I know that whatever
God does,
it shall be forever.
Nothing can be added
to it.
God does it, that men
should fear before Him.
That which is has
already been,
and what is to be
has already been;
and God requires
an account of
what is past.
Ecclesiastes 3:14-15
Let me open with this question: "How can you give an account of what is past if you do not know the past?" If all a person does is live in the moment, for the present, he will seek ways to make his life enjoyable without regard to consequences. This seeking for pleasure is not derailed by the circumstances of life. It is the moment, it is having joy from outside of themselves that has top priority. We live in a society that gives great credence to feelings, so long as a person's feelings are being satiated, then life is good. This satiation is the driving force for our culture. You can find this mental attitude in some Churches where the service is all about how a person can have good feelings about themselves, how they can be happy, how they can find themselves, etc. In fact, many so-called Church services are more like a Woodstock concert, than a worship service to God. The music is more like the sinful world, only that there has been some "Christian" words in the song, but not much if anything about true Christian living, only how one can be blessed, or have a feeling that they are worshiping God, when all is being done is to prove to themselves that these "good" feelings mean that they are being holy. There is a time for good music, there is a time for joy, clapping, laughing, but all must be done for the right reason, to honor God, not oneself. This newer form of worship has been promoted especially over the last 200+ years, and especially as Arminianism became the belief in the Church and liberal Christianity became the manner in which Churches operate. We do not need to be stoic: we need to worship God in the right manner, and for the right reason. To help us to understand our faith it is necessary to know the past, not just a return to the way the early Church met and worshiped as if that was the only way, but when we do not know the past we will add things to our worship that was never intended to be part and parcel of worship, bringing to us and satiating us with that which is not pleasing to God.
How did we get to this place where so-called men of God, those who are such as televangelists, or pastors who preach and teach ways that were not to be found in the early Church? One way, is to not speak of the past, do not teach the past, and this is so true for when one asks a Christian about the early Church fathers and give their names, they don't know their names or their importance in combating error that was attempting to invade and destroy the Church. Easy Christianity is not what God has told us as Christians we should expect: "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master,' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20). Are you being persecuted due to your faith, a faith that will separate you from being identified with the world. Or, is your Christianity and lifestyle so similar to the world's that you cannot be seen to be all that different, in other words, your belief, your faith, is just another religion. Are you willing to put the interests of God first or is it that what is first in your life is your own personal likes and dislikes. An example of putting God first can be seen in an early Church father: Ignatius (ca. 35 or 50-between 98 and 117).
Ignatius, a bishop of Antioch in Syria who was arrested because of his testimony for Jesus Christ and was being sent to Rome to die in an imperial game where wild beasts would tear him apart and kill him. Now, today when a person is arrested the go immediately to jail awaiting court trial and sentencing: not so in the early days. You either went to Rome by boat, or you were taken to Rome which could take some time to travel. This would give a person some time to think about what he was facing, maybe even bringing doubt and fear, unless your faith is in God and his promises that you will, as one who was elected before the foundation of the world, will live with Him forever. Do you believe that to be true? Is this your hope? Or, do you just have a notion that God will save you? Ignatius traveled to Rome in a cart and along the way he addressed those who would come to see him and he wrote letters of thanks for their kindness to him. Ignatius made a plea that the Christians were not to attempt to free him. This is important for he knew that this attempt to free him would only bring more persecution.
Ignatius wrote to warn those Churches which he had visited about the heresies that threaten the peace and unity of these Churches. He opposes Gnostic and Docetic tendencies. Ignatius wrote about the revelation of Christ in the flesh as an antidote to this false teaching. Ignatius states that a Christian is to be obedient to the elders and to obey the elder in charge of the Church. He does not place or exalt the bishop of Rome as superior to other bishops.
Another early Church father was Polycarp (70-155 A.D.). He wrote to the Philippian Church and his letter was reminiscent to that of the apostle Paul. Polycarp had a special opportunity to know the mind of the apostles for he was a disciple of the apostle John. Polycarp was a bishop of Smyrna and was martyred in 155 A.D. having been stabbed to death then his body burned at the stake. During his trial the Roman proconsul tried by pressure to make Polycarp recant, but Polycarp would not, in fact he said, "that he could not speak evil of Christ whom he had served eighty-six years and who had given him nothing but good." When a person reads his letter they will find much information that he has derived form the apostles, especially John. He is a valuable witness to the life and belief of the early Church. His interest was in strengthening the practical daily life of Christians. He quotes about sixty New Testament quotations of which thirty-four are from Paul's writings, and he quotes directly from other Old Testament and New Testament writings.
