The Foolishness of the Cross

The Foolishness of the Cross by Chip Brogden

To live we must die; to be great we must be made low; to be strong we must be made weak; to enter in we must be straitened; to receive all things we must give up all things. This is the Cross. It is foolishness to man, but it is the power of God. I heard a disciple of the Lord say today, “The Christian who lives for this very hour, to die to himself, is not open to false comfort and cannot be swayed no matter what you do. He cannot be moved.” If I am going to be persecuted, I don’t want to suffer for defending my religious opinions and doctrines on prophetic ministry, renewal, true and false movements, and what’s wrong with the Church. What’s wrong with the Church is that Christ is not preached, the Cross is not taken up, and the Self has not died. So if I am to suffer, let me suffer for preaching the foolishness of the Cross, not my idiotic opinions and teachings – what are they worth? Paul said I knew NOTHING among you, but Christ and Him crucified. This cuts all the dead weight away from our spirit. To only know Christ! To be free to say, “I don’t know, and I don’t care to know. All I know is Christ...” CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST:http://www.chipbrogden.com/the-foolishness-of-the-cross/ I am your brother,

Chip Brogden

You Put a Smile Back on a Child’s Face

In This Issue...  You Put a Smile Back on a Child’s Face  More Recent Articles

Roger

Whenever I step onto the campus at Liberty School, like yesterday, I feel two overwhelming and seemingly opposite feelings.
First, I feel the reality of the school’s ever present needs:

• Never enough school supplies
• Teachers underpaid as they struggle to serve voluntarily these vulnerable children
• Some children facing difficult home situations
• And more

As one missionary-friend likes to say, “This is Africa.”
On the other hand, I simultaneously experience enormous gratitude at seeing these 300+ amazingly happy children learning, growing, and playing (note pics and video).
Why?

• They ARE getting the real essentials of nourishment and care
• They ARE receiving one of the best educations in the country. Amazingly this school of underpaid teachers continually ranks among the highest in test scores
• They ARE experiencing an environment that is safe and that allows them to be what they are…children.

And, for most of these children, though they lack ALL of the childhood toys and accoutrements that we think of as ‘normal’ back home, what they are receiving is ENOUGH for them to learn, grow, and enjoy their childhood.
You are definitely helping us put a smile on each of these faces!

 

Seen on Facebook

Seen on Facebook  
May 29, 2016



I happened to see this Facebook post recently and knew I needed to share it with the Community.  Jen Hamilton is an Australian lady who is our LK10 Coordinator in Thailand. In this post, she talks about sharing Lesson Two of Church 101 with "these blokes" who are in jail.

Why is this significant?

Our desire from the beginning was that the LK10 "rhythms of attention" would spread like a benevolent virus throughout the world. And, that's exactly what we are seeing!  We receive "virus" stories every day.  This Facebook post just happens to be one of the more "distant" examples. A Thai jail.  Amazing!

Sometimes people ask, "But, are you reaching the lost?"  You see, we don't train people in evangelism.  We don't exhort them to share their faith.  We simply train people to listen to Jesus and do what He says.  The result?  Reaching out to the lost happens in very natural and organic ways.  This is just one example.

(By the way, if you want to know more about this way of thinking about ministry, I recommend a classic called The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church by Roland Allen.)
 

4 Ways to Keep Millennials in Your Small Groups

By Ashley Emmert

“Millennials are looking for an in-depth study on the life of Jesus, not a study on how to become a better person.”

