tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9818964604192377512024-02-07T22:01:17.797-06:00One Disciple's JourneyA Life of Saving Faith in Jesus ChristBob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-12421307859049758222023-12-29T15:27:00.006-06:002024-02-04T15:48:17.728-06:00Engaging the LGBTQ+ Conversation with Loving Grace<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDThED4wHjZ8-ahjyFqTLiQYPCINiwVdGU4U9U5mzr6-yqNooTo4hcuSheqTm6JRSgczJKPc4ULR-hSiw6S4ammJAVnRDWLp1EN1hETqie_F9FtflhQ1DXzUNjBMnR0Q4wJKC7qs5z1m7FPpzh3VyWZnau1GLeAGoCpnwp62XqulUJRMWkx4Zq8cODiJc/s600/LGBT%20Wall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="600" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDThED4wHjZ8-ahjyFqTLiQYPCINiwVdGU4U9U5mzr6-yqNooTo4hcuSheqTm6JRSgczJKPc4ULR-hSiw6S4ammJAVnRDWLp1EN1hETqie_F9FtflhQ1DXzUNjBMnR0Q4wJKC7qs5z1m7FPpzh3VyWZnau1GLeAGoCpnwp62XqulUJRMWkx4Zq8cODiJc/w282-h165/LGBT%20Wall.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;">God is love. We who walk with this loving and graceful God seek to love Him and others in humble obedience to His holy Word. Though it may seem at times like we're up against a brick wall, God's love compels us to engage the LGBTQ conversation from a disposition of humility and love, realizing our own broken condition as we pursue a fully biblical understanding of God's intention for us all. While thankful for our true identity in Christ, which is one of integrity and purpose in seeking the mind of our Lord, we realize our deficiencies and pray that God may still be seen and glorified through us. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;">As part of God's holy church, we continually strive to engage the challenging issues of culture with godly compassion. We draw upon our biblical heritage in embracing societal issues and welcome every opportunity to engage the LGBTQ+ conversation. Since we suffer the effects of living in a sinful world, we confess that we haven't always done this very well. Motives other than God's love have sometimes dimmed our intentions and blurred our heartfelt desire to reflect God's will.</p><p style="text-align: center;">While there are many starting points in this conversation, we underscore here the central theme of <i>restoration</i>. Based on God's holy Word, we emphasize His desire for wholeness, the image of God in us; the nature of sin and salvation, and the power of God's grace that helps us in our daily living. Our goal is to proceed in this conversation from a framework consistent with who we are becoming in Christ.</p><p style="text-align: center;">We emphasize that we're engaging in a conversation, not trying to answer all the questions. We encourage those who would join in this conversation to integrate this framework into their particular situations with the loving grace that is consistent with God's holy church and the biblical imperative to love God and others. We will not take a sectarian stand to demean anyone, for we're all created by God and are bearers of His holy image.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Bearing the image of God is unique to human beings. Humanity was originally created to reflect God's image perfectly and clearly, abiding in close relationship and intimacy with God. Having been given the freedom to choose, we chose ourselves over God. The result of our selfish choice was broken relationship and intimacy with God and others. In this separated state, the image of God became broken within us and in relation to others. </p><p style="text-align: center;">But God's love is not willing that any of us should remain eternally broken and separated from Him. Love compels God to take the initiative in reconciling us back into relationship with Him and one another. This has ultimately happened through the life, death and resurrection of God's only Son, Jesus Christ. By grace through faith in Christ, God is redeeming the world and providing the only way for the image of God to be restored in us. As the image of God is restored in us, we are being healed of our brokenness and becoming whole in Christ.</p><p style="text-align: center;">All brokenness in life results from the separation that exists between God and us. It is seen in different dimensions of body, mind and spirit which are being kept from integrating into our lives as a whole. It is also seen when one area of our life is out of step with the whole. This warped image of God in us represents disconnectedness among the various aspects of who we are physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially, psychologically and spiritually. We fall short of God's intention of complete integration and wholeness in our lives. In light of this, we believe same sex attraction, bisexual or transgender identity represent an incongruity among the component parts of how God has made us. Such an inharmonious existence is the result of separation from God as is any existence that falls short of the wholeness God intends for us.</p><p style="text-align: center;">What God intends for all human beings is a completely restored wholeness, reflecting the wholeness of God. Since God's holy will cannot be realized when we are separated from Him, each of us live under the effects of sin. In that condition, we tend to make choices that reinforce, defend or justify ourselves. People with a gender identity that is not the same as their physicality, whether by personal choice or psychological factors, reflect this condition of a disintegrated whole. Those who act on physical attractions to same sex persons as an expression of their sexuality also reflect the condition of all human beings which is being out of sync as a result of not reflecting the integrated wholeness of God. In the same way those who give in to addictions of any kind, whether it be adultery, gossip or overindulgence, are living with the effects of brokenness because of separation from God. They too exemplify lives that have fallen short of truly reflecting God's own image. </p><p style="text-align: center;">We all are sinful people, living under the effects of broken relationship with God to one degree or another. Every sin is an act of rebellion against a holy God. We're all born into sin and will choose whether or not we accept the truth of God's way back into a reconciled relationship with Him. The only way of salvation from sin, for coming back to God, is through one Person, Jesus Christ. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Prompted by grace, our salvation from sin requires each of us to individually and willingly: acknowledge our sinful condition (confession); desire to be made whole again (repentance); rely on the work of Christ for salvation (justification); and surrender daily to the graceful influence of God's love transforming our nature through the work of the Holy Spirit (sanctification). Everyone will choose whether or not to walk this path. Whatever our beginning condition may be (stubborn independence, addiction, greedy self-consumption, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender behavior), we all fall under the effects of sin and need a biblical path to restore us to the wholeness of life that only God offers us. </p><p style="text-align: center;">We believe that presuming upon God to redefine His path for us is selfishness. Saying that our sinful condition should be acceptable to God just as we are, and that God's intention and desire for us should include our current broken condition, removes the need for grace and takes away our responsibility to seek healing from our misrepresentations of God's image. Revising God's biblical intention for us is another form of self-justification that replaces pursuing God's holy will which is restoring His broken image in us. We know God is forgiving, merciful, and most of all loving. God is so loving that He has made a way by grace through faith in Christ for us to be fully restored in God's image. </p><p style="text-align: center;">It's by grace alone that we're enabled to properly manage the influence of our fallen condition through daily choices that guide our behavior. Grace is God's love in action! Grace is the help that comes to us from the very presence of God, which meets us just as we are in our sinful condition and guides us to make life changes to become more like Jesus, bringing glory and honor to God. When we resist grace, we're saying "no" to God's help and His desire to work with us, deciding instead to remain in our sinful condition and live by our own definition of wholeness. </p><p style="text-align: center;">When we receive grace, we accept the reality of our sinful condition. It means we rely upon grace as compensation for our inadequacy as long as we live under the effect of sin. It means recognizing that apart from the presence of God we remain a broken image of God's intention for us. Accepting grace means acknowledging that our humble surrendering to God's influence upon is the only way to wholeness wherein the various parts of our being will again come into integrity with one another. Accepting grace is living with the assurance of fulfillment in life that is not the result of redefining our wholeness but the result of the compensatory nature of God's loving grace. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Some may dispute our understanding of God's intention for us as a binary gendered interpretation. Some say it should be expanded to include other combinations of gender identity and sexual expression that are not necessarily hetero nor singularly gendered. This is the crux of the question which we appeal to the biblical passages and scriptural principles, knowing some will dispute our interpretation and come to different conclusions. To inform our interpretation and understanding of Scripture, we also appeal for guidance to our historic identity as part of God's holy church. We apply Spirit-led reasoning to the scriptural principles and appeal to the heritage of countless churches and believers that have gone before us and left a long-standing pattern for engaging difficult issues. </p><p style="text-align: center;">We stand for the truth as it is in Jesus. We know that sin has affected us all without exception. We humbly accept our broken condition. Though not all sins are created equal, every sin is an act of rebellion against a holy God. Therefore, we all are in need of the ever-present loving grace of our forgiving God. We acknowledge God's desire to restore the image of God in every single human being. We are fully committed to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The grace of God is sufficient for all our need. We depend on the Holy Spirit to supply our every need. Our quest is for God to restore us to wholeness in Christ, daily becoming more like our Lord Jesus.</p><p style="text-align: center;">To be like Jesus, the church as biblically revealed must reach out in love to all broken and sinful people. We encourage everyone to become fully restored in Christ and claim their place as a part of the family of God. Is a gay, bisexual, or transgendered man welcomed to join the church in the worship God? Yes! Will the church affirm his sexual behavior? No! Will the church encourage a lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered woman to seek God's will for her entire life, including her sexuality? Yes! Will the church condemn either the man or woman and single them out in their sins? No! Will the church call a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered man or woman to repentance and experience God's forgiveness and restoration in their lives? Yes! Will the church elect her or him to church office, if s/he continues to practice broken sexual behavior? No! Will they be free to bring their lovers to worship with them? Yes! Will they be free to be physically expressive at church, as a husband and wife would be in a public setting? No! Will the church pray for them and seek to love them as Christ loves us? Yes! Will the church bless their union by providing or attending a civil or marriage ceremony? No! These responses are also true for any who willfully practice behaviors which come from broken conditions of all kinds that tilt our hearts away from God's intention for all of us to faithfully represent the image of God in our lives.</p><p style="text-align: center;">What is it, then, that we celebrate and encourage? We celebrate and encourage the humble acceptance and appropriation of God's grace by everyone, so that God's image may be fully restored in them. We know and accept that there will be times of failure and stumbling on the path to wholeness in Christ. However, we continue to celebrate God's intention for us all to fully reflect His holy nature in us. We call for the working out of our salvation until we find eternity with God. Mostly we celebrate the loving grace of God, which sustains us all until that day and makes it possible for us to live as whole people while still bearing the burden of our broken condition. </p><p style="text-align: center;">We stand on the authority and truth of God's Word, and seek to welcome all lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered people who humbly seek the sufficiency of Christ for their broken conditions. We encourage all Christian leaders to reflect God's loving grace in engaging the uniqueness of the particular situations they encounter, seeking to help all people to find holy relationship and intimacy with God. This is the biblically revealed intention of God for all people: men, women, boys and girls who are of one particular gender and are integrated within their own lives, living in unbroken conditions of restored life which bear God's image faithfully and seek to become more like Christ. </p>Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-69427493552820310052023-04-30T23:30:00.004-05:002023-12-28T14:31:41.007-06:00Christian Inclusion in the Church<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDVvlly4S2of-hRU-c3lNH9VhF_9_L9EhbrHlrisC3-fyZapd6oUkXyMdEsDNE0vf98Mnqug2qUncZfQPTHmBvHlIkENFu5_45ltpE--63aLq-N02I1qETzDXeEQqPoL7JVibi4P4ONT4a5vZ7Y6OQnx7DMi2cJ-cJQPl0CZceykimSOXiMp5IRCb/s640/inclusion.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="640" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDVvlly4S2of-hRU-c3lNH9VhF_9_L9EhbrHlrisC3-fyZapd6oUkXyMdEsDNE0vf98Mnqug2qUncZfQPTHmBvHlIkENFu5_45ltpE--63aLq-N02I1qETzDXeEQqPoL7JVibi4P4ONT4a5vZ7Y6OQnx7DMi2cJ-cJQPl0CZceykimSOXiMp5IRCb/s320/inclusion.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Most everyone in the church has an interest, or has been involved in, the homosexuality debate. The term heard most often is "inclusiveness," used mostly by the pro-homosexual advocates and the gay Chrisitan movement. They say that since Jesus loves us unconditionally, those who would truly follow Him will not allow exclusions in the church. True Christianity, they say, is a religion of inclusion, so inclusiveness must be the primary virtue of the church. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Any proper discussion of Christian sexual ethics in the church must be founded upon biblical orthodoxy. Whether we in the church believe homosexual behavior is right or wrong, we must not be unloving nor judgmental when dealing with the issues. We are bound by Scripture to love as Jesus loved, offering grace and mercy to all people, including gays and lesbians. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are certain questions that must be addressed to have a true and adequate understanding of Christian inclusion in the church. Was Jesus inclusive and, if so, in what sense? What does it mean, and what doesn't it mean, for the church to be inclusive? Is inclusiveness the real meaning of Christianity? Does God's love include absolute inclusiveness? How should we, as members of God's church, be inclusive today as we continue to deal with the issue of homosexuality in the church?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At the root of the crisis in the church is theological disagreement over biblical authority and interpretation, especially with respect to fitness for church leadership. Some say the church should exclude from leadership those with questionable sexual ethics, and others argue that the church must be inclusive of all people in its leadership, especially gays and lesbians, because this follows Jesus' example. But is this an accurate description of Jesus' religion? Do we find inclusiveness, even absolute inclusiveness, in Jesus' teaching and example?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jesus lived in a religious and cultural environment where exclusion was common. First century Jews emphasized the exclusion of Gentiles from God's blessings. Exclusion of non-Jews was associated with true piety. The Pharisees looked down on the common Jew as unspiritual, and the Essenes only accepted males who practiced certain rites of purity. In contrast we see that Jesus mixed with social and religious outcasts, such as tax collectors and sinners. He included among His followers those who were excluded by the Jewish religious leaders. Why did Jesus associate with the outcasts and include them among His followers? Because His mission was to seek and save all people and draw them to God, especially those which the Pharisees and religious elite ignored and excluded from their groups. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jesus broke with the conventional social and religious practices of the time. For example, He not only healed lepers, but also touched them in the process. Lepers were cursed with a terrible disease and exclusion from society. Jesus touched them, not only to heal them but to indicate the beginning of their inclusion within society. He told them to show themselves to the priests. Why? Because only the priest had authority to pronounce them ceremonially clean so they could once again participate in social and religious activities. Jesus' concern was not only for their physical healing, but for their social healing and return to human community. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The temptation here is to conclude that Jesus' inclusiveness extended to all people, even lepers. But Jesus didn't include them among His followers as lepers. Rather, He healed them that they might be fully whole and restored to fellowship. To say Jesus' followers included lepers misses the point. After Jesus healed them, they weren't lepers anymore. Jesus didn't include lepers, but f<i>ormer</i> lepers. From this we see that Jesus' inclusiveness wasn't of the "come as you are and stay as you are" variety. It was more like "come as you are, be healed and transformed, then stay as a whole person." </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also contrary to the male-dominated Jewish religion and culture, Jesus interacted with and had fellowship with women, even those with bad reputations. Though Jesus had a core group of male disciples, He also had women as some of His closest followers. Many of the women had been delivered from evil spirits and cured of physical infirmities. Jesus first healed them and freed them, then as free and whole individuals they were included in the fellowship of His followers. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Once Jewish leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery. They reminded Jesus that according to the biblical law, she (and her lover) should be stoned to death. After Jesus confronted them with their own sins, they all left her alone with Him. He sent her on her way without condemnation but warned her not to sin again. Jesus extended forgiveness to the woman, but didn't bless her adultery, nor did He release her to return to her lover. Rather, as He forgave her, He also told her not to commit adultery anymore. Jesus accepted the woman as a child of God who was worthy of forgiveness, but He didn't accept her sinful activity. The grace of God which Jesus offered Her was meant to lead her into a new life of holiness and fellowship with God and His people. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes advocates of "inclusiveness" in the church seem to interpret Jesus' actions as implying the acceptance of behavior contrary to God's biblically revealed will. The need for all of us is to sort out the difference between reaching out in love to all people, no matter their state or condition, and including people in the fellowship of the church when they wish to persist in their sinful behaviors. Inclusiveness cannot be separated from the promise of wholeness for the sinner and the priority of holiness for the Christian.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jesus was also exclusive. We would be hard pressed to say that Jesus' inclusiveness extended to the majority of the Jewish religious leaders of His time. He rather excluded them (or noted that they excluded themselves) from the kingdom of God. They could still be included in the kingdom of God, but only if they repented of their sins and were born of God's Spirit. The New Testament Gospels also show that Jesus was less than inclusive of Gentiles. Why? Because His earthly ministry was focused on the Jews. Only later did He instruct His followers to carry His good news throughout the world. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">On occasions some sought to follow Jesus with stipulations. One asked permission to first bury the dead. Another wanted to first say "goodbye" to relatives. In both incidents Jesus rejected their requests. The kingdom of God had to be the top priority for the seekers' lives. Once again, this is not a "come as you are and stay as you are" kind of inclusiveness. Not all who want to enter into God's kingdom find the only way, which is through saving faith in Christ. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jesus says we are to do away with anything we love more than the kingdom of God. He is certainly more exclusive than inclusive here. Jesus will not accept us as we are if our hearts are sold out to anything before Him. To do so would not be a loving action. How different from the cultural notions of today! Excluding anybody for any reason is said by many well-meaning Christians to be unloving. Yet, Jesus knew there were more important things than being included, things like having a pure heart and putting the kingdom of God first in one's life. If Jesus is our model for life, then we must admit that it's unloving to accept people as they are with their sinful hearts, without calling them to repent. Unconditional inclusiveness is both unloving and contrary to Jesus' example. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jesus encourages people to believe in God and also in Him. He claims to be "the way, the truth and the life." According to Jesus, there are not many ways to God, because no one can come to our heavenly Father except through Him. This is the exclusiveness of Jesus in its most blunt and extreme form. The kingdom of God is available to everyone, but only through Jesus Himself. Jesus doesn't send His disciples into the world with the message that all people are a part of God's kingdom, no matter their response to Him. No! Jesus sends His disciples into the world with the message that the kingdom of God is open to all, but only on His terms. Only by saving grace through faith in Jesus Christ, can one enter the kingdom of God. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The exclusive claims of Jesus are hard to accept in our "anything goes," relativistic culture. Because Jesus' exclusiveness doesn't fit our cultural assumptions, many Christians have downplayed or rejected His exclusiveness and have tried instead to refashion His inclusiveness to fit the culture. Those who do so would be well served to refresh their knowledge of Jesus' inclusiveness, as revealed in the biblical record, rather than their culturally molded perceptions. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, Jesus was both inclusive and exclusive. He included in His fellowship those who were repentant sinners, including tax collectors, lepers, women, and children. He excluded from His fellowship the prideful religious leaders and others who refused to receive the kingdom of God like a little child. Though He lovingly accepted those who were broken and sinful, he did not allow them to remain in their broken condition. Rather, He called them to return to God and fully surrender to Him by grace through faith in His Word. When they did, then they entered into His community, the church, and began the lifelong journey toward full restoration and wholeness by the power of the Holy Spirit. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the early church the inclusiveness of Jesus was easier said than done. The Apostles called the church to unity. The church included those who had no social status, wealth, nor education. That was good. The church also had those who overvalued their own importance, even to the point of excluding those who lacked spiritual experience, wealth, or status. That was not good. They were missing the point that inclusion in the church was the work of the Holy Spirit. Inclusion into the church was the result of one's repentance of their sins, confessing Jesus as Savior and Lord, and being baptized into the body of Christ - all the work of the Holy Spirit. And continued inclusion in the church was dependent upon living in a way that was consistent with God's standards for Christian disciples. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">There was concern for Christian inclusiveness by leaders of the early church. At times the church was counseled to <i>exclude</i> a member of their community, but instead would turn their eyes the other way. Instead, the church should have removed the member from their congregation with the hope that the member would repent and be saved. Exclusion wasn't merely punishment; it was discipline for restoring those who had fallen out of God's will for their lives. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, from the biblical record of experiences in the early church we learn that Christians are to reach out to all people, excluding none from their evangelistic efforts. The church is not to exclude those from our church who lack worldly status, wealth, education, or certain spiritual experiences. The church must strive to include all individuals in the body of Christ, especially those who are different from us. At the same time, the church is not to tolerate persistent sin in those who are unrepentant. Such individuals are to be excluded from the fellowship of the church with the hope that such exclusion will be redemptive in their lives. In particular, Christians are not to associate with believers who persist in sexual immorality. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This might be confusing to some, especially those who believe that absolute inclusiveness is essential in the church. On the other hand, some believe it would be better to simply avoid all contact with sinners or, conversely, to accept all people no matter their behavior. Yet, according to the biblical record, we are to reach out to all, no matter their sinful condition. At the same time, if someone in the church continues to sin and will not repent, the church is to exclude that member from the church in the hope that the individual will repent and become, once again, a member of the church community.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The biblical record is clear, Jesus and the early church were <i>and were not</i> inclusive. In some ways Jesus and His disciples were radically inclusive, while in other ways they were surprisingly exclusive. Those who argue from the inclusiveness of Jesus to include practicing gays and lesbians in the fellowship of the church today, even as leaders, assume that practicing gays and lesbians are not engaging in sinful behavior from which they must repent to enter the kingdom of God. If this assumption turns out to be wrong, their argument for inclusion falls apart. To be faithful to Jesus and the Scripture, the church cannot simply assume that homosexual activity under any circumstance is right. Rather, the church needs to look at what the Bible actually says about homosexual behavior in the light of the broader biblical teaching on human sexuality.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For Christians who believe the Bible is God's Word, there are reasonable conclusions about the biblical teaching on homosexuality. Whenever the Bible speaks positively about human sexuality, it's always in the context of male and female sexuality. God created sex to be shared only between a man and a woman. The Bible always speaks of same sex behavior negatively. There are no pro-homosexual biblical texts. There is no compelling argument from the Scriptures for the rightness of <i>any</i> homosexual practice. Homosexual activity is always sinful, no matter the context. Two people of the same sex are not to engage in sexual intimacy of any kind. Christians are to love all people, even those practicing homosexual behavior. It is tragic when Christians behave in hateful ways towards gays and lesbians. Yet because some Christians have been unloving towards gays and lesbians does not mean the church should love them by affirming their sexual behavior. Jesus never said sin is okay. Biblical love means telling those engaging in sexual immorality the truth, even if it's difficult to say and hear. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">To be inclusive of gay and lesbian people in a way that is modeled after Jesus, the church's inclusiveness cannot be absolute. The church cannot say to gays and lesbians, "Come and be a part of the church and you'll be affirmed in your sexual choices. You can be in leadership. Your sexual activity isn't a problem." That would be inconsistent with the actual inclusiveness of Jesus. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">To be like Jesus, the church as biblically revealed must reach out in love to <i>all </i>broken and sinful people, welcoming <i>all</i> into the church. Is a gay man welcome to worship in the church? Yes! Will the church affirm his sexual behavior? No! Will the church encourage a lesbian woman to seek God's will for her entire life, including her sexuality? Yes! Will we condemn her and single her out in her sin? No! Will the church call a gay man or lesbian woman to repent and experience God's forgiveness? Yes! Will the church elect him or her to church office, if he or she continues to practice homosexual behavior? No! Will they be free to bring their lovers to church with them? Yes! Will they be free to be physically expressive at church, as a husband and wife would be in a public place? No! Will the church pray for them and seek to love then as Christ has loved us? Yes! Will we bless their union in some kind of civil or marriage ceremony? No!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Many gays and lesbians will say that one cannot love them without affirming their homosexual behavior. This is not true! Jesus loved sinners, yet still called them to repent of their sin. The church should follow Jesus. This means the church should include gays and lesbians in their outreach. It does not mean the church should include gays and lesbians by affirming their sexual choices. Some gays and lesbians, and their advocates, would object that homosexual behavior isn't wrong. That's the ultimate issue. If the biblically revealed church believed homosexual behavior was right, then they would have an altogether different position. However, the church of God as revealed in the Scriptures has decided to stand on the authority of God's Word. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is an explanation of how Christians who believe homosexual behavior is wrong can be inclusive of gays and lesbians in the church. Having done this, the church's zeal to exclude gay and lesbian people in many churches has outstripped their commitment to Christian love. Many practice a double standard, where homosexual sin is counted worse than heterosexual sin - the one unforgiveable, the other overlooked. And, of course, that isn't the truth. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">May all in the church seek to love as Jesus loved, offering His grace and mercy to all people, including gays and lesbians. This way is not only right but is also possible. God help us to do the truth as it is in Jesus. <br /></p>Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-63191999842274032232022-10-27T18:23:00.002-05:002024-01-06T14:07:24.043-06:00When the Cost of Following Jesus Seems Too Much<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVA3ikoJ4lRfJcQ1wdbj3RdBjDVV0gTCLTnsvn0anPMoJEB9IDlZF5eba6XIhNBPCO0af7E7Kfhj0G0ks2eTGPIaAMansg2vbfbr0oZcDSySEIGMtn18P4A9e-oUwU9Eit4z4ETcS8_10RYA41_CeW_dlFSUG_7gSkaRtRVL449EQTRqKxYm-gC_M/s1440/Thanksgiving%20Gathering%202016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVA3ikoJ4lRfJcQ1wdbj3RdBjDVV0gTCLTnsvn0anPMoJEB9IDlZF5eba6XIhNBPCO0af7E7Kfhj0G0ks2eTGPIaAMansg2vbfbr0oZcDSySEIGMtn18P4A9e-oUwU9Eit4z4ETcS8_10RYA41_CeW_dlFSUG_7gSkaRtRVL449EQTRqKxYm-gC_M/s320/Thanksgiving%20Gathering%202016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">HAVING TO "HATE" OUR FAMILY?</p><p>Whoever doesn't hate father, mother, spouse, children, sister, brother, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26) Is our Lord saying we must hate our families in order to follow Him? That's a question we almost can't bear to ask ourselves. Surely the Gospel writer must have gotten it wrong! Right?</p><p>But if that's so, then so did Matthew. There Jesus says, "Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:37) And again Matthew says, "Do not thank that I have come to bring peace to the earth; but a sword ... And one's enemies will be members of one's own household." (Matthew 10:35-36) </p><p>There's no way around it! Jesus said these terrible words. We would like, instead, to hear words of comfort from our Savior. But we also need to hear His uncomfortable words. </p><p>There are lots of things that divide our families. Disagreements about money and various lifestyles break people apart. There isn't anyone who doesn't have some dispute like that lurking in their family somewhere. There's so much that divides families -- who needs Jesus adding to the pain?</p><p>And this is certainly painful stuff! Family hurt is about as painful as it gets. No one know how to hurt each other the way that family members do. Emotion and pain run deep in our families. Acknowledging that is the place to begin to understand these strange words from our Lord. </p><p>Rejection, hurt, dispute, trouble in the family touches anyone of us at such a level it becomes all consuming. Family is such a major thing in our life experience that it becomes enmeshed in the way we see ourselves -- the ways we see life. It's the way reality is for us.</p><p>This is something we all know: rejection and desertion by a parent can mark us for life. Intense jealousies between siblings can put a bad mark on a person so that every relationship turns to hate. And the hate produced has a fierceness found nowhere else. Jesus says there's another way, but we can't or won't hear Him. We don't believe that lives have a way out of such family situations. </p><p>So, what do we do? Well, Jesus says that we need to get real! That's the point of the heavy hate language. Jesus uses the device of exaggeration to make us hear Him. He says, "If you don't hate your brother, your sister, your children, your grandchildren, then you can't be My disciple." It's not that we're being required to cultivate hate towards our loved ones. No! We're being told that in the light of following Jesus <i>everything else</i> is less important. </p><p>This is the good news - the gospel! Nothing, and no one, can compete with the demands of following Jesus. That means what defines us first and foremost is our relationship to Jesus -- NOT our relationships with our family members. Our sister, our brother, our spouse, our children, our grandchildren -- all these relationships are of a second order. Whatever problems, troubles, torments that stem from family relationships are not all, and end all, of who we are as persons. </p><p>Jesus knows about the power of families in our lives. He grew up in a good Jewish family and experienced all the family relationships for Himself. He knows well how easy it is to get so consumed by our family experience that we forget who we are apart from those family experiences. </p><p>Yes! I am a son, a grandson, a nephew, a husband, a stepfather, an uncle and grandfather. All of those roles have deeply shaped who I am. But I am not defined by those roles. I am first of all a child of God! That's my primary identity. All other identities grow out of that one relationship with my heavenly Father - a child of God. True peace and absolute security are found in that identity: a child of God. </p><p>When I know that with my head and my heart, then all that life brings me - bad as well as good - is put in a different place. No longer do other things determine who I am, or what I may do, or how I feel about living. All of that is less important in the light of God, who loves me unconditionally, absolutely, and forever. NOTHING can take that away from me. That is who I am! God's faithfulness to me changes everything. </p><p>When we know <b>Whose we are</b>, then we can have confidence in <b>who we are</b>. Whatever our human relationships, we belong to God first and foremost. That's who we are!</p><p><i>You're blessed when you are content with just who you are -- no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves glad owners of everything that can be bought. </i>(Matthew 5:5, MSG)</p>Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-5562946775271800892021-01-18T14:14:00.017-06:002021-04-14T13:54:11.624-05:00Suffering and the Way of the Cross<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD-vEJtIaCK04_IhK3c9OOSS1JMTh0D62m-a0VkrZSz5KhTx1823NyX_l-nfZ9_uSQ-gkdmuzVlkOr3l-pkuWBs0JXhyg2LRURbeCflEx7EwvRpK2UewkL6RhLMANSai5atumr60Teo0/s325/Cross+of+Christ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="325" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZD-vEJtIaCK04_IhK3c9OOSS1JMTh0D62m-a0VkrZSz5KhTx1823NyX_l-nfZ9_uSQ-gkdmuzVlkOr3l-pkuWBs0JXhyg2LRURbeCflEx7EwvRpK2UewkL6RhLMANSai5atumr60Teo0/w381-h317/Cross+of+Christ.jpg" width="381" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"> Suffering and the Way of the Cross*</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Why are there so many who fear to take up the cross, which leads to the heavenly kingdom? For those in Christ who hear the word of the Cross and follow it, there is health, life, protection from enemies, heavenly sweetness, strength of mind, joy of spirit, the height of virtue, and perfection of holiness. In fact, there is no health of one's soul, no hope of eternal life, accept in the Cross of Christ. So, why not deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus? He gave everything for us. He went before us, bearing His cross, and died for us upon the cross, that we might also bear our cross and willingly be crucified with Him upon it. For if we are dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we partake of His suffering in this world, we shall also partake of His eternal glory in heaven. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Everything depends upon the cross and dying to ourselves. There's no other way to life and true inward peace, except daily dying to ourselves and taking up our cross. We can go where we want, seek whatever we want, and we shall find no higher way above, nor safer way below, than the way of the Cross. If we order our lives according to our own will and judgment, we shall always find suffering, either willingly or unwillingly. So shall we always find our cross, feeling either the pain of body or the tribulation of spirit within our soul.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes we will feel forsaken by God. Sometimes we will be tried by our neighbor. Sometimes we will even be wearisome to ourselves. Still we can't be delivered or eased by any remedy of consolation, but must bear it as long as God wills. For God will have us learn to suffer without consolation and submit ourselves fully to our suffering, so we'll be made more humble. No one understands completely the passion of Christ and His suffering on the way to the Cross. But as we bear our cross, we can begin to know in our hearts something of His suffering for us. The cross is always ready and waits everywhere for us. We cannot flee from it. Wherever we hurry to get away and wherever we end up, we always take ourselves with us. Whether we turn above, turn below, turn without or turn within, we shall find the cross. Our need is for patience in every situation, if we will have inward peace and finally gain the everlasting crown. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">If we willingly bear our cross, it will bear us and will bring us to the end of this life's suffering with Jesus. If we bear it unwillingly, we make a burden for ourselves and greatly increase the load, yet we must bear it still. If we cast away our cross, we shall find another and maybe a heavier one. Do we think we can escape what no one has ever been able to avoid? Which of the saints of God in this world lived without the cross and much tribulation? Not even Jesus, our Lord, lived one hour on this earth without the anguish of His Passion before Him. It behooved Him, He said, to suffer and die on the Cross, rise from the dead, and so enter into His glory. (Luke 24:46) So, why do we seek another way than this royal way, the way of the Holy Cross?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">All of Jesus' life was a cross and martyrdom. And yet do we seek rest and joy for ourselves? We are wrong, very wrong, if we seek anything but to suffer tribulations. For this earthly life is full of miseries and crosses everywhere. The more we advance in our spiritual lives, the heavier will be our crosses. For as our love of God increases, so our sorrows increase. Yet we're not without consolation. We find abundant fruit growing within us by bearing our cross. When we willingly submit to it, every burden of tribulation is turned into an assurance of divine comfort. The more our bodies are wasting away by afflictions, the more our spirits are strengthened by inward grace. This is not by our virtues, but only by the grace of God. It is Jesus only who gives us great power and energy through conforming our lives to the Cross of Christ. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's not in our nature to bear the cross, to love the cross, to keep our bodies in subjection, to flee many honors, to bear reproaches meekly, to despise self and desire to be despised, to bear all adversities and losses, and to desire no prosperity in this world. If we only look to ourselves, we will not be able to do any of these things. But if we trust wholly in the Lord, heavenly endurance shall be given us. The world and the flesh shall be subject to our command. Yes, we shall not even fear the devil, if we are armed with faith and signed with the Cross of Christ. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">We must set ourselves, then, like good and faithful servants of Christ, to bravely bear the cross of our Lord, who out of love was crucified for us. Let's prepare ourselves for the bearing of many adversities and troubles in this wretched life, for there is no means of escaping from tribulation and sorrow, except to patiently bear the cross. If we desire to follow Jesus as His disciples, then we must obediently and lovingly drink our Lord's cup of suffering. Leave consolations to God. He will do whatever seems best to Him. For the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory which shall be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When we've come to accept our tribulations as pleasant for Christ's sake, it will be well with our souls. For we will have found paradise on earth. So long as it's hard for us to accept our sufferings, so long as we tend only to escape them, it will not be well with us and tribulations will follow us everywhere. But if we become willing to suffer and die for Christ, it will go better with us and we shall find peace. Even if we should be caught up with Paul into the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2), we will not be on that account safe from suffering evil. Jesus said of Paul, "I will show him what great things he must suffer for My Name's sake. (Acts 9:16) It remains, therefore, for us to suffer, if we love Jesus and continually serve Him.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In summary, we ought to lead a life of dying to ourselves. The more we die to ourselves, the more we live towards God. We cannot understand heavenly things without submitting ourselves to bearing our adversities for Christ. There is nothing more acceptable to God, nor more healthful for us in this world, than to willingly suffering for Christ. Our worthiness as servants of Christ, and our growth in God's grace, aren't found in delights and consolations, but rather in bearing many troubles and adversities. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">If, indeed, there had been anything better and more profitable to our overall health than to suffer, Christ would surely have shown it by His word and example. For the disciples who followed Him during His earthly life, and all who desire to follow Him now, He plainly exhorts to deny themselves and bear their cross, saying, "If any want to become My followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me. (Luke 9:23) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now that we've thought about these things, this is the conclusion of the whole matter: We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22) </p><p style="text-align: justify;">_____________</p><p style="text-align: justify;">*My comments are a summary of Thomas a Kempis' The Imitation of Christ, "Of the Royal Way of the Holy Cross" (Book 2, Number 12)</p>Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-15636654509103727282020-04-06T10:47:00.002-05:002021-01-17T14:12:23.068-06:00Choosing to See Through The Pandemic Pandemonium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I write this, the world is caught up in the coronavirus pandemic. What to say about it is anybody's question and nobody's answer. So many words, mostly coming out of anxious times of government-mandated social isolation and a reported major spreading of the virus. "The suffering is great!" "There is no end in sight!" And on ... and on! Communications in social media and news reports all say, "It is very hard to ....." There are no words to state what may be known, because what is known is not really known at all. Government, economy, health systems, every thing in this world that people trust is at some level of ineptitude. Everyone, and all things, are caught up in the pandemic. What's left is a longing for a freedom that no one knows how to describe.<br />
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This pandemic has brought upon us such a discouraging view of the world we're living in now. It's a view that dominates the news and social media, a picture of all that's wrong with life as we know it. It's dark and depressing! It's how life appears, it turns out, when God is removed from the picture. It's what happens when we choose to live in the shadows of our own "wisdom" and by the selfishness of our own shortsighted agendas. Without God, we deny any ultimate reality. We're left to wallow in our own limited and perverted realities. It's such a discouraging view of life! And whether we admit it or not, we're all caught up in it to one degree or another.<br />
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This destressing picture of pandemic life revolves around a simple plot. We want to be free, but there seems to be no such thing as true freedom. It's really an inescapable paradox. God offers refuge from the burden of pandemic realities by asking us to share His burden. It turns out that true freedom is not the absence of the pandemic, but rather the acceptance of its limitations. We tend to get this backwards. We work to get all we can out of the situation at hand when, in fact, we are made to give all we can in lieu of it. We consume constantly, when sacrifice is the path to true joy. We find it hard to believe that we're most free when we are yielded to God and share His suffering in this troubled pandemic world. One thing is sure! Without God, things finally have no meaning and nothing can remove the fear and anxieties in our lives. We find the answer to being caught in this pandemic when we end our frantic pursuit of happiness and security and, instead, seek God with all our hearts.<br />
<br />So, what are we to do during these days and months of being caught in the pandemic and quarantined or "sheltered in place?" We can choose anxiety and fear, or we can live for the moment, enjoy what little we can, and quit looking blankly at the distressing news reports of our "terrible situation." What we have to do is come to terms with life as it really is - scary, fragile, frustrating, and yet yielding flickers of hope. Being alive during the pandemic and believing in God requires being caught in paradox. The two realities are side-by-side, sometimes colliding and sometimes turning away from each other. On the one hand, the world is a mess! The "invisible enemy" is everywhere and nowhere. It seems like there will be no end to it. On the other hand, there's a mystery to the working of God in the world, one, like the virus, we cannot easily see. Unlike the virus, God rules absolutely. But He grants us the freedom to choose, which introduces the possibility of bad choices bringing evil into the picture. Keeping balance in this paradox is the challenge for these trying days.<br />
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What we hopefully will learn, through all of this, is that any life we will ever have is a <i>gift</i>. God's favor cannot be earned, but it's possible to receive it. The receiving is called <i>grace</i>. Joy can exist with distress. The gift is being able to look at this pandemic world, see it all, deny nothing, and still look up, trust, and smile with a vibrant hope in God. We're much more than the news of the day. We're made to share in God's life and work, and at the end of our days to rest in God's goodness and grace. Knowing this takes faith, patience and eyes to see through the pandemonium of the pandemic. As we do, we finally come to see that we're not caught in it all, but free of it through faith in the wonderful presence of God.Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-11012279955821025602019-12-08T14:47:00.002-06:002020-08-05T16:59:27.236-05:00What's Next, Papa?<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8zEi0nqVfksoHEoVUzNMjMZDOkx4CnaxsZtXubpDgQg1amhqduQ5ntet8SUTNyK8RklVj-5r73y3zISlOa48Lu992KbZ_SzVJtcEUE75R7LGZy3Tsn8WaKPARF1k65DXjwoaCW38e-c/s1400/Grandpa-Grandson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8zEi0nqVfksoHEoVUzNMjMZDOkx4CnaxsZtXubpDgQg1amhqduQ5ntet8SUTNyK8RklVj-5r73y3zISlOa48Lu992KbZ_SzVJtcEUE75R7LGZy3Tsn8WaKPARF1k65DXjwoaCW38e-c/s640/Grandpa-Grandson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, "What's next, Papa?" (Romans 8:15, MSG)</i></div>
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I was out last week celebrating my daughter-in-law's birthday. She had worked all day and needed a break, especially from cooking for the children. So, my wife and I met her and our three grandchildren at a restaurant. There's always much expectancy while waiting on a meal of Mexican food, getting ready to sit together and eat with those you love. </div>
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While waiting for a table to seat the six of us, five-year-old Mason, came to sit by me. After we greeted and hugged, I began to point out the things to him which were around us in the waiting area - like the flower etched into the wooden bench we were sitting on and it's lack of roots. I then pointed out a potted plant nearby and mentioned that it had roots. Mason responded, "Or it couldn't grow." I shared how Jesus' love is "planted" into our hearts to make us grow. I then asked what he wanted for Christmas. He showed me how he would operate a WE Game that he was hoping to get. I always have as much to learn from my grandchildren as they do from me.</div>
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We finally got seated, ordered and ate our meals. It was such a blessing to spend time with my family. The table conversation was generally about the issues of the day and how things were going at work and school. After the dinner was complete and the bill paid, we got up to leave. As I was putting on my coat, I overheard Mason say to his mom, "I want to go home with grandpa." My heart melted right then and there. It was like God tapping on the shoulder to get my attention. Mason's words rang in my ears the glad joy of little children and their simple faith. I hugged him and said, "We'll be getting together soon at Christmas." His eyes gleamed at the prospect of that day. So did mine!</div>