These men believed in the Christian faith and in the words written by the Apostles and others who were inspired to write what God intended for the Church. The heresies they contended against were those who were subverting those inspired words. Their goal was to make sure that the Church was kept pure and this by making sure that what they were reading and being taught was truly what God intended. As I have taken some time to point out that the Bible you read is the way you learn about God, His Only-Begotten Son, the Holy Spirit, and how a Christian is to live, therefore the Bible you use is important. The Church you attend is important. Your willingness to follow what the Bible actually states, even in the face of persecutions, misunderstanding, loss of friends, not attending to events that are not attuned to Christianity, etc. When was the last time you were persecuted for your faith? I am not necessarily speaking about being thrown to literal lions, but when another person frowns when you won't participate in what is not of Jesus Christ? As Charles Stanley so often says: "Be obedient to God and leave the consequences to Him."
For we who live
are always
delivered to death
for Jesus' sake,
that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested
in our body.
2Corinthians 4:11
Sabbath is coming, prepare a day for God
Richard L. Crumb
Ignatius, a bishop of Antioch in Syria who was arrested because of his testimony for Jesus Christ and was being sent to Rome to die in an imperial game where wild beasts would tear him apart and kill him. Now, today when a person is arrested the go immediately to jail awaiting court trial and sentencing: not so in the early days. You either went to Rome by boat, or you were taken to Rome which could take some time to travel. This would give a person some time to think about what he was facing, maybe even bringing doubt and fear, unless your faith is in God and his promises that you will, as one who was elected before the foundation of the world, will live with Him forever. Do you believe that to be true? Is this your hope? Or, do you just have a notion that God will save you? Ignatius traveled to Rome in a cart and along the way he addressed those who would come to see him and he wrote letters of thanks for their kindness to him. Ignatius made a plea that the Christians were not to attempt to free him. This is important for he knew that this attempt to free him would only bring more persecution.
Ignatius wrote to warn those Churches which he had visited about the heresies that threaten the peace and unity of these Churches. He opposes Gnostic and Docetic tendencies. Ignatius wrote about the revelation of Christ in the flesh as an antidote to this false teaching. Ignatius states that a Christian is to be obedient to the elders and to obey the elder in charge of the Church. He does not place or exalt the bishop of Rome as superior to other bishops.
Another early Church father was Polycarp (70-155 A.D.). He wrote to the Philippian Church and his letter was reminiscent to that of the apostle Paul. Polycarp had a special opportunity to know the mind of the apostles for he was a disciple of the apostle John. Polycarp was a bishop of Smyrna and was martyred in 155 A.D. having been stabbed to death then his body burned at the stake. During his trial the Roman proconsul tried by pressure to make Polycarp recant, but Polycarp would not, in fact he said, "that he could not speak evil of Christ whom he had served eighty-six years and who had given him nothing but good." When a person reads his letter they will find much information that he has derived form the apostles, especially John. He is a valuable witness to the life and belief of the early Church. His interest was in strengthening the practical daily life of Christians. He quotes about sixty New Testament quotations of which thirty-four are from Paul's writings, and he quotes directly from other Old Testament and New Testament writings.
These men believed in the Christian faith and in the words written by the Apostles and others who were inspired to write what God intended for the Church. The heresies they contended against were those who were subverting those inspired words. Their goal was to make sure that the Church was kept pure and this by making sure that what they were reading and being taught was truly what God intended. As I have taken some time to point out that the Bible you read is the way you learn about God, His Only-Begotten Son, the Holy Spirit, and how a Christian is to live, therefore the Bible you use is important. The Church you attend is important. Your willingness to follow what the Bible actually states, even in the face of persecutions, misunderstanding, loss of friends, not attending to events that are not attuned to Christianity, etc. When was the last time you were persecuted for your faith? I am not necessarily speaking about being thrown to literal lions, but when another person frowns when you won't participate in what is not of Jesus Christ? As Charles Stanley so often says: "Be obedient to God and leave the consequences to Him."
For we who live
are always
delivered to death
for Jesus' sake,
that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested
in our body.
2Corinthians 4:11
Sabbath is coming, prepare a day for God
Richard L. Crumb
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