My sons of whom I love dearly; you are the foundation of the family, and I have assigned to you a specific challenge to accomplish in this modern-day world. Your position will be challenged not so much by your own children, but by the very societal structure of this disoriented day. With the structural breakdown of traditional families and roles so clearly undefined, it has left a door open for displacement to set in. Your challenge will be a difficult one, but I have extended to you an extraordinary grace for this season of uncertainty.
I, your Lord God have placed inside you an exceptional heart of courage and strength. I have given you the wisdom and discernment to stand as loving fathers, even if the world calls it unfashionable. I made you in my image to be a reflection of my heart, and my heart is love for all mankind.
Through our love we can conquer the deception of the spirit of this age and restore the position of the patriarch to the headship of the family. I designed your role to be a shield for your family; you are their protector. Your eyes are to watch over them and guide them along the path. Your words should always be spoken with the truth; as a Shepherd. The actions of your life will be expressed in your children, so remember to act accordingly. I gave you arms to wrap them in love and to be an extension of my benevolent hand. Your mind is as one with your Heavenly Father, renewed by the Spirit of my Adoring Son. Impart into them my Kingdom Knowledge and they shall not fall by the wayside.
Govern with Compassionate Authority and direct them toward their eternal destiny. Time is valuable and your wisest investment is your children, they are your legacy; both your natural and your Spiritual children. Fathers of today are a blessing to a misguided generation, in a world needing restoration.
What the world sees as an archaic role is a rebellion against the Fatherly position. Their rebellion is against your Heavenly Father and they are in need of a Father’s love the most. I am your Lord thy God, I am the same as I was when I raised up Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Fathers; you are my sons whom I have created to be respected, and honoured. My Spirit dwells in the heart of the patriarchs; even in this modern-day.
”Happy Father’s day” ~Love Your Father in Heaven ♥
Written by Cindy Livingstone; inspired by the Holy Spirit for all of God’s Fathers, both in the Natural and Spiritual….. Thank you for surrendering your hearts. Much Love to you on your Special Day.
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12)
http://www.icr.org/
This familiar command was the fifth in God’s list of Ten Commandments, the law of God, and it has never been abrogated. It was quoted by Christ as His own command, when He said: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. . . . Honour thy father and thy mother” (Matthew 19:17, 19). The apostle Paul also cited it as of special significance: “Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise” (Ephesians 6:2). This all indicates that God considers the honoring of parents by their children to be of great significance. Since the father has been charged with the primary spiritual responsibility for his family, it is of supreme importance that fathers lead their children properly and the children follow that lead with all due respect and diligence. God blessed Abraham as “the father of us all” (Romans 4:16) because He could say concerning Abraham: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19).t is not easy being such a father, but it is vital if our children are to come also to honor their heavenly Father. “For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? . . . Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:7, 9). “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). If we fathers diligently follow God’s Word in leading our children, then they will honor their fathers, not only while they are children, but all their lives. HMM
Over the years the question of Church Membership swirls around the Christian world, and is debated and discussed, sometimes fought over, and sometimes just taken for granted.
Now by “Church Membership” here, I mean it in the commonly used sense of the phrase, referring to formally joining a particular local church, in a formal way, maybe agreeing to some doctrinal statement, or agreeing to some written covenant, and actually being put on a list of “Members”.
Is that Biblical? Is it O.K.? Is it demanded? Is it optional? And so forth.
Today I want to open a discussion in what I think is a new direction regarding Church Membership, especially as it relates to Fellowship.
See, I believe that the discussion of Church Membership is in one sense missing the real point of what the Church is to be about.
Is Membership Fellowship?
There’s a big elephant in the room that no one mentions. This elephant is ignored, walked around, or maybe mentioned only in passing. The big elephant in the room is Fellowship.
Now I’ve read many extensive studies which attempt to prove from Scripture that Membership Lists are taught in the Bible. And I will admit some of them SEEM logical, and SEEM to make sense in a certain way.
But the truth is, there are no commands for Church Membership Lists in the Bible. There are no examples of Church Membership Lists in the Bible. And there are no examples of formal joining of the local church in the Bible.
Because of this, and in relation to Biblical Fellowship, I have come to believe that Church Membership Lists, and the formal joining of a local church, is a man-made result of a lack of true Biblical Fellowship, or what the Bible in Greek calls Koinonia.
No let me make a disclaimer, before I go any further. If you attend a local church that practices Membership Lists, I’m not saying you shouldn’t join, or formally become a member. Because the Bible also does not PROHIBIT the making of Membership Lists. So I want to be clear on that. The Membership List itself is not the problem.
Three Aspects
With that, I want to look at three aspects of this question of Church Membership:
1. What does the Bible teach about membership in general? 2. What made one a member of a local church? 3. What does Fellowship have to do with it?
1. What does the Bible teach about membership in general?
Romans 12:4,5, “For as we have many MEMBERS in one body, but all the MEMBERS do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually MEMBERS of one another.”
1 Cor 6:15, “Do you not know that your bodies are MEMBERS of Christ? Shall I then take the MEMBERS of Christ and make them MEMBERS of a harlot? Certainly not!”
1 Cor 12:12, “For as the body is one and has many MEMBERS, but all the MEMBERS of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.”
1 Cor 12:18, “But now God has set the MEMBERS, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.”
1 Cor 12:20, “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.”
1 Cor 12:25, “…that there should be no schism in the body, but that the MEMBERS should have the same care for one another.”
1 Cor 12:26, “And if one MEMBER suffers, all the MEMBERS suffer with it; or if one MEMBER is honored, all the MEMBERS rejoice with it.”
1 Cor 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and MEMBERS individually.”
Ephesians 2:19, “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and MEMBERS of the household of God.”
Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are MEMBERS of one another.”
Ephesians 5:30, “For we are MEMBERS of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.”
Acts 2:47, “…praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
2. What made one a member of the local church?
Acts 15:41, “And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
Acts 16:5, “So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.”
“The Church” vs. “the churches”
Belief in Jesus Christ, baptism, and then practicing “church”.
Acts 2:42, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
3. What does fellowship have to do with it?
Fellowship = “koinonia”, “commonality”, as in “koine” greek.
1 John 1:3, “…that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have FELLOWSHIP with us; and truly our FELLOWSHIP is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
1 John 1:6, “If we say that we have FELLOWSHIP with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Now we get back to Membership Lists, regarding church discipline and dis-fellowshiping a member.
Biblical “membership” involves “fellowship” — a commonality of spiritual Life in prayer, teaching, breaking of bread, drinking of cup, knowing one another, bearing one another’s burdens, sharing in one another’s financial needs, fervently loving one another, recognizing the hurt in one another and applying the balm of Jesus with warmth, stirring one another up to good works, exhorting, encouraging, blessing, hugging, welcoming, caring about, feeding with the true Bread, Who is Christ.
In other words, church discipline which may lead to dis-fellowshiping someone presupposes there is something to be dis-fellowshiped *from*. Something infinitely valuable, something one doesn’t want to miss, if they are a believer.
The modern American “church service”, where everyone files in at 11 and files out at Noon, with a, “How you doing?”, “I’m gr-r-r-eat!, how about you?” to a few people, followed by going home for another week apart from everyone else (or maybe till Wednesday for the truly “spiritual”) — doesn’t know what fellowship is. So it substitutes Membership Lists.
Then it either never dis-fellowships anyone, because “who cares?”, or it practices the church discipline of taking the unrepentent publicly sinful “off the Membership List”, whereupon the unrepentent publicly sinful either goes to the next church, or is “shamed” back onto the Membership List, not because they really miss the so-called “fellowship”, but because they are humiliated (too often they remain humiliated, with a red letter on their back…marked as a lesser being, not ike “us” who are incapable of falling so low…”How are you doing, Lesser Being?…O.K.?…go-o-o-d…see you next week…Ciao!”).
This is not meant to be a cynical comment at all, but a mere observation of many churches over many years, and a heart’s cry for a continual renewal of Biblical Fellowship.
“Church Membership Lists” is not primarily an exegetical question, it’s a spiritual one.
„Am fost rugat sa particip la o cununie ca sa tin locul unui coleg pastor plecat in America. M-am dus necunoscand pe nimeni si fara nici o tragere de inima pentru ca nu era sectorul meu si trebuia sa fac ceva ce nu-mi placea. Nu stiam ca Dumnezeu voia sa imi dea o lectie deosebita in seara aceea.
Eram in biserica, la amvon, cand au venit mirele si mireasa. Nu ii cunosteam, localitatea aceea fiind departe de casa mea. A intrat ea prima, la brat cu tatal ei, care a dus-o pana in fata altarului. Nu mi-am putut desprinde ochii de la ea, indiferent cat de pocait sau de intelept as fi fost in slujba mea de pastor… Cu toate ca nu aveam voie sa ma uit astfel, stateam cu ochii holbati la ea cu groaza si oarecum cu repulsie. Nu avea decat jumatate de obraz; cealalta parte era stramba iar la un ochi nu se vedea decat albul, fiind intors in orbita.
N-am stiut ce sa cred in clipa aceea, iar cand a intrat mirele am devenit si mai confuz. A venit insotit de mama lui la altar, un mire frumos – asa baiat frumos nu mi-a fost dat sa vad pana atunci. Am facut slujba, dar n-am putut sa o fac bine. I-am declarat sot si sotie. El i-a tras voalul de pe fata, a sarutat-o si i-a lasat voalul pe spate. NU imi puteam desprinde ochii de la ei… Desi o parte dintre cei prezenti stiau, eu nu stiam… M-au invitat la masa: „Doar putin frate Pustan, esti asa de departe si trebuie sa mananci ceva.” M-am asezat langa tatal miresei si gandindu-ma ca mireasa trebuie sa fie teribil de bogata, i-am zis: ”Frate, e o nunta frumoasa superba cu asa lucruri frumoase aranjate pe mese… Dumneavoastra a-ti organizat nunta?!!” El mi-a raspuns:”Nu frate Pustan, ca noi suntem saraci lipiti pamantului. Mirele a facut totul. Ei sunt bogati.” Am simtit ca ma prabusesc. Zic: ”Ce s-a intamplat cu fata dumneavoastra?
