Pastor Colton's Blog

Wine?

2009-12-01T14:35:00.002-06:00

I did not write this, but I think it is good. I talked about alcoholism Sunday so I thought this was a good time to post this. Have a blessed day and I am sorry I have not post very often lately. I plan to get back into writing more this winter.

Was the wine that Jesus drank the same as wine today?

Q: I have what you may see as an easy question. What was the difference in the wine JESUS and the disciples drank in comparison to what we have today? Was there any difference at all? I am having a tough time witnessing to people about drinking and how GOD doesn’t like it when JESUS is turning water to wine at “gatherings” and drinking with his disciples.
“Gimme” some help on this Pastor.A: There isn’t really much difference between the wine made in Jesus’ day and the wine made today. The process of fermentation FOR WINE is similar. However, after the time of the New Testament the invention of distillation rather than fermentation greatly increased the alcoholic content and made liquor possible. This type of strong drink was not available in Bible times. I’ve attached a PDF file on “wine” from the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia which has some very good information.

Concerning Jesus turning water to wine at the marriage feast, I believe that God DID approve of Jesus’ action. There are a number of references to Jesus drinking wine (examples: Luke 7:34; John 19:29). We know from the writings of the Jewish rabbis and the writings of the early church that the wine used in Passover/communion was one part alcoholic wine to 4 parts water. My understanding of the Bible is that the drinking of wine is acceptable. It is the abuse of alcoholic beverages that is sin. What the Bible speaks against is drunkenness, not drinking.

Q: But how can you drink wine and not feel its affect? People always say “there ain’t nothing wrong w/ drinking as long as you don’t get drunk”, but the truth is even if you only have one glass of wine (not communion wine) you may not be so drunk where you’ll fall over, but it will have some affect on you….right? And won’t that be bad so to speak in GOD’s eyes?

A: Apparently this mild affect of wine isn’t bad in God’s eyes: “God makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate – bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.” (Psalm 104:14-15). Note that in this passage “God makes… wine that gladdens the heart.” Wine is viewed as a gift from God.

This discussion of drinking brings up a broader issue that you might want to think about. I think that many Christians have a Greek view rather than a Jewish view of God’s creation. By the time of the New Testament, the Greeks had become very anti-materialistic. The Greeks divided reality into two parts: spirit, which they thought of as good, and matter which they thought of as evil (or at the very least inferior to the spirit). This is why the Greeks sought to free their spirit from the body. The goal of this life was to purify the spirit and free it from matter. As a result, the Greeks (and Romans) burned the person’s body upon death. The material was evil and something to be left behind. And if you really wanted to free your soul, you would avoid bodily pleasures and material things. The ascetic (the person who did without things) was viewed as the most likely to gain happiness in the next life.

The Jews, on the other hand, followed the Old Testament view of seeing the creation as good. God looked at all He had created and said that “it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). Even after the fall, no “thing” is evil in and of itself (1 Timothy 4:4). The Jews had a very upbeat view of material things. The physical body was viewed as something to take with you into the next life – hence, bodies were not burned, but buried to await resurrection (Genesis 15:15; 23:19-20; 25:9; 35:8,19,29; 47:30; John 19:38-42). The Jewish view of sex (in marriage) is very positive (Proverbs 5:18-19; Song of Songs; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5,33-34; Hebrews 13:4). Likewise food, wine, dancing, money, etc. are all viewed as good things that we can take pleasure in as long as they are used according to God’s commandments (Ecclesiastes 5:18-20; 8:15; 9:7-9; Psalm 16:11; Romans 14:14). At the risk of being misunderstood, I believe the Bible teaches a view of “Christian hedonism” – not living for pleasure, but living for God and enjoying all that He has created for our benefit and enjoyment (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

But sometimes Christian views on drinking, sex, or money come more from a Greek perspective than a Biblical perspective. In order to protect ourselves and others or in an attempt to become more holy or pure, we add rules or commandments that aren’t in the Bible. But when we do that (even if we do it for a good motive), we have become legalists, rather than grace-oriented children of God. The Bible is clear that drinking alcoholic beverages (without becoming drunk) is an acceptable activity. In fact, Jesus even chose wine as an element for the Lord’s supper. ONLY drunkenness is viewed as a sin (Proverbs 23:29-35; Ephesians 5:18). We can be tempted to add to God’s commandments, because of the dreadfulness of alcoholism, drunk drivers, or simply observing the stupidity of drunk people. Believe me, I understand the temptation. My college roommate was an alcoholic and I cleaned up his alcoholic vomit on more than one occasion. AND my brother was killed at age 19 by a drunk driver. But we CAN’T try to be more righteous than God! If it isn’t prohibited in the Bible or cannot be reasonably deduced from Biblical principles, then it’s best that we not add to God’s Word.

DL Moody and the Baptism

2009-09-30T11:47:00.000-05:00

Inspiring true story told by RA Torrey.

D. L. Moody was that he had a very definite enduement with power from on High, a very clear and definite baptism with the Holy Ghost. Moody knew he had "the baptism with the Holy Ghost"; he had no doubt about it. In his early days he was a great hustler; he had a tremendous desire to do something, but he had no real power. He worked very largely in the energy of the flesh.

But there were two humble Free Methodist women who used to come over to his meetings in the Y.M.C.A. One was "Auntie Cook" and the other, Mrs. Snow. (I think her name was not Snow at that time.) These two women would come to Mr. Moody at the close of his meetings and say: "We are praying for you." Finally, Mr. Moody became somewhat nettled and said to them one night: "Why are you praying for me? Why don't you pray for the unsaved?" They replied: "We are praying that you may get the power." Mr. Moody did not know what that meant, but he got to thinking about it, and then went to these women and said: "I wish you would tell me what you mean"; and they told him about the definite baptism with the Holy Ghost. Then he asked that he might pray with them and not they merely pray for him.

Auntie Cook once told me of the intense fervor with which Mr. Moody prayed on that occasion. She told me in words that I scarcely dare repeat, though I have never forgotten them. And he not only prayed with them, but he also prayed alone.

Not long after, one day on his way to England, he was walking up Wall Street in New York; (Mr. Moody very seldom told this and I almost hesitate to tell it) and in the midst of the bustle and hurry of that city his prayer was answered; the power of God fell upon him as he walked up the street and he had to hurry off to the house of a friend and ask that he might have a room by himself, and in that room he stayed alone for hours; and the Holy Ghost came upon him, filling his soul with such joy that at last he had to ask God to withhold His hand, lest he die on the spot from very joy. He went out from that place with the power of the Holy Ghost upon him, and when he got to London (partly through the prayers of a bedridden saint in Mr. Lessey's church), the power of God wrought through him mightily in North London, and hundreds were added to the churches; and that was what led to his being invited over to the wonderful campaign that followed in later years.

Time and again Mr. Moody would come to me and say: "Torrey, I want you to preach on the baptism with the Holy Ghost." I do not know how many times he asked me to speak on that subject. Once, when I had been invited to preach in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York (invited at Mr. Moody's suggestion; had it not been for his suggestion the invitation would never have been extended to me), just before I started for New York, Mr. Moody drove up to my house and said: "Torrey, they want you to preach at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York. It is a great big church, cost a million dollars to build it." Then he continued: "Torrey, I just want to ask one thing of you. I want to tell you what to preach about. You will preach that sermon of yours on 'Ten Reasons Why I Believe the Bible to Be the Word of God' and your sermon on 'The Baptism With the Holy Ghost.'"

A time worship

2009-09-30T10:14:00.000-05:00

Come Now is a Time to Worship!

Join us
First Christian Church
welcomes Pastor Dan Paxton
&
The Heartland Vineyard Worship Team

October 25th Sunday Evening 6:30

On another note, I know it has been a long time between blogs. I will try and get that going in the coming days.

Mary or Martha who are you?

2009-08-26T10:00:00.000-05:00

It is all about Jesus

Luke 10: 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I have known a lot of Martha’s in my life and far too few Mary’s. Worried and upset over all these details and not focused on the person it was all for. Trying to receive a crown for what they have done, they miss out on what He is giving now. Working for the Lord is great and we sure need “laborers in the field.” But for a laborer to be good at what they do, they must be a good listener. Too often we labor in vain on our own plans never listening to Jesus about what He is really all about. Then, like Martha, we wonder why others are not doing what we are doing, even calling out to God “make them get up and help me!”

Your Dinner is not what it is about, it is all about Jesus. Have you been at the feet of Jesus lately? Listening to what He has to say? Have you thrown all your cares and details out and just let Him guide the conversation? Too often, when we think we are listening, but we are really still acting like Martha. We have all these ideas, goals, details and stuff we are doing and we are talking to Jesus about our stuff. Have you ever talked to someone who can only talk about themselves? Think about how that makes you feel? Mary was not talking to Jesus about what she was doing, just listening to Him learning about Him. That is being at the feet of Jesus, have you been there lately?

Like Jesus?

2009-08-11T17:16:00.000-05:00

A little boy came to his mother one day and said, “Mom I want to be like a tight rope walker in the circus.” “Oh no Son!,” his mother protested “that is far too dangerous and you would be gone all the time.” “I did not mean I wanted to actually walk on a rope or travel in the circus,” the boy replied, “I just want to be “like” a tight rope walker.”

I have heard “I want to be like Jesus,” and for years I have said it myself. But when we say “like,” what do we mean?

What if someone really acted like Jesus?

Consider what we are told about Jesus:

It was never recorded that Jesus asked anyone for money, beyond that, there is no indication He ever even pursued it. He apparently just trusted His father for every meal and everything.

He spoke in parables often with the understanding that His audience would not understand! If that was not enough, He thanked His Father for the fact that they did not understand Him.

He preached about the Kingdom everywhere He went. He never seemed to care about a person’s status in life. He would pass on larger crowds to speak with one person with no reputation.

He spoke openly about sin in peoples’ lives to their face, to those who were in power and those who were not. He also freely forgave people, sometimes when they did not ask for it.

He ate and drank freely with harlots and people of bad reputations. He was accused of being a glutton and alcoholic, a rumor that would end most preachers’ ministries.

He violently confronted those who used religion just to make a profit. He broke temple traditions in public, possibly with that intention.

He laid hands on the sick and healed them, but then told them not to tell anyone.

He said “If anyone comes after me, let him take up his cross and follow me.” When He said this to His disciples they literally “left the nets” and followed Him.

Really....
Literally.....
If Jesus was alive today and acted anything like this, would you follow Him?

Could it be that we do not see everything that Jesus did, because we are afraid to do everything Jesus did?

Changing the way we think about "the Church"

2009-08-05T09:11:00.000-05:00

Few organizations have been the brunt of so much criticism as “the Church”. Often referring to some unseen group of people who basically rub some people the wrong way. Armchair critics let loose in their judgment of any and all people who are “the Church”. Stereotyping is par for the course, separating the good as “accidental,” the “Church” is left only with others' failures. When someone is deemed to be “good” or to have done something “good” we credit that one person for their actions, thereby mentally separating that person from “the Church”. But, if someone makes a mistake or does something wrong then we say that is “the Church”. People classify the “Church” as a small group of people who are judgmental, stuck in their ways, and refuse to show love to anyone but those who please them. Get this in your spirit, THAT IS NOT THE CHURCH! People like that may always attend the building we call “church” but that does not make them the “church”. Understand, mean spirited people who try to control others are everywhere you go. They are in the building we call church and outside it in the “secular” world. Just like all people, short of the miracle of grace, they will stay that way. Defining “the Church” by a few people who go to “church” buildings is not the real way to define Church. Jesus said those that love Me (meaning love Jesus) keep His commandments, the chief of those being “to love God and one another”. He also said, “by this will all people know you are my followers that you love each other”. Follow this logic with me..if Jesus is the founder of “the Church” then Jesus should be the person to determine how His organization is defined. If Jesus defined it by those who obeyed His commandments then logic dictates that “the Church” is all those who keep His commandment to love God and others. Makes sense right? Then why do we say that the Church is a bad thing when it is made up of people who are acting like Jesus? By this definition “the Church” is the most impressive group of people who have ever lived! The Church has fed more hungry people in the world than any other group in history. It has cared for more orphans and widows, comforted more broken hearts, paid more debts and loved more fervently in one day than all the world combined. Beyond all this, the Church has carried the great news of salvation all over the world! The Church is full of the fruits of the Spirit like love, joy and peace. The Church has been the driving force of great adventures as its people have braved new worlds to spread God's love. The Church is still doing all of this today, right now all over the world.
Yes, it is true that every Sunday in buildings we call the church, people gather who do not do any of these things. And it is true that others have used the name “the Church” to spread empires and mistreat people. But that does not make them “the church.” They stole the name because it is such a great one. “They” are just more people who need the love of Jesus to transform them. If someone takes a cheap watch and stamps Rolex on it, does that make it a Rolex? If I changed the emblem on a Yugo and told you it was a Rolls Royce, would it be? Most people agree that this makes sense, but will we change the way we think and therefore the words that come out of us? You should, and for your own spiritual health, you need to. This misguided image is damaging to others and to those who hold on to these misconceptions. It keeps people from experiencing the great beauty that is the Spirit of Truth living on this earth. When we define the Church by people who are not really part of it, we do not see all the good that is going on because of Jesus. We can not find a way to connect with these wonderful people and experience the hope that they share.
The Church is alive and well, full of Hope and Love and still the most beautiful bride on this earth. Add this to your mental dictionary and let it change the way you think. The Church; it is people who love Jesus and others!
“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” John 14: 21
And for the record, as much as you may find this hard to believe...the Church still meets in a number of those buildings. Just do not be surprised if others show up as well.

New Videos on Website

2009-07-29T15:45:00.001-05:00

I know my website seldom changes, however! I have finally added some video. These are excerpts of longer sermons that we will have available on DVD.

Living above the realm of the enemy

2009-07-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

Living above the realm of the enemy

The bible cast our enemy as the “accuser of our brethren”. (Rev. 12:10 KJV) An accuser is someone who charges others with fault. By contrast Jesus is a forgiver who does not hold our faults against us when we trust in Him. In the gospel of John this story is record about Jesus faced with accusers of a woman found in adultery.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” ...“All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:4,7b,9-11 NLT)
A major focus God has put on my heart for this church has been living with a transformed mind. This is accomplished by allowing the application of the living word to recreate the abundance of your heart. Your thoughts change, motives change, value system changes everything is being made new. This is evident by the words of your mouth. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. (Mat. 12:34b KJV) What then is the abundance of your heart? Is it dwelling in the camp of the enemy through accusation of fault?
Have you ever claimed to have forgiven someone of a fault, and then went on to share the past wrong with someone else? You are then an accuser of the brethren. You are allowing the enemy a stronghold in your life through never letting go of past wrongs. Once there is a stronghold of the enemy firmly in place your life you are the one who will suffer. The bitterness and resentment eat at you and often people begin to question God, “why did you not defend me?” There are times I have seen this anger and unforgiveness that last years. Still claiming to be innocent and righteous, the accuser plants character destroying seeds of distrust about others at every opportunity.
So what is the way of the transformed mind? How do we live above the realm of our enemy? First, “Have this mind in you that was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5 KJV) When Jesus hung on the cross He prayed “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34 NLT) If you do not believe that is possible for anyone other then Jesus consider Stephen. While Stephen was being stoned to death, “He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.” (Acts 7:60 NLT) While he was being stoned to death a painful slow process he asked God not to charge it against them! With a transformed mind we know God is the final judge we can trust in Him.
“And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah (Psalm 50:6) God does not need our help in judgment or in accusation. Let go of all wrongs as God forgave you so you forgive others. Hold your tongue of all past wrongs and you will be able to tear down the stronghold of satan.
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matt. 6: 14-15 NLT)

New Ministries Here at FCC

2009-07-15T11:32:00.003-05:00

There are a few new ministries starting here at FCC. First, the angels prayer ministry which is evolving into an intercessory pray ministry. This is very important part of what God wants to create within this church. The contact person is Betty Benedict, I urge you to contact her to find out more. We also have a group of ladies meeting and creating quilts while getting to know each other better. The contact person is Paula Hartley.
I am encouraged to see so many new ways to connect and strengthen others. I pray that God will bless these efforts.

Saturday July 11th

2009-07-08T10:49:00.001-05:00

This Saturday we are convoying to Ceder Rapids to be in worship at River of Life Church with Darrell Evans. Our group will leave from the church at 4:45 service will start at 6:00. Plan on going this will be a great experience in worship!

My sympathy and prayers

2009-07-07T14:02:00.002-05:00

To all of my family on the Byrns side. Deana, India and I are praying for you at this time. We are praying that with this passing the love of Jesus will be given a time to shine in your hearts. I believe and (I understand this through prayer) while asking God about my grandmother. That she was holding on during this time of physical suffering allowing God to work through past hurts and spiritual needs. Growing up Catholic as she did and most of you have, there is a lot of misinformation that makes death a confusing and always a fearful event. Thankfully the real Jesus is full of grace and mercy and finds us even when we have not been given the most direct path to Him. She was unsure of all the "levels" the requirements the heavy burdens place on her that give no assurance. Had she been good enough? Had she been obedient to the "system" of prayers and penance? In the end Jesus made it clear to her, it was never by works it was always by faith in Him that you are saved. There is no fear when we trust in Jesus, she left her body and by faith entered into heaven. "To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ" not purgatory. It took time to come to this faith, some time with just Jesus, internal healing time. Not because she was so far from God but because sometimes we can be made so confused about God. It is hard to leave behind the legalism that the "church" had wanted to make us a part of. But in the end I have faith and assurance from prayer that He made it all clear. She was able to let go and just trust He is more willing to catch us then we have ever been told.
Have faith in Him that you will see her again. Not just to see her, but because a God this great is worth having faith in and wanting to know.
Be made whole and release the pain of grief. Our love and prayers.
Colton

The Codex Sinaticus Online

2009-07-07T13:54:00.001-05:00

This is an interesting site for anyone interested in original language study. The Codex Sinaticus is the oldest biblical text known in the world and it has now been put online. Enjoy
http://www.codex-sinaiticus.net/en/

False Christianity

2009-07-04T17:16:00.002-05:00

False Christianity has deceived millions with a focuses on a set of rules that are chiefly external. It is a religious spirit that lulls a person into a false sense of security. Deceived by piety they have measured themselves not by the Word of God but by their neighbor. They falsely trust in regular church attendance and a good reputation in the community. They often lean on clean speech and self-control from visible worldly passions. Commendable traits, but not very impressive to God.
A religious spirit is often more concerned with Patriotism then true Christianity. Church is merely a part of being a “good” American to which they show an equal amount of dedication too as their local football team. Their Christian faith is simply a part of their families heritage, a small part of their identity. Willing to adhere to several of the churches “goals” for a person . A strong family structure, high work ethic and maintaining good reputation. They become offended by any call to the biblical view of complete surrender to Jesus. Challenge yourself! What place of honor does Jesus hold in your life? What place has He been given in your family? In your church? Who do you serve?

More on Covering

2009-07-02T09:50:00.003-05:00

Covering is a huge subject but keeping love as the main essential of covering and not "man control" keeps the deception out of the subject! I like it that God established the covering and that man walks in that which God has the ultimate control. - Eva Bickhart

That is true we must always be guided by the Holy Spirit who operates in love. I have noticed a dangerous trend of the pendulum of thought. Once it was identified that there had been a misuse of truth. In this case leadership using the covering to have control over others lives to satisfy their own need for power. The pendulum went back so far away from the truth that the focus turned away from Biblical truth. The church was left with leadership only capable of a worldly concept of servant leadership. This happened both in the roles of Pastors and in the role of husband. In the end this lead to a lack of real covering in peoples lives the result was real tragedy, sheep lost for direction and easy pray for the enemy. Consider the average “high church” in America they lack any real leadership. As a result the church is filled with divorce, rebellious teenagers, teen promiscuity and the list goes on. There is no respect for fathers, husbands or Pastors, people only want to hear about the leaders role as servants and not the role of submission. This attitude has created a lot of painful and it is a direct result of the rejection of biblical covering. When we cover one another in love, search the scripture and lend ourselves to prophetic leadership we create clear paths for our lives and those that follow us.

Notes on Covering

2009-07-01T14:19:00.003-05:00

This post are my notes from a class I taught during our midweek meetings. It fits in with what we have been learning lately so I decided to post them. Although it does not have a lot of extra information other then the texts used, by following the scripture you can gain an understanding of covering in the body. Your comments or questions are welcomed.

We are set in the body.

1 Corinthians 12: 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.

Everyone has a place in the body. Every person is important, consider any ecosystem and how each part needs another part to function. The church works the same way.

1 Corinthians 12
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our unsightly parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part which lacked.
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Ephesians 4:
4: There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The body of Christ was created to bring us to the image of Christ.

Ephesians 4:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes an increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

There is a misunderstanding that because Jesus is the head of every believer then there is no covering or line of authority in the church. If that is the case then Paul had no grounds to instruct believers in his day. He did so base on His apostleship.

We are thinking in the carnal mind when we resist people who love us and try to instruct us in the way of Christ.

Consider Hebrews 13:16-18
16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

We are not only spiritually enabled by the body of Christ we are physically emotionally upheld. When we yield to the Holy Spirit who places us in His desired place in the body we find the strength for Christ-like living.

1 Corinthians 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.
This is the image of the body working as God intended to bring us closer to Christ.
Acts 2: 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!"
41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.
44 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 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.
Revival had come to the Church and you see how the Holy Spirit directed everyone to care for each other.

James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
NASB 5: 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Emotional support = This depicts a body of trust and desire to see people grow.

Romans 12:3-5 (King James Version)
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
We are not in a competition or should and truly Godly person want to control or exploit.
However, when God calls a person to their office they must serve it as one serving the Lord and not man.
1 Peter 5
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resist the proud, and gives grace to the humble.

This calling to be in subjection to Christ and then each other as a body working under a spiritual “covering” is against the will of our flesh.
But imagine the true image of the Body working as one under the headship of Christ.
Trusted source for spiritual direction, being released to minister and do your part. The body becomes an instrument of healing, physical and emotional.
The term covering has been used a lot in the church lately as a form of control. There is leadership, offices needed to keep organization and allow everyone to work together. Their calling is to keep out the “wolves” and care for the “lambs”. Nurture people, love people, and guide people.
Everyone from apostle to layperson (if there is such a thing) is apart of the body. In Christ we are all subject to each other in love! The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are subject to Christ and to others because Jesus style leadership is serving. Although they make themselves servants to others by God's will they serve them through leadership!

If everyone did their part.

Not if every one did there part on their committee, but if everyone allowed the gifts that God gave them to be used in the Body of Christ.

People who could be evangelists (not the kind that go from church to church exhorting) true evangelists people who go into the field and seeks the lost.

Care givers giving care, people of great faith encouraging, the older women teaching the younger woman and men doing the same.

Teachers teaching not only in Sunday School but in homes.

