At that point, the people decided to create a "scroll of remembrance" to help seal their commitment to the LORD, a public ceremony/document that would help them stay true to their word in the days ahead.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Sermon Video: They will be my people - Malachi 3:16-18
Following the warnings from the prophet Malachi to the people of Israel, those who "feared the LORD" gathered together to discuss the need for repentance. God responded to this show of commitment from his covenant people by telling them that they will receive his favor as his "treasured possession", that they will receive his compassion, for "they will be mine". When the people of God were moved to repentance and re-commitment, God responded quickly with compassion and love for his people.
At that point, the people decided to create a "scroll of remembrance" to help seal their commitment to the LORD, a public ceremony/document that would help them stay true to their word in the days ahead.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
At that point, the people decided to create a "scroll of remembrance" to help seal their commitment to the LORD, a public ceremony/document that would help them stay true to their word in the days ahead.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Friday, November 17, 2017
Sexual Immorality disqualifies leadership
The harsh reality of the pervasiveness of sexual assault, harassment, and exploitation throughout society has been brought out of the shadows (where it, like much sin, hides) and into the light of public scrutiny following numerous accusations against powerful men in business, politics, and entertainment. In many of these cases the person (almost universally male) accused of sexual deviancy has been fired or forced to resign, and in some of the more recent episodes, criminal charges may follow.
What then is the attitude of the Word of God, and hence hopefully the Church, regarding such things? The N.T. is clear that among the people of God, "there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." (Ephesians 5:3) Rather than give sexual temptation a foothold, the people of God are told to "flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18)
From a Christian leadership perspective, any sort of sexual immorality is disqualifying, it need not be any issue of force or coercion. Consensual immorality, that is sexual conduct not between a husband and wife, is impermissible for those who would lead the people of God (and for the people themselves). And while the Church recognizes that forgiveness for past sins will be granted to those who repent of them, and that sins committed before a person becomes a Christian are not disqualifying regarding future leadership once that person has matured in his/her faith, the Church ought to hold firm against any notion that ongoing unrepentant sexual immorality can be in any way overlooked or excused, especially by those in leadership positions.
Do Christian men and women in leadership still sin? Of course they do, they are only sinners saved by grace, only imperfect vessels of the Holy Spirit striving to live righteously in this present age, just like those in the Church whom they minister to. Are all types of sin disqualifying of Christian leaders? Obviously not, or there would be nobody in leadership, for all of us who lead the Church remain sinners, none are perfect. But there are a number of sins which do require the local church (if not the denominational leadership) to take immediate action (with due process), and on that list certainly ought to be sexual assault, harassment, and exploitation, along with adultery (for the married) and fornication (for the unmarried).
What will happen to the various entertainers, business leaders, and politicians who have been accused of sexual immorality? Time will tell, but within the Church we already know what the answer ought to be. Am I afraid that such a message might boomerang back at me? No, because there isn't a hint of sexual immorality in my life, nor will there be in the future, my vows to my wife are sacred, and she is the only person with whom anything sexual will happen in my life, as long as we both shall live. I am fully aware that a failure in this venue would end my time here as the pastor of my church, but that's the way it should be for God's people answer to a higher standard and the leadership of the Church to a higher standard still. The people of God have been called to be holy, and we must honor God.
What then is the attitude of the Word of God, and hence hopefully the Church, regarding such things? The N.T. is clear that among the people of God, "there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." (Ephesians 5:3) Rather than give sexual temptation a foothold, the people of God are told to "flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18)
From a Christian leadership perspective, any sort of sexual immorality is disqualifying, it need not be any issue of force or coercion. Consensual immorality, that is sexual conduct not between a husband and wife, is impermissible for those who would lead the people of God (and for the people themselves). And while the Church recognizes that forgiveness for past sins will be granted to those who repent of them, and that sins committed before a person becomes a Christian are not disqualifying regarding future leadership once that person has matured in his/her faith, the Church ought to hold firm against any notion that ongoing unrepentant sexual immorality can be in any way overlooked or excused, especially by those in leadership positions.
