"Church Membership: Who Needs It?"

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen and Pastor Mark Perry

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

     Should a Christian join a local church, or just faithfully attend one? Although it was common in days past to join a church, it is not so common now. Many Christians now think faithful attendance is all that is necessary. Some even think that faithful attendance makes them a member.  But are they right in their opinion?

     If you want to read some good insight about the importance of church membership, read pastor Mark Perry's article on the subject. Here (in red) is the introduction to his article:

    Talk about church membership and people start to bristle. Perhaps some have been “burned” by a ministry in the past and fear repeating that scenario. Others cite a lack of perfect agreement with church policy or personnel. Still others are “just looking,” and plan to continue doing so indefinitely. Most simply resist the idea of committing to a long-term relationship with an assembly of believers, preferring the cafeteria-style approach of “take it or leave it.” Choosing a place to worship for many falls into the same category as selecting a wireless phone carrier: avoid long-term contracts and get the best service for the cheapest price.

     It doesn’t take long before somebody challenges, “Where in the Bible does it say ‘Thou shalt join a church’?” While no Bible verse explicitly commands church membership, there are several reasons every Christian should want to become a member of a sound, Bible-believing assembly of fellow believers. The question the New Testament leaves us with is “Why wouldn’t you want to join a local church?”

     Ample evidence abounds in the New Testament about membership in local churches even in those days. Furthermore, membership is essential for a local church to carry out its God-given mandate. Finally, church membership is an important part of the sanctification process for every Christian.

      To read Pastor Perry's complete article on the subject, click on the following link: http://obfvisitor.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/church-membership-who-needs-it/#more-194.

"Safeguarding Against Abuse In The Church"

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

    Perhaps all of us have heard reports of children being sexually molested by teens or adults. And perhaps we have heard of other abuse that, though hidden for some time, finally comes to light.     Well, the sad fact is, the abusers sometimes are church leaders or other respected church attenders. Sometimes the abuse takes place in church buildings, or at church functions held elsewhere, such as at church camps.

    These facts prove that churches need to take practical steps to help keep such horrible things from being done on their property, or at their functions that are held elsewhere.

    And what about abuse that is not done on church property or at church functions, or by church attenders? In other words, what should we do if, for example, a child says to a  Sunday school teacher that his or her parents are being abusive in some way, but the child's parents don't attend the church? This abuse would include extreme forms of punishment for bad behavior. Such punishment might include not being allowed to eat for a few days, or made to stand out in the cold without wearing a coat and shoes.

    What follows is a link to a brief article about what churches can do to prevent or to deal with these problems. It is worth the few minutes it will take to read it, and the effort it will take to put the suggestions into action. Here's the link: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/gospeldrivenchurch/2012/12/13/safeguarding-against-abuse-in-the-church/. A summary of this article was first read at http://www.edstetzer.com/.

A Good Christian Magazine On The Internet

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

      The Biblical Evangelist is a good Christian magazine that is available on the internet and by mail. Dr. Robert L. Sumner is its long-time editor, and the author of many books on Biblical subjects.. The magazine is staunchly conservative in its theology and provides material that is good for non-Christians, new Christians, and not-so-new Christians. The articles will stir hearts and educate minds in Biblical truths. To read it on the internet, click on this link: http://www.biblicalevangelist.org/. Then, look at the left-hand side and click on the subjects that interest you. Note that back issues can be read online, too. Happy reading!

    

The Pastor's Home Can Be A Place of Fellowship, Worship, And Bible Study

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

E-mail: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

House Church

     One of the most personally-enriching things my wife and I have done over the years is to have groups of church people over to our house. Many times we have had smaller groups over, just for food and fellowship. Many other times we have had larger groups over for the same reason. And many  times we have had larger groups over for informal church services and Bible studies, instead of doing these things in the church building. We always include food and drinks. Sometimes we provide it all, sometimes we have a potluck meal.

     It was common in the days of the apostles of Jesus Christ to meet in homes for what we might call "church services." After all, "the local church" is not a special building, but a group of believers with Scriptural leaders who have banded together for Scriptural purposes. They might meet in a special building dedicated to those purposes. Or they might meet at other locations, such as outside, in a barn, in a school, or in a home.

