Covenant and Consummation: How the Marriage Covenant is Confirmed

Of the many debatable aspects of marriage, one of the most hotly debated is when a person is fully married: 1. Covenant only? 2. Sexual union only? 3. Covenant and sexual union? I will contend for the third view. The marriage is not confirmed until the couple has been united.[1]

There are two reasons why I do not believe that covenant alone constitutes marriage: 1. If covenant alone constitutes marriage, the bible would not have made a distinction between espousal and marriage. 2. There would have been no need for the “evidence of virginity,”[2] or for the man and the women to “come together”[3] as “one flesh.”[4] This dual view of what constitutes a marriage is consistent in both the Old and New Testaments.

COVENANT ONLY:

The view that marriage is covenant only has no biblical support. It was at betrothal/espousal that the two parties entered covenant;[5] however, the bible makes a clear distinction between espousal and marriage.[6] The bible does use the term wife in reference to the betrothed or espoused; however, there is a difference between the espoused wife[7] and the married wife.[8] The terms married and betrothed/espoused are not synonymous. Married never refers to betrothal/espousal. Covenant only, is espousal, not marriage.

CONSUMATION ONLY:

Consummation or sexual union only is fornication, because it is outside of covenant. While marriage is not covenant only, covenant is an essential part of marriage.[9] The New Testament term for sexual union is “one flesh,” and is fornication outside of marriage.[10]

COVENANT AND CONSUMMATION:

As we have seen: covenant only is espousal only, and not marriage; but consummation only is fornication, not marriage. So, we are going to show in this section that both covenant and consummation is what constitutes a marriage.

In the taking of Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife, she was covenanted to be his wife in Genesis 24:50-51;[11] she received her dowry in Genesis 24:53;[12] yet she did not become his wife until he took her into the tent (Genesis 24:67).[13] John Gill says it was in the tent that Isaac, “consummated the marriage, first contracted by his servant, then confirmed by himself, and now finished:”[14] So, sexual union was necessary to consummate and confirm the covenant.

In the case of Joseph and marry we find this distinction between the covenanted espoused wife, and the consummated married wife. Joseph was her “husband,”[15] and she was his “wife,”[16] because they had entered the legally binding covenant of espousal/betrothal.[17] Yet, they were not married, because they had not “came together”[18] as one flesh, and Joseph “knew here not.”[19]

It should be abundantly clear that it takes both covenant and consummation to fully confirm a marriage. All it takes is a cursory reading of Deuteronomy 22 to see that until the marriage has been sexually consummated that the covenant has not been confirmed.[20]

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[1] Sexual union

[2] Deuteronomy 22:13-21 ESV: “If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then hates her 14 and accuses her of misconduct and brings a bad name upon her, saying, 'I took this woman, and when I came near her, I did not find in her evidence of virginity,' 15 then the father of the young woman and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of her virginity to the elders of the city in the gate. 16 And the father of the young woman shall say to the elders, 'I gave my daughter to this man to marry, and he hates her; 17 and behold, he has accused her of misconduct, saying, "I did not find in your daughter evidence of virginity." And yet this is the evidence of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the cloak before the elders of the city. 18 Then the elders of that city shall take the man and whip him, 19 and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought a bad name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife. He may not divorce her all his days. 20 But if the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman, 21 then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father's house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”

[3] Matthew 1:18 ESV: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

[4] Matthew 19:5-6 ESV: “and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

[5] “Espouse” Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Retrieved from E-Sword 08.04.11: “The espousal was a ceremony of betrothing, a formal agreement between the parties then coming under obligation for the purpose of marriage.”

“Betroth” Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Retrieved from E-Sword 08.04.11: “From the time of betrothal the woman was regarded as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed (Deu_28:30; Jdg_14:2, Jdg_14:8; Mat_1:18-21).”

[6] Deuteronomy 24:1 KJV: “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.” Here in this verse the KJV say, “taken a wife AND married her.”

Deuteronomy 22:22-23 KJV: “If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. 23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;”

[7] Matthew 1:18-20 KJV: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”

[8] Isaiah 54:1 KJV: “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.”

[9] Malachi 2:14 ESV: “But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.”

I want to point out here that marriage is never defined is scripture as a vow. So, it is a false premise when the regulations that the bible places on vows are placed on marriage. Marriage is a covenant, and not a vow. Covenants are conditional.

[10] 1 Corinthians 6:16-18 KJV: “What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.”

[11] Genesis 24:50-51 ESV: “Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing has come from the LORD; we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has spoken."”

[12] Genesis 24:53 ESV: “And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments.”

[13] Genesis 24:67 ESV: “Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.”

[14] John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Retrieved from E-Sword 08.04.11

[15] Matthew 1:19 ESV: “And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.”

