FORSAKEN

FORSAKEN

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

  Each day I write one of these devotionals after praying for guidance about what to write. Today I found no answer until now. It is nearly midnight and no amount of reading and praying had helped me decide on a subject until I read the last words of verse 46.

  As I read Christ’s question, I thought how terrible it would be to have God turn His back on me, but even more terrible for Him to have to turn from the Son He loved so much! And He did it because He loved me!

  How could I ever do enough to thank Him? How could I ever stop loving and worshipping Him? My Lord! My Master! My Keeper! My Friend!

Leslie Nivens, January 18th

CHURCH SHOPPING PHASE THREE

CHURCH SHOPPING PHASE THREE

Friday, March 15, 2019

Dear fellow traveler,

  The congregation: Is it a group of John 3:3 born-again followers of Christ living a Romans 12:1-3 life conscious of the fact that their citizenship is not of this world (Eph.2:18-19), they being 2Corinthians 5:17 ambassadors in the Lords service, or not? I check this out by three main methods.

1.       Observation of motivation, ways and means, and produce.

2.       Conversation overheard and generated. This latter is my asking to hear a person’s testimony which usually results in story of their before/after church or before/after Christ in their life.

3.       Last but not least, when there is an issue or problem do they seek the wisdom of the Word?

  Now it’s you turn to contribute your ways of church shopping. Please share them with me then I’ll compile and share as a Daily Thoughts (DT).

To serve Him all our days,

EBB4

PS. God’s Holy Spirit may direct to serve in a dysfunctional needy church.

CHURCH SHOPPING PHASE TWO

CHURCH SHOPPING PHASE TWO

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Dear fellow travelers,

  Now we check out the pastor, and staff. I write “and staff” after a comma because at Maryland Bible institute we were taught that first class pastors surround themselves with first class people whereas second class pastors surround themselves with third class people.

  Summarizing job descriptions are helpful. I like this one: The lead pastor will be our primary teaching pastor, will provide leadership and oversight to pastoral staff and ministry leaders, and will administer the overall shepherding ministry of the church. We are looking for a graduate from an accredited evangelical seminary and/or knowledgeable of God’s Word and is committed to an Biblical evangelical understanding of the Christian faith and expository and topical teaching and preaching. He will show a calling to and gifting for pastoral ministry, be committed to personal and professional growth, possess a servant-oriented leadership style, and lead a lifestyle congruent with the Biblical requirements for leaders.

  There are Biblical standards for pastors, Mt.23:8-12; Jn.21:15;  Eph.4:11; 1Tim.3:1-7; Tit.1:5-9; IPet.1-2

  The following is an excellent summary provided by Acts29 Ministries.

The Bible specifically speaks about the qualifications for those who will lead a congregation of people. These qualifications have been the same for almost 2,000 years. Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of these qualifications as the “senior pastor” of the Church.

  Above Reproach (Titus 1:6, 7; 1 Tim 3:2) This is the overarching, summarizing characteristic. You will find similar (but not identical) lists in First Timothy and Titus. Living a life above reproach is the first requirement in both lists and Titus repeats it. The other items on the list explain what “above reproach” means. If we peruse the two lists, as well as First Peter, we find 17 qualifications of an elder who is above reproach.