Over the past few years, you’ve probably heard rumblings about millennials—Americans between the ages of 18 and 33 who are giving churches a myriad of puzzling behaviors to understand and minister to. Church leaders are scratching their heads and trying to determine how to bring back the 43 percent of once-active church attenders who have stopped attending church altogether. That’s eight million twenty- and thirty-somethings who have stopped attending church.
For a group that’s naturally distrusting of anything institutionalized and who rarely sets down roots (according to PewSocialTrends.org, only 26 percent of this demographic is married—that’s down 22 percent from their Baby Boomer parents) creating a church that makes them comfortable and motivated enough to stay is an ongoing challenge. But recent research from the Barna Group demonstrates one fact that might help churches reach this group in a new way—when 78 percent of millennial Christians described their vision for the ideal church, they chose the word “community.”
It makes sense. Millennials love to be connected—while their well-documented smart-phone reliance might make them seem more distant to the world around them, to millennials, it’s a way of constantly connecting and sharing their experiences with their friends. Every day, new apps are created with the specific purpose of giving young adults new ways to connect with one another in fun and creative ways. They live and breathe constant connection, and because many millennials are waiting to start families (partly because many emerged from college right in the heart of the Great Recession of 2007-2009, putting them significantly behind financially) they have to create this connection and community themselves. They crave it.
How can churches become a place for millennials to feel like they’re part of a community? A thriving small-group ministry is a great place to start.
It seems easy—start more small groups, draw more millennials. But millennials can smell disingenuousness from a mile away, and if they feel out of place or awkward in a small group, they won’t engage. If they feel like your church is “using” small groups to sell your churches’ brand or mission, they’ll run for the hills. And if your church is using study material that barely even glazes over Scripture, chances are good that you’ll see your millennial attenders drop out quickly.
Here are the top four things small-group pastors need to do to successfully minister to millennials:
1. Study the Bible In-Depth.
For the proud and the few young adults who grew up and then remained in the church, there is no higher authority than the Word of God—and no more important spiritual discipline than Bible study. Remember, this is a group of young adults who were raised in the boom of Christian commercialism, who were handed CCM CDs, magazines, and cartoons with Bible-based moral messages wrapped in cool packaging. They attended big, hyped-up youth conferences and felt the excitement acutely—and then they went home and felt, just as acutely, the confusion that arrived when that excitement stopped a week after the conference. They’ve read about famous Christian pop stars checking into rehab, and they’ve seen famous pastors fall. This group knows things are more complicated than they seem.
For those who’ve survived this crash course on discerning what makes real faith, reliance on the Bible for truth is the only thing they’re really interested in. Millennials are looking for an in-depth study on the life of Jesus, not a study on how to become a better person. Create or use content that goes deep into God’s word and avoids “the moral of the story” layouts.

10 Big Lessons I’ve Learned About Small Group Ministry

By Mark Howell

“Have you ever sat down and listed the biggest lessons you’ve learned?”

Have you ever sat down and listed the biggest lessons you’ve learned?
Here are 10 big lessons I’ve learned about small group ministry:
1. The interests of insiders are different than the interests of outsiders. Insiders can sometimes be guilted into caring about things senior pastors care about (theology, missions, capital campaigns, etc.). Unconnected people respond almost exclusively to topics that interest them.
2. Belonging precedes becoming in the hierarchy of needs. This is why I say you must focus on making disciples as you connect unconnected people. Don’t lose sight of the fact that unconnected people are always one tough thing away from never being at your church again. Jesus knew what Abraham Maslow would propose 2,000 years later and invited his earliest followers to come and see first, then to come and die.
3. The best leader candidates are often not currently in a small group. Yes, it is true that some leader candidates are in existing groups and could be tapped as apprentices or leaders of new groups. However, in all but the smallest churches and churches with already very high percentage connected numbers, the best leader candidates are most likely not already connected (and in most cases are people who are unknown by staff). If the main strategies used to recruit additional leaders depend on cherry picking from the usual suspects, there is no question that the majority of the best candidates are flying under the radar and will never be spotted.
4. A test-drive is an easier first step than a long-term commitment. This lesson impacts both how you invite unconnected people to join a group and how you recruit additional coaches. When joining a group feels like a lifetime commitment (i.e., longer than about six weeks) or signing on to be a coach requires life-altering commitments (i.e., one year commitments, quitting other ministry commitments, etc.), you shouldn’t be surprised at hesitation. A toe-in-the-water allows an easier beginning than diving headfirst into the pool.
5. Coaching has very little to do with technique. Yes, the best coaches know the ins and outs of leading a group. Yes, it makes a lot of sense to recruit experienced small group leaders as coaches. But the real value of a coach is to do TO and FOR small group leaders whatever you want your leaders to do TO and FOR the members of their groups. That means long after the leader knows everything they’re going to need to know about leading a group, they will still need someone who loves them and cares for them in a way that models whatever you want to happen at the member level.
6. Settling for warm and willing (instead of hot and qualified) is a loser’s game. Filling a coaching org chart with the wrong people is a poor substitute for holding out for the right people and asking for a full commitment. Never settle for favors. Favors almost always result in unmet expectations.
7. Exceeding span of care limits has unavoidable consequences. A wise and realistic span of care (everyone needs to be cared for by someone, but nobody can care for more than about 10 people) leads to long-term coaching teams and, just as importantly, the highest levels of new groups sustained. Burning out personally, or burning out your best players, is a rookie mistake. Learn this early and avoid the pain.
8. There are no problem-free small group systems, models or strategies. Fortunately, I learned this lesson very early. The realization that there is no problem-free systems saved me from the fruitless pursuit of something no more real than the abominable snowman or a formula that turns lead into gold. The sooner you learn the lesson, the sooner you realize that wise leaders simply choose the set of problems they’d rather have.
9. Results are determined by design. Success or failure is not determined by a fluke. “Your ministry is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing (Andy Stanley).” “Doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity (Albert Einstein).” Learn this lesson earlier, not later. Life is just better when you learn that results are determined by design. Focus your attention on a adopting or adapting a design that produces the results you need.
10. Propping up existing groups (instead of starting new groups) leads to fewer groups. It happens to all of us and if we let it, it will happen over and over. “We are down to three couples … if you could send us a couple more it would be helpful.” This is a losing proposition. Far better to prioritize new groups and teach existing group leaders how to be on the lookout for new members.