[16] Matthew 1:20 ESV: “But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

[17] Matthew 1:18 ESV: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”

[18] Ibid

[19] Matthew 1:24-25 ESV: “When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

[20] See footnote 2

The Incarnation and the Permanency of the Son

The theme of this symposium is the incarnation. The term incarnation is defined as: “the act of manifesting or state of being manifested in bodily form, esp human form,”[1] or the “assumption of human form or nature.”[2] The term incarnation is not confined to theological use. However, in the theological context the incarnation is the event in which the one true God of the Old Testament was manifest in the flesh in the New Testament for purpose of redemption.[3]

I will not attempt to give an extended and nuanced definition of the nature Son’s relationship to the Father during the incarnation, as the purpose of my paper is to demonstrate the duration of the incarnation. Suffice it to say, that the Oneness view of the incarnation differs from the Trinitarian view of the incarnation in the following way: the Trinitarian view of the incarnation is that Son of God, the second person in the Godhead, was manifest in the flesh; whereas the Oneness view of the incarnation says that the Father was manifest in the flesh, flowing out of himself as the Son.

THE INCARNATION AND THE SON

The term Son, as it relates to the Son of God, is a distinctly incarnational term. Luke 1:35 clearly makes this point:

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35 KJV

The Greek, διό[4] (dio; therefore), makes the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, and the subsequent conception, the basis for calling the holy thing that was born of Mary the Son of God. This interpretation of Luke 1:35 is not just a Oneness Pentecostal attempt at denying the Trinity. This view has been held by many notable Trinitarians, some of whom deny the doctrine of “eternal generation” or “eternal sonship.”

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, although a proponent of eternal generation, recognizes the import of the language in Luke 1:35 when they say: “We must neither think of a double Sonship, as some do, harshly and without all ground, nor deny what is here plainly expressed, the connection between His human birth and His proper personal Sonship.”[5]

Noted Trinitarians that espoused the “incarnational son” view of that Trinity are Adam Clarke (Methodist),[6] Albert Barnes (Presbyterian),[7] and Dr. Walter Martin (Baptist), [8] founder of Christian Research Institute (CRI). However, since Marin’s death and succession by Hank Hannegraaff, CRI has amended its official position to “eternal sonship.”[9] Also, John Macarthur was a proponent of “incarnational sonship” until his recent recant.[10] So, you can see, “incarnational Sonship” is not a concept that is exclusive to Oneness Pentecostals.

THE SON AND THE RESURRECTION

God assuming human form and nature is where actual[11] Sonship began. Assuming the term “Son” is inextricably connected to the incarnation, then as long as Christ has what he assumed in the incarnation, then He may properly be called “Son.”[12] There is a small group among Oneness Pentecostals who deny the present Sonship of Jesus Christ. Bishop S.C. Johnson, of Philadelphia, PA, formed a sect with this teaching as one of its heresies.

The scriptures, however, are clear that the Sonship of Jesus extends beyond the resurrection; in fact, there is a dimension to His Sonship that can only be fully realized by the resurrection. Paul states this in Romans 1:4: “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:” The resurrection does not eradicate his Sonship, it more powerfully declares it!

Jesus is the Son of God post resurrection, because the humanity that He took on in the incarnation was raised in the resurrection. To deny the Sonship of Christ post resurrection, is to deny the Son was raised from the dead. For further reading on this concept I invite you to read John 20:21-31.[13]

THE SON AND THE ASCENSION

Not only was Jesus the Son of God post resurrection, Jesus is the Son of God post ascension; Jesus is the Son of God in heaven right now.

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” Hebrews 4:14 KJV

This verse clearly teaches that the one that is passed into the heavens, is Jesus the Son of God. Further proof that Jesus’ Sonship extends beyond the ascension is in the Apostle’s constant affirmation that Jesus “is” the Son of God.

“And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Acts 8:37 KJV

“And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” Acts 9:20 KJV

“Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” 1 John 4:15 KJV

“Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:5 KJV

Two things that the above verses have in common are: 1. Each of them are after Jesus’ ascension. 2. Each of them proclaims that Jesus “is,” present tense, the Son of God. There is no indication from the Apostles that Jesus, post ascension, ceased to be the Son of God; rather, to the contrary they constantly affirm his continued and abiding Sonship.

THE SON AND ETERNITY

Not only does the sonship extend past the resurrection and the ascension, it also extends everlastingly.

“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” Revelation 22:3-4 KJV

The throne of God and of the Lamb will continue into the age where there is “no more curse.” This will only be realized in the consummation of all things. God and the Lamb are described as “him” and “he:” God and the Lamb have one face and one name. The lamb, who is the Son of God, will forever be the face of the Father. The Son is God’s everlasting self revelation.

Finally, Paul demonstrates the everlasting sonship of Christ in 1 Corinthians 15:

“Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 KJV

This is often the proof text of Oneness Pentecostals to demonstrate that the Sonship will cease; however, it proves just the opposite. The obvious time frame discussed in this text is “the end” and beyond (vs. 24). Verse 28 says, “when all things shall be subdued unto him (Father), then the Son also himself shall be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” I conclude with a question about this text: “How can the Son be subject to the Father if he does not exist?” Jesus is the everlasting Son of God.

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[1] "incarnation." Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 10 Jul. 2011. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/incarnation>.

[2] "incarnation." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 10 Jul. 2011. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/incarnation>.

