Dead American

Wow.

Looking back over the last year, I began with a handful of things on my heart to share about and had to stop myself with 20. This wasn’t necessarily the best series for me to try to tackle on a blog since the topics were big and took a lot of discussion from me. At least, I had a lot to say about each one. It would make a better book, although these blog articles would only be skeletons of the larger essays I would write with more research and less rambling. But I would like to put it together in one … someday soon.

Let’s take a look back at the 20 things I decided to address.

1. Friendship Evangelism
2. Asking Jesus into Your Heart
3. Christian Entertainment
4. Seminary Education
5. Denominations
6. Dressing Up For Church
7. Priest Class Under the New Covenant
8. Ordination of Man
9. Political Action
10. Having a Building
11. Registered Membership
12. Christians as Sinners
13. Day of the Week
14. Specific Ministry Positions
15. Preparing for Sermons
16. Order of Worship
17. Christian Tithing
18. Material Wealth as a Sign of Faith
19. End of the Gifts of the Spirit
20. Changing the World

Looking back, it seems like I have systematically questioned what many consider foundational Christianity. Maybe I have. But ultimately I only want to experience the complete freedom in Christ that results in great joy, power, authority and peace. I find that greatly lacking in most of the Christians I meet from day to day.

Actually, I kinda spoke too early. I not only want to experience complete freedom in Christ myself, but I also long to see the Body of Christ experience the complete freedom that exists in loving her Husband and Him alone.

I find another thing looking back that I must address. I must apologize for where I might have unduly judged another brother in Christ. Speaking the Truth is honorable, and I believe that God put each one of these topics on my heart, but as married people may learn, it is not just WHAT you say but HOW you say it. I am to speak the truth in love, and there may have been times when I overstepped the bounds of judging someone who is not my servant. And you step precariously when you judge one of God’s servants too harshly. Just because my words may be right does not make my expression of them right … it is something I am still learning and may for some time to come. God is patient with me.

What I hope to point people to is not judging one another and causing more division. I hope to point people more to Christ and the freedom from religious acts to true righteousness and joy. This can only result in a more healthy body and a better expression of Christ to a lost and dying world.

Of course, while I hope to not cause division, I know that I make this call from some place outside the camp, as it speaks about at the end of Hebrews. And to fully grab a hold of Christ we must often release what is already in our grasp … it’s that whole repentance thing. And if you look at that list above, I have found many in the Body of Christ who hold on to those things with a grip … pun intended. And if you cannot support those things with the Bible you claim to believe, that seems like a problem to me.

But I am one man, one vessel who has blessedly found kindred hearts along the way that look me in the eye and comfort me by saying, “no, you’re not crazy for saying that. We get it, too.” I think the disciples comforted Jesus like that at times, even though there was much they did not understand. John the Baptist had disciples, too … maybe they comforted him in this way. I think the ones that comforted him the most, however, were those disciples of his that left him and followed the One he spoke about. I know that is the greatest blessing for me.

Of course, we are sharing God’s heart, as well. Only those outside the camp truly do. Sometimes you have to walk in the camp to love those there and call them out to where you are. Just don’t stay in there too long, however. You may get comfortable not wearing the skins of animals and feeding off of locusts.

But don’t worry. I’ll be there to call you back. Lord willing.

Peace.

This will be the last TICFITB. I know. It’s sad to see them go. But I decided to just stop at 20. There will be a new series coming up sometime around Christmas, so stay tuned!

There is a certain concept in Christianity that was prevalent when Jesus taught, and it has consistently reared its head for the past two thousand years.

Many Christians see the message of Christ, one of peace, hope, love, grace, and then compare it to the world we live in. They are vastly different. They picture a world where these things are realized for the masses, where wars will end as forgiveness spreads, where hunger ceases as our greed gives way to love, where prejudice dissipates in the light of an understanding that we are all equal in the sight of our Creator. They see that the Gospel can change society and ultimately the whole world.

These are all lofty goals. But the problem is … I cannot seem to find these goals in the New Testament.

The Gospel is not a worldly thing. One of the main things that makes the Gospel different from every other religion is that it Christ has not promised to change the world while in this state. The redemption of this world will only happen when it is consumed in flames, dies, and is reborn again as a new heaven and a new earth. We are never promised that the world will change before that event. In fact, if we read Revelation and other verses, we are promised that the world will fall deeper into sin.

In contrast, the Church will become more and more pure as the Bride of Christ. As apocalyptic as Revelation can be, it concludes with a pure Bride prepared for her Husband.

As Christ walked the earth, this idea that the Gospel should change the world exhibited itself in the Jewish desire for an earthly king. The people wanted Jesus to be their idea of a promised Messiah, one that would lead an army and throw off the shackles of their Roman oppressors. Jesus did not play this game, however, and actually honored the Roman authority and taught others to do the same.

This was because He knew that His presence on this earth was not to change a worldly government. It was not to feed all the hungry people. It was not to heal every disease. It was not to make everyone play nice and live in some sort of earthly Utopian harmony. Christ came to be the example of someone who lived for another Kingdom, died so others could live and rose in power to live at the right hand of His Father. His good confession before Pilate?

“My Kingdom is not of this world.”

Religion attempts to make the Kingdom of this world. It fails and will always fail, but that doesn’t stop many from falling for the easy deception that has lasted for thousands of years.

In our modern time, this happens in a number of different ways. Some fight to be part of the moral majority or to keep scripture on public monuments or to raise taxes and force the redistribution of wealth or stop wars because the innocent die or a host of other activities we see as “Christian” but are ultimately attempts at making this world look like the next.

It will never work. Christ promised that there would be wars and rumors of wars and that the world would hate us and that there would be grand deceptions. The Apostles wrote in the New Testament of many falling away and refusing to get married or eating certain foods.

The problem is that the New Testament does make certain things very clear. In loving those around us, we are supposed to feed the poor, protect the oppressed, father the orphan and provide for the widow. These are very real exhibitions of Christ in us. But they are not done to change the world and make it a better place. They are done to express Christ and to gain us reward in Heaven. We give sacrificially to others because Christ did that to us. It’s called grace. And as we fulfill that calling, we are rewarded in the eternal Kingdom we actually belong to.

Indian religions attempt to rid the world of suffering. Jesus said, “the poor you will have with you always.” The Chinese philosophies attempt to create perpetual harmony on the earth. Jesus said, “there will be wars and rumors of wars.” Religious American Christians attempt to become the moral majority in a secular nation and society when Christ said the world would hate us and persecute us.

