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WHAT IS THE GLORIOUS CHURCH? #1

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By Ken Blue

The question is not, which church is the glorious church, but rather, what constitutes a glorious church. What makes the church glorious? Of course, the answer is in the word usage, and the context itself. We will discuss that later.

The first thing to establish is what the text is not teaching. It is not suggesting that a glorious church is a religious denomination that adheres to a set of theological tenets. That is obvious from the text.

The glorious church in the Bible is not built on tradition, or religious history. Reading church history books is like reading books on science from Darwin to the present. Each writes forms his conclusions from his own prospective.

The glorious church is not one that fits a set of doctrinal statements. Right here is where the problem starts. It is a slippery sloop, and I am not sure those who assume their church is that glorious church understand what they are doing.

One may conclude that he knows the starting point of the church. Then he will search from Genesis to Revelation for passages he assumes that address the church. These will be inserted into his theology. Note, theology is created by men. Therefore, it is the hunt and search method that is used to prop up doctrines, they assume, makes a church glorious .

The glorious church is not one who practices replacement theology. Simply stated, replacement theology take passages from the Bible that are for Israel, and applies them to the church. This is done when one believes that the body of Christ, the church, is found in the four gospels, Matthew through John. Therefore, the parables are taken from Israel, and are ascribed to the church. That is replacement theology.

The church that is glorious does not mix the Kingdom of Heaven gospel with the gospel of grace preached by Paul.

(Continued)

SHOULD THE MINISTRY BE PRAGMATIC

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should the ministry be pragmaticBy Ken Blue

While discussing church growth with a young pastor, something was said, to which he responded, “Sounds pragmatic to me.” I ask him what the word meant; he was not able to give a correct definition. Like so many little lemmings, many follow the rodents over the cliff without any idea what they are talking about or where they are going.

One of the clever tricks of many is to give a negative connotation to a word, associate it with anyone they disagree with, and then smear others by applying it to them. I doubt the average critic has looked up the word or considered how they themselves practice it every day.

The American Heritage Dictionary says pragmatic is: “1. Dealing or concerned with facts or actual occurrences; practical.”

However, those who would smear others, use it in a context that no matter what one does, they can justify it by the end result or outcome. However, they fail to give the definition that being practical, may in some cases, justify the end results. Let us see if the brethren will stay with us for this lesson.

  1.  God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery and spend time in prison for a crime he never committed. He was later elevated to the second highest position in Egypt. “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” Genesis 45:5. The purpose in all this was to preserve Israel for the next 400 years. Did the end justify the means?
  2. God killed the firstborn in Egypt, did the end justify the means?
  3. God led the armies of Egypt into the Red Sea to destroy them. Did the end justify the means?
  4. God had Israel to destroy the people in the land. Did the end justify the means?
  5. God had Jesus to die on the cross, did the end justify the means?
  6. God will gather the nations against Israel for destruction. Will the end justify the means?
  7. When the Lord said, “ For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.” Luke 14:28-30. Sounds like a practical approach when starting a building program.
  8. When God said, “Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.” Luke 14:31-32. This passage shows the wisdom of counting the cost before going to war.

Now I can hear those who say, “But, that was God.”  Now, let us discuss your daily decisions. Do you believe your choices and activities will be justified by the end results? If you don’t, there is something haywire in your brain. You believe the end justifies every decision you make, or you are a hypocrite.

Of course there are things that are wrong, and are not justifiable. But, most of the criticism by the brethren is not that you have done wrong, you have just failed to do it their way. I can already anticipate how the brethren will skirt these issues and continue their criticism. You see, when they are speaking of pragmatic; they confuse it with pragmatism. They are not the same. They fail to includes their own decisions as practical. What they really mean is, anyone who does anything practical they disapprove. In other words, If you don’t approve how the other guy does ministry, just tag him with pragmatism.

Here is a list of synonyms: “Demonstrating pragmtic  and common sense: • prudent, • circumspect, • common sensical, • practical, • savvy (US), • wise, • useful.” The two legs of practical common sense is; prayer and the practical. This is the Scriptural approach to all issues in life.

HOW TO GET ON GOD’S SIDE

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Are You on God’s side?