[3] John 1:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:19; 1Timothy 3:16

[4] Joseph H. Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1977, pg. 152. Therefore is from the Greek, dio,“on account of.”

James Strong, “For which cause.”

It is “on account of” the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary and causing conception that her child was to be called the Son of God. The title “Son of God” has inextricable causal connection to conception of the man Jesus in the womb of Mary. This is the very moment in which the incarnation was realized. Therefore the term “Son,” as it pertains to the Son of God, necessitates incarnation.

[5] E-Sword, version 9.5.1, Retrieved 07.10.11: “That Christ is the Son of God in His divine and eternal nature is clear from all the New Testament; yet here we see that Sonship efflorescing into human and palpable manifestation by His being born, through “the power of the Highest,” an Infant of days. We must neither think of a double Sonship, as some do, harshly and without all ground, nor deny what is here plainly expressed, the connection between His human birth and His proper personal Sonship.”

[6] E-Sword, version 9.5.1, Retrieved 07.10.11: His comments on Luke 1:35: “We may plainly perceive here, that the angel does not give the appellation of Son of God to the Divine nature of Christ; but to that holy person or thing, το ἁγιον, which was to be born of the virgin, by the energy of the Holy Spirit. The Divine nature could not be born of the virgin; the human nature was born of her. The Divine nature had no beginning; it was God manifested in the flesh, 1Ti_3:16; it was that Word which being in the beginning (from eternity) with God, Joh_1:2, was afterwards made flesh, (became manifest in human nature), and tabernacled among us, Joh_1:14. Of this Divine nature the angel does not particularly speak here, but of the tabernacle or shrine which God was now preparing for it, viz. the holy thing that was to be born of the virgin. Two natures must ever be distinguished in Christ: the human nature, in reference to which he is the Son of God and inferior to him, Mar_13:32; Joh_5:19; Joh_14:28, and the Divine nature which was from eternity, and equal to God, Joh_1:1; Joh_10:30; Rom_9:5; Col_1:16-18. It is true, that to Jesus the Christ, as he appeared among men, every characteristic of the Divine nature is sometimes attributed, without appearing to make any distinction between the Divine and human natures; but is there any part of the Scriptures in which it is plainly said that the Divine nature of Jesus was the Son of God? Here, I trust, I may be permitted to say, with all due respect for those who differ from me, that the doctrine of the eternal Sonship of Christ is, in my opinion, anti-scriptural, and highly dangerous. This doctrine I reject for the following reasons: - 1st. I have not been able to find any express declaration in the Scriptures concerning it. 2dly. If Christ be the Son of God as to his Divine nature, then he cannot be eternal; for son implies a father; and father implies, in reference to son, precedency in time, if not in nature too. Father and son imply the idea of generation; and generation implies a time in which it was effected, and time also antecedent to such generation. 3dly. If Christ be the Son of God, as to his Divine nature, then the Father is of necessity prior, consequently superior to him. 4thly. Again, if this Divine nature were begotten of the Father, then it must be in time; i.e. there was a period in which it did not exist, and a period when it began to exist. This destroys the eternity of our blessed Lord, and robs him at once of his Godhead. 5thly. To say that he was begotten from all eternity, is, in my opinion, absurd; and the phrase eternal Son is a positive self-contradiction... This doctrine of the eternal Sonship destroys the deity of Christ; now, if his deity be taken away, the whole Gospel scheme of redemption is ruined...The very use of this phrase is both absurd and dangerous; therefore let all those who value Jesus and their salvation abide by the Scriptures. This doctrine of the eternal Sonship, as it has been lately explained in many a pamphlet, and many a paper in magazines, I must and do consider as an awful heresy, and mere sheer Arianism; which, in many cases, has terminated in Socinianism, and that in Deism. From such heterodoxies, and their abetters, may God save his Church! Amen!”

[7] “This is spoken in reference to the human nature of Christ, and this passage proves, beyond controversy, that “one” reason why Jesus was called the Son of God was because he was begotten in a supernatural manner.”

[8] “The Bible clearly teaches, then, that Jesus Christ before His incarnation was the eternal Word, Wisdom, or Logos, of God…and further, that Jesus Christ is not called by Scripture the “eternal Son,” the error passed on from Origen under the title “eternal generation,” but rather He is the Living Word of God…Let us fix these things in our minds then: (a) the doctrine of “eternal generation” or the eternal Sonship of Christ, which springs from the Roman Catholic doctrine first conceived by Origen in A.D. 230, is a theory which opened the door theologically to the Arian and Sabellian heresies which today still plague the Christian Church in the realms of Christology.
(b) The Scripture nowhere calls Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God, and He is never called Son at all prior to the incarnation, except in prophetic passages in the Old Testament…
(d) Many heresies have seized upon the confusion created by the illogical “eternal Sonship” or “eternal generation” theory of Roman Catholic theology, unfortunately carried over to some aspects of Protestant theology.” (Walter Martin, The Kingdom of the Cults, pp. 102, 103—1977; pp. 116, 117—1985; pp. 169, 170—1997 rev., updated, expanded anniversary ed., Hank Hanegraaff, general editor [with minor additions and deletions]; pp. 138, 139—2003 rev., updated, expanded ed., Ravi Zacharias, general editor [with minor additions and deletions].)

