A professed Christian church that is ruled by unconverted members! A funny (strange) phenomenon, it if were not so serious! But its true! In many, if not most, mainline congregations, church membership is largely unconverted.
That means that so long as they profess the faith that they are true believers, they must be accepted as such for ever and a day. They must be admitted without question to the sacraments, and given their say in the major decisions of church life - the calling of a new minister, the election of elders and deacons (committee members), how congregational money is to be spent, etc.
These 'members' have a full say in all such matters. They have gone through the ecclesiastical conveyor-belt system, and have now 'made it.' Being regarded as Christians by the church, they hold the control over what happens.
Let's say, for example, that a group of these false professors take exception to the preaching of the minister, because they have the power, and the backing of the establishment, they can work to secure his removal from the ministry. The establishment, whether at local level or nationally, also accepts these false professors as Christians, and will always do their bidding, especially if they include the 'people who count' within the congregation.
This is sadly true in many congregations. And the true Christians who have refused to become communicant members, are ostracised by the church, because they do not count. They might do those things that are required of Christians, namely, they might attend the prayer meeting and bible study with regularity, give generously to the church, help in whatever way they can, give constant support to the beleaguered minister, and have an excellent witness in the wider community. But they just do not count when it comes to church officialdom.
May I be permitted to throw out a challenge to any who might be reading this post. While this unfortunate situation pertains within many congregations, individual ministers, and where the kirk session agrees, could adopt an open membership policy that will include those good Christian attendees in church life and decision-making, and dilute the influence of those false professors. This could continue until the spiritual state of the congregation has changed sufficiently when a return to a more normal policy can be re-adopted.
This will take courage on the part of ministers who are disturbed by the current situation in their churches. It will not be a popular policy to adopt, in the short term, but in the longer term, it will bring about the results that will change the spiritual state of the church into what it is supposed to be.
Sunday, 28 December 2008
A Balanced Ministry
Just as a balanced diet is essential to proper development and health, so in the spiritual realm, a balanced diet is needed.
In denominations and congregations where the Gospel has not been made welcome, there is an urgent need for evangelistic preaching that is tailored to the spiritual needs of the hearers. God's mighty Gospel must be heralded faithfully, without cognisance being taken of those congregations who like a 'cool' Gospel, as opposed to a 'hot' one. A 'cool' Gospel very soon degenerates into a non-Gospel.
But when, under the blessing of Almighty God, the preaching of the Gospel of God knows success, and sinners are converted to the Saviour, these new converts need to be taught the solid meat of the Gospel. This is where the balance is needed. Yes, there can be a ministry which might be called 'teaching evangelism,' in which the Gospel is taught to the newly saved, and the challenge to the unsaved is unclouded. This is a step forward, and is to be encouraged.
At the other end, some ministers accept that all those who have made a profession of faith are Christians, and need only to be taught; so they prepare good solid and nourishing food for their souls, and present this to them on a weekly basis. Some of these refuse to evangelise the communicant members, because, firstly, the church has already accepted them as Christians, and, secondly, if the church accepted them as Christians, how dare any minister to think or say otherwise. If the church says they are Christians, then evangelising them is singularly inappropriate.
Here again, there is an imbalance in approach. Cognisance is not taken of false professors within the fold of the church, the "wolves in sheep's clothing," who have come in to devour the flock. They need to be fended off by the clinical application of the Gospel to their lives, and by the faithful discipline of the eldership.
Neither of these is likely to occur because this would have a negative effect on the financial state of the congregation. Thus the true spirituality of the church suffers by unfaithfulness to the office of eldership as set out in the New Testament and in the church's confessional standards.
Imbalance in the preaching/teaching/pastoral ministry of the church is most likely to create an imbalanced membership.
In denominations and congregations where the Gospel has not been made welcome, there is an urgent need for evangelistic preaching that is tailored to the spiritual needs of the hearers. God's mighty Gospel must be heralded faithfully, without cognisance being taken of those congregations who like a 'cool' Gospel, as opposed to a 'hot' one. A 'cool' Gospel very soon degenerates into a non-Gospel.