1. A pastor must be devoted to his wife; one-woman man (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:2). The pastor’s marriage illustrates Christ’s love for His church—His bride (Eph. 5:22 ff.). A Pastor must love his wife exclusively with his mind, will and emotions and not just his body.
2. A pastor’s children must be in submission, though not perfect (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:4-5). If a man does not know how to manage his own family, he will not know how to take care of God’s church. The first flock for a pastor is his own family as Pastor Dad. A Pastor’s qualification for the church starts in his home management as he leads them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
3. A pastor is a faithful steward (Titus 1:7). Here the term used is overseer (Greek episkopos). It is not another office, but a functional title of the elder. It is what he does. He is a steward, a manager of God’s resources and Jesus’ flock. He takes responsibility, but not ownership.
4. A pastor must be humble — not arrogant (Titus 1:7). A pastor must constantly demonstrate the gospel by admitting when he is wrong and assuming responsibility and restoring relationships.
5. A pastor must be gentle — not quick-tempered (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3). No man will be of any use in the kingdom that is quick-tempered. The difference between how Jesus demonstrated anger is that He was angry at the abuse of others in the name of religion and the dishonoring of God. We get angry at how it affects us.
6. A pastor must be sober — not a drunkard (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3). This is not just overindulgence in alcohol but is idiomatic for any behavior that fuels addictive responses.
7. A pastor must be peaceful — not violent (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3). A pastor is prone to inflict violence through his words. He is to be a peacemaker.
8. A pastor must have financial integrity — not greedy for gain (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3; 1 Peter 5:3). A pastor is to be upright in his financial dealings and not accused of pursuing money over the kingdom of God.
9. A pastor must be hospitable (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2). A pastor’s home is to be open for others to enjoy. A pastor’s home is not a heaven on earth, but rather a place of ministry.
10. A pastor must be a lover of good (Titus 1:8). A pastor genuinely loves what is good. He does not just think he should love it.
11. A pastor must be self-controlled (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2). Self-control is a characterization of every area of a pastor’s life: diet, time, mouth, exercise, relationships, sex, and money.
12. A pastor must be upright (Titus 1:8). He has integrity in his relationships and in how he treats others.
13. A pastor must be holy (Titus 1:8). His life is devoted wholeheartedly to Jesus externally and internally.
14. A pastor must be able to teach (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim 3:2). All of the other qualifications are character qualities. This is the only ability-based requirement. He is to be able to teach sound doctrine, not just be able to communicate in an excellent manner. His teaching can be to one or two, to twenty, to a hundred or to a thousand. Most of the churches in Crete were house churches. The elders were to defend the faith once delivered to the saints against the numerous false teachers that arose.
15. A pastor must be spiritually mature (1 Tim 3:6). Positions of authority without spiritual maturity lead to the trap of pride. When pride grows in a man, sin abounds.
16. A pastor must be respectable (1 Tim 3:7). That does not mean that everyone must like him or even appreciate him. It means that there is no credible witness to an ongoing sinful behavior.
17. A pastor must be an example to the flock (1 Peter 5:3). Elders are examples of biblical expressions sexually, time management, marriage, parenting, worship, relationships and any other way. A pastor should be someone your sons could pattern their life after and the kind of man your daughter should marry.

Conclusion

What would you do if an elder violates one of these requirements? 1 Timothy 5:19-20 warns us not to accuse an elder flippantly. Matthew 18:15-18 gives us the steps: 1) Go to the elder alone, 2) If still unsatisfied, go with another person, 3) If still unsatisfied, let the greater eldership know. If accusations are verified and the elder remains unrepentant, rebuking that elder before all is the next biblical step.

Source: Acts29 Ministries

  Please continue to search with me keeping in mind Hebrews 10:25-26.

EBB4

CHURCH SHOPPING PHASE ONE

CHURCH SHOPPING PHASE ONE

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

Dear fellow travelers,

  Would you believe that I visited a church where I had to repeatedly ask for a copy of their doctrinal statement? There was none in the literature rack. I finally asked the pastor and he had to look about to find one. Should we consider participating in this sort of church? Then there was a church I visited and was without asking provided their doctrinal statement.

  When church shopping, checking on their doctrinal statement with Bible references on record is important though not the whole exercise thereof. After reading it we should follow up with investigating if it truly is their faith and practice. Are you beginning to get the idea that church shopping Biblically goes beyond “It’s a friendly church.”? It does. Below is a sample doctrinal statement.

EBB4

_______ Church is actively involved in equipping believers to make disciples of Jesus Christ throughout the world. We teach truths about God and us from the Bible.

  We believe in the power that God has to transform our lives.

