Christian Leaders

In Colossians 1:24-29 Paul tells us “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
There are at least two different approaches to leadership. The most common is the idea of leading by dictating and power. The other, the example of Christ, is to lead by serving. The second way emphasizes people, tells us "the strong have the most to give”, emphasizes personal responsibility. and works through love. Should this not be the approach you want your church leaders to adopt?
This is not just about leadership . . . it's about life. Every day we are asked to make decisions. Every day we must decide how to handle the various situations that come our way. In each decision we choose one of these two approaches. Each of us decides a dozen or more times a day to do it God's way . . . or the worlds.
To those who lead, let me say we need those who are strong even in the midst of the hassles, those who lead by example, and those who see the big picture. We need those who stand on the Word of God. We thank God for you.
Strong leaders are effective at bringing others together as a fellowship. This is often the difference between leaders and others who also get good ideas, but never have much impact on the Body of Christ. Bringing people together and helping them overcome barriers to understanding, personal resentments, jealousies, and prejudice is typical work for leaders. Good leaders often engage in conflict management with peaceful results. Those who try to manage conflict between others but end up fanning the flames or consistently repudiating one or the other party in conflict usually cannot lead for long, or at least must have a small following. Team-building also means that the leader is able to get more than one person to agree about key values or directions of movement.
Leaders are regularly battered by circumstances, by Satan, and by their own people. All good leaders must demonstrate that they can take it without losing composure. People are drawn to strength of character, and tend to believe what strong people say. While they may feel sympathetic toward the weak, they tend not to follow them. This doesn't mean leaders should pretend they are not suffering, but that their determination and integrity dictate that they maintain consistency even in the face of suffering. It also means that a leader would continue to pursue the right goals and live for God even if no one else follows. A good leader is not afraid of rejection by his followers because his concern is doing what is right, not being followed. Jesus taught that the good shepherd "goes out before them" which means that such a shepherd sets a course knowing that the sheep will follow after. When people sense that a leader is more concerned about being followed than about what God wants, they grow cynical about following.
Ironically, good leaders are also compromisers. While perseverance and determination are important, strictness works against effective leadership. We live in a fallen world where our visions will never be completely fulfilled. People never quite do what they should and life always seems to bestow upon us the unexpected. As a result, leaders realize they need to get the best they can, while not insisting on perfection or even on complete agreement. Wise leaders realize that the closer they come to their goal, the better, and that any movement is better than no movement. They also realize that a following must either be very small, or must include those who have a slightly different view, even though in general agreement on the most important issues. Leaders also realize they must prioritize goals and they feel good when major goals are attained even though lesser goals are not. Leaders who fail to prioritize, or who are very strict, run the danger of eventually breaking themselves and those around them. They are poor at team building, and cannot negotiate effectively. In the end, they nearly always forfeit their following.
The Bible commands us to encourage one another, and the leader should show the way in this area. 1 Thessalonian 5:11 tells us “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Leaders are those who, through encouragement, can restore confidence and enthusiasm to a group of people who are discouraged and depressed. Good leaders are constantly reminding people of their value, of God's love, of the promises of Scripture, and that failure is not the end of the world. Since followers are bound to fail often, the role of encourager, while not owned exclusively by leaders, is crucial to leaders' ability to maintain morale. Encouragement coming from a leader often has more impact for good than that coming from others.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The first person to see the risen Jesus was Mary Magdalene. Considering the fact that Jesus was the original liberator of women this is especially significant. Unfortunately, many churches are still guilty of not appreciating the work of women in their congregations. Jesus could have chosen any person to be the first to see him after he rose from the grave, but He did not choose just anyone. He chose a woman who was a loyal and steadfast follower who never turned her back on her Lord and savior. She never denied Him, as did Peter and so many others, and she stood bravely by His cross when she knew it could possibly cause her to be arrested or even to be put to death. Along with Mary Magdalene, as many as 500 people saw the newly risen Jesus before his ascension to be with His Father in heaven.
On the road to Emmaus two men were heading back to their village of Emmaus, when they met Jesus. It was after Jesus’ death, and the two men were downcast as they spoke about Him. They did not recognize Jesus as he walked alongside them and spoke with them. They asked Jesus if he had heard the news being discussed in Jerusalem. Jesus then questioned their faith… particularly in terms of believing the prophecies of His resurrection from the dead. He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures regarding the coming Christ (Jesus, himself). Jesus could have revealed himself at that very moment. He could have shown the two men all his glory, power, and majesty. There would have been no doubt in their minds that this was truly Jesus Christ raised from the dead. Instead, he questions their faith by quoting the Scriptures and the prophecies. How can we explain the fact that Jesus looked to the inerrant and infallible Scripture to show the two men who He was, rather than merely showing them His glory? This was a wonderful reminder that God’s Word is infallible, inerrant, and important. Upon reaching their village, Jesus pretended he had further to go, but when the men invited Him to share a meal with them, He accepted. While He was breaking the bread, the men finally recognized Him and at that time, He disappeared. Just think had they not invited Him in they would have missed this wonderful blessing. They would have never known that they had walked and talked with Jesus Christ, the risen Son of God.
Jesus Appears to His Disciples”. John 20:19-20 NIV says, “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” When Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst they were frightened. We would be too if someone who had died suddenly appeared in our midst. But, Jesus immediately tried to calm their fears by saying, “Peace be with you.” Jesus then identifies himself by showing the disciples his hands and his side, those precious wounds of crucifixion still visible on his body. Surely that answers the charge that this is merely a ghost story, or that the disciples were hallucinating. This body in which Jesus appeared still bore the marks of crucifixion. It was the same body that had been put in the grave. He then asked for a piece of fish that he might eat in their presence. I have never heard any story of a ghost being able to eat. This was no vision, no mere hallucination. This was a real body, the same body that had been crucified. Our Lord is making it clear that he is alive, and that this is a bodily resurrection.
Jesus reveals Himself to Thomas, John 20:24-31 NIV says: “Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Jesus cared about Thomas’ doubts. He wanted to give Thomas the answer to his questions.
If you have doubts or questions about God, Jesus is just as willing to answer your questions as he was for Thomas. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you go to Jesus sincerely with an honest and loving heart, he will help you understand his answer. Some Christians have had questions about why God did something the way he did, but have been too afraid to ask him. Perhaps they think he will punish them for lack of faith or for doubting him. But the fact is there will be things about God’s plan that we are not meant to understand. He does want us to have peace in our lives so when we have questions; it’s all right to go to God with our doubts. He will answer us...
John 21:1-14, the experience with the Risen Jesus at the Sea of Tiberius was a marvelous moment for the disciples. The disciples were fishing because they had become bored and impatient for the Lord to come to them. When he called to them they did not immediately recognize him. It is interesting that it was the Apostle John, the disciple “whom Jesus loved,” who first recognized His Lord. The fact that Jesus loved John is mentioned so often not because Jesus didn’t also love all the others, God through Jesus Christ loves all human beings, but John apparently was able to love His Savior with more intensity and sincerity than the others. As soon as Peter realized from John’s revelation that it was Jesus on the shore, He immediately puts on his outer garment and plunged into the water. Jesus taught the Disciples that day that they must be patient, and that all things come about on God’s time table, not theirs. We must remember this fact in our day to day life. Sometime we forget and try to make things happen when we want them done. We forget to ask for God’s help. Without his hand in our life we will fail in His plan for us.

