Journey With Us: The Recent Uproar In Ferguson, Missouri

Journey With Us: The Recent Uproar In Ferguson, Missouri: As we wait to find out what really took place, we,  Christians  need to be renewing our minds. Here are a couple verses to meditate on...

Book Review: Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman

Hello guys, this will be my first attempt at a book review. This is for my benefit as well as yours since I have a hard time remembering what I learned from the books I read throughout the year. My hope is that by recording basic principles of the books as well as things I liked and didn't like I will retain more information than I would have by just simply reading and putting the book away. I developed a simple format to structure the review and make it as concise as possible. Enjoy!

Title: Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus 
Author: Jonathan Leeman
Publisher: Crossway
Year: 2012
Pages: 132

Who this book is for: I'd recommend this book for anyone who wants to get a preliminary grasp on the doctrine of church membership...if there ever should be such a doctrine. If you question the idea of being a member of a church or you are one of those people who feel they can hold their Christianity or "relationship with Jesus" to yourself. This book is for you, and hopefully it will shatter that belief. This book is also for average church member who just wants a basic understanding of why it's important to be a member of a church and how to basically defend this doctrine if questioned about it.

Basic Gist: So the basic idea here is that being a Christian essentially means that you're a member of a local church. Saying you're a Christian and a member of a local church are essentially one in the same thing. Being a Christian and not being a member of a local church is pretty much an oxymoron. The church exists to display who Jesus is on earth to the praise and glory of God. We, the church are Christ's ambassadors, and our local churches exist as embassies in a foreign and hostile land (the world). The book gives a sufficient but brief defense of church membership by going through key passages within the New Testament where church membership was seen. The book then goes on to define what a church is, and what a church member is and how church members should live among one another. The book concludes with a contrast of what membership might look like in thriving country where Christianity is legal vs. a third world country or country where practicing Christianity is forbidden. Essentially, the church is it's members, and the members are the Kingdom of God on earth not yet fully realized and the church exists to display God's love and represent Jesus.

Strong Points: This particular book is great because it's part of a series of books on building healthy churches that give concise presentations of basic marks that identify healthy churches. If you're familiar with 9marks then this book won't give you much new information, however it's short enough to pass along to friends who aren't familiar with the case for church membership. This book does a great job building solid evidence from scripture that every Christian should be a part of a local church. Jonathan Leeman is humorous and writes with enough charm and conviction to keep you interested. This book is us wisdom on how to function within a church without being legalistic. He's also clear when he's giving facts from scripture versus when he's just giving his own opinion on something. This is really helpful when sorting what to do in specific situations such as the decision to move to closer to other members of your church in an effort to better serve them for example. One other thing I loved about this book, more so about the author was that his scripture references actually corresponded with whatever he said. I went through the book just looking at some of the scripture references used to justify whatever point he was making and I didn't run into any contextual issues. This is a major plus for me...and should be for anybody reading a book on Christian living. Be a Berean!

Weak Points: This isn't necessarily a weak point but by sheer length alone, this is not your definitive doctrine of church membership defined in the scriptures. For that, I would highly recommend Leeman's other book (Which is pretty much both this book and Church Discipline combined) The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love. If you're a uncompromising exegete like me, you'll find that Leeman doesn't do such an awesome job being dogmatic from the scriptures on evidence for the local church. And that's not really his fault since there isn't really a dogmatic case for the local church in the scriptures. Now, if you want the universal church, that's a different story. However, like the Trinity, evidence for joining a local church can be easily gathered if you follow Leeman's scriptures and read graciously. By the end of the book you shouldn't have any fears that he's trying to trick you :)

With that said, I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Tell me how I did on my first review, things to add, things to leave out, grammar, nuances, etc.

Comment on Alan Chambers

"I have been asked by several people to comment on Alan Chambers', president of Exodus International, recent announcement of the closing of the ministry and his apology to homosexuals who have been hurt by the ministry.

I've read Chambers' apology in its entirety (http://exodusinternational.org/2013/06/i-am-sorry/) without reading any commentaries written by others.

Time precludes me from writing a detailed evaluation. In a matter of hours I will board a plane to London (UK) for a two-week mission trip to that great and desperately, spiritually dark city.

In brief, here's what stood out to me.

1. Chambers seems very sincere in his apology.

2. Chambers made his decision, in part, as a result of conversation with and counsel received by two unsaved women who applaud the sin of homosexuality.

3. Chambers is influenced by and comforted in his decision to apologize by the life of a Roman Catholic Archbishop who heads the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center.