But when, under the blessing of Almighty God, the preaching of the Gospel of God knows success, and sinners are converted to the Saviour, these new converts need to be taught the solid meat of the Gospel. This is where the balance is needed. Yes, there can be a ministry which might be called 'teaching evangelism,' in which the Gospel is taught to the newly saved, and the challenge to the unsaved is unclouded. This is a step forward, and is to be encouraged.
At the other end, some ministers accept that all those who have made a profession of faith are Christians, and need only to be taught; so they prepare good solid and nourishing food for their souls, and present this to them on a weekly basis. Some of these refuse to evangelise the communicant members, because, firstly, the church has already accepted them as Christians, and, secondly, if the church accepted them as Christians, how dare any minister to think or say otherwise. If the church says they are Christians, then evangelising them is singularly inappropriate.
Here again, there is an imbalance in approach. Cognisance is not taken of false professors within the fold of the church, the "wolves in sheep's clothing," who have come in to devour the flock. They need to be fended off by the clinical application of the Gospel to their lives, and by the faithful discipline of the eldership.
Neither of these is likely to occur because this would have a negative effect on the financial state of the congregation. Thus the true spirituality of the church suffers by unfaithfulness to the office of eldership as set out in the New Testament and in the church's confessional standards.
Imbalance in the preaching/teaching/pastoral ministry of the church is most likely to create an imbalanced membership.
Irreverent Worship
I mentioned in an earlier post that theological liberalism has infiltrated the evangelical church, and possesses the tendency the completely overcome it, turning it into something quite different from what the biblical Gospel describes.
In this post I wish to discover an application of this principle to another area of Christian worship. It is quite noteworthy that in today's church there is an over-familiarity with things divine. In fact, it might even be worse than than because it seems that, here again, pressure is brought to bear on ministers to accommodate rebellious youth culture in services of divine worship.
What I mean is that young people have sent out a message to churches that if they are not allowed to attend church in whatever way they want, behave how they want, and sing those songs that they appreciate, they will not attend. This implied threat by rebellious youth has been surrendered to by the churches who have said that it now does not matter how they present themselves before the sovereign Lord for the worship of His holy Name.
Time was when worshippers presented themselves before God for worship, they actually believed that He was there, that they were actually worshipping the King Who was present, and that it did matter how they turned up for worship. They believed that they were in the House of the Lord, and not a concert theatre, or flea market. They knew they were presenting themselves before the living and true God, and that they had to do so appropriately, because He was present with them, though invisible.
Now, the malignant influence of theological liberalism has robbed the church, including evangelicals, of the attitude of reverence when approaching God, Who is a consuming fire, to worship Him. Because large tracts of the church today have lost any convincing sense of God's presence in the services, anything goes.
Further, the people who refuse to prepare themselves holistically for the worship of the Triune God, are saying much about their own attitude to the Lord, and among the statements they are making is that they can worship Him any old how, and they can present themselves any old how. Not only is this true of young people, but mature adult Christians believe that have to play the same irreverent religious game, and present themselves before the Lord as casually as they can, just to fit in with the mores of rebellious youth culture.
Can you imagine a professional teacher, or lawyer, or accountant, or businessman turning up to work in the most casual attire they can put on? Can you further imagine what the boss might say, were such to happen? Or imagine someone from an evangelical church being presented to the Queen for some award or other, presenting themselves in trainers, shabby denim jeans and tee-shirt?
But then again, people like these have a much higher and more exalted view of the Queen and their professional bosses, than they do of the God they are seeking to worship!
Now what does this say about these poor disrespectful people? An awful lot, and much of which is not becoming of the Lord they claim to love and serve!
Let me make one point very clear. I am not suggesting a return to the old days of outward correctness and inner spiritual bankruptcy. Far from it! Perish the thought! But I am concerned to recover the good traditions of the Huguenots who believed that both the inward spiritual condition and outward order must go hand in hand together. Both are important, they believed, and one must not be made subservient to the other. God is the God of order, and wants everything in His church done "decently and in order."
