Division in the Church

Someone posed the question to me in Bible Study:  "What causes division in a church?"  I can up with threee main reasons even though there might be plenty more.

1. Immaturity-There are many out there in the body of Christ today who have just not grown up yet.  Maturity is essential for a healthy congregation.  When children rule the result is oppression.  Immature Christians focus on things that don't matter.  They are the type of people who strain at the gnat and swallow the camel.  Spiritual immaturity has nothing to do with chronological age.  The worst thing to see is older immature Christians.  When an immature christian gets offended they will literally take their ball and go home like a child.  We must understand that the church was not established to cater to our personal needs but it was the vehicle that Jesus established to further the Kingdom of God.  When I was a child my older brother and I did not get along but when we became men we put the childish things behind us.  We can still disagree but nothing comes between us being brothers.  People leave the family of god everyday because they were offended by another child in the house.  When my brother and I would fight I never left my father's house because of it.  Why?  BEACUSE IT WASN'T HIS HOUSE IT WAS DADDY'S HOUSE.  Why would you leave your spiritual father over an issue with another child.  We must check our attitude at the door when we become disciples of Jesus Christ.  The love that Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 13 was a love for the spiritually mature.  Division will stop when people decide to grow up
2. Carnality-You can be a Christian and still be carnally-minded.  When the church is so pre-occupied with the matter of the flesh then the church is weakened.  Romans states "that to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Gutter gossiping, murmuring, complaining, judging, and fault-finding are all products of a carnal mind.
3. Selfishness-Me me me me me me me me me me.  Selfish people are determined to get their way at all cost.  It doesn't matter who they hurt, how they live, or what they say as long as their selfish ways are pleased.

The early church grew so fast because the people had all things common.  They were busy caring for others.  They even established deacons so that they could help others more effectively.  The church is strongest when flesh is weakest.

Have Church Organizations Lost their Usefulness

In an age where the coming of Christ is soon and the war on the church is so severe is it not time that the church moves to be the most effective force on the planet.  As some of you might know I am a second generation pastor and preacher.  All I ever knew through my whole life was church.  I have no regrets about it.  The church gave me a solid upbringing and God gave me a spiritual father who preaches and teaches the pure Word of God.  I have also been part of an organization my whole life and I have had some wonderful experiences and opportunities being a part of the organization but now I am left in a place wondering if it has a place with me.  I really don't believe that denominations and organizations were a part of God's divine strategy of the building of His mystical body called the church.  In the study of the early church it appears that the church was built on the family structure.  that is why we address each other as brothers and sisters.  the Apostle Paul was a spiritual father to the men and women that followed him.  They loved him as a father and he loved and cared for them like children.  Great people proceeded from the family of Paul and the other Apostles because of the great love that they had for the church.  If Christ died to make me a part of His family than why should I be pressed about growing in an organization.

I do believe that the church has been called to be in divine order but i also believe that the Word of God has addressed that order.  In some organizations the development of leaders is done like a pyramid  scheme.  The more people you get to join the greater you move up in rank or the greater amount of tribute that you pay to top officials the greater opportunities are provided to you. 

I would like church leaders to read this without getting seriously offended because if it offends you than you are guilty.  Why should a church pull money from its treasury to give to a group that doesn't care whether the ministry lives or dies as long as they are paying their way.  If you represent an organization that only takes and never gives then that is exploitation.  When an organization takes money from the local church and that church has no say so as to how resources are spent than that is taxation without representation and a famous patriot said that "taxation without representation is tyranny.  This type of conversation does not come up too much because grown men who are leaders of their own churches have been made to fear the powers that be.  I am tired of people being labeled rebellious just because they disagree with the powers that be.  I write this blog with a heavy heart because I love the church and i love the fellowship of the saints but their needs to be a reformation of the entire body of Christ.  I am not going to leave my present organization because god has ordained me to birth change.  My father has taught me that you can not change anything standing on the outside but you must get involved.