4. Chambers apology exemplifies a "free grace" (no repentance necessary) view of salvation (for more regarding "free grace" theology - http://www.gotquestions.org/free-grace.html).

5. Exodus International is an example of what happens when the Gospel is secondary in ministry.

6. Exodus International is an example of the dangers of para-church ministry--when leaders, leadership models, and mission statements are determined by men and women who seek to do ministry apart from and out from under the leadership and authority of the local church.

7. There's nothing new, here. Time to refocus my attention on the trip to London."-Tony Miano

http://www.freedomrequireswings.com/2013/06/exodus-international-shuts-down-leader.html#read

Come And Rest in Me

By Tyrell L. Samuels

Why doth thou despair? 

Dost thou loveth thy life too much? 

Why hast thou not found Me sweeter than all life hast to offer? 

Why hast thou not called it dung in light of knowing Me? 

Come and rest in Me, and find your hunger safe at ease. 

What are these tears you drip so well? 

Why have you fallen to your knees? 

Have thou not found Me sweet? 

Sweeter than all your treats. 

Have I not made that too? 

That which you took to be so great...is it lovlier than I? 

How long wilt thou wait, till thou come and rest in Me?

What is it that anguishes you?

By Tyrell L. Samuels

What is it that anguishes you? What keeps you down? 

If I could scarcely please the Lord, 

all would be right with me. 

Alas, Christ has did it, 

He has lived the perfect life. 

And He has granted His life to me, 

and now I can please the Lord. 

What else matters in this otherwise vain life 

other than pleasing the Lord? 

He is God and He is Creator 

and if all is right with Him and I, 

then all is right with me. 

All that caused me ill and gloom has been expunged on the cross. 

This is Joy, this is joy...but joy awaits me still,

For joy I now live, for all is right with me.

More Than An Object

"The whole idea of Rape in a culture that slaughters the concept of Modesty intrigues me I have to say. I mean really, how many women out there are actually opposed to being raped? Is that a silly question? No, think about it with me...It's enough that men are immensely prone to undressing women with their eyes and fantasizing about them Regardless of what a woman wears. But that women would intentionally wear clothes that either are too tight or bear too much skin is all puzzling to say the least. So hear we have two sinners. One, the man who can scarcely bridle his desire to rape the woman with his eyes...even with the power of God, and the woman who Begs to be raped by the message her clothing gives. Are they both merely products of innate or learned folly?

So we have the man who rapes, and the woman who begs to be raped (And yes, she begs this whether she is conscious of it or not)...and yet this is a scandal to them both...

That makes no sense...what has sin wrought on mankind, but utter insanity!!! If Christ have not mercy, then Damn that man for rape and violating that woman and her husband. And Damn that woman too for soliciting her body to be violated. She has no respect for herself and has thus provoked her own rape. Do this, lest Christ have mercy on them both."

What shall we say about women in bikinis? They hide their shame at the beach, and flaunt their husband's glory to all the world. She does so in splendor and pomp. She is delighted to have all men (and women) delight in the parts of her body that are the most vain. Now, take that same woman and put her in a girl's locker room. Give her a bra and panties and then enter a man in that locker room. What do you think she will do? She will cover up in Embarrassment. Why does she have shame in the locker room and not on the beach or at the pool? In that locker room, she would feel all the horror of being Violated. But on the beach she glories in her shame. This should not be so. It is good for a woman to wear what is proper in public, something that is modest and does not shame her honor. All women have honor, because they are created in the image of God. You think my message is hateful? No, I share these things because I LOVE WOMEN! I love them so much that it breaks my heart every single time I see a woman slanders her own character by dressing like a WHORE. And I must certainly say that this summer...most American women will be dressing like whores. This is a message of love. Ladies, cover up and loosen your clothing. I think you're precious and no one deserves to see you in such a manner except your husband. You might stick out like a sore thumb, but at least you will have dignity and honor...which is worth far more than popular and fleeting opinion. Most men can't help but violate you with their thoughts as you walk by...it's not love, or good attention (though you may have been seeking this by your dress) it's just plain violation. We men, most of us can't help but see you as objects without you provoking us to do so. Don't give us a reason. Carry as your crown your good character, not a butt some breasts and thighs. If you esteem these things, men will have little excuse but to see you as nothing but those objects. I suspect that you want to be more than an object in a man's mind...right?

God is Sufficient

If I was stripped of everything, and this fallen world gave me its worst, the Holy One of Israel would shout atop the highest mountain declaring "I AM SUFFICIENT!" In the worst times God is still sufficient to be your joy and your treasure. May He be exceedingly sweet in all your trials.