...But, Just what IF we had it wrong

Theology takes time! You got to chew on it, muddle over it, meditate on the word and ways of God

-I'll Admit it

There have been times that I have come across somewhat exaggerated preachers' claims that God either should or actually is judging America for any number of her transgressions with a smirk and suspicion. Most of the times their claims seemed strangely linked to Israel, God's covenant people and their "exegesis" based on allegory. I could understand that the Bible is applicable to all people everywhere as its truth claims are properly understood, but most of what I heard seemed to my young ears not to communicate what the Scriptures were saying. America has been likened to Israel, Babylon, the "Days of Noah", and while there are traits of all of these that we can see at play in America, when I read the scriptures, the United states doesn't specifically come to mind. The Scriptures seem to indicate something either broader as in the Day's of Noah, or something more specific, as in descriptions of Babylon.

When I listen to these panic-stricken warnings and look at the Biblical record, I also see a discrepancy. In the scriptures, I see the apostles carefully remind their readers of the Christ who has come, who was sent, paid our tab and will return for His church. I see the apostles appeal to believers to live with hope, joy, and intentional vigor in light of the Gospel of Christ, our LORD.

When I look back to the Old Testament prophets, I typically see warnings of judgement to come to God's people for idolatry and spiritual decline which becomes evident in their moral decline (there's America again). After judgement and justice are complete, I finally hear promises of one to come who will reign in truth and righteousness FOREVER, which gives hope to the hearer.

This is strangely absent in what I hear from those who are issuing "warnings" of America's Judgement. The Biblical story seems to indicate that ultimately there are the children of God and those whose guilt rests upon them. God offers HIS salvation to those who place their faith alone in Christ alone, but ALL who still have to deal with the penalty of their disobedience, (not just a specific country) will have to deal with the consequences of God's justice and holiness.

If you add the tendency of most warnings of pending or current judgement with exhortations to fight the system instead of repentance and faith in Christ, you see why at times I have been weary of hearing about judgement for America. But, for arguments sake, what if I am wrong (and I am fully aware that I could be)?

-What if we have it wrong?

If the modern preachers are correct and my reading is deficient when it comes to future judgments, what are the implications?

1) Repentance is the only option though I hesitate to say that. America, not being a Christian country can't change their mind. The natural man can only be at odds with God. SO I pray first that you be BORN again, recognize that Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of eternity has been sent to redeem us from our sins and reconcile us to and make us right with the God of the universe.
This is only done by placing your faith in Him alone, in other words, by "going all-in".

2) If (hypothetically speaking) we are under the judgement of God, we DO deserve it.

3) If we are under judgement of even seeing fulfilled prophecy, CHURCH stand up, and view the whole of life missional-ly. Are we engaging those around us who are now HOPE('08)less honestly with the only true hope for the weary, the heavy-laden, the oppressed, and sin-ridden?

4) If (hypothetically speaking) we are under the judgement of God, we are spinning our wheels with our supper committees, job plans, etc. All of it is wasted energy if we indeed we are under the hand of God. The most beneficial, expedient, restorative way through our current troubles, is truly "IN GOD (alone) WE TRUST!

just a few thoughts...-Quest

When we moved to West Chester, PA, not being ordained, I figured that preaching would NOT be something that I would get a chance to do much preaching. Praise GOD for He opens and closes doors in His sovereignty. I pray this blesses you fam.

Catch the entire spill on vimeo under Christ and a Reconciled People

For the sake of the gospel and the glory of God alone,

Quest

ENGAGE

Grace and Peace,

I’m writing as a man concerned for and standing in the gap for our community! I believe you all to be sincere men in your desire to please God, dedicated to lead His people with wisdom and grace, and faithful to your calling. I believe that in your heart of heart, you desire to impact this community with the redeeming and transforming power of the gospel for the glory of God. I am also encouraged to hear that so many men who are concerned for the fate of the community, the plight of its people, reparations of its families, and the future of its children.

. . .Hear my heart. . .

