7 Ways to Pass on Your Faith

This comes from Family to Family by Dr. Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee:

Charles Stanley suggests seven ways to pass on your faith:

1. Pass on your faith by sharing basic principles (about money, God’s guidance, and provision, etc.)
2. Pass on your faith by the lifestyle you life.
3. Pass on your faith by persistence.
4. Pass on your faith by participation in other people’s lives.
5. Pass on your faith by praising your children for trusting God (and they will be motivated to trust Him again).
6. Pass on your faith by praying for your children.
7. Pass on your faith by being willing to back off and refuse to bail them out of the messes they get into.

Happy Birthday, Rachel Dougherty

I wanted to say a special Happy Birthday to Rachel Dougherty.  Rachel and her daughter Emily started coming to our church about two years ago back in August 2008 when we first began meeting at the Broomhill Hotel.

They have been very faithful ever since and are a real blessing to our church.  Rachel is willing to do anything that needs done from serving in the creche and cleaning the church to helping with work days and serving food. 

William her husband has been a real blessing to us as well.  On this special day, I hope that you will let Rachel know how much we appreciate her and her family today by sending her a text or commenting on this blog and I will pass it on to her.

7 Key Elements of Mentoring Your Children

This comes from Family to Family by Dr. Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee:

1. Modeling (Deut. 6:6, 1 Cor. 11:1)
2. Be there – emotionally and mentally, not just physically
3. Affirm them – don’t just correct (Luke 22:32)
4. Pray with them and pray for them (Luke 11:1, Phil. 1:9-11)
5. Be transparent
6. Empower your children – do things “with” them not just “for” them (John 14:2)
7. Make the Word of God central to what you do (Deut. 6:4-9, John 1:8, Hosea 4:6)

Be Content

Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

 Here John the Baptist answers the soldiers when they demand of him what they shall do.  He tells them to not do violence to any man, to not accuse any falsely, and to be content with their wages.

I doubt that his words went over that well with them.  I imagine that they were probably angry with John, but John was not the kind of guy who backed down or sugar-coated the truth.

I wonder how many of us are really “content with [our] wages?”  Are we happy with what God gives us?  Are we thankful for His blessings?  Notice what the Bible says about contentment:

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

• We should learn to have the attitude of Paul, who was content in whatsoever state he found himself.  Are you content in whatever state you find yourself?
• Paul said knew how to abound and to be abased, how to be full and how to be hungry, how to abound and how to suffer need.  Do you and I know how to do that?

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

• If we have a relationship with God and are content with just knowing Him, we are extremely wealthy – we have great gain.
• Are you content with just knowing God?  If so, you are more wealthy than the richest man in the world!
• Why should we be happy with just knowing God?  Because in 1 Timothy 6:7, the Bible tells us, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” The riches of the world are really dust and ashes in light of eternity.

1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

• We should be content and satisfied with having food and raiment.  Anything above and beyond clothes to wear and food to eat is a blessing and extra. 
• Are you happy with just having food and raiment?

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

• We are to live our life (conversation = behaviour) without covetousness. 
• We are to be content with such thing as we have.
• We should just be so happy that He has said, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  If all we have is the promise of Jesus’ presence, then we should be happy and want nothing else.

God has been so good to us.  He has taken care of us.  There has never been a day that we went hungry or without clothes to wear, but are we happy?  Are we content?  We should be!  Let’s change our attitude.  Let’s get the right focus, and realise that knowing God is the greatest treasure we could ever have!

12 Things to Pray for or With Your Family

In Praying the Heart of God, Ted Elmore suggests 12 things to pray for or with your family.

1. Pray for the salvation of your family members (immediate or extended). (Acts 10 and 16:16-34).
2. Ask God to help you provide a nurturing environment that is appealing for your family members to come to Christ. (see Psalm 78).
3. Pray for each member’s spiritual growth (see John 15).
4. Ask God to develop within each family member the fear of God (see Prov. 1:7, 8:13).
5. Pray for wisdom, understanding, and discernment in choices each member must make (see Prov. 3:5-6).
6. Pray for discretion (see Prov. 2:11)
7. Ask God to restrict the activity of the enemy in the life of your family (see Zech 3:2 and Jude 9).
8. Pray for protection, especially from the evil one (see Matt. 6:13).
9. Pray for the children’s school.
10. Ask the Father to develop integrity in each family member (see Psalm 26:1, 42:12).
11. Pray for the glory of God to indwell your house.
12. Pray for broken relationships to be reconciled (see matt 6.12-15, 18:21-35, Eph. 6:4, 1 Pet 3.7)

Reasons #11-15 to Join a Bible-believing Church

This is part three of a series of posts written by Dr. Bruce Lackey on church membership.  Read part one and part two.

Reason #11 TROUBLE-MAKERS CAME FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CHURCH.

Paul warned, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29)

Their dangers would come, not only from “grievous wolves” outside, but from men “of their own selves.” Some were outside the church; some were in. Again, this is obviously a membership.

Reason #12 THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH WAS COMMANDED TO EXCLUDE SOME BRETHREN.

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat” (1 Cor. 5:11).  This eating could not refer to ordinary meals, since the Lord Jesus ate with publicans and sinners (Mat. 9:10). It must refer to eating at the Lord’s table.

He likewise says, “. . . put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1 Cor. 5:13). This could not mean to stop associating with, or speaking to, such a person, because a parallel passage in 2 Thes. 3:14-15 says, “. . . note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

It would be impossible to admonish him if they never associated with or spoke to him. To “have no company” must mean church company or fellowship, preventing him from the privileges of membership (holding office, voting, partaking of the Lord’s supper).

Reason #13 THERE IS NO WAY TO EXERCISE CHURCH DISCIPLINE UNLESS THERE IS A MEMBERSHIP.

Matthew 18:7 instructs the church to consider an unrepentant brother as a “heathen man and a publican.” How would this be done? Certainly not by denying him access to the meetings!

We would most assuredly want heathen people to attend our services and hear the preaching of God’s Word. 1 Cor. 14:23-25 shows the importance of this. Neither could it mean to stop speaking to the person. Christians should definitely speak to heathen people; how else could we win them to Christ?

But, a church could not permit a heathen to be elected as one of its officers, or preach, or teach, or vote on church matters, or partake of the Lord’s Supper. Therefore, to say that only certain people are eligible to hold office, etc., is to designate a membership.

Reason #14 1 COR. 6:1-11 DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN “THE UNJUST . . . THE SAINTS.”

Paul spoke of “a wise man among you (who) shall be able to judge between his brethren” (v.5). He rebuked them for going to law before the “unbelievers” (v.6). These brethren were called a church in 1 Cor. 1:2. Some people were known to belong to the church, some were not.

Reason #15 1 PET. 4:17 DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN “THE HOUSE OF GOD” AND “THEM THAT OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL.”

When we remember that the “house of God” is the local church, according to 1 Tim. 3:15, it becomes obvious that those who had obeyed the gospel were in a church. Whether or not their names were written on some list is unknown and unimportant; what is obvious is that they knew who was in the church.

The point is that we have no instance of New Testament believers refusing to belong to a local church. Joining the church was the normal thing to do, after conversion. The person who has settled the matter of salvation as the Bible shows us should then be baptized, following Christ’s example and command, and join a Bible-believing and Bible practicing church.

Let me know what you think of these posts in the comment section.

 

Reasons #5-10 to Join a Bible-believing Church

This is part two of a series of posts on reasons to join a Bible-believing church.  Check out part one here.  This was written by Dr. Bruce Lackey

Reason #5 THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND OUTSIDERS.

Acts 5:11 contrasts “the church” with others who “heard these things.” It is referring to the surprising deaths of Ananias and Sapphira when it says “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.”

Therefore, it must have been common knowledge that some specific persons belonged to the church, while others did not. And we must remember that the Holy Spirit inspired these words, so it was actually He that made this difference.

Reason #6 SOME PEOPLE DID NOT DARE TO JOIN THE CHURCH!

Immediately after the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, and subsequent miracles by the apostles, Acts 5:13 tells us that “of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.”

It was common knowledge who belonged to this new church, and after such a harsh judgment on two members who did not conform, some people did not dare to join them! Some belonged; others dared not join, for one reason or another. When one joins, there is a membership!

Reason #7 SPECIFIC MEMBERS ELECTED OFFICERS.

The apostles commanded the congregation, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3).

They were speaking to a specific group whom they knew as “brethren”; they said that these men were to be chosen from “among you,” obviously designating a specific group of people. Any way we look at this, there must have been a membership.

Reason #8 THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHURCHES INCREASED.

Acts 9:31 clearly implies membership by saying, “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.”

There had to be a number of people to start with, and a bigger number when they were multiplied. To say that 50 people became 250 is to designate a membership.

Reason #9 THE CHURCHES WHICH PAUL ESTABLISHED “INCREASED IN NUMBER DAILY” (Acts 16:5).

Such a statement would have been impossible unless they had had a specific number to begin with. If 23 were increased to 25 on Sunday, 28 on Monday, etc., there was obviously a membership to start with.

And it is significant that all believers in those areas were considered to be in the churches. The same situation prevailed everywhere Paul went; when people were converted, they were organized into churches. See Acts 14:21-23 and 15:36, compared with 16:4-5.

Reason #10 ELDERS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR CERTAIN PEOPLE.

The Ephesian elders were told to feed the church of God, the flock, over which the Holy Ghost had made them overseers (Acts 20:28). Obviously, the church, the flock, was a specific group of people. How else could these elders carry out their responsibilities? It had to be clearly known who made up the church, the flock. Such would be a membership.

Feel free to comment below.  There is one more post in this series to come.

Don’t You Understand?

Mark 8:15-21 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.  And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?  Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?  When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.  And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.  And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

This is a humorous yet convicting passage of Scripture.  Notice what happens:

• The disciples and Jesus get in the boat to go to the other side the sea of Galilee.  The disciples had forgotten to take any bread with them for lunch.
• Jesus says, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”  He is trying to teach them a spiritual truth.
• The disciples reason among themselves, “It is because we have no bread.”  Instead of catching the truth Jesus was teaching, they think he is talking about the fact that they have no food.  All they could think was, “Hey guys, we don’t have anything for lunch!  What are we going to eat?”
• Jesus understood what they were thinking and basically said, “Why are you so worried about food?  Can’t you understand?  Why is your heart so hard? Can you not see?  Can you not hear?  Can’t you remember how I just fed 5000 people with 5 loaves and had 12 baskets of fragments left?  Don’t you remember then how I fed 4000 people with 7 loaves and had 7 baskets left?  Any you all are worried about a small lunch for 12 men?”

The disciples were in a boat with a guy who had just fed thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread.  Surely, He could feed a few hungry disciples on their way across the Galilee!  Yet, they were so worried about what they would eat for lunch that they could not even listen or hear a lesson Jesus was trying to give them.

We may laugh at their foolishness and lack of faith, but don’t we do the same thing?  God takes care of us.  God does miracles.  God has provided for us for our whole life.  God has been good to us.  God has been keeping the earth running and holding it all together every since He created it, yet we worry about where our next meal is going to come from. 

The lesson for today is:  stop worrying; starting trusting and listening.  Remember what God has done.  Don’t worry about your needs.  He will take care of you just like He always has.  Remember what David said in Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”  Don’t insult the character of God by doubting His ability to provide!

Ideas for Spending Time with Family in the Car

I am reading Family to Family by Dr. Jerry Pipes and Victor Lee. In the book on page 54, he gives some insight on spending time with your children.

Almost any time can be meaningful time. Families today spend a lot of time in a car. Do not waste it just staring out the window. There are many meaningful things you can do with your family in the car, whether on a long trip or a quick trip.

• Keep tapes or CDs of Christian music in the car. This will help make sure what your children hear is wholesome. Also keep available other tapes with Christian material, such as Focus on the Family’s "Adventure in Odyssey."
• Use the time to report on each other’s day.
• For longer trips, take good books and take turns reading to each other.
• Play games like "20 questions".
• Use the time to take turns reviewing out loud the Scripture you have memorized.
• Be creative, but do not let driving time be a waste.

Reason #1-4 to Join a Bible-believing Church

This is the post number one in a series of posts with reaons to join a Bible-believing Church. The following posts on "Church Membership" come from David Cloud who got them from Dr. Bruce Lackey.

New Testament Christians joined a local church. The churches had membership lists, either in writing or in memory. Since the scripture was given for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16), God evidently wanted us to follow their example. Although there is no specific verse that says, "Thou shalt join a church," there are fifteen places that either require or teach by example that we should do so.

Reason #1: THE FIRST CHURCH HAD A MEMBERSHIP.

"And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)" (Ac 1:15).

This Jerusalem church had a list of about 120 names that made up its membership. Even though the Bible says "about an hundred and twenty," it does not mean that there was any uncertainty. "About" is used commonly in scripture to designate a number, in keeping with the usual practice of that day, when people were not trying to be as specific as we are in the twentieth century. For example, John 1:39 says, ". . . it was about the tenth hour." It was not important in those days to know whether it was 9:55 or 10:05, since they did not have watches, clocks, etc. Likewise, John 6:19 says, ". . . rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs." Similarly, Acts 5:7 describes Sapphira coming to the church "about the space of three hours after." We must remember that the Holy Spirit inspired words that people would normally understand and speak, but this does not mean that He was uncertain! The events of John 1:39 and Acts 5:7 did happen at a specific moment, although that moment is not recorded. And the very mention of "the number of names" in Acts 1:15 shows that a collection actually existed, even though we are not told the exact number.

The important thing to note is not that there were 119, 120, or 121, but that there actually was a "number of the names together," in short, a membership of definite individuals who made up that church.

Reason #2 ALL THOSE MEMBERS ASSEMBLED TOGETHER ON PENTECOST.

Acts 2:1 says, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."

The word all certainly indicates that a specific number was there. He did not say "a majority," or "several," but all.

Reason #3 SPECIFIC PEOPLE WERE ADDED TO THIS MEMBERSHIP ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

According to Acts 2:41, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."

Again, the word about has the same significance. The important word is added, showing that the number grew. Whether they were written down on paper is not the issue; the fact is that certain specific people were saved, baptized, and added to certain specific people! (This is interpreted by some to mean that they were added to the Lord, or to the whole body of Christ, but the context has been speaking of that group of 120, ever since Acts 1:15, and continues to speak of that earthly group which met together in Jerusalem, through v.47).

Reason #4 THE LORD ADDED PEOPLE TO THE LOCAL CHURCH.

"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). This church was not the whole body of Christ (or the comprehensive church, or the universal church, or whatever the term one might prefer), but the local church, because of the context.

The word church must be interpreted by context. For example, no one would say that "the church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38) was the same as the church in the New Testament, since the context clearly shows that it was the nation of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Likewise, Heb. 12:22-23 would obviously not be a local church, but "the heavenly Jerusalem," etc.

Context must determine meaning, and the context of Acts 2:47 is that of the church at Jerusalem. . . . Therefore, the church mentioned in Acts 2:47 is that church at Jerusalem that had just evangelized and baptized and was meeting in the temple and from house to house, teaching doctrine and breaking bread (vv. 41-46). And, in saying "the Lord added . . ." we conclude that He led these people to join that Jerusalem church, and gave the apostolic leaders of that church the terms on which the new believers were to be added.

Let me know what you think in the comment section. There will be more to come on this topic.