     Consider some New Testament examples of churches meeting in homes. First, in Acts 12:1 - 4 we read that Peter was in prison because of his Christian faith. And verse 5 tells us "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." We can assume that the believers prayed for him in their daily lives. But verse 12 tells us that after Peter was released from prison, he went to the house of Mary, "where many were gathered together praying." They felt no obligation to pray in a special building, so they prayed at Mary's house. Second, Paul wrote a letter to a man named Philemon. In verse two, he made reference to Apphia and Archippus, and to the church in his house. What did they do in that house? The same things we do in church buildings: they fellowshipped, they prayed, they worshipped, and they had teaching and preaching from God's Word.

     I am not advocating that we quit using what we call "church buildings." What I am saying is, even if we use such buildings, we do not have to have all or most church meetings in them. We can meet elsewhere. The Bible gives us liberty to do so. A meeting in a church building is no more sacred than one held at another location.

     That being so, let me say again that the pastor's home can be a place of fellowship, worship, and Bible study. Therefore, I challenge my fellow-pastors to use this richly-rewarding means of involvement with your congregations. Invite them over for informal times of food and fellowship. But also have some of your Sunday evening meetings and Wednesday evening meetings at your house. These times together will lead the Christians who are involved into a greater sense of belonging to the fellowship of believers. And, if non-Christians are present, it can be a tool  to lead them to salvation by faith in Jesus Christ.
     Of course, this works best with small congregations. Pastors with larger congregations will have to consider what works for them.

    

Church Services Should Be Evangelistic

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen
Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

Jesus Saves

Church services are mostly for the worship of God and for the benefit of Christians.

    In a recent posting called, "Some Thoughts About Church Services," I pointed out that church services should be primarily God-centered, not man-centered. That is, we should gather together as Christians to worship God. But it was also pointed out that one of the purposes of church services is to expose Christians to the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, by which they can be made stronger Christians.

      According to the New Testament, evangelism is not to be the primary reason for church services. And when we make it the primary purpose for them, it often results in the Christians not being given enough spiritual food from the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Even worse, it often results in church services being designed to appeal to non-Christians. This is done by means that shift our focus away from the worship of God. This attempt to appeal to non-Christians is frequently characterized by making services seem less and less like worship services. It has correctly been called "Christianity lite"  and "cotton candy Christianity." Some churches even say their services are "fun." I like to have fun, but a  church service is not the place for it. That is what happens when we shift the focus from God to ourselves.
    Of course, it is perfectly acceptable to have special services for the primary purpose of winning the lost to faith in Jesus Christ. That is a good thing to do, so long as we don't compromise our message and methods in order to win the lost. But that is not my subject. My subject is the regular services of the church.

But church services should be evangelistic.

      Having said these things, let me clearly say that church services should be evangelistic. This does not mean they should always be evangelistic, or primarily evangelistic. It simply means that the Gospel should be made known at our services, and an opportunity given for any non-Christians in attendance to become Christians by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Some ways by which a church service can be evangelistic.

• A pastor's sermon can easily include the Gospel message, even if it is not primarily an evangelistic message. It can be stated briefly, but still be effective. He can give an invitation to believe in Jesus Christ at any point in his sermon.
• The Gospel can be made known through the music used in church services. Even if most of the music on a  given day is not evangelistic, some of it can be. The Lord has used such music to speak to the hearts of many non-Christians.
• Someone can give his or her testimony of how they came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, and what it means to them. This is a powerful evangelistic tool.
• Several persons can simply tell the year, and maybe the exact day, of when they got saved. This brief statement of fact gets the attention of non-Christians.
• An evangelistic tract can be handed out with the church bulletin. Non-Christians who are present will read it, and Christians can give it away.

Some concluding thoughts to the subject.

     We should remember that our primary reasons to have church services should be to worship God, and to strengthen Christians in their walk with Jesus Christ. This is done by preaching and teaching the Word of God to them. But we should always take opportunity to make the Gospel known to any non-Christians who might be in attendance. Countless persons have become Christians because this was done at church services.

Are you a Christian?

