Читать книгу Abba's Own - David R. Lumsden - Страница 24

The population of Christians worldwide is less than 10 percent. That means that about 90 percent, plus, are destined for eternal punishment. So, what are true Christians doing about their neighbours headed for hell?

Soteriology, meaning the study of salvation, is a branch of theology related to Theology Proper, which itself, is the systematic study of God. This author focuses on and wants people to be complete in Jesus alone, understanding that this is God’s will for humanity, that they not perish but be saved from the wrath to come, therefore, His business for intersecting with humankind. Jesus of the Holy Bible is the Way of God the Father for the salvation of humanity from sin and eternal death. As the subject’s story began to unfold, the author began to question whether therein lay an answer for why seekers were leaving the church to seek other avenues of religious and spiritual experience, leaving traditional churches small and, for some, their doors closing.

Some religious unbelievers say that Jesus failed at the Cross. The truth instead is that unbelievers have floundered at the Cross regarding salvation. The devil is hard at work at twisting man’s thinking and keeping humanity away from believing in Jesus Christ. He needs to be reminded that his time is short. He has been cursed all ready to spend eternity in hell. The church and Christianity are losing a high place of respect in the public mind, due to deplorable, destitute misleaders of the church, who conduct themselves from under the cloak, with ‘Christian’ written across their back. This conduct arouses the indignation of God, shown by God, as you will see in, for example, the Book of Malachi in the Holy Bible. Church leadership is trying to bolster its case by generating more creative programs but producing less than that with saving value. Many attendees have said that all ‘church’ means to them is loud music and cappuccinos, but not a real worship atmosphere. Others professing to be Christians have said they have left their church to attend a place where they can have deliverance from demons weekly, and even daily, by learning self-deliverance. Others have been deceived and leave evangelical churches to follow what is proclaimed to be Christian Yoga, Christian Buddhism, or centers of spirituality where adherents focus on eastern mysticism and spirituality of the New Age movement that argues we are in an era of a new consciousness.²¹

But others opt out of the Church and religion altogether. This author and his wife, en route to worship service, met an acquaintance, a bright public high school teacher, as they were on their way to an Easter Sunday service. This author wished him a ‘Happy Easter,’ and asked him if he was on his way to attend an Easter service. His friend replied, “Oh! No! That business of Jesus, Easter, Easter eggs, a cross, and bunny rabbits, is not relevant anymore. They are ‘just stories,’ he said. “I gain more value out of a walk in the woods, or sitting on a park bench, than going to listen to someone tell stories only to entertain me.” He has moved from the community, and the author has had no further possible contact with him.

This researcher argues that many church leaders are setting sail on their own, human-made, dangerous course and are leading or driving people further away from God through their focus on entertainment and financial cushioning of their job, rather than the preaching for hearing, heeding warning of sin and the urgent call of God to “Return to Me,” (Deut 30: 8). Jesus continues to say through His written Word today “Come unto Me,” (Matt 11: 28-30). Church administration and leaders need a strong biblical, conservative, evangelical theological foundation to point people correctly to faith in Jesus, who is calling labouring and heavy-laden people under sin unto Himself to find salvation and eternal rest.

Pastors and staff with a solid biblical and theological foundation need to be positioned by pulpit committees and human resource committees as pastors of a church designed for true church growth. In talking with one pastor, he said he always insisted, in a church, he pastored, that he not be paid a salary. When asked why, he told that governments and dollars soon would control his ministry, and not the Lord and His Word. He always worked in a ‘tent- making’ fashion similar to the Apostle Paul. That attitude is foremost for work in the ministry of reconciliation to which God calls all true children of His; compassion for souls must not be controlled by money. Why not take God seriously now while you still have grace, mercy, and forgiveness available? In Judgment Day, it will be too late. Many churches are bowing to government rather than bowing in fear (reverential respect) toward God. Deceived leadership is leading seekers further away from the Gospel toward entertainment and warm fuzzy feelings, or false worship and works, as one pastor portrayed on TV. The world has given up on the church and her message, but that does not mean that the world should give up, if the Church is doing her job as the source of absolute biblical truth that provides the way of salvation; an absolute truth with knowledge and living hope found in God’s Word, and defended by conservative evangelicals.

One acquaintance said that the church was no longer relevant, and he would choose instead to go for a walk in the park or sit in the Bru Café for a coffee. He had gone through a significant divorce and had lost the true meaning and reason for the Church in his life. He had no respect for the Church. He needed to have Jesus to understand and respect the Church.

May the Lord help us to restore the respect for God and His Church in our society. Society needs to be able to view the Church as headed by Jesus Christ, the Way, to find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in life, worthy of wonderment and respect. People need a sense of meaning, use, and hope in their life. They can, through faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

The author seeks to review the relevance of the true church for seekers and opts for bringing the church back to its once-known place of respect in the community. He believes that believing and trusting God with a sound development of theology based on God’s Word taken literally, is the way. Biblical soul-winning seems to be of less interest than filling pews and offering baskets in the church. A mockery of the church is created. Self-centeredness kills even though some say they are Bible-believing. Christian, biblical, Protestant, conservative, evangelical, local church-goers will say otherwise. We are not to forbid speaking foreign (learnable) languages for people to hear the Gospel in their language, to be converted, and added to the Church, but for self-centred ecstasy, it is non-biblical, self-centeredness, and therefore, sin.

Churches are struggling to keep doors open with 40 to 100 members and adherents, but they are balking at preaching a liberal-free Christianity. The Gospel of Jesus Christ needs to be preached, taught and practiced wisely, boldly, and fearlessly, led by the Power of God the Holy Spirit, (1 Jn 2; 29), and not through man’s non-biblical philosophical musings that lead to unrighteousness.

True biblical soul-winning for true salvation of souls in obedience to God for true church growth rather than sheep stealing, is imperative in the ministry of the church. Among churches where the true Gospel is being preached, and souls are receiving Christ Jesus, there is growth. This author argues that any substitution for the word “Grace, by Faith,” in Ephesians 2: 8, is cause to have a suspicion of false prophecy, and man’s centeredness, relativity, and sin, leading in a pathway to a decline of the ‘Christian’ Church and a movement toward the apostate church.

The true Christian church is on the incline; we are not in a post-church, post-evangelical era, the author argues. Jesus says, “On this Rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it,” (Mt 16:18). The Church must follow Her Leader and take what He says at face value and do it. That means spiritual leaders and their followers.

For those who say that we are in a post-Christian, post-evangelical era, Jesus is Lord, and He is not finished His work yet. The theme of Missions Fest at the Shaw Center in Edmonton in Feb 2018 was “If you want to hasten the Coming of Christ, then you better get the Great Commission finished.” Every supposed Christian leader thinks his or her way is right, but Jesus has not finished building His church. The fields are white unto harvest. Let’s get on with obedience in love and service of Jesus or start with one’s repentance from sin and turn to Jesus by faith. By faith through God’s grace, true Christians want to tell the whole world the Good News, that Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God come in the flesh, sent to be the Savior of the world that God loves and is ready to forgive those who believe on His Son. “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all will come to repentance,” even pastors, (2 Pet 3: 9). God makes overcomers complete in Christ, and they will join Him in Heaven.

Their tradition may be right, but their traditional evangelical church may have changed toward secular liberalism.²² Jehovah, the Lord God Almighty says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death, (Prov 14: 12). Heed Jesus’ call to ‘Come unto Him.’ He gives fruitfulness, fulfillment, purpose, and joy. Believe God, and you will see. David Haskell revealed in his research that conservative evangelical churches were growing, but liberal churches are dying.

Many people are attending a church near where they live regardless of the belief system or theology of that church; they believe, falsely, they are on the right path to Heaven, having been taught in a non-biblical church. On one Sunday morning, this author and his wife saw an acquaintance, who is a long-term, faithful attendant at another evangelical church, so called, in the city. We know of the pastors by name, and the attendee boasts of having a good friendship with one of them. He boasted of being a Christian and that he believed the Bible. This author asked, ‘Well, when did you receive Christ?’ and asked how his faith in Jesus Christ was treating him, since being born-again. The man, in his eighties, said, “Oh no! I have nothing to do with that born-again stuff. I don’t talk about Jesus and being born-again. I don’t believe in it.” What has his pastor-friend been doing for all these years? How will he answer God for such negligence? Has he been teaching boldly and fearlessly the way of peace with God the Father in Heaven for salvation to his friend (the parishioner) that he might know in his soul that he is known by God and is truly ready for the transition to eternity? Just because he is a friend, God calls and still holds the pastor responsible, to be focused and faithful in presenting the Gospel regarding that man’s eternal destiny. To share truth for assurance would be true friendship shown toward his friend. Being a friend and not bold, in the Spirit, about salvation, is not being a good friend. Caring about the final state of others is a gift to God’s servants, who are given the responsibility of the ministry of reconciliation should be right in the case of a pastor, as one might expect.

How are religious leaders purporting to be doing church, by doing an appearance or form of church? They need to reexamine themselves and study the Scriptures to know what God means by doing church according to His doctrine of Ecclesiology (Church). God places them for caring for the sheep; to help them find the Great Shepherd, for holiness and authentic Christian living, and conducting discipleship to develop another person’s true Christian testimony. Jesus commands us “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,” (Matt 28: 19-20). Take a look and perceive what you see. Spiritual leaders, ‘are you taking into consideration what is obedient action toward God, by faith in Jesus, referred to as the Word?’ God calls us to examine ourselves. The safe place for us positioned by His Holy Spirit is “in Jesus.” Are you there?

The subject, in this case, is viewed through the subject’s childhood eyes in hindsight, and what he saw in the natural was distasteful, indiscriminate, and brutish. The findings that this author found in his research are cause for a re-evaluation of vision, one’s position in Christ, and purpose for doing church, and for the true Church to grow as God wills. God seeks for those (singularly or collectively) to worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Jesus Himself, when tempted, said to Satan, “Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve,” (Matt 4: 10). Changing the church through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and reviving true Christianity is needed in leadership and ministry that are Christian, to participate in turning the world around 180 degrees, to impact society with God’s righteousness. God, through Jesus, gives believers His Holy Spirit to empower them in the ministry of reconciliation, soul-winning, the addition of converts for the true worship of God in spirit and truth in our churches. Only by the Spirit of God, are souls won to worship God, through compassionate spiritual leadership, whether that be through a preacher, teacher, Sunday school superintendent, counsellor, life-coach, or an educated lay-person.