Women in Church Leadership For or Against?

The Bible is our supreme authority. If it states some truth that it claims is eternal, then we cannot just ignore it. I know there are some who would like to pick and choose, however in order to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and believe the Bible to be our instruction book, we just can’t do that.There seems to be three main views on the issue of women in church leadership. First, there are those who argue that women should not be allowed in any church leadership positions whatsoever. Second, some argue that women may be in leadership positions, but the overall leader in the church must be a man. Third, there are those who have no problem with women in any leadership positions, even as the overall leader. The first question must be where the burden of proof lies. I believe it lies with those arguing that women should not be in leadership positions. The reason for this is that it simply makes sense, and seems arbitrary to rule out over 50% of the population simply because of their sex. Women seem to be in leadership positions in most other walks of life - why not then in the service of our Lord? The question really is; if scripture were absolutely silent on the matter, would we be justified in allowing women to be in church leadership? Of course we would, as there would be no reasonable reason to reject it. Now it may be that the Bible presents reasons why this shouldn't be the case and we will examine these shortly. But before we have examined the evidence, remember the burden of proof would appear to be with those who argue against women in church leadership positions. The consequence of this is that the evidence against women in leadership must be greater than the evidence for it.

Argument against Women in Leadership

1. 1 Timothy 2:11-15
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
It is argued here that Paul is presenting an eternal argument, rather than a cultural argument. The argument is based on creation - Adam was formed first - not a cultural situation, so the implication is therefore eternal.

2. 1 Corinthians 14:33-35
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
The argument here is that it says women should be silent in church, as in all the congregations. Consequently, it was not just something for the people of Corinth at the time.

3. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.Both of these passages talk about elders and deacons in the churches, specifically giving Timothy and Titus instructions for how to appoint them. Both of these passages assume that elders are men. All the pronouns are male, and both state that elders should be "the husband of but one wife".

4. Relationship between the family and the church.

This argument says that there was distinction of male and female roles before the fall:
· Adam was created first.
· Eve was created as Adam's helper.
· Adam, not Eve, represented humanity (1 Co 15:22 and Ro 5:15)

It then argues the Bible clearly teaches man headship in marriage:
· 1 Co 11:3, 7-8 - 'the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man'.
· Eph 5:22-23 - 'the husband is the head of the wife'.
· 1 Pe 3:1-7 - 'wives be submissive'.

Finally, it argues that the biblical church is an extension of the family, and so consequently, if male headship applies in marriage, male leadership in the church must result.

5. The Apostles were all men
Jesus only appointed men as apostles. He could have chosen women, as he made many other controversial decisions and statements, but he did not. Consequently it follows that he did not support women at least in senior leadership positions.

6. Male teaching and leadership throughout the bible
With very few exceptions, the Bible only shows examples of women in leadership or teaching positions. The roles of Deborah (Jud 4-5) and Huldah (2 Ki 22:14-20) are regarded as judges or prophets, not as leaders, and in both cases it was a man who subsequently acted on their prophecy.

7. Male leadership throughout church history
Throughout the vast majority of church history, all leadership and teaching positions have been held by men. The fathers of the early church all believed that women should not be in leadership, and it has only been recently that this position has been challenged. While history should not be the sole reason for favoring their position, it is important that most theologians over a long period of time have believed that women should not be in leadership.

Argument for Women in Church Leadership

1. Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Both men and women were created equal in God's image. The first part of the Bible that deals with the creation of humans states clearly that men and women are equal.

2. Acts 2:17-18
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
This passage states that men and women both have equal access to the blessings of salvation.

3. Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
The fall brought a distortion in the roles that God had planned for men and women.

4. 1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Peter here declares that both men and women are now the royal priesthood. The priesthood is no longer limited to male descendants of Aaron, as it was in the Old Testament. Under the new covenant, both men and women are priests of God, equally, without distinction.

5. Galatians 3:26-29
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This passage clearly declares that men and women are equal in Christ. Men are not special, neither are Jews, Greeks, slave, nor free - all have equal access to Christ and are Abraham's heirs.

6. Acts 18:24-26
Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
The interesting thing here is that both Priscilla (female) and Aquila (male) taught Apollos, who was possibly the author of Hebrews. While Apollos was not an apostle, he was definitely a major figure in the early church, yet was taught by a woman.

7. Romans 16:1-2
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.
The word used for servant here is the same word used for deacon in other parts of the New Testament. It was historically translated as servant as the translators couldn't believe that a woman was a deacon in the church. But surely that is a horrible way to approach scripture - start with your prejudices and then translate accordingly.

8. Progressive Revelation: This argues that God's revelation over time is progressive, and a prime example of this is slavery. There is nothing in the Bible that explicitly rules out slavery, and Jesus definitely could have argued against it if he chose to. However, a long time later, slavery was abolished, and looking at the Bible now, we can definitely see hints of this, even though it is not stated explicitly.

The role of women in the church is similar.
· The role of women in the New Testament is greatly increased over their role in the Old Testament.
· The symbol of the new covenant, baptism, is available to men and women equally. The symbol of the old covenant, circumcision, was only available to men.
· 1 Corinthians 7:4 - the idea of mutual ruling over each other's bodies is unparalleled in previous Jewish thinking. It is a clear step forward.

So there are a number of arguments on both sides, so let's now examine how strong they really are.
Against Women in Church Leadership
In summary, the arguments against women in church leadership were:

1) Women not allowed to teach or have authority over a man (1 Ti 2:11-15).
2) Women must keep silent in church as in all the congregations (1 Co 14:33b-35)
3) Elders are assumed to be men (1 Ti 3:1-7 and Tit 1:5-9).
4) Relationship between family and the church.
5) The apostles were all men.
6) Male teaching and leadership throughout the bible.
7) Male leadership throughout church history.

Let's go through these arguments in reverse order.

(7) Is not convincing unless there is a good reason for it. It may point to a good reason, but is not convincing on its own. Consequently, it is not too relevant when considering the arguments here.

(6) Is almost true, but there are exceptions. In addition to the exceptions of Deborah and Huldah, there is Priscilla, and Phoebe. Furthermore, in point 8, that argues for progressive revelation can easily explain that there are few examples of women leadership in the bible. As there are counter-examples here, it is not convincing on its own, without further evidence.

