The “Traditional” Church

Posted on April 21, 2012 by

No one has seen the “traditional” Church since before Constantine. Constantine merged Roman religious practice with Government, then incorporated Christ into what became the State Religion. (this, of course, is the short course)

Since all of the Scripture was written prior to 100 we can see what the Church looked like there. The Bride of Christ is a community of completely committed followers of Christ bound together in LOVE and demonstrating LOVE to all those around them. They daily and at all times carry out the ministry of the Gospel which is the ministry of LOVE. The Bride of Christ looks like Acts 2. The Bride of Christ looks like Romans 12.

The Bride of Christ is counter cultural, bold in LOVE, lives as God tells them to, says the things that God tells them to, is deep into the culture without being of the culture, is an attractive people and God is adding daily to the number of those being saved.

The Bride of Christ is lead by the Spirit and when the flesh man interferes The Bride of Christ responds with The Grace of God, Gentle but Firm in Him, constantly pointing each other to Jesus the Savior of the World and the Author and Perfecter of Life.

How Can This Be?

The disciples of Jesus were told to wait in Jerusalem until they had received power from on high. Then and only then they would be Jesus’ witnesses.

We must wait in “our” Spiritual Jerusalem, until we have each received power from on high before we can begin. WE must find our “upper room” in which we can wait together in prayer. We must do this together for as we can see in Scripture this is a together thing.

The whole of the Gospel is a together thing. The power both they then, and we now receive is the power to witness and witness too the great things of God. Recall that is what those gathered were doing after they received the promised power from the Spirit. They were proclaiming the Great Things Of God in all the tongues of men.

So we must find our “upper room” and pray and wait until He Himself reveals to us what He would have us do.

Then as together we do what He tells us and say the words He gives us to say we become the Body of Christ, which is the Bride of Christ, which we can then and only then call the Church –  this is the Church we read of in the New Testament beginning in Matthew 16:18. Jesus says ” I will build MY Church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” Anything else is an institution made up by, and administered by man, and not of God.

Of Jesus’ “My Church” we read in Revelation Chapter 3, Jesus speaking, ““…He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you. ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. ‘I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. ‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:7–13, NASB95)

This is the Church. It is engaged in the world, not of the world, with the ministry of the Gospel, which is the LOVE of God. Remember Philadelphia means “City of Brotherly Love.”

Jesus is alive and indwells the Saints who are His Body, His Bride, His Church. We just have to enter into His Rest and receive this great inheritance. All we are, all the Church is, is in Him, is done in Him and by Him. He is the Church and we, each and every one of us,  are in Him. All Praise Be Unto His Mighty and Glorious Name.

Remember Jesus Said, “They will know you are my disciples by the Love you have one for another.”

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Should We Live By The Book?

Posted on April 12, 2012 by

This morning Larry Shallenberger (@LShallenberger on Twitter) Tweeted this post “Do We Annoy God By Using the Bible to Solve All Our Problems?” He introduces his post this way,

“Is it okay for a pastor to wonder if the way we handle the Bible dosen’t make God grind his teeth a bit?” 

His question and the post in general got me thinking about the question. Actually I am always thinking about the question. It occurs to me that after the question about God we have all faced, that the question about what the Scripture means to us, and for us, is THE question. The question we must answer.

In the first chapter of his book “Living by The Book” Dr. Howard G. Hendricks makes a remarkable statement,

“The Bible was written not to satisfy your curiosity but to help you conform to Christ’s image. Not to make you a smarter sinner but to make you like the Savior. Not to fill your head with a collection of Biblical facts but to transform your life.”

This statement resonates with me. For I see in the Scripture the certainty that, “We are HIS workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 NASB) From this and all the rest of the Scripture it seems that this is our Father in Heaven’s primary goal toward human kind, that we should be conformed into the likeness of Jesus, His Only Begotten Son.

So first, if you desire to live out of God’s plan for your life you will want to live the life you live by the “Book.” There are so many reasons for this but for our purposes here I am going to share what Dr. Hendricks says on the matter.

“Bible Study Is Essential To Growth.” “As newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2)

“Bible Study Is Essential To Spiritual Maturity.” “Concerning (Christ) we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for some one to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For every one who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14)

“Bible Study Is Essential To Spiritual Effectiveness” “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Dr. Hendricks’ three Essentials show us the necessity of Scripture “Self-Study.”

Then as we look at the Scripture further we see in Romans chapter 8 verses 12 through 17 we read the following;

“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”  

We can see here that while we may still find ourselves living according to the flesh it is unprofitable for us to do so. To gain the life God intends for us, His adopted children, we need live by the Spirit. And I say to you and to myself (everyday) He Himself makes this possible for us to do.

For us, who live in an age where the Scripture is readily available to us we have “The Book” to give us ready access to the life transforming truth which is Jesus. We see that we will profit as we receive in ourselves this gift of God for our Spiritual development. While it is possible to receive the saving work of Jesus and His Father on our behalf without access to the Scripture, we who have access have been blessed beyond measure.

The Bible is valuable treasure for us as we labor to “solve” our spiritual “problems.” As we dive deeply into the Scripture’s substance we are changed, day-by-day from glory-to-glory!

How do the Scriptures stack up as a resource for “solving” the other “problems” we face as we live in the world? Well I am going to save most of my thoughts on this subject for another day. However Dr. Hendricks and Jesus both have something to say on the matter.

First, Prof Hendricks, “…you are either in the Word and the Word is conforming you to the image of Jesus Christ, or you are in the world and the world is squeezing you into its mold.”

Now our Lord, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NASB95)

If we live and “solve” our problems and face our trials with the methods of the world we will get the results of the world.

If on the other hand we rely on the Scripture and trust in Jesus, living our lives in Him we will see God’s solutions for the “problems” we face.

This latter is not our natural way to live. But thanks be to God WE HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN IN CHRIST JESUS. We have been “born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:13  And He is our ever present help in time of need. We no longer live in the natural, but, “..it is Christ who lives in us.” Galatians 2:20

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;

From where shall my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, He who keeps Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;

He will keep your soul.

The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in

From this time forth and forever.  Psalm 121:1-8

Have a beautiful day in the Lord.

Robert Curtis – Activist, The Icthusgeneration – Santa Rosa Beech Florida 

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Bear Each Other’s Burdens

Posted on January 25, 2012 by

   “Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.” (Galatians 6:2–4, NASB95)

Yesterday (Tuesday the 24th of January 2012) was a nuZoe morning group meeting. I missed last week so was really looking forward to what God would do among us. I knew that last week the guys had talked about the first part of Matthew Chapter 7. This is the place where Jesus talks about not judging others while you have a “beam” in your eye. The place where Jesus says, “…first remove the log out of your own eye, then you will be able to see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Jesus ends this section with a statement about pearls & pigs that the group had not yet discussed so I figured we would begin there yesterday and move on in to Matthew 7:7 where Jesus tells us to ask, seek, and knock…

Well, that is not what happened. We had a new comer among us for the second time. And he asked that we all share our testimony so that he would have a better idea of who each of us is. There were 8 of us at the table and I figured we would take about 30 minutes with this and get into our discussion of what Jesus said in the rest of Matthew 7.

Was I wrong!

Two hours later we were still listening to each other as men shared their souls. There were two guys at that table that I thought would get impatient with what was happening. They are pretty ‘in” to the bible study part of our gatherings – but they didn’t. They shared right along with the others. We had done all of this before. In fact we do it every time someone new shows up, just so we can all have an idea who everybody is.

This time the sharing was different. There was struggle on the table along with deep joy. There was pain on the table along with times of healing. There were unanswered prayers on the table along with those timeS when prayer had been answered. Each of us really opened up to each other. And I saw the wonder of God at work among us as I knew we were truly beginning to love each other as God intends.

We have been gathering for 15 weeks now and all along I have believed that God was calling each of the individuals to come and be part of what He was doing among us. In great hope I have believed Him that He is creating among us a community that brings Glory and Honor, and Praise to Him. But I have to tell you now that I am seeing Him do this right before my eyes.

He is doing it – it is not the fantastic teaching.

He is doing it – it is not our organizational ability.

He is doing it – it is not our depth of spiritual purity.

He is doing it – it is not our prayer lives.

He is doing it – it is not our Scripture knowledge.

He is doing it – it is not at all that any of us have any idea how to do it ourselves.

I come to you with a positive conclusion about what is happening among our little Tuesday morning gathering. God is working in and among us simply because He loves us beyond measure and He wants us to know Him and through knowing Him love each other as He loves us. Wow! and I say again Wow?

Remember I was planing on getting into Matthew 7:7 yesterday before God interrupted,

““Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:7–11, NASB95)

Do you see it? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”  Our Father in heaven was, during the course of the sharing and unburdening that was happening between us, giving us a living parable . He was opening a door into each of our souls and showing each of us that He had been through all the doors of all our hearts first.

He literally gave us of His good from His treasure in the time we spent with each other yesterday. As He did so we all caught a look at what He sees when He looks at us. Amazing! And He did it for us not because of anything we have done but instead because of whom He is.

Glory be to God!