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Vroiam sa stiu daca din nastere a fost asa. Atunci au inceput sa-i curga lacrimile si sa-mi povesteasca: ”Eu i-am facut asta. Nu a fost fata mai frumoasa in cartierul nostru, poate nici in orasul nostru, ca ea. Cand a avut 6 ani sotia s-a despartit de mine, a plecat. Eu nu am vrut sa ma recasatoresc, ci am ramas cu fata ca sa o cresc, singura mea bucurie. In urma cu un timp oarecare pe cand era in ultimul an de liceu, a venit intr-o seara la mine si mi-a spus: ” Tata, sunt plina de bucurie si te rog frumos sa ma ierti daca am intarziat. In seara asta tata am fost la biserica si Dumnezeu mi-a vorbit in mod special. Incepand de astazi eu vreau sa fiu copilul lui Dumnezeu.” Furios, i-am raspuns: ”Cu mana mea te-am facut, cu mana mea te omor! Neam de neamul nostru nu ne-a mai facut nimeni de rusine casa. Te-am crescut pana acum si mi-am sacrificat viata; m-as fi putut recasatori dar n-am facut-o din cauza ta. Pentru ca am vrut sa fie asa cum vreau eu sa fie! Ma si gandisem la copilul unui prieten de-al meu cu care s-ar fi potrivit fata mea, om cu care facusem armata impreuna, vecin de-al nostru, om cu dare de mana.
De atunci am inceput sa o bat sistematic. Ea mi-a raspuns: ”Tata, eu de Dumnezeu nu ma pot lasa. Am investit tot ce am avut in El. Tie ti-a ramas doar dragostea de fiica. Lui i-am dat tot restul iubirii mele si nu am cum sa fac negot cu tine. TATA, nu ca nu vreau sa ma las de Dumnezeu, DAR NU POT SA MA LAS DE EL! Intr-o seara fiind mai beat ca de obicei am trantit-o jos si am lovit-o cu pumnii (nu stiu cati pumni i-am dat) dupa aceea cu bocancii in gura si in cap. Au scos-o vecinii din mainile mele si au dus-o la urgenta. Cand m-am trezit din betie era la reanimare. Cand am intrat in salon, toti medicii si asistentele sau uitat la mine si mi-au reprosat: ‘Iesi afara bruta. Puscaria sa te manance!’
Nu i-am putut salva nici ochiul nici jumatate din obraz. A ramas paralizata. Cu un ochi nu o sa mai vada niciodata.’ Le-am zis: ‘Va rog frumos sa imi dati voie sa ma duc la ea sa o intreb daca m-a iertat.’ Era toata infasurata in bandaje si i-am spus: ‘Ma poti ierta?’ Ea mi-a raspuns: ‘Tata vorbim mai tarziu ca acum imi e somn.’ M-am dus din nou la ea si am intrebat-o: ‘Ma poti ierta?’ iar raspunsul ei a fost: ‘Tata, Isus Cristos Si-a dat toata viata pentru mine! De luni intregi postesc sa te vad intors la Dumnezeu si am zis ca pot sa imi pierd viata aceasta, sa pierd ce am mai bun, dar tatal meu sa fie cu mine in cer. Am auzit ca n-o sa mai vad cu un ochi, dar nu-i nimic, slava Domnului, am mai ramas cu unul. Nu te ingrijora, o sa vezi ca o sa fie bine.’ M-am prabusit la poala crucii lui Isus Cristos si mi-am intors si eu viata spre Domnul. Dumnezeu mi-a mantuit sufletul, dar rana din inima mea, frate Pustan, nu-i vindecata decat in seara aceasta.
Pentru ca luni de zile m-am gandit la ce aduc eu in fata oamenilor acum, un rebut de fata, care nu mai are obraz. Cine se va casatori cu fata mea? Ce viitor mai are ea?” Dupa ce tatal mi-a povestit toate acestea, atat de mult l-am iubit pe mire, ca m-am dus la el si l-am sarutat. L-am intrebat:” Ce ai vazut in ea?” Mi-a raspuns:” Frate Pustan, tu nu vezi cum straluceste fata ei? Nu imi trebuie pe cineva cu carapace, carapacea vine si pleaca.” …Frumusetea adevarata este frumusetea sufletului, a unui suflet dedicat lui Dumnezeu. Acesta nu ni-l poate fura nimeni niciodata. Daca Dumnezeu a sadit Duh Sfant in voi sunteti cele mai frumoase fiinte de pe pamant!
