Religion

The word religion is extremely rare in the New Testament and the writings of mystics. The reason is simple. Those attitudes and practices to which we give the collective name of religion are themselves concerned with religion hardly at all. To be religious is to have one's attention fixed on God and on one's neighbour in relation to God. Therefore, almost by definition, a religious man, or a man when he is being religious, is not thinking about religion; he hasn't the time. Religion is what we (or he himself at a later moment) call his activity from outside. (C. S. Lewis, "Lillies That Fester")

I never liked the word religion. Religion is a man made thing, but seeing the word in the light that C.S. Lewis puts it makes me think just a little bit differently about it. I still think it is man made, but maybe it is man’s response to the workings of God. It is our reply to the majesty that is creation. It is our attempt to put a name on how we feel about what God is doing. We use the word to cover any number of things that we do. It is religious to study scripture, it is religious to attend worship, it is religious to pray both in secret and in public. It is religious to do the things that the Church is supposed to do. Where we have gone wrong is to allow the secular world to capture that word from us and apply it to things that are not of God.

There are no other religions if you take the word at its face when it is used by Lewis. Religion belongs to Christ and no other, it is our response to Christ’s saving grace. Religious is something that we are called and not something that we do, says Lewis. Religion is when we are clearly fixed on God and clearly fixed on God’s children. If that is true we can look to the book of James in the second chapter to see religion’s twin brother, faith! That is the real word that the world fears to use. When we are doing the work of God in this world it is faith that we are putting skin on and not just religion. In this content I can see how religion might not be so bad after all, but I believe in the context of the worldly perception of the word I will stick to faith. Remember, God wants us to see things through His eyes, to do things His way. If we do just that, and no more, we will be simply following two rules, Love God and love His people!

That’s what it is all about… Love God, love His people. Look to any scripture and you will see these two commandments.. This religion thing, this faith thing is not so hard after all… the hard part was overcoming sin and that was done by your Father in heaven and His Son. Today, each time you approach someone, every time you begin a task, when you are in the elevator or the hallway at work, when you are at the supper table with your family, when you are in your car going and coming from the day’s tasks.. wherever you are remember to Love God and His people and your lives will be transformed… you will have the religion that CS Lewis is talking about, and you will have the faith of the saints.

The Water of Life

I was recently reminder of my childhood by reading a post from a friend. The memory of my childhood is of a stream on the side of a mountain in southwest Utah, I was thinking of that stream and how the stones that where on the bottom where worn smooth, and of the rocks that where on the sides of the stream that are just half way into the water where worn but still had some rough edges , and then of the ones that are still further from the stream, with their jagged edges and rough surface that can cut and scrap your skin. This image brought me to a vision of how Christ works on us.
We as Christians that are deep in Christ are the stones that are on the bottom of the stream, the love of Christ has worn away are rough edges and made us smooth, this is to keep us from being to abrasive as we go forth and bring others to Him.
The rocks that are on the side of the stream that are partly in the water, these are the people that are just getting to know Christ, and are partly smooth but still have some rough edges.
The rocks that are by the stream but are not in the water are the people who have heard of Christ, but have not yet decided to be with Christ.

Now, how do we as people of Christ move the rocks so that all are worn smooth? We do this by giving of ourselves, as Christ has given to us. We share the love that is Christ, no matter where we are. We come down off our mountain top, go down into the valley, find that next person that wants Christ, and we take them up to the mountain top, put them in the stream, let the water of Life flow over them and make them smooth as they find the love of Christ.


By: ChristMusic92

Are we still a missional Church?