You know why the world doesn’t really persecute most American Christians? We look more like the world than we do like Christ. If we gave grace and mercy and healed the sick and fed the hungry and took care of the weak among us, if we made this a priority instead of political battles and building the next state of the art facility, we would see persecution because of our Christ-like love. I guarantee it. It sounds crazy, but it is true. Our rightousness would bring out the depravity of this world. The Light exposes things.

To be honest, one of the most recent trends among Christians to change this world is the rise of socialism among the younger generation. This is especially problematic and disturbing to me. To understand the ideas behind socialism is to understand communism. And to understand communism is to understand a philosophy that proposes the difference between bad and good is the way people are raised, not the inherent sinful nature that all possess. To believe in socialism is to believe that people are basically good and that, given the right circumstances, would grow up to be really nice people if we could just make them wear school uniforms, all get the same grades, make sure no one ever feels like a failure, meet all of their needs and most of their wants, and build up their self-esteem. Of course, this removes the depravity of man which removes sin and a need for a savior, since telling someone they need a savior would suggest something might be wrong.

I’ll mention here, too, the conflicting evidence that communists/socialists (what I call neo-communists) also believe that the rich are evil (look at the bad guys in most movies … they just want to tear down that nice apartment complex to build their condos!) and need to be punished with more taxes. If people are basically good and they just need to be put in the right physical environment, why is there so much white-collar crime? Why the concept that the rich are evil?

To be a neo-communist, you must also believe that the government will take care of people better than they can themselves, which is just another religious belief since it is not based on any historical evidence of fact and must be taken by faith, however misled it might be.

Seeing Christians delve so strongly into the idea of forced redistribution of wealth, which is neo-communism, and hear them proudly base it on their “Christian” beliefs and that it will make a better world is actually disturbing to me. Maybe they’re just ignorant, but deception can be a powerful thing.

God will have a people who understand that their Kingdom is not of this world, that their citizenship is in Heaven, that they are, in effect, dead and their true lives are hidden safely within Christ at the right hand of God. That they give and love because there is another world, that this world is hopelessly lost, and itself even longs for redemption. All creation groans for it. It wants to be consumed in fire and reborn anew.

So should we.

Peace.

I grew up in a very evangelical fellowship, as I’ve explained before. They taught me much about the Lord, and I am grateful for my spiritual heritage. Many do not have the blessings that God afforded me through those early relationships (of course, those things will be required of me, as well, but that’s a discussion for another time).

Most Christians that I knew were also evangelical in their doctrinal viewpoints. Since we lived in Georgia, the Bible Belt, the South, your Protestant side of the fence was incredibly important. Those of the more charismatic camp were in the minority where I lived. Catholics were practically unknown. I’ve met people who lived north of the Dixon line and did not grow up tearfully singing along with Elvis Presley, “Glory, glory, hallelujah,” at the lasershow in Stone Mountain. Many truly did not have the same experience in their religious upbringing. Religious diversity was more common and expected in most northern areas.

In the South, at least when I was younger, it was a serious issue.

In discussions with those of different doctrines, two things kept coming up. One of the main discussions hinged around the security of our salvation, which even I won’t touch here … someday maybe. But the other main issue was speaking in tongues. That more than anything seemed to set charismatics and pentecostals apart.

Being the self indulgent intellectual that I am, I grew up ready to defend why said practice was wrong. This hinged, however, on a doctrine that either threw out all gifts of the Spirit or sifted out the supernatural ones and got rid of them. Or maybe the teaching only focused on speaking in tongues. Either way, there was much standing on a concept that some gifts of the Spirit are no longer in use.

Of course, as you may guess, I can’t seem to find that in the Bible.

As most of you know, my personal beliefs in regards to ALL the gifts of the Spirit have evolved over the years. This has originated from two directions. First, I have seen ample evidence of a scriptural expression of the gifts, either by first hand experience or by reading missionary accounts, generally about revivals. Second, I have read the scripture itself.

I can find a host of teaching on the gifts and what they are and how they are to be used, but I don’t find any mention of some arbitrary end to them between when the New Testament was written and today.

The main scripture I’ve heard used to support an end to gifts of the Spirit (namely tongues and prophecy) is the end of 1 Corinthians 13. Here Paul is comparing love to the gifts and lifting up love because while prophecy might fail at times or tongues may cease, love is eternal. And when that which is perfect has come, all those other things will pass away. I’ve heard taught that the “perfect” which has come is the Bible, which is the date given by many more conservative evangelicals to say that the supernatural gifts of the Spirit ended.

But here’s the problem. 1 Corinthians also says that knowledge will cease. Has knowledge ceased? In context, this is supernatural and natural knowledge, from what I can tell. If tongues and prophecy have ceased, then so has knowledge. And if knowledge has ceased, that makes our seminaries look pretty unnecessary. Aren’t we supposed to know the Bible?

Also, from what the context clearly implies, the “perfect” that will come is an eternal state of being with Christ. In our temporary physical state, love covers a multitude of sins since all is not known and will not be known until eternity is fully revealed in the Kingdom. Therefore, love is key. Otherwise, if the Bible is the “perfect,” then are we no longer held to the standard of love? Since we now know all things (supposedly because of the Bible), is it no longer necessary to do everything under the banner of love?

Of course, I would say that what Paul wrote that day in 1 Corinthians is just as valid today as then. The gifts of the Spirit are to be done in love because of our eternal natures and the many things we do not yet know. This is why the “love chapter” is in between two major discussions about the gifts of the Spirit (chapters 12 and 14).

It just seems like bad teaching of the scripture to me. Luckily, I’ve found more evangelical teachers over the years that have admitted the mistake … only to still stand on the idea that prophecy and especially tongues are no longer gifts of the Spirit. I’ve even heard one man I greatly respect as a teacher point out that there is a Greek verb used before tongues ceasing that is a more definitive verb; therefore at some point that gift especially will cease. On a verb tense we take away a couple gifts of the Spirit?

Nowhere is this expressly taught. And with the volume of teaching on the gifts and the supernatural in the New Testament, you would think that someone like Paul or Peter would have mentioned it.

Every gift of the Spirit is just as necessary as it was before, even tongues. And even though many might even deny them, I would say that most Christians interract with gifts more than they know. ALL of the gifts are for the edification of the Body. Why would God take any of them away? The Bible is for equipping and is complete as from the Spirit, but the Bible cannot replace the gifts of the Spirit. It was not meant to. And where certain gifts are not allowed, certain levels of edification cannot take place and will serve to create an unhealthy Body. Take one major vitamin or nutrient completely out of your diet and see what happens. You will get sick with something.

Just like nutrients, the gifts are for the Body while here on this temporal plane. There are standards for how they are used to truly be edifying. Taking too much zinc can poison you, but you need it to survive and fight of disease. Gifts are meant to edify, but they can also be abused. This is why Paul had to write 1 Corinthians 14 in the first place. Just because someone abuses zinc does not support any argument in favor of eliminating it altogether. The same can be said for any gift of the Spirit. If some abuse the gift, that does not invalidate the gift, only possibly the vessel.

In Heaven, however, we will not need Vitamin C or zinc. We will have a heavenly body. We shall also not need the gifts. We will be one with Christ. What more shall we need?

Until then, we have been given the gifts to edify one another. If you are of Christ, you have them. In fact, if you have the Spirit, you have access to them all when called upon to use them! We have each been given strengths at one time or another for leadership and certain roles in the Body. Either way, you have gifts from your renewed, resurrected spirit to share with others. Use them in love as the scripture directs and the Holy Spirit leads.

Peace.

A popular doctrine can be heard and learned just about every time you turn the dial past certain channels on cable. While it is pervasive among our more charismatic brothers and sisters, I would argue that it also finds its way on the more evangelical side of the fence, as well.

In this teaching, we are told that if we are not financially wealthy, then the problem is somehow connected to our faith. And if we have enough faith, then we have a sure promise of nice houses or cars or large amounts of money in bank accounts or investments. This, in the more charismatic camp, is called our “blessing,” which we need to go to God and get.

The problem is, I can’t find this particular interpretation of faith or prosperity in the scripture.

Before I discuss this further, let me explain that I do believe that faith works for us in miraculous ways. Our faith makes it possible to please God, to be healed, and (among other things) ensure a life of provision.

But the biblical promise is not to make us worldly rich. The material promises are to have food and clothing and to be content with that … no mention of even shelter there. Jesus said He had no place to lay His head. In other words, God promises to feed and clothe you like the birds and the lilies but not to give you a house.

So we are promised prosperity in the sense that all of our needs will be met and He will always take care of His children, no matter what He asks of us. Sadly, many Christians don’t fully believe this, which is why many struggle with their finances in unhealthy ways.

And the common struggle based on our lack of faith that God will provide for us has led to a number of leaders who have overcompensated with a “prosperity gospel” that is out of line with scripture. Hebrews makes this clear as some by faith conquered nations, closed the mouths of lions and the like while others suffered horribly by faith. In fact, it was those who suffered by faith that have a greater reward, of whom the world was not worthy. So the richest faith is actually in suffering, not in plenty or a worldly victory. Which one do we hear preached so often?
A common verse quoted is where Paul wishes for us to “prosper as your soul prospers.” This verse seems to imply material provision, even more than we need. I will grant, both from scripture and my own experience, that god blesses even beyond His promises, even beyond what we need! But the scripture also says other things.

First of all, in the story of the rich young ruler, Jesus says that it is more difficult for a RICH man to enter the Kingdom than a camel through the eye of a needle. Why does He single out this rich man for his riches? Why didn’t Jesus ever rebuke the poor for their lack of faith? On the contrary, the poor widow was commended for her sacrificial giving while the rich men who gave before her were dismissed and mentioned only to commend her. You never read of a poor or crippled person rejecting Christ. They cried out to Him with abandon, and they were healed and followed Christ desperately. But the rich and educated rejected Him, persecuted Him and ended up crucifying Him. Why? Judas kept the money, remember …

The love of money is the root of all evil.

Worldly material wealth tends to corrupt. There are several reasons for this. We begin to trust more in our wealth and the things of this world than God. We decieve ourselves into thinking we earned or deserve certain comforts. Then we begin to count on those comforts and fear the absence of them more than we fear God. Or we enjoy the comforts so much we work harder to attain those worldly comforts than the blessings of the Kingdom. All of this and more leads to a selfish mentality that is against the Spirit of God.

What was Job tested with? The thing he feared the most, which was the loss of his riches. Of course, to be balanced, after he passed that test he did become even wealthier …

Has anyone ever watched an episode of VH1’s Behind the Music? I used to watch it every chance I got. The story was always the same. Artist begins with nothing, strives for years, catches a break, hits it big, begins to abuse everything around them, then loses everything and is now much healthier after rehab.

I believe in the provision of God, but I fear that many in modern Christianity are using “godliness for selfish gain,” which is abominable to God.

To look at it from a couple different angles: when I was in India, I saw precious brothers and sisters give to and worship God with more sincerity than I see in most Christians in the US, but they do it with MUCH less material wealth. Some of them are barely able to eat and feed their families. Their hunger for God, however, was insatiable, and it humbled me.

Should I question their faith based on their material lack? God forbid! The Bible would say to us that the poor are rich in faith. It is precisely because of their lack that they are free to exercise their faith.

Becca and I arrived in Korea with fives suitcases between us and ate PBJ sandwiches for a month while we figured out how to buy groceries we could use. Through the community there and God’s provision (which are one and the same), we never lacked. We owned very little and felt more free and peaceful than ever before.

We get back to the US and I can feel the spirit of materialism all over me like a sweaty shirt.

Now, I believe that evangelicals are just as guilty as their charismatic brothers and sisters. Its just more unspoken. Among many evangelicals, there is an undercurrent of belief that to be Christian is to be middle class or better. To have a good job, live in a nice house, send your kids to nice schools, wear nice clothes, drive nice family cars and live a nice middle class life. Someone who can’t at least fake it really doesn’t belong in our church. Giving to the poor happens through an organization, not through personal contact. If those poor people start attending our church, then that’s our cue to sell our house and move a little farther out so we don’t watch our property values decline.

Yeah, I know. That’s pretty harsh, but its there. Remember my little tirade, though, the next time you want to go off on your charismatic brother’s “prosperity gospel.” Remember the plank and the speck? Remember which one should be removed first?

Jesus came in this world with nothing but animal dung all around him. He was poor growing up, maybe because of the loss of Joseph sometime. Jesus did recieve nice gifts both as a child and during His ministry, but do we really think He used those things to bless Himself? Giving to the poor was such a regular occasion that they assumed that’s what Judas was going to do when he betrayed Christ. If Christ were worldly wealthy in His ministry, why did Judas feel the need to steal from the treasury? I’m sure they collected lots of cash, but they gave it all away. Jesus would have practiced what He preached, I think.