The Source of Revelation

The Source of Revelation

“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” MATTHEW 16:17 Here, Jesus contrasts “flesh and blood” knowledge with Truth which is revealed by God (and of course, Jesus is Truth [John 14:6]). The two are as different as night and day. In the matter of flesh and blood knowledge that is obtained from human, earthly sources, we may have reason to boast in our ability to study, investigate, reason, and decide. This is the Tree of Knowledge. In the case of revelation, we have definitely no room to boast, for revelation is simply that which is revealed to us from heaven by the Lord. We cannot work to obtain it nor do we merit it. Additionally, no man may give it to us. Its source is God working in us through His Holy Spirit. This is the Tree of Life. Source: “Lord of All” by Chip Brogden http://www.chipbrogden.com/lord-of-all Like this? Share your comments: http://www.chipbrogden.com/may28 I am your brother,

Chip Brogden

Eleven-Year-Old Touches ONE HUNDRED Girls in Africa

In This Issue...  Eleven-Year-Old Touches ONE HUNDRED Girls in Africa  More Recent Articles

Brooks

When I received an email recently from a young single mom of three girls, I was stunned on several counts. One reason was this mom had just received her income tax refund and had given each of her girls $100 to give away in whatever way she chose. Shocking, right? I’ve been a single mom and there are TONS of ways $300 could have been spent other than giving it away!! Then, secondly, the reason for the email was that one of her daughters wanted to give her money to the kids at Liberty School.
Whohooo!!!! How fun to have $100 not already earmarked for much needed supplies at the school. With so many areas of need not able to be met, it was hard to choose how to use these precious dollars. Then I thought about what life might be like for this little American girl if all of a sudden she were dropped into the same circumstances as an 11 year old girl in Bikeke Village. Her classmates would be girls who didn’t own or much less had ever seen an iPad. They didn’t have a tv or a book or crayons, their own bed, or a rug on their dirt covered floor. They might own a worn out uniform and for weekends a threadbare t-shirt and skirt. The relative they live with can’t buy shoes or pay fees for her to go to school. And, undoubtedly, without Liberty School, she would typically be staying at home caring for her younger siblings while her guardian or single parent goes out seeking day work in the fields to be able to buy enough for at least one meal for themselves and their children that day. These girls have seen and experienced more abuse, loss, hunger and sickness than most of us will in our lifetimes.
However, in spite of such hardship, these little girls are excited to go to school every day and be in a place where they are cared for, taught, and fed. Even though whoever they are living with—a relative, a single parent, a guardian—barely has enough money for food or rent, they are being given a chance for a better life. They smile, they laugh and they are full of gratitude. Nevertheless, MANY times, when I ask about the circumstances about a child at the school, the answer usually includes, “The child’s basic needs are not being met.” What does this mean? Basic needs! Clothing, shelter, and food!!!
So, while, I might LOVE to suggest using this $100 to give the girls a doll or a pretty dress, I think, “What on a very basic level is something they need and will at the same time put a smile on their faces?” Underwear! Why? Because under those dirty, worn out uniforms there is nothing. A teacher told me, “Sometimes when we are discussing some things (hygiene), a child is so ashamed because she is not wearing any underwear.” So, underwear it is! Thank you, sweet American girl, for giving to meet not only a need, but to also bring some dignity and sense of well being to 100 little girls!
So, one hundred girls, one hundred pairs of underwear!! When I told the students about the American girl and how she wanted to give them something, they couldn’t believe it. I showed them her photo and they knew she was real. When I placed a brand new, not even from a second hand store, pair of panties in their hands, they were in awe. Undoubtedly the very first pair of brand new underwear they had ever owned!!! Each one curtsied and stuck out both hands to receive her pair. In unison, they shouted out, “Asante sana!” Just check out their delight!

      

CWOWI E-Newsletter, Personal Update

Hi all,

Barb and I are back from our Finnish and Dutch conferences, and it was so good seeing old friends and make new ones.

 

For Chris, we were away from him a total of 3 of his work weeks

He goes to a workshop Monday-Thursday each week, and we dropped him off Sunday, April 10, and didn’t pick him up until Friday the 29th, and it was just too long, with a few ‘behaviors’ as they call temper outbursts in that last week. So in the future rather than back to back European conferences we’ll have to separate them to keep our total time away at no more than 2 weeks – They said the last week, each morning, he would refuse to go to the workshop, but just sit by the window looking out saying ‘Dad is coming to get me, I’m NOT going to work!’…

 

I remember when we placed him in the group home 13 years ago and felt like the worst parents in the world for doing so, and one night after Barb fell asleep I lay in bed telling the Father either heal him or take him home – and suddenly the Lord stood in our bedroom, and without greeting simply opened with:

 

“Would you have Chris miss out on the fullness of his reward by Me taking him home early, just because you feel bad for having to place him in a group home?” I humbly apologized saying “I’m sorry Lord, I never considered Chris’ rewards and his part in our ministry, of course I want him to have the fullness of his reward, but under one condition: That he not suffer any abuse or neglect.” He looked at me and with one quick downward nod of His head as He spoke, said, “Done”, and disappeared.

 

In between then and now has been great difficulty on both his and our parts, but the Lord never promised an easy life, just eternal life.

 

People are forever

The whole of the New Testament was written by apostles who started family based churches that met in homes,writing to people in those home based churches. To understand the New Testament any other way is to take scripture out of context - no matter how you celebrate the gathering of saints, from denominational churches to independent charismatic to house church - that is just history.

 

Their focus in the New Testament was on relationships, which followed Jesus' teachings that if someone sinned against you, go to them and try to mend the relationship. That principle is stated from Matthew 5 where Jesus said to leave your gift at the altar and be reconciled, to Matthew 18:15 to go 1 on 1 to make peace, to Galatians 6:1 to restore one who has trespassed in a humble spirit, to the James 5:16 exhortation to confess our trespass to the person we trespassed against and pray for one another that the relationship would be healed.

 

Relationships are the key no matter how you celebrate church, though some structures are better at the development of relationships than others. I remember what the Lord said to me in His February 4, 2001 visitation:

 

"See what I see, people running to and fro to this meeting and that, looking for the spectacular thinking that is supernatural, while they miss the supernatural work in their midst, even in their own hearts...As it was in the beginning, so it must be now; I'm moving in relationships."

 

We often misunderstand what the Lord is trying to do in our midst because we attach what He wants to our own experience or education and understand it through those eyes. As I like to say, we don't see the world as it is, we see it as we are.

 

People may think they are called to plant churches, or start a house church, but in reality we are called to develop relationships, and from the vitality of those relationships comes meetings in homes.

 

Come and go as you please?

A healthy family based church that meets in homes as depicted in the New Testament is very different from some who claim to be in the 'house church stream', but often call it 'simple church' or 'organic church' - there are some good and balanced house churches under those banners, but many are not.

 

A house church is not a miniature of the auditorium church, each week dictated by 1 person what will happen in the meeting, nor is it a come and go as you please bless me club with no sense of order or commitment.

 

In scripture we see people dedicated to each other in the Lord, meeting with purpose and working through challenges rather than leaving the group when challenges in personalities arose.

Acts 2:42 says "They continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Note 'continued steadfastly'. 

 

The Greek word translated 'continued steadfastly' is 'proskartereo', literally meaning 'to be strong towards', meaning perseverance continually towards a person or thing. It is also used in Acts 1:14 speaking of how the 120 continued in prayer during those 10 days between Jesus' ascension and Pentecost.

 

They were strong towards the apostles teaching, fellowship, eating together and in prayer/worship.

 

To have teaching, fellowship, food and/or the Lord's Supper, and prayer/worship without the 'continued steadfastly' element, you just have a come and go as you please, no requirement placed on you, bless me club using the name 'church'. The purpose of the gathering of the saints is to conduct the business of the kingdom, which is furthering the discipleship process, not just to make people feel warm and fuzzy inside.

 

I know what the Lord has said to me, that the days of church without purpose, including house church, is past and the body of Christ is being urged by the Spirit to grow up in our relationships.

 

That is why I say so often that house church is a lifestyle, not something we do. When you invest the time and effort in relationships, those people you are still going to know 100, 500, even 10,000 years from now and beyond in the ages to come, it requires purposeful commitment. But that is what the Spirit is saying. No matter how you celebrate church, invest in relationships in Christ.

 

2 new series

Our ordeal with Chris of this thing called life, along with a couple of requests to do so, prompted me to record the series “Why God?”, and will help you look at the larger picture when dealing with heart-rending issues like handicapped children, chronic physical conditions and such here on earth.

 

The other series, David the Future King, is the first of a 3 part series about the Psalms David wrote at particular times of his life - before being king, while king, and in exile when Absalom rebelled. You'll not only learn more about David, but gain insights into his emotions and spiritual ups and downs - and where some of your favorite verses and Psalms came from.

 

Thank you!

After the last 2 busy summers being so busy, this one is being taken at a slower pace, and we are enjoying it, Chris now settling back into a routine, which is so important to him, and us.

 

Thanks for being part of our lives, and remembering us in prayer and in your giving – thank you!    

    Blessings,

        John & Barb, & Chris

       

   www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

 

 

New cd/MP3 series:

 

David; The Future King (Part 1)

This series links the life of David with Psalms he wrote during three periods in his life: Before being king, during his reign, and in exile. Part 1 looks at the Psalms he wrote before becoming king, studying each event that led him to pour out his emotions in the Psalm related to an event or challenge, with the result being the listener will know David much better, and be better able to walk through the pressures in their life. You will be able to related to David's raw emotions and spiritual struggles and how he found peace and safety in the Lord in the midst of stressful and often life-threatening situations. A fascinating series that will give greater understanding to the Old Testament and Psalms and their place in history.

 

 

Why God?

Answers for Those with Special Needs Children or Caring for Those with Long-Term Conditions

When a child is born with an infirmity or condition, or develops one, or we unexpectedly must provide long term care for a loved one, an unanswerable question of faith arises from within: How can a loving God let this happen? Our faith is shaken to the core and we hear teachings on healing and the loving Father but we are dealing with long term, life changing challenges that don't make sense. This series deals with those questions from John & Barb's personal experience with their physically and mentally handicapped oldest son. Having walked through it from babyhood to adulthood with him, and having walk theologically through all the standard answers, including having their faith largely destroyed and rebuilt in the process, this will offer help and answers to those struggling with these issues, or for those who know someone struggling with these issues. You'll regain peace, have some answers, and be able to put to trust the Father once again. 

