springbible.org

Whether or not Spring Bible Fellowship actually happens is up to God.
One of the things that I am wanting to stress is:
Bible Teaching : Personal Application
Stressing Salvation, Sin, Repentance
Wanting to have everyone know… what the Bible says, not just what the pastor is saying.
We will probably be the only church in Houston to NOT teach that tithing is binding on the church today… so much for manipulation for budget sake!
So… keep us in prayer as I(We) move forward.
Thanks
Ken

Are we, as Christians, so mesmerized at our little corner of the Christian world that anything that passes as Christian is immediately embraced without “testing the spirits”? Has Satan made us so numb that we are not able to discern the spiritual? Have we surrendered our priesthood for a seat in the pew? Have we been conditioned to “shut up and put up” rather than be truly one.

I am afraid that we have equated the institutional commercialized church with the real assembly of the saints called out by God from the world to be His own possession. We have made a church in the image of man and has asked God to bless it, as if it was the one that He gave His only Son for.

Have we so blurred the lines between the authentic and the synthetic? Are we ready to face our God and explain all that we did in His name was really worth it and not just wood, hay and stubble?

Are our little temples testifying to the unity of believers or to the McDonaldization of the faith? Are we not bought with a price? Have we so trampled the blood of Christ that going to church and tithing are the only requirements of those in the faith?

Where are the prophets of God? Where is the defense of the gospel? What have we done with His song, Ma?

I just finished visiting a very interesting website regarding tithing and how most churches have not only embraced this doctrine, but totally shoved the poor right out of the door. Churches that teach tithing are in danger of falling into the realm of the Spiritual Abuse iceberg.
The post below was cut-n-pasted from the cre8d journal and I had to share it, especially since the “building” that requires my attendance is one of those mega-churches in Houston built in the “right” zip code. No, it’s is not Lakewood, that would be too obvious.

Are we selling Christianity as cool?

How cool do you think everyone thought Jesus was when he hung out with Samaritans? How cool was Jesus when he let his feet be washed at the dinner table by non other than a prostitute, in the presence of religious leaders? How cool was Jesus when he told the rich young ruler to go and sell everything he had and give it to the poor? Yes, what Jesus has done for us is cool, but what He asks of us is by no means cool! To follow Jesus requires sacrifice of everything. While others go and have fun, God may call you to lock yourself away in a cupboard for 3 weeks, to go without food, to lose all of your friends because of your beliefs. Is that cool? Sure, the rewards at the end may be cool but the process sure as heck isn’t sometimes. To sell Christianity as something that is ‘cool’ is one of the worst things that can be done to someone. For when the bad times come, as they most certainly will, their faith will simply disintegrate. Too many people are lost from the Church because they are sold the lie that it’s cool to be a Christian and everything is great when you are one.

Other than that, when Jesus said “Go”, I think He meant “Go”. To build shrines and expect people to come is not fulfilling the great commission. Going to where the people are and meeting them where they are at is what Jesus asked us to do.

As far as Hills is concerned, I’ve been there a few times. Their entire thing is professional. Top quality stuff. But I could get the hype and positive affirmation from any multi level marketing campaign meeting or at a Football game. I don’t ever recall Jesus hyping the crowds up into a Frenzy over how splendid the temple looked and suggesting that a multi-level stable be built. On the contrary, Jesus’ gentle words persuaded His followers to ponder greater feats of loving their neighbor and making sacrifices for the benefit of those in need. He then sent us out to preach His brand of love to the world.

We get so caught up in the ’saving people from Hell’ part of the Good News of the Gospel that the ‘loving your neighbor’ part is forgotten.

In most cases, I can’t see the poor, the homeless and the unloved coming along to expensive palaces to find God. In many cases, I know of such churches turning away such people as not to cause offense to those who sit up the front in their smart suits and write out hefty checks to make sure things run on budget. How sad it is when those Jesus cares so much about are turned away because they “don’t fit in”. After 2000 years, has that much changed? The temple is still an exclusive zone for the religious and those who need to hear remain outside the walls because we sit inside in our comfortable pews waiting for them to enter. And if they do, are we prepared to meet their needs, whatever they are? Whosoever they are??!

A Short List of things that the traditional plan of the church STEALS…
(http://www.visionofthechurch.com)

1. MONEY
If you pay money (especially “tithe”) to the pastor or leaders of the church–(which is usually used mostly to support a building which is used largely for Christian use–and pay the “full-time” ministers/pastors of the church–who spend most of their time serving YOU instead of spreading the Gospel) you are loosing much of the resource that God has given you to carry out your own ministry.
Imagine if—-you took the money you give to your church and used it directly as the Lord leads you to spread the Gospel directly.