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Today I have been especially happy in the Lord. My love relationship with my heavenly Father is growing and showing. My roots are deep in God's love. The hard times I've been going through lately, in my prayerful search to better understand and accept the importance of the cross of Christ in my life, are beginning to meld into joyful realities. It is all about the resurrection life made possible by Jesus' death on the cross, new life growing up from the roots of God's love in my heart. It's adventurous and expectant! It's a childlike questing for more of Jesus, like my grandson, Mason, asking "What's next, Papa?" </div>
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The best part is knowing that there is more to come, that my heavenly Father has such wonderful things ahead for me. He's really looking forward to my time with Him. He promises He's going to give me the most incredible, unbelievable inheritance, all coming by His grace through my faith in Jesus. And even better - I get to share it with Mason!</div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-56441114780979868052019-11-17T18:23:00.000-06:002019-11-25T13:04:06.468-06:00When the Dark Days Come<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dark days are hard to bear, but I'm learning that they're an important part of the cross-bearing life. The times of testing continue to come. Just when everything seems on the up-and-up and almost as a surprise, the bottom to falls out and whatever understandings I had experienced of God's goodness and grace go with it. My ego is purged and my heart purified. And it hurts! I'm learning that this is the interior life of a disciple. It is, for me, a hidden and invisible experience. It's the Spirit of Christ calling me from the shallows to the deep. </div>
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I'm thankful the dark days don't happen very often. There have been many who have gone down the dark path before me. I'm not alone! It's also reassuring to learn that growth-in-faith is not far away. The clouds may cover in darkness, but the sun shines through. Praise God! His mercy never fails and His steadfast love endures forever. </div>
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God is working in the darkness. If I surrender in trust to this truth, I will find Jesus in a new way. It marks the beginning of a deeper life of faith, where joy and peace abound even in the darkness - the deeper life of faith that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. The new way of finding Jesus is realizing that God is in the darkness. It is there I go to meet Him. It is there I pray in peace, silent and attentive to Him whose love knows no shadow of change. It is there I celebrate the darkness in the quiet certainty of my maturing faith. </div>
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What happens to me in the dark day is simple. God strips me of my current understandings of His grace, so He can enter more fully into my heart. Maturing faith in Christ comes when I allow God the freedom to work His sovereign will within me, neither letting go of my attained life of prayer in frustration nor giving in to the distractions of the world. Prayer, humility, detachment and faith are beautiful graces, but I can only have them through the purging of God's grace. It's in this purifying process that I'm prepared to more fully receive God's gifts. </div>
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I know, but often forget that the humility of Jesus is most clearly seen in His forgiveness and acceptance of others - even His enemies. In contrast, continuing resentments show that the cross-bearing life is not fully mine yet. The surest sign of union with Christ is my forgiveness and acceptance of others. Without this action on my part the dark day moves into the dark night, resulting in my troubled heart. Forgiveness is the key to everything.* Through my forgiveness the mind of Christ is formed within me and the darkness is prevented from becoming an ego trip. Forgiveness guards me from feeling so spiritually advanced that I look down on my struggling brothers and sisters. It's in humble forgiveness that we have the mind of Christ. </div>
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The final repudiation of the ego is the surrender of our need for vindication, the handing over of the kingdom of self to the Father, and the forgiving in our heart of others. When we do this faithfully, we're not being afraid of the dark, but celebrating the light that shines though it and give us all life in Christ. <br />
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* From <i>The Signature of Jesus</i> by Brennan Manning</div>
Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-13401210717299428792019-07-30T10:39:00.001-05:002019-11-25T13:03:18.882-06:00Thinking About the Cross-Bearing Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Jesus says that to be His disciple, we must take up our cross daily and follow Him. That means we accept our own wounds and limitations as being nailed to the cross of Christ and fully surrendered to Him. Jesus completely takes on Himself all our pain and suffering. So, we completely identify our lives with Jesus - what He stands for and what He wants to accomplish through us. Our human frailties, which have caused us many painful experiences, we now fully accept and surrender to Christ. He has experienced our pain and suffering and made it His pain and suffering. Our lives are made fully complete through faith in Jesus - and in Him alone. </div>
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In identifying with the crucified Christ, we enter into the work that He finished on the cross for us - His taking upon Himself all our sins and transgressions. It was all included in His cry, "My God, My God, why have You forsakened me?" (Mt 27:46) This was the moment of our redemption. His cry upon the Cross was <i>our</i> cry of alienation from God. And now, by completely surrendering to Him, our cry is taken up into His cry and transformed by His resurrection. Rather than condemning ourselves for our weaknesses and making self-conscious efforts to try to be better, we surrender ourselves completely to the crucified Christ who shed His blood on the cross for us. There is no way of healing from our pain and suffering except through the love of Jesus that forgives seventy times seven and keeps no score of wrongdoings. </div>
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The unmistakable sign of Christian disciples who have actually experienced the forgiveness of Jesus is the Spirit-given capacity to forgive their enemies. Jesus says, "Love your enemies and do good, then you will have great reward and be a child of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and to the selfish." (Lk 6:35) Jesus, the crucified Christ, is not only an example to the people of God. He is the living power and wisdom of God who empowers them to reach out hands of healing to those who have hurt them. As we more clearly hear Him pray for His murderers, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Lk 23:34), He will turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. At the foot of the cross of Jesus we are all forgiven enemies of God, who are empowered by His love to extend forgiveness to others. </div>
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In the agony of the cross Jesus said: "I know every moment of the sin, selfishness, dishonesty and degraded love that has disfigured your life. Yet I do not judge you unworthy of compassion, forgiveness and salvation. Now be like that with others. Judge no one." It's only when we claim with heartfelt conviction the love of the crucified Christ and risen Lord, that we can overcome all fear of judgement. As long as we continue to live as if we are what we do, as if we are what we have, as if we are what other people think of us, we will remain filled with judgments, evaluations and condemnations. We will continue to feel the need to "put people in their place." To the extent that we embrace the truth that our core identity is not rooted in our successes nor our popularity but in the passionate, pursuing, "reckless" love of God embodied in His crucified Son - to that degree we let go of our need to judge others. We become free from the need to judge others by claiming for ourselves this foundational truth: "I am a child of God." We are loved by our heavenly Father. This is what Jesus means when He says, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged." (Mt 7:1) John says it this way, "In love there is no room for fear." (1 Jn 4:18)</div>
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The only true wisdom we have is our own experience of the love of the crucified Christ. It's our awareness that nothing - not the negative judgments of others, not our wrongful perception of ourselves, not our scandalous past, nor our fear, guilt, and self-loathing, not even death - can separate us from the love God made visible to us on the cross of Calvary. This awareness is where our true wisdom resides. There is no substitute for the gospel. It is the power and wisdom of the crucified Christ. When we are dying, we shouldn't want some trendy words given by someone for our comfort. Instead, we should want a priestly minister of God. We should want one who has struggled with his or her faith and still clings to Jesus. We should want somebody who has looked long and lovingly at the crucified Christ and experienced the healing only found in our risen Savior and Lord. </div>
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It's the suffering Christ who "loved us and gave Himself up for us" (Eph 5:2) on the cross. The love of Jesus Christ on the cross is the divine reality. Our true lives are utterly incomprehensible except in terms of Jesus' love. Would we have remained with Mary Magdalene and John at the foot of the Cross as Jesus was murdered in the most brutal and dehumanizing way? And if we would've spoken to Mary and John of Christian life, ministry, prayer or discipleship, we would've surely spoken of Jesus nailed to the cross and now risen in glory - or not at all. We wouldn't have burdened them with our theological insights, or bored them with our ministerial successes or our gifts or anything else. We would be certain that they would've had only one question for us: Do you know Jesus? </div>
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* As a faithful Protestant, I'm coming to terms with Brennan Manning's <i>The Signature of Jesus.</i> I believe that many of Jesus' disciples don't have a clear understanding of the crucified Christ. I'm thankful for clarifications made by Robin Riggs in <i>The Lifestyle of the Cross </i>and Rankin Wilbourne in <i>The Cross Before Me</i>.</div>
Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-69899585419446068492018-12-01T22:43:00.001-06:002019-11-25T12:59:52.771-06:00Concentrating on the Cross of Christ<div>
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Oswald Chambers writes about knowing the "energy of God." He says that to know this energy we have to "brood on the tragedy of God" - the tragedy of Calvary and the meaning of Redemption.* Instead, we choose to focus our preaching and witnessing interests on the spiritual trappings of the faith. How to live the Christian life is important, but it's not what is central to our faith. The central focus of our faith is the Cross of Jesus. When we concentrate on the results of our faith in Jesus' Cross, we lose the energy of God in our lives - the resurrection life of Jesus. We lose the power of God when we don't concentrate on the Cross. Chambers goes on to say that if we pay attention to the objective Source, the Cross of the crucified Christ, then the subjective results of our faith in Jesus' Cross will be realized in our daily lives. </div>
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The effects of the Cross are salvation, sanctification, healing, wholeness of life, etc. But we are not to focus on any of these. These are not where the energy of our faith comes from. We are to focus upon and witness to Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2-5) The power of God's love is only released in our lives by focusing on the Cross. When we proclaim the love of God, revealed most clearly by His death upon the Cross, the Holy Spirit will bring His desired results. We're to concentrate our preaching/teaching on the Cross of Christ. And those who hear, though they may appear to not be paying any attention, will never be the same again. The Spirit of God will do His work in them, drawing them closer to God through the redemptive work of Christ crucified. </div>
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If we talk our own talk, it's of no more importance to those who hear us than their talk is to us. But if we talk the truth of God - the Cross of Jesus - the results will be God's will. We have to concentrate on the great point of spiritual energy - the Cross. If we keep in contact with that center, where all the power lies, the energy of God will be let loose for all to see and hear. Then God will save and transform lives, and all the effects of saving faith in Jesus will be evident - but only through Christ and Him crucified. </div>
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In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings the concentration is often put not on the Cross of Christ, but on the effects of believing in the crucified Christ. Such churches become weak and feeble. The main reason for the feebleness is lack of focus upon the source of spiritual energy - the tragedy of God upon the Cross. The biblical focus is on the Cross of Christ and the redemptive power of God's love in Christ crucified. </div>
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Alas, and did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die? </div>
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Would He devote that sacred head For such a one as I?</div>
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Was it for crimes that I have done, He groaned upon the tree?</div>
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Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree!</div>
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Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut His glories in,</div>
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When Christ, the mighty Maker, died For man the creature's sin.</div>
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But drops of grief can never repay The debt of love I owe:</div>
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Here, Lord, I give myself away, 'Tis all that I can do!</div>
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At the Cross, at the Cross, Where I first saw the light, </div>
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And the burden of my heart rolled away,</div>
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It was there by faith I received my sight, </div>
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And now I am happy all the day!+</div>
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* In his devotional book My Utmost for His Highest, "The Concentration of Spiritual Energy"<br />
+ Hymn by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), "At the Cross"</div>
Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-54301355538799049952018-10-06T09:37:00.000-05:002019-10-06T22:26:26.769-05:00Being Made New in God's Image<b></b><br />
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A main goal in life is <i>being made new in God's image</i>. The way to become the man God has created me to be is to be made new in His image. This happens by recognizing and celebrating God's holiness, which leads me to yearn for His holiness reflected in my life. It's a life-long realization and pursuit. And though it is the greatest of all privileges to become the man God wants me to be, it's pursuit is fraught with avoidance and excuse.</div>
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The whole idea of a holy life seems so unreal. It seems like an outdated religious ideal, made for those who have dreams of an impossible perfection or who want to appear better than they really are. We've all seen the disgraced ministers and priests in the news. It seems sometimes that we're just asking for trouble when we claim to be like Jesus! Besides, no one wants to be a marginalized prude. And on and on goes the reasons for resisting holiness. But the call of the Lord to holiness also goes on and on, as well. </div>
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Jesus calls us to resist the usual reasons and questions we have about holiness and make up our minds to reverence and live in awe of God's holy name. In the prayer He taught us, Jesus says, "When you pray, say, 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.'" To hallow God's name goes beyond being respectful or showing reference for it. Hallowing God's name means we are transformed as we do it. It means we are <i>being made new in God's image</i>. In the process of hallowing His name, we become hallowed by the transforming grace of God. Sinful resistance, of course, is there, and it is strong at times. But God's grace is stronger!</div>