Today, feel compelled to encourage you one and all to move from passive dreaming and praying to active obedience, together. I don’t confess to have things figured out, but it is unsettling and dishonoring to see so many “churches” in one area with no fellowship as believers or on mission together. I mention this because I came from a similar area, from a neighborhood in which the churches were plentiful and occupied by members who had no stake in the community, no mind for mission, no vision for really reaching the community with the gospel and thus no impact in the lives of broken people. I was raised in a church that would go to Palestine, Cleburn, and Allen, TX to “fellowship”, but did not partner with churches on the same street for any mission-al purpose. We would send money and people to convention and congress, but leave our ministry context without the gospel. We had a token offering for missions on fifth Sunday, but wouldn’t engage those right outside of our door. Is this not neglect and hypocrisy of the worst kind? Most churches in my neighborhood were the same way, and I fear that this may be the case here as well as other “inner-cities”. I don’t know if you feel that you are alone, if you are prideful, if you are uncertain as to how to proceed or if you are concerned for your church building than God’s people. You may be just plain old exhausted, but the work is as you go preach, and as you lead, equip for ministry, be HIS witnesses until He returns. A s long as we ignore one another, we bring no one and no honor to our God.

I confess that I used to think that I had ministry figured out and I’ve cried, broken through the steps of anger at church and its leaders for not being mission-ally engaged and present in the inner-cities. I’ve been broken over the broken-ness of the cities people. I have been “hot” at the hypocrisy of supporting missions a world away without concerning ourselves with those in our own neighborhood, and I’ve been withdrawn because of a world-view that convinced me that things are not going to change. For a while, I thought the church was worthless, a bad idea that’s not worth the emotional energy of praying for or presenting the word of God to. At times, I figured that God’s people were functionally hopeless. I know now that conceited and overly critical, I truly believed that my wife and I were the only Christians in the area that are really concerned with the will of GOD, but God is GREAT! He’s taught me that bi-vocational ministry has unique staffing and scheduling challenges that may hinder those with the position of pastor from fulling their ministry. Unique challenges restrict access to one another. God is teaching me that getting around to meeting one another, coordinating or cooperating with one another and brainstorming about what God can do through the people of God to be salt and light here, can be a challenge in itself.

Shepherd, although I may not have expressed these thoughts to you in the past, I still apologize for my private conceits and anger. There have been times where I have entertained the idea of planting another church right here, however, I’m convinced that another church is not what THIS neighborhood needs, rather it needs to redeemed people of God to become in tune with the will of God that none should perish but all should come to repentance. I’m convinced that if the good samaritan were more than just a Sunday school lesson to our children, but we teach God’s people to love God and love their neighbors as themselves, three things would happen in our communities,
    
     1) people would run into Jesus,
     2) people would have no justification to mock church folk and by extension the God that we "serve" as being irrelevant, unloving and hypocritical, and
     3) lives would be changed as the word of God begins to work its way into their lives through the discipleship process.

I’m writing, begging, that we chase the priorities of God. If truth be told, we all are in need of repentance for letting those in our ministry context struggle, search, die, without giving them the gospel. For not equipping our congregations to do real ministry outside of the doors of the church, for considering ourselves alone in a neighborhood with over multiple  “churches”. We need forgiveness for NOT seeking cooperation, for NOT seeking the peace of the city. I pray that God forgive us for keeping up the status quo, and NOT seeking the salvation of those around us. When all is said and done, God is not glorified in our fish dinners, pastor and wife anniversaries, church annual days, all day “church” services, or fund raisers, He is glorified in His people delighting in Him and being salt, light, holy yet approachable, distinct yet engaged, honest yet graceful Christians.

I understand some of you may read this and write me off as unteachable, angry, or conceited, I assure you this is no longer the case. I am not trying to tell you how to do “your”job, however as a man responsible for my actions before a holy God, I can no longer watch the hurts of people without trying to give them the good news. I can no longer just pray that God bring the leaders together to minister. I can no longer make excuses while waiting for the so-called church to join the mission of God. The gospel changes people, and God uses redeemed people to change homes, streets, blocks, and hoods.  He is more passionate for His own glory than any of us could hope to be and He alone is the one who deserves it.

-Quest

LORD please, don't let be our reputation be a worthless ruin.