(5) Can be explained by the simple fact that if Jesus appointed some women as apostles, it would have distracted from the purpose of his ministry. The women apostles would not have been able to function effectively, as the Jewish people simply would not have been prepared to listen to them. This argument can also be answered by the idea of progressive revelation point 8.

(4) Argues that the Bible claims male headship in marriage, and since the church is the extended family, this must apply there as well. Assuming for the moment that the bible does teach male headship in marriage, I think the argument that therefore this implies male leadership in the church is very weak. Leadership in the family and the church are not identical, there is no biblical passage that implies that they are, so I think this argument falls over.

The two passages in (3) talk about the qualifications for elders, and both seem to assume men. This of course is very different to it stating that they must be men, and so I don't think this argument stands. When Paul was stating the elders must be "the husband of but one wife", I don't think he specifically meant that they must be married, and must be men. He is contrasting "the husband of but one wife" with being the husband of many wives!

Argument (2) is claiming that the passage in Corinthians where women were meant to keep quiet in church applies to "all the congregations", and so therefore, women shouldn't be in leadership positions. However, there are two problems here. Firstly, there is no indication that this is a timeless command rather than culturally bound. Secondly, the reason for this can be easily explained by the situation at Corinth at the time. Their church services were rather chaotic. At that time, the men and women were seated separately - often the women were seated upstairs. Imagine the chaos when the women were shouting things to their husbands, and the husbands were responding! Of course Paul was going to put in place a rule that they should discuss it afterwards, but that is very much a rule for that particular situation, not a timeless principle.

So we are left solely with (1). I do not think that any of the other arguments against women in church leadership bear much weight. Let's see how the arguments for women in church leadership stand up, and weigh them against (1).

For Women in Church Leadership
In summary, the arguments for women in church leadership were as follows:

1) Male and female created equally in God's image (Ge 1:27).
2) Equal access to the blessings of salvation (Ac 2:17-18).
3) The fall brought a distortion of the roles (Ge 3:16).
4) Both men and women are now the royal priesthood (1 Pe 2:9-10).
5) Equality in Christ (Ga 3:26-29).
6) Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos (Ac 18:24-26).
7) Phoebe was a deacon of the church in Cenchrea (Ro 16:1).
8) Progressive revelation.

The argument against (1) through (5) is fundamentally the same. Those who claim women shouldn't be in church leadership will agree absolutely that men and women are created equally and have equal access to the blessings of salvation. However, it is claimed that their roles are different, and they were different from creation. Sure the fall brought a distortion in the roles, but they were fundamentally different from the start.

(6) and (7) are not considered to be particularly persuasive for two reasons. Firstly, the bible does record things that it doesn't approve of (the principle being that narrative passages are interpreted in the light of educational passages), and secondly, these two examples are explained away as not teaching (in the sense that Paul ruled out), and the translation of 'deacon' being incorrect.

Finally (8) is not considered to be evidence that women should be in church leadership. The bible definitely improves the role of women over time, but if Paul's statement that women should not teach or be in authority over a man is a timeless principle, then progressive revelation is not enough to overcome it.

The argument regarding women leaders in church all boils down to an interpretation of 1Timothy 2:11-15. Let me make a few observations here. First of all, the NIV translates isychia in verse 12 as silent. However exactly the same word is used in verse 11, and actually means quiet. Secondly, there is no direct reference to church leadership here - it is purely teaching and authority. While church leadership may be implied from this, it is by no means stated. Thirdly, Paul clearly states here that "I do not allow..." rather than "Women are not allowed...” Could that indicate that he was expressing his personal views at the time, rather than stating a timeless principle of God? Honestly, I am not sure here. Unlike most biblical principles, this one is stated clearly as Paul's position - it is not made clear whether it is an eternal principle or not. However, we do have biblical examples of women teaching men, and being in authority over men. We do have clear passages saying that men and women are equal, and both part of the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9-10). It is difficult to see how equality can be understood plainly when men must be in authority over women, and the teaching gifts of women cannot be used. It is interesting to note that those who claim women should not be in church leadership generally do not have a problem with women in some teaching roles; however, I would suggest that this is an inconsistent position to hold. If you believe that this verse is an eternal principle, then it would appear to rule out the possibility of women teaching men at all.
Important principles of biblical interpretations are that they are taught clearly and in multiple places in the bible. Conversely an interpretation principle says not to base doctrine on obscure passages of scripture.But barring women from church leadership on the basis of one interpretation of 1Timothy 2:11-15 would appear to do just that. I do not think that the timeless principle behind this passage is clear. There are many clear passages supporting equality for men and women - there is one unclear passage that may argue women should not be in church leadership.