The Secret of Christian Living

The Secret of Christian Living

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” GALATIANS 2:20 This is the beginning point of our identification: crucifixion with Christ. Here Paul tells us the secret of what it means to be a disciple. A Christian is not someone who believes certain things about Jesus and tries to live a good life. A Christian is someone who is crucified with Christ and has no life of his own. “Not I, but Christ” is not just the secret of living the Christian life, it is the goal and the end result of all God’s dealings with us along the lines of discipleship. He must increase. I must decrease. Follow this process out to its inevitable, irresistible conclusion and you see that eventually there is none of me; it is all of Him in me. Source: “Embrace the Cross” by Chip Brogden http://www.chipbrogden.com/embrace-the-cross Like this? Share your comments: http://www.chipbrogden.com/may24 I am your brother,

Chip Brogden

May Friends Letter

Friends

Many of you will know that Sunday Adelaja, "the pastor of the largest Church in Europe" based in Kiev, Ukraine has been exposed as a serial adulterer and has confessed to sexual relations with "at least 70 women" (he cannot remember them all) of his congregation.

This may not be a big deal in the western world but in the post soviet world with a resurgent, strident and increasingly nationalistic  Orthodox church this is a big deal.  They label all free churches as cults and "western plots".  To have one of the most well known christian leaders in the area exposed in such a manner makes it vastly more difficult for other free churches.  

To the secularists of the former soviet world that Sunday has been exposed as first a financial scam artist and now a serial adulterer only confirms to them that the religious leaders are the same as their corrupt politicians.

Remember John's thing about the stuff in the world?  You know "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life"  not being "of the Father"?  That one?

So in the charismatic world we have this "culture of honour" stuff where "the man of God" teaches the people of God to honour the man of God.  Right!  (I really do wish I was making this stuff up!)  So the leader ends up with all of his/her pride of life issues filled to the max.  They have titles, preference, place and end up being the head of a personality cult.  We have made "pride of life" into a spiritual accomplishment!

Likewise we have the prosperity gospel where material blessing is a sign of God's favour.  The "man of God" is honoured with every material, financial blessing so that they live like a rock star and teach that you can have the same if you have enough faith (or can manipulate enough people to give to you!).  We have made possessing  whatever our eyes see as the proof of the blessing of God.

Why is that we  celebrate pride of life as honour and baptize rank materialism as blessing but sexual "variety" as scandalous?  

Actually some do NOT view a variety of sexual relationships as scandalous.  They say that David was the man after God's own heart and he had multiple wives.  They say that Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and he had hundreds.  They say we live under a better covenant so we should have at least as much as they did! 

But those who believe such nonsense tend to hide it for fear of losing followers and finances but my question stands-  Why do so many accept pride of life and its attendant personality cults  rebranded as a "culture of honour", the lust of the eyes rebranded as the blessing of God and cannot see that they are on the same list as the "lusts of the flesh"?  

The logic of pride works like this, If I can have everything I want in title, position and honour and if I can have everything I want in finances and things why can I not have everything I want sexually?  Indeed why not?

Why not? Because cultures of honour and the prosperity gospel have nothing to do with the Kingdom of God just as using your position and power to seduce members of your congregation has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God.

How many times must we see these things to get the lesson?

Jesus walked among us as with a band of brothers.  He called us friends. When the crowd tried to make  Him a king, he ran from them.  When will we learn to do the same?

Your brother

Steve

https://www.naij.com/837455-senior-pastor-sunday-adelaja-in-sex-scandal.html

John Fenn, Emotionally Sick Christians #3

Hi all,

His roommate tripped over him in the middle of the night, that's how I heard about him. I was the Director of a Bible school that had student housing. As it is with dormitories, strangers are teamed as roommates and sometimes that fosters life long friendships, and other times 1 or both demand another roommate. This was just such an occasion.