Jesus said He came for the sick and not the well, for it is the sick that needs a doctor. I know He was both talking about the physically sick and the spiritually sick, for He healed both. The question is that if He came for the sick then can we safely assume that He, through His Church is here to do the same thing? The simple message of the Gospel to those who are well is this: …go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Mat 28:19-20)

We are to carry on the work of caring for the sick in this world. We do get a promise from Jesus that He would be with us no matter where we go. When we have the opportunity to heal the (spiritually) sick through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, they now join the ranks of the well and join us in the healing process… you see how this thing spreads? And it worked just like that in the early Church; the book of Acts is a testimony to that. But.. now days church attendance is down, tithes are down, the world seems to be walking further and further from the Church, the sick seem to be getting sicker and they are not interested in being healed… Why?? Is it the fault of the sick that they are sick? If you ask many Christians you will find this to be true, we often have a “they get what they deserve attitude”. We often feel that if they wouldn’t live “that” lifestyle they would be better persons. We often try to “throw” our Christianity at them from a distance rather than healing them with the sweet balm of the Gospel face to face.

Do you remember the days of house calls? When doctors came by the house sat at the side of the bed, stuck a stick on your tongue and looked into your ears right there in your own room. You were comfortable there and he/she was there to help you, right where you were. Those days of medicine are gone, and many will say we have gotten worse in our health care since those days. The church has followed that model, and to the same results. We used to make house calls. In the New Testament Church people actually met in houses. The Apostles stayed in houses with the people. Look at all the people Jesus ministered to in their house. I am not saying we need to knock on doors and evangelize house to house; it doesn’t work in these days of uncertainty ad fear. I am saying that we need to meet them in their “houses” or comfortable places. We need to see them in the park, in the school, in the work place, wherever they are comfortable and then they will be open to hearing the word, and they will be on the way to healing. Instead we have developed “hospitals” of Christian faith called churches. It is in these places we sit like medical specialists, so confident that we have what they need to be made well again that they will just come on in for a healin’. Just like the medical system of today our church system is riddled with failure. We have lost thousands, maybe millions since we decided to wait for them to come to our doors. We need to build relationships inside the walls, but we should also work to spread those relationships beyond the walls, for there are no walls in Christ’s Church… So, pick up your spiritual medical bag (prayer, bible, knowledge through study) and go out and make some house calls this week. You will be surprised at how receptive they will be, if you heal in love, and care, and grace, just like Jesus…

Unity not Uniformity

We find not in the Gospel, that Christ hath anywhere provided for the uniformity of churches, but only for their unity. ... Roger Williams

I often get questions from people asking me what the differences are between the Methodists and Baptists, or the Presbyterians, or the Lutherans etc. I explain to them the nuance of difference between the Protestant faiths, the kinds of things that make a believer either comfortable or uncomfortable; these are the only real differences in the Protestant Christian Church. We may baptize infants; they may only baptize professing believers. We may baptize once, they may baptize any time a believer feels they have “come back’ to the Lord. We may observe communion each month, they may observe only a few times a year. Either way the differences do not make us that much different, and certainly make the Church much stronger.

The Apostle Paul said we should be the kind of person that is available to all persons, ready in and out of season to spread the Gospel (2 Tim 4:1-3). This may mean we might have to change a little in order to reach a certain individual or group. Paul changed the way he preached when He left the predominantly Jewish lands and went to Athens, if he didn’t his message would not have been heard. When the church in Corinth asked whether it was right to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols Paul told them that there was nothing wrong with the meat since the idols were nothing but brass and wood, but then he added in 1 Cor 8:9; Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. Paul knew that there were some out there that could not get over the lifelong habit of abstaining from sacrificed meat, so he said in verse 13; Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. Paul knew that we were all different, but he also understood, like Mr. Williams says in our quote above, we are not expected to be uniform Christians, but we are expected to be Christians in unity. We are to be a people of one accord, connected to Jesus Christ. When we focus on the source of life we can’t help but be in unity. When we can finally take our eyes off of ourselves we can then see the glory of God together and together move in one purpose. Not uniformity, but unity says the Lord. Why is it so important that we have unity? When we come together in unity with Christ, He comes into our presence. Jesus told us in Mat 18:20; “Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

Breakin' the Law...

We must always be on our guard lest, under the pretext of keeping one commandment, we be found breaking another. ... St. Basil the Great

We are a people who abide by the law. We like the law, it keeps us all safe, it gives the world order, and it puts down lanes and lines that we are to stay within. But the Apostle Paul tells us that the law condemns us, that it is only there to show us our own sin. He says that if it were not for the Law, we wouldn’t know what sin was, for the law clearly points our sin out. Let’s look at what Paul tells us. In Romans 3:20 it says: For no one can ever be made right in God's sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God's law, the clearer it becomes that we aren't obeying it. You see, it seems that the Law was established just so we could see how far form the mark we are.