Jesus also left this world with nothing but condemnation, suffering and death. But in so doing, he was given the name above all names and eternal glory that we will share.

So rest in His provision, both spiritual and material. But remember that the material blessings are only temporary. The spiritual blessings affect our eternal conditions. Let’s be sure to focus on the true riches. Seek the Kingdom and His righteousness alone and all things will be added to you.

Peace.

Per a comment from good friend Adam Walker on the last post, I got to thinking about a couple things. Then a good friend from Korea asked me a question about his tithe (I don’t think he read the last post) and some of my counsel to him has prompted me to clarify some issues.

I will have to stick with the position that the scripture does not support paid staff positions in the Body of Christ. Now, that does not mean that those positions are unbiblical, but to assume that they are necessary or even positive seems dangerous to me for a couple different reasons.

First of all, I do believe that paid positions do not facilitate growth in the Body of Christ. I know many people who have paid positions as ministers in their respective fellowships, and I have a great amount of respect for them. But I also know their struggles to get people involved and to step up to a mature position in their fellowship. Of course, they don’t generally appreciate my suggestions, but what they’re doing doesn’t seem to be working a whole heck of a lot either. Paid positions, in my experience, tend to put a line of demarcation between “full-time” ministers and “lay” people, and does not encourage the whole of the Body to be the expression of Christ they were meant to be.

The Bible seems to have the standard that we all are “full-time” ministers in the Church. All are pastors, teachers, apostles, evangelists or prophets. Not some … but all. Now, I do believe that some are given more responsibility in certain areas, and I’ll come to that later.

Which leads me to the second reason. Not only does it fail to facilitate real growth in the lives of the majority of Christians (which is the heart of most paid ministers I know and respect), it gives more credence to the priest class idea that I’ve mentioned before. It assumes that some people are not held to the same standard, and that leads to pride which leads to a fall. If it doesn’t lead to pride, then general frustration and “burn out” are common.

Paid ministers don’t generally feel a part of the Body. They feel very outside of it, in fact, like a hired hand who will one day move on when a better position opens up. Therefore, because the congregation PAYS them, they expect more work and ministry from them.

So, to be brief, my two main reasons against paid positions are these: they generally retard the growth of those being ministered to and it leads to either pride or discouragement among those attempting to do the ministry.

Now, here is the ideal, which needs to be stated. The Bible is clear that those who minister in the Word should recieve a material blessing. This goes hand in hand with the sowing and reaping idea I previously discussed. If someone sows ministry into your life, then they will reap a reward. A portion of that reward should come in a material gift.

If we put this together with the biblical idea that one of the main avenues of giving is to the poor or needy among us, why would we need paid positions? If the mentality is that everyone is to be taken care of, regardless, why the need to designate some as “priests” among us? We are all priests and kings.

I also believe that most ministers would greatly benefit from working a forty hour week job. I believe that those they minister to would also greatly benefit from it. It puts life in its proper perspective and puts the leader in the position where he must teach the Body how to minister to itself, and since he CAN’T do it all because he’s got a job, too, necessity is the mother of invention … people find a way to be a part of something and the Body ends up ministering to itself and other leaders naturally rise to the forefront and it stirs up the gift that is within people.

This is not just idealism talking here. I’ve done it. I took over a “full-time” ministry in Korea called the Hospitality House. But I was also still teaching five days a week. Now, some might consider that not a “full-time” position, but believe me, it was.

Becca cooked dinner on Friday and Saturday nights. On Wednesday night, I led a Bible study. On Friday night after dinner we just hung out or watched a video or something. On Saturday night there was a time of singing and teaching after eating together. We also attended the chapel service on Sunday evening on base and then we all ate together at the food court after service.

Becca and I also took care of all the administrative duties of the ministry. We collected the offereings and decided where the money would go and we paid the bills and cleaned the facility.

All this while having Micah and I worked forty hours a week.

How did we do it? you might ask. Well, we didn’t do it. We made it clear that others would have to step up and contribute if there would be a fellowship there at that ministry. And people did. People cooked and led worship and taught Bible studies and cleaned the House and took money to the bank and did dishes and put up tables and set up chairs and a host of other things that we didn’t have the time to do.

And at the end of the weekend, I did not feel exhausted because I had worked my butt off. I felt completely at peace and encouraged because I just witnessed the Body ministering and discipling itself for a whole weekend. But they all still saw me as their leader. Many even called me their “pastor.” Like I said, I still have people emailing me and asking me counsel on serious issues in their life. They knew it was my responsibility, but they also felt a great deal of ownership in the ministry and, more importantly, each other. I was not a burden to them, and they were not a burden to me. We were free to bless one another. What a wonderful experience.

Periodically, a new person would come around, start to get involved and then balk at the amount of stuff we asked of others, or stuff that we just would not do. I would let things die before I allowed myself or my wife to suffer burnout. Burnout is an ugly thing. So after their balking, someone would tell them, “oh, she just had a baby and he works forty hours a week.” Then they would understand and begin to pitch in a little as well.

Its amazing how much gets done when everyone pitches in just a little.

When we left at the beginning of July, there was no one to replace us. We were not told this was the case until late May (after being assured for months that someone would be there). We were told we would have to hand it over to some type of “leadership team” that would take over in the interim.

No problem. We already had one, quite unofficiallly, and it took us a couple weeks to make it official. It was pretty seamless and the ministry still went on. In fact, they still do not have an official director for the ministry, and attendance is just as high or higher than it ever was while we ran it. Its going strong. So strong, in fact, that when the new directors get there, they can just take on what they can when they can and ease into what God has called them to do and be at peace about the rest.

The Body is meant to minister to itself at the direction of their spiritual Head. True leadership facilitates this and works itself out of a job in order to ensure it. I kept saying that in Korea and then I actually had to put my spiritual money where my big mouth was. But I relished in it because I have faith that God can lead through His Spirit and doesn’t need a one man show, “full-time” paid minister to do it. And God has shown Himself faithful, as I knew He would.

At this point, Micah needs me to change his diaper and provide for his every need. But one day he will wipe his own butt and get a job and leave my house and live on his own. I need to teach him with that end in mind to be a good father. I will always be his father and I will always be able to give him wisdom, but one day he will be his own father and the leader of his own family and I cannot do that for him. But I can teach him with that goal in mind.

