Lessons from a Dumb, Poor, Street Kid

Today’s article is going to be a little different. I am going to be showing a video that some may have taken the time to watch in the past, and others, maybe not. This is actually based on my first message at Mosaic and was an attempt to not only let the congregation get to know me, where I come from, and my personal make up, but also a challenge that if God can change the life of someone like Anthony, He can change individual lives within a community, within a home, and within a church. I will post the video from my presentation at Third Day in Fresno California, and then some objective lessons for folks to consider. It is best to watch the video first, then read the commentary after the video.

Please, if you have not seen the video on The Story of Anthony, take the time to watch. Simply double click on the video, and if the video don’t appear, just click on the link. After watching the video and listening to the story come back and read my thoughts as presented to Mosaic. While this will take some time, I am confident it will be worth while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpZbGbNWU10



One of the first things I want people to become aware of from a Biblical perspective, after listening to the story of Anthony, is that according to Galatians 2:20 that once we come to have a relationship with Jesus, we become new people. I still have the name Michael Anthony Furches but I am no longer the same person. I have become completely new. It is just like the verse says:

Galatians 2:20 - I have died, but Christ lives in me. And I now live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave his life for me. (Contemporary English Version)

The person I was has realized that Jesus is bigger than my problems. He is with me every day and the problems I had as Anthony no longer exist in the way they did before. I have realized something else from this passage though, something what we can all learn, whether individuals, organizations, or churches. These are what I believe to be lessons we can learn from the story of Anthony.

First, God loves the undesirable. You may think you have done things that prevent God from loving you. That just isn’t true; God loves you no matter what you have done. There may be things you have done that he don’t appreciate or like, but as a person, he loves you and wants to change you, no matter if rich or poor, black or white, abused or an abuser, a saint or a criminal, or any other number of conditions you want to place on your life. It is one of the things I think the church needs to do a better job of, that is letting those who society considers undesirable know that Christ loves them and wants to have a relationship with them that will ultimately provide love and compassion to those needing it and wanting it most. I also understand that sometimes the hardest person to love us is ourselves. God can, and wants to change that. We can become people who are lovable, even in our own minds.

Second, God changes things whether situations, people, or churches. God wants your situation to see new light, to see and have hope. In my life, I experienced this; it has changed everything about me, no matter where I am, or what I am doing. I know for a fact, that God still works miracles.

Third, people change when they allow God to change them. I had to make the decision to let God change my life. I was sick of the things I had experienced in life; even after becoming a Christian I didn’t realize my need to let God change me. It wasn’t my fault, I didn’t know, but ultimately I had to experience the consequences of my actions. I believe that when individuals, organizations, families and yes, churches allow God to work in them, they will see and experience change like Anthony. The bottom line is they have to want it. If you don’t want it, you won’t experience it.

Fourth, when one gets back to the basics God Works. It is like sports, the basics, the fundamentals are key to the development of a team and the skills and talents of an individual. I learned the basics and fundamentals are the keys to spiritual growth, not just for me, but any individual, group, organization, or church. Those basics include the following.

Bible Study: The Bible to be the ultimate love letter and instruction manual from the creator of the universe. It is designed to help one understand God, fall in love with the person of Jesus Christ, seek the forgiveness of the things we have done wrong and at the same time, give us instructions on how to live meaningful and productive lives.

We have to allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us. We all receive the Holy Spirit in our lives at the point we come into relationship with Jesus. The problem is we don’t understand what the purpose of the Holy Spirit is. He is there to guide us, help us in our decisions, helps us decipher right from wrong, help us understand the Bible, and much more. We are told in the Bible that the Holy Spirit gives us power. Unfortunately we don’t understand how to realize that power.

We have to be willing to share our faith with others. I know that when this happens, people often say things about us or criticize us, even calling us hypocrites. I believe that sharing our faith is good for at least 2 reasons. One it allows us the opportunity to share our faith with others in a way we may see them come to faith. Secondly, it has others hold us accountable. I write in my book The Keystone Kid a story about a friend confronting me about my faith after I had been saved a short time. He confronted me about smoking dope in his room with several others. I’ll never forget Darrell telling me that if being a Christian was about being able to smoke dope he was good with becoming a Christian. If I hadn’t told Darrell that I was a Christian, he would have never been able to say something to me. That confrontation helped open my eyes that I needed to stop smoking dope. No church was there to help me with this, but God used my willingness to share my faith, to have non Christians confront me about areas that I knew wasn’t quite right in my life.

Prayer is another basic of the faith. Simply put, prayer is talking with God in the way we would talk to friends. We can talk to God about the person giving us a hard time in traffic, or about our bills, disagreements with our spouse, a test in school, a disagreement on a message board, or anything. We don’t have to use special language or anything like that when speaking with God. I compare this to a husband and wife talking with each other. Unless they are willing to spend time talking together, they simply won’t get to know each other. God wants to spend time talking to us, and listening to us.

Another basic to our faith is the need to spend time with other followers of Jesus. I realize many associated with The Virtual Pew may not be involved in a church for whatever reason. That does not negate the need to spend time with other believers though, whether that be finding a local church to be a part of, or attending Christian events. Many towns may have a coffeehouse where you can go listen to bands. There may be speakers or worship events in your community. I personally love small groups or small gatherings in homes where you can talk about faith and at the same time worship God. I have a deep passion and love for the church, but we need to remember, the church isn’t a building but a people, to experience church with a people is ultimately important, and while it is great if you can ultimately plug into a gathering of people which meets in a building, the relationships with each other is the thing I am talking about. I have found that a single person in a large gathering of Christians can get lost if they want. Meaningful relationships with friends, where you can hold each other accountable to right wrong, love, and so forth, is something we all need and can find, even in small settings.

The above are ingredients of getting back to the basics. There are other things to learn from the story of Anthony though. Another is people and Churches can come back to a place where God will work in their lives. The truth is, all people, individuals, groups, organizations and yes, even churches get to the place were we become the focus instead of God. God, his worship, his love for humanity, his love for us, has to always be the primary message. That message of love and salvation through Jesus Christ is critical. While we may stray from that at times, we can always go back home. God is a loving father who will receive us back with wide open, loving arms. We can keep on the same path, going the same direction, seeing little or no effectiveness in our spiritual lives. We don’t have to though; we can experience the power, love and life offered by God through his son Jesus if we just go back home.

While we can learn more with the story of Anthony, I want to close with the concept that with God all things are possible. We read about this in the Bible in the book of Philippians.

Philippians 4:13 - Christ gives me the strength to face anything. (CEV)

I have learned in my experiences that this is true. I realize my strength is in the person of Jesus Christ. I can face difficulties, hard times, yet I can also joy and find myself doing things I can only do because Christ has blessed me.

I still consider myself a dumb ol’ street kid from Tennessee. I should have never experienced the things in life I have, from working with many of the top bands in the world, to calling certain great Christian leaders friends, and having the blessing to meet many individuals some consider stars. There has been more though, nothing compares to performing a wedding ceremony for your daughter or baptizing your son. Nothing compares to having a wonderful wife, or a ministry that has touched the lives of thousands. Those things should have never happened to me, yet they did. I am confident that my God is so big that they can happen with you as well. That is whether you are an individual, a part of an organization, or a part of a church in need of change. The question isn’t what God will do, but will you allow him to do what he wants to? If so, you will learn that the hopes and changes that occurred in my life, can also occur in yours, and for me, that would be a incredible miracle to see happen. Anything I can do to help in the process, don’t hesitate letting me know.

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God May Just Bust You In The Mouth / The Power of Love

One of the things I hear about on occasion is how some people think I am critical of the Church. I try to be careful about this, why may you ask? Simple, where I come from, you talk about a man’s wife or girlfriend, you are libel to get your nose busted. The Church, according to the Bible, is called the Bride of Jesus. When talking about the bride of the son of God I think you have to be careful.

It is annoying at times; people confuse the church, those who love and follow after Jesus, with an organization, denomination, or building we call church. The truth is, like it or not, what we call church is nothing like the church we see in the New Testament. Unfortunately many Christians have become so involved with politics they end up spinning everything to support their positions, even when those positions are wrong.

It is sad when a ministry like The Virtual Pew tries to hold the church accountable to be the church we see in Acts and ends up getting criticized by some who call themselves Christians, and even beyond that, some which call themselves, The Church. It is sad for a variety of reasons, let me touch on a few of those.

One of the concerns I have is that those who call themselves Christians find excuses to not do what the Bible tells them, and even finds excuses to keep on having what they call church, not resemble, follow, or be anything like the church in the New Testament. Some will say the culture is much different, or the early church did things because of persecution, or any number of issues. While there are certainly cultural issues we should take into account, we have to be careful when picking and choosing.

In the book of Acts we see the church described in specific ways. We see those ways being supported from a historical position. They pretty much existed this way until Constantine, around 270 AD provided a mixed political, and religious culture that changed the way the world viewed Christianity. I challenge, Constantine, his decisions, and the marriage of the geopolitical religious system, may have done more harm to the church as Christ desired, than many give credit to.

There are many passages we can look at in the Bible regarding the early church, I like looking specifically at Acts 2:43-47:

(43) Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. (44) All the Lord's followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. (45) They would sell their property and possessions and give the money to whoever needed it. (46) Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, (47) while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

I could go into a great deal of detail here. Many make the association that the early followers of Jesus, the Church, were communal. While there is some truth to this, notice in verse 44, there was certainly a level of individualism, and certainly a concept that some did not live together in the sense we may think. We also see this in other passages. There are other things to notice though. Notice their unconditional love for each other, their view and concept of ownership, possessions and so forth. There was a genuine concern and measure of love to the point they went out of their way to help and show love to each other. In fact, they wanted to be together, each day, unlike our desire in churches to see each other once a week, if that.

It is sad, my experience, even recent experience, continues to show me, that most of the time, many in the church have forgotten about this concept of sharing in each others lives. For example, my family is in the process of again looking for a church. Several people are encouraging me to start a new church and we are contemplating that option. Recently, we decided the church we were attending was not meeting our needs. There was a need for more relationship building and it just wasn’t happening. We also felt strongly about finding something for my wife and son to become involved in. To be honest, I could care less about going to church; I want my family to be a part of a church that encourages us to be the church, at the same time, showing that love, that passion, that vision as explained in Acts and other places.

Now I have to be careful, I am not intending to slam a church, either the one we attended or the ones we are looking at. Yet the facts are the facts, we have not heard a single word from the churches we have attended and are searching out, or the one we just left. Sharing in each others life is still lacking in my opinion with what I call “the modern” church. I could go into detail here, but that is not the intent of this piece. Let me ask, if we who read our bibles daily, pray daily, spend time in service, and make the commitment to try and be as much like Jesus as possible experience this, have difficulty with this, how much more difficulty does one face who is weak in these areas? Let me make it clear, the early church was about relationship, and love towards one another, why do churches today talk about this, but not do it? I am even disheartened, that those churches who are trying to be different, have become the very things they hated. I challenge that most churches have failed. Attendance don’t increase, and there are far more churches dying than there are being born, and far more followers of Jesus, otherwise known as Christians, who are not attending church than there are who are. Studies show that within 10 years, as many as 75% of those who read their bibles, see it as Gods’ word, believe in and have made Jesus their Lord and Savior or as I like to call it their Forgiver and Leader, who believe they should live their faith out on a daily bases, pray on a regular basis and so forth, will not be attending a church service on a regular basis, and will in fact, not be involved with what we call an organized church. Today it is estimated that 55% of all Christians fall into this category.

Many times, when I say what I say above, there are those (facts supported by the Barna Research Group, and by Gallup) who are inclined to put those Christians not in church down, stating that they are immature, can’t be Christians or followers of Jesus, or they aren’t Christians. The sad thing is studies also show, these individuals are practicing their faith, doing more, than many who are in church. Often time, Christians who are critical, do nothing about trying to reach these people.

The great mistake many make when they hear me comment on this, or read my words is they assume I am tearing down the church. It is not my intent to tear down the church, but to challenge her to be the bride that Jesus desires. The unfortunate truth is, often times the church resembles the whore of Hosea in the Old Testament, as opposed to the Bride of Christ in the New Testament. While God is calling out people to confront the church with truth, many times, just as in the Old Testament and New Testament, the religious leaders, and religious practitioners are so caught up in their individual beliefs and pride they don’t see the reality of what they are being confronted with. The end result is the church is dying and followers of Jesus are leaving what could be a wonderful and good thing, not the building, but the fellowship that could exist if what we call the church chooses to practice church as we are given directions to in the Bible. While there are numerous passages, I strongly encourage a study of the book of Acts, and Ephesians to start off with.

It is the hope, and the desire of The Virtual Pew, that we help those who can, to plug into a local body of believers, but we want to make sure those churches are being Christ to their communities, but even more importantly, to the individuals who are needing the love. We want to see a passion, love, concern, and objective to share the love of Jesus with those needing it, at all costs, becoming all things to all people, in order that they may win some. We want to see people also become disciples, dedicated followers of Jesus, not just “Christians.”

Here are a few tips to help churches that I have learned and am convinced of.

