God means what He says

Just this week, I was listening to a nationally broadcast, Christian radio program. Two men (each of whom, has national recognition in the Christian and secular communities), were discussing chapter two of First Timothy. The specific text was verses three and four: "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (A side note: unless otherwise stated, I quote from the NASB translation of the King's Book.) One of the men (the guest teacher) inserted the words "kinds of" into the text and stated that: God really "desires all kinds of men to be saved." This man made this statement because of his bondage to a particular denominational perspective that would not allow him to consider that God really meant "all men." (Please take another look at the posting titled: "Let us repent of our sectarian ways.") Needless to say, this got my attention. It seems to me that the Lord our God does know the difference between the phrases: "all men" and "all kinds of men." He has chosen to say "all men." Just because that phrase, or for that matter, any other wording from the King's Book, challenges our preconceived notions, that are related to our peculiar sectarian perspectives, does not mean that the problem is with the Book. The problem is with our understanding of God's Word. God does mean what He says. If someone needs correcting, it is not God's Word. We are the ones who are the sinners. We are the ones in need of correction. Granted that the inspired text is the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. But, the scripture does tell me that: "But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth..." (John 16:13). Since English is my language, I must trust that God is capable of putting a reliable English translation into my hands, that He will then use to: "guide me into all truth." I prefer to trust God and what He says, rather then men and what they say that God says. Let us conclude by reminding ourselves that God does mean exactly what He says. Amen and Amen and Amen. Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

The evidence of salvation

How can I know if I truly believe? How can I know if I am really saved? These questions and similar ones, are often asked; and, just as often, not very effectively, or conclusively answered. In 1 John 3:14, of the King's Book, we find written: "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death." If we are willing to live by the premise, that God says what He means and He means what He says (a more in-depth examination of this premise at a later time); then we can look at this text and realize, with great clarity, that our questions can be answered. The text begins by stating, most emphatically, that: "We know..." This should get our attention, and it is intended to do this very thing, of getting our attention. We need to know and we should be able to know and the text is saying: "We know!" Can we praise and thank the Lord our God for this knowledge? Please join with me, in doing this very thing, for God is worthy of all praise and glory and honor. Amen and Amen and Amen! Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

Prayer meeting update

Hello to all. There will not be a prayer meeting this coming Friday, because of the Christmas celebration. Our next meeting will be the second Friday of January. Hope to see you there. As we celebrate Christmas, let us be mindful that our personal recognition of, and acceptance of, Jesus Christ as King, is essential to our calling to be victorious disciples in Jesus Christ. Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

The evidence of discipleship

The following words of our Lord Jesus Christ are recorded in John, chapter 13 and verse 35: "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." It is a mystery to me, why so much of the teaching that we hear, regarding how we are to love, is based on the principal of the law, that we are to: "love our neighbor as ourself." In contrast to this, Jesus is telling the disciples, in the upper room discourse (of which John chapter 13 is a part of), that the world will know that we are His disciples, by how we love each other; that is, by how each christian loves those others who are also christian. Jesus, further sets this christian principal of love apart from the legal principal of love, when He introduces the evidence of discipleship (in verse 35), by saying in verse 34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." To "love our neighbor as ourself" is one thing; to "love one another" as He has first loved us, is an entirely different matter. As we take on the task (during the days and weeks ahead of us), of going deeper into our understanding of this supernatural love principal, we will also find ourselves getting closer to our understanding of "victorious discipleship in Jesus Christ." Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

On comments and comment moderation

This is a follow-up to yesterdays post regarding the "Berean principal." For those of you who may not be familiar with how these things work (that does include me), I do believe that all you need to do, to post a comment, is to click on the posting titles; and when the post that you wish to comment on comes up, there should be a comment box just after the posting. Your comment will then go to a moderation section of the forum. In addition to being the forum host, I am also the moderator. All comments are welcome and encouraged, including those whose perspective may be different then my own. It is as a community that we search the Scriptures to see if the things we are told are, in fact, true. The reason for the moderation section is simple: The Lord our God and His Son, our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ have many enemies. His enemies are my enemies; and His enemies will not be granted an audience on this forum! So, if you come to this forum with guns blazing and a divisive attitude in your heart, I will, at least initially, consider you an enemy and your comments will not be posted. I will, however, most certainly pray for you; and I will make an effort to communicate directly with you. Should your heart be changed, then you will be welcome to make comments that will be edifying and encouraging. Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

Discipleship: The Berean Principal

As we continue our time together, it would be good to set forth our second principal for ensuring that our mutual efforts are edifying and peaceful. Please be encouraged to read Acts 17:1-13. The specifics of this "Berean principal" are contained in verse eleven: "Now these were more nobleminded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so." Those in Thessalonica became upset with the message and caused such an "uproar" in the city, that the messengers were compelled to leave. God's messengers then went to Berea (the nobleminded ones of verse eleven). Here, in Berea, the message was examined by comparing it to the Scriptures. The examination process, was a community process, with all interested parties being eager to search the Scriptures, God's holy and inspired word. Great success came from this searching, for many came to believe. This brings us to our "Berean Principal": God's purposes for this forum, will best be accomplished as we join together, as a community, in our mutual examination of discipleship. All who come to this forum our encouraged to bring their comments to our table and we shall search the Scriptures, as a community, to see if the things told us are true. Until next time, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

Discipleship: basic principals.