“For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 6:13–14, NASB95)

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Read The Scripture Through in the 1st Quarter of 2012

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

Saddleback Church is beginning 40 Days in The Word at the end of January. If you are able to participate in this I highly recommend you do. In any case your Scripture reading plan is important. I have a suggestion – try this.

Start at the beginning (Genesis.) Read to the end (Revelation.)

Read one-half hour per day and you will complete your work in 160 days. Then you should begin again. Or if you are able, take a two week vacation and finish in 80 hours. If this is your first time through, just read. Do not take notes or puzzle too much over the meanings of words. Do not allow yourself to get side tracked. Bathe your work in prayer. This is the most important work you have. Out of this fundamental effort will come everything else. As we read the Scripture we see Jesus. Jesus is LIFE! YOUR LIFE and mine.

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While I’m Waiting

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

“I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 40:1–3, NASB95)

Ever had to wait? When you were in the midst of it what did you feel like? Comfortable? Afraid? Crazy? Did you just want to stop waiting and get on with it?

If the last is the way you felt – what did you just want to get on with?

In 1999 ( it is December 16, 2011 today) I felt certain that I knew what I was supposed to do. I wrote it all down in a 40 page “vision” memorandum. I worked to prepare a budget. I began to look for a location.

Now I need to tell you that the budget for what I just knew I was supposed to do was way, I mean, way beyond anything I knew how to put together. I mean way, way! And every location I looked at was not in the town I lived in at the time.

I started to think I had to move. Now my wife, Vicky, was not like Abram’s, Sari. Vicky liked where we lived and was not even thinking about moving. One day I felt God was impressing me not to talk with her about moving anymore. I felt that she would mention it to me when the time to move had come. I just knew the time was coming and had to keep quiet about it.

How do you keep quiet about something once you are convinced it is right and wait for the time and circumstances to produce the result that God wants to produce in your life? This is a question we must answer for ourselves because waiting is the fiery furnace that burns away the desires of the flesh, replacing the flesh with a heart that brings Glory to God!

We will be waiting a lot in life – that is if we are waiting on the Lord. Just what can we do and at the same time keep ourselves from messing it up. I am in the midst of another season of waiting on Him right now and here is something (perhaps trivial I know) that gives me some comfort.

In the movie “Fireproof” there is a song called, by coincidence “While I’m Waiting.” Here is a link to a YouTube Video of the song. YouTube, “While I’m Waiting,” John Waller

Here are some things the lyrics suggest we can do while we are waiting.

Wait patiently and be hopeful. (See Psalm 40)

Be prepared to experience pain. Stay hopeful. Stay patient.

Be bold and confident. Move ahead one step after another in the things you believe will honor God. As best you are able – BE OBEDIENT.

Serve God while you are waiting. Serve in you Church. Help your neighbor. Make a new friend and tell them about what Jesus has done for you – but make the new friend first.

Worship God while you are waiting. Make your every act an act of bringing honor and glory to God. Worship with abandon in your worship services. Worship God in your home, workplace and around town, by loving others and thinking of them more highly than you do of yourself.

Don’t faint, let God give you strength, read His Word, and seek Him in Prayer.

Be a peace maker and be full of the Peace of Christ. Let Him fill you up with His Peace and Love.

Continue to run the race. Just simply continue.

God will deliver you through your time of waiting. And He will put a song of praise in your heart and His song will pour forth from your mouth.

To God Be The Glory

Yours in Him

Robert Curtis, The Icthusgeneration.

(below are the lyrics from “While I’m Waiting”, John Waller)

I’m waiting

I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting

I will serve You

While I’m waiting

I will worship

While I’m waiting

I will not faint

I’ll be running the race

Even while I wait

I’m waiting

I’m waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I’m waiting on You, Lord

Though it’s not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve You while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting

I will serve you while I’m waiting

I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmania.com/while_im_waiting_lyrics_john_waller.html

All about John Waller: http://www.musictory.com/music/John+Waller

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8 Weeks

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

Eight weeks ago I attended the first meeting of what could  become a “new” type of gathering for me. I have spent most of the past twenty years or so as part of one large church or another. This whole time I was either on the ministry staff or a completely immersed volunteer.

As part of ministry teams it was the “job” to “teach” others what to believe about God and Jesus and a whole bunch of other stuff.

One of the churches I was part of had “off campus,” “small groups.” In those groups we primarily discussed books about the Christian Faith, about the Bible, about how to manage finances, about maintaining a healthy marriage – you get the idea. I came to believe that THIS approach was the way it should be. In our thinking it was floated around that the book of ACTS,  Chapter 2, verses 42 through 47 contained the scriptural basis for our type of small group.

