Still Here?

  Are you still here? Well, if you are reading this the answer is yes.
   All that hype about the Mayan calender ending on 21 December 2012 at the exact hour of 5 am and therefore the end of the world and life as we know it.
   Following that logic every December 31st at midnight the world ends. Why? Because there is no more dates on the calender.
    No. The world is not going to end because a calender runs out of days.
   Those of us who are still here, and that means you, know better.
    Some say this signifies an era of better mind expansion and spiritual insight.
   We have always had that. Spiritual insight comes from connection with God our creator. That is true insight. Insight also comes from drugs but that is the false type of insight. Also the wrong type of meditation, yoga, wrong information not grounded in truth, can give you insight but insight that can't be trusted.. 
  No, true insight is only given by God and the only way you can get true insight from God is to be related to Him through a process known as the New Birth. And that is only available if you come to the Father through Jesus Christ.
   He said he was The Way ,The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him.
   True wisdom and insight came a long time ago. It didn't have to wait until the Mayan calender ran out.
 

Actions Speak your Salvation

   This morning Pastor Joe preached from 1John 5:1-15. He said that your belief  is  not seen if you  do nothjing but sit around and act as if what you believe is a  privayte affair between you and God. Your actions are. And John points out that your behavior towards others and toward Jesus, who did come in the flesh, shows your salvation.
     But basicly, Jesus did come in a body. The body is the package that carries the real man. Jesus had a real body. Only a real body can be hungry. Only a real body can bleed. Only a real body can eat food. Only a real body can ascend into heaven. And only a real body can come back again.

     If Jesus were not in a body He wouldn't be anyone to follow. We must be Christ like, John calls us sons of God, if we are Christians. As sons we represent all others are going to see of God. All we do we should do knowing that fact.
      Not too many of us are called to stand on street corners and preach. No,  But we all are called to act daily in the awareness that we may be the only link between God and man when it comes to the decision he will have to make.
     When we get to heaven God is going to ask, "What did you do with  my Son, Jesus?"  "Why should I let you into my heaven?"
  

Looking For A Good Church

          So you find yourself looking for a good church to go to and hear about God and Christ. You are looking for a place where perhaps you can experience Christian growth. Or where if you are not a Christian you will have a chance to accept Christ and become a person God will spend time with.

     Reasons

       There are many reasons a person seeks out a church. A list of sorts is given below..

              I had a special need.............2%
              I just walked in.................3%
              I liked the Pastor...............6%
              I visited there..................1%
              I liked the Sunday School........1%
              A friend or relative invited me..79%

         It is important also that the preacher be preaching from the Bible.  And not just any Bible but from a version that is sound. There are mnany sound versions. The New king James Bible is a good one, as is the old King James. The New American Standard and the New International are aslo good. This is only a suggestion.

       Dress

         In some churches t-shirts, jeans, and even shorts, are appropriate. In others a suit and tie or dress would be more appropriate. In some churches anything goes. So, ask yourself, "What is right for me--dressy, casual, or both?"   

     Worship

   As for the worship you should be seeking, consider this: worship is the way we express our love and appreciation to God, as well as our awe of his works, and wonder of his ways. Consider what style of worship will allow you to most freely express adoration to God. Some churches have contemporary music, some have traditional. Some sing hymns, others sing choruses. Some have full bands, others have orchestras and choirs. Some sing gospel, rock, hard rock, etc. Since worship is a key part of our church experience, be sure to give the style of worship serious consideration.

      Doctrinal Belief    

     Also as to doctrine,it’s important to understand the doctrinal beliefs of the church before joining. Many people become disillusioned after investing a great deal of time in a church. You can avoid this disappointment by looking closely at the church's statement of faith. Before joining be sure the church effectively teaches the Bible. If you’re not sure, ask to talk with someone about this. Some churches even offer classes or written material to help you understand the church’s doctrine.

      This also is important to consider. You want your church to be a place where you can connect with other believers. Some churches offer a very simple ministry approach and others extend an elaborate system of classes, programs, productions and more. So, for instance, if you’re single and want a church with a single’s ministry, be sure to check into this before joining.

    Hang on. There is a bit more to consider when looking for a chuch.Make sure you make a checklist of the most important things you hope to see or experience. Then rate the church according to your checklist when you leave. But don't look for that perfect church. As the saying goes, any church that accepts me isn't perfect because I am not perfect. I am still growing in Christ likeness and it is a journey.

        If you still don’t know where to begin your search for a church, ask people you know—friends, co-workers, or people you admire, where they go to church. Satisfied customers, thery say, are the best source.

Entering Into Truth

  In my last post in this series I stated I was a Roman Catholic until 1969. You may be saying, as did my paternal grandmother who was a died in the heart Roman Catholic, "If you had only stayed in, you would have understood it.".
  And for those Roman Catholics who are reading this post, I believe I should detail more.
   You may also be wondering why I am talking about the Roman Catholic belief system when this series is going to be on Cults.
   So let me first define a cult. A cult, the way I am going to use it, is any group that says it is Christian but isn't. By Christian I will be using the plumbline of Orthodox Christianity. Out there are groups that don't adhere to  the Historic  Christian Faith. The Historical Christian faith leaves no room for there being many roads to God. Jesus Himself said he was the only way to God. He was The Way, The Truth, and The Life. All religions do not lead to God.
    Now "Orthodox Christianity" means the beliefs held by a majority of Christians since the Church began in the first century. They can be found in the Bible alone, not in church councils or traditions.
    Historically there have been many movements that provided challenges to the Orthodox doctrines set down in the Scriptures. Such movements as the Gnostics in the second century to the "God  is Dead' movement to the present day Eastern philosophies.
     The plumpline I will use is found in two verses of Scripture. First Corinthians 15:3,4. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; He was buried and He rose again on the Third day, according to the Scriptures."
     I have been taught to define terms. Plumbline is one of them. Amos 7:8 has God saying, "Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people..." For those of you who are not aware a plumbline is still used today. Masons use it to make sure they lay up a brick wall straight and true. So I will be using as my plumbline the Bible, God's Word, to define what is "orthodox" and what is not. God measures men and their devotion to Him by His Standards-by His Word- not by man's.
    First Corinthians 15:3, 4 details for us three key points which I will use .