How can this be applied to today's church? In this way: those who are spiritually alive to Christ and are walking in a right relationship with Him must be the standard setters, and demonstrate to other younger Christians how to present themselves outwardly to God when they come to worship Him. In the case of the Christian, the outward is a reflection of the inward. But in the case of the non-Christian, no matter how outwardly correct they might be, this is not a reflection of inner spiritual correctness.
Sad to say that many evangelicals do not even know who the Huguenots were, and have lost a enormous amount by such ignorance. They were the most biblically balanced theologians and ministers the world ever knew, and their balance permeated its way into every aspect of their lives and witness.
Let us get back to what these noble Christians believed and practised, and the church will be the better of such a return.
In this post I wish to discover an application of this principle to another area of Christian worship. It is quite noteworthy that in today's church there is an over-familiarity with things divine. In fact, it might even be worse than than because it seems that, here again, pressure is brought to bear on ministers to accommodate rebellious youth culture in services of divine worship.
What I mean is that young people have sent out a message to churches that if they are not allowed to attend church in whatever way they want, behave how they want, and sing those songs that they appreciate, they will not attend. This implied threat by rebellious youth has been surrendered to by the churches who have said that it now does not matter how they present themselves before the sovereign Lord for the worship of His holy Name.
Time was when worshippers presented themselves before God for worship, they actually believed that He was there, that they were actually worshipping the King Who was present, and that it did matter how they turned up for worship. They believed that they were in the House of the Lord, and not a concert theatre, or flea market. They knew they were presenting themselves before the living and true God, and that they had to do so appropriately, because He was present with them, though invisible.
Now, the malignant influence of theological liberalism has robbed the church, including evangelicals, of the attitude of reverence when approaching God, Who is a consuming fire, to worship Him. Because large tracts of the church today have lost any convincing sense of God's presence in the services, anything goes.
Further, the people who refuse to prepare themselves holistically for the worship of the Triune God, are saying much about their own attitude to the Lord, and among the statements they are making is that they can worship Him any old how, and they can present themselves any old how. Not only is this true of young people, but mature adult Christians believe that have to play the same irreverent religious game, and present themselves before the Lord as casually as they can, just to fit in with the mores of rebellious youth culture.
Can you imagine a professional teacher, or lawyer, or accountant, or businessman turning up to work in the most casual attire they can put on? Can you further imagine what the boss might say, were such to happen? Or imagine someone from an evangelical church being presented to the Queen for some award or other, presenting themselves in trainers, shabby denim jeans and tee-shirt?
But then again, people like these have a much higher and more exalted view of the Queen and their professional bosses, than they do of the God they are seeking to worship!
Now what does this say about these poor disrespectful people? An awful lot, and much of which is not becoming of the Lord they claim to love and serve!
Let me make one point very clear. I am not suggesting a return to the old days of outward correctness and inner spiritual bankruptcy. Far from it! Perish the thought! But I am concerned to recover the good traditions of the Huguenots who believed that both the inward spiritual condition and outward order must go hand in hand together. Both are important, they believed, and one must not be made subservient to the other. God is the God of order, and wants everything in His church done "decently and in order."
How can this be applied to today's church? In this way: those who are spiritually alive to Christ and are walking in a right relationship with Him must be the standard setters, and demonstrate to other younger Christians how to present themselves outwardly to God when they come to worship Him. In the case of the Christian, the outward is a reflection of the inward. But in the case of the non-Christian, no matter how outwardly correct they might be, this is not a reflection of inner spiritual correctness.
Sad to say that many evangelicals do not even know who the Huguenots were, and have lost a enormous amount by such ignorance. They were the most biblically balanced theologians and ministers the world ever knew, and their balance permeated its way into every aspect of their lives and witness.
Let us get back to what these noble Christians believed and practised, and the church will be the better of such a return.
Friday, 26 December 2008
Word of God NOT rule of Faith
Contemporary understanding of worship in much of today's church is taken more from modern debauched culture, and is informed by man-centred psychology. It is not informed by Scripture, nor does it draw on the highest and best periods of the history of the Christian Church.
Humanistic relativism is the guiding principle for the worship of the Almighty, not the Word of God. It's what is fashionable and acceptable to youth culture that is allowed in God's house, not what's glorifying to God. Worship in the contemporary church is driven powerfully by youth cravings, and by a desire to please people.
It is becoming increasingly clear that what is influencing worship in today's church is the predominant philosophy such as was given expression in the 'rock and roll' period of the 1960s, with its bare-faced rejection of authority - ALL authority. Only in a church as decadent as the modern church would such a motivation be found. Youth rebellion is accommodated, not challenged and addressed, in the modern church. Every musical guru does what is right in his own eyes.
This man-centredness is designed to facilitate worldly gratification. Worship songs, as they are affectionately called, are deliberately man-centred.
So who really is being worshipped in today's church - man or God? Irreverence is accepted when they claim to be in the awesome presence of the all-consuming and Almighty God, when in reality it resembles more an American musical.
But why is today's worship like this? It is like this because Christians in the church do not know Who God is. They do not know the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as He revealed Himself in Scripture.
So where does this leave subscription to the Westminster Standards within Presbyterian churches? It leaves it as the farce it is! Much more reverence and respect are given to our professions and to Queen Elizabeth II, than are given to King Jesus. Indeed, the comparison is inappropriate for many professing Christians today, because Jesus Christ is dismissed from His rightful place as Head of the Church as a persona non grata, mainly because He cannot be seen. For a materialistic generation like ours, what cannot be seen simply does not exist!
Humanistic relativism is the guiding principle for the worship of the Almighty, not the Word of God. It's what is fashionable and acceptable to youth culture that is allowed in God's house, not what's glorifying to God. Worship in the contemporary church is driven powerfully by youth cravings, and by a desire to please people.
It is becoming increasingly clear that what is influencing worship in today's church is the predominant philosophy such as was given expression in the 'rock and roll' period of the 1960s, with its bare-faced rejection of authority - ALL authority. Only in a church as decadent as the modern church would such a motivation be found. Youth rebellion is accommodated, not challenged and addressed, in the modern church. Every musical guru does what is right in his own eyes.
This man-centredness is designed to facilitate worldly gratification. Worship songs, as they are affectionately called, are deliberately man-centred.
So who really is being worshipped in today's church - man or God? Irreverence is accepted when they claim to be in the awesome presence of the all-consuming and Almighty God, when in reality it resembles more an American musical.
But why is today's worship like this? It is like this because Christians in the church do not know Who God is. They do not know the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as He revealed Himself in Scripture.
So where does this leave subscription to the Westminster Standards within Presbyterian churches? It leaves it as the farce it is! Much more reverence and respect are given to our professions and to Queen Elizabeth II, than are given to King Jesus. Indeed, the comparison is inappropriate for many professing Christians today, because Jesus Christ is dismissed from His rightful place as Head of the Church as a persona non grata, mainly because He cannot be seen. For a materialistic generation like ours, what cannot be seen simply does not exist!
Sunday, 21 December 2008
The Pilgrim's Progress
I am currently reading a version of John Bunyan's masterpiece, The Pilgrim's Progress, and am re-discovering some very profound, yet simple, truths.
One of the simplest, yet often missed, truths is the fact that when we became Christians, we started on a journey whose destination is Heaven, the Celestial City, where the King lives and reigns. Sadly many believers forget this important truth, and substitute for it their advancement in this world and in this world's wealth. But this is where we are heading to, and everything that happens to us on the way either helps or hinders our journey; but nothing can stop us reaching our destination.
Like Christian in Bunyan's book, we too will meet all kinds of challenges. We will meet attempts to distract us from the Way of the King, attempts to divert us from the right pathway and lead us into all kinds of trouble. But we will also meet some good people who are also on the Way of the King, and going to the Celestial City. These are the encouragers, the helpers, the fellow-pilgrims who take us by the hand and help us through the times of danger. There will be fierce animals out to devour us, but because we are under the almighty protection of the King, they cannot harm us - they are held by chains that will not break.
One of the sad sights we will see on the Way of the King, is the sight of those who started on the Way, but who grew weary and did not finish. What a warning to us! They found the Way of the King which goes to the Celestial City just too difficult for them, and they gave up. They forgot just how much the King loved them, and that they were to trust Him in all things.
If you have not read Pilgrims Progress, perhaps now is the time to start reading it, and your soul will be 'strangely warmed' by the truths in it. Get to know it well, and teach it to your children, and to any Christian you might know.
One of the simplest, yet often missed, truths is the fact that when we became Christians, we started on a journey whose destination is Heaven, the Celestial City, where the King lives and reigns. Sadly many believers forget this important truth, and substitute for it their advancement in this world and in this world's wealth. But this is where we are heading to, and everything that happens to us on the way either helps or hinders our journey; but nothing can stop us reaching our destination.
Like Christian in Bunyan's book, we too will meet all kinds of challenges. We will meet attempts to distract us from the Way of the King, attempts to divert us from the right pathway and lead us into all kinds of trouble. But we will also meet some good people who are also on the Way of the King, and going to the Celestial City. These are the encouragers, the helpers, the fellow-pilgrims who take us by the hand and help us through the times of danger. There will be fierce animals out to devour us, but because we are under the almighty protection of the King, they cannot harm us - they are held by chains that will not break.
One of the sad sights we will see on the Way of the King, is the sight of those who started on the Way, but who grew weary and did not finish. What a warning to us! They found the Way of the King which goes to the Celestial City just too difficult for them, and they gave up. They forgot just how much the King loved them, and that they were to trust Him in all things.
If you have not read Pilgrims Progress, perhaps now is the time to start reading it, and your soul will be 'strangely warmed' by the truths in it. Get to know it well, and teach it to your children, and to any Christian you might know.
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Evangelical Ministers in Abundance!
It is quite amazing, and a little amusing, to hear students for the ministry delighting in the fact that all the students for the ministry within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland are sound evangelicals - a very welcome fact indeed. It is a sign that God is blessing His church when He gives Gospel ministers to her.
The obverse is also true; when He gives only liberals to the ministry, that is a sign that He has placed the church under His judgement. When there is a bit of each, then it is difficult to assess what exactly it is that God is doing.
But when all the students for the ministry are 'sound evangelical men,' there is cause for great rejoicing amongst the people of God. When young ministerial students report this wonderful fact, they do so with an air of superiority at times, and with a sense of gratitude to God at others.
I started formal training for the Christian ministry in the Presbyterian college, Belfast in 1975, and I can remember saying to a senior minister how great the future for the church really was, now that God has called all these good young men into the ministry.
He, also an evangelical man, took the wind out of my sails when he told me that when he entered the ministry within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland some 35 years earlier, that all the students in his day were also evangelicals.
What had happened in the meantime? To my recollection, most of the men of my friend's generation were not noted evangelicals, as we both admitted. So what happened?
Several things come to mind. First, it is possible for men to lose their 'first love' for Christ and the Gospel, and these are then forced into second place, if even that, in the affections of these men. A love for Christ and the Gospel that has run cold, is no love at all. They have lost the reason for their entering the ministry.
Decency would demand that they resign, or are removed, but pride and security, tempered with the desire for popularity, demand otherwise.
Second, the denomination sucks them in. While officially within the Presbyterian system of church government, there are no preferments, as in Anglicanism, for example, those at the top of this system do exert a certain 'benign' influence on them, offering them inducements. Young evangelical ministers of promise are promoted to positions of leadership within the wider church, promised foreign travel opportunities, lured by the potential of a bigger congregation in which to minister, told who best to associate with, and whom to stay away from at all costs - those men who would not do your promotion chances any favours - even have held out to them the possibility of the Moderator's Chair.