Love each other first. I don’t want to imply that you pretend to love each other, but really love each other. It becomes obvious to outsiders when you do. But this means doing what it says in Acts 2. If you can’t do that, don’t expect to be effective. Loving and caring for each other in fact should be the first responsibility to each other. I will share a brief story of a lady I was speaking to who lived in the projects who did not attend church. She indicated to me that she had gone to a popular church in Wichita and when it was her husbands’ birthday, who had not been in church, the church said it would take too much time to recognize his birthday in any way. How does this show love? At United at the Cross, we always sang happy birthday or happy anniversary to everyone who was celebrating one of these two days. I can honestly say, it never took that much time, and was always worth it. Loving in each others life, means sharing in each others life, the good, the bad, the sad, and the happy, without excuse.

Churches should see the souls you are trying to reach as people loved deeply by Christ, don’t view them as projects. I know of no one who likes being a project. I have made this mistake and am doing my best to not replicate it. The last time I did this was in the year 2000. I still regret it and wonder if me doing that has anything to do with that person still not accepting Christ. Luke 15 is clear, when that which was lost is found, all of the angels in Heaven above rejoice. We should join in the celebration not because we want to party, or pat ourselves on the back, but because we love the people we know and come into contact with. Relationships are always more important than projects. Churches talk about how important people are, but have so many projects the people, their needs, their hurts, wants and desires are never addressed.

Understand the value of reaching out to the non churched. I love Spurgeons’ quote, “God forbid that one would die within the shadow of the steeple of the church not knowing the love of Christ.” On this I love the Catholic Parish concept. Start in your neighborhood. I really think we have made a terrible mistake in developing commuter churches where we never get to know our neighbors and never serve our communities. Thankfully we now have the means to communicate better; things like blogs, email, and so forth have helped. As much as they have helped though, there is still no replacement for a hug, a real conversation, and a face to go with the person you are sharing in life with.

Don’t compromise the integrity of the Gospel, or the salvation provided through Jesus Christ. In this process neither should we ignore the sin nature, and the need for forgiveness. While I believe it in the concept of grace, I receive grace, even though it is my sin which separates me from God. The mistake some make is they assume that just because one may focus on grace, they forget about sin. This is a serious mistake, just as serious as a constant focus on sin without ever explaining the grace provided by Christ.

On the above point I realize many read this not knowing the “Christian” lingo. Essentially what I am speaking of is we all do wrong, have done wrong, and will do wrong, that is the sin nature. God is so perfect, loving, holy, and good, that he can’t stand to be in the presence of sin. Grace is simply getting something good that we don’t deserve. None of us deserve the salvation offered by Jesus, yet God, when we were still doing wrong, loved us so much that he made this gift available to each us. Don’t let the religious zealots convince you that you have to be perfect and holy to come to God. We come as we are, and Christ provides salvation when we believe and follow him.

I could go on and say there are other critical things to understand but these are the places for the church to start if it wants to break the cycle. Unfortunately, I don’t see much hope for the “church”. Many in the church have forgotten the church is not, never was, and never will be a building, it is a people. Most all followers of Jesus say so; they just don’t act like it. Then again, they keep loosing people and don’t understand why. There is a wonderful line spoken by Cuba Gooding Jr. in the movie The Fighting Temptations. His character is changing the choir of the local church, people are coming to church for the first time, the church is growing, but one of the older choir members challenges that things are changing in the church. The character played by Gooding Jr. responds essentially, “yes the church will change when there is change.” If the church wants to see change, it has to change. Let me challenge you, if you church is dying what do you have to loose. It is for this reason that I do consultation to churches on growth and evangelism. I have learned from experience. Between providing consultations to programs in the real world that resembled churches, and then doing that with churches for over 20 years now, I am confident that I know what works; it is why I challenge people to compare fruit with me when they doubt the reality of this. Now on this point, also realize, Mega Churches are another breed. While some of those churches are growing, there is no doubt; most of them (not all) are doing so at the expense and deaths of smaller churches where those churches are “stealing the sheep of smaller churches.” The research is conclusive, while mega churches may be growing, there is less Christians involved in church, and more Christians or followers of Jesus leaving the church. This can not, nor should it ever be acceptable. Any church, who is satisfied with growing their congregations on the backs of small churches, will have to answer to God for that. I know hard words, but I believe totally true. It is time to be a part of the solution, as opposed to a part of the problem.

In closing, I always get tons of email on articles like this. It usually comes from two groups, those in churches, denominations, buildings and so forth, who blast away and try to argue every point. They are critical, and in return don’t do much to go out of their way to change the status quo. To those, keep on killing the bride of Christ, because the truth is, either you are the church Christ desires, or you are not! Continue being effective at doing nothing, and reaching no one, you will die, if you aren’t already, and you will keep on getting what you are likely getting now, nothing. Then there are those who understand exactly what I am saying because they have been hurt, abandoned, left out, not understood and so much more. It is to those people that