Just to bring things up to date, I want to let everyone that I have not had any problems with my uterus since that time that Michelle and Tegan prayed over me. I do believe this is a full fledged miracle. The funny thing is that I am a bit cynical over miracles. I am actually a bit cynical over a lot of things. Asher says that is because I tend to be a pessimist. I say I am a realist.
So I am not too big on miracles. I certainly believe though that God can and does preform them but I don't know, I think that maybe people tend to credit things to God that are coincidence. I know that some people would say that there are no coincidences, but I think there are. I also know that sometimes we make choices that we think are just us with no spiritual leading, but at the end the the situation we see that God meant for us to make that choice and he had a plan for that situation that we were totally unaware of.
I have found many issues about God like that. Really it seems like everything about God is a paradox. Some people have their certain views about God and other people who read the same Bible take the opposite view about Him. They do that because we, as humans, want to understand God. We don't like knowing that there are things we don't understand. We want to put certain subjects in a box and tie it with a bow. We say, "This makes sense to me so I can operate from here." This is completely understandable because we need to have a base of operation from which to make choices in our lives. But we are all, as Alduous Huxley says someplace, Great Abbreviators, meaning that none of us has the wit to know the whole truth, the time to tell if it we believed we did, or an audience so gullible to accept it. I don't think that God will blame us for getting things wrong. I mean on the small stuff. Of course there is Christ and Him crucified, and the inerrancy of the Bible, but beyond the big points that God has so clearly explained in the Bible I really think that God has given us fudge room.
I think it is vitally important to try to be correct in our philosophies though. It is so easy to be sucked into something damaging because it is associated with something good. I know that Pastor Craig loves God with his whole heart and wants to serve Him. But Pastor Craig is sucked into the Purpose Driven Church philosophy. Get people in doing anything short of sin. That is the motto for the PDC. Then when they are in and have said the sinner's prayer, what should they do? Tithe, get involved in the infrastructure of the church, get involved in service outside the church and ask your friends to come and do the same. Those are the four commitments that Life Church has set forth for its members. I think that Pastor Craig honestly does not realize that those are just external things. That coming to church every week and hearing a sermon is not going to truly change people. He doesn't know that what he really needs to be telling people that what they truly need to be doing is reading their Bible, memorizing Scripture and finding someone to disciple and pour their lives into. And if they are not doing those things than they need to possibly question their salvation. If a Christian is not feeding himself how can he grow? At best that Christian is retarded in growth because he has only had milk his whole life. I know that is a radical point of view but it is based in Scripture.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Mathew 7:22-23
The Bible does talk about doing good works but is talks about reading the Word of God much more. That is the emphasis in the Bible. How are we supposed to really know what is in the Bible if we don't read it. Some people say that they will hear God's word and church, but if that is all you are getting you are only getting milk.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Hebrews 5:12
I am not sure why I got off on this tangent. I guess that I am feeling a little frustrated with Life Church because they have such an excellent opportunity to do the work of God, but seem to be turning into just another lame duck. Actually worse than that because they are teaching if you do those things outlined in the four commitments you are going to heaven. I think they started out with great ideas but just couldn't quite reach the goal because their main doctrinal teaching is simply insufficient.
I would still like to attend there though. I can tell that Asher has been losing his drive to recruit at Life Church because he feels that the people who are going there are only interested in the external and not actually doing the hard work of learning and growing. I feel like there are still starving sheep. Sheep that desire what we have to offer and all we have to do is make that connection. So we will have to see what happens. We just want to be in the most effective place for the ministry.
4 comments:
I can see what you're trying to say, but I have to reply honestly ... and I disagree. LifeGroups are heavily recommended, and although I've never taken that step, isn't that where you really get the "meal" beyond the "milk"? That was always my perspective of the purpose of a lifegroup?! It's kinda funny you say all this, too, because pastor Craig has SO many times lately been telling us that we're NOT doing what we need to do to be true followers of Christ. I absolutely love lifechurch and will miss it immensely! Yes, they may seem a little radical and yes it's only here and there that they really talk about certain things God asks of us, beyond those four commitments ... but I think you have to look at the big picture, too! LifeChurch is the type of church that gets non-believers into the building and hearing the word of God - and to me that IS important and if you're listening you do get a lot out of those messages, and I believe it definitely can be "enough" for non-believers and new believers! I have fallen short, I admit, by never joining a lifegroup ... I have no excuse ... but as a maturing follower of Christ we shouldn't have to be told in sermons what God wants of us, and I'm pretty sure new believers are somewhat discipled, if they join a lifegroup, so that would be their start of learning God's "expectations" for lack of a better word! I'm super glad to see you back on here, did you get your computer fixed? ok, well - I just had to throw in my "two cents", hope you don't mind! love ya, God bless
Hey Abby,
good blog. :)
I have to say that when I made the decision and left LifeChurch for the last time last Sunday after serving, it was with a really heavy heart. There was no cry of "Ichabod" or someother tort, just with a grieving heart for the mislead, the lost, and those who think they are safe, but are not. My heart goes out to the people at LifeChurch, but I have said what I could for Christ, but I feel that it is to no avail.
Having served, as you know, in LifeKids for many months now, and for 3 services, not just one, I know a little more on the inside of LifeChurch. And they aren't telling the whole story.
That Sunday when all those kids (who were a little older than Caylee) flat out said they did not want to hear about Jesus and how He died for their sins, was so heart breaking. I know there are starving sheep at LifeChurch. And not just the children.
In regard's to Sasha's comment about the LifeGroups - I agree with her, I suppose that is where people are supposed to get their meat after they get their milk in the sermon. The problem is, they aren't getting their meat there. They're getting regurgitated milk.
I have been going to LifeChurch for almost two years, and I realized that I have yet to hear the entire Gospel there. Sure they bring in lots of new people, but I really don't think that those new people are any better off. In fact, I think they are worse off because they are only getting part of the truth. LifeChurch loves to preach love and that Jesus loves people. Jesus does love all people, but He also died for their sins. If those people don't truly believe that they are sinful and that the way they live their lives in sinful, what good is it to know that Jesus loves them? Where do they learn the value of such a great sacrifice that Jesus made for us? He died for our sins. Of course, I don't have to tell you that, you know that and you understand what a costly sacrifice that is.
In the end, it is just too much to continue to go to a place of pseudo-life. What's more, to go to a place when I speak up to one of the pastors, voicing my concern (and not just any pastor, one I have had a rapport with), and he only placates me to get me to be quiet, that is unnerving. And heart breaking. They say that they care about the people, but just like the liberal democrats of today, they care as long as what you have to say goes along with their byline and supports their product. If what comes out of your mouth is not in line with them, then you best be on your way.
If you are going to stay at LifeChurch, then be wise, and keep your wits about you. I feel it has become a lion's den and there is no real Gospel preached there. Only a fragmented, watered-down version of the real thing. And my heart goes out to those that think what LifeChurch preaches and does is the whole, real deal because they are only missing out on all of God's wondrous greatness that He has for His believers.
Hey Abby,
I absolutely agree with you. When I moved down here, Joe had already started to separate from LifeChurch, and I think I've gone a total of three times in the past six months. I'm thankful that I never really got "emotionally" involved with Lifechurch, and I certainly never got "spiritually" involved. My main purpose in going was to hand out cards for our Bible study.
I think it is so important to remember the disciples' example of church that is presented to us in the Bible.
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
-Acts 2:42-47, emphasis my own
I think the problem with Lifechurch, and many of the new emergent/Purpose Driven churches, is that they don't follow this example. They draw in the wolves among the sheep; the non-believers are brought in with the believers, and messages have to be watered down to get non-believers to raise their hands for "salvation" at the end, while the believers aren't being fed. We're shown in Acts 2, in the example of the fellowship of the believers, that it is just that: a fellowship of believers. There were no non-believers brought into the midst of the disciples, in hopes that they'd hear the Gospel and repent. The disciples went out from their church and witnessed to the unsaved, and verse 47 tells us that God only added to their number those who were being saved. Believers cannot grow in a church catering to non-believers... that's why we from the Bible study have used it only as grounds to pick out those believers and try to train them up in God's true word.
A lot of these emergent churches use worldly advertising (billboards, postcards, radio announcements, even TV commercials) with very worldly messages (catchy titles, secular music, even that one billboard - Satan hates Lifechurch). The problem with this is that worldly advertising will draw in a worldly crowd. And Jesus himself makes this so clear... As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. (John 15:19). Every week Joe will come home with stories about the supposed "Christians" he goes to work with - they talk about all the drinking and partying they do, all the girls they get with, cussing the whole time, and then they turn around and talk about last Sunday's sermon at Lifechurch. And sadly, this has become the norm for a lot of so-called "Christians" these days. They don't have to sacrifice anything for their god - because the god they have created is not the God of the Bible. And this view is subtlely encouraged in the emergent church. I remember going to one of those sex sermons back in the spring and I'll confess, I was led to have some sinful thoughts because of the insinuations and unfinished dirty jokes.
Anyway, this has gotten far too long and I apologize for that. Basically, I think it's so important to look at the example of the early church put forth in Acts 2. Peter and the apostles went out from their own church into the temples and cities to preach the Word of God. Only after non-believers repented and were baptized did they join the church as believers. And in the New Testament, the Greek word for church is ekklesia, which means "those who are called out" - and only believers are truly called out, chosen, sanctified by God's will.
Hope this was some food for thought! I'll probably call you in a little bit to find out about dinner this week :)
Michelle left a really great comment. We both agree with you Abby about LifeChurch. I'll have to write a blog about it.
Now, if only there were a way to get this message to Pastor Craig . . .
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