Holes

"We’ve got a plague of holes in our theology, holes in our worship, and holes in the thinking of the folks in our churches. Holes in our mission, holes in in our witness, we have good intentions but a glance at our efforts show that something is missing. Is it love? Is it faith? Is it compassion? Or is the secret truth that we hate HIM? Is it energy? Vitality? Are we equipped to see reality? Is the simple truth that the church folk are happy and unconcerned with the plight of the unredeemed? Do you go to church once a week just to see and be seen!? While God is still on mission, and God is still omniscient, are we satisfied stuffing our own faces on religion?"- Quest-boogie, Quest-ions

Church boy sits in weekly service, and listens to repetitive expressions that we use in our gatherings to describe and honor our King, our LORD, and our redeemer. Listening in, I can’t help but ask the question . . .is this it?


Is this what the preacher tries to convince me to give my time, talents, and treasures to support? Is this the purpose of the church? Is this all I can expect from the God they told me about? Is all that I can expect from the faith, just 2 hours on a Sunday morning, most of it wasted with mundane chatter, listless "worship", low views of both God and scripture? Is our structure so removed from the God that we were told about that we breed people who go through the motions of worship service without engaging God in worship or others in service? Is this what Christ dwelled among us for? Is this the call of ministry, rhetoric? Are we content with a "Christianity" without Christ, community or compassion? Historic articles of faith without action. "Worship" without wonder? Religion without relationship?

I hear us describe the infinite, omniscient, holy, God who created heaven and earth, as "alright", merely "good all the time", "my homie" and any other number of distorted cliches.

How dare we reduce the incomprehensible God with whom all things are possible to an understatement? How dare we allow ourselves to hold and propagate such a low view of GOD? Have we really encountered his goodness? Do we really comprehend the value of His finished work? Is there anything of substance to our faith or is God just the stuff of cliches or is he more?

Church boy listens to our praise and our worship and observes our impact, or lack there-of, in our communities and remembers Fredrick Douglas' critique of the church,

"A worship that can be conducted by persons who refuse to give shelter to the house less, to give bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and who enjoin obedience to a law forbidding these acts of mercy, is a curse, not a blessing to mankind. The Bible addresses all such persons as "scribes, pharisees, hypocrites, who pay tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith." from Fredrick Douglas', What to the Negro is the 4th of July?

Is this us? Have we substituted being "wise" and common sense for being loving to our neighbor?

Are we truly concerned with the being witnesses to His worth and His person? Are we living as disciples, or merely engaging in self-centered entertainment? I want more! or is that less?

"We've got holes in our search and, holes in our purpose, holes in the revolving doors of our churches."

I wonder, is the reason that we aren't as effective as we could be is because we've erected barriers to the faith? Are we so consumed with programs, busy-work and professionalism, that we've lost sight of the gospel, community, life together, and maturity? Have we organized the organism into a static robot of status and structure? Have we lost sight of our purpose as the redeemed people of God in the world? Are we wasting the time instead of redeeming it? Are we waiting for the return of the Lord before we begin living in obedience? Are we really going to hide in a dark world without living a public faith that touches life where it happens. WE CAN BE MORE!

In the times where life slows down some, a sneaking suspicion peeks through the calm that there is a life that is more intentional, more selfless, more sacrificial, more loving and more authentic, "The good life".

Somewhere in the deep recesses of my soul, beats a desire for something less complicated, less busy, less shallow, less self-absorbed, "The good life". I want less waste and more life, less redundant, more abundant, LIFE less complicated, more simple. A life of loving God passionately, loving others sincerely, loving the body deeply, is that less? Is it more? Is it the key to plugging the, holes?

Consumed with the Commission

-II Timothy 2:15-

15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

-II Timothy 4:1-4-

1I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

-Need-

There is a tremendous need in the world for men who have by diligence and faithful service and focused study are well equipped with the tools to accurately handle, present, and communicate the word of God.

There is a huge need among the nations for truth to be proclaimed with faithfulness and boldness to a world who have seen inaccurate glimpses of God. There are many who have been turned away from or who now turn a deaf ear to discussions of religion, or more specifically God because those who claimed to be ambassador's of God have actually misrepresented God and instead have presented their fallen selves to a world seeking real answers.

Those who are in sin who are content to offend God need the truth of God to be lovingly and rightly communicated to them and thus,

In the church, there is a need for sound doctrine to be proclaimed from pulpits across the world.

-Contextually speaking-

Timothy's mentor, his disciple maker, the apostle Paul is writing to one whom he loves as a son, one who was entrusted with the spiritual condition of a some people older, more mature, more established in the faith, one left to be a shepherd. In writing to Timothy, Paul gives the exhortation to study the word of God, not just as an intellectual exercise, but for the purpose of rightly dividing, chopping up the word of God skillfully and accurately. Paul also gives in context the exhortation to preach the Word of God faithfully both when its convenient and when it isn't, again NOT for an intellectual exercise, not just to be a cultural irritant, but because in light of the coming storm, Timothy knows that as capricious that the culture is, people will still NEED truth. Because no matter if truth is in vogue or not, truth is always in season. Paul tells Timothy to study to show yourself approved a workman who needs not to be ashamed RIGHTLY dividing the word of truth (caps mine). Not only that though, but to also preach the Word at all times because in the end, people won't hear it. He says that in the last days, men will not want to hear the true, objective Word of God, but in the last days individuals will be intellectually and morally dishonest, so much so, that they will gather to themselves teachers to reinforce their own fleshly desires, they will heap teachers who will tell them that NOW you can live your best life.

-The Commission-

Its been a few years since the Lord called me out, put me on front street for the purpose of proclaiming HIS written and spoken word to a people who are surrounded by a culture that is attacking the core of their foundational beliefs. The task is just as urgent now as it has ever been.

To both study and proclaim at all times the word of God, to accurately share the word of God to a people who may or may not have ears tuned to what God has to say.

In a day where Oprah's heresy and other "ministers'" pop psychology, self help, man centered theologies are running rampant with little or no public rebuke, there is a necessity for those called of God to be trained in the things of God, by men who have proven themselves faithful men, not wavering, not backing down, not evolving away from the Truth of God.

-The Need-

Or should I say the needs are plenty:

-Pray that God would open doors for His men to get the word out.

-Pray that God would open financial doors for myself to be better equipped with the Word of God.

-Pray that God would burden more men with the need for sound education in the text, the interpretation, the communicating, the application of His word.

-Pray for the fellowship in the body of Christ to grant grace one to another.

-Pray that those who are in seminaries and bible colleges are not discouraged by the financial toll that education costs.

-Support a seminarian with your prayers, your support, and your wisdom.

-Pray for the educators that their mission of training young men and women in the WORD of God would continue to motivate and drive them to excellence.

-Pray that seminary students would have the courage to walk out their faith in a mature, missionary way.

In Christ

Rev. Smith

Fortify

Matthew 9:36-38'Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest."'
Matthew 10:1-The Twelve Disciples; Instructions for Service
"Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness."
What an honor it is to be called on as Christ's solution to His compassion. For the first 10 chapters of Matthew, we hear all about lineage of Christ, the baptism of Christ, His teaching, and His disciples have been right there learning from Him, watching His miracles and hearing His teachings.
In Chapter 9 of Matthew, when His compassion was expressed, the first thing He teaches is for His disciples to pray that the LORD of the harvest would send laborers into the harvest. The next thing that we hear from Matthew after this request is Jesus commissioning His disciples to go to the house of Israel, with the message of the kingdom, to cast out evil spirits and to heal diseases...the very work that Jesus was doing.
Working in ministry in general and in the "inner-city youth"specifically, we can easily see Jesus' compassion if we open our eyes. Just as Jesus saw, they are helpless and confused like sheep without a shepherd. They are following anyone who seems to have an answer. Pray that Christ and His teachings be presented in a way that is easily understood, and will that out youth will choose to follow HIM. We are Christ's solution to Christ's compassion.
May we be faithful,
Quest

The vision was birthed out of a desire to demonstrate God's relevance, and in a Biblically sound way teach young people who God has communicated and demonstrates Himself to be. We intend to ultimately evangelize, equip, encourage, and disciple young people with a vision to discover and use their God-given talents and abilities to both honor God, and take the message of the cross across/into their various cultures.