1. The person and work of Christ ( who He is and what He did for man)
2. The nature of man (A sinner in rebellion against God and in need of a Savior)
3. The truth and reliability of the Bible (inspiration of Scripture)

    Roman Catholics do agree with Orthodox Christianity on the diety of Christ. Other religions make Him only a man who set a good example in His life and  martyrdom.
    The sin question is basically the same for both Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Man is a sinner. Sin is a flaw in man  It came about in the fall of the first man. of his own choice Adam sinned (disobeyed God) and thus all mankind was  plunged into sin. (this is known as original sin) Genesis 3 tells us about that incident.
   The Orthodox Christian says that the only  solution for the sin problem is faith in Jesus Christ and His atoming death on the cross. Roman Catholics add the works done after Baptism. That is not found in the Bible.
   Both Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians hold to the Bible as Scripture. Other systems have other sacred writings. More about that as the postings go on.
   So why pick on the Roman Catholic as being different from Orthodox Christians? That will take a few more postings to iron out. Please stay tuned.
  Please feel free to comment and dialogue. I will answer and will explain where needed. 

Searching For Meaning

  Hi. Welcome to this posting. After that series of postings on  study methods you may ask, so, I have all this information and what do I do with it? Simple. Knowledge without a way to give it out is useless. And while you are busy applying the methods you will need a place of nurturing. A good church can help you.
   So what is there to look for in a church?
   One that is Bible teaching and Bible believing.
  Yes, Dane, but there are so many out there that claim to teach the Bible.
   That is true. Therefore I would like to spend some posting helping you see that not all who report to teach the Bible are teaching the Bible.
    When I became a Christian in 1968 I had only the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church to fall back on. But I also had the Bible.It was the version that the church gave you and usually sat on the shelf gathering dust. You would let the priest tell you what it said.
     Now, I have always been a reader. Put something in my hand and I will read it. The Roman Catholic Church at this time did not want you to read the Bible or if you did you were not to interpret it.. that is, determine what it said. That was the Priests'  job who got their understanding from the Pope. More about that later.
     I was alway at college.I picked up a King James translation and start reading. Now, I have before this moment had religion classes. I was a product of Roman Cathollic education. We would use the Bible as a text book.more likely the book of Matthew. It has that great passage where, they say, God gave the keys to Peter who was the first pope.
    I did not know that was not found in the Bible. I accepted that as true because my teacher said so.
    Well, anyway. I was away at Taft, California attending college.
    Have any of you read 'The Hound Of Heaven"?.
    God found me there and I became a Christian then. Asked Jesus into my llife.
    I needed to have a church to worship in. I was no longer a slave to the teachings of the Roman Catholic church  This book, the Bible, was starting to make sense. I needed to be under the teaching ministry of a pastor/teacher.
   I returned home and started to look for a church fellowship. I stumbled for a while. I heard about a group that taught nothing but the truth and the truth they claimed, came from the Bible alone. But they added more to it. They were the World Wide Church Of God. They were teaching straight British Israelism. they were also teaching there was no Hell. They were teaching they were the true church. That you had to be baptized by one of their followers to be saved.
   I will get into that more later.
   Luckily I found a good Bible Believing fellowship shortly after I wrote the trainers of the World Wide Church and informed them of how unbiblical  they were and that they were teaching the doctrine of demons.. More about that in another posting.
    The church I found was strongly Bible Teaching and firmly Bible believing.
     So I plan to take my time looking at other belief systems and trying to help you be a workman who does not need to be ashamed.
     And I haven't finished with the Roman Catholic Church.

Study Requirements

I think I better slow down and tell you what you will need for a good Bible study.
  You will need a translation that you can understand. You will be spending a lot of time reading what God has said. It would be adventagous for you to have a translation that you can understand.
  God had the Bible written in Hebrew and Aramaic for the Old Testament. Greek was the language used in the New. I don't know anyone who reads in the original. I don't.
 So what translation do I recommend ? I myself read and memorize from the New American Standard Version. There is the New International Version out there. It may be easier to read. For the people who feel there is no other Bible translation true to what God said there is the King James Bible and the New King James Bible
  There is also the English Standard Version.
  You will aso need a notebook to jot down observations you will be making as you read and study for yourself Along with that notebook you will need something to write with. I recommend a pencil because you will be making Inductive Bible Study Charts as you go along.. More about Inductive Bible studies later in the series. Just trust me on what you will need.
  As you read the Bible you will have questions. So you will need beside you a Bible Atlas that will help you place the area being spoken of in the text you are studying. As for the explaination of what is being said.. for example the effects of sin on the human race.. the Bible is the best teacher. It will explain itself.    What questions you have, jot down, and keep reading. God will explain to you as you read what He meant.
  Please leave me comments if you wish further explaination. I promise I will read and answer.

In Need of Prayer

The Bible tells us to pray for those in authority over us. This means that we should be praying for President Obama. He needs wisdom and good advisers. The Bible doesn't say to pray only for other believers only. Obama is not a Christian. He may from time to time go to a prayer meeting or show up at a church service or carry around a Bible. But those activities don't make you a Christian. Any more than going to a parking garage makes you a car.   No, you need to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus. He is the way to God. He is the truth you are looking for. He is the life you need.