Jn.3:3; 2Cor.5:17

  We believe in the one true living God who is perfect, infinite, and eternal, and who coexists in three persons, namely God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 4:24
  We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, that He came in the flesh and took upon Himself the form of man to teach us and to redeem us by suffering and dying in our place on the Cross of Calvary. We believe that He was raised from the dead (bodily) for our justification and is now at the right hand of God interceding for us.
John 1:1-3; Hebr. 1:5; 1 Pet. 2:24
  We believe that God the Holy Spirit, often referred to as the third person of the Trinity, convicts, regenerates, empowers and indwells the believer.
Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19; Gal. 5:22-23
  We believe that the Bible, in its entirety, is the Word of God – true, inspired and without error in its original autographs.
2 Tim.3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21

  We believe that Satan tempts, seduces and accuses us, but that he was judged at the cross and will ultimately be defeated and cast into the lake of fire.
Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-15; John 16:11; Hebr. 2:14; Rev. 20:10-15
  We believe that all people are born sinful and in need of redemption. We believe that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, offered to us because Jesus Christ paid our debt on the cross. We believe that this gift is received personally by faith in Jesus Christ, and that makes us secure, delivers us from the guilt, penalty and power of sin, makes us righteous before God, and promises us future glorification in God’s presence.
Gen. 3:1-24; Rom. 3:23, 5:12; John 3:14-18; 10:17-18; Acts 20:21; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 2:11-14
  We believe in the personal, visible, imminent, premillennial return of Christ, with the rapture occurring before the tribulation.
Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Pet. 4:7; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-18

 

MOVING ON

MOVING ON

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Hebrews [GW] 10:19-27 Brothers and sisters, because of the blood of Jesus we can now confidently go into the holy place. Jesus has opened a new and living way for us to go through the curtain. (The curtain is his own body.) We have a superior priest in charge of God's house. We have been sprinkled with his blood to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come to him with a sincere heart and strong faith. We must continue to hold firmly to our declaration of faith. The one who made the promise is faithful. We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming. If we go on sinning after we have learned the truth, no sacrifice can take away our sins. All that is left is a terrifying wait for judgment and a raging fire that will consume God's enemies.

Dear fellow travelers,

  OK, I’ve moved out sans pre-decision as to my next place of congregational worship, further edification, and service. Today I’ll begin sharing with you my sorting through searching for a local assembly. I refuse to be as Fresh Expressions terms it, “de-churched”.  I begin with two search methods I know of.

  “Full time” workers are not the only ones to be lead by God to a place of worship, edification, service. God may have an exact place for any one of we bench hands and lead us by His Holy Spirit conscious to us. This may include Nineveh (Jonah chapters 1 thru 4). Or it may be His direction to one of the 7 churches in Revelation 1:11 that the Alpha and Omega speaks of: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. (Please review the chapters detailing the seven churches.)

  Since I have yet heard “The call.” as some preachers term it, unless otherwise blessedly interrupted, I’ll be taking the second more uncommonly used route for direction; the Word of God beginning with applying Hebrews 10:25. In the days ahead as I search Scripture, read topical essays, and hear the experienced advice of others, I’ll be a peripatetic parishioner sharing with you what I discover.

To serve Him all my days,

Edwin Bennett Bullock 4^th

TIME TO MOVE ON

TIME TO MOVE ON

Monday, March 11, 2019

Ecclesiastes chapter 3

  Time to move on, but to where?

  After 20+ years participation at Benson Baptist Church I am done as a concerned elder there. As of my resignation letter dated Saturday, March 9, 2019 I have left. But to where?!

  I’ve departed sans angst, confidently with my Lord’s release and am waiting for His direction; guidance that as I exercise searching that will be stringent with His Word as my ruler.

EBB4

ALL I NEED

ALL I NEED

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Philippians 4:19-20 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

  Last night I wrote a check for something I didn’t need, but my children will. When I brought down the balance in my checkbook I had seven cents left. There are two weeks left in this month, but I don’t need to worry. I have a small amount of cash, my bills are paid, and I have enough food, a warm apartment and a Heavenly Father who will supply everything I need!

LESLIE NIVENS