Elders giving counsel to younger families.

The Pastor guiding the spiritual direction of the Church.

The church functioning in all the gifts of the Spirit for the empowerment of all believers!

This image of the Bride is incredible, my prayer is that we will submit ourselves to the vision of biblical covering.

Eva Bickhart now has a blog site

2009-07-01T10:32:00.001-05:00

This is Eva's new blog site, she plans on post a number of studies on the topic of covenant theology. I encourage everyone to be a part of this study.

Or not

2009-06-29T12:13:00.002-05:00

Ok..so there was not a part one..but I have two blogs so sometimes I can get confused.

Marriage Retreat part two

2009-06-29T12:13:00.001-05:00

Marriage Retreat went great! I have extra copies of the book "Love and Respect." That was given out at the retreat. If you would like a copy let me know the cost is almost half-price! This is a good book and would be helpful for any couple desiring to grow in the marriage. BTW That should be every couple.

Click here for the Link

2009-06-23T20:05:00.004-05:00

I have mentioned to a few people that I like John Wimber. Here is a great link in youtube of his testimony. It is broke down into 8 sections so it is rather long. However, you can break it into sections, first about how he got saved and the second about how he grew in his ministry.

New Book for Church

2009-06-19T09:12:00.002-05:00

After a lot of consideration and prayer I have finally picked our new book! Bill Hybels Holy Discontent. I do not plan on spending a full service on "Faith Like Potatoes" just making it apart of our up coming mid-week service.
Let me know in the comment section if you plan to purchase this book yourself. I will be ordering some copies for the church soon.

As for "faith like potatoes" I thought it was a perfect example of "first generation faith". He took the word at face value and went with it. We miss out on so much because we refuse to believe the full word. This is a great starting point for our "first generation church" thinking.

I hope to see you this Mid-Week service June 24th 09'
Here is a link to the book Holy Discontent. Also let others know so we can get the word out.

Looking Forward

2009-06-12T10:50:00.002-05:00

I am looking forward to a number of things all while enjoying the day. My Dad is coming to visit for the first time here in Iowa. This Sunday's service should be filled with new people, plus I just love Sunday! I have so much information to teach in the coming months I know it will produce fruit. We are going online! full streaming video! That will allow more people to be apart of what God is doing at FCC. I can go on and on because God is working! Be apart of what is good.

I want to recommend a book "2000 years of Charismatic Christianity" I know I have recommend this before, but I am still not sure everyone is reading it. This book will give you so many starting points to learn from that is what makes it great. Remember, God says SEEK ME. He is calling you to look for Him and learn about Him yourself. So many people sit back and think being a christian is just going to church and being nice to people. Being a Christian is being a person who is seeking God!
Back to looking forward, I am looking forward to finding out more.

Sara has a blog

2009-05-28T11:20:00.002-05:00

Sara Hess has a blog about her up-coming trip to Nicaragua. Take a look and support Sara a young Missions Mind youth from our Church. If you have a blog let me know I would be glad to post your link on this site.

May 27th Mid Week Bible Study

2009-05-28T11:01:00.002-05:00

I thought the Mid-Week service was very good. Great comments and thoughts followed the lesson. My hope is that we will continue to put in practice what God has put in our hearts to accomplish. This Sunday's sermon will continue to address the subject of Joy with an emphasis of practice ways to overcome depression. This is a major issue in our world today and something people are willing to seek out an answer for. Invite someone you know. Try and fill this church not so we can glory in our attendance, rather let us make the effort for the struggling hurting people that hope would help!

Mid-Week Service May 27th

2009-05-26T20:38:00.002-05:00

Make plans to be apart of this service. We will cover the topic of first generation church mindset. I have notes posted here on my blog. This is important teaching, we are laying to foundation for the harvest.

Follow this Blog

2009-05-26T20:31:00.001-05:00

If you read this Blog feel free to join. Knowing who is reading will help me direct the content. Thank You!