Conclusion
I argued that the burden of proof must lie with those arguing women should not be in church leadership.The case has not been made convincingly. It requires a doctrine to be built on a single biblical passage whose meaning is disputed. The effect of this doctrine is very serious, as it automatically rules out 50% of the population from leadership roles.
Consequently I cannot support it. Based on the evidence presented, I can see no justification for preventing women from church leadership positions.

The Foundation on which a Church should be built

A building is only as solid as its foundation; this is also true for the Church. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Paul tells us the main foundation of the Church should be Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many people have built churches with politics or prestige as its foundation. They are not committed to helping people find Jesus Christ as their Savior. In these Churches, you will not see God’s blessings. Members of a Church built on the right foundation should not care what a person wears or what they look like, only that they seek fellowship with other Christians.

The other ingredients in a strong foundation are:

1. Lead the lost to salvation-Matthew 28:19-20 - ”Therefore 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.” This is the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.
2. Give hope and purpose in life- Romans 15:1-2, 7- “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Christ will give you purpose and hope if only you will accept him. He forgives your sins and remembers them no more. A Church should receive all people with love compassion and forgiveness.
3. Prayer-Ephesians 1:15-17- “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Members of a Church should pray for one another.
4. Fellowship-Romans 12:14-15-“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” A Church should rejoice with each other as well as mourn. To be able to do this they must be in fellowship with each other.
5. Help those who are in need- Proverbs 14:31 -“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” There are many people who need help and the Church should help them as much as possible.
These are the main foundations on which to build a Church. Is your church built on this foundation?

The Great Commission

Luke 24:44-48 NIV says, “He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”
Jesus reminds his Disciples that everything that had occurred had been discussed by him. His life has been a fulfillment of Scripture. "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” The Bible is a book on Jesus' life and mission. Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures and understand God’s plan for their life.
Then in Matthew 28:18-20 NIV it it tells us, “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore 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."”
Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus, and God has a perfect plan for our life if we will only accept Jesus as our Savior.

Salvation is The Gift of God

As Christians, we are going to have trials. The Crown of Life belongs to those who have stood the test of persecution for their belief in and service to Jesus. Crowns are given to us to bring glory to God. We have been saved to get in God's perfect will and serve Him. But, Christians serve Jesus because they love Him, not for rewards. Life is not about me and you; it is about God and doing His will. Satan will try, through the trials we face, to turn us away from what God wants us to do. We must turn defeat into victory and tell Satan that he is not going to triumph in our lives. God has a plan for each of us. It is up to us to follow the will of God and not the world. Salvation is the gift of God, not of works, and God is not willing that any should perish. Our lives as Christians may be the only book that some people will ever read. Are you living for God? Are people reading a book that says, "I love my Lord and I live for His glory and share His message of salvation?"

Doing Good to All

Galatians 6:1-10

1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else,
5 for each one should carry his own load.
6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Forgiveness

Colossians 3:13 (NIV) Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Why must we forgive?
The best reason to forgive is because Jesus commanded us to forgive. We learn from Scripture, if we don't forgive, neither will we be forgiven:

Matthew 6:14-16 (NIV) For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Forgiveness can only be fully achieved after we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; otherwise we are simply acting according to our flesh. While we can learn to "forgive and forget" on a carnal level, as a good deed, but true forgiveness comes from the Spirit of Christ within us. Until our mind is renewed, until we are enlightened by His Holy Spirit, there remains a resistance, an enmity between us and God that will govern our every decision
We forgive out of obedience to the Lord. It is a choice, a decision we make. However, as we do this "forgiving," we discover the command is in place for our own good, and we receive the reward of our forgiveness - freedom.

Do you know Jesus?

The Word of God clearly teaches that there is ONLY ONE WAY to God the Father, through Jesus Christ -- “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:6 NIV. “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” Colossians 2:9 NIV. Jesus Christ was the incarnation of the True and Living God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3 NIV “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." John 1:10 NIV. Do you know Jesus? If not accept him today as your Lord and Savior and his blood will cleanse you and give you an abundance of joy in your life.

Welcome to our new blog

We are in the process of setting up a Christian WebSite and Blog. Hopefully everything will be working correctly soon. Post if you have any questions are would like to be involved. It's called a Country Church, because I felt we have lost some of the Old Country faith and Bible study in our lives. Thats what this Site will be all about.