[9] Hank Hannegraaff, http://www.equip.org/site/beliefs. 07.11.11 “Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, who took upon Himself human flesh through the miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary.”

[10] John Macarthur, http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/A235_Reexamining-the-Eternal-Sonship-of-Christ, retrieved 07. 15. 2011

[11] I used the word actual, instead of literal, for my friend, Bro. Nance. J

[12] Although the sonship of Christ is much more nuanced than what I am presenting here, the narrow definition that I am using is sufficient to make my claim.

[13] “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. 30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:24-31 KJV

Redefining Success

"Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, 'Is there any man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it. 6 And is there any man who has planted a vineyard and has not enjoyed its fruit? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man enjoy its fruit. 7 And is there any man who has betrothed a wife and has not taken her? Let him go back to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.'" Deuteronomy 20:5-7 ESV

Verse 5: It is more important to be successful on the home front, than it is on the battlefront.

Verse 6: It is more important to be successful in harvest field, than on the battlefield.

Verse 7: It is more important to be successful in consummating covenants, than conquering with comrades.

There are many more valuable endeavors than being a war hero. Our time will come to fight, but when it does let us make sure our home is in order. Let our sense OF fulfillment come from our finished homes, our fruitful fields and our finalized covenants, and not our bloodshed.

Gentlemen, let's go back to our houses.

(Inspiration from today's Scripture reading.)

“Okay, I’m a Home Missionary, What Now?” - By Rob McKee

“Okay, I’m a Home Missionary, What Now?” - By Rob McKee

25 Things Home Missionaries Should Do

It was September 10th of 2001 when I walked out of the Texas District Offices as a Home Missionary to Katy, Texas. The Next Day, September 11th a small group of evil nuts turned four American planes into weapons of senseless destruction. The Next Day September 12th, I became a father for the first time. Since those three very different eventful days there have been countless more highs and lows. I’ve faced many disappointments and failures, but thank God there’s also been some victories. There have been days when I felt like our church was on fire...yet other days I wanted to set it on fire myself. I remember clearly the days when our largest crowd was 30...and vividly remember the hysterical joy I felt when we had over 60 in attendance on Sunday. God has been with us and we have seen a harvest in the city. In the past 11 years God has helped us to start two daughter works and another POK campus church. Now that our weekly attendance is over 400 I find myself more introspective about how we got here. I don’t claim to know the answers for every church situation, however I do feel like God has revealed some things concerning our church growth.

In prayer this morning the Lord prompted me to write down some of the lessons I’d learned in the 11 years of being pastor of The Pentecostals of Katy. I hope that something in this list will bless you and the church you are launching.


1. Dream Big & Promote Big - Develop A Brand of Church
* Write the vision make it clear
* Create a church identity. People need to start thinking of themselves as “a church” not a group of individuals.
* Referencing picnic or event as “our annual ______” (even if it’s your first time) builds the long-term idea that you aren’t going anywhere.
* Make the most of what you have and don’t highlight (talk about) what you “don’t have”.

2. Don’t Be Stupid, Lazy or a Quitter
* Your character will support or destroy your ministry
* Being reckless will destroy everything.
* Work the church like a job...don’t quit when things get difficult.
* When you are tempted to explode and do something rash - Don’t. You know when you are not in your “right mind”, learn to accept that your thinking is probably clouded by frustration, negativity or lack of sleep and avoid “doing what you feel”.

3. Win Every Week
* There can be no throw away services.
* Build an expectation of revival. It will take time but eventually people will come to expect a move of the Holy Ghost every service.
* Someone recently told me “You can’t have a grand-slam every Sunday”. They were wrong. As long as Jesus is in the batting line-up it CAN happen! Load the bases and let Jesus take over.

4. Be a Risk Junkie
* Jesus indicated that fear of risk is sin (parable of servants with the talents)
* Trust God, it’s His church
* Don’t be foolish but you must trust that God will make a way
* You cannot outrun God. “Waiting to see what will happen” is useless. You are a God-Called Preacher...make something happen!
* James said “...faith without works is dead.” Give God a “little action” (works) that he can honor with a miracle.