It is very true, the law shows us our sins. Let me show you, have you ever flown to Canada? When you fly to Canada the flight attendants hands out a piece of paper that allows you to claim your goods and also to make some required statements, it asks you three questions before you are allowed to enter. One, “Are you carrying any weapons?” Well that seems like a no-brainer, of course the answer is going to be no; who in their right mind would carry weapons into a foreign country (unless you are going hunting). The second question that is asked is, “Are you carrying any illegal drugs?” Even if you were a drug dealer would you answer this question with a yes? The third question is the one that gets you thinking. They ask, “Are you planning to visit a farm?” Now the wheels are turning, this is the question where everyone hesitates for a moment. Of course the answer must be no, since all the other questions are obviously no, so your hand is heading for the “no” checkbox, but in your mind you know something sinfully wonderful must be happening at the farm. So as you lean over the paper ready to check “no” just like you did for the other questions, but your mind is saying YES YES! You are hardly able to hold it in, the plane barely lands and you race to the rental car as fast as you can, and you are immediately on your way to the farm.

The Law says no, but we say yes. The law points out what we would rather be doing. It tells us “no,” prior to our asking. But if we are condemned so quickly, if our lives are so wrongfully bent toward sinning, what are we to do? As always the answer belongs to God, you see, He wrote a new Law for us, a law written in blood. We only have to go to the next verses Paul writes in Romans (3:21-27) to see it.

But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight--not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

Paul wasn’t a deliberate law breaker, and God knows that we aren’t either. Paul understood that God doesn’t require strict adherence to the Law, He requires faith. Jesus paid the fine for our broken laws. The law points out our sin, and also points us inevitably to the cross where they were taken away…

“Repent”, says Jesus, “For the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

Christianity is a Source

Christianity is a source; no one supply of water and refreshment that comes from it can be called the sum of Christianity. It is a mistake, and may lead to much error, to exhibit any series of maxims, even those of the Sermon on the Mount, as the ultimate sum and formula into which Christianity may be run up. ... Matthew Arnold

We are a mixed bag aren’t we? People call themselves Christians and look very differently from each other. People worship in high churches where barely a whisper is heard and people worship in charismatic churches where you can barely hear for all the shouting and yelling. Which one is the Christian? Both!

In a sermon, I once described Christians as spokes on a wheel. We all start from somewhere different along that rim on the wheel called life. Some are shackled with defeatism from the very beginning and some are born with that silver spoon in their mouth. But the one thing they all have in common is that path they travel toward the middle of the wheel, toward God. Along that path we, like the spokes cross the paths of other Christians on their walk, these are the places of fellowship.

And what about these times of fellowship? Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells us: “That the Church as the fellowship of Christ centers on Christ rather than being a mere association of people with a common purpose. Human love and actions are related to a desire for human community. Christian love, spiritual love, comes from Christ and goes out to the other person, not directly, but through Christ. Christ "stands between me and others. This means that disciplining of other people is through Christ, not directly. Direct personal influence may amount to coercion, or be an impure influence in another’s life. Rather, the most direct way to another is found in prayer to Christ whose influence is greater.”

Therefore it is Christ who we are there to meet, and we meet others through Him. We must never do anything that Christ would not do in a fellowship setting. We Christians are a mixed bag, as I said above and we are that way for a reason. We come to Christ in all our differences, so that we might meet Him and others through the consistent and unwavering Christ. We must re-norm ourselves in His image; that is the way we should be received, and that is how we should receive others.

The Differences Between Religion And Spirituality

When speaking about the differences between religion and spirituality we need to remember that there are different perspectives when looking at this question. This answer will focus on a Christian perspective.

From A Christian Understanding There Is A Difference Between Religion And Spirituality. Though there is a difference between religion and spirituality, this does not mean that two are incompatible. >From a Christian perspective to be Spiritual is to know that Jesus Christ came in the flesh and is King and Savior (1 John 4:2). From a Christian understanding nothing else is Spiritual. This might seem harsh, especially considering all the different religions and spiritual perspectives that there are in the world.

But Spirituality Is Not Determined On What People Feel Or Experience. Spirituality is determined on knowing God, because God is Spirit and the only way to worship him is through his Spirit (John 4:4). And knowing the truth about God can only come from God (1 Corinthians 2:11).

This makes sense when we think about it. In that we can never know what a person is thinking unless they tell us what they are thinking. In the same way, no-one can know God unless God tells us about Himself.

In Terms Of Religion, It Is An Organized Matter Of Worship. It is humans following rules and regulations in the worship of God. But religion is not incompatible to knowing God. When we look at history in the Bible, we see that God created a religion for the nation of Israel at Mt Sinai after they came out of Egypt (Exodus 19).

But Following A Religion Was Not As Important To God As The People Being Committed To Him (Isaiah 1:13-14). That not is to say that religion is not important to God. But if a person’s heart is not in it, then being religious will not impress God. For as God says, a Christian is saved by grace (a free gift given by God because of Jesus) and not by works so no-one can boast (Ephesians 2:8).

A Final Point On Religion. Because people are different but we need to come together to serve God, organization is needed. Religion provides Christians with an organization helpful in serving God.

Brother Jerry H. Miller / brothermiller1@charter.net

A New Kind of Halloween..

I wrote this last year as a devotional, but with Halloween coming up I thought I would post it here. I invite you to read it with an eye toward what Church could be.. Can you "have Church" sitting in the front yard in the midst of a pagan celebration? I say yes! And if so.. What other pagan places might God lead you to experience and share His glory? I will tell you, that I often feel more spiritual in the world than I do in organized Church... Enjoy!

The knowledge of God is very far from the love of Him. ... Blaise Pascal

Halloween is not a big holiday at our house. I know some people go all out; houses get a new eerie look with fantastic light shows, out come all the scary decorations, and all sorts of scary noises emanate from hidden CD or tape players. We, on the other hand look at Halloween as an opportunity to sit out in the front of our house and greet some neighbors we have not yet met. This seems to be something that has been dying out in our rapid paced society. Since the grand invention called the “deck” most of our time in the American family is now spent in the back yard instead of on the front porch. I remember in my home town, seeing all the grand Victorian houses with the wrap around porches. Each day and especially in the evening you couldn’t drive two blocks before your arm got tired from waving to all the folks along the street sitting on their front porches.

So each Halloween becomes our time to sit in the front of the house instead of the back. I had my son bring the Chiminea out to the front (that is a little portable fire place we picked up in Mexico). I got the comfy camping chairs all set up and perfectly positioned to get the warmth from the fire. I brought out the dog’s pillow so our lazy Bulldog could sit out there and bask in all the attention he got from the little kids who wanted to see an authentic “Georgia Bulldog”. I got all the S’more making materials that I purchased that day for our family, and of course I got the big bowl of candy to pass out to the kids. But this year we also did something different. Thanks to my wife, LaDonna and her great ideas I went to the local Christian Bookstore and purchased a case of New Testaments. We decided that we would offer them to our guests as they came up to our house seeking candy. We put little stickers in the front of them that said if they had any questions about what was in that book they could contact Pastor Bob @ http://www.bobhoeller.org/.

A wonderful story was played out in front of our eyes this Halloween; we passed out 32 New Testaments. One little girl asked me when I said she was welcome to take a New Testament with her, “a New Testament of what?” This caused me to change my comments; I would now say “please take a New Testament of the Bible.” Another little boy was so excited and said to his father, “look they’re handing out books.” Another said she “really needed one so she could take it home to her mother.” Many adults also took them home to spouses. Another looked up to her daddy and asked; “will you read this to me later?” Another little girl said, “I can take this to school with me!” Some just looked at them as if the books might burn them if they touched them. Some very carefully reached down and took them by their pages, and quietly slipped it into their bag, almost afraid someone might see them. One boy was so excited he grabbed one and forgot the candy. And another boy came in such a large group than I thought they all got one, but he stood in front of me when all of the others were making their way to the road, and said to me “where are they”, I said “where are what,” not knowing what he was asking, he said “the New Testaments, where are they?” I pointed them out to him, and he rushed over to get one, he stood for a moment longer looking at the cover, smiled pulled it close to his chest and looked over his shoulder at me with a smile and said “thanks” and ran off to join the others.

I said at the beginning of this devotion that Halloween is not a big holiday around my house; that was until last night. I realized that any night, or any day can be turned into a victory for the Lord if we only let Him lead us. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait until next Halloween.

World vs the Kingdom

He does not believe, that does not live according to his belief.

... Thomas Fuller

While taking a missions class in Seminary I was given a day of Sabbath. We staying in a Catholic retreat center in West Virginia. While there I wandered the grounds and found a path and began to follow it. It wound through a grove of trees toward the bottom of the hill. I made my way to the bottom but stopped as it turned steep. As I stood there I noticed, to my right, a peaceful stand of trees, a narrow hollow leading further into the woods, places unseen, peaceful and quiet. On my left through the trees I can see traces of buildings; the smell of fast food reaches me when the breeze blows in my direction. I can hear the steady drone of traffic, the world moving from one place to another. Here I stand, between the patient solitude of nature and the frenetic energy of the world. In this place I am a reflection of the Church, poised between the Kingdom of God and the world. Here I can see the tension of the now and not yet of the Kingdom. It would of course be our nature as the Church to make the turn to the right and head into the peaceful woods that seem to beckon to us, yet we are compelled by God to turn to the left, meet the people in that frantic world, and guide them back to the place where we stand. That is the nature of Christianity, we stand with the vision of the Kingdom firmly within our sight, we long to be with our Father, and yet we are charged by the Lord to go into the fields, to head for the streets, and to spread the Gospel to those who are too far away to see the Kingdom as we do.

Real Worship...

A young preacher right out of seminary was called to pastor a small mountain church. Very excited about his calling and winning everyone on the mountain to God, he went door to door evangelizing. He stopped at one farmhouse and the farmer greeted him. The young preacher asked, “Are you a Christian?” The farmer replied, “No, I believe they live a couple miles down the road.” “No! No!” exclaimed the young pastor. “What I want to know is are you lost?” The farmer’s reply was quick, “Why, no, I’ve lived here for some 40 years.” In desperation the young preacher finally lowered both barrels. “What I want to know is,” said the young preacher in desperation, “are you ready for the Judgment Day!” “When is it?” asked the farmer. “I don’t know,” said the young preacher. “It could be today or tomorrow!” “Well,” replied the farmer, “come back when you find out. My wife will probably want to go both days.”

What are people looking for when they come to a church service? Do people honestly think that church is the only place where we can experience God? I was studying the other evening, on the text that speaks of Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well. One of the wonderful things that Jesus says in that scripture is; that the days of going to Jerusalem to the temple or to Mt Gerazin, (the holy place of the Samaritans) is over. God is no longer waiting for us to enter into some special place God did something wonderful after Jesus ascended into heaven, He put the Holy Spirit of God in us. When we received the Holy Spirit we became that special place where God resided and where we could worship Him right there, wherever we are in our hearts. A neat way to understand God in His three parts, or triune nature is to think of God the Father as God for us, Jesus is God with us, and the Holy Spirit is God in us! Jesus says in John 4:22; “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” You hear that? True worshippers will worship in spirit and truth… We are now able to worship God in spirit wherever we are, and we can experience His truth by hearing or reading His word, it’s as easy as that.