How does one begin with something so important and so vital to our journey towards "the city not made with human hands." Not an easy question to answer. But, having given, the question, prayerful and biblically carefull consideration, let me begin with some personal testimony. From the fall of 1990 to the fall of 1995, my family and I were blessed to serve the brethren in Milwaukee and parts of southeastern Wisconsin. We were sent to a man whose grandfather was a slave. He was also considered un-educated and un-trained. His institutional education ended in the fifth grade. His biblical training location and prayer "room" was a cleared space in a corn field in Mississippi. By the time that the Lord our God brought me to him, he was a bishop in the church and highly regarded as a teacher and preacher in the black Churches of Milwaukee and beyond. He was not a perfect man (and that is true of all of us). He clearly loved God and His Son Jesus Christ. He was blessed by God with great wisdom. One of the things that I remember him saying, time and time again (and this brings us to our first basic principal), is this: "Now you don't have to believe it, just because I've told it to you. Now you can believe it, because you can see it in your own bibles!" This truth is Godly wisdom that has served me well through the years. For the purposes of this forum, this means that if you cannot line up what is written here with what is written in your bible, then do not, under any circumstances, believe it. We cannot and should not incorporate anything into our faith life that cannot be affirmed by the written and inspired and holy word of God as contained in the Scriptures: the Bible. Can we all say Amen? Until our next posting, my beloved brethren, I continue to be:

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

Prayer Meetings

Hello to all who are seeking to draw closer to Jesus Christ. My wife and I host prayer meetings twice a month in a small town near us. We would like to extend an invitation to all of you, especially those who live in or near Shawano, Wisconsin, to come and join us. The meetings are held the second and fourth Fridays of each month. Starting time is 7:30 P.M. We finish when the Lord our God sends us home. The meetings are held at the Shawano Senior Citizen Center at 225 South Main Street in Shawano, Wisconsin. We hope to see you there!

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

Let us repent of our sectarian ways!

An open letter, from Theophilus, a missionary elder, called, ordained and equipped by our Lord Jesus Christ to serve all of God’s people: to the Church of God scattered across North America – to all who, with me, call upon Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life.
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Great God and Saviour. This is the same Jesus who is: “The Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29).” Amen.
My brethren - my fellow bond servants: how is it that we have fallen so far? - why are we so filled with division, strife and envy? - how is it that our sectarian views have so readily set one group of us against another? - why are we so quick to embrace the precepts and commandments of men? - rather then the fullness of God’s Word!
The answer lies in our sinful condition – in believing that we are right and everyone else is less right. In our own eyes – we believe we are right (Prov 21:2); and thus we continue in our sinful ways of being set one against the other. May the Lord our God have mercy on us and deliver us from this bondage, this pit of division, into which we have so readily fallen and so willingly promote.
In one place it is recorded (Mk 12:18-27), that a group of the Jewish Sanhedrin, holding to a sectarian view on the resurrection, had come to Jesus to lay their case before Him. Before our Lord corrected them, He first rebuked them by saying: “you are deceived, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.” He then proceeded to correct them by revealing the truth of the scriptures. Let me suggest, my most beloved brethren, in a most emphatic way, that we continue in our own sectarian ways because we are “deceived” and “do not know the scriptures or the power of God.”
In another place, it is recorded (1 Cor 3:1-4), that the Corinthian church was called to task for their peculiar sectarian views. Their perspectives had caused them to remain and continue as “babies in Christ” – not ready for the “solid food” of the Word of God. Their condition is likened to that of “typical men.” Earlier in the text (1 Cor 2:14), it is demonstrated, that these “typical men,” these “natural men,” consider the things of the Spirit of God as “foolishness.” They cannot comprehend these deep things of the Spirit of God, because their sectarian views keep them in bondage as “babies in Christ.” Our condition, my brethren, is the same. Our sectarian views have so hindered our ability to understand the Word of God, that we continue as “babies in Christ,” unable to feed and grow from the “solid food” of God’s Word. We continue to be sectarian because we are “babies in Christ” and not fit for “solid food.” Our lack of “solid food” causes us to continue being deceived, because we “do not know the scriptures or the power of God.”
How is it then, that we can escape so great a bondage? It is a simple thing my brethren – we must “repent and believe the gospel.” Jesus says, in one place (Jn 8:32), that if we are “truly His disciples,” we must “continue in His word,” then we “shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.” Please be reminded, that it is “His Word.” The Word of God is not subject to the peculiar interpretation of a peculiar sectarian idea or viewpoint. The Word of God is subject to Christ and Christ alone!
In one place (Eph 4:1-6), we are reminded of our “calling” to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In every way that we assert our peculiar sectarian views, we violate this command of the Lord our God and we sin in a most grievous way; and we continue as “babies in Christ.” Let us repent my brethren, of our sectarian ways; and let us then be mature Christians, visibly one in Christ. The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you my beloved brethren. Amen.

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus

Initial greeting.

To the Brethren:

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

This process of getting started is challenging for me - please be patient with me - I am not very computer savvy. But, it is written: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Thus, with the help of my Lord Jesus Christ - I will accomplish what He has set forth for me to do. Please pray for me, my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

Your servant and fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus