TRUTH!

".... John, the Lord's disciple, went to take a bath at Ephesus, but, seeing Cerinthus inside, he rushed out of the bathhouse without bathing, crying, "Let's get out of here lest the place fall in: Cerinthus, the enemy of truth is inside!" Polycarp himself, when Marcion once met him and asked, "Don't you recognize me?" replied, "I do indeed: I recognize the firstborn of Satan!" So careful were the apostles and their disciples not even to converse with any mutilators of the truth, as Paul also said, "After a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with anyone who causes divisions, since you know that such a person is perverted and sinful, being self-condemned" (Titus 3:10-11)". "

From Book 3 of Irenaeus's Against Heresies (Against Heresies 3.3)

Do we love the truth this much?

Wade

Questions That Only You Can Answer

There seems to be so much discontentment among Christians. I think that much of what we see in the Church today comes from this lack of contentment. Have you noticed all of the different 'programs/ministries' that are offered by local congregations?

One thing that is central to modern philosophies of ministry is that we must offer enough ministries in our local Churches to keep all of our members "plugged in". Modern pastors are scared to death that their members will get bored and go across town to the hip Church with all of the cool ministries that will keep everyone from 'little jr'. to grandma occupied and entertained. ....................phooey!

Someone asked me a question once that really impacted me and the way I evaluate the Christian life (both individually and corporately). It's one of those questions that, I am convinced, is foundational to checking ourselves to make sure our focus is right as Christians. It's foundational to and absolutely necessary for real contentment in the Christian life. And I want to share it with you.

Ready? ........
If everything you have come to know and love about life in the local Church was stripped away, ... (all of the programs: Sunday school, choir, committee meetings, building programs, children's church, VBS, ladies this, men's that, teen whatever.) ... if all of the 'stuff' we do "at Church" was to disappear or be taken away ....................... would Christ alone be enough for you? Would you be content or would you go looking for another Church that had all of the stuff?

Think about this question and be honest with yourself.

Wade

How Many Churches are There?

Can we really say we believe this?

".... And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church;..."

I recite this every week along with brothers and sisters at the local congregation where we worship and commune with the one true and living God. And every week I'm a little saddened when it comes time to say this part of the Creed.

Our 'individualistic' tendencies don't just involve the individual. We exhibit a type of individualism when we think of our local congregation or our denomination as "the Church" and fail to properly discern the whole body of Christ.

We can say we believe in "one holy catholic and apostolic Church" all we want, but until we start living it we don't really believe it!

Wade