    If  you are not a Christian, and want to become one, click on the following link and read the message. It will tell you how you can become a Christian right now.
    Here's the link: http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html

   

A Good Resource For Making Disciples

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

    My good friend, Dr. James  P. Steel, has a lot of ministry experience under his belt. He has been a church planter, a pastor, former President of Cornerstone Bible Institute in Hot Springs, SD, and a  Bible conference speaker. But he is also very involved in his own Christian website ministry, by which he seeks to help Christians in their daily lives, and by which he seeks to win non-Christians to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he knows how important it is to disciple new Christians, or not-so-new Christians, into strong ones. Therefore, he actively promotes discipleship materials. 

    What follows is a link to  a short video presentation by Dr. Steel on discipleship, and practical material to use for discipling others. I hope you will take time to look at it, and, perhaps, use the material it promotes.     

    Here's the link: http://vimeo.com/55413735

Some Thoughts About Church Services

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

For many Christians, church services are an important part of life.

    This is understandable for a few reasons, a primary one being the fact that the first Christians, who lived 2.000 years ago, participated in them, and the tradition has been carried on since then. Later, we will consider why this tradition has continued since the first century A. D. It has to do with the Biblical purposes of church services.

For Christians, our most important writings are what we call "the New Testament."

    We consider them to be on the same level as the Old Testament writings. That is, we consider them to be the written Word of God. To us, both Testaments go together. To us, the New Testament is, so to speak, the child of the Old Testament. To us, the Old Testament led to the New Testament. To us, they are complimentary to one another, and we need them both. Therefore, the Christian Bible has them together under one cover.

    Much more could be said about this subject. But for now, consider this important fact: though we Christians believe the whole Bible to be the Word of God, we believe that much of its divine guidance for daily life is found in the New Testament portion of it. And we believe that its divine guidance  for church life is exclusively found there.

    We do acknowledge that the Old Testament contains much moral guidance that applies to us now. The Book of Proverbs is a good example of such guidance. But the Old Testament does not contain guidance for local churches. For example, it does not tell us about baptism and the Lord's supper. It does not tell us about church discipline. It does not tell us about a local church's leaders. It does not tell us about the divine origin of the church, and when it started. And it does not tell us about  the purposes of the local church. So, we turn to the New Testament for what we need to know about these subjects. Let's consider just one of these subjects.

What were the purposes of the church services in the days of the apostles?

    One of the most important questions we can ask about the church services of the  first Christians is this one: What were the purposes of their church services? Most of our information about this is found, not in the four Gospels of the New Testament, but in the New Testament's Book of Acts, and in the letters (sometimes called "epistles") that come after the Book of Acts. If we carefully look at the New Testament  for our answer to this question, we will discover what the purposes of OUR OWN church services should be.

The heart of this posting 

    This is really the heart of this posting: we need to learn from the New Testament what should be the purposes of OUR OWN church services. And then we need to make those purposes our own purposes.

    Let me suggest to you some of the reasons Christians in the days of the apostles had church services. They had these purposes:

• To participate in the worship of God.
• To be taught the Word of God, and transformed by it.
• To have the Lord's supper. (Baptisms often took place in rivers and elsewhere.)
• To have fellowship with other Christians who attended the services.
• To give testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ to non-Christians in attendance.

A lesson from a dart board

     Most of us have seen a dart board. For teaching purposes, let me suggest to you that God is represented by the bull's eye. In our church services, God, not us, is to be the center of attention. Moving out from the center, we come next to the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Then we come to the Lord's supper. Then we come to Christian fellowship. Then, we come to evangelism, which is giving testimony to the saving power of Jesus Christ.

     If you have read carefully through the New Testament, that is what you have found. It might be good to re-read, for example, Acts 2:41 - 47; and Acts 17, 18, 19, and 20 to see the emphasis on these things. It might be good to re-read, for example, First and Second Thessalonians, and the pastoral letters (First and Second Timothy, and Titus) to see the same emphasis.

A common mistake in many of today's Bible-believing churches

    It is a common mistake in many Bible-believing churches these days to displace God from the center of the church services, and put human beings in his place. In our eagerness to win others to the Lord Jesus Christ, or to keep the Christians coming, we put them at the center, and then shape our services around them. This is a serious mistake. It is a reason so little solid Bible teaching is found in these churches. It is a reason sins are not spoken against like they should be. It is a reason so little warning about about common false doctrines is heard in these churches. It is a reason so many who claim to be Christians don't think and act much differently from those who don't claim to be Christians. It is a reason why worshipful music has been replaced with entertaining music.