Now these inducements are there for the 'good churchmen' of the denomination, and the younger evangelicals, having taken their eye of the ball, are deluded into following this evil advice. A senior churchman of any credibility or standing cannot and does not hold to this simple Gospel that they preached in their earlier years of their ministry, so they tone down their preaching, and make it a real struggle for their hearers to discern any clear message. So they give up the Gospel in order to hold on to their chosen careers for life!
A third reason why men depart from the evangelical message is the love of this world and all its attractions. How many have sold the pass in order to have more of this world's goods! Here again, toning down the Gospel so that it becomes palatable to "the people that matter" within the church, the good payers, the people of standing in the community, the people who can decide your destiny, yes even within the Presbyterian system!, the people who 'count,' is resorted to. These worldly thought patterns draw good men away from the Gospel that may have once burned in their hearts and souls, thus ending their evangelical credentials.
Fourth, there is unbelievable pressure in congregations for men to conform to the way things have always been done there. If every young person reaching the age of 15 or 16 has been admitted to church membership and privileges, then the new man must not change this practice. If every new born thing that moves has been 'christened' by the previous minister, and/or the one before that, then the new man must conform. If having a Bible Study and Prayer Meeting has not been there in the past, then he will be allowed to hold these, but must not insist that these are attended by elders, deacons, Sunday schools teachers, youth leaders, and all new communicants. Why? Because they might not be into such things. And in any case, you don't want to lose members from the church!
And the result? Ministers have three choices: they either relinquish their precious privileges and 'go with the flow,' or they will have to move to another church, or they will be removed from their present charge by Presbytery on the grounds of incompatibility of minister and congregation.
So a few men were still clear-cut evangelicals when I left the church, but only a few. Young zealous evangelicals need to know that the situation that they are today reporting was virtually identical with the case 65 years ago, and 30 years ago.
Yet where is the church today? In theological bankruptcy, and in the spiritual wilderness, having no saving message for a lost and dying humanity, and therefore incapable of criticising what is now tolerated within her ranks.
I dare say that this pattern will repeat itself for generations to come, and young zealous evangelicals who train to minister in the big liberal and ecumenical churches, and sadly also in some of the smaller evangelical churches, will express delight in the influx of godly evangelical men to serve in the ministry.
Christians must pray for these good young men who offer themselves for the Christian ministry. But they must also take them under their more experienced wings, and be mentors for them.
The obverse is also true; when He gives only liberals to the ministry, that is a sign that He has placed the church under His judgement. When there is a bit of each, then it is difficult to assess what exactly it is that God is doing.
But when all the students for the ministry are 'sound evangelical men,' there is cause for great rejoicing amongst the people of God. When young ministerial students report this wonderful fact, they do so with an air of superiority at times, and with a sense of gratitude to God at others.
I started formal training for the Christian ministry in the Presbyterian college, Belfast in 1975, and I can remember saying to a senior minister how great the future for the church really was, now that God has called all these good young men into the ministry.
He, also an evangelical man, took the wind out of my sails when he told me that when he entered the ministry within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland some 35 years earlier, that all the students in his day were also evangelicals.
What had happened in the meantime? To my recollection, most of the men of my friend's generation were not noted evangelicals, as we both admitted. So what happened?
Several things come to mind. First, it is possible for men to lose their 'first love' for Christ and the Gospel, and these are then forced into second place, if even that, in the affections of these men. A love for Christ and the Gospel that has run cold, is no love at all. They have lost the reason for their entering the ministry.
Decency would demand that they resign, or are removed, but pride and security, tempered with the desire for popularity, demand otherwise.
Second, the denomination sucks them in. While officially within the Presbyterian system of church government, there are no preferments, as in Anglicanism, for example, those at the top of this system do exert a certain 'benign' influence on them, offering them inducements. Young evangelical ministers of promise are promoted to positions of leadership within the wider church, promised foreign travel opportunities, lured by the potential of a bigger congregation in which to minister, told who best to associate with, and whom to stay away from at all costs - those men who would not do your promotion chances any favours - even have held out to them the possibility of the Moderator's Chair.