5. Design Your Services For Soul Winners...not guests
* Not everyone in your church will bring guests...get over it. Most churches have a few key individuals that bring a majority of the guests who visit.
* Identify and brag on those who bring guests. Make them them heroes. It will inspire others to get involved and those who “are already doing it” to become “super-soul winners.
* Develop a team of people who “know” how to pray guests through to the Holy Ghost. I believe it is un-biblical to “seek” for the Holy Ghost. God wants everyone to receive. If praying people through is a hit & miss experience reach out to someone who knows how to do it and ask for help. Don’t be afraid to change “how” you have always prayed with people. Pray for wisdom and boldness in the altar. If you do not have a large prayer team it will be up to you. Work the altars and pray them through to the Holy Ghost.
* Soul winners need only a few things to be motivated:
* Preach Acts 2:38 and Acts 19 at some point in your sermon
* Get their loved ones into the altar
* Pray them through to the Holy Ghost
* Get them baptized in Jesus Name
* Explain any confusing religious practices (shouting, speaking in tongues)

6. Put People To Work
* When people come to your house for dinner and ask to help, the worst thing you can do is tell them “no, go sit down and relax”. They are telling you they feel ridiculous. If you want them to relax, give them a job to do.
* Never give an assignment without asking for some commitment. Don’t make all job description commitments the same. Create shallow ends of the ministry pool.
* Make them sign their name. After giving them a simple job description with a few specific requirements, get them to sign their name at the bottom. This way, they’ve agreed to the above requirements. People tend to take the requirements more seriously. They may actually read them carefully. If there’s a need for correction, you are simply asking them to keep the commitment they’ve already agreed to.

7. Keep Your Family as the Church’s VIPs
* Don’t apologize to anyone for taking time for your family. Let everyone know they are priority.
* Include your children in the benefits of being “in charge” of ministry. They will experience many negatives of being the pastor’s kid, let them experience a few benefits.
* Don’t feel guilty about asking saints to babysit so that you and your wife can have a date night.
* Let the church honor you. It may be uncomfortable, but when your church blesses you on special days it helps the congregation. God will honor the church that honors leadership. Teach them what is right. If you do not feel comfortable doing this bring in a seasoned evangelist or minister to teach on honoring leadership. Understand that it is not about you, it’s about the office.
* Take time occasionally to rehearse what you want your kids to remember. Say things like:
* “Isn’t great it is being the pastor’s kid?”
* “Isn’t it awesome working for God?”
* “We are making a difference in so many people’s lives. Isn’t that an wonderful?”
* “I’m so glad God sent us to this city, aren’t you?”
* “Isn’t it cool having a dad who is a pastor?”

8. Embrace Technology but Don’t Have an Affair With It
* 84% of guests that visit your church have already looked for you on the internet.
* The internet is the new “church lawn”. It will tell guests to “come for a visit” or “stay away”.
* Try not to make your web presence so cool that it becomes confusing or send the wrong message. I have seen very traditional churches with websites that look like a skateboarder created them. They were sending false information. Your website ought to have the same “feel” and “experience” as your best service.
* Be careful not to spend so much time on tech that you have no time for prayer and studying. A cool powerpoint slide or transition will never be anointed...but you will IF you prepare.

9. Preach Exactly What You Want
* If you want people to be baptized, preach baptism...if you want people to tithe...preach tithing...if you want them all to come to the altar...preach a message on why they ought to..etc
* If you are afraid of preaching a certain subject, preach it anyway with extra boldness. Use wisdom and be prepared but preach it so strong that you’d be scared not to obey.
* Take an occasional “off service” when it’s just membership and teach “church strategy”. Why we do what we do, what we do when guests visit, how should we introduce ourselves to guests, why everyone needs to shake hands..etc. Don’t get upset with folks about something you’ve never taken the time to explain. Just because doing or not doing something is “common sense to most people” doesn’t mean you have “most people” attending your church. Teach them “why”...even the basics.

10. Talk About Yourself Regularly (...but don’t be arrogant)
* Information implies relationship. The more they know about you the more they think they “know” you. Every day people run up an hug celebrities because they “think” they know them. They falsely assume relationship based on their knowledge of their lives. As pastor you can use the same principle to connect with people in a very subtle way. Look for opportunities to use personal examples in your sermons. They will never forget them. The next time they hear a similar story on their job they might respond, “Y’know my pastor had something similar happen to him one time...”. If you’ve used your example to make a spiritual application they might repeat the same lesson to their co-worker.
* When you share personal miracles, heartbreaks or tragedies

11. Keep Good Records
* How will you know if you are succeeding if you don’t keep track.
* Regular yearly Attendance trends could make the difference on you giving up or staying until the next up-swing. There have been many times that I’ve been encouraged by seeing we had an attendance drop around this same time last year...however...that year’s low was higher than the previous year.

12. Figure Out How To Join Your Church Then Tell Everyone Else
* If you cannot simply explain how to “join” the church, how will anyone else know?
* People need some type of “graduation” into church membership otherwise they may always feel like an outsider.
* Giving a regular “2nd altar call” for “Bible Studies” and or “Membership Experience” is a great way to respond to the day’s sermon even if they did not come to the altar to pray. You might be surprised what an impact your message had even if they showed no signs of emotional connection.

13. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)
* If a policy, job description or program is too complicated it will probably not be repeatable.
* There’s a better chance of someone keeping 5 Specific Rules than remembering 20 vague ones

14. Focus On 2nd Time Guests
* Anyone can be a first time guest. Focus on people who didn’t hate it so much they were willing to try again.
* Develop a 2nd followup program for 2nd timers.
* First-timers can eat up all your time and energy - especially if they don’t like what you are doing.