What needs to be done in many churches

    Many churches need to be honest and admit what has happened, and then takes steps to put things back into their proper order.

"Are the Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man Compatible or Mutually Exclusive?"

By Pastor Bruce Oyen and Dr. Mike Floyd

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

     As we know, there is a longstanding difference of opinion between Christian Calvinists and Christian non-Calvinists about the subjects of God's sovereignty and man's free will.

    What follows is a very thought-provoking article about these matters. I agree with Dr. Floyd's conclusions. It is hoped that his article will get many of you who are Calvinists to question your position and come to accept the one expressed by Dr. Floyd. It is also hoped that his article will strengthen all of you who are non-Calvinists in what you already believe.

     Dr. Floyd's article is posted here with his kind permission. I first read it in an email from Dayspring Bible College And Seminary, for which Dr. Floyd works.

     

Are the Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man Compatible or Mutually Exclusive? By Dr. Michael Floyd A.W. Pink in his book, The Sovereignty of God, says, "To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in Heaven and Earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will." He goes on to declare, "To argue that man is a free, moral agent and the determiner of his own destiny, and that therefore he has the power to checkmate his Maker, is to strip God of the attribute of omnipotence." Thus, according to a notable Calvinist, if man has a free will, God is not omnipotent or sovereign. However, Pink says in the same place that God "...is under no rule or law outside of His own will and nature...." This is precisely the reason why man must have a free will. Let's consider the following scenario that purports to explain what God is doing with mankind: God created the world, angels, and mankind. God determined that certain of the angels and all men would sin. God must have caused them to sin because He is sovereign and there is no will but His own. If man is a free, moral agent, then God is not sovereign.Therefore God is the Author and direct Cause of sin. God chose to send His Son to Earth to redeem a limited number of men whom He chose to save. He chose to condemn the rest: they spend eternity in Hell without ever having a choice in the matter. God professed that this plan of limited redemption was motivated by His love for the world. God then commanded those whom He caused to believe to ...go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15b) that ...he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2. We are to announce that salvation is available to "whosoever believeth." Of course, since man has no free will, no one can believe except the few whom God has chosen to cause to believe. So the offer of salvation is not genuine. God then condemns men to the Lake of  Fire forever to pay for sins that God made them commit and for rejecting the salvation that God chose in eternity past not to give them. There are many things wrong with this scenario: God is not the author or cause of sin. The Bible says that ...God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man (James 1:13). The Bible frequently declares that God is holy. If God is holy, then man must be a free, moral agent who chose to sin. If man has no free will, then God willed him to sin and God is not holy. Is it loving for God to choose to save a few when He could have chosen to save all just as easily? I think not. To say that Christ died for all when He really died for just a few, or to invite all men to believe in Christ and be saved when you know that they cannot believe is both deceitful and cruel. God is not capable of either of these things. God is just in condemning unbelievers to Hell because He neither caused their sin nor their unbelief. Man has a free will and chose to sin and reject the salvation that God offered him. Calvinism sacrifices God's holiness, righteousness, honesty, justice, and love to maintain a mistaken view of His sovereignty. The Bible is clear that a sovereign and all-powerful God who is also holy, just, and loving created man and gave him a free will. He created a plan to save man by the death and resurrection of His only Son, and offers salvation to all on the basis of faith alone. All men will stand before that sovereign, omnipotent God and give account for the decisions they have made. Our sovereign, all-powerful God is ...just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans 3:26b. God's sovereignty and man's free will are perfectly compatible.

What about America's "Moral Cliff"?

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

America's "Financial Cliff"

    We Americans have heard much for many weeks about America's "financial cliff." We are understandably concerned about what will happen to us as a nation if we don't come up with a solution to our financial problems very soon. It is a fact that disaster is not far down the road.

