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.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
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.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Guaranteed Success
Mt 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
A common belief among Christians is that it is possible for a person or organization to "destroy" you. I have seen (and sometimes experienced) expulsions, firings, divorces, smear campaigns, etc., that happened to Godly people. In some cases, they were innocent, sometimes they were guilty, and often the truth lay somewhere in between.
In Jesus' promise, two Greek words are used for "follow." One is "Come," and it is a strong form of the word. The other Greek word is "after" or "behind." What Jesus literally said was "Come behind Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Sometimes, a small group of rebels will seize power in a church. Jesus will have nothing to do with their sin, and if you follow after Him, you won't participate either. Sometimes you might feel that you should seize power for the greater good, but if you follow after Jesus, Who never rebelled against the authority of Rome, you won't do it.
One of the "dark secrets" of Christianity is that many Godly churches were started by people who had been cast out of other churches, or who had left other churches because of sin in the leadership. What you, personally, need to do is follow after Jesus, regardless of the consequences.
Were you run off from a church by people who were not fishers of men? Good for you. Now, study His Word diligently, so you'll know what He wants you to do, and then do it.
A common belief among Christians is that it is possible for a person or organization to "destroy" you. I have seen (and sometimes experienced) expulsions, firings, divorces, smear campaigns, etc., that happened to Godly people. In some cases, they were innocent, sometimes they were guilty, and often the truth lay somewhere in between.
In Jesus' promise, two Greek words are used for "follow." One is "Come," and it is a strong form of the word. The other Greek word is "after" or "behind." What Jesus literally said was "Come behind Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Sometimes, a small group of rebels will seize power in a church. Jesus will have nothing to do with their sin, and if you follow after Him, you won't participate either. Sometimes you might feel that you should seize power for the greater good, but if you follow after Jesus, Who never rebelled against the authority of Rome, you won't do it.
One of the "dark secrets" of Christianity is that many Godly churches were started by people who had been cast out of other churches, or who had left other churches because of sin in the leadership. What you, personally, need to do is follow after Jesus, regardless of the consequences.
Were you run off from a church by people who were not fishers of men? Good for you. Now, study His Word diligently, so you'll know what He wants you to do, and then do it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Betrayed by Christians
Robert Emmitt pastors a church running about 11,000 in attendance. Last Sunday, he stated in his sermon that they don't allow anybody on staff whose heart hasn't been gouged out and stomped on by other Christians.
The Gospels tell of two "Christians" who betrayed Jesus. One wasn't saved, and eventually, Judas came to a bad end. The other was saved, and God restored Peter and used him.
If you have never been betrayed by a Christian, you aren't like Jesus. God works in Christians to conform them to the image of His Son, and so God might actually set you up for a betrayal. Then you have to learn
how to forgive, get back into church, and continue to serve the Lord.
The idea that we should quit going to church "because of what the Christians do" is unscriptural. The idea that you should devote yourself to "warning" everybody else about the person who betrayed you is unscriptural. And as painful as it is to realize, the idea that God cannot possibly use a church or Christian that has wronged you is unscriptural.
We need to forgive. And then we need to move forward.
The Gospels tell of two "Christians" who betrayed Jesus. One wasn't saved, and eventually, Judas came to a bad end. The other was saved, and God restored Peter and used him.
If you have never been betrayed by a Christian, you aren't like Jesus. God works in Christians to conform them to the image of His Son, and so God might actually set you up for a betrayal. Then you have to learn
how to forgive, get back into church, and continue to serve the Lord.
The idea that we should quit going to church "because of what the Christians do" is unscriptural. The idea that you should devote yourself to "warning" everybody else about the person who betrayed you is unscriptural. And as painful as it is to realize, the idea that God cannot possibly use a church or Christian that has wronged you is unscriptural.
We need to forgive. And then we need to move forward.
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