Hiding In Plain Sight Pt. II

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post, but much has transpired and the continuance of this subject required much prayer. So let's get to it!

So what is confession? According to the Bible, it comes in 2 forms: a) A sincere, simple statement of faith in Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 12:3), b) An open admittance of one's sins to others in the faith with the desire to be received and corrected in love (James 5:16). Of course the second type should be entered into with wisdom and in an atmosphere of trust. We just can't tell everybody anything, yet on that same token, we cannot continue among our brothers and sisters as if we have no struggles. It is a disingenuous act of denial at best and an outright lie at worst. Neither pleases God.

Why do we need it? Because the very nature of our humanity that is rooted in concern for only ourselves and that desires to be seen in the best light possible needs to be checked by the realization of our sinful nature and the need for a Savior from.....well, ourselves! We find this need fulfilled FIRST in Christ, confessing and repenting to Him. But also, we are to build bonds of mutual concern and desire for righteousness in one another by not hiding the process through which we come to maturity in God.

Let us build God's True Community by engaging one another in sincere love, honesty, with a spirit of humbleness and grace for each other as we share in our successes, failures, God pleasing moments, and trials of sin.

elder todd

Hiding in Plain Sight Pt. I

What happened to confession? Confession is the prerequisite of repentance, yet it has been corrupted, misplaced, pigeon-holed, and ultimately abandoned. The fact is, despite our honest and sincere faith in the Risen Savior, we ALL endure daily struggles with our own sin. But we all too readily ignore the Bible's relational prescription for our failings in vain attempts to maintain a false sense of piety. But avoiding confession does not at all remove the obvious need for confession, since whether we admit it or not, our sins are put on display daily for others to either see or discern.

We as Christians have taken the concept of confession as described in James 5:16 and twisted it in a variety of ways.

• Only being willing to confess to ordained leaders or "qualified" counselors
• Expecting only the newly converted, or "messed up" to confess and testify in lurid detail the extent of their sinful lives
• Avoid confession altogether in fear that admitting failings may harm the Body of Christ and plant temptations in others to sin that were not previously there.
• Viewing all of our shortcomings as the fault of someone else in a perverted interpretation of persecution. (See my posting entitled "Why We Need Persecution", particularly, the section "What Is Persecution?")
• Using confession as a remedy for being caught instead of openly and honestly acknowledging our sin, whether it was seen by others or not.
  

So besides our own vanity, what's the primary cause of our abandonment of confession? I believe it is the lack of TRUST. Confession in its proper use is dependent upon an assurance of sincere concern and security in the one receiving the confession. I've been personally focusing on the biblical concepts of fellowship and community and I have seen myself trending more towards encouraging less ritual in our churches and more relationship. When did we get to the place where every meeting must have a set format and official feel to it? I believe this enduring standard has hampered the organic growth and connectedness of the church. How can you get to know someone well enough to trust them with your life's issues by merely coming to a building and sitting, singing, or praying next to them? Take a moment and think about how in depth your relationships with your fellow church members really are, even the one's you call your closest friends. Have you developed the type of trusting relationship that would allow you to both share and receive in confession and sincerely pray and minister to to one another?

elder todd

1 John 1:8-9 (NIV)

⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Summer Recreation Program

The Agape Summer Recreation Program is featured in the Community Section of the Tribune Chronicle. Check out the article at http://tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/524496.html?nav=5005

The Agape Education & Development Center's 3rd year of Summer Recreation for area youth is in full swing. The center is open daily from 10am - 3pm with on site activities such as: basketball, football, volleyball, ping-pong, air hockey, table tennis, crafts, movies, board games, and much more! Lunches be served daily to all participants. For more information, visit www.agaperec.com.

Look out for an announcement for the 2009 Agape Car Show to take place on August 22nd!!

elder todd

You Didn't Say Nuthin' Bout No Kids, Man!

Why don't more Christians adopt? For all the Biblical arguments, lobbying, debate points, and protests of Pro-Life Christians, something is missing. Those you would think to be the primary subjects of the abortion issue are oftentimes strangely omitted from the discussion. The Kids. Certainly the legal and ethical question of abortion is a messy one with many variables to consider. But there is no question that greater familial and societal breakdowns feed the acceptance of this practice. Casual sex, casual marriage (if it actually occurs), and even more casual divorce all in one way or another lead individuals to consider conception as an expendable and deletable occurrence. Adding to this the tragedy of sexual abuse and rape that leaves no easy answers, we are left with a spiritual and moral dilemma of the highest regard. But what is the Christian to do besides argue a point?

We believe life begins at conception, that God "knows" us even before we are formed in the womb, and that life is a gift from God the Creator that no man should destroy. But once this life is realized in birth, now what? The fact is a decrease in abortions will undoubtedly lead to an increase of unwanted children across our nation. Are we willing to go to the same lengths we do to prevent and persuade others from abortion to care for the kids that will be born if they do see things our way? How much time, money, and effort will we devote to the upbringing of these children? Will Christians take up this mantle of responsibility in the way of adoption or foster parenting? Will churches offer the necessary support to encourage and uphold those families who chose to carry this burden?