15. Confront or Quit
* If someone is violating a rule listed on an agreed Job Description, it is your responsibility to confront kindly but quickly
* If you are afraid to confront, you have lost them already.
* Remember, negative people in leadership positions are “appalling” not “appealing” new people.
* If you aren’t willing to enforce a requirement for ministry...then it’s not a real requirement. There are only two options: Erase it off the Job Description or Enforce it.
* If you are scared of people (or losing people) then you aren’t working for God. You must remember that you do not work for people, you work for God.

16. Give Up Politics For Pastoring
* While it is good to help with sectional or district work, the day you make politics primary over your pastorate you are hurting your congregation.
* Be a servant to help other churches but remember your saints are the ones God has called you to. Get your ministry affirmation from growing your church not from sectional or district offices.

17. Develop a Preacher Club
* Start a young minister’s class early - if you do not mentor them someone else will.
* Make it easy to join class but to stay in you MUST be committed.
* Develop a strong minister’s covenant that you are willing to enforce
* Find ways to use them in service.
* This group of men (and women) will be your greatest support in times of trouble.

18. Celebrate What You Want To Duplicate
* Need more Sunday School teachers? Start bragging on the ones you have.
* Does everyone one in the church know what you get excited about?
* Does everyone know what a “awesome service” is? Tell them...then tell them again.
* Talk about good things that happen and you will see them happen more.

19. Force Your People To Be Friendly
* Have an extended time of hand-shaking during the service (DO NOT GET IN A HURRY)...be a leader...let the musicians keep playing but keep everyone off the platform until every hand has been shaken.
* It may take some time, but you must create a climate where established saints are comfortable talking to sinners.
* If someone resists because of fear of germs...buy them some hand sanitizer.

20. Practice Your Elevator Gospel
* Regularly repeating the gospel will not only build expectation with your soul winners but it will teach everyone how to explain clearly what they believe.
* In the time that it takes to ride up two floors in an elevator, you ought to be able to explain what you believe and how someone “get’s saved or into covenant”.

21. Continue The Flow of the Mighty Mo
* Momentum can be manufactured.
* any sense of something unexpected or new (even something negative) can be the substance of positive momentum for the short term
* Create something unexpected EVERY weekend.
* Substantially Improving on something (Facility, materials, program or quality of leadership) keeps the Mighty Mo...moving forward

22. Be Strategic About Your...well..everything
* Think about the benefit of every program, every event...think in terms of strategy.
* Never stop thinking through processes and programs. Is there a better way?
* Think in steps not programs. Sometimes you have to learn the methodical process of walking with the intent of running eventually. Ask yourself, where are we headed long term?
* Early on we discovered that most churches in our area dismissed around the holidays so we started planning big events around the holidays. Sure, had regulars out of town but we would compensate with many guests. It turned into one of the key methods of getting "religious" church attendees of another faith to "finally" attend our services.

23. Recast a Clear Vision And Kill Committees
* If you don’t keep a clear detailed accurate vision in front of the people, they will come up with one of their own. If you happen to disagree, you have the potential for trouble. Dream in vivid color.
* Committees create losers. Get unofficial opinions, but never vote.
* If you need help in an area of weakness, give guidelines to someone with that strength...then release the task. If you want the final approval option tell them to bring 3 options when you first assign the task.

24. Develop Strong Daily Habits
* A regular time with God will become more difficult as the church grows. Establish a set time and practice for private time with God. Try not to make too many exceptions.

25. Stay Apostolic
* Too often we have lost good revival-minded men due to the glamor of success by non-apostolic churches. They may have thousands gathering every Sunday, but if their multitude has not obeyed the gospel then you’ve got more people “in the church” than they do.
* The greatest asset you have is the Apostolic Gospel and message of separation. Don’t run from it, hide it or be ashamed. Preach it. Practice it. The world is fascinated by it. Some will walk away over one issue of holiness. Be okay with that...Jesus was (the rich man who had kept all the commandments)
* Your greatest and most visible strength (especially when you are starting) is a manifestation of the glory of God. Don’t downplay a move of God...it’s the best thing you’ve got going for you.
* Read their books and digest the information, just make sure you've "chewed" on them a bit before you swallow everything they say.

Finally...Be encouraged....you CAN build a church if you refuse to quit! Home Missionaries, your name may not be illuminated on a marquee but you are being applauded by the Father of lights.

Rob McKee
The Pentecostals of Katy
www.thepok.com

Biblical Bad Guys Unearthed

TEL EL-SAFI, Israel (AP) — At the remains of an ancient metropolis in southern Israel, archaeologists are piecing together the history of a people remembered chiefly as the bad guys of the Hebrew Bible.

The city of Gath, where the annual digging season began this week, is helping scholars paint a more nuanced portrait of the Philistines, who appear in the biblical story as the perennial enemies of the Israelites.

Close to three millennia ago, Gath was on the frontier between the Philistines, who occupied the Mediterranean coastal plain, and the Israelites, who controlled the inland hills. The city's most famous resident, according to the Book of Samuel, was Goliath — the giant warrior improbably felled by the young shepherd David and his sling.