America's "Moral Cliff"

     But we have an even more serious problem than this one. We could call it America's "moral cliff." The sad reality is, we have already gone over this cliff. Many Americans have abandoned moral absolutes in favor of moral relativism. The evidence of this abounds. But consider only two examples. First, many Americans now accept homosexuality as an acceptable way of life. Maybe not for themselves, but for others. President Obama has jumped off the moral cliff by his acceptance of gay marriage, and has influenced others to jump off with him. The Bible, which is the Word of God, says a lot against homosexuality, and tells us the result of this sexual perversion. Read, for example, what the Bible says in Romans 1:18 - 32. Second, many Americans now accept abortion as a means of birth control. They have lost their sense of the dignity and sanctity  of human life prior to birth. So, they reason, if someone doesn't want to be pregnant they should simply get an abortion. To read an example of how the Bible endorses the dignity and sanctity of human life, including human life still in a mother's womb, read Psalm 139.

There Is Divine Help At The Bottom Of The "Moral Cliff"

     Like I said, we have already gone over this cliff. But even though we have crashed at the bottom of the cliff, there is a way out of the disaster in which we find ourselves. We can admit to ourselves and to God Almighty that we have brought this upon ourselves, and ask his forgiveness. He will grant us forgiveness, and an opportunity to start over, so to speak, if we will accept his Son, Jesus Christ, as our Lord Savior. Forgiveness can be found only through Jesus Christ. He died for our sins, was raised again from the dead, and offers salvation to anyone and everyone who will accept it on his terms.

    To learn more about Jesus Christ, read the Gospel of John in the New Testament portion of the Bible. A reliable translation of it in modern English can be found in the New King James Version. If you want to read why we all need salvation, and how it can be received at once, click on the following link:

http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html.

   

   

Christians Should Plan To Die, But Shouldn't Count On It

By Pastor Bruce Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

      Death has been the common experience of humanity. It is hard to imagine how many persons have died throughout human history. If things continue as they have been for as long as humanity has existed, the 6 or 7 billion persons alive on earth right now will all be dead in less than 200 years.

      Death knocks on everyone's door. It is absolutely non-discriminatory. It cares not if we are religious or non-religious, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, white, black, or some other color, from a cold climate or a hot one, short or tall, healthy or sick, privileged or under-privileged, young or old. No matter who we are, or where we are, the history of humanity says death will pay us a visit.

      Therefore, it is logical that we plan for it. For example, we can decide ahead of time how much will be spent on our casket. We can plan ahead by deciding where we will be buried. We can plan ahead by putting it in our will what will be done with our belongings and money.  We can plan ahead by deciding whether or not we will be an organ donor.

      Since death is completely non-discriminatory, we Christians should plan for it, too. But, we should not count on it! Well-taught Christians know that the Bible very plainly teaches that one day the Lord Jesus Christ will return from heaven to receive his own people unto himself.. When this happens, dead Christians will first be raised to life, living Christians will by-pass death, and all of them together will forever be with the Lord. Two of the places in which the Bible teaches this are John 14:1- 6 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18.

     This is what Christians commonly call "the rapture," though the word "rapture" is not found in the Bible. It is a Latin term that means to be caught up. So, though the term is not found in the Bible, the concept clearly is. For in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18 we are told that Christians will be caught up to be with the Lord when he comes to take them to heaven.

     The Bible does not say when this event will happen. But it does say we should be living in expectation of it, for it could happen today. Although the rapture might not happen for a long time, it could happen now. That is why the apostle Paul, when speaking of this subject in Titus 2:11 - 14, said in verse 13 that we Christians should be "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ." We should be looking for it, for it might happen today!

     In the early 1970's, I knew a pastor in Minneapolis, MN who had a sign on his office door that simply said "Maybe today." If you asked him what it meant, he would say "Maybe the rapture will happen today!" In other words, he lived in expectation of the Lord's return for his people. He truly believed it could happen at any moment, and hoped it would soon happen, for he was excited at the prospect of going to be with the Lord. He knew he might die before the rapture, but he knew the rapture could transpire while he was alive.

     This should be every Christians attitude. We should plan for death, but not count on it. We might get to by-pass death by the Lord's coming for us before we die. Are we "looking for that blessed hope" ? As the pastor's sign said, "Maybe today."
      What to do if you are not a Christian. If you are not a Christian, the Lord won't come back for you, for you don't belong to him. If you want to learn why you need to become a Christian, and how to do so, click on the following link and read the Gospel message: http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html.

    

    

     

     

We Should Remember God In Our Prayers

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

     We should remember God in our prayers. It might sound strange for me to say that, but that is because when we are told something like, "Remember Jim, John, and Joe in your prayers," or when we are told something like, "Remember Sandra, Sally, and Susan in your prayers," we immediately know it means we should pray for them because they have specific problems, and they need God's help.

     You might wonder if I am suggesting that we need to pray for God like we pray for a friend in need. No, that is not my suggestion, for the Bible reveals God as "God Almighty." The Bible also reveals him as  the all-knowing, all-wise, and transcendent one who needs help from no one. He who made the universe, and who sustains it by his own power, is not dependent upon anything or anyone he created.

     When I say we need to remember God in our prayers, it means we need to do more than to ask him to help someone in need,  even if those needs are very significant. When I say we need to remember God in our prayers, it means we need to remember who it is we are talking to: God Almighty! It means we need to remember to take time to worship him, to adore him, to praise him, and to thank him for who he is in himself, not just for what he does for us. 

     This takes time. But it is time well-spent! Let's take more time during our prayer time to worship, adore, praise, and thank our Triune God, who is the Father , the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes it might be better to skip asking God to do this and that, and just spend the time doing the things mentioned above. Remember, he is worthy of exaltation in our prayers.

     Some reading suggestions. The next time you read the Book of Psalms, note its emphasis on the worship of God. Intertwined with all the prayers for divine help in the Psalms is its emphasis on the worship, praise, adoration of God, and gratitude to him. This same thing will be noted in other parts of the Bible. For example, sometime soon read through the book of Revelation and note the frequent worship of God. It will be profitable to read A. W. Tozer's book called "The Knowledge Of The Holy." In this short book, Tozer expounds on the attributes of God as they are revealed to us in God's Word, the Bible. Tozer's book has the ability to transform us into worshippers of God.

We Can Trust in God Above

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Written on March 31, 2009
Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

We do not know what this life will hold,
whether mostly joy, or grief untold.
But we can trust in God above
to filter it all through His tender love.

He will give answers to our prayers.
He will help us with our cares.
He will enable us to do His will.
No matter what, He's with us still.

As our days, our strength shall be.
God knows what's best for you, for me.
He holds our days in His hands.
We can trust His loving plans.

The Bible Is A Book Of Comfort And Hope

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

     Those who know little or nothing about the Bible's contents might be surprised to learn that it is a Book of comfort and hope. While it speaks about many subjects, comfort and hope are two of its common themes.  

      But first, it must be stated that the Bible does not offer comfort and hope to everyone. Instead, comfort and hope are offered to those individuals who acknowledge their own sinfulness before God, who is sinless. The Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." That includes you. It includes me. (See Romans 3:23.) Until we admit this to be true of ourselves, we will not admit of our need of God's forgiveness. And as long as we do not admit this need, we will not find the comfort and hope that comes to those who receive God's forgiveness. This forgiveness is received from God by believing in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says a very important thing in Acts 13:38: "....through this man (Jesus Christ) is preached to you the forgiveness of sins....." Paul's point here is that if we want forgiveness of sins, it will be found only by believing in Jesus Christ. 

    Comfort and hope come with forgiveness of sins. But, our need of them does not stop there. Like everyone else, Christians can experience great difficulties and heartaches in life. It might be the death of a loved one. It might be prolonged illness. It might be financial disaster. It might be marriage or family problems.  It might be something else. But whatever it is, we need comfort and hope to help us cope.

    Those who read their Bible discover its wonderful ability to give us these things. This should come as no surprise to us, for some of  the Bible's writers make reference to this fact about the Bible. For example, in Romans 15:4 the apostle Paul said, "For whatever things were written before (in the Old Testament portion of the Bible) were written for our learning, that we through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Right here in one verse, we find comfort and hope linked to the Scriptures.

    Another example of the  Bible's ability to give us comfort and hope is found in Psalm 119:49 and 50. These two verses say this: "Remember the word to Your servant, upon which you have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life."

    Psalm 23 has brought comfort and hope to countless persons. When they lose their husband, their wife, their son, their daughter, their mother, or their father by death, they turn to this, the beloved Shepherd's Psalm..