Now these inducements are there for the 'good churchmen' of the denomination, and the younger evangelicals, having taken their eye of the ball, are deluded into following this evil advice. A senior churchman of any credibility or standing cannot and does not hold to this simple Gospel that they preached in their earlier years of their ministry, so they tone down their preaching, and make it a real struggle for their hearers to discern any clear message. So they give up the Gospel in order to hold on to their chosen careers for life!
A third reason why men depart from the evangelical message is the love of this world and all its attractions. How many have sold the pass in order to have more of this world's goods! Here again, toning down the Gospel so that it becomes palatable to "the people that matter" within the church, the good payers, the people of standing in the community, the people who can decide your destiny, yes even within the Presbyterian system!, the people who 'count,' is resorted to. These worldly thought patterns draw good men away from the Gospel that may have once burned in their hearts and souls, thus ending their evangelical credentials.
Fourth, there is unbelievable pressure in congregations for men to conform to the way things have always been done there. If every young person reaching the age of 15 or 16 has been admitted to church membership and privileges, then the new man must not change this practice. If every new born thing that moves has been 'christened' by the previous minister, and/or the one before that, then the new man must conform. If having a Bible Study and Prayer Meeting has not been there in the past, then he will be allowed to hold these, but must not insist that these are attended by elders, deacons, Sunday schools teachers, youth leaders, and all new communicants. Why? Because they might not be into such things. And in any case, you don't want to lose members from the church!
And the result? Ministers have three choices: they either relinquish their precious privileges and 'go with the flow,' or they will have to move to another church, or they will be removed from their present charge by Presbytery on the grounds of incompatibility of minister and congregation.
So a few men were still clear-cut evangelicals when I left the church, but only a few. Young zealous evangelicals need to know that the situation that they are today reporting was virtually identical with the case 65 years ago, and 30 years ago.
Yet where is the church today? In theological bankruptcy, and in the spiritual wilderness, having no saving message for a lost and dying humanity, and therefore incapable of criticising what is now tolerated within her ranks.
I dare say that this pattern will repeat itself for generations to come, and young zealous evangelicals who train to minister in the big liberal and ecumenical churches, and sadly also in some of the smaller evangelical churches, will express delight in the influx of godly evangelical men to serve in the ministry.
Christians must pray for these good young men who offer themselves for the Christian ministry. But they must also take them under their more experienced wings, and be mentors for them.
Monday, 15 December 2008
Worshipping GOD
When you look at the issue of worship within the church, where do you say the emphasis really lies? On the worship? Or, on God?
Without hesitation, I aver that the emphasis, almost universally within the professing church today, is on the worship.
That's why we have worship bands/groups, worship leaders, worship songs, worship services, etc.
What is forgotten in all this is Who it is we are worshipping! Our worship tends to be directed towards the worship of worship, not the worship of God. It is better to focus on getting the worship right, than Who is being worshipped. Problems arise in many churches when God is brought into the idea of worship, because what He sees as being acceptable worship is decidedly NOT what the modern church believes and practices today.
Unless and until the church returns to what is the acceptable worship of God, she is erring greatly. To do this, she must denounce her current idolatrous worship, and get back to Who God is, and what He wants. He has told us Who He is, and He has told us how He is to be worshipped. And the one thing that is prohibited here is innovation!
May God teach the church this lesson before it is too late.
Without hesitation, I aver that the emphasis, almost universally within the professing church today, is on the worship.
That's why we have worship bands/groups, worship leaders, worship songs, worship services, etc.
What is forgotten in all this is Who it is we are worshipping! Our worship tends to be directed towards the worship of worship, not the worship of God. It is better to focus on getting the worship right, than Who is being worshipped. Problems arise in many churches when God is brought into the idea of worship, because what He sees as being acceptable worship is decidedly NOT what the modern church believes and practices today.
Unless and until the church returns to what is the acceptable worship of God, she is erring greatly. To do this, she must denounce her current idolatrous worship, and get back to Who God is, and what He wants. He has told us Who He is, and He has told us how He is to be worshipped. And the one thing that is prohibited here is innovation!
May God teach the church this lesson before it is too late.
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