Complaining

Complaining

How can we make our local congregations stronger? Stop allowing members to hide behind the elders and instead, encourage reconciliation. Teach members how to confront other members in the spirit of humility, mercy, and love. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard about elders confronting members or the preacher with a complaint from another member. Oftentimes, this confrontation is done while keeping the complaining party anonymous. And so, the confronted member sits in an elders meeting being on the receiving end of comments like:

• We’ve been told your children made a mess in the teacher’s workroom.
• We’ve had complaints that your sermons are too short/long.
• Someone came to us about something you put on Facebook.
• We’ve had complaints about your children running through the building.
• The sermon you preached offended some of our members.
• Someone came to us about your daughter’s immodest dress.

And the list goes on and on and on.

Sadly, when you ask who the complaining party is the common response is: “They have asked that we not reveal their name.” As a result, the person who is confronted never has the ability to fully explain to that person their side or more importantly, to reconcile. (Instead, the confronted party spends the next 24-hours trying to figure out exactly who brought up the complaint—and bitterness often ensues.)complaining

I know personally of 2-3 elders who have positioned themselves in various congregations as the person to “go to” if you have charges against someone else. They are quick to hear complaints. Sadly, these same men are not pursuing reconciliation between members. They are simply trying to be people pleasers and smooth things over.

While they may believe this anonymous approach is most beneficial, simply put, it does not work—and it goes against the biblical principle of reconciliation. (It also goes against Matthew 18 when sin is involved.) Instead, it turns the situation into a big battle of “he said/she said,” with members trying to determine whose side the elders are on.

Proverbs 18:17 says, “The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbor comes and examines him.” Solomon recognized that the first person to complain “seems right”—but he recognized there are two sides to every story.

Imagine the changes that would happen if elders refused to hear these complaints, and instead directed the complainer to the person who offended them.
Don’t like something the preacher said? Let’s go talk to him and see if he really meant it the way you heard it. Imagine how many relationships could be salvaged if the leadership of the congregation just facilitated a face-to-face meeting between the two parties.

For instance, imagine this hypothetical situation: A woman comes to the elders complaining about someone’s children making a mess in the teacher’s workroom. She demands they confront the mother of the children, put a lock on the door to the workroom, and make an announcement that children under 16 are no longer allowed in the workroom.

Imagine the difference that would happen if the elder she approached asked her to meet with him and the mother of the child. Maybe before the meeting he studies with her on humility or loving as Jesus loved. Imagine if the mother of the child was allowed to apologize and offered to have her child clean up the mess or offered money to replace wasted supplies. Or imagine if the mother pointed out that while she and her children were in the workroom, it was actually the youth minister who made the mess.

The point is this—bringing the two parties together allows both sides to be clearly explained and allows for the chance of reconciliation. If we want our local congregations to be strong, we must be able to confront one another in the spirit of love—realizing we are all a part of the same Christian family with the same goal of heaven!

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LOS “EVANGELIOS”

¿PERTENECEN LOS “EVANGELIOS” AL NUEVO TESTAMENTO?

LOS “EVANGELIOS”! Quienes están a favor de afirmar que estos libros (a los que voy a continuar refiriéndome como los cuatro) lo hacen así por claras razones, desestimarlos como parte de la autoridad que la Iglesia debe seguir en cuestión de divorcio y nuevas nupcias de Mt.19 así como la instrucción de la disciplina en Mt.18 solo por mencionar algunas. Pero ¿Quién y cómo se determina si pertenecen o no al N.T.? La respuesta a esto en mi estimación es: la razón y el sentido común.

Aplicación profética

Si todo este asunto es construido con doble intención para sacar del juego a pasajes y doctrinas importantes contenidas en estos libros entonces estamos frente a intenciones obscuras y diabólicas. Debe de existir una aplicación profética a las palabras de Jesús sin duda alguna, respecto a lo cual Moisés dijo en Det.18:18 que se levantaría un profeta como él. Por cierto Jesús a parte de ser Dios y conocer el futuro está en la categoría de profeta. Hay un paralelismo muy remarcado con Samuel quien ocupó el oficio de profeta y juez al mismo tiempo. Existen esfuerzos que  están claramente encausados  para eliminar las enseñanzas de Jesús ya que el vivió en el antiguo pacto y por lo tanto estos libro pertenecen al mismo, creo que se despedazan todos esos esfuerzos  en la persona de Jesús como profeta. Observe, si El fue profeta todas sus enseñanzas concernientes a la Iglesia (que todavía no estaba en existencia) son igualmente autoritarias por su calidad de profeta. Cualquier intento en descalificar a los 4 relatos como parte del Nuevo Testamento quedan si relevancia en la persona profética de Jesús. 