What motivation does a “full-time” paid minister have to work himself out of a job? If his congregation didn’t need him anymore, he would lose his income and health insurance and a host of other trappings of wordly security.

Jesus and Paul both worked themselves out of a job, in a sense, knowing that it was better for those they led to be led by something else, the Holy Spirit Himself.

So, to sum up, I believe in giving money or other material things to those who minister Truth to you. It is a principle, not an obligation. It has been my experience that if you give money to those who have blessed you in Word, then God reveals even more of Himself to you. Its called sowing and reaping. But we are called to take care of one another, regardless of positions. If we all give our fishes and loaves, no one will lack. The early Church experienced this. We just don’t have faith that God is faithful enough to do that.

Ironically, you would think that those mature enough to be considered “full-time” among us wouldn’t need worldly security of income and benefits from the Body. Jesus didn’t. Paul didn’t. I don’t read of anyone in the New Testament who did. Although they didn’t always work a job, they didn’t get a regular salary, either. They trusted the Father with all and taught those who believed to take care of one another in light of that faith.

So that’s the example that I choose to follow and that’s the example I will teach. I believe it is the best. And while paid positions are not unbiblical and I am in no way intending to dishonor those in paid “full-time” positions in the Body (many that I have met have a real heart for people), sometimes the good is the enemy of the best. I choose the best.

Peace.

As a young man, I truly believed in God. My mother never had to drag me to church. She made it clear by her example and teaching that tithing was a requirement of Christian life. Even while my father was not as committed to the fellowship, my mother would manipulate the finances to honor God through her tithe. The money she gave went to support the salaries and other financial obligations of the church we attended. I always believed that tithing was essential. Why wouldn’t you give your tithe to support the fellowship you love?

Once someone becomes a Christian or begins to attend a fellowship, they will invariably hear a sermon, message or other teaching on the requirement of tithing. This is not always true, but many times it is discussed when someone becomes a “member.”

As I’ve continued to study the scripture, God has revealed an uncomfortable truth to me.

I don’t believe tithing is a requirement for Christians.

Now, you are hearing this from someone who has tithed consistently over the past 10 years or so. As I got married, Becca and I both felt the need, possibly conviction, to tithe from our salaries. But as I’ve experienced more of the freedom in Christ over the years, I’ve realized that tithing is a form of legalism, based in the Old Covenant, and not at all a part of the New.

Hear me out before you call me a heretic …

I know all the scriptures. I’ve probably used them. I know how the prophet tells us to test the Lord in our tithe, how He will bless us. I even know the scripture in the Gospel where Jesus admonishes the Jews that their tithing was something they were doing right.

I’ll address that one first, since I used to consider it evidence that Jesus supported tithing. Jesus was actually rebuking the Jews for what they had left undone, which was justice and mercy, while still adhering to the tithe in order to collect money. He was speaking in past tense of their adherence to the Law, which included a balance of mercy of justice. He was, in effect, rebuking them for keeping outward traditions but forsaking the foundational principles.

Which is the weakness of the Law and exactly what many do in the New Covenant when we tithe.

I’m going to point to a few important scriptures. The first is from Matthew 17 where the Jews are giving Jesus and His disciples a hard time for not paying the temple tax. Jesus asks Peter an important question. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect taxes, from their own sons or from strangers?” Peter of course responds that strangers pay taxes to the king. Jesus then says something very profound. “The sons are free.”

Then, of course, is the cool story where, in order not to offend the Jews, Jesus tells Peter to go fishing and get the coin out of the first fish he catches … which just happens to be the exact temple tax for Peter and Jesus combined, teaching the very statement he just made. As the King, all things belong to Him.

In other words, sons and daughters of the King should feel no need to pay a tax, since they are heirs of the Kingdom. And yet the exact opposite is the attitude we have in modern tithing.

The next scripture in 2 Corinthians 9. I’ll quote it for you so we can examine it. “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

So we see that our giving is guided by the degree to which we want to reap. There is a sowing and reaping aspect here. Because we are free, we are not to give out of necessity or obligation. That is for common citizens. We are sons and daughters of the King and everything He has is ours. But sons still have to obey. When we are led to give and purpose to obey, there will be sufficient resources to complete it (believe me, I’ve done it) and when we give money or time or material goods to those in need we are actually sowing into the Kingdom and will recieve an eternal reward.

Nowhere in the New Testament is 10% given as a standard. You want to know what is? 100%.

Jesus said several times to different groups of people, “sell all that you have and give it to the poor.” Give it all away. This was not just to the Rich Young Ruler or those with a greed problem. Who doesn’t have a greed problem? And the direction is not to just acknowledge that all your money belongs to God, but it is to physically express it by giving it to the poor. Why aren’t we legalistic about that?

That is the giving standard set up by Christ and followed in the inception of the Church in Acts. Ananias and Sapphira were killed because they said they gave it all but had kept some for themselves. This goes right along with giving as you purpose in your heart, not out of some legalistic tradition or feeling of obligation.

We don’t really use the tithe for the main reasons the Bible tells us to give, anyway. Giving in the New Testament was for one of three reasons: 1) to the poor 2) to other needy Christians and 3) to mission work. Not once do we see money given to assure a minister’s salary or a place to meet. The only other New Testament directive on money is to work and support your family.

The principle I’m describing is wholly New Covenant. The New Covenant is not about adhering to a checklist but listening to the Spirit and obeying. Tithing generally requires no communication with God to specifically understand what He wants from you. In fact, it almost directs you to NOT talk to God about it because a doctrine or organization says to do it, so you gotta do it.

Perhaps God will tell you to give 10% or allow you to be babysat by the Law until you are mature enough to handle true giving. Either way, that’s up to Him. But be careful. Don’t say that he has directed you to tithe when He really hasn’t and you’re just trying to justify a tradition. Seek Him out and hear from Him.

The danger of our modern idea of a tithe is that very little of it goes to the type of giving I describe earlier. A vast majority of it is to used to support ministry positions that aren’t even mentioned or described in the scripture and a building that we hold too dear. Very little of it is used to be the actual salt of the Earth, which is giving to the poor and those within the Church who are in need, like widows and orphans. When is the last time you saw a fellowship support a widow and her family? The early Church did it often. They even had rules about it. Missions giving is also a small portion of what we do.

To be clear, the Spirit will always be in line with the scripture. I am not advocating doing whatever we want with our money and excusing ourselves with being led by the Spirit. I would be very concerned with someone who told me that God has directed them not to give at all. That is against His nature, and if He has shared His nature with you, giving is a primary call of your life.

If you’re truly seeking Him, I’ll be so bold as to say you might drop less into a passing plate and more into the hands of needy people that cross your path. It will become more personal, spontaneous and less legalistic. You’ll find yourself giving MORE than 10%. Although, you may not even notice it because to understand it in those terms could lead to pride. You will give more than you believe you could and have more than you believe you should. Believe me. I’ve been there.

If you choose to tithe out of a pure heart, then I believe there is a blessing in that, as well. It is an Old Testament promise under an Old Covenant, and ultimately you will have to move past it to follow God under the fullness of the New. The nature of God is relational. Why would financial giving be any different?

In closing, can you imagine what it would look like if every Christian gave more than 10% of their income to the poor, the needy among us, and to those going somewhere else to spread the gospel? It would hasten the Day of the Lord, I can assure you. Organizations might perish, but the Organism of the Body would find new life.

Peace.

I was on my way to minister after being picked up by the head of a local ministry. About halfway into the trip back to the hotel, the leader turned to me, smiled and asked, “What’s your program?”

I assumed he meant for the service the next day, and I grinned back. “Whatever God has for me to do.”

That wasn’t the answer he was looking for.

Just as there is an assumption that someone in a ministry must prepare a sermon, there is a general idea that a service must be planned or structured to some degree. Basically, this can mean anything from a loose schedule with specific songs worked out and a message to a highly structured timeframe where the whole ministry team pays close attention to the clock and every detail.

The thing is, I can’t find it in the Bible.

In fact, I find the exact opposit to be the case. In the New Testament, there is a very real sense that the lack of structure and planning within a service is key. From Galatians to Ephesians and especially 1 Corinthians, the rules of order are based not on a specific plan to make sure things get moving but on the lack of one to assure God gets to do what He wants.

If we want to argue anything out of scripture in support of an order of worship, we have to go back to the old Law. This was a system of sacrifices and legalism where many times detail was important. But even during the time of the Law, when God moved it was always spontaneous to the Israelites and interrupted their lives.

Under the New Covenant, however, the old traditions were only shadows of the substance, Christ, and now we have Him within us, which invalidates all the old traditions. While these old traditions may reveal Christ to us, the true revelation is in us.

The idea of 1 Corinthians 14 and the New Testament as a whole is that our coming together for worship should be an expression of the Body whose Head is Christ. There are some compelling implications here.

First, there is no discernible human leader. In other words, things are happening, but no single person has planned it, ordered it, structeured it or ordained it. No committee is responsible foor the flow.

Second, things happen fairly spontaneously, but there is an order and a message or even a theme. Everyone is engaged, but no one is following a program.

Third, and most importantly, it is obvious that God Himself is directly involved and leading the group. There is a sense, even to unbelievers, that something supernatural is at work, that the group HAS a leader, and that Person is the invisible God.

This is a physical witness of the spiritual reality.

We are the Body; He is the Head.

I understand the thought process behind it, and I don’t really think most people desire to usurp the leadership of the Holy Spirit in a meeting. But it is a bondage when you can’t see a different way. What I suggest (actually, what the Bible ordains) is so outside worldly thinking that people in the Western Church today have a difficult time accepting it. Even my more “spirit-filled” friends plan specific songs or teachings for their meeting. I’m even familiar with one ministry that intercedes for revival in a very structured way.

One of the most amusing phrases I’ve heard several times at all types of meetings is, “Lord, have your way today,” or tonight or whatever. Many times it is at the beginning of the metting. Then you look down and God’s “way” is all planned out for Him in the bulletin. Or they might say it before the “altar call” as if we’ve done our thing, now God can move and do His part.

Let me be clear. It is always time to do God’s thing and put our agendas aside. From personal experience, God’s agenda is much more rewarding.

Some people like to quote the verse, “God is not a God of disorder,” as if spontenaity will always breen chaos and disorder. The rest of the verse claims that He is a God of peace. Did you notice that? The opposite of disorder in the Kingdom is not order but peace. Most ministry teams on Sunday morning (or even other times) feel anything but peace while they have to stick to a time schedule prepared for them. If God actually did interrupt their service, they would feel anything but actual peace. I know. I’ve seen it when it happens.

Of course there is a balance of discipline as well. We should show up at certain times in order to assure we can be together for fellowship and worship. Our lives in the world are naturally scheduled, so some basic administration is necessary and is therefore a spiritual gift.

Spontaneity in following the Spirit in our daily lives is an important principle, on the other hand. If I were in line at Burger King and the Spirit told me to go to a specific person and speak to them about Jesus, shouldn’t I obey? Sure, I might lose my place in line or not even get to eat, but isn’t obedience more important?

Where do we learn how to follow God in the moment? As we worship together, following the Head, we become a beautiful witness of Him instead of our ability to organize, tantalize or emotionalize the mood. In most services I’ve ever attended outside of a handful of places, the Body is told by a human being when to stand and sit and sing and listen then shoved back out the door and encouraged to follow God.

Most don’t have a clue what that means from our services.

Ultimately, it comes to what the Bible says. There is no biblical direction to structure services, but there is a biblical mandate to have open, spontaneous meetings. If we hold on to the former and shun the latter, can we blame God for not really moving among us?

Peace.

Some comments and responses have come to me recently in regards to my writing in the TICFITB series.

First of all, people who know me and have relationship with me have been overwhelmingly supportive. I’m surprised people read them at all, considering how long-winded I can be and the challenging nature of them. Those responses truly encourage me as someone who often feels “outside the camp.”

On the other hand, some have come across my blog and been either concerned or offended. That has not been my goal. I have endeavored to tackle specific issues and principles without naming names or groups. Sometimes examples are appropriate, but I try to keep things as anonymous as possible.

So, based on those concerned responses, let me explain my purpose and agenda here and respond in kind.

As I’ve grown in the Lord, I begin to see things in the scripture I have not seen before. This is fairly common. The revelation of God is progressive in the sense that He never changes, but our perspective of Him does as our eyes are continually opened.

What may be more unique is that I also see what is NOT there. The absence of a teaching can be just as telling as what is being taught.

Therefore, I see many things in the modern Western Church that are held up as central to who we are, and yet I find a different standard in the scripture. And while these differing standards may not necessarily conflict, many times they do, especially when we choose a tradition of man that retards a spiritual need instead of a different tradition or standard that would strengthen it, something we can actually find in the Bible.

