What Should the Church be in These New Difficult Times?

Our world is changing and people are rethinking what the church is to be.  

When we think about the church we have many tools and resources available today to help us define it and give it expression and direction, but suppose we looked at what Jesus said instead? Shouldn't his words guide us?

Luke 19:46 says,

"It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.'" Luke 19:46. See also Matthew 21:13 and Mark 11:17, (The passage in Mark adds, "...prayer for all the nations...").

Every word of the Bible is sacred and to be dutifully obeyed, but how much more important is it to obey when something is repeated three times!  These are the things we really want to be careful about. 

The verse we are considering is from the account of the cleansing of the temple. Where Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers and used a whip of cords to drive the animals from the temple. 

WHAT WAS IT LIKE?

The worshipper traveled for days to the temple and offer sacrifices. But when he arrives he is told that the lamb he brought to offer is inadequate and he must buy a sheep from the temple merchants at an inflated price. He may have to sell the lamb he brought at less than its fair value. He may be told that the money he was bringing was not good enough for the temple and he had to exchange it for temple coin and to do so cost a percentage. This experience at the very least would distract him, it would very likely take the joy out of his worship, and maybe destroy the worship he was going to offer. 

DEN OF ROBBERS

Who were the robbers? Most people assume that Christ is talking about how the moneychangers were taking advantage of the worshippers that came to offer sacrifices and worship. Some people might argue that the robbers were the authorities who were allowing it to happen and they were profiting by it. Other people may say the leaders were the robbers by taking advantage of the people who came to serve God and worship and enriching themselves through religion. Those are valid interpretations but what if there is another?

Who was being robbed? What if the question about who is being robbed is answered by connecting the two statements together? For a moment let's connect the robbery statement to the statement of prayer like Jesus did.  This would mean that the robbery Jesus was talking about wasn't the swindling of the worshippers by the money changers but the robbery of prayer to the Almighty!

CAN GOD BE ROBBED?

It would be foolish to rob a cop, and more foolish to rob a prosecuting attorney and it would be even more foolish to rob the only judge in your town, but there is no greater foolishness than to rob God who is the judge of heaven and earth.

So, can God be robbed? YES! Malachi 3;8-9 says, Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.

If God can be robbed because we fail to give Him the offerings and tithes, it is only a step away to rob Him by neglecting prayer.

Malachi 3:8-9

ARE WE THE ROBBERS?

When we fail to pray for others we may be keeping the Blessings of God from them. Perhaps we are robbing the nations when the church is no longer a place where they are prayed for. 

For all the hours we spend in church services, we only spend a few minutes in prayer and those minutes are often defined and consumed by prayer requests and little actual praying.

If there is one clear example from the teaching and actions of Jesus in this matter it is that the church is to be a community of prayer for the nations-our own and all others. (Of course not to neglect the other clear commands of scripture to love one another, assemble together, the lord's supper etc.)  

MY HOUSE WILL BE...

As we consider what the church is and does we should remember that it was Jesus who connected the idea of prayer for the nations and the statement about robbers. Sadly it is a statement of judgment and condemnation. His actions of cleansing the temple are actions of holy zeal for the temple and the purity of worship. We should take note of it or else we may see him do the same to the church 

today. 

If you want to rethink what church is start with reassessing the foundational place of prayer in church. Do not be surprised if from the foundation of prayer the other things that the church should be occurfes spontaneously.

 

(c)Adron Dozat 

How To Have a Perfect Church Service. Psalm 48:9

We go to church and we have expectations. We know we should have a good attitude, but we want to get something out of it too, including dynamic preaching and beautiful music. With all the conflicting needs and wants how can we ever have a perfect church service?

"Within your temple O God, we meditate on your unfailing love." Psalm 48:9 NIV. *

YOUR TEMPLE
We often forget whose temple the church is. It is not our temple or even the temple of a religion. When we come into our church service we need to remind ourselves we are by faith entering the holy place of the Lord. Not holy because of a man made building but holy in the presence of the Lord.  By faith we gather to give worship, the service of the fruit of our hearts.

WE MEDITATE
We don't go to be entertained, or even go to be preached at. We go into the worship service to direct our thoughts to the Most High.  We come to church services to remember Him who gave his life on the cross for our sins. We are reminded of how we were lost without the atoning blood of the sacrifice of Jesus. We are reminded of the wonderful God who provided salvation for us.