Do Christian men and women in leadership still sin? Of course they do, they are only sinners saved by grace, only imperfect vessels of the Holy Spirit striving to live righteously in this present age, just like those in the Church whom they minister to. Are all types of sin disqualifying of Christian leaders? Obviously not, or there would be nobody in leadership, for all of us who lead the Church remain sinners, none are perfect. But there are a number of sins which do require the local church (if not the denominational leadership) to take immediate action (with due process), and on that list certainly ought to be sexual assault, harassment, and exploitation, along with adultery (for the married) and fornication (for the unmarried).
What will happen to the various entertainers, business leaders, and politicians who have been accused of sexual immorality? Time will tell, but within the Church we already know what the answer ought to be. Am I afraid that such a message might boomerang back at me? No, because there isn't a hint of sexual immorality in my life, nor will there be in the future, my vows to my wife are sacred, and she is the only person with whom anything sexual will happen in my life, as long as we both shall live. I am fully aware that a failure in this venue would end my time here as the pastor of my church, but that's the way it should be for God's people answer to a higher standard and the leadership of the Church to a higher standard still. The people of God have been called to be holy, and we must honor God.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Our Christmas Gift from God
Christmas is the time that we give gifts to others, our children in particular, more than any other time of the year. At Christmas many of us give gifts to people beyond our family, and devote more to charity as well. This enthusiasm for giving gits is appropriate at Christmas, for it was at the original advent that our Heavenly Father gave to humanity the beginning of a gift that would surpass all others, even our gifts of life. That gift was the redemption of our souls, and the renewal of our relationship with Almighty God, given to humanity by grace through faith in the person of the child born of the Virgin Mary, the God-Man Jesus Christ.
Having recently passed the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, it is also appropriate for us to remember that God's gift was given to humanity: Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone"), Sola fide ("by faith alone"), Sola gratia ("by grace alone"), Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone"), and Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone") What God gave to us, beginning at Bethlehem and culminating at Calvary and the Empty Tomb, is a truly free gift. It can be no other, for it was a work solely of the trinity, with God the Father planning/directing it, the Holy Spirit assisting in it, and Jesus carrying it out in the flesh.
A gift is not a gift if you pay for it, nor is it a gift if you earn it. Our salvation in Jesus Christ, is and always will be, a gift from God. As Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
This Christmas, as you give and receive gifts, remember to thank God not only for the material blessings which we have received, but primarily for the far more important spiritual redemption which has been offered to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. The gift of God is available to all, may the Spirit of God call those who have not yet received it to accept this one of a kind gift, and may those who have already received it always remain grateful for the bountiful love of God.
Having recently passed the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, it is also appropriate for us to remember that God's gift was given to humanity: Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone"), Sola fide ("by faith alone"), Sola gratia ("by grace alone"), Solus Christus or Solo Christo ("Christ alone" or "through Christ alone"), and Soli Deo gloria ("glory to God alone") What God gave to us, beginning at Bethlehem and culminating at Calvary and the Empty Tomb, is a truly free gift. It can be no other, for it was a work solely of the trinity, with God the Father planning/directing it, the Holy Spirit assisting in it, and Jesus carrying it out in the flesh.
A gift is not a gift if you pay for it, nor is it a gift if you earn it. Our salvation in Jesus Christ, is and always will be, a gift from God. As Paul explains in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
This Christmas, as you give and receive gifts, remember to thank God not only for the material blessings which we have received, but primarily for the far more important spiritual redemption which has been offered to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. The gift of God is available to all, may the Spirit of God call those who have not yet received it to accept this one of a kind gift, and may those who have already received it always remain grateful for the bountiful love of God.
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
In praise of a gentle spirit - Philippians 4:5
There are a couple of popular phrases used by Christians either among themselves or when trying to explain their attitudes to others regarding how confrontational they choose to be: "Hate the sin, but love the sinner" and "speaking the truth in love". The first phrase is pretty popular, although it is not Biblical, the second is a quote of Paul from Ephesians where he urges it as a mark of Christian maturity in response to false teaching. It has become apparent, however, especially in the realms of social media and politics, that many Christians (and/or those claiming the name of Christ) struggle mightily with actually loving the sinner and with combing love with truth. It has been the experience of many that hatred of sin spills quickly over onto the sinner and that zeal for the Truth drowns out love in an effort to "win" the debate. A mature and balanced Christian will avoid both of those mistakes, thus their prevalence is a sign that many within the Church lack the maturity which they ought to be striving for through the power of the Spirit.
Which brings me to Paul's words in Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be evident to all." Of the Christians you know, how many would you describe as gentle? How many would you describe as disagreeable, harsh, or irritable? In a healthy Church, the answer to those two questions would result in a 90/10 split or higher, with only a few immature people who display angry and rude behavior. In the Church today, at least here in America, that ratio has slipped, too far, tarnishing the reputation of Christ's Church and imperiling the message of the Gospel of Peace.
How has this happened, what factors are pushing/pulling so many Christians toward confrontational attitudes where the unsaved have become the enemy rather than the mission field? One of the most obvious negatively contributing factors has been the increasing presence in politics within the Church, as well as the over-identification of political goals and parties with Christian goals and Churches. This has resulted in an us vs. them attitude, where those who disagree politically about everything from immigration to tax policy, let alone things like abortion or homosexuality, are viewed through a political prism as the enemy to be conquered and destroyed rather than the lost to be invited home to our Father's forgiveness.
A second factor which has negatively impacted the gentleness that Christians are supposed to be displaying is the pseudo-anonymity of social media. Things a Christian would not say to someone's face are somehow acceptable when responding to a post in your Facebook feed. This phenomenon is not particular to Christians, online rudeness is rampant throughout society, but it ought not be among a people called by God to make their gentleness evident to all. As a Christian, are you displaying gentleness both in person and online, or have you decided that the battles you think you must fight give you an excuse to ignore God's Word? Is your gentleness evident to all? It should be.
Which brings me to Paul's words in Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be evident to all." Of the Christians you know, how many would you describe as gentle? How many would you describe as disagreeable, harsh, or irritable? In a healthy Church, the answer to those two questions would result in a 90/10 split or higher, with only a few immature people who display angry and rude behavior. In the Church today, at least here in America, that ratio has slipped, too far, tarnishing the reputation of Christ's Church and imperiling the message of the Gospel of Peace.
How has this happened, what factors are pushing/pulling so many Christians toward confrontational attitudes where the unsaved have become the enemy rather than the mission field? One of the most obvious negatively contributing factors has been the increasing presence in politics within the Church, as well as the over-identification of political goals and parties with Christian goals and Churches. This has resulted in an us vs. them attitude, where those who disagree politically about everything from immigration to tax policy, let alone things like abortion or homosexuality, are viewed through a political prism as the enemy to be conquered and destroyed rather than the lost to be invited home to our Father's forgiveness.
A second factor which has negatively impacted the gentleness that Christians are supposed to be displaying is the pseudo-anonymity of social media. Things a Christian would not say to someone's face are somehow acceptable when responding to a post in your Facebook feed. This phenomenon is not particular to Christians, online rudeness is rampant throughout society, but it ought not be among a people called by God to make their gentleness evident to all. As a Christian, are you displaying gentleness both in person and online, or have you decided that the battles you think you must fight give you an excuse to ignore God's Word? Is your gentleness evident to all? It should be.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Sermon Video: Is it futile to serve God? Malachi 3:13-15
Why do the people of God, disciples of Jesus Christ, serve God? Is it for the rewards and blessings, in this life or the next, that we sacrifice in this life? Or do we serve God out of gratitude for what he has done for us, and out of respect for the majesty and holiness of God?
The prophet Malachi encountered grumblers among his own people who complained by asking, "What did we gain by carrying out his requirements...?" They were upset that serving God had not benefited them sufficiently in their view. Whenever the people of God base their service to him on promised or assumed rewards they will end up disappointed and disillusioned, especially when they see the unrighteous/wicked "prospering" in this life as they gain power, wealth, and fame through their misdeeds. Jesus did not promise his followers material gain, quite the opposite, he promised them "troubles" and told them that to follow him they must bear their own cross as well.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
The prophet Malachi encountered grumblers among his own people who complained by asking, "What did we gain by carrying out his requirements...?" They were upset that serving God had not benefited them sufficiently in their view. Whenever the people of God base their service to him on promised or assumed rewards they will end up disappointed and disillusioned, especially when they see the unrighteous/wicked "prospering" in this life as they gain power, wealth, and fame through their misdeeds. Jesus did not promise his followers material gain, quite the opposite, he promised them "troubles" and told them that to follow him they must bear their own cross as well.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
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