The Philistines "are the ultimate other, almost, in the biblical story," said Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, the archaeologist in charge of the excavation.

The latest summer excavation season began this past week, with 100 diggers from Canada, South Korea, the United States and elsewhere, adding to the wealth of relics found at the site since Maier's project began in 1996.

In a square hole, several Philistine jugs nearly 3,000 years old were emerging from the soil. One painted shard just unearthed had a rust-red frame and a black spiral: a decoration common in ancient Greek art and a hint to the Philistines' origins in the Aegean.

The Philistines arrived by sea from the area of modern-day Greece around 1200 B.C. They went on to rule major ports at Ashkelon and Ashdod, now cities in Israel, and at Gaza, now part of the Palestinian territory known as the Gaza Strip.

At Gath, they settled on a site that had been inhabited since prehistoric times. Digs like this one have shown that though they adopted aspects of local culture, they did not forget their roots. Even five centuries after their arrival, for example, they were still worshipping gods with Greek names.

Archaeologists have found that the Philistine diet leaned heavily on grass pea lentils, an Aegean staple. Ancient bones discarded at the site show that they also ate pigs and dogs, unlike the neighboring Israelites, who deemed those animals unclean — restrictions that still exist in Jewish dietary law.

Diggers at Gath have also uncovered traces of a destruction of the city in the 9th century B.C., including a ditch and embankment built around the city by a besieging army — still visible as a dark line running across the surrounding hills.

The razing of Gath at that time appears to have been the work of the Aramean king Hazael in 830 B.C., an incident mentioned in the Book of Kings.

Gath's importance is that the "wonderful assemblage of material culture" uncovered there sheds light on how the Philistines lived in the 10th and 9th centuries B.C., said Seymour Gitin, director of the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem and an expert on the Philistines.

That would include the era of the kingdom ruled from Jerusalem by David and Solomon, if such a kingdom existed as described in the Bible. Other Philistine sites have provided archaeologists with information about earlier and later times but not much from that key period.

"Gath fills a very important gap in our understanding of Philistine history," Gitin said.

In 604 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invaded and put the Philistines' cities to the sword. There is no remnant of them after that.

Crusaders arriving from Europe in 1099 built a fortress on the remains of Gath, and later the site became home to an Arab village, Tel el-Safi, which emptied during the war surrounding Israel's creation in 1948. Today Gath is in a national park.

An Israeli town founded in 1955 several miles to the south, Kiryat Gat, was named after Gath based on a misidentification of a different ruin as the Philistine city.

The memory of the Philistines — or a somewhat one-sided version — was preserved in the Hebrew Bible.

The hero Samson, who married a Philistine woman, skirmished with them repeatedly before being betrayed and taken, blinded and bound, to their temple at Gaza. There, the story goes, he broke free and shattered two support pillars, bringing the temple down and killing everyone inside, including himself.

One intriguing find at Gath is the remains of a large structure, possibly a temple, with two pillars. Maeir has suggested that this might have been a known design element in Philistine temple architecture when it was written into the Samson story.

Diggers at Gath have also found shards preserving names similar to Goliath — an Indo-European name, not a Semitic one of the kind that would have been used by the local Canaanites or Israelites. These finds show the Philistines indeed used such names and suggest that this detail, too, might be drawn from an accurate picture of their society.

The findings at the site support the idea that the Goliath story faithfully reflects something of the geopolitical reality of the period, Maeir said — the often violent interaction of the powerful Philistines of Gath with the kings of Jerusalem in the frontier zone between them.

"It doesn't mean that we're one day going to find a skull with a hole in its head from the stone that David slung at him, but it nevertheless tells that this reflects a cultural milieu that was actually there at the time," Maeir said.

http://news.yahoo.com/israel-diggers-unearth-bibles-bad-guys-095524724.html

Slavery: Sermon Notes By Pat Donahue

Pat Donahue is a Church of Christ friend of mine. He and I have debate a few times. However, racism is an issue that we agree on and I wanted to post sermon notes that he sent me after reading my last blog.

Slavery

Two types of slavery in Bible – physical and spiritual

Physical slavery – two types – forced and indentured:

· Genesis 40:15 Joseph forced into slavery

· this also was allowed as the spoils of war - Deuteronomy 20:10-11 When you approach a city to wage war against it, offer it terms of peace. If it accepts your terms and submits to you, all the people found in it will become your slaves.

· indentured slavery was not necessarily forced (except possibly by a court of law to pay off debts) - Leviticus 25:39-43 If your brother becomes impoverished with regard to you so that he sells himself to you, you must not subject him to slave service. He must be with you as a hired worker, as a resident foreigner; he must serve with you until the year of jubilee, but then he may go free, he and his children with him, and may return to his family and to the property of his ancestors. Since they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they must not be sold in a slave sale. You must not rule over him harshly, but you must fear your God.

· I Tim 1:10 forced slavery is wrong under the New Testament - “slave traders” in a newer translation.

· Matthew 5:43-44 New Testament does not allow Christians to fight in war (and take slaves).