   “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42–47, NASB95)

Scriptural basis – I actually say things like this. I believed this. So breaking bread from house to house, and being devoted to the Apostles teaching, fellowship and prayer were the activities that made for a great church – and we tried to duplicate these practices, and they did make for a great church. But the approach is just an approach.

A method that works is still a method and something in the back of my mind says that methods are not what being a Christian is all about. Most everyone of us who follow Jesus Christ will say that it is our relationship with Him that makes us Christian – but it seems that the largest result of this relationship is a gathering that takes place once per week and then various programs, most of which, compete with things like football, the school band and school dances. I mean, did God, creator of the universe and of you and of me, leave His realm of Heaven to be born in a manger, and die brutally on a cross do this so I could learn how to manage my finances or sing “Shout To The Lord,” (one of my favs by the way!)?

I have thought this very strange for the past several years. Hence the experiment.

Right now our gathering is a small group of men  with one thing in common – we all have an overwhelming desire to live with/in Jesus as He directs our every step. We are seeking Him through prayer – study of the Scripture – TOGETHER, and bearing each others burdens.

Eight weeks have passed and I know that we have begun to love each other. We keep coming back. We are all excited about meeting. I can’t wait to see what God will do with us.

I will keep you posted.

Robert Curtis, The icthusgeneration.

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Attend to the Apostles Teachings

Posted on November 9, 2011 by

I am part of a gathering of men that meets in a local restaurant one morning each week. It is a new gathering, part of an effort to reach outside the walls of the local church building into the heart of our culture here on the Emerald Coast of Florida.  We are in our fourth week and each week new men are showing up and for this I rejoice. When we begin each week the new guys get a chance to tell the group about themselves. And so far no one has been shy about this. The guys have been willing to expose themselves and dive right in to the group.

As a result of this I have heard a variety of ideas about God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, human-kind, sin, salvation, and the Scripture that I have rarely heard inside the walls of the church building. This is good and part of the reason I have embarked on this journey outside those walls.

However I am coming, quickly, to a conclusion about this effort to engage the culture outside of the church with the Gospel. It is never too soon to introduce the Truth, Jesus, into the conversation.

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching…” The “they” Luke is speaking of here are new believers from all over the known world. They came from all kinds of spiritual and cultural traditions. Acts Chapter 2 is a record of the means God used to bring them to the point of devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching. This teaching is, simply put, the teaching about Jesus, the Savior of the world, as taught by men who had been eye witnesses to His life!

Those gathered together in this way listening to the apostles’ teaching had no previous preparation in doctrinal matters. They had all kinds of ideas and theories about God and how God dealt with man. Some of them had thought the disciples in the upper room were drunk at 9:00 in the morning.

On hearing this opinion Peter spoke up immediately,

“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day…” Acts 2:14-15

Peter goes on to tell all those gathered that the Messiah, long awaited by the Jews, had come. His name was Jesus. The religious had had Him crucified with the full approval of the crowd. Peter taught the grave could not hold Him and that God, The Father, raised Him from the dead on the third day, setting the captives free and healing the rift between God and His Creation human kind.

This is the Gospel.

Acts tells us that everyone who received this word, repented and were baptized in the Name of Jesus.

I long for these kind of results as we are walking in Christ Jesus outside the walls of the church buildings.

I see a need as we follow Jesus, as we are His witnesses, to be open to hearing all kinds of opinions about God and Jesus – but we must never hesitate to introduce those we are talking with to the Truth.

Some will say to us (and have said to me) “what truth.” or “There are as many opinions about what the scripture says as there are people reading it. Who are you to say that your opinion is better truth than any of the other interpretations?” We must hear them out with a humble, gentleness of spirit.

Jesus came to earth to set us all free. Let Him give you the words for each person who resists. He will set them free and you cannot. Name His name and let those you speak with know that YOU believe that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. Explain that YOU believe this to be literal and not open to various interpretive techniques. Gently proclaim that the Word of Scripture says what it means and means what it says. Humbly state that it cannot be broken, modified, or explained away by the opinion or even the academic scholarship of men. And then let The Word of God do His work.

After we show we care – for real – it is never too soon to introduce another to Jesus so that He may do the work in us that He came to do.

YOU WILL BR AMAZED AT THE RESULTS HE ACHIEVES.

Please pray for me and those I am working with that we preserver in the work of meeting those who do not yet know their Savior. Pray for us that we are able to build great friendships with those outside the walls of the church building and that we learn how to Love as Jesus Loves!

May God Bless YOU today!

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