This is where many are challenged and even feel offended. To be honest, I expected more than what has come, for it is natural when certain things so ingrained in our religious conscious are questioned.

Of course, I have yet to hear an overwhelming biblical response to anything I have pointed out. I would welcome the discussion, but people mostly point to worldly values or give shrugging excuses or question my spirituality instead of allowing some things to be questioned.

I believe the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit are the standards by which everything is to be measured. It is actually one complete standard since the Holy Spirit is the standard and He inspired every word written in the Book. For us to hold so many things so high, I believe there should be biblical support for them. Where there is none, little, or a conflicting standard, I believe questioning is more than appropriate. In dealing with eternal issues, it is necessary.

Jesus pointed out error to those educated in the religious system of His day, Judaism and the old Law, by claiming they did not know “the scriptures or the power of God.” This would be like a “common” or “lay” Christian saying the same to a modern seminary graduate. Jesus continually used scripture to challenge the status quo and support the true Kingdom.
That is my purpose and agenda.

The fact that some encourage and support what is said here is an example of God’s mercy and love to one crying in the wilderness and that God is calling others to do the same.

God is, and always has been, wooing His Bride to the wilderness where she only has Him to rely on, as Hosea so beautifully expressed. Let’s meet Him there, as Hebrews encourages, where we wait for an eternal city with our Husband.

There are a few more TICFITB waiting in the wings, and a couple might challenge even the most free among you. I know they challenge me. I hope we will all be open to Truth and His revelation.

Peace.

So you’re the “pastor” of a fellowship, and you are traditionally responsible for bringing a message every so often, generally every week or so. The general rule is that you should spend some time seeking God’s guidance as to what to say a few days from now, studying so you can pick the correct scriptures and look up some handy quotes or even prepare a joke or two to set it all off with the right mood. And if you’re really contemporary, then you need to have it prepared in time to make your own basic powerpoint presentation or have some Christian geek (like Eric) do it for you.

It all sounds well and good, only …

I can’t seem to find it in the Bible.

Now, I would like to point out quickly here that I have heard some incredible sermons in my time, and many of them were prepared, I’m sure. Some of them might even have been a little recycled. Many of those sermons and things said within them have stayed with me for years. I still quote many things I’ve heard from teachers or pastors who have prepared sermons.

But as I read the Bible, I don’t find that the standard that we hold so high anywhere among people who are about to give a message, that they prepared it before hand. They repeated what God said to them, to be sure, but not what they, through their own reason and efforts, have attained to say.

Let me use a couple examples from scripture, especially the New Testament, to help me make this clear.

Let’s take the Day of Pentecost. We all know the story, and I will spare you the lack of verbal direction given by Christ (except to pray and wait) compared to several people speaking the wonderful works of God in different laguages and the lessons we can learn there. I will instead skip ahead to Peter’s sermon. When did he prepare for that sermon? What was the result?

The answer, of course, is that he had no clue what was about to happen (different languages, people’s confusion about what was going on), or that he would be called upon to give a central message of the gospel to his fellow Jews on this day of celebration. So he did not prepare one word of what was said on the Day of Pentecost.

And the result? Three thousand came to Christ in one day, repenting and believing.

Let’s move forward into the ministry of Paul. He comes into a certain city and has to leave the next morning (on Monday). He proceeds to speak for more than twelve hours. Can you imagine a teaching that lasted all night long? In what practical way could he have prepared for that message? Did he have a big list on a scroll, like an outline, where he just had to get through these things before he left? The scripture doesn’t give us any indication that is true. This, of course, doesn’t even begin to mention how he didn’t prepare before hand to raise a young man from the dead to keep preaching to him.

Let’s skip even further into 1 Corinthians 14, one of the few places where the New Testament addresses how we should conduct ourselves in a public meeting. We are told that two or three prophets at the most should speak. What that means, to be clear, is that those with the office and role of a Prophet within their meeting, based on a common and tested use of that gift, were to stand and give messages, or what we would commonly call sermons.

But the fact that he calls them prophets implies something much more than just mere sermons. They are repeating what God is telling them to say. And Paul never tells the prophets to make sure that they have prepared what to say before hand. In fact, he says that if a second prophet is told what to say, then the first should sit down and let the second continue, as if the message does not come from a man but from the Spirit Himself. He also makes it clear that they can all prophesy, one by one. In other words, they can all hear from God and repeat what He wants to have said.

Most people are wary of this idea, but the scripture holds it as a standard. The message in a meeting comes from God and Him alone. And since we each have the Spirit within us, we are all capable of contributing in that manner on some level.

My mentor, Larry Trammell, was going to minister at a certain place at a certain time. He was asked a couple days before by someone in that fellowship, “brother Larry, are you prepared to minister?” on whatever day it was.

Larry’s answer? “If I have to get prepared, what am I now?”

Why didn’t Peter prepare for his sermon at Pentecost? Why didn’t Paul prepare for his twelve hour message or ever instruct anyone in the New Testament to prepare for their meetings of fellowship and worship?

Because Peter was already prepared, not for that specific sermon, but to say or do anything, but especially for SOMETHING, because SOMETHING was going to happen when the annointing of the Holy Spirit was on him. Paul was always prepared to speak of Christ whenever there might be an opportunity, and he expected the same standard of everyone.

I believe that the idea that this guy up on a stage has the “word of God” because he has prepared all week to say it (and because we pay him, don’t forget that) is completely debilitating to the true Church. If you have repented and believed, then you have recieved the Holy Spirit, who Jesus said would lead you into all truth. John tells us that we don’t need a teacher, because the Teacher lives in us. Even Christ said (in Matthew) not to lord yourself as a teacher because there is one Teacher, the Christ. You have the “word of God” in you just as much as any believer, from Peter to Paul to a four year old Christian. There is no baby Holy Spirit. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Then He ascended after resurrection and the Word became Spirit to dwell in us.

The structure of believing that the “word of God” comes from one and not all is very problematic. I’ll give a real world example. Let’s say I never teach my son how to go to the bathroom on his own. I keep him in diapers, I don’t let him feed himself. In fact, I rarely give him solid food, only milk or keep him breast feeding even into adulthood. And any attempt at his own independence is rebuked as I defend my position in his life to wipe his rear. And then I tell him to get a job and pay me money to support this position I have. What type of son would I raise?

For a quick funny, click here to see.

It perpetuates immaturity within the body out of a fear of losing our own position or identity. Most teachers become only echoes because they can only repeat what they’ve heard others say instead of being taught how to hear God through His Spirit.

Does that mean that God doesn’t use some more than other? Of course He does, but His desire is to use us all, for all of us to BE the message and therefore always be prepared. We are to live prepared because we know every moment of our lives is important on the eternal level. God can speak to us anytime, anywhere.

As someone who has been in the position where I have been looked to as a “leader” and “teacher” in the kingdom, it would always interest me how people would assume that I had been to seminary or had prepared for hours for the “sermon” I gave. They were surprised, when I told them (which was rare), that I spoke only what God placed on my heart that night and had only taught what I was led by the Spirit to teach and nothing more.

This is not boasting in me. This is boasting in Him. Did I get better at hearing and relating what God wanted me to say? Absolutely. The gift grew as my ability to hear Him did and I became more disciplined about letting go of my agenda to see what His might be. And believe me, His is always better than mine.

There is nothing inherently wrong with having a teaching prepared before hand, if that is how God gives it to you in that particular instance. But there is something inherently wrong with thinking that I HAVE to prepare something to teach, for two reasons. One, I am subverting the standard of the scripture and religiously following the traditions of men, and two, I am placing my trust in myself and not in the awesome gift of the Holy Spirit.

I expect that God teaches me always, every day, if I would but listen and obey, take the time to be still and know. I expect that God can use me to say what He will at any time. At Waffle House late at night or at a lunch date or sitting with dudes around a campfire, before a hundred pastors in India or at dinner with my wife. He is always with me, and I should always be ready to say whatever He would have me say in any situation (or NOT to say, for that matter).

This is called the simplicity of Christ and freedom in Him. He is the head and the voice, but we are the mouthpiece. That is not contingent upon your talents or education or attire or any worldly thing. It is dependent only on your obedience and willingness as a vessel.

Be free.

Peace.

Okay, so this one might sound iffy at first, but stay with me.

Let’s say you’re going to start a “church”, an organized fellowship that meets in a building for purposes of worship. Traditionally, there are several things that need to happen, may of which we’ve already discussed.

One thing that generally happens is that a pastor or a committee or the elders or some institution of leadership sees a couple specific needs and they think, “we need to hire a pastor for that.” For instance, two of the main positions sought are a “worship leader” or “music minister” and a “youth pastor.” There are other positions that come up as “needs.” Associate pastor, children’s pastor, administrative pastor, young adult’s pastor, and others are all necessary and even assumed as a fellowship grows.

Here’s my point. I don’t find any of these specific positions mentioned anywhere in the Bible.

Now, as usual, when I say something like that, people get immediately defensive and try to make excuses. We’ll get to those in a moment, but bear with me. I know some of you reading this are in such positions or have been and there are a lot of perceptions and traditions associated with such things.

I’ll be so bold as to say it would be difficult to support a head pastor, the most common one of all, as a biblical position.

Again, as with many of these TICFITB, with something so common and assumed in the Body of Christ, shouldn’t we find some evidence or expression of it in the scripture? I believe that we should.

The only two actual positions we find in the New Testament concerning the Church are the Bishop and the Elder, both described in Timothy, although mentioned other places. Their roles were wide in scope and relational in nature, usually several of each per fellowship. These weren’t administrative positions meant to do the work of ministry while everyone else showed up. They were leaders and guides and facilitators more than anything, which was why their character was their most important feature and not their education.

You could stretch other things as positions in the Church from the scripture, like apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors. But again, these were more based on gift and function than pure administrative or organizational titles. Paul even rebuked the Corinthian believers when they were arguing over who had more authority over them … Paul made it clear that neither he nor Apollos were anything but vessels used by God. They belonged to Christ.

Even so, these things don’t especially support the need for a pastor over a certain group of people. I’m going to primarily be using the youth pastor position to make my point here for two reasons. First, its one of the most common percieved “needs” and second, it is a clear representation of the segregation that takes place because of these positions.

I’ve heard the reasons in many a committee meeting. “We have youth without a pastor. They need a pastor!” I knew one well meaning mother who wept at the thought of no youth pastor at the Church. She even begged me to take the position, even though she didn’t really like me all that much. She didn’t know how her children could grow in Christ without one.

Is that tragic to anyone else but me?

We have this modern mentality that the way to minister to people is to put them in a room of people in a similar life situation (usually by marital status and/or age) and then expect them to grow that way. Then we are confused as to why divorce rates don’t go down and young people leave the church in droves once they hit 19 or 20 years old.

Many youth pastors have admitted to me that the youth in their program that were just on fire and/or committed during their teen years largely fell away from their fellowship once they hit their college years, many completely blowing off fellowship with other Christians. Many of those who blew off “church” when they were 16 become leaders in a fellowship somewhere in college or their mid twenties. I’ve seen it myself.

Everyone’s an individual, sure, and these are only general patterns, but they have been observed as true.

What has consistently worked in most young people, however, both statistically and from my own experience, has been giving them an adult mentor at a young age that gave them an intimate relationship with someone older and much wiser. We commonly call this discipleship. When a young person has an intimate relationship with an older believer, they are called into maturity at an overwhelming pace. This is called “fathering” and “mothering” in the faith. A young man needs an older man to help him, guide him, befriend him, and encourage him in the faith. A young woman needs the same from an older woman. How can hanging out with people your own age ever mature you? You become young adults who only know how to be 16 and in a youth class that does more to entertain you than teach you, and you become disillusioned with church.

If mentored, discipled, or fathered or mothered by those more mature in the faith, then you see yourself as part of the family of God then, not waiting until you grow up, and see a real life example of a common believer reaching out instead of sitting and waiting to be given to and ministered to on their level.

Are specific ministry positions wrong? I don’t think they are, just not in the Bible and therefore misguided when we put such mammoth expectations upon them, as if we can use a corporate marketing model to do the work required within discipleship and the Holy Spirit. And when things are a little off, things don’t function the way they should and we cause more problems than we are solving.

I also don’t see the wisdom in the segregation of the Body of Christ, nor do I see it anywhere in the scripture. One of the strengths of the Body should be the diversity among those that meet together, people of different cultures and age groups and other places in their life living out the example that it is the Spirit that draws us as a family and not our superficial commonalities.

Hear this encouragement before I close. Whether or not you have a title or not, you are needed in the Body of Christ. You should actively seek out those to have relationship with and disciple and be discipled, all using our gifts in real ways that truly impact people instead of patting ourselves on the back for who attended our program.

Peace.