· Even under the Old Testament, kidnapping a fellow Israelite for slavery was wrong – Deuteronomy 24:7 If a man is caught kidnapping one of his brother Israelites and treats him as a slave or sells him, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you. (NIV)

Spiritual slavery – switch from Satan to Jesus:

Romans 6:16-18, Galatians 2:20

I am not a Racist Because...

black people come to my church. While this is miles ahead of some congregations, it is not proof that one is not a racist. I have been amazed, even in the last couple of years, at pastors who have stated their discomfort with the idea of black people attending their churches. I had one pastor in particular admit that his church would not accept black members. He expressed that someone would need to start a separate church for the blacks of his community, and if they did he would support it, but did not want them coming to his congregation. I sincerely pray that he and his congregation repents of its racism.

It seems absurd to me that a bible believing Christian could sympathize with this kind of racist sentiment, much less accept it. Racism is a blatant denial of the Genesis account of creation. Modern racism is inherently rooted in Darwinian Evolution. Racism and Christianity are mutually exclusive. The scriptures clearly teach: we all have the same ancestral parents (Gen 3:20), the same blood (Acts 17:26) and the same kind of flesh (1 Cor 15:39). I will expound further on this idea in later posts.

I am wearied with hearing Apostolics making excuses for racism. As Apostolics we should have been past this a long time ago. Instead of following culture on this issue, we should be leading the way and changing culture. Historically the fight against slavery in North America was founded and fueled by Christianity. At some point the church silently withdrew from the battle. This will be picked up in a later blog as well.

Seeing that I digressed, let me continue my original point. Claiming you are not a racist because black people attend your church proves nothing. That would be like saying Lincoln's or King's America was not racist because black people lived in America. Or like the plantation owner denying that he is a racist because he has black people living and working on his plantation. Or like the modern NAACP claiming they are not racist because they have white members.

You see, it is not the presence of black people in your world/nation/culture/church that determines whether or not you are a racist, it is the equality of treatment once they are present that is the determining factor. I could begin a list of "you might be a racist if" criteria here, but I choose not to. I simply wanted to make the point that just because you have black people in your church does not mean you are not a racist.

I will make one brief observation here. If you use the N-Word in reference to black members, and especially to their faces as I have see done many times, you are a racist in need of repentance. This offensive word has been used from Apostolic pulpits by men who claim not to be racist. My question is, what definition of racist are you using? And what exactly would one have to do or say to be considered a racist?

Pride: The Inevitable Christian Sin.

Recently, while discussing two different issues, the propensity toward pride was forwarded as the reason why certain things should be preached against. I commented in one of the conversations that the pride argument does not resonate with me, as several essential components of the Christian walk inevitably lead to pride. This is no reflection on whether or not these individuals were right about the issues under consideration, but potential pride should never be the basis of one's objection. The objection to a practice must always either be rooted in scripture or charity.

Apostolics struggle more with pride in our standards of separation than anything else. I have had to check my spirit, and even repent, many times in the past because of feeling prideful superiority. This sense of superiority arose out of comparing myself to other Apostolics who had a lesser standard; they were saved, but not quite as saved as me. My friend Daniel McDonald stated it best: "Some of our standards of separation are enforced to separate us from other Apostolics, and not the world."

If you have never had to repent for this kind of pride you have not truly seen yourself. Pharisaical pride is the ever present danger of seeking to please God by living a separated life. We must watch it ever so carefully. The flesh will always take good or evil to far. The Pharisees are a perfect example: they took the 10 commandments given to Moses and ended up with 613 rules. This, of course, led to the abundance of pride that Jesus continually rebuked in the Pharisees during his earthly ministry.

Let me say it a little more palatable: There is no Christian that has not had that awful moment where they realized that they were not as spiritual or holy as they thought they were. This is the inevitable pride that we have all fallen prey to. We have all had an Isaiah moment where we cry: "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips." The ultimate proof of pride is when this revelation comes as a shock to us.

Yet no one, certainly not myself, would suggest that we abandon a godly standard of separation because it so often becomes a source of pride. The proper response is not to abandon the things that have a propensity to pride, rather we make the proper adjustments in our spirits so that we can view them with the proper perspective.

Prayer, fasting and tithing can be a source of pride (Luke 18:9-14). Surely no one would suggest that we abandon either of these truths. The Jews laid arrogant and exclusive claim to God himself. For the Jew, worship itself was a source of pride.

Since worship, prayer, fasting and tithing can all be sources of pride, I have decided that the only way to avoid pride is to become and atheist. :)

In all sincerity, we are to pray for God to put "things" in perspective and allow us to assign proper value to them. This is the mature way to handle "things." It is the immaturity of the child that compels the parent to take the new toy away from the child because he keeps bragging and showing it off to the kid whose parent can't afford to buy him that toy. Do not abandon the toy, make adjustments to the child.

If we always take the toys away, we perpetuate the immaturity of the child. It is imperative for the child to learn maturity in these matters. He needs to mature to the place that he can have the toy and treat it, and his friends, with the proper respect. This is a lesson we must learn as children of God. Don't be a child who can't handle the toys.