    First Thessalonians 4:13 - 18 has done the same thing for many Christians as they lay on their deathbeds. I well remember a Christian lady named Tressia, who died many years ago. She was over 100 years old, and lived in a nursing home. She could barely walk, could not see well, and was extremely hard of hearing. She was anxious to die because of her troubles. Whenever I visited her in the nursing home, we would pray together, and I would read her a Scripture passage. She always requested that I read First Thessalonians 4;13 - 18. Why? Because those verses were a constant source of comfort and hope to her in her final days before passing away. She looked forward to dying and having her soul leave her body to go and be with Jesus Christ in heaven.

   Yes, the Bible is a Book of comfort and hope! Therefore, read it daily and be encouraged by it. The Book of Psalms, the Gospel of John, Romans chapter 8, and Revelation chapters 21 and 22 are great sources of comfort and hope. The New King James Version is a reliable Bible translation in modern English.

"The Message" Is Not The Bible

By Pastor Bruce K. Oyen

Email: bk_oyen@hotmail.com

     This may shock some of you, but Eugene H. Peterson's book called "The Message" is not the Bible. And because it is not the Bible, it is not the Word of God. It is a distortion of the Bible, which is the Word of God. 

     However, this is not to say that no Biblical truths can be found in "The Message." But why read something as if it is the Bible, when the Bible's message has been seriously distorted in so many places? As an example of this distortion, here (in red) is Psalm 1 form "The Message." It is taken from the Bible Gateway website.

1 How well God must like you—
    you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon,
    you don’t slink along Dead-End Road,
    you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College.

^2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
    you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
    bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
    always in blossom.

^4-5 You’re not at all like the wicked,
    who are mere windblown dust—
Without defense in court,
    unfit company for innocent people.

⁶ God charts the road you take.
The road they take is Skid Row.

     Now compare this perversion of Psalm 1 with, say, the King James Version, the New King James Version, the English Standard Version, the New American Standard Version, or the New International Version.

     Many readers struggle with the old English of the King James Version. Although its antiquated words and phrases might make it difficult for us to comprehend some of what it says, that is a minor problem compared to the manner in which Peterson's modern English paraphrase perverts the Bible. If you don't want to struggle with the old English of the King James Version, at least use a reliable modern English translation such as the New King James Version.

     In spite of the fact that many well-known Christians promote "the Message" as the Bible, other Bible scholars and Christians say they are seriously mistaken.

     Here is an example of what I mean. It is taken from the end of an evaluation of "The Message." This evaluation was written by Michael D. Marlowe, and is found on his website. A link to it is given below.

     Here (in red) is how Marlowe concluded his evaluation of "The Message." I have underlined some words because of their importance..

    The Message has found a ready audience among "evangelicals" who are bored with the Bible, and who wanted a jazzy and fun paraphrase to take its place. Its popularity is just one more example of the levity of the contemporary church, and of its unhealthy taste for novelties and fads, which have become so much a part of ministry in evangelical churches in the past thirty years. As Peterson has written in one of his books on pastoral care, American church leaders have been "transformed into a company of shopkeepers with shopkeepers concerns — how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from the competitors down the street, how to package the goods so that the customers will lay out more money." ⁽¹⁰⁾ And again, speaking of entertainment-driven ministry he says, "There are others who do not desert the place of worship, but in staying, they do something worse: they subvert it. They turn it in to a place of entertainment that will refresh bored and tired consumers and pump some zest into them." ⁽¹¹⁾ But if there is one thing worse than turning the Sanctuary into a place of entertainment, it is turning the Sacred Page into a piece of entertainment.

     This book should be recognized for what it is. It began as a stimulating paraphrase of the Epistle to the Galatians included in a popular devotional book, and it remains a piece of stimulating devotional literature. But it is not the Word of God. As Craig Blomberg of Denver Seminary has put it, "it is freer even than a paraphrase. I think of it more as devotional literature than as a version of the Bible and wouldn't recommend it for any other role." ⁽¹²⁾

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      If you want to read Michael D. Marlowe's entire evaluation of "The Message," click on this link:

http://bible-researcher.com/themessage.html