La ley y los profetas hasta Juan…

Observé este argumento en el artículo de Wayne Jackson que lidia sobre el mismo tema. Su punto se basa en el texto de Lucas 16:16. La ley y los profetas son hasta Juan, de hecho en la poesía Hebraica principalmente en los salmos encontramos varios “selah” esto era un tipo de silencio para acentuar realmente lo que se había dicho. También había cierto tipo de silencio en la forma de puntuación hebrea que conocemos como niqud, estos servían como un tipo de signos diacríticos que señalan las vocales en el alfabeto hebreo entre otras cosas.  Traigo todo esto a colación para indicar sencillamente que Dios en su infinita sabiduría  colocó un silencio en el tiempo (periodo intertestamentario) para dejar acentuado la dispensación que termina y Juan el bautizador es la “introducción” del la nueva era que apenas habría de arrancar. Ignorar ese silencio y actuar como si todo es igual en la antigua ley es verdaderamente un abuso.  Al respecto cito textualmente al hermano | Wayne Jackson en su pagina “Christian Courier” quien acertadamente dice lo siguiente:

Aunque este no es el lugar para una exégesis detallada de este pasaje, el texto indica claramente que el ministerio de Juan inició un curso preparatorio de instrucción, en vista del reino que se acercaba. Ese nuevo cuerpo de información contenía muchas verdades que serían aplicables y obligatorias con la inauguración del régimen de Cristo, como tal comenzó el día de Pentecostés.

Si Juan marca el inicio de un cambio de legislación, no veo una razón suficientemente fuerte para descalificar a los 4 relatos como parte del  canon del Antiguo Pacto. Me parece incluso un asunto de sentido común  al estar del “otro lado” del periodo del silencio, ubicarlo dentro del canon del Nuevo Testamento y no del viejo es la cosa más coherente que uno podría hacer. 

La cuestión de Mt.19

Realmente no deseo hacer este artículo uno extenso. Pero aparte de haber mencionado este asunto brevemente en renglones anteriores deseo ser mas especifico aquí. La desestimación de los cuatro como parte del canon del Nuevo Testamento  se realiza en la gran mayoría de ocaciones para desestimar lo que Jesús dijo sobre la única causa para disolver el matrimonio y volver al contraer nuevas nupcias. Sin embargo en lo que Jesús dijo la frase “pero yo os digo” dicta el sentido de pertenencia de esta nueva legislación nunca antes vista en el antiguo pacto. De alguna forma los fariseos estan intentando encerrar a Jesús en lo que Moisés había dicho. El Señor le da al clavo al devolver la cuestión al Genesís en el plan original de Dios. De esta manera resulta completamente irrelevante si el libro entero pertenece al Nuevo o al Antiguo, el comentario de Jesús conduce nuestra atención al diseño  original planeado en la mente de Dios. Sus palabras no provenían de la ley de Moisés ni mucho menos. Si el intento principal era desestimar a los 4 para escaparse de nueva ley de Cristo sobre matrimonio y divorcio, lamentó decepcionar a muchos pero no fiuncionó. 

Indicios  de pertenencia.

Todos los indicios que existen apuntan precisamente a que estos 4 relatos deberían de pertenecer al Nuevo Testamento y no al antiguo. Más precisamente podemos observar 4 indicios espero puedan servir como ejemplo:

Indicio N.1 La gran comisión. La gran comisión es una de las cosas que se pueden observar como indicio. En Mt. 28 este gran encargo es dado para esparcir la semilla del reino. En el sentido estricto del concepto, si este libro no fuera parte del canon del Nuevo Testamento entonces la conclusión lógica sería que aquí se está pidiendo esparcir la semilla del judaísmo. Quienes insisten en que los 4 sean excluidos de canon neotestamentario no les agradará encontrarse en esta encrucijada lógica en lo absoluto.

Indicio N.2 La disciplina. Este punto no puede escaparse de nuestro enfoque. Lo que Jesús instruyó en Mt.18 para nada podía ser aplicado bajo la antigua legislación por el simple hecho que el maestro menciona a la Iglesia al final del proceso de la disciplina. Interesantemente la Iglesia no existía, por que este es otro indicio de pertenecía de los 4 al Nuevo Testamento y no al viejo. 

Indicio N.3 El reino.  Muchas ocaciones se menciona el reino de los cielos. Pasajes como Mt.6:33 y  otras instancias como lo son las parábolas la enseñanza sobre el reino está diseminada a través de los 4 relatos. Claramente este concepto no pertenece al antiguo pacto pero es claramente definido por Pablo en lugares como Col.1:13 e incluso Juan en Apo. 1:9 y 10 donde se incluye como parte del reino. Con todo esto es fácil identificar este nuevo concepto como uno legitimo del nuevo pacto. Nuevamente si tuviera que escoger, lo más lógico sería colocar los 4 relatos como parte del canon del Nuevo Testamento y no del antiguo.