Are you worshipping God in spirit and in truth, or are you still seeking Him in pomp and circumstance? Are the trappings of the church more important to you or is your worship place anywhere you are? Is it the building or the heart where you meet God each day? Do you have to see a pulpit, a banner, stained glass, an altar table or baptismal font in order to feel like your in church or can you be in church when you meet a brother or sister on the street? We need to know the answers to these questions because it will distinguish us as being either true worshippers or the other kind, false worshippers. God desires true worshippers, not false ones… Seek God in your heart it is there that he waits for your worship.. seek God in His word, it is there you will find the truth… but most importantly, simply seek God…

The Generation Gap

Age to age it always seem that no generation under stands the next. I myself find it hard to understand my own children, while all the while I still do not quite understand my parents. My parents try to tell me something and I find myself just nodding my head in agreement, and the whole time I am thinking “what on earth are they talking about?”, then when I talk to my kids I see them doing the same thing that I do with my own parents. This is not due to lack of respect, but more to a lack of communication between the generations.
We as people need to find a dialog that allows us to find a common ground to just talk to one another, to pass on information from one generation to the next, one that does not start out with “why don’t you listen to me” but with “tell me about yourself.” This gives a person an opportunity to listen and try to find a common interest on which to share knowledge between each other, opening the door to understanding how one another thinks closing the gap between just another nodding head and glazed look, to a look of complete understanding and a meaningful conversation among all the generations. So next time we speak whether old or young, don’t just think I know what you are talking about, let’s find a common place that we both know and we can both talk and close the gap a little.




By: Christmusic92

The Struggle for Truth with Unity

Our world says, "You're okay, I'm okay." "What you do is your own business." "What you believe is okay." The apostles warned the early Christians that it was NOT okay to believe whatever we wanted. If we do, we are on a slippery slope to heresy. The battle ground for Christians is Truth! True reconciliation seeks to bring emotional peace and doctrinal unity. This is the message of the following verse.


2 Timothy 2:23-25 ~ Again I say, don't get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24) The Lord's servants must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach effectively and be patient with difficult people. 25) They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people's hearts, and they will believe the truth.


We are to seek to help others discover the truth. Some Christians are on a campaign, fighting on all fronts to establish the truth, and their behavior is the opposite of this passage. Christians need to be ready to do the following in a spirit of reconciliation.


1 Peter 3:8-15 ~ Finally, all of you should be of one mind, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. 9) Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate when people say unkind things about you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God wants you to do, and he will bless you for it. 10) For the Scriptures say, "If you want a happy life and good days, keep your tongue from speaking evil, and keep your lips from telling lies. 11) Turn away from evil and do good. Work hard at living in peace with others. 12) The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil." 13) Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14) But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don't be afraid and don't worry. 15) Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.


May I suggest that we are too preoccupied with one another and not occupied enough with seeking Jesus' face and longing to share Him with a needy world? Our eyes need to be on Jesus and not on each other.


Hebrews 12:1-3 ~ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2) We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. 3) Think about all he endured when sinful people did such terrible things to him, so that you don't become weary and give up.


When we feel burdened over the divisions in the church, we need to take that burden to God in prayer and pray for other Christians and protection against Satan. We are in a spiritual warfare! We need to confess our sins, and seek the truth that is revealed in the Scriptures because then and only then can we really know the truth about our Creator. Only then can we really know Him!


Fighting and harming one another will not bring the truth of God's Word to the place of honor and reverence it should have. Obeying God's Word and treating others as Christ has instructed (commanded) that we should will do more to reveal TRUTH than anything else we can do.


May God help me to live and relate to others in such a way that He is glorified and His Word is displayed in a tangible way. May I cease from causing deeper divisions among Christians by attempting to debate and argue for my views to be accepted by others.


May I live in such a way that God's truth can be seen more and my personal views not quench the ministry of the Holy Spirit as He reveals truth in a way no human being possibly can.


Brother Jerry H. Miller / brothermiller1@charter.net

Change Not Born Of The Holy Spirit Is Happening To The Church

My Brother and Sister's In Christ,

I can't tell you how many pastors e-mail me feeling like a failure because they can't emulate what pastors of the "success at all cost" mindset are doing.

My heart goes out to the pastors of small congregations, especially in rural areas. They may be Spirit filled dynamic preachers and teachers and devoted counselors and soul winners; but because they can't (or have no desire to) draw in huge numbers of people by structuring their congregation around the interest of and what entertains the communities they minister in, they are looked down upon by many.
Sadly, a great number of "small" churches are closing their doors.