God's SideDr. Blue shows us that there are one of two sides you can be on.  One is God’s side.  The other is the world’s side.   God’s side is one that the world has never been on, nor will it ever be on.  The world views it as always being controversial and therefore rejects it.  It furthermore views it as antagonistic, and rightly assumes all who are truly on the Lord’s side take a negative stance towards socialism, paganism, catholicism, commerce, world peace, psychology, wealth, fame and worldly influence.  Because of this, all who are on the world’s side take offence to it.  The world stands vehemently opposed to the Lord, and all who love Him.

Today’s world tries to deceive people by teaching that everybody should be moderate and accepting.  It promotes a “live and let live” philosophy. It elevates, and demands even, that everyone has certain personal “rights” which they can justifiably rebel to exert upon others.  By so doing, the world deceives Christians to stand up and demand their “rights.”  This is not taught anywhere in the Bible. God says, you don’t have a right to do anything you want to do.  Dr. Blue does an excellent job of showing us the difference between: Liberty, Freedom and Rights.

Unlike the world’s politicians, God takes a stand (Matt. 12:30).  He draws the line to show if you are not on His side, you must be on the other side (John 8:44).  You don’t have to choose to align yourself with the Devil and the world.  If you have not chosen Christ, then you already made a choice for the Devil.  You are not on God’s side.

A PRICELESS PAIR OF SERVANTS

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ServantIs it profitable to help those who are in need?  Has the day of the good Samaritan faded away because of the of “me” generation society ?

The day of the good Samaritan was already in jeopardy during the days of the apostle Paul.  The only ones who he could find who were willing to help those who were at Philippi were Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Timothy was especially dear to Paul.  Paul trusted Him very much.  Not only because he got saved under his ministry, but because he was likeminded with him.  He was priceless to Paul because of his servants heart.

Unlike Christians today, Timothy had a servant’s heart.  Most Christians today want to be served.  They have lost their servants heart.  Since Jesus was a servant, Christians too should be servants.

Not every Christian in the Church will be a servant to begin with.  You must learn to develop that heart.  But, where do you start?  How do you do it? This AUDIO SERMON will encourage and instruct the contemporary Christian to walk a proper Christian walk in todays society.

New Christians need to start the right way.  They need as much training and instruction as they can get.  Dr. Blue says that, “If a new Christian went to work as much as they went to church, they would be in the poor house.”  You can never get enough Bible.

Christians can never have a victorious Christian life by dabbling in the Bible for 30 minutes a week.  It’s not enough.

Dr. Blue will show you how to become a spiritually mature, servant of Jesus Christ.  With these lessons, applied to your life, you can be victorious and fulfilled.

THE BAPTIST BRIDER HOUSE OF CARDS

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There are many who suggest that the church of this dispensation began under the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus and the Twelve. However, they are hard pressed to deal with the following verses and define the content of the gospel preached by John, Jesus and the Twelve. The major fallacy is the failure to rightly divide the Scriptures. The other error is the reading of Paul’s gospel BACK into the gospels in an attempt to harmonize the two. It won’t work. We ask the reader to read each verse carefully and then answer the question, “What was the CONTENT of their gospel?”

NOTICE THAT THE DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION WAS NOT PART OF THEIR GOSPEL-

The reason the Baptist Brider ignores these Scriptures is because it brings into question what the ministry of Jesus and His disciples was, and why John was baptizing. What these verses imply is more than some Baptist Briders dare tackle. If they did, their house of cards would collapse.  Since no one believed in His death, burial, and resurrection, what was the content and the hope of their gospel, and in what way was John’s baptism associated with that gospel? What was its purpose?

a. Notice that His resurrection was not part of their gospel. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” Matthew 16:21.

b. Notice that they had no knowledge of his coming death, burial and resurrection. “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken” Luke 18:31-34.

c. Notice that the preparation of His body showed that they did not teach or believe in His resurrection. “Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury” John 19:40.

d. Notice that the concern of the women was who could roll the stone away from the tomb. “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him… And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” Mark 16:1, 3.

e. Notice the unbelief of the eleven when Mary Magdalene brought news of His resurrection. “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not” Mark 16:9-11.

f. Notice that Thomas did not believe the report of the other disciples. “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” John 20:24-25.

g. Notice that Jesus rebuked the eleven sharply for their unbelief. “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen” Mark 16:14.

h.  Notice that they had no knowledge of the Scriptures that He must rise again. “For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.” John 20:9.

 i.  Notice that the two on the Emmaus Road did not believe He was to die to redeem Israel. “ And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.” Luke 24:17-24

We have yet to hear an answer to the above questions.