Indicio N.4  Bautismo.  Dos pasajes son extremadamente reveladores con respecto a la salvación del hombre. El primero de estos pasajes está en Marcos 16:16 donde con una afirmación absoluta el Señor declara cual es el requerimiento para ser salvo a saber; creer y ser bautizado. Este requerimiento solamente había sido insinuado en el antiguo pacto en prácticamente cada libro de los 37 que componen el canon antiguo. El otro pasaje son las palabras del Señor a un principal entre los fariseos que se llamaba Nicodemo, al mostrarle en Juan 3:5 la absoluta necesidad y el imperativo de nacer de nuevo para poder ver el reino de Dios. Juntas estas dos declaraciones del maestro con respecto al requerimiento para ser salvo necesariamente nos llevan a pensar que algo así no fue necesario en el antiguo pacto, pero que efectivamente  como ya fue mencionado Juan el bautizador marca el inicio del cambio enfatizando prescisamente la necesidad se ser sumergido en agua para alcanzar perdón. Una vez que la resurrección de Cristo ocurre el bautismo en agua llega a tomar el significa exacto de la obra redentora del salvador  y la mejor explicación de este acto imperativo. A todas luces la práctica del bautismo en agua para salvación es una que pertenece al Nuevo Testamento y no veo motivo alguno porqué (de forma arbitraria a la evidencia) alguien pondría a los 4 en el canon del Antiguo testamento.

Diatesarón

 El reconocido padre de la iglesia Taciano es quien realiza este magnifico esfuerzo por armonizar los relatos ya que la fuerte critica destructiva “respiraba” en sus hombros, la creación de un solo relato en combinación de los cuatro es vital para resolver este problema. Por cierto esta solución fue mucho más coherente que la que propuso Marción de tomar un solo relato y desechar los otros. El diatesarón(que significa “a través de los cuatro”) ocupó por muchos años una posición remarcable entre la iglesia Siríaca por siglos. Es obvio que el papel que tenía era casi indispensable. La razón por la que este punto capta nuestra atención es precisamente hacer notar que en el siglo II en el uso de las reuniones eclesiales  la armonía de los “evangelios” eran usados para la adoración y como si fuera poco ellos lo consideraban como parte de la nueva dispensación o nuevo pacto. Preguntamos: ¿Acaso existía una razón ajena a la que ya hemos presentado? ¿Pensaban ellos que estuvieron tan cerca del siglo I que realmente este material debía de desestimarse?  Quizás es solo mi apreciación pero sería un poco arrogante  pensar de forma contraria. Aunque no estoy argumentando que lo que los padres de la iglesia hicieron es suficiente autoridad para nosotros seguir su ejemplo, en lo absoluto eso no es la intención real de esta mención. Más bien, es sugerir la idea de que en los primeros 4 siglos al menos, no existió discusión alguna sobre la pertenencia de los cuatro al Nuevo Testamento. 

Referencias 

Jackson, Wayne. Are the gospels part of the New Testament?. Christian Courier website

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You Have But Little Power

You Have But Little Power

The Pew Research Center published an article on September 13, 2022 entitled: Modeling the Future of Religion in America.  The first paragraph of that article states: ‘Since the 1990s, large numbers of Americans have left Christianity to join the growing ranks of U.S. adults who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.’  While the article examines a downward trending of Religious affiliation, inherent in the data is the possibility that the percent of the population clinging to spiritual truth is also likely declining.    Man’s destiny is perfectly and directly connected to the Bible which is not a little power but that of God to mankind for salvation (Romans 1:16).Downward Trend

There are many assemblies of Christians across the country.  The quality of instruction they receive from the pulpit can be readily seen through writings, audio sermons, and video posted online.  Affixing the spiritual state of those lessons to that of the congregation is quite often not encouraging.  Examining many congregational websites and the views and activities they promote sadly leaves a further disappointing viewpoint. Those who choose not to gather, but “worship” at home by following these teachings/examples are worse off yet.  When observing the “Seeking a Preacher” ads which have been circulated, a deeper lack of hope is seen.  As a representation of the Lord’s true and singular Church which He established (Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 4:4), these sources lend themselves to data pointing toward spiritual decline among the population of the United States.  Again, observationally, the preponderance of spiritual truth also appears minimal.

The most powerful presentation of truth the world has ever known is readily available in nearly every populated location on earth (Bible).  The evidence it contains demonstrating the existence and perfect wisdom of God is to the earnest, unrefusable.  The pitfalls proclaimed in Matthew 13:10-23 are also visible in everyday life.  A lack of understanding, the trial of faith, and the lure of the world (desire of flesh, eye, and pride of life – 1 John 2:16) work to diminish the present numbers of Christian faithful among the living.  Yet, despite these occurrences, trends, concerns, there are faithful, seeking Christians yet.  The have of themselves, but little power; however, they keep the Word of God and do not deny the name of Christ.