A dear friend of 25 years who is one of the ministers at really good church (that isn't technically classified as small) tells me they losing members right and left to the mega churches that offer: “The best of the world inside the walls of the church.”

Not too long ago, my friend's congregation was one of the most Biblically balanced (but not strangled by tradition) congregations in the CSRA. (That's the Central Savannah River Area for those of you who live in other parts of the country.)

The doctrinally conservative Christians (not to imply they are against change for the good) are frustrated and confused. Once they leave a congregation that is self destructing by trying (but not being able to afford to) adapt to the "success driven" movement, they are in essence giving up on "the local church" concept all together.

Change is here, but it is not born out of the Holy Spirit. May God have mercy upon us.

Brother Jerry H. Miller / brothermiller1@charter.net

A Dangerous “New Way Of Doing Church”

By: Brother Jerry H. Miller

Before you read any further, please understand this: While I am all for doing away with the concept of “Church” as being the building Christians assemble together in and for restructuring the “government” of many denominations that rely upon tradition rather than the Word of God, I adamantly state that the “church: that is the body of Christ,” has absolutely no business seeking “success” as far a numbers of members and it’s outreach ministry based upon the concepts of mega corporations, and the entertainment world. If we forget that Bible is God’s standard to guide us in ministering to one another and in reaching the lost, we are building sinking ships!

This Dangerous “New Way Of Doing Church” I am warning you about can be defined as: The utilization of modern marketing techniques by the church, in order to draw and hold large numbers of people (by meeting their "felt needs"). The church then “converts” them, and “disciples" them through the use of modern organizational management [Total Quality Management-style] techniques, so that they can effect "change" in the community, and the world.

Most of these types of churches are “planted” after a survey is taken of the surrounding community. The “felt needs" of the community are then compiled, and the church is tailored around meeting those needs. The most prominent proponents of this style of church, admit to being only interested in meeting the needs of unbelievers in this type of surveying, and openly state: “We don’t want to color the survey with believers’ opinions.”

The question thus arises: Is it acceptable to pattern a church after the felt needs of unbelievers, when the Apostle Paul states that the function of the church is to perfect and to edify the saints? [Eph 4:11–12] Furthermore, are we to use worldly surveys and techniques to become more attractive to the masses? [1 Cor 1:20, and Rom 12:2]

What else is seen in these churches? Special parking for first time visitors, and numerous “greeters” (a la Wal Mart). Why? Because surveys have shown that people decide in the first eight minutes, whether they will return to that church or not, so first impressions become very important.

The messages are significant, in that much is left out. Jesus’ love and grace are emphasized, often His deity is minimized, and the fact that He is a righteous judge is usually avoided. Sin is often characterized as “wrongdoing”, “wrong choices”, and “mistakes.”

Many pastors of these modern “New Churches” think something like this when preparing their sermons: “I first consider: To whom will I be preaching? Then, I consider what are their needs, hurts, and interests, and I ask a second question: ‘What does the Bible say about their needs?’” Once he examines what the Bible says about the subject, he asks himself: “What is the most practical way to say this? What is the most positive way to say this? What is the most encouraging way to say this? What is the simplest way to say this? What is the most personal way to say this? What is the most interesting way to say this?”

In other words, he puts his “spin” on the Blessed Word of God in order to tickle the itching ears of his audience. The word pastor can also be translated as messenger. The true pastor is to act as a messenger from God, bringing God’s truth and message to the people, regardless of whether it is what they want to hear.

The end result is a watered-down message, with “feel good” half-truths, and no condemnation/conviction of sin for the listeners. Those who “accept Christ’ are not accepting the Christ revealed in the blessed Word of God, but rather a false Christ, a Christ of grace and love, and void of all judgment, who exists to meet their needs and heal their hurts. Jesus becomes a servant of theirs, rather than them becoming servants of Him.

Closing Comments: As we seek to breath new Spiritual life into our congregations, let us staunchly acknowledge we must hold fast to the pure preaching and teachings of God’s Holy Word.

Brother Jerry H. Miller / brothermiller1@charter.net