 

It turned out the young man was sleeping on the floor, causing his roommate to trip over him in the middle of the night. He said he was called to the ministry of Elijah and John the Baptist, and because his ministry was so exalted by heaven, yet so difficult on earth, he could not partake in any of the luxuries of life - like a bed. So he chose the floor with no cover, to purposely 'chastise' the flesh...

 

He could not be convinced to sleep on the bed and fasted to the point of near starvation, but if we could have rounded up a locust or two I'm sure he would have gobbled them down - he was eventually handed over to a Christian based mental hospital for evaluation, released, and left the school for his 'ministry'.

 

Can function normally in life except for this one area...

Most emotionally ill Christians still have the ability to function in life, having the ability to put their illness in the background while they interact with others at work, school, and with their spouse and family. But like a computer program always running in the background no matter what program you are actually working in at the time, their obsession is always just below the surface, and all they need is an opening from someone...

 

As Paul stated in our text, I Timothy 6:1-6, these are people who in private withdraw from healthy relationships in favor of their own ideas, and pull away from other elements of spiritual health - they claim godliness yet don't have a spiritual closeness with their spouse, often don't go to church or any gathering of believers, and pick 'word battles' with people, acting as their own evangelist for their particular belief.

 

If not obsessed with a particular doctrine of the faith twisted to their off-balance view, it can be related to self-image or view in life. We once had a young lady visit our home who was a daughter of an internationally known pastor, and suddenly I saw my angel standing next to her, and asked what message he might have.

 

He said, "Since she was a child she believed the lie that she would die early, never marrying or having children, and the Father wants her to know it is not true and she needs to reject that lie in favor of the truth. His plans for her are a long and full life, and it is hers if she will believe it. Tell her that."

 

While she lingered in the living room as the others headed for the kitchen, the natural gathering place of college students I think, I told her what the angel had told me. She looked wide-eyed at me: "I've never told anyone that, but it is true, I've always believed no matter what people said, no matter what was prophesied over me, that I would die in my 20's. Thank you (as the tears flowed), I'm so relieved, I'm going to grow up and live a normal life!...(more tears)"

 

No on knew she harbored those thoughts, no one knew she had believed the lie. You'll recall last week I shared how Paul said these people hide behind a swirl of smoke, a form of pride, and in this case her status being a daughter of a famous pastor and all the activities of her life were the smoke screen, hiding her true emotional stronghold.                                                                                                                     

 

Envy, strife, 'railings',suspicions...                                                                                                        

In verses 4 & 5 Paul continues describing how sensitive these emotionally ill Christians are to their particular subject, saying their condition leads to, in the King James Version, "...envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings, corrupt minds, destitute of the truth..." Let me put that into modern terms rather than English from the year 1609 when the King James Version was published:

 

Envy is 'phthonos', which is a feeling of displeasure one feels when hearing of the good fortune of others. Strife is 'eris' meaning hard feelings toward another, contention.

 

Railings is 'blasphemia', where we get the word 'blaspheme', meaning 'judging another wrongly by evil speaking'. Interestingly enough it comes from the Greek word 'blax/blapto' meaning 'stupid' or 'to injure' and 'pheme' which means 'speech'. It means (stupid and injurious) words toward someone or God - judgmental words abusive towards others, violating basic social etiquette and insistence on one's own way.

 

The Greek word translated in the KJV as 'evil surmisings' is 'hyponoiai' where we get 'hypnotize' and means 'suspicions', in this use it means 'malicious suspicions as to the honesty of those who disagree with them' - hypnotize means to focus so much on someone to be deceived and submitted to them. These people are both 'hypnotized' by their off-balance belief, and they want to 'hypnotize' others to that belief by arguing their point without any ability to focus on any other doctrine or thought, unable to let loose of it.

 

The next words to describe their behavior in the King James Version is 'perverse disputings, corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth. 'Perverse disputings' is 'diaparatribai', where we get 'diatribe', meaning emphatic and obstinate insistence in a long and drawn out quarreling over words. 

 

The Greek word 'corrupt minds' is 'diaphtkeiro, 'dia' is emphatic, and the 'keiro' part means 'destroys'. The word 'corrupt' is incorrect in modern terms, for this word is strong, indicating someone's mind and/or emotions in this area are being destroyed. It is used in Luke 12:33 to describe the work of a moth eating garments and ruining them, and in II Cor 4:16 of the decaying human body. These are minds destroyed gradually, as the work of a moth eating a bite here, a bite there...little by little they have become off balanced, and then emotionally, mentally, socially, sick/ill. 

 

The Greek word translated as 'destitute of the truth' is 'apostereo'. It is where we get 'apostate' and means 'to defraud, deprive of, to leave the truth. In this area they've left sound and healthy faith. It was used in Paul's time of those who misappropriate trust funds. It means in this context they deprive themselves of something they have a right to, or truth that was once theirs but they took it away from themselves by misuse.

 

This next part has many applications, as Paul concluded in the KJV saying: "Supposing that gain is godliness..." The word 'gain' is 'porismos' and means 'gainful trade', so it would be more accurate to translate it as: "Thinking godliness is a trade in itself and a means to wealth."

 

In modern terms we think of the 'prosperity gospel' and the marketing of the gospel, but in context Paul is talking about emotionally ill people - okay, that still fits many in the prosperity gospel group, lol - but in his use these people think their doctrine, their belief, their area of focus is the means by which they will gain closeness to God, or change the world, or some other gain of some sort - rather than submit to true godliness seen in a humble and transparent heart, they push what they believe instead.

 

And Paul concludes: "From such withdraw yourself, for godliness with contentment is great gain."

 

As Paul said at the start, these people, in this area, are proud, wrapping themselves in a swirl of apparent godliness while eagerly arguing with anyone about what they believe - from believing they aren't loved by God to a genuine doctrine of God taken to an off-balance extreme, the proud must humble themselves. There is only so far a truly godly person will be willing to walk with them before it becomes evident this person would rather lose the relationship with them, lose the job, lose their Christian friends, lose their church family, and so they must stop trying to help. The ill think if you will just believe what they do and follow them, there will be great gain in all areas of life, there will be peace between you and them at last -  but they are blind, and willingly so. From such Paul says, withdraw yourself.

 

We pray for them - Paul's prayers of Ephesians 1:17-18 and 3:14-19 in particular - but the person with this mental stronghold, this emotional illness in this area, must recover themselves as no one can change their heart but them. Often, while the Lord works on their heart, He will let them also experience the consequences of their actions, meaning those who love them are forced to take actions they really don't want to take - ending a friendship, ending their employment, ending their church membership, even ending their marriage. But they have become islands in a sea of people by their own choice...Truly, true godliness with contentment is great gain...and great peace to the emotionally health.

 

    New subject next week, blessings,

        John Fenn

www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com

 

 

 

New CD/MP3 Series

David; The Future King (Part 1)

This series links the life of David with Psalms he wrote during three periods in his life: Before being king, during his reign, and in exile. Part 1 looks at the Psalms he wrote before becoming king, studying each event that led him to pour out his emotions in the Psalm related to an event or challenge, with the result being the listener will know David much better, and be better able to walk through the pressures in their life. You will be able to related to David's raw emotions and spiritual struggles and how he found peace and safety in the Lord in the midst of stressful and often life-threatening situations. A fascinating series that will give greater understanding to the Old Testament and Psalms and their place in history.

 

 

Why God?

Answers for Those with Special Needs Children or Caring for Those with Long-Term Conditions

When a child is born with an infirmity or condition, or develops one, or we unexpectedly must provide long term care for a loved one, an unanswerable question of faith arises from within: How can a loving God let this happen? Our faith is shaken to the core and we hear teachings on healing and the loving Father but we are dealing with long term, life changing challenges that don't make sense. This series deals with those questions from John & Barb's personal experience with their physically and mentally handicapped oldest son. Having walked through it from babyhood to adulthood with him, and having walk theologically through all the standard answers, including having their faith largely destroyed and rebuilt in the process, this will offer help and answers to those struggling with these issues, or for those who know someone struggling with these issues. You'll regain peace, have some answers, and be able to put to trust the Father once again.