I have been pastoring for almost thirteen years and I have asked God to make me a true spiritual father because I am tired of seeing another fatherless generation.  We have seen the effects of a society where fathers are absent.  do we think that it is any different in the spirit world whereas children are being born spiritually and there are no fathers.  Organizations are raising up foster children.  They will not take on the full burden of parenting but they will take the resources that the foster children provide.  There are pastors crying out for fathers and their voices have not been heard except by their true father.

I am not saying that all organizations are evil or bad but we must examine the structure carefully and make sure that the structure is designed to feed the children and not just bless the parents

If I Left The Lord Today Where Would I Go

The bible says that in the last days that there would be a "falling away" meaning many would leave the faith and I am seeing this to a point where it is scary.  Many people that I know that had a relationship with the Lord have left him and for what NOTHING.  I began to ask myself if I was to backslide what would I do.  Church and worship is such an intricate part of my life that I would be totally lost without my Savior.  I'm not going back to the bars or the clubs.  I'm not going to embrace some other faith AND I JUST CANT PRETEND LIKE I NEVER KNEW HIM.  I have heard do many backsliders say that they still pray and they still love God but that is hard to believe since Jesus declares "If you love me then keep my commandments".  So I can drink, drug, fornicate and abuse his grace and still be in love with him?  I don't think so.  Many backsliders are angry at the church like the church did something to him but it's not the church that left, YOU DID.  I walked away from God and it was the loneliest place in the world.  I center my whole world on God AND HIS PEOPLE.  I love the people of God and if I leave God I also leave His people.  That is why when people backslide it destroys relationships that people have had for years.  I remember watching the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" and Richard Gere was playing an officer candidate that was going through flight school and he messed up and was punished and his commanding officer did everything to try to get him to quit and he finally screamed "Why don't you just give up" and The candidate said "because I have no place else to go" and that's how I feel.  If I give up I have no where else to go.  This is all I know and all I care to know.  We all go through trials and tests but I didn't sign up to quit.  I am going all the way until I make it home.  Leaving God, leaving church, leaving the saints is not an option.  these things make my life what it is.

Many that will read this blog might have left God, left his church, or left his people but the fact is that they all still love you.  When you were at your lowest it's not the world that is praying for you its the saints.  I have pastored people that have walked out of my life like I was the cashier at Walmart not realizing that I pray for them constantly and making intercession for them at the throne of God.  GO BACK HOME BECAUSE THERE IS NO WHERE ELSE TO GO

SOUL TIES (The Silent KIller)

Some years ago I was introduced to a term that changed the way I viewed relationships.  When I was single and on the dating scene I was not very knowledgeable about the effect that relationships can have on your walk with God.  I was wondering why I could never commit to a person.  I had dated several people but could never seem to be satisfied or content.  Even though I was saved I was still seduced into disobeying God's word and entering into a world of fornication.  I also knew that it was wrong but i convinced myself (what is the big deal) I'm not hurting anyone and I'm not forcing anyone to do something that did not want to but I failed to realize the damage that was going on that I could not immediately see.  When people engage in sex outside of marriage it seems to be fulfilling enjoyable and the natural course of a relationship but their is an ugly demonic side of it that draws you into a world of depression, misery, and further rebellion against the things of God.  The Bible states "and the two shall become one".  This is not just true in marriage but it is also true in fornication.  Every time you sleep with a person that is not your spouse a demonic marriage takes place.  Satan has joined you two together in a destructive, perverted union that can only be broken by the power of God.  I look at married couples who have been together for a while and they start to look alike, talk alike, and sometimes even think alike and the reason is that their souls have been knitted together by their commitment and more so by the fact that they are sexually intimate with each other. This is called a soul tie.
Not all soul ties are bad their are some very healthy soul ties.  The bible states that "David loved Jonathan like his own soul".  This type of soul tie brings peace and spiritual enrichment but a sexual soul tie can either bring peace or mass destruction.  Married couples should never underestimate the power of their sexual intimacy.  One of the big causes of divorce in this country is over sexual confusion in the marriage.  Either it is adultery, sexual starvation, or lack of intimacy meaning "the fire has gone out".  that is why it is important that couples keep a healthy intimate lifestyle.  the soul tie between husband and wife keeps others out.
On the other hand, when single people engage in fornication it breeds shame, guilt condemnation, insecurity, manipulation, abuse, and spiritual neglect. 
Ladies have you ever  noticed that when a man commits fornication he never wants to stay and hold you or he is quick to leave?  It's because he has no investment and you have no other purpose than to meet his needs.
Men have you ever noticed that when a woman commits fornication it leaves her in a place of confusion and she begins to ask questions about your intentions because she does not trust you know.

Transfer of Spirits
Soul ties also allow spirits to be transferred into people.  When people engage in fornication they leave a demonic gateway open and anything that person has you are likely to pick it up too.  I have talked to many women who either are or have been drug addicts and many admit that they were turned on to drugs by someone that they were sleeping with.  Woman who sleep with abusive men often end up abusing themselves.  I remember when I was an HIV educator and we always use to tell young people that when you sleep with someone you also sleep with everyone they have slept with.  If it's true in the natural it is also true in the spiritual.

Soul ties and your spiritual life
Sexual soul ties will simply destroy your relationship with God because you are not doing it behind his back you are doing it in his face.  It's like a man commiting adultery and asking his wife to watch.  A soul tie will silence your prayer life because your sins have formed a wall between yourself and God and the only thing that will bring it down is an act of true repentance.  I look at prominent people in ministry who have fallen over the years and it always seems that there is an element of sexual misconduct somewhere.  That is why people who have soul ties will try to hide it at first because of the guilt and the shame but the deeper they get into it their develops a spirit of arrogance and pride that says "YOU CANT JUDGE ME".  Their hearts become hardened and they slip deeper and deeper into the tie

What do I do now?
If you really want to be delivered you need to brace yourself for what I am about to tell you.

1. You must repent to God for your sins with godly repentance and ask God for his forgiveness for placing an idol in your life.  If you are not sorry then you have not repented.  If you are not convinced that it is wrong you must search the scriptures so that the Holy Spirit may open your heart to your sins
2. You must renounce the relationship and the person and remove them from your life.  It is not good enough to say that we will stop because the damage has already been done.  Keeping a platonic relationship with them just breeds more confusion especially if they have not repented or sought God either.
3. Do not accept gifts, favors, money or anything else in the relationship
4. You can not visit or be alone with this person because they are a drug to you
5. You must find a spiritual counselor whether it be a pastor, or a spiritual mentor that you can confess this to in order to keep you accountable and start the intercession on your behalf
6. I recommend a period of prayer and fasting in order to start the healing and restoration process
7. You must also repent to the other person for the damage that you have done to them.  I recommend you do this with your spiritual counsellor
8. Give it time because this will not be fixed over night.  Repentance fixed the issue with God but the deliverance process is to work on the issue with yourself 

I SPEAK ALL OF THIS FROM THE HEART AND NOT A PLACE OF JUDGMENT BECAUSE I HAD TO GO THROUGH IT MYSELF

The Importance of Fellowship in a New Testament Church

Introduction

Poor communication has been the plague of mankind ever since the tower of Babel. Such statements as the following reveal that we face problems when trying to communicate to one another: “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

We can sometimes be misunderstood because of mispronunciations as when Howard Hendrick’s child told a friend that his father taught in a “cemetery.” Sometimes sound-alike phrases are misunderstood as with the child in a Christian school who was asked to draw a picture depicting the hymn “Gladly the Cross I’d Bear” and instead drew a picture of Gladly, the cross-eyed bear. But if we have problems understanding the concepts of each other, that is nothing compared to the problems we encounter understanding the concepts of God, for His thoughts are not our thoughts, they are foreign to us.

Now, God has given us His thoughts in the Bible and explained them carefully, but as time has passed, they have become “greek to us” and we have warped His thoughts and reverted to our own practices concerning His word. One such concept that has been especially warped in its biblical meaning is the concept of Christian fellowship. Today, churches have fellowship halls, fellowship dinners, and fellowship retreats, but very few have real fellowship. Yet for a church that seeks to be guided in principle and practice by the New Testament, fellowship is very important.

This morning, I hope each of you will learn that biblical fellowship is God’s method for the outworking of His will through the church. In order for you to understand this, we will have to discover first, what true fellowship really is, second, why fellowship is important in a New Testament church, and finally, how each one of us can practice fellowship here at Community Bible Chapel.

The Biblical Meaning of Fellowship

As we go back into history and dig deep into the original languages of the Bible, we will discover seven significant facts that help us to understand God’s intended meaning of the word, fellowship.

The first fact concerns the meaning of the Greek root. Our English word, “fellowship” is the translation of the Greek word, “koinonia.” This Greek word is derived from the root, “koinos,” which was a prefix in ancient Greek. If you were to add this prefix to words meaning “living,” “owning a purse,” “a dispute,” and “mother,” you would get words meaning “living in community together,” “owning a purse in common,” “a public dispute,” and “having a mother in common.” So we see that the root of the word, “fellowship,” means “to hold something in common.”

Our second fact relates to the usage of the word, “fellowship.” The Greek word, “koinonia,” was used to describe corporations, labor guilds, partners in a law firm, and the most intimate of marriage relationships. From the usage of the word, we can conclude that fellowship is a word denoting a relationship that is dependent on more than one individual. It is an interdependent relationship.

A third fact is that “fellowship” was never used to describe man’s relationship to God before the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell the church. It is an exclusively post-pentecost relationship.

A fourth fact about the meaning of “fellowship” can be gleaned by comparing it to its New Testament synonyms. These are words which have overlapping but not the identical meaning of koinonia. The four synonyms of koinonia in the New Testament are philos, which means “related by love for outward characteristics”; hetairos, meaning a sharer in a common enterprise; sunergos, meaning a fellow-worker; and metochos, a participant. Each of these words denotes a unity which is expressed outwardly. This is true of fellowship but by contrast, fellowship is also an inner unity. This inner aspect of fellowship may be seen in verses such as 1 Corinthians 1:9:

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Here, fellowship primarily focuses on our spiritual unity with Christ, an inner relationship. I suspect that Philemon.6, 2 Corinthians 13:14 and Philippians 2:1 also emphasize the inner relationship which is at the root of fellowship.

Fifth, however, we must note that fellowship does not stop with being an inner unity for it is primarily an action word! Koinonia is used nineteen times in the New Testament and in addition to being translated as “fellowship” it is also translated by the words, “contribution,” “sharing,” and “participation.” A close study of the usage of this word shows that action is always included in its meaning. Fellowship, you see, is not just being together, it is doing together! This is a point almost universally ignored by Christian groups today.

Our sixth observation concerning the meaning of “fellowship” is that it is a unique relationship with Christ. We have a relationship of being “in Christ.” We also have a relationship of being “a part of Christ’s body.” Fellowship is neither. It is not “being in” or “being part” but it is “doing with” Christ. It is our partnership with Christ in fulfilling God’s will.

Our final observation may be gleaned from the last and it is this: that fellowship is not just doing anything together. It is only doing God’s will together. Quite obviously, our fellowship with others is only as good as our fellowship with Christ, our unity. And we can only participate with Him in doing God’s will, for that is all He ever does! For this reason we must quit thinking of Christian fellowship as primarily doing things such as having pot luck dinners or watching football or playing basketball with other believers. These have their place but they are only fellowship to the extent that rest, exercise, and eating are doing the work of the Lord. Fellowship involves actively doing God’s will. The things we usually think of as fellowship are certainly not the primary meaning of the word!