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I've been reading and lately from Dr. Barry L. Callen's book, The Prayer of Holiness - Hungry People. In it Dr. Callen says that sin is "insisting on doing <i>my</i> things <i>my</i> way for <i>my</i> own pleasure by <i>my</i>self." (p. 46) That pretty well sums it up. Living in sin defies God and leads to self destruction. It's the opposite of what God intends for me. I am created by God to live in loving relationship with Him, with my spouse and with others. If I focus on myself and my pleasure, instead of looking to Jesus and seeking God's will for my life, then I destroy the hope of having a future worth living. It's as simple as that! </div>
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Life isn't about me; it's about God's only Son, Jesus Christ. It's about the life He lived, the death He died on the cross, and the hope He gave us through His resurrection. Jesus is the One who sits at the right hand of the Father and comes to live with us, and in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is with us right where we are. I drop to my knees in amazement and adoration of the holy One, then rise to my feet fully embraced by that same One who has chosen to walk with me through life. I am <i>being made new in God's image</i>. Hallelujah! Amen!</div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-83707844943876829372018-06-18T13:40:00.002-05:002018-07-08T16:12:53.687-05:00A Pardoning God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know God as a pardoning God. My God never let's me go. He waits for me when I wander from His love. He's like a Father waiting for His son to return to Him. (Luke 15) Wherever I wander, sometimes far and other times not so far, He's there. He is there beckoning me to come home to Him. (Psalm 139) God is there. He's there for me. He holds my spirit close to His heart. His love will never let me go. He waits for me.<br />
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I constantly pray: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy Upon Me, A Sinner." For I have sinned "against heaven and You." I don't have to sin, now, but I still make errors in judgment and mistakes in my choices. I still live in sinful flesh. So, I need a forgiving heavenly Father, whose love will not let me go and who is waiting for me - no matter what trouble I get into by my sometimes wandering ways.<br />
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My God is a pardoning God.Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-21583320622439464122018-05-26T18:05:00.000-05:002018-09-23T23:00:26.445-05:00God Tests Us Through Difficult Decisions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Of all the decisions I've made through out the years, and many of them have been life-changing, the one to surrender to God's will for ministry has been the most difficult. I've walked that way before. I've struggled with the choices before me. I've agonized in prayer. I've reviewed all the options facing me a thousand times. And it always comes down to taking that simple step of faith, the one God has given me to at the time. God tests us! Never easy, it's all about allowing Jesus to work His will out in my life. It's all about saying "Yes" to the Lord, then acting on our faith.</div>
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About a year ago I came back to the Church of God (Anderson), the "prodigal son" coming home (from the United Methodist Church) to his roots in God's church. Such a blessing it was for me to be welcomed back into the fellowship, completely forgiven and joyfully recognized by my brothers and sisters in the faith. I've been so blessed during this time to have a pastoral visitation and discipleship teaching ministry almost immediately supplied by my home church (Shartel Church of God, Oklahoma City), as if I had never left in the first place. I am happy in the ministries I have now. </div>
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But there remained a question in my mind - the possibility of serving another church. Having had various vocational ministries in the Church of God (Home Missionary, Senior Pastor, U.S. Army Reserve Chaplain), and still having some strength and presence of mind in this 70-year-old body to offer the Lord and His church, I had been thinking about another stint as a Senior Pastor or Interim Pastor. I make all my ministry decisions with my wife, Barbara. She has always been a main-stay in my ministry decisions. Without her, I simply wouldn't have made it at all in any ministry. So, we were thinking about it.</div>
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The decision to act on faith is what Jesus has always wanted from me. The Gospels are full of instances when Jesus marveled at the faith of those who came to Him. Time and again Jesus asked His disciples, "Where is your faith?" In every situation, and through out Jesus' life on earth, His question for us is always "And when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?" My answer is still,"Yes Lord, Yes!" Here I am! I will go wherever You want me to go and do whatever You want me to do. The further test, though, is whether or not we will actually do His will.<br />
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A time of prayer ensued after Barbara and I decided to go. Then, just as we were ready to call the realtor and put our house up for sale - to actually do what the Lord was calling us to do - He opened our mind to remember father Abraham and Isaac. God tested Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice. He bound his son, placed him on the altar, and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord stopped him from killing the boy and said, "Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son from me." (Genesis 22)<br />
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Barbara and I looked at each other and realized together that what the Lord has always wanted from us is still what He wants today. More than anything, God wants to know that we "fear" Him and will hold nothing back from following His will for our lives. That's the most difficult decision. The test, though, is whether we're willing to act on the decision. It's not until God knows that you will act, that He will give you His blessing. And I am thankful to say today that Barbara and I are blessed!</div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-78188122475758577592018-02-19T13:28:00.002-06:002021-04-14T14:12:35.015-05:00The Truth of the Historic Vision of the Church of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dr. Gilbert W. Stafford, a 20th century Christian theologian, preacher and teacher, asks a critical question: "Are we genuinely committed to the historic vision of what it means to be the church that is pleasing to God?" The context in which he poses this question is as a part of the Church of God (Anderson, IN) Reformation Movement at the beginning of the 21st century, heading into a post-denominational Christian church era in America and wondering if the Movement, which is founded on the strong belief that denominations are not biblical, will be able to survive the transition. Without a denominational-organizational structure, what will prop up the Movement and assure that it will continue to exist after more than one hundred and twenty-five years? He comes to the conclusion, and rightly so, that only as the truth of its historic vision is lifted up, celebrated and lived out will the Movement continue on into the future.<br />
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What Dr. Stafford is talking about is what he calls a "visionary connectedness," which has been given to the Church of God Movement as a witness to the world and the Christian church of an expression of the one, universal church, by the power of the Holy Spirit according to the teaching of the New Testament. He makes it clear that our responsibility as a particular part of God's church is to faithfully preach, teach and practice the truth of its historic vision and let the Holy Spirit do the rest. <br />
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From the beginning of the Church of God Reformation Movement, founded in the Midwest region of the United States in the early 1880s, there has been a visionary connectedness of God's people, who believe that they have been called to live out the implications of Christ's New Covenant. Theirs was a fresh commitment to be God's new people, living holy lives in a unified church. And so is our commitment! We are connected as the inheritors of a rich, religious tradition, as Bible believing disciples who are returning to Bible truth and moving ahead with a historic vision of the church. The church we see is the Church of God. It is alive, holy, one, and belongs to God.* <br />
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Despite the deadening effects of denominationalism, and the apathy of many, even in our own churches, God's church is still <em>alive</em> and well. The Church of God is not a human organization, but a living organism which has been brought into being by God and is alive with His living presence and power. Whatever the opposition, God's church is alive. (Mathew 16:18) <br />
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God's church is also a <em>holy</em> church. It is a church which only exists in a given place as the living family of God. Holiness has always been a central conviction of the Church of God. Scripture is plain: "As He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves," and "In all things grow up into Him who the Head, that is , Christ." The Church of God is holy as its members are sanctified and grown-up in Christ. <br />
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Since we have been grafted into the living, holy body of Christ, we are <em>one</em> with each other in that one body. The perfect love of God unites us ALL in Jesus. The Church of God becomes impatient with Christians who refuse to accept and love each other. To walk in the way of holiness is to renounce the sin of sectism and stand together for the truth as it is in Jesus. We are free in Christ - together. <br />
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Finally, God's church <em>belongs to God</em>. We didn't found the Church of God; it found us. We don't choose its members; we embrace all who are members by God's choice. We don't govern it with a heavy hand; we participate in it with a humble heart. It isn't enough to rely on our past understandings and achievements. Nor is it enough to be learning from our present church leaders and counting on them to filter out all the obstacles before us. Christ, and Christ alone, is the Head of His church. God's church has always been, is now, and will always be God's church.<br />
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This is the church we see. The truth of its historic vision is the truth which has brought the Church of God into existence and must continue to guide its life. The Church of God - alive, holy, one, divinely ruled ... May God help us to be on our way, toward the goal of a holy, unified church for a dark and divided world. <br />
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* These characteristics of the Church of God were first heard by the ministers of the General Assembly during the Anderson Campmeeting in 1993 in a sermon preached by Dr. Barry L. Callen entitled "Core Convictions of the Church of God." I was one of the ministers there that day. (I've shared what I heard him say in an earlier blog post by the same title.)<br />
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-72010174856228404652017-12-11T12:02:00.000-06:002019-10-06T22:41:58.263-05:00A Fresh Focus on Holiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There has never been a time in greater need of the message of holiness.* Pastors and leaders are seeking ways to revitalize their congregations, and it's not working. Churches are in decline. In my church group, Church of God (Anderson, IN), there are half as many congregations as there was twenty five years ago (in my state of Oklahoma). The power and health of churches have been drained by the continual search for a better way of doing church or newer and bigger programs. In the process our people have become ineffective and have fallen prey to the effects of the world around them. Churches are terribly in need of a clear, compelling message as their focus instead of chasing church growth methods.</div>
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Many church leaders have become hostages of various kinds of culture-driven success mentalities that are concerned more with "how" to do church instead of the more important matter of "what" the church is all about. In the process our leaders have lost the ability to lead, because they have no compelling message. Many know they've lost their leadership and long to find a message that makes a difference. More than ever, they long to have a deep understanding of God's call to holiness. They want a mission. They want a message!</div>
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The people of our churches, especially in my church group, are looking for a future without having to live in the past. They are looking for a way to get back to the blessed old Bible and the light of its word without returning to what has been, but by returning to the Source of that which has been. They need to take a walk in the woods like one young minister named Daniel S. Warner did on December 13, 1877. He wrote in his journal, "The day was mild and fair. Took a walk in the woods to commune with God. Thought much about the words of God, 'I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel ... they shall be my people.'" (Jeremiah 31:31,33) Then he wrote, "Amen, LORD. I am Yours, forever. Fill me with Your presence, now. LORD, reveal Yourself in me. At Your feet I humbly bow to receive the holy seal." That day he found the core, the center, the essence of God's call. And he spent the rest of his life passing it on to others. It's the Source of our call today. That is our message. That is our mission!</div>
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People are tired of petty lines of division that create denominations and institutions. They long for a clear message that transcends differences among the followers of Jesus Christ. They want to know the unifying power of God. They want to see the awesomeness of God's holiness that moves us to oneness in the testimony of God's power. They accept diversity among Christ's followers, but they want to know that churches and leaders believe that we in the church of God are one. They want a message that is unifying, that comes from God who is the essence of unity in diversity. They want a fresh focus on holiness - the heart of the Bible for all Christians of all times ... even ours!</div>
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* This post was spurred on by a 2006 document entitled "The Holiness Manifesto," written jointly by church leaders and scholars representing various Wesleyan, Holiness and Pentecostal traditions of Christianity. It can be found in the 2008 book by that name, edited by Kevin Mannoia and Don Thorsen and published by Eerdmans of Grand Rapids.<br />
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-65563551733869604032017-11-18T13:45:00.000-06:002017-11-19T15:33:39.911-06:00A Second Work of Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So the meeting came and went much like I thought it would, except with more grace and mercy than I had ever imagined possible. I gathered with brothers in Christ around the table of business and introduced myself. We were all consecrated servants of the LORD and we looked forward to what the Holy Spirit would reveal to us as we spoke the truth to one another in Jesus' name. Our heavenly Father blessed us together. We responded openly to His love and to each other.</div>
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The meeting was called by the Church Service Team of the Oklahoma Assembly of the Church of God (OKCHOG). After only five months since returning to the Church of God (Anderson, IN), I was being considered for the reinstatement of my ministerial credentials. I was a little nervous, but certain of my calling to the ordained ministry. The team was anxious to hear me relate my story. </div>
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I began by telling of my roots in the Church of God. In 1975 I affiliated with the The Church of God movement at South Agnew Church of God in Oklahoma City. It was a very loving and accepting fellowship of God's people that I met there. The Holy Spirit was moving among us in life-changing ways as our Pastor preached full salvation through faith in Christ and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We stood together on the authority of God's Word, holy and unified in Christ. I received there a solid grounding in the faith and a fresh start to my life as a disciple of Jesus. </div>
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In 1977 I moved to Anderson, IN to begin seminary training for the ministry. During my time there, I met many leaders of the Church of God movement and became convinced of my calling to the ministry and particularly to missions. I wanted to go to the foreign field, but decided to stay in the U.S. as a Home Missionary.</div>
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In 1980 I moved to Wounded Knee, SD to reestablish the Church of God mission there to the Sioux Indians on the Pine Ridge Reservation. As a wide-eyed young minister, I wasn't ready for the stress and strain that mission work would bring on my family. My wife soon left and returned to her home in Florida. I tried to stay on at the mission, but could not give myself to the work there anymore. </div>
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When I returned to Anderson with my "tail between my legs," I was certain that my life as a minister was over. I expected the worse but received the best. After much counseling and readjustment, I took the opportunity to join the Army National Guard. After a short time, I was ordained to the ministry and got my first assignment as a unit chaplain. (It turned out to be a ministry that I truly enjoyed and that I would retire from some twenty-four years later.) </div>
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Shortly thereafter, I moved to Oklahoma City to be closer to "home." While there I did an internship at Baptist Medical Center in Clinical Pastoral Education. At the end of the training, I met my wife at a Church of God singles group meeting. We settled into married life and waited on God's will for our lives. </div>
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We then moved to Colorado, where I would become the Pastor of two churches over a ten year period. Balancing reserve military and full-time church responsibilities was very difficult at times. But I had the energy and the work was fulfilling. It was in the Colorado Conference of the Church of God that I first experienced true comradere with my fellow ministers. <br />
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In 2001 my wife and I moved back to Oklahoma City to be closer to our families, especially the grandchildren. The congregation we had been attending was going through a split. While waiting on God's will for our lives, we decided to attend a United Methodist Church (UMC) and felt the LORD calling us to work there. When the OKCHOG asked about my decision, and pressed for me to resume my work in the Church of God, I decided to relinquish my credentials. I became a licensed minister and Local Pastor of two UMC congregations in the Oklahoma City metro during the next ten years.<br />
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It was during a particularly soul-searching and call-revisiting time in my life that I came to sense God directing me to leave the UMC and return to the Church of God. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18 kept coming to my mind.) As in the parable of the Prodigal Son, I "came to myself" and returned to my home in the Church of God. My Pastor was used by the LORD to forgive me for my waywardness and accept me back into the family of God. It was one of the happiest times of my life. When asked by the Credentials Team why I had left the Church of God, I confessed that it was a renegade spirit and a sense of going-it-on-my-own that caused me to forsake my Church of God roots. <br />
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So the meeting around the business table turned into a reinstatement service of my credentials at the altar of the LORD. My brothers, and fellow ministers, gathered around me and laid their hands on me. They prayed for the restoration of my ordination and for God's leading in my future ministerial endeavors. It was more grace and mercy than I had ever received before - a particularly wonderful second work of God's grace. </div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-41608798851995757182017-08-18T20:28:00.001-05:002017-10-20T21:04:21.725-05:00A Devotion on Credentials and Integrity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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By this I will know that God is for me.</div>
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In God, whose Word I praise,</div>
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in the LORD, whose Word I praise -</div>
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in God I trust; I will not be afraid.</div>
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What can man do to me?</div>
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(Psalm 56:9b-11)</div>
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** As I prepare for credentials meetings regarding pastoral ministry with my state's ministerial assembly, these are few things on my mind. What is integrity, especially as it applies to the church and its leaders? I share these<br />
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One's credibility can always be traced to one's level of integrity - one's walk before God. Since integrity is the most important ingredient of leadership, a minister must be a person of integrity. </div>
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A minister with integrity doesn't have divided loyalties and isn't pretending to have experienced God's call. Ministers with integrity are "whole" persons; they're single-minded in their walk before God. They have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. They judge everything in life by the same system of values. What they say, think and do is in sync.<br />
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Integrity is the acid test of credibility. In credentialing work, that is, the work of checking a minister's credibility, integrity is the most import ingredient. Integrity builds trust, facilitates high standards, results in a solid reputation, means living it myself first, and is a hard-won achievement.<br />
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To be a pastoral leader, one must have followers. To have followers, one must have their confidence. To have their confidence, one must have integrity. Therefore, the number one quality of pastoral leadership is integrity.<br />
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Every church or ministry is influenced to grow or decline by its leadership. The character of its leaders determines the character of the organization. Everything rises and falls on leadership. And the secret to rising, and not falling, is integrity.<br />
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Pastors and leaders must live by higher standards than their followers. They can give up anything except responsibility for themselves or their organization. When the character of a leader is low, so is his or her standards.<br />
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No minister can lead anyone further than he or she has been his or her self. There are no shortcuts to a life of integrity. When ministers fail to follow this principle, they lower their credibility.<br />
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Clever ministers never last. Effective pastoral ministry is based, not on being clever, but on being consistent. No one can fool all the people all the time. Eventually, each of us is recognized for exactly what we are and not for what we try to appear to be. <br />
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Delight yourself in the LORD</div>
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and He will give you the desires of your heart.</div>
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Commit you way to the LORD;</div>
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trust in Him and He will do this:</div>
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He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,</div>
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the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.</div>
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(Psalm 37:4-6)</div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-62144770600670151162017-06-18T21:40:00.000-05:002018-01-08T20:58:12.486-06:00Back Home in the Church of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today was the first day back home in fifteen years. For all that time I had wandered in the deadening throes of denominationalism. Never one to hold back on a challenge, I left my home church (Church of God, Anderson, IN) to see if I could make a difference in the United Methodist Church. And I found myself, like the prodigal son, in the pig sty asking, "What am I doing here? I had it so much better in my home church." So, I finally came to myself and returned home to the Church of God Movement. It was a wonderful day. There really is no place like home.</div>
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I could give many reasons for leaving the United Methodist Church, but it really came down to just one. With all the turmoil of a pending split in the denomination, I was unable to keep my focus on Jesus. The UMC has lost its focus on Jesus because it has forsaken the authority of the Bible for their own man-made rules. It has become so open and welcoming of everything in its beliefs that it no longer stands for anything. The denomination has become the sectarian gods that they have set up before them, fighting among themselves to gain power and control over a failing institution. There is really nothing left of any significance to focus on when Jesus is cut out of the picture. So, I left the United Methodist Church. I came out and separated from them. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)</div>
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In God's Church there is biblical holiness and spiritual unity among God's people. In God's Church the focus is <i>always </i>on Jesus. In God's Church the children's song is proved true: "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so." In God's Church the Bible is the only rule of faith and Christ alone is LORD. </div>
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So, it's back to the blessed old Bible and the light of its Word for me. It's back to an emphasis on holy living, by which God's Church comes to experience true unity. It's back to focusing on Jesus. And I've never found any church group that embodies these truths more than the Church of God Movement. It's good to be home!</div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-65084763364927276172017-06-11T15:57:00.003-05:002021-02-11T17:47:04.759-06:00Core Convictions of the Church of God Movement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jeremiah 31:31, 33</div>
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2 Corinthians 3:6</div>
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Ephesians 4:3-6</div>
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In June of 1993 ministers of the Church of God gathered in an ante room, then paraded into the domed tabernacle of the Church of God (Anderson, IN) campmeeting grounds to hear a message from the LORD. The preacher that day was Dr. Barry L. Callen, Dean of Anderson University. He stood up before us, and the others who were there, tall with a graying beard and he said, "I know I look like Daniel S. Warner." (Who was a late 1800s pioneer minister of the Church of God Reformation Movement). Everyone laughed. Then he continued, "I also know with 1500 ministers sitting before me, it's going to take more than a similar appearance to the founder of the our movement to convince anyone of our core convictions." And with that introduction, be began his message. I was one of the ministers there that day, and I did hear a Word from the LORD. The core convictions that Dr. Callen laid out for us have became mine, too. And they still are! This is what I heard him say.</div>
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"The LORD declared through the prophet Jeremiah that 1) He would have a new covenant, and that 2) He would have a new people. The prophecy found its complete fulfillment in the ministry of Jesus Christ and in the establishment of His body - the Church. The writings of Paul make it clear that all who come into that Church - the new covenant community - are enabled to live lives worthy of their calling and ministers of the new covenant and are charged with keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. </div>
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"Our predecessors in the Church of God Reformation Movement were some very special men and women, who dared as God's new people to take the implications of the new covenant with a new seriousness. One young minister named Daniel Sidney Warner wrote this in his journal on December 13, 1877. "The day was mild and fair. Took a walk in the woods to commune with God. Thought much about the words of God, 'I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel ... They shall be my people ...'" Then he wrote, "Amen, LORD. I am yours, forever. Fill me with Your presence, now. LORD, reveal Yourself in me. At Your feet I humbly bow to receive the holy seal." *</div>
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"<b>There</b> the light of basic Christian truth was beginning to shine again. <b>There </b>was issued a radical call to live out the implications of Christ's new covenant. <b>That day</b> a fresh commitment was made to be God's new people, to live holy lives in a unified Church.<b> Today</b> we are gathered together in this beautiful sanctuary as the inheritors of a rich, religious tradition. We gather as Bible believing disciples, returning to Bible truth and moving ahead with a vision of the Church. But before we attempt to call out other Christians, who are serious about the new covenant Church and being God's people, we better make sure <b>we </b>know about the Church, that <b>we</b> have seen the Church, and that we are <b>practicing</b> what we know and have seen. With that in mind I declare these core convictions about the Church of God. </div>
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The first core conviction is: <u><b>God's Church is Alive</b></u>.</div>
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"<b>Despite</b> the false fronts and lies of past and present religious leaders and all the doctrinal heresies of the centuries; <b>despite</b> the rise and fall of nations and government, and all the oppressive tactics of ideologies like communism and Marxism; <b>despite </b>the deadening effects of denominationalism, and the apathy present even in some of our own churches; <b>despite</b> all of the efforts of the power of darkness ... <b>God's Church is still alive and well</b>. </div>
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"The words of Charles Naylor's hymn describe what our pioneers faced: 'The light of eventide now shines, the <b>darkness</b> to dispel ... for out of Babel God doth call His <b>scattered</b> saints in one ...' The visible church structures of that time were in the dark. They were in the wilderness. There was division and discouragement. But, there was also <b>hope</b>. There were still 'the glories of fair Zion' and 'the light of eventide.'</div>
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"In 1895, the year that D.S. Warner died, William D. Schell declared, "Hell never can destroy the Church." Not the Church built by our Savior. Upon the solid rock of Christ - <b>still </b>she stands! The Church of God ... not a human organization, but a living organism ... brought into being by God ... alive with His living presence and His power. </div>
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"<b>Today</b> governments continue to oppress, and materialism is a worldwide menace. But <b>God's Church is alive</b>! <b>Today</b> there are more nuclear warheads than ever, we seem to be losing the war on drugs, and the cults continue to grow. But the <b>Church of God is alive and will overcome</b>. <b>Today</b> denominationalism is still deadening. But through it all God <b>has a people</b>, <b>a new people</b>, who are moving ahead with their Master, moving into the future with the One who holds its outcome in His hand. </div>
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"In another generation we will be gone, this building may have collapsed in decay, our nations may be nuclear wastelands, and our church committees may be forgotten experiments. But <b>God's family will still be celebrating</b> ... either in this town, some other place, or around His throne in heaven. No matter what else is dead, t<b>he Church of God will be alive</b>.</div>
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"Do not be afraid," said Jesus. "I am the first and the last. I am the living One. I was dead and, behold, I am alive for ever and ever." (Revelation 1:17-18) "I will build my Church," announced Jesus, "And the gates of hell will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18) Be sure of this" Whatever the opposition - <b>God's Church is alive</b>!</div>
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The second core conviction: <u><b>God's Church is Holy</b></u>.</div>
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"There have always been misunderstandings about church holiness. <b>Some</b> suppose that ministers can trace their authority directly back to Christ and His apostles, as if somehow that can guarantee our purity before God. <b>Some</b> say that robes, candles and rituals somehow ensure the sacredness of the sanctuary. <b>Others</b> presume that distance between the Christians and even the appearance of evil somehow preserves holiness. <b>Some </b>take comfort in having a sign in the church yard which reads, "First Church of God, Where Experience Makes You a Member." All of these are hollow approaches to holiness in and of themselves.<br />
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"God's Church is holy <b>only</b> when it actually exists in a given place as the living family of God. God's Church is holy <b>only</b> as its membership is sanctified, or in Warner's words, "Filled with Thy presence, now." Holiness has always been a central conviction of the Church of God. Our movement has been a quest for both holiness and unity. In fact, unity <b>is only</b>, and <b>will be only</b>, found in a holy church.<br />
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"Our pioneers assumed that the solution to sectarianism lay in the work of the Sanctifier. Warner once wrote, 'You need not waste time in planning general union movements, or praying the LORD to restore the unity of His Church, until you go down under the blood and have every bone of contention and cause of division purged our of your own heart.'<br />
