Family Integrated?

There are a lot of questions about churches that are purposely integrating the family back into the full activity of worship on the Lord's day. But it affects more than just Sunday. Here are some free messages that touch on those subjects. Enjoy!
http://scottbrownonline.com/product/what-is-a-family-integrated-church/

Consistenly Inconsistent or Inconsistently Consistent, I am not sure which!

It is not every day that a fisherman brings home the BIG one. In fact, if my own experience means anything, it is rare that the big one is EVER brought home. I call myself a fisherman, because I fish: not because I catch fish, but rather put forth the effort to catch fish. It is not inconsistent that I say "I am a fisherman" as long as the understanding is: my goal is to catch fish and not just fish for fish. (is this sounding fishy?)

At any rate, I say "I am a Christian" and many times I act like I am not. Either in my words, or my deeds, and secretly, in my thoughts I reveal that I am not all that I say that I am.

If there is anything I want to be "consistent" about, it is my faith. Not just my inward faith, but the walking out of my faith. What I am called to do, to be, to embody as a believer is more than meets the eye. Jesus said something to his disciples that should make us consider:

Mar 1:17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

It is not until we follow after Him that we will be made fishers of men. The times I find myself most inconsistent, is when I am following hard after ME. When my flesh is being satisfied, I am being most inconsistent with the faith I say I embrace.

A call to repentance is before me as I examine my own following of the Lord that saved me. Am I inconsistent in the consistency I am called to? Or am I consistently being inconsistent? If the latter is the case, I must ask am I truly following after Christ?

Let the life of a believer be such that no one doubts that he is consistent in his faith, even though from time to time he may appear to be inconsistent. Let him fall, but let him get up seven times. Just because he loads the boat, and spends hours on the lake, and returns with no fish today, is no reason to say he is no fisherman.

But let not his life be one of consistently failing to load the boat and head to the lake. If this is the case, his constant failing to do the work of a fisherman reveals, "He is no fisherman at all."

Lord, make us fishers of men, as we follow hard after you.

Misunderstood..........Big Mouth

It is not unusual that those who say much, will be more likely to be misunderstood more. The more miles a person drives the more likely he will be involved in an accident. A man who never goes fishing, will never catch fish.
Often, when speaking to others, or preaching from the pulpit, I say things that are grossly misinterpreted from what my original intention was. Listening to myself on recordings convinces me that at times I am not accurate with my presentation of even simple truths. Carefulness with my words is something that I must concern myself with if I ever expect to effectively communicate the truths of the gospel.

But it does not stop with the gospel.

Simple daily facts and stories can take on a life all of their own if I am not careful to speak each word with decided intentions. One may say, "This is too much trouble, I cannot worry about every word I say!" I would agree, there is MUCH trouble with this. The problem is REAL trouble comes from not weighing all our words in the balance.

How often have we hurt those we love by thoughtless words?
How often have we deceived others simply by not including all the pertinent facts?
I am guilty on all points.

Many times, it is senseless on our part and even unintentional, but it happens none the less.
Jesus encourages us to a careful watch over our mouths by reminding us in Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Well, that settles it for me. I am sunk unless I repent. And thus I do. Daily. Sometimes hourly due to my failings.

Thus, with the psalmist I cry to God "Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Ps. 141:3

One would think this gets easier as you get older...hardly. Our minds not only fill up with more information, but we forget what we have committed to others and promised as well. So with the influx of information, we continue to falter in this area. But with all excuses aside, I must strive for perfection!

The mercy of those that say they love us must be relied upon in this instance. Forgiveness must be ready to be meted out to those who trespass against us in this area as well.

Let us think before we speak, and thus fulfill the scriptures: "Jas 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:"

“Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats?”

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1834-1892
An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.
From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.
My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). That is clear enough So it would have been if He had added, "and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel." No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to him.
Then again, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers .., for the work of the ministry" (Eph. 4:11-12). Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyr roll.
Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all his apostles. What was the attitude of the church to the world? Ye are the salt" (Matt. 5:13), not the sugar candy---something the world will spit out not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, "Let the dead bury their dead" (Matt. 8:22) He was in awful earnestness.
Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear him say, "Run after these people Peter and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick Peter, we must get the people somehow." Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.
In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of amusement! Their message is, "Come out, keep out, keep clean out!" Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

Submission 101: The class of "living with other humans"

From time to time we are brought to a point of conflict with those around us. Realistically, any time we are in contact with others of the human race, we run the risk of conflict. There are very few, if any, times that I deal with others that I do not find myself, on one level or another, in disagreement with them. It is not that they are fundamentally wrong, or that I have a backwards view of the subject. They may simply like salty, and I like sweet. Or blue is preferable over orange. There are many times we see subjects from different perspectives as well. Politics, automobiles, sports teams, even grocery stores all serve as potential points of conflict. In the local church, we find many areas that differences are equally evident. Whatever the matter may be concerning the church, administration, or even dealing with personalities, we must remember what Jesus told us: He reminded us that even the heathen love those that love them in return. But we are called to love our enemies. So it is with that note, we see it is easy to submit to someone when we are in exact agreement with them. Submission only really becomes full orbed when we disagree with those in authority over us. Then what? Well, this is what true submission really is: Someone saying, “I am in authority, I want it this way, now do it.” Then we do what we are asked. Most people never have trouble with Bible submission until they are asked to do something contrary to what they desire. Let us labor to live peaceable with all men, particularly those of the household of faith. While things may not be just as we would like it in our assembly, most likely our homes and our places of employment, and even our country is not being run exactly as we would choose, but we would never want to leave any of them! Labor therefore in love, one with another!

To go where no man has gone before...

The scary part of this title is that while it is a throw back to an old TV show, it almost describes most believers concerning the work of Evangelistic outreach. One would almost wonder how the lost will hear without believers carrying the gospel. Yet some do. I am thankful for the one who reached out to me and gave a clear understanding of salvation from the Scriptures. When are we going to "go where we have not gone before?" Sadly, many have never gone into the realms of evangelism. What would prevent it? Not enough government funding? Soul-winning program was canceled at your church? Your new testament was left in the other car? So many empty excuses, and so, no one goes! Think about it...are you glad your pastor left the comforts of home and came to your house, or, climbed into the pulpit and proclaimed the message of salvation into your ears? Or was it simply that prayer warrior that kept taking your name before the throne of God? Either way, are not you thankful? I know I am...

Loving your Neighbor says a lot about your view of God's commands!

Matthew Henry said, "Our light burns in love to God, but it shines in love to our neighbor." I tremble when I hear those who name the name of Christ suggest that they are the repository of theological wisdom and yet they despise their neighbor. We are told by James that the Royal Law is to love our neighbor. We are told by Paul that the fulfilment of the entire law is to love our neighbor. We are told that the law is summed up in this one word, "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Yet, we often times concern ourselves with the tithe of mint and cummin more than the weightier matters, as Matthew 23:23 states: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. I am found guilty too many times of insuring that certain "things" (all of which are good and have their place, mind you) are lined up just right, only to leave the Royal Law lying in the "dust of apathy." Do we really desire to be lights? Sure, we want to "burn toward God", but do we want to "shine in love" toward our Neighbor?