Lost among the crowds of larger and mid-size congregations and quite possibly the cog of frustration to the “religious” in small congregations, herein, reside the faithful.  They obey the Book.  They follow the commandments of Christ.  They are those righteous from the first century forward who were and are in the congregations to which the seven Churches of Asia in the book of Revelation are a type.  Despite a likely decline in numbers, the presence of false teachings, the existence of unauthorized worship, and the waning of godly works around them, their hearts, minds, and actions stride boldly onward seeking their heavenly Father.  If you will, they are the representation of the Church of Philadelphia (Revelation 3:8).  They patiently endure holding fast to what God has given them.  The statistics, trends, polls, and reality of the wave of data calling the weak and brazen to forsake Christ will not detour them from their goal.  The Master of the Seas is their Captain; no storm can reject His Command or founder the peace which He offers.

Friends, brothers and sisters, do not let the rumors of the demise of Christianity weaken your resolve to serve God.  Seek, study, care, comfort, strengthen, and love while there is yet time.  Rely upon Him who can save your souls.  No force, no number of agnostics, atheists, or blind guides can take away what Christ gives freely.  Do not let the illusion of loneliness overtake you for long.  The great crowd of witnesses in heaven await your presence before the throne of God.  Our loving Savior will return in the clouds and with a great cry of command we will arise with those who have gone on before us.  Never lose sight of this.  Never lose hope. You may have little power by your own hand, but our mighty God can accomplish all things as He wills.

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Jesus’ Way is the Best

Jesus’ Way is the Best

Not too long ago, I saw on Facebook an article about an almost pristine Caddo canoe that was discovered in Louisiana. Archeologists were examining it, but it looked to be authentic. Such discoveries thrill us because they give us some insight into the history of our area and how native people’s lived hundreds of years ago. We believe that we can learn from the past, and so we invest energy into discovering things of the past and studying them. We also value primitivism. This is the notion that the peoples of the past did things better than we did. We may view their lifestyle as superior to ours because of its simplicity, resourcefulness, and originality.jesus way canoe

While the things that we learn from a Caddo canoe are limited, we can certainly apply these principles to our spiritual life. We look to the teaching, example, and life of Jesus as the one who did things better than we do them. His was truly a superior lifestyle being simple, resourceful, and original in its spirituality. Jesus didn’t complicate things like we do; He didn’t seek all the worldly pursuits that we engage in; He trusted in the blessings of His Father one day at a time. His plan is simple, resourceful, and original, and it is best to stick with Him. This is why He said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Let’s not complicate things with so-called “contemporary” spiritual pursuits, but trust in the primitive, simple words of Jesus.

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Paying Attention to the Spices

Paying Attention to the Spices

The words of Jesus just hours before His death had to be so startling to His listeners. Their religious leaders had taught them the importance of giving tithes (10%) of all that the Lord had given to them. The leaders went beyond the obvious gifts like giving the tithe of crops they had planted and harvested. Based on Leviticus 27:30, they devoted the principle to the spices that were part of their lives.

Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe of mint and dill and cummin…” (Matt. 23:23). All of these were used in cooking, and cummin was also used as a medicine. While wheat and barley involved large sections of the land, the spices were grown in a far smaller place.  Think about the spices that you have to use in your cooking, and you will see how devoted these leaders were in tithing. Imagine counting out all of these “seeds” and giving every tenth one to God.

Before looking at the rest of what Jesus said, do not make the mistake some have in applying these verses today. We hear individuals talking about “majoring in minors,” and in the application they conclude the only thing God is concerned about is the “weightier” aspects of what God says and concluding that the “lesser” matters really do not matter at all.

Jesus did not minimize the tithing of spices. In fact, He said that you should not ignore them, you should do them. However, He then addressed the ignoring of the “weightier” matters and called these leaders, “Hypocrites.” They substituted attention to the “lesser” items and gave the appearance that they were far more religious than others. He said that the motivation to all their works were done to be seen by men (Matt. 23:5). This is a classic illustration of hypocrisy.

Look at the “weightier” matters which the leaders had neglected. Jesus said that they had “…neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.” They had devoted all their energies to lesser aspects of what God said (it was easier for a hypocrite to do this), while at the same time ignoring what God said.

The tithe of these spices was external and far easier to do. These “weightier” matters were internal and had to do with the heart and soul of the servant of God. They are not “seed” items because they are “soul” items.

That first commandment, the greatest commandment, involves loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. Take time to see how this has such great application in our walk with the Lord in the new covenant. Service given to God that is only external is far removed from the greatest commandment. Think about this!

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