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"I'm sure your are aware that over the years the teaching about sanctification has become muddled among us. We've reacted to preaching which has expounded the doctrine of Christian holiness a little too neatly, and have become preoccupied with related issues like dress and entertainment. We've become quick to deny that we are charismatics, or that we are Pentecostal, even though such words are biblical and represent fundamental realities in the Christian life.<br />
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"But whatever our failings and fears, we must never become silent about the call to holiness. D. Otis Teasley's hymn must remain our clarion call. "Back to the blessed old Bible, Back to the light of its word; Be on our banners forever, 'Holiness Unto the LORD.'' Scripture is plain: "As He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves,' and "In all things grow up into Him who is the head, that is, Christ." The Church of God is holy, as its members are sanctified and grown-up in Christ.<b> God's</b> <b>Church can be, must be - holy</b>!<br />
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The third core conviction:<b> <u>God's Church is One</u></b>.<br />
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"Having been cleansed by the Sanctifier's fire of perfect love, our pioneers became impatient with Christians who failed to accept, and love, each other. Surely, if we have each been grafted into the living, holy body of Christ, then we are one with each other in that one body. As Warner wrote, "O brethren, how this perfect love unites us <b>all</b> in Jesus!" In the early days of our movement the call was for Christians to walk in the way of holiness, renounce the sin of sectism, and stand together. Free in Christ - together.<br />
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"Probably nothing is more central to what we are about as the Church of God Reformation Movement than the concern for Christian unity. Our hearts have been broken, because we have believed that God grieves over the factions and divisions among His people. We know that such division hinders the mission of His Church. We have emphasized that true Christian unity is a divine gift to us. We receive it. We don't contrive it.<br />
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"One key lesson we're still learning, though, is that Christian unity is both given and gained. Ephesians 4:3 <b>assumes</b> the gift, calling us to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:13, however, points to that which must be <b>gained</b>, calling us to build up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith. Christian unity is both a gift and goal. Christ gives the Spirit of unity, but we who receive Him must have the <b>will</b> to make unity a reality.<br />
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"It is a frustrating, difficult teaching. the gift has thrilled us, but the goal has stayed just beyond our reach. It's sad to say, but we have actually refused to fellowship some our brothers and sisters, even in the holiness and evangelical churches, because they haven't understood what it is that we stand for. We have wanted so badly not to compromise the truth that sometimes we have looked to ourselves as the standard of truth. We have have a tendency to sacrifice fellowship with Christians outside our movement because we have been afraid that they will contaminate us. As one campmeeting preacher recently said, "We have wanted to be a leaven in the loaf without even being mixed in the dough." And through all this, denominations haven't disappeared. Divisions continue, sometimes among us, and sometimes even because of us.<br />
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"The <b>gift</b> is still real, but the <b>goal</b> is still not achieved. We have learned that making visible and operational the oneness we have in our hearts is not easy. It's hard! And it's not always in line with all of our theological understandings. But we are still sure that this unity in Christ, and in the visible church, is not optional. God does will the oneness of His people.<br />
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"<b>Some</b> Christians are black, <b>some</b> are white. <b>Some</b> like to jump and shout, while <b>others</b> prefer to sit and meditate. <b>Some</b> tend to emphasize the insights of John Calvin, and <b>some</b> swear by John Wesley. <b>Some</b> are emotional, politically conservative and lovers of campmeetings, while <b>others</b> are politically liberal, and you usually find them in cathedrals or in the streets rather than in revival meetings. <b>Some</b> Christians honestly read a Bible verse one way and <b>some</b> another.<br />
<br />"But whatever the differences, against all human tendencies to separate, we Christians must <b>will</b> to be one. If we are serious about God's new covenant, then we will not be quick to think the worse of each other. We will concentrate our commitment on Jesus, and hold less tightly to our own ways. We will be more open to the whole Church of God, and less controlled by the limits of our own customs. We will be speaking to today's issues, in today's language, with the same truth and the same intensity of our pioneers.<br />
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"Christ alone is central. <b>Jesus</b> is always the subject. <b>Jesus</b> alone transcends the differences among us. He is the key to understanding His Word. Only in Him <b>are we</b> one, or <b>will we ever</b> be one - in Christ Jesus.<br />
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"Horace Mann once said, 'I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the Apostles. But I've heard a great deal about their Acts.'" Let's put our ideal to work. Let's turn our beautiful words into unifying actions. Let's be pioneers in our own right. Let's actually 'reach our hands in fellowship to every blood washed one.' Let the prayer of Jesus be our prayer, too: 'I pray for those who will believe in Me, that all of them my be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I in You. May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.'<br />
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The final core conviction is: <u><b>God's Church is God's Church</b></u>.<br />
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"We didn't found the Church of God. It found us! We don't choose the members. We embrace all who are members by God's Choice. We don't govern it with a heavy hand. We participate in it with a humble heart. We aren't <b>the</b> Church of God, but we are a <b>part</b> of it, who cares deeply about <b>all</b> of it.<br />
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"Since the Church of God is God's, it's my heartfelt desire that we stop thinking so denominationally. You know what I'm saying: "I'm not going there because its sponsored by the Baptists." "We can't do that because those aren't Church of God people." "you can't believer like that, because F.G. Smith or Mid-America University teaches this."<br />
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"My friends, neither the Gospel Trumpet, our theologians, nor any of our schools have ever had a corner on truth. And the great moving of the Spirit of God has never been confined to the borders of our fellowship. If we think of ourselves as the standard for God's Church, we will poison our heritage and fall away from the truth.<br />
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"In 1929 D.A. Reardon, speaking to the ministers at the Anderson Campmeeting, said, 'I believe in a clean, separate, and distinct work for God. But I also believe that we should keep the sectarian stink out of the distinction. There is such a thing,' he concluded, 'as stressing the reformation to such an extent that we cause our people to be reformation centered - reformation sectarians.'<br />
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"The worse thing that could happen to us as a church is to become the home of our own brand of sectarianism. If we <b>will determine</b> to think and act like a movement, a part of God's great movement, then we will not have to spend so much time worrying about whether we're becoming a denomination. As a movement among God's people, it is our task to resist becoming a settled and ingrown crowd of Christians.<br />
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"It isn't enough to rely on our past understandings and achievements. Nor is it enough to be learning from our present church leaders, and counting on them to filter out all the obstacles before us. "<b>Jesus</b> is the head of His Church. God's Church is God's.<br />
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"These core convictions brought the Church of God Movement into being and continue to guide its life. The Church of God is alive, holy, one and divinely ruled. 'O Church of God, I love the courts, Thou mother of the free; Thou blessed home of <b>all</b> the saved, I dwell content in thee.'<br />
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"May God help us to be on our way, toward the goal of a holy, united church for a dark, divided world. May we be encouraged by that promise, 'I will make a new covenant ... They will be my people.' And may we be sobered by that call to live lives worthy of the calling we have received."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">___________________</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">* Forty-eight days later, on March 7, 1878, Warner caught his life's vision and wrote this in his journal: "On the 31st of last January the LORD showed me that holiness could never prosper upon sectarian soil encumbered by human creeds and party names, and He have me a new commission to join holiness and all truth together and build up the apostolic church of the living God. Praise His Name! I will obey Him." <br />
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-8141787214690242072017-05-28T11:43:00.000-05:002017-05-28T11:44:06.116-05:00The Beauty of God's Church Found in Scripture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As my church (the United Methodist Church) heads toward an almost certain separation of differing factions, I am led to return to my roots. For 25 years I was a part of and involved in the ministry of the Church of God (Anderson, IN). I worked with them and worshiped with them. Their doctrines and theology still form the basis of my Wesleyan orthodox faith. And key to my understanding of Christian doctrines as set forth in the Word of God is the theology that has shaped and molded the Church of God to this day. As the UMC divides itself, I find assurance in reflecting upon the original pattern of God's Church as revealed in Scripture. </div>
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God's Church was purchased and established by Christ Jesus. (Acts 20:28) His Church was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost as the Holy Spirit filled those gathered in the Upper Room. (Acts 2:4a) It was from this original community of faith that God gave the pattern for His people for all time. This I know, because the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Word of God, the Word which endures forever. (1 Peter 1:25) The same sure Word that fills my heart with the truth as it is in Jesus to this day.</div>
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While the Word of God stands sure, various interpretations of that Word have not been as trustworthy. There have been heresies since the early days of the Church, which have developed and led many of God's people off into strange thinking and wayward discipleship. Various states of apostasy have settled down upon those claiming the name of Jesus. But through it all God has always preserved a sacred remnant who have remained true to His Word as revealed through the Spirit of Truth. The faithfulness of such followers of Jesus through the centuries serves as a spiritual catalyst for us today. Their faithfulness cause us to reflect upon the original pattern of God's Church. We measure ourselves by the Church as revealed in Scripture.</div>
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It has always been such a quest for scriptural truth that has moved upon the hearts of reformers to call Christians to holiness and oneness. Being lead by the Holy Spirit into an understanding of scriptural holiness, reformers through out the centuries have known this as the key to Christian unity. They believed that the experience of holiness would eventuate in the unity of God's people. It was a unity that went beyond sectarian spirits and denominational doctrine. So persuaded, reformers declared themselves free from humanly instituted religion and fellowshiped with all who had experienced the Lordship of Christ.</div>
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Out of such movements of the Spirit, other Christians are being led into a similar understating of true unity. With a spirit of humility they seek only to follow Jesus rather than the organized religious orders of the day. Being committed to this truth and drawn together by the Holy Spirit, such movements still continue. Recognizing the Lordship of Jesus, they seek only God's plan for the Church. They avoid creedalism and doctrinal disciplines, seeking only to have the Bible as their rule of faith. While this allows for some diversity within their fellowships, it also makes possible a unity that is divinely originated rather than humanly instituted. The beauty of God's Church is the unity which comes only from a common experience of scriptural holiness, producing lives which are obedient of Christ Jesus. </div>
Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-73981236938302564682017-05-21T22:36:00.001-05:002017-05-21T22:45:52.630-05:00Out of United Methodism Will Come a Reformation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My church is divided. Unity is far from reality. There's little hint among the people of just what the problem is, if there really is one. They think it's so big, whatever the problem, that no one can deal with it. A tiredness permeates everyone. You can see it in faces. Laughter, when it does come, is only surface sounds of momentary relief. From the pulpit to the last pew, there is no since of community. Division has supped out all the energy. My church is divided. It is dying.</div>
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O, there are some outward signs of possible recovery. The leaders have meetings. There are parties and group gatherings. Collections are taken for the poor and needy. The pianist plays. The choir sings. The preacher preaches. There are the sights and sounds of church each Sunday, including an occasional reference to the growing numbers of people there. An interim staff member is hired to bring hope for the better. Maybe, just maybe, things will just get better. Surely, all the hard work will pay off. Surely, everything will be all right.</div>
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Such is the state of United Methodist Church these days. And the effects of its death pangs are felt all the way to the local church, even mine. Sides are being taken in stealthy silence. The culture is so much a part of our lives, that its worldly ways are seen at every level of church life. The divisions play out with terms such as liberal and conservative, open and closed, inclusive and exclusive, equality and discrimination, traditional and progressive. The labels cause distrust and misunderstanding. All of which is devastating to community.<br />
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So, what to do? With the ancient Psalmist, I cry out of the depths to the LORD. I too ask, O LORD, if You should mark iniquities, who could stand? Mostly, I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope. My soul waits for the LORD. I hope in the LORD! With Him is plenteous redemption. He will redeem His people from all their iniquities. (Psalm 130)<br />
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John Wesley once said, "I'm not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit and disciple with which they first set out." (Thoughts on Methodism - August 4, 1786)<br />
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The United Methodist Church has allowed a state of apostasy to settle down upon those who have believed in Christ and have joined the denomination to express their faith. The people, who now call themselves United Methodists, are anything but united. They have moved away from being the community of faith that God gave as a pattern for His people by the power of the Holy Spirit in His Word, the Word which endures forever. (Acts 2:4; 1 Peter 1:25)<br />
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But in the midst of such conditions God has always preserved a sacred remnant, those who remained true to His Word as revealed through the Spirit of Truth. The faithfulness of such men and women, past and present, serves as a spiritual catalyst. It causes reflection upon the original pattern of the Church. The redemption today is from the LORD, who has used reformers throughout history to call the denominational church to measure itself by God's Church revealed in Scripture.<br />
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And so, no matter the state of divisiveness and spiritual apostasy in the denomination called the United Methodist Church, God will keep a remnant of His people alive and well for His purposes in the world. And once again, as God has said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." (2 Corinthians 6:16) Reformation movements, such as the Wesleyan Covenant Association, are now being used by God to herald the message, "Come out from them (apostate denominations), and be separate from them ..." (2 Corinthians 6:17)<br />
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There will again be holiness, and as a result, unity among God's people. Praise God! His Church will continue, as it has for over 2,000 years, by keeping focused on JESUS and standing for the authority Scripture in the power of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the next reformation movement is, whether some new Methodism or another group of JESUS loving, Holy Spirit filled, gospel spreading Christians, I want to be there with them. And, God willing, I will!</div>
Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-19030894293204133872017-01-20T14:44:00.002-06:002021-01-17T14:24:12.278-06:00On the Inauguration of President Donald Trump<br />
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So, our nation has a new president. Donald J. Trump has been sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. I watched and listened intently to the entire celebration of the "peaceful transfer of power." All was done according to protocol and tradition. Prayers were given, handshakes were shared, songs were sung, speeches were given, and the exchange between different factions of our government was completed with well wishes for all. The news covered the event in great detail. Everyone in our nation, and around the world, who wanted to hear and see the proceedings had the opportunity to be a part of history today.</div>
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As I watched all of this happening, there swelled up within me a strong feeling patriotism that I hadn't experienced in many years. As I listened to President Trump's speech, I sensed a meaning in his words that spoke directly to me. It was as if he was speaking to me about what the Lord has in store for our country. There was an assurance and willingness to roll up my sleeves and get down to business, that I haven't had in almost 50 years. There is now within me a hopeful confidence that our country is about to get back on track again. There's an assurance in my new president that what has needed to be done for a long, long time is about to get done. For the first time in many years I feel good about being an American.</div>
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As I looked at the faces in the crowds, I saw what I was feeling in them. President Trump said very little, if anything, about himself. He spoke about how the inauguration was really the American people's inauguration. It is us who are taking office today, for our president made it very clear that he is our servant and our voice in the affairs of governing this great nation. Hopeful aspirations, a wanting for everything to work out for the best of the country - these were the expressions I saw on the faces of the people. These were the feelings in my heart and mind, too. </div>
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Mostly, I have a sure confidence in the Lord, our God, that He has His hand on our new president, and that He will lead and guide him to fulfill His will for our country in these difficult days. With God's blessing and the will of the American people upholding President Trump, I feel certain that the best days for the Untied States of America are ahead of us. I haven't been able to truly say that for a long time. It's great to be an American again.</div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-30618517681786466472016-10-29T14:00:00.000-05:002016-10-29T15:48:43.973-05:00No Church Has to Die<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once there was a worshiping community who was radically devoted to God. They were committed to spreading the Gospel. They were connected in such a way that they called each other brothers and sisters. They even sold their property and possessions so no one in the community would have to live without basic needs. And walls came down! Gender, racial, social and economic differences dissolved away. They were washed in the blood of the Lamb. They experienced the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in their community.*</div>
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This vision of what the church can be is from Acts 2. Some few of us may have been part of such a church. Most of us haven't! Our churches, for the most part, have not been that faith inspiring. Our churches haven't moved us to do that much. Most of us have not experienced an Acts 2 church.</div>
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Why? Why don't we have churches like that today? Has God lost His power? Is the Holy Spirit no longer fired up? Does the Gospel no longer change lives? The problem isn't God, the Holy Spirit nor the Gospel. The problem is us! The problem is people won't risk everything to build an Acts 2 church. That's the problem!</div>
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Leadership matters in all churches of God because people matter to God. The only reason God spilled His blood on the cross of Calvary is His love for people. We in the church all have a sacred obligation to grow as leaders, develop our ministry skills, and learn how to do the Lord's work better. Everyone wins in church when a leader gets better. A church grows when its leaders get better. </div>
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It's our decision as leaders to get better as whatever we do in the church. When we feel in our own spirit that we are developing, our hearts are growing, our heads are growing, our gifts are growing, then people around us sense our growth and begin to live their lives that way. Leaders who are growing lift people up, build up the church, and are a blessing to others. </div>
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A church loses this lifting up - building up - blessing others, when its leaders stop growing. Churches without growing leaders are dying churches. And over time dying churches finally have to close their doors. What is more sad than a light of God's kingdom that goes out? We live in a dark world. There aren't that many lights. So, when a church's light flickers, and then goes out, it's a tragedy. It's a tragedy when a church dies.</div>
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It's all gets back to what the church is really about. The church is all about evangelism, discipleship and compassion. When evangelism is happening supernaturally, when people are getting saved from their sins, when people are becoming faithful followers of Jesus, when people are reaching out to those who are hurting with compassion and care, praise God! That's it! That's the beauty, power and potential of every local church. When church works right, there is nothing else like it on earth.</div>
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No church has to die. Every church, with God's help, can stay fired up and faith filled. Keep telling people that God loves them, that the Holy Spirit is still working in people's hearts, that the Gospel is still transforming people's lives, that the church is still the only hope of the world. Keep beating that drum. Good things will happen. </div>
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*I'm indebted to Bill Hybels (<i>Good News</i> magazine September/October 2016) for his testimony to Gods' grace in his life and ministry, part of the outline of which I used for this post. </div>
Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-7923645618609565392016-07-22T13:38:00.002-05:002020-04-11T17:22:16.577-05:00God's Work Continues at Wounded Knee<br />
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God's work continues as faithful servants are called, and will be called, to places of ministry all over the world. Last month, thirty six ago, I answered the call of God to work for Him at Wounded Knee, SD on the Pine Ridge Reservation among the Lakota Sioux people. After only two years of ministry, I had to leave the post for personal reasons, wondering what would become of the mission there. Last summer, though, it thrilled my heart to see the land once again, as my wife and I dropped by for a visit. I was encouraged to found out that others had taken up work, and that great improvements had been made in every facet of the ministry.</div>
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When I arrived in 1980, fresh out of seminary, with great aspirations as a newly appointed Home Missionary, my thoughts were much about the people (about a hundred who lived in the village and surrounding area) and the property (about five acres). Begun in the early half of the 20th century, the land had been acquired by the Church of God (Anderson), and they began sending missionaries to win the people to the LORD. I had read all I could get my hands on about the mission, prepared myself as best as I could for the work, and was sent with much enthusiasm to carry on God's work at Wounded Knee. </div>
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There were many signs of past work in the area, both religious and secular. Several old church buildings were in sight from the mission (some still being used), including the early missionary Catholic church (long since abandoned). Over the hill was the village of Wounded Knee, which was actually a plot of government built housing - mostly in bad repair with individual houses without windows. Just down the road from the turn-in to the mission compound, the burned ruins of a community store were still heaped up after the 1973 American Indian Movement (AIM) uprising. On the property itself was an old building, which had been the original church (being used during my time there for a fellowship hall), the new teepee chapel (pictured above), and an well-used trailer in which my family and I lived.</div>
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My work there was as a restart-up ministry. Little had been accomplished since AIM had destroyed so much of the property, and the will of the people, seven years before. My missionary mentor from Anderson, IN (Dr. Doug Welch) came to visit me during my first year there. When he saw the ruins, he said "history dies hard." The people and the place were still hurting, in many ways like so many of their ancestors throughout their history. I did all I could to tell the people about Jesus' love for them and show them that God cares for them. By the time I left, it seemed that I had done so little. But others followed me, the church continued to send missionaries, and the LORD never gave up on the ministry there.</div>
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I went on to other fields of ministry, but my heart was touched in such a way that I'll never forget the people and the place of Wounded Knee. God's work does continue there! And for His grace and mercy shown us all, who have been called (and will be called) to work for Him there, I give all the glory to our heavenly Father.</div>
Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-20068018732232540512016-05-16T18:13:00.000-05:002016-05-16T18:18:48.274-05:00"I'd Rather Be A Door-Keeper ..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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SO I STAY NEAR THE DOOR</div>
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An Apologia for My Life</div>
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I stay near the door. I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out. The door is the most important door in the world. It is the door through which people walk when they find God. There's no use my going way inside, and staying there, when so many are still outside and they, as much as I, crave to know where the door is. And all that so many ever find is only the wall like blind men, with outstretched, groping hands, feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door, yet they never find it. So I stay near the door.</div>
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The most tremendous thing in the world is for people to find that door - the door to God. The most important thing that anyone can do is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands and put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks and opens to the person's own touch. People die outside the door, as starving beggars die on cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter - die for want of what is within their grasp. They live on the other side of it - live because they have found it. Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it, and open it, and walk in, and find Him. So I stay near the door.</div>
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Go in great saints, go all the way in - go way down into the cavernous cellars, and way up into the spacious attics - it is a vast roomy house, this house where God is. Go into the deepest of hidden casements, of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood. Some must inhabit those inner rooms, and know the depths and heights of God, and call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is. Sometimes I take a deeper look in, sometimes I venture in a little farther; but my place seems closer to the opening. So I stay near the door. </div>
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There is another reason why I stay there. Some people get part way in and become afraid lest God and the zeal of His house devour them; for God is so very great, and asks all of us. And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia, and want to get out. "Let me out!" they cry. And the people way inside only terrify them more. Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled for the old life, they have seen too much: once taste God, and nothing else will do anymore. Somebody must be watching for the frightened who seek to sneak out where they came in, to tell them how much better it is inside. The people too far in do not see how near these are to leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all. Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door, but would like to run away. So for them, too, I stay near the door.</div>
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I admire the people who go way in. But I wish they would not forget how it was before they go in. Then they would be able to help the people who have not yet even found the door, or the people who want to run away again from God. You can go in too deeply, and stay too long, and forget the people outside the door. As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place, near enough to God to hear Him, and know He is there, but not so far from people as not to hear them, and remember they are there, too. Where? Outside the door - thousands of them, millions of them. But - more important for me - one of them, two of them, ten of them, whose hands I am intended to put on the latch. So I shall stay by the door and wait for those who seek it. "I had rather be a door keeper ...." So I stay near the door.</div>
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Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-981896460419237751.post-23803460690881067672016-05-01T22:54:00.001-05:002016-05-01T23:45:35.080-05:00Reluctantly, Yet Willingly, Taking Up My Cross<br />
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I've been thinking today about a new church appointment and whether I should be willing to take it. At this stage in my pastoral ministry it is not about the money. I'm able to fully retire comfortably, as long as the federal government doesn't go under. What it is about is remaining open to the LORD's leading in my life into new ventures in discipleship. It's about deciding to accept the new things that God is doing in my life, to start afresh in ministry.<br />
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Jesus told each of His followers to take up their cross daily and die to themselves. The cross the LORD has given me to take up for Him is not some burden I must endure such as a chronic disease. It is, instead, a new challenge which I can evade, if I so choose, but one I nevertheless take up willingly, even if it has some misgivings.<br />
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Jesus, my LORD, reluctantly, yet willingly, took up the cross that was presented to Him in Gethsemane. In so doing, He fulfilled God's will for His life and set the pattern for discipleship for me. So, as a new church appointment possibility begins to take place, I find myself willing, even eager, to see God at work in new ways in my life. I will work to identify God's newness in my life, especially when it doesn't seem to be there. I am determined to trust God in new ways, even if I'm apprehensive about what He might be doing in my life. Mostly, I will in all things seek to give God the glory and thanks for His wonderful gift to me at this late time in my ministry.<br />
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Just as at the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, He has now promised to bring forth a new heaven and earth at the end of time. My prayer is that He grant to the church, my wife and me a firm conviction of His goodness and a zeal to participate fully in whatever He intends for us. I pray that we all may be effective witnesses to the world in both word and deed as people who steadfastly proclaim God's love.Bob Brookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00449931112444920576noreply@blogger.com0