What I believe

These are not an exhaustive list of my convictions, and just happened to equal twenty. But this is so readers can see what I believe and where my convictions are and why I feel the way I do.

I Believe-

1) That Jesus Christ is the mediator between God and man. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ." 1 Tim. 2:5 "For do I now persuade men, or God? Do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of God." Gal. 1:10 "Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?" 2 cor. 13:5

2) The main function of a Pastor/Elder is the care and edification of the body; not the correction and direction of doctrine. "I will therefore have it that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." 1 Tim. 2:8 (a perfect picture of an Elders duty)

3) Where the Bible is bountiful there is less of a need for teachers (since the Bible is clear that there is a distinction between a teacher and a pastor/elder, I am not referring to the latter). "Where unto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and not a lie) a teacher of gentiles in faith and verity." 1 Tim. 2:7

note: The Bible is our teacher. Paul was teaching to the gentiles who knew nothing of the law or Jewish history, therefore it seemed proper by God to give the gentiles teachers, since a person couldn't go to the nearest Barnes and Nobles to get a Bible. Also, I'm not saying that we should forsake preaching, preaching and teaching are two different things. Preaching is proclaiming the Bible, teaching is taking what is preached and elaborating on it. Now, we all need edification, therefore it seems right that we should continually seek the wisdom and council of other appointed elders to refine and shape our convictions.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Tim. 3:16

4) In the simplest and layest interpretation of the Bible, which is often the literal interpretation.

"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 1 Cor. 1:19 (God always works by the weak things, including our manual for life)

5) In the necessity to abandon all things for the sake of His name. "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33 "And Jesus said unto him, NO man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God." Luke 9:62

6) In a routine fellowship of like matured believers to read and discuss the Word. "But speaking truth in Love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Eph. 4:15

7) A spontaneous fellowship of all believers to commune with and glorify God. "Finally, brothers, farewell, Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." 2 Cor. 13:11

8) A believers first priority is God, second family, third His body, last the unsaved.

9) In the constant and fervent reading of the word (since it is our teacher). "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they accumulate for themselves teachers who condone their passions, having itching ears." 2 Tim. 4:3 (This can only happen when, as Paul says, men turn aside from true doctrine and seek the approval of false prophets; they look to man as an authority rather than the Word)

10) Nothing is the cornerstone of faith but Jesus Christ himself and His word. "For no other foundation can a man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3:11

11) In the need to establish elders/pastors to care for and lead the body in prayer and communion, encouragement and judgment (not in doctrine, since bullet 9 states that a true disciple should be meditating or reading the word of God which is our final authority. Every true believer should be able to spot a counterfeit doctrine since the tenants of the Christian faith are without compromise. Menial doctrines, e.g. the rapture, are doctrines that should, "let each man be convinced in his own mind.") "If a man desires the office of bishop, he desires a good work." 1 Tim. 3:1

12) That the Bible is the final authority. No other text is God given or God ordained. "Preach the word. . ." 2 Tim 4:2 Therefore we should first seek understanding in the Bible itself and if we are confused then seek council, through books or publications or people.

13) God does not dwell in houses made of human hands, but in the hearts and minds of believers. "Go and tell my servant David, thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me a house to dwell in? Where as I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle." 2 Sam 7:5-6 "Don't you know that you are the temple of God and God dwells in you?" 1 Cor 3:16

14) In the importance of questioning all things worldly and spiritual that are not found in the Bible. "If a man teaches otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing." 1 Tim. 6:3 "But if we or even an angel from heaven preaches any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8

15) In the unification of Christ's Body.

16) That the fear of God is a real fear that transforms a person into a humble servant. "They have all of them turned aside. . . There is no fear of God in their eyes." Romans 3:12 and 18

17) We should have no part in speculations and theories that rob God of his glory and truth. 1 Tim. 6:4

18) True believers should expect persecution in this life. "Hear this, that all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim 3:12 (We need to honestly ask ourselves without diminishing the severity of the Bible, if we are living as to being persecuted, because it is clear that those who follow Christ suffer as he did)

19) In the Doctrines of Grace.

20) That believers shouldn't take part in customs, traditions and vain repetitions of the world. "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that from now on you not walk as gentiles do, in their customs and traditions and the vanity of their minds." Eph. 4:17

Daniel 3 and the American Flag

Recently, I came across the "Flag Code" for the American Flag, and was astonished to find similarities to an age-old Bible story. Before I continue, readers be advised that you may feel two things, convicted or angry. It's simply surprising that idolatry is comonplace throughout all faucets of our lifestyles.

The "Flag Code" says:

During a rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present, except those in uniform, need to stand at attention facing the flag with the hand over the heart. Anyone who is in uniform is required to raise their right hand and salute the flag.

Daniel 3 says:

Then the herald cried aloud; "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations and languages, 'that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with the music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. . ."

There are obvious parallels here; A command, nationaly familiar music, and something to direct our worship to (other than God). The questions that need to be answered are, "have we been serving an idol? Do we serve our country or do we serve God? Yes we may be free; but should we praise our country and it's officials for that, or God? The scary thing is that this clandestine type of idol has wormed its way into christian churches themselves. It has become the backbone of the christian coalition. Politics have always existed; whether through dictatorships, democracies, republics or monarchs. They are all still politics. Nebuchadnezzar was a politician and dictator, and maybe the citizens of his nation were or were not aware of their clear idolatry. But we're outsiders viewing in. In the 400 plus years that Israel was captive in Babylon, I'm certain many laws, rules and regulations became commonplace traditions, even though we now know they were fallousies. I mean really, only three men out of hundreds of thousands of citizens (many who were captive jews) refused to pledge their alegiance to the golden statue. This should seriously make us think about who we serve. Man or God.

The Infestation of Sexual Immorality

I'm fed up! Every society in the past that has reached its pinnacle of lude, outrageous, grose, and disturbing sexual freedom has been destroyed by the Lord of the Bible. And America be ready. We, as a nation, have increasingly become desensitized to the grasp of sexual immorality; immorality as the God of the Universe sees it. The Bible is clear in Romans 1, "Therefore, God gave them up to the lusts of their hearts, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. Those who exchanged the truth for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, amen. Therefore, God gave them up to vile passions, for their women exchanged natural relations with men for what was unnatural, likewise their men exchanged natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men commiting shameful acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their sin. Therefore God gave them up to a debased mind, to do or what not to be done. . ." The ruin of our nation and our lives will be the corruption of our minds in the things of the world. The world is a whore, that God demands us to "KEEP AWAY!" That is a warning. When we see signs on a cliff, or in a construction zone, or on the beach, we know that they are life or death warnings. Too many people ignore those carefully placed signs and end their lives by falling of a cliff, getting mauled by sharks, getting crushed by falling cables. The warnings are there for us. If we take lightly the "KEEP AWAY!" warning signs, death will come knocking at our door, and very soon will take us. Parents be wise to this; fathers listen, you are the gatekeeper of your house. The blame lies with you when these infestations leak into your household. You'll be held accountable.

God or Dictator

One way or another humans will always have someone running their lives. Face it, governments are either under the law of God or under the law of one man. The problem with western societies that are increasingly heading towards secularist statism, is that they are riding the current of Judeo-Christian roots. Those roots are like a jet and governments are caught up in it's draft. What happens when we push the jet aside and try to go it alone? We inevitably will fall like a rock! Without the "Dictatorship" of God, we stand only one other option, the dictatorship of man. Because no one wants anarchy, so someone has to come from within our ranks and tell us what we can and cannot do. Otherwise we could do what ever we wanted without anyone doing anything about it. The government won't allow that, so they have to institutionalize standards based on one man's, one parties, one groups views. And it will always be the view of the largest population. So as the christian culture becomes less popular, we will begin to see the values of our societies shift from the morals of God to the standards of man.