The Biblical Definition of Fellowship

Now, with these seven observations, we should be able to give a biblical definition to the word, “fellowship.” We can say that: “Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing God’s will on earth.”

So, we have seen that fellowship in its New Testament sense is an inner unity expressed outwardly. It is not just being together but doing together. It is not just doing anything together but it is working together to accomplish God’s will. Now we must ask, “Why is it so important to the church?” I think we shall see as we continue that:

Fellowship Is God’s Way of
Accomplishing His Plan of Glorifying Christ

1. The importance of fellowship to the church can be seen first in the fact that fellowship occurred naturally as a result of the establishment of the church.

Nobody had to come to the disciples and other new believers on the day of Pentecost and say, “You need to practice fellowship.” The Holy Spirit had come upon these people and formed an inner unity and their natural inclination was to exercise it outwardly. Acts 2:44-47 says this.

And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This working together to accomplish God’s will continued in the church with the practice of a multiplicity of leadership, diversification of activities, giving to the needy, exercise of different spiritual gifts, support of missionaries, calls to different mission fields, corporate prayer, group worship, and in other ways.

But the importance of fellowship to the church does not rest solely upon the fact that it was the natural result of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Rather, its primary importance stems from the fact that:

2. Fellowship is the indispensable means of accomplishing the God-given purpose of the church.

Let’s read together Ephesians 3:8-11.

To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 in order that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, …

We see in this passage that God has an eternal plan. The church has a part in accomplishing that plan. The phrase “through the church” in vs. 10 shows that the church is to be God’s instrument in accomplishing His plan. The purpose of the church as stated in vs. 10 is to show to the world the manifold or in Greek, the many-faceted wisdom of God. So then, the purpose of the church is to hold God up to the world and display every glorious aspect of His being for all to see.

What is important to see here is that no individual working alone could ever fulfill this plan of showing every perfection of God for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So you see, the very nature of God’s plan necessitates the Godly capacities of many individuals added together to show His perfections to the world. You might say that God’s plan must be compared not to a solo but to a symphony. Its beauty is impossible to capture in one note no matter how loud. Only by a full orchestra playing together can the beautiful harmony be fully captured. And this is what the Church is, God’s orchestra! In order to fully manifest God, each person must not only play his part but must play it together. So in God’s symphony—His plan, the score is the Bible which reveals His Son, Jesus Christ. The instruments are our spiritual gifts and natural abilities. And the indispensable means we use to perform is fellowship, our co-participation in accomplishing His purpose. It is only as we work together in this way that it is possible to accomplish God’s plan. This is why fellowship is indispensable to the church.

Of course, some people try to do it all themselves. The movie, “Beau Gueste” is an example of the way some churches function. In the movie, the Arabs are attacking a foreign legion outpost. There are only four legionnaires left alive in the post. But they want the enemy to think they have lots of strength so they propped up the dead bodies of their comrades in the turrets and the four men ran around the walls shooting the dead men’s guns for them. This is the plan of many churches today. They hire a large staff of clergy to prop up the spiritually dead and fire their guns for them. But this will never accomplish God’s plan.

There is another group of people who are church-hoppers and non-participants. They think the church can make it without them. However, 1 Corinthians 12 makes it clear that every single member of the body is necessary for its proper functioning. Because of the importance of fellowship, no one has the right to amputate themselves from the functioning body of Christ, the local church.

So, then, we see that the practice of fellowship, the outward exercise of our inner unity in doing God’s will, is not only natural but indispensable in accomplishing God’s purpose for the church. How, then, can we practice fellowship?

Practicing Fellowship

You can practice Fellowship by recognizing our goal and taking an active part where you can best help.

People must recognize our goal. People often do not take part in a church because they see no clear purpose. As previously discussed, our purpose is to show God’s glory to the world in all the many ways He has instructed us in the Bible. We participate together seven days a week to glorify God, to do it His way, and to do it together.

You can practice fellowship by taking an active part where you can best help with this goal. You can discover where you can best help by recognizing your spiritual gifts and natural abilities and by knowing the needs of our church. Then help where you can make not just yourself, but the church as a whole, to be the most fruitful. If you do not know your spiritual gift, pitch in where you have a natural ability. As you work with others, your gifts will surface and you’ll find places you might function in our church according to your gifts and abilities.

The Value of Friends

I believed that one of the most undervalued relationships are friends.  There are many that say that they don't need friends and if you are one of those people you are probably dysfunctional.  I simply love my true friends.  There is nothing like having a burden or a problem and you can speak to a true friend.  I am amazed that people will throw away years of friendship over silly stuff.  My best friend (and he will remain nameless) I would not sell him out for anything.  It is a dangerous thing to be close to a person who does not value you.  You don't abuse your friends, you don't put them in uncomfortable situations, you don't talk about them to others, and you don't exploit their weaknesses.  Even Jesus understood the value of friends when he said "I no longer call you servants but I call you friend".  Friendship is the highest level of human relationship.  I know that many would say that marriage is but I disagree.  The divorce rate is over 50 % because people don't marry their friends.  My wife is my friend.  She was my friend before married and she is my best friend now.  Friends don't judge, they just listen.  The bible says that if a man wants friends he must show himself friendly.  Showing yourself friendly is not just smiling and being polite.  It's also about showing oneself to be faithful, discreet, compassionate, a good listener, interested in you and your family's well-being.  I watch how people treat other people and that is how I determine if they will make me a quality friend.  For instance if you have a friends that like to talk about people, they are probably talking about you too.  A snake is a snake at all times.  Even when a snake is sleeping he is still a snake.  YOU SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUIT.  Beware of people who stay in mess because if you hang long enough you will smell like them.  If you have a good friend and you really love them, give them a call and let them know

A Message to those that are Dating!

Someone once told me that you should never go grocery shopping when you are hungry because you end up picking up things you didn't need. So it is when going into a relationship. If you are a needy, hungry person you will pick up things and tolerate things that you would never normally tolerate. A person must be complete before they go into a serious relationship or they will stay needy. Needy people become heavy after a while and people will not want to carry you. I really don't believe that there is one person that can make you happy but you must be happy first and let them add to your existing happiness. Many couples when they can not find true contentment resort to sex which just complicates matters. Not only is sex before marriage a sin but it is also a destructive force in the course of a relationship. I know this sounds old-fashion to some but i speak from experience that sex never made me love someone more. Sex can drive someone from your life because a trust has been broken. God talked about fornication throughout the bible and it never ended well. Sex is a smokescreen for the dating and a source of pure joy for the married. Anyone who is married can tell you that there is a big difference between marital love and single sex. Dating is an opportunity to investigate yourself and the person you are dating. I'm not talking about hiring an investigator but searching your own heart and mind. Over 50% of marriages are ending in divorce because people did not do their homework. Do you know about their family background, their finances, their friends, their habits, their emotional state, their credit history, their past relationships. All of these can be factors in your future. Never let a person tell you that their past doesn't matter. I say tell me your past and let me judge for my self. Ladies if your are dating a man and you are the only person that thinks he is a good man then HE IS NOT A GOOD MAN. A man's reputation follows him even his ex's should have something good to say about him. Men, if she is sloppy and irresponsible while she is single she will be that way married. Do the homework people. Are they spiritual and do they have a relationship with God. Just because they say they are saved the conversation should not end there. There is a live that goes with the confession. Are they faithful in ministry are they faithful to prayer and study, does their pastor speak well of them. When your investigation is over then you need to pray your guts out and give the Holy Spirit permission to reveal anything that your eyes don't want to see.
HAVE A BLESSED DAY