UNFAILING LOVE
As we who know God by faith in the blood of his son, Jesus, direct our thoughts this way we find that it does not take long before we focus on God's unfailing love.  Byhis love he saw our lost condition with our slavery to sin and hopeless future; a love that says, "For God so loved the world he gave His only begotten son so that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16.  We are brought face to face with a love that acted sacrificially on the behalf of rebels and sinners- a love that did not give up.

When our focus is on God and our thoughts are filled with him it does not matter if the music is off key or the preacher's socks don't match, what matters is what is happening in our hearts.  We go to offer worship in faith not in sight. If our thoughts, private meditations or prayers seem small and trivial we continue to offer them by faith knowing they are accepted by a loving God and our worship is perfected by the Holy Spirit.

To Learn more about how you can find salvation follow this link: Click Here.

*To read this verse in other translations follow this link: Psalms48:9.

(c)Adron Dozat

Will Christians Ever Get Along? Matthew 18:20

Christianity seems so divided; critics point out that if Jesus is the one way and he is the truth then his followers would get along, or if Christians were following the way of love that Jesus taught there would be only one church. The words of the Lord himself touch on this problem, as he concluded teaching on resolving problems in the community of faith* he said:

"For where two or three are gathered in my name there am I with them." Matthew 18:20

Matthew 18, where the quote is taken, is placed in the time before the birth of the New Testament church on Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit, but here we see a hint of what was to come. We see suggested the giving of God's Holy Spirit to all individuals who believe, and that Jesus would be present in the holy spirit in the lives of his church.

Will Christians Ever
Get Along? 

The Lord did not say we are gathered in the name of an organization or even of a church, but the important thing is being gathered in his name, clearly, it is not a religion that unites Christians but the person of Jesus.  We may have different understandings about Bible teachings but Jesus did not say where two or three are gathered incorrect doctrine or the right organization, he said gathered in my name.

Many ignore the thousands who set aside their differences and work together in outreach, missions, relief, camps, soup kitchens, reaching out among the poor, infirm, distressed, and needy. Those who believe know that whatever else is true the focus truth that overrules all others is that Jesus is their common Savior and Lord. Coming together in his name unites parties, race, status, nationalities and all other things.

There is a significance that the Lord endorses the coming together of two or three. We need each other. We were made by God to function in a community; we hurt ourselves and our community when we withdraw. We may have differences but it is not worth the cost of missing fellowship with Jesus by leaving fellowship with those he loved and died for. The unity of the Body of Christ depends on the twos and threes; not ecumenical counsels or declarations by church leaders but a practice of the individuals.

When we have a problem with a believer, restitution and restoration is the goal as Jesus taught in Matthew 18. As we go through the process of correcting or being corrected, we must remember the presence of Christ with us; just to think that our Savior is the present witness should put humility in all our dealings with our brothers.

* See Gospel of Matthew 18:20, a wonderful passage teaching about gently correcting someone who has sinned against you.

To read this verse in different translations follow this link: Matthew 18:20.

To learn more about how to know God personally follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat

What Is An Easy Way To Serve God? 1 Thessalonians 5:11 W

There are times when we feel like there is nothing we can do for God. We know we should be serving in church or community or some other way, but we don't seem to find our place. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 gives a good easy place to start.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV.

ENCOURAGE
So many people around us need encouragement. There are those struggling with silent private issues and some who are having desperate times. We have the opportunity to do more good than programs and sermons and spending expensive resources; it is simple- it is by being an encouragement. You can do this easily by cheering them on from the sidelines, or you can come alongside and bear the weight in their struggles.

We have many reasons to encourage one other. We want to encourage others because...

     * We share great salvation.
     * The Bible commands us to.
     * To be able to encourage is a gift you may have.
     * We share God's forgiveness.
     * We experience God's grace.
     * We share the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
     * We have the eternal promises in the word.
     * We are part of the blessing of the church.
     * Remember the time will come when we ourselves will need encouragement.

ONE ANOTHER

The phrase "one another" implies community; it suggests that the Christians are woven into each other's lives. We do not live life only unto ourselves, but as Christians, we are part of a living thing called the church. We must be lovingly involved in each other's lives.

BUILD UP
We build each other up by reminding each other of God's mercy, purpose, and salvation.

