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Sunday, March 18, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
The priesthood of all believers
It is a foundational
concept of Protestantism. While Martin Luther did not use the exact phrase "priesthood of all
believers," he introduces a general priesthood in Christendom in his 1520 To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation in order to dismiss the medieval view
that Christians in the present life were to be divided into two classes:
"spiritual" and "temporal." He put forward the doctrine
that all baptized Christians are "priests" and "spiritual"
in the sight of God:
Two months later
Luther would write in his On
the Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1520): “How then if they are forced to admit that we are
all equally priests, as many of us as are baptized, and by this way we truly
are; while to them is committed only the Ministry (ministerium Predigtamt) and consented to by us (nostro consensu)? If they recognize
this they would know that they have no right to exercise power over us (ius imperii, in what has not been
committed to them) except insofar as we may have granted it to them, for thus
it says in 1 Peter 2, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
priestly kingdom." In this way we are all priests, as many of us as are
Christians. There are indeed priests whom we call ministers. They are chosen
from among us, and who do everything in our name. That is a priesthood which is
nothing else than the Ministry. Thus 1 Corinthians 4:1: "No one should
regard us as anything else than ministers of Christ and dispensers of the
mysteries of God."
The origins of the
doctrine within Protestantism are somewhat obscure. The idea was found in a
radical form in Lollard thought. Martin Luther adduced it in his writings for the purpose of reforming the
Christian Church, and it became a central tenet of Protestantism.
The doctrine is
strongly asserted within Methodism and the Plymouth Brethren movement. Within Methodism it can plausibly be linked to the strong emphasis on social
action and political involvement within that denomination. Within the Plymouth Brethren, the concept is most usually evidenced in the lack of
distinction between "clergy" and "laity," the refusal to
adopt formal titles such as Reverend or Bishop, the denial of formal
ordination, and in some cases the refusal to hire any professional staff or
paid Christian workers at all. Baptist movements, which generally operate on a form of congregational
polity, also lean heavily
on this concept.
Within this radical evangelicalism, expressed most strongly
in the holiness and higher life movements, themes of restorationism, premillennialism, faith
healing,
and greater attention on the person and work of the Holy Spirit were central to
emerging Pentecostalism. Evangelicals felt that modern Christianity was missing
the power and authority of the New Testament church. Believing that the second
coming of Christ was imminent, many evangelicals expected an end time revival
that would bring many people to Christ. Many leaders began to speak of an
experience available to all Christians which would empower believers to
evangelize the world, often termed baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Fundamentalist Christianity, also
known as Christian fundamentalism
or fundamentalist evangelicalism
is defined as anti-modernist Protestant evangelicalism was militantly opposed to
both modernism in theology and the cultural changes that modernism endorsed.
The name is taken from the title of a series of essays published by the Bible
Institute of Los Angeles, “The
Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth.”
For example, American evangelist Billy Graham came from a fundamentalist background, but parted company
with the movement because of his choice, early in his ministry (1950s), to
cooperate with other faiths and teaching all Christians to reach out to
non-believers. He represents
a movement that arose within fundamentalism, but has increasingly become
distinct from it, known as neo-evangelicalism or New Evangelicalism
There was no one founder of modern Pentecostalism. Instead,
isolated Christian groups were experiencing charismatic phenomenon such as
speaking in tongues. The Wesleyan
holiness movement provided a theological explanation for what was happening
to these Christians. The earliest date given for the beginning of the
Pentecostal movement is January 1, 1901; the date Charles
Parham
began teaching that speaking in tongues was the biblical sign of the Holy Spirit's
baptism at his Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas. Charles
Parham later moved to Houston, Texas. In spite of racial segregation in Houston, William J. Seymour, a one-eyed African-American preacher, was allowed to
attend Parham's Bible classes there. Seymour traveled to Los Angeles, where his
preaching sparked the Azusa Street Revival in 1906. Despite the work
of various Wesleyan groups such as Parham's and D. L.
Moody's
revivals, the beginning of the widespread Pentecostal movement in the United
States is generally considered to have begun with Seymour's Azusa Street
Revival.
The Azusa revival was the first Pentecostal revival to
receive significant attention, and many people from around the world became
drawn to it. The Los Angeles Press gave close attention to Seymour's revival,
which helped fuel its growth. A number of new, smaller, groups started up,
inspired by the events of this revival. International visitors and Pentecostal
missionaries would eventually bring these teachings to other nations, so that
practically all classic Pentecostal denominations today trace their historical
roots to the Azusa Street Revival. By 1908, the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa had
formed, and there were Pentecostal groups in Australia by 1909.
The unconventionally intense and emotional environment
generated in Pentecostal meetings dually promoted, and was itself created by,
other forms of participation such as personal testimony and spontaneous prayer
and singing. Women did not shy away from engaging in this forum, and in the
early movement the majority of converts and church-goers were female.
Believing that the second coming of Christ was imminent,
many evangelicals expected an end time revival that would bring many people to
Christ. Many leaders began to speak of an experience available to all
Christians which would empower believers to evangelize the world, often termed baptism
with the Holy Spirit.
Of all the groups, pentecostalists use the priesthood to its
most effectiveness. The authority to evangelize is placed on all believers whether
they have any standing or not. Women as well are encouraged to lead and partake
in the service. Pentecostals need no writ or individual directive to “spread
the gospel”. Each one gains the right once converted and feels led to do so.
This idea and openness may be the reason for the large growth that is being
seen in the pentecostal movement around the world.
Bradley S Higgins
The Battle
The Battle
There is a battle fought inside every
man and woman that decides to turn their life to Christ. This is like no other
battle you have faced before. Why? Because before we changed our direction; our
enemy and us were on the same side.
It is the battle with the flesh
“My flesh and my
heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my
portion for ever.” Psalms 73:26 KJV
“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The
spirit truly is ready, but the
flesh is weak.” Mark 14:38 KJV
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:
for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7:18 KJV
“For though we walk in
the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 2 Corinthians
10:3 KJV
Many who come by this way are under a
false impression that as soon as the Holy Ghost comes in, your flesh jumps in
the back seat of the vehicle all tied up. They believe that it will not bother
you again unless by some conscious action on your own, you free it again. Well
my friends that is not how it works. Your flesh has had control for most of
your life, and it likes control.
“I
beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.”
Romans 12: 1-2 KJV
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians
2:20 KJV
“Are ye so foolish?
having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 3:3 KJV
“For, brethren, ye have
been called unto liberty; only use not
liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Galatians
5:13 KJV
You are not instantly transformed into
the most holy person that you can be. We have simply been removed from our past
direction, and changed to a new creature which no longer needs to live
according to past influences. Where we go from that point is determined by the
mercy God shows us, or in the decisions we make. It is also determined by when
we make mistakes, if we turn back to God, or if we dwell in those mistakes.
Everything that we do must be held up to the light of the word, so that we can
make the changes necessary.
Letter to Fellow Ministries
Dedicated to reaching souls at home and abroad
Friends,
There comes a time in every life
where we all need someone. For many it is simply a helping hand, for some it is
a desperate cry. Whatever the circumstances, we cannot turn a blind eye to
those in need. Some will say, and rightly so, that we must make sure of the
need before we open our purse strings. However there are a great many
legitimate needs, not only by private citizens, but ministries themselves.
These are often overlooked or ignored because no one wants to go out of their
way to find needs in great works around our nation and the world.
This is where we come in; our family
has been in the ministry now for 16 years, dedicated to local church works and
projects. My wife and I have led many programs in areas ranging from outreach
to youth, as well as signing programs. We are now being led to take our
ministry to the next level by seeking to help ministries all over the country,
and in different parts of the world. However, as you know, most churches and
ministries are in need of help, but cannot carry a greater load of support.
This is why we are seeking support from as many as will, so that our ministry
will be fully funded, and we will be fully a blessing to these many works, and
not an added financial burden.
What we would like is to have 1000 monthly
supporters at $10. In this way, the load of support can be carried at an easier
level by many people, instead of being heavy to a few. We would like to come to
your church and show you our vision and possibly receive commitments. And all
who give will receive our newsletter, and emails every couple months allowing
them to know where we are, and what the ministry is doing for the many in need
around the world.
We know that finances are tight, and
we know that many struggle everyday with bills and everything else life throws
at you. This is what makes what we are doing that much more important. Many
ministries are trying to maintain what they have been doing, and continuing
service, on much less than they did before. They need help, but they cannot
afford to pay for that help.
Seek in your heart what is right,
and know that you can make a difference in lives everywhere, if you will just
help share the burden. The Bible says that one can put a thousand to flight,
but two can put ten thousand. Just imagine what a thousand of us could do if we
would just support one another, put away our differences, and love as Christ
loved.
May God bless every one of you, and
I hope to be sending you letters in the near future.
In
His Service,
Bro.
Bradley Higgins
P.S. Please
do not assume that someone else is going to step up to the plate. Besides, the
blessings of God go to those that bless His work, so don’t let someone else
take your blessing.
Bradley
Higgins and Family
3131 Mt
Vernon Rd
Newark, Ohio
43055
740-403-7132
Faith
“Talk what
we will of faith, if we do not trust and rely upon Him, we do not believe in
Him." Antony
Farindon
There are plenty of books out on
faith, and what it means to have faith; however I have yet seen any examples of
any books that specifically outline what faith must be, and cannot be. This is
where we start today.
For many of us we have trod our way
through life attaching the commonly known practices of what was and has been
considered by the modern church as a life of faith. In this endless marching,
little teaching has actually been done on the subject or in how intensely
important having true faith really is. We have come to believe that faith is
just knowing about God, or in some cases simply believing that God can do
things; this is not faith. Faith is so much more than belief, it is so much
more than what we in modern times try to wrap it around or limit it to.
What does it mean to completely trust
and rely upon God? What does it mean when Paul wrote “for whatsoever is not of faith is
sin.” (Romans 14:23) These are some of the questions we will be answering.
Getting to an understanding of faith is an absolute necessity in operating in
faith. If we really want to get into the deep things of God, and be prepared to
receive His promises, then we must move into the deeper realms of faith and the
true understanding of what it means to believe God.
Billy
Cole wrote in the beginning of his book “The Teachings of Billy Cole” “Many
have been greatly anointed of the Lord and suddenly come tumbling down because
they lack personal experience. There is a difference between power and
spirituality. You can be powerful and not be spiritual. You can be spiritual
and not be powerful. What you really want is to be both spiritual and
powerful.” (Cole, 2006) What Billy Cole
understood, and many others, is that it is not enough to just pass through life
operating on limitations. If we truly want to tap into what God gives us access
to, then we are going to have to step outside of our personal comfort zone and
move into the deeper understandings and ways of God.
Comfort
is one of the last things that we will gain access to as we gain deeper
knowledge and deeper callings into the work of God in our lives. Brother J.
Mark Jordan said it this way “It is not only what you believe but how strongly
you believe it that draws the ire of the world around you.” (Jordan, 2007) You will not gain
the praise of those around you, you will even be attacked by those closest to
you, but rest assured that when you follow the will and work of God operating
in true faith, the reward is always worth the sacrifice.
7 Deadly Sins of Church's
7
Deadly Sins of Church’s
Thom Rainer
I stood before some 700 church members on a
Sunday evening. My task was straightforward. I was to share with them the
results of a consultation my team members and I had worked on during the past
several weeks.
The presentation should have been easy and
uneventful. To the contrary, the time proved to be stressful and contentious.
When I pointed out even a small area of concern with suggested remedies, dozens
of members raised their hands to tell me how wrong I was, how the evaluations
of the consulting team were far off base.
The church in question had been in decline for
nearly two decades. Yet, from the perspectives of many of the members, the
church was healthy and thriving. From my perspective, the most obvious reality
I saw was denial.
Lessons from the Past, Lessons for the Future
Lessons from the Past, Lessons for the Future
Over the past 20 years, one of the richest
blessings in my life has been the opportunity to study and consult with
thousands of churches. I’ve seen hundreds of healthy churches that have taught
me valuable lessons.
Unfortunately, I’ve also seen thousands of
churches whose ministries are declining, whose members are discouraged, and
whose evangelistic impact is negligible. Recently, I reviewed many of my past
consulting and research projects to discern common characteristics of declining
and dying churches.
I found what I call “seven sins” that characterize dying churches. These issues are not mutually exclusive; they are often directly related to each other. Rather than being a source of discouragement, I pray that my elucidation of these seven sins will be a tool to help you avoid the pitfalls that other church leaders have experienced.
I found what I call “seven sins” that characterize dying churches. These issues are not mutually exclusive; they are often directly related to each other. Rather than being a source of discouragement, I pray that my elucidation of these seven sins will be a tool to help you avoid the pitfalls that other church leaders have experienced.
Sin #1:
Doctrine Dilution
One of our consultants sat in a Bible study
class of a church that had brought in our team for a long-term consultation
relationship. He had been told that the class included some of the church’s
strongest leaders. Much to his surprise, the entire Bible study was a debate on
whether or not a non-Christian might go to heaven. After much argument, the
conclusion was that God would indeed allow such a person into heaven.
When such cardinal truths as the doctrine of exclusivity become issues of doubt, a church is in trouble. There’s little motivation for outreach and evangelism if other paths and other religions are equal to Christianity.
Ironically, in our survey of unchurched persons across America, we found that these non-Christians were much less likely to attend churches with weak doctrinal beliefs than those with strong ones. “Why should I waste my time in a place that does not have much certainty of belief,” Amy, a 29-year-old unchurched person from Arizona, told us. “I can find plenty of uncertainty in the world.”
When such cardinal truths as the doctrine of exclusivity become issues of doubt, a church is in trouble. There’s little motivation for outreach and evangelism if other paths and other religions are equal to Christianity.
Ironically, in our survey of unchurched persons across America, we found that these non-Christians were much less likely to attend churches with weak doctrinal beliefs than those with strong ones. “Why should I waste my time in a place that does not have much certainty of belief,” Amy, a 29-year-old unchurched person from Arizona, told us. “I can find plenty of uncertainty in the world.”
Sin #2:
Loss of Evangelistic Passion
It is no surprise that declining and dying
churches have little evangelistic passion. In my January/February ’05 Outreach column, I highlighted one of the major
reasons for evangelistic apathy: Many senior pastors either don’t have or have
lost their evangelistic passion. Congregations tend to follow the passions and
visions of those in key leadership positions, particularly the pastor.
Sin #3: Failure to Be
Relevant
Unfortunately, many churches in America are out of touch with
the changing trends and values of today’s culture.
Some churches, for certain, abandon many of the cardinal truths of the faith in their quest to be relevant to the community they serve. But even more churches are woefully unaware of the realities, hopes, and pains of those around us. Failure to be true to doctrines of the Christian faith leads to apostasy. Failure to understand the world in which we live and serve leads to irrelevancy.
Sin #4: Few
Outwardly-Focused Ministries
In a recent survey of churches across America, we found that
nearly 95% of the churches’ ministries were for the members alone. Indeed, many
churches had no ministries for those outside the congregation.
Many churches seem to exist only for themselves. While there certainly should be ministry available for church members, often the balance between external and internal ministries is heavily skewed toward internal. When churches seek to care and minister only to their own, it’s a likely sign that decline is in motion and that death may be imminent.
Sin #5: Conflict over
Personal Preferences
Some of the more vicious internal battles in congregations today
are not fights over defending the great truths of the Christian faith. Instead,
members have conflict over their preferred worship style, the way a room is
painted or carpeted, and the type of pulpit the preacher uses. Battles like
these are sure signs that members are more concerned about their needs than the
needs of the hurting and unchurched people who live and work next to them.
Sin #6: The Priority
of Comfort
A few years ago, my youngest son, Jess, was a high school senior
on the football team. Because he gave so much of himself in the Friday night
game, he often slept late on Saturdays. Around noon, he’d trudge down the
stairs, turn on the television in the family room, and collapse on the sofa.
One Saturday, I passed him as his extended body contorted on the sofa and noticed that my football player son was watching HGTV. Curious, I asked Jess why he was watching a home and gardening show. His response was classic—“’cause the remote is broken.”
Many churches are in definitive patterns of decline because
church members simply will not move beyond their couches of comfort. It’s much
easier to do things the way we’ve always done them, rather than to get
uncomfortable in the world outside the walls of the church.
Sin #7: Biblical
Illiteracy
Only 3% of churches in America have a planned method of
instructing their members to learn the Bible in its entirety. While studying
the Bible shouldn’t be limited to a church setting, it’s imperative that
churches take the lead in these types of endeavors.
When only three of 100 churches even attempt to provide a way for their members to understand Genesis to Revelation, biblical illiteracy is likely to occur. And biblical illiteracy means that our churches may not be obedient to the calls of Scripture because they don’t know what the Bible says.
Lights in the darkness?
Our research shows that many churches in America are sick,
declining, and dying. Still, I remain an obnoxious optimist about the American
Church. I’ve seen many churches reject the darkness of these seven sins and do
something about their decline. They’re truly lights in the darkness.
I recently concluded a one-year consultation with a church that had seen a reversal of almost all the negative trends in its congregation. The pastor summed up the experience well: “We were not lacking in resources or know-how; we were just lacking in obedience. When we made a decision that mediocrity and complacency would not be acceptable, God began to bless us. It is just that simple.”
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