The Bible tells us faith without works is dead, and that includes making bold proclamations of Biblical principles to our society with no intentions of fulfilling our own obligations in the matter.

Matthew 18:10 (NIV) "See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven."

elder todd

Praise Riot II Recap

For those who missed it, "Praise Riot II" was BLAZIN'!!! I'm so proud of the Agape Youth and all the churches and groups that represented. A quick recap:

Our own Sis. Alysha did an awesome drama of the woman at the well. The Agape Young Flaggers showed out, and the Agape Dance ministry was wonderful, not to mention the ultimate "hype man" Bro. Jarquis!

St. Paul presented a dance to "Seasons", Bro. Sean Elkins did what he does best (worship), while Elder Michael Scott, Jr. brought a powerful Word "Don't Contain Your Praise".

Greater Apostolic dance team took it to another level with "Stomp", 2nd Baptist Praise Squad was awesome (I wanna join the squad!), Min. Carson & Destiny International capped the evening with a moving dramatization of Christ's power to save & deliver! Minister Christina Chisholm kept it moving and the BAND! OH LAWD! LOL

A great job by all. Special thanks to Min. George Johnson, Jr. & Sis. Tamara, Sis. Satora, Sis. Shameika, and of course Pastor Johnson for pushing the Youth forward.

To Drink or Not to Drink?

The Word of God seems pretty clear in its stance on alcohol consumption. It speaks plainly of the sin of drunkenness and its consequences, but also describes the moderate use of alcohol as acceptable. The Pentecostal tradition I'm familiar with has vilified any and all consumption with alcohol, and actually that was more a product of the cultural climate of the early 1900's that gave rise to many of our prominent charismatic denominations. Remember, the formative years of most Pentecostal denominations coincided with the rise of the Prohibition movement, which I'm sure contributed to its stance.

Being staunchly opposed to drinking, I never thought I'd be the one to defend the practice, but too many Christians automatically assume that having a drink = not being sober. It also kills me when saints proudly declare "I don't drink", then they proceed to gorge themselves on mountains of food full of fat, salt, & sugar certain to bring more health issues than alcohol ever could! So it's OK to eat yourself to death, which Christians have been doing for YEARS, but heaven forbid someone has a drink!

Biblically, we know that scripture allows for alcohol consumption, but we should also know that:

1) Evidence is pretty clear that the wine of that day was not nearly as potent as what we find now in distilled liquors. Think about it, parties in those days lasted around 3 days (wedding at Cana), while ours last around 3 hours. If they really drank like we did of the same alcohol content, they all would've died fairly quickly.

2) Wine was a more common drink due to the poor quality of water typically available in Biblical days.

3) Both moderation and concern for the weaknesses of the brethren are scriptural keys to approaching the issue. (I Corinthians 8:9-13)

Even for those who feel liberated to drink, you still should consider your witness to the world (where and how you drink), concern for those believers who are weaker (recently delivered from addiction), and respect for the ministry God has placed you in. In other words, If you truly believe God has placed you under a particular leadership or tradition, you should submit to their authority in disputable matters. (Romans 14)

elder todd

Pentecost Lost?

May 31st was Pentecost Sunday. A day regarded as the "birthday" of the Church, a commemoration of one of the most important events in Christendom, a great day of celebration in churches across the globe....except for most Pentecostal Churches. How can that be so? How is it that congregations who proudly display the banner of Pentecostal, Full Gospel, Charismatic, or any other label that describes emphasis on the Gifts of the Spirit given to the Church and first exercised on this historic day in Jerusalem, all but ignore this day?

The reasons for this are varied:

There is a growing disregard for historical Christianity, which places the modern Church in a vacuum, all but disconnected from a legacy of spiritual empowerment spanning some 2,000 years. In other words, we glory in the NOW, the legacies of our own recent and brief heritage rather than the far more substantial impact of the historical Church, of which we are a part above any other affiliations.

Adding to that is the recent lack of concern for genuine Christian education, which provides the means by which each new generation is informed and brought into prayerful and meaningful observation of the Christian calendar, which brings me to my next reason......

Many contemporaries hold to the false notion that the "true" Church is not bound by ancient traditional or even modern observances.... except Christmas, Easter, Palm Sunday, Mother's Day.....you get my drift.

And finally and most tragically, perhaps our Pentecostal/Full Gospel/Charismatic churches aren't as Pentecostal as we claim. By our very own definition, the Gifts of the Spirit should flow freely and frequently in our worship, but do they? The same powerful move of the Holy Ghost that enables our Pastors, Elders, & Prayer Warriors to move forth in Tongues should be experienced by new generations of believers, not necessarily younger aged, but the newly converted and growing in Christ. When is the last time this has occurred in our churches? When is the last time someone who previously did not exercise the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, including speaking in Tongues, receive the Gift and operate in it?

These are hard questions indeed, and one risks being seen as a mere critic to point them out, but from time to time, it is needed. So perhaps, Pentecost is not lost, but we would do well to rediscover it.

John 20:19-23 (NIV)

¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

²¹Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²²And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

elder todd