     * We can share our own experiences.
     * We can teach the word.
     * We can do acts of service.
     * We can reaffirm the positive.
     * We can pray together.
     * We can commit ourselves to our brothers and sisters who need encouragement.
     * We can simply communicate words of encouragement by letter, email, or phone call.

YOU ARE DOING

Paul paid attention to things. He knew his flock, and he knew what was happening in the lives of those to who he ministered. We need to pay attention to our friends and pray for God to show us when and how they need encouragement.

To encourage and build up our brothers and sisters in the Lord, we must do it on purpose. It just doesn't happen on its own; we must be committed to the fellowship of the faith and stand with our brothers and sisters in their struggles.

To learn more about knowing God personally, visit my other blog. Click here.

(c)Adron Dozat 8/14/12

Who are we? Deuteronomy 7:6

Who are we? We are Christians but who are we supposed to be?

"For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, The lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6, NIV.

God gave these words and they apply to believers of all ages.

HOLY

Today no one talks about being holy, yet it was to be the hallmark of God's people. The emphasis in this verse is that we are holy, everything else explains it.  Holy things are set apart from the common; they are separated from the sinful. Believers are holy because God has made us holy in a judicial sense; before him, we are appraised as free from sin, because our sins have been born away by the scapegoat known as the Lamb of God when he died on the cross, therefore God attributes his holiness to us. God has set believers apart from the world. As Jesus said, "...they are in the world but not of the world," (John 17:16).

UNITED

God Has Chosen A People, Deut 7:6

We are people, singular, not many peoples. Believers are not presented as fractured into camps; even though Israel had tribes they are spoken of as one in this verse. Today we should be "a" people, one church. We are part of a community of faith.

CHOSEN

God is choosing people to come to Him from all peoples of the earth. He once chose people from among the nations and today he is choosing individuals out of the nations. To choose something is to suggest desiring, thought, weighing the decision even paying a price, and all these figured in his choosing who come to believe. We who believe are chosen.

TREASURE
Mankind tends to treasure things but God treasures people and has made us his treasured possession. When we treasure something we are careful of it and careful for it; we may put a treasured possession where it can be admired and shown to others, we may tell how it came to be a treasure, and we keep it safe, but all we do pails compare to what God has done and is doing for us his treasures.

GOD
The double emphasis of the title of "The Lord your God," is the qualification of his possession. He is the ruler of the universe, (Lord), and all-powerful Creator, (God). Between the words "Lord' and "God" is the word "your." He can be the Lord of the universe and God of all things and still not be your Lord or your God. When we come to God through faith in Jesus as our personal Savior, Lord, and God, then we will be his treasured possession.

Se my other blog if you want to learn more about salvation through believing follow this link: click 

(c) Adron Dozat 5/9/12

Do Not Come Empty Handed, But You Must Come. Exodus 23: 14.

People think that church worship is boring, dull, and irrelevant to modern religious experience, the question maybe is it the worship service or the worshiper?

“Celebrate the Feast of unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.” Exodus 23:14. NIV.

TODAY'S PROBLEMATIC CELEBRATION
We live in an entertainment culture where we go to “get;” to be amused or edified.  We want our church to offer a sermon (hopefully one that is not too troubling to our conscience) with a few laughs and memorable stories.  We want the child care to be clean and happy and the fellowship hour to be well-stocked with fresh cookies.  It is tragic that today’s Christianity has turned away from the example of our Lord who “came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”(Matthew 20:28).

THE ANCIENT COMMAND

Do Not Come Before Me Empty Handed, Exodus 23:4

Do not come before God “empty-handed.” This requires personal consecration, a setting aside of self-interest and needs in order to prepare to serve.  Prepare for worship on The Lord’s Day by spending time the day before in God’s word, prayer, meditation, and personal worship.  Daily personal devotions make us ready to bring an offering of service on Sunday.  Daily personal worship makes us ready to say “Amen” to the benediction, the offertory, or the sermon.  When you spend time during the week reading the Bible, in prayer and worship then Sunday worship meeting becomes a celebration of our personal worship experienced throughout the week, because we are bringing something we took the time to prepare.

GIVING BLESSES
When you come to community worship you will be able to sing from your heart to the Lord since He has been close to your heart all week long.  You will be able to pray silently and say amen to the prayers offered by others.  When you bring an offering of a full heart to the community worship service and give it to God you will take away a heart full of blessing far exceeding what you brought.

(c) Adron 2/18/10