "results." The "result" of using spiritual gifts is that God's people benefit. "Feeling good" of "enjoying the sermon" are not necessarily the results of using spiritual gifts. Spiritual growth by the church is the result of using spiritual gifts.
Friday, April 18, 2008
GUARANTEED FAILURE
Mt 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
When I taught Christian high school, I gained a lot of experience dealing with liars. There was nothing unusual about a student who did wrong being able to round up a handful of "eyewitnesses" who would lie that they had seen the whole thing. Parents would sometimes spread a false report given them by a student, and we teachers would sometimes find that several parents were angry at us because of false accusations spread by another parent.
In church work, you sometimes encounter leaders who have learned that lying can be an effective tool of their "ministry." On some Christian forums, people will write in under different names, claiming to have personally observed events that never occurred; this is also a tool for moving the forum higher up on Google and Yahoo.
But I have never met a soul-winner who does this. Jesus said "I am ...the truth..." in John 14:6. Jesus never led you, me, or anyone else to use lying as a tool of ministry. Some Christians get hurt by ministries because they tried to work with them after learning that the ministry used lying as a tool of ministry.
But if you are following after Jesus, you are not being led into lying. Do you want to succeed in your Christian life? Then get out from under any ministry that uses lying as a tool.
When I taught Christian high school, I gained a lot of experience dealing with liars. There was nothing unusual about a student who did wrong being able to round up a handful of "eyewitnesses" who would lie that they had seen the whole thing. Parents would sometimes spread a false report given them by a student, and we teachers would sometimes find that several parents were angry at us because of false accusations spread by another parent.
In church work, you sometimes encounter leaders who have learned that lying can be an effective tool of their "ministry." On some Christian forums, people will write in under different names, claiming to have personally observed events that never occurred; this is also a tool for moving the forum higher up on Google and Yahoo.
But I have never met a soul-winner who does this. Jesus said "I am ...the truth..." in John 14:6. Jesus never led you, me, or anyone else to use lying as a tool of ministry. Some Christians get hurt by ministries because they tried to work with them after learning that the ministry used lying as a tool of ministry.
But if you are following after Jesus, you are not being led into lying. Do you want to succeed in your Christian life? Then get out from under any ministry that uses lying as a tool.
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