Questions: Which would please God more?—Which is more Biblically correct?

Within the system of church operation–MONEY–is stolen from the believer.

2. TIME
Think of the time you invest in “going” to church. When you go to church every Sunday (and perhaps another day of the week)–you spend time in a system which does not witness the Gospel directly–but rather in worship and teaching–which are things that benefit YOU—and not reach out to the world around you. Think of how much time you spend, organizing your life so you can attend church and……
Imagine if…….you took that time, prayed for the direct leading of God, and worked together with other believers to directly further the Gospel as He lead you. You could spend time feeding people who are hungry–or praying for the sick–or helping the homeless–or visiting people in prison. There are endless ways that you might accomplish these Gospel goals that the Bible outlines for us………BUT, if some of your time is stolen by the tradition that says you must spend hours and hours each week in a system that only benefits YOU?

Then within the system of church operation–TIME–is stolen from the believer.

3. EFFORT
How much effort do you put into the system of church? Are you involved in the “ministry of the church”? Do you spend much effort working within the church (being an usher–a “deacon” working within the music ministry or the cleaning ministry–etc.). Now, the Bible does tell us that some of us are called to do ministry within the church—but the ministries that the Bible describes within the church are teaching and pastoring. The Bible describes these “in-church ministries” in the plural sense. The church in the Bible had groups of pastors and groups of teachers who operated together to carry out these ministries. Probably you are NOT a “pastor” or a “teacher” within the church–instead you spend effort (and perhaps an awful lot of effort) “serving” the “pastor”.
This is Biblically incorrect–the focus of the church is meant to be toward the furthering of the Gospel. Biblical pastoring and teaching are meant to lead others to (quickly) become ministers of the Gospel themselves–not “hold under authority”.
Imagine if……You spent the same effort you spend within the system of church, but your focus was to teach and personally guide others to find their ministry. Many of us within the church have these gifts–they are extremely valuable to God–and very important. The ministry of pastors and teachers is much needed. Imagine if you worked together in a church with others who pastored and taught new believers–leading them quickly to work with you, and become servants of God with you as brothers and sisters in the Lord (not “under” you!)

Question: If we spent more of our effort working together to release people to ministry–do you think the Gospel would be spread more quickly?

Within the system of church operation–EFFORT–is stolen from the believer.

4. MINISTRY
Within the system of church operation that tradition has handed us, your ministry is stolen. Your priesthood is stolen. If you pay money to the ministry of another priest (the “pastor”)—then YOU are not a priest. Your ministry is stolen–robbed—”run-over” by the ministry of someone who is supposedly “greater” than you. You can listen to and receive from the ministry of the leaders—but you do not spend much time, effort or money DOING ministry—WITH your brothers and sisters if Christ–which is what the assembling of the church is meant to be.
The Bible describes all the church as a priesthood (1Peter) and calls all believers in the new covenant “priests” (Acts). Your priesthood is your ministry. The Bible says that ministry is NOT authority over other believers—but the people who established the functioning of the church (in the Dark Ages!) believed strongly in a system of “ministerial authority and rule”. They established the format of church operation which focused on teaching and worship (and little else) as a format which would rule over people.
If another “minister” “rules over” you—your ministry is subverted. The “pastor” of your church may stand in the pulpit each week and honestly encourage you to minister—but he is still standing in the pulpit—”ruling over” you to some degree. And so the ministry time we have together is stolen.
In the Bible they broke bread together as equals (Acts 2, Acts 4) operating in small groups usually in their homes. They prayed in the Spirit and received Gods’ direct instructions for how they should minister. They did this all the time—as a group–on a daily basis (not “everyone everyday”–but someone was ministering the Gospel ALL THE TIME—since they were obedient to work in small groups–as Jesus had demonstrated).
Imagine if……We operated our ministry in small groups together, instead of “under the authority” of one “minister”–in a large group.

Questions: Do you think the Gospel would spread faster and more efficiently? Do you think that the ministry of all the church would be used by God to appeal to the lost and needy in the world–if we were obedient to be “sent” as the Bible commands us?

Within the system of church operation–MINISTRY–is stolen from the believer.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL…
WHAT IS TRULY STOLEN……
IS THE RESOURCE THAT JESUS NEEDS…..
WHICH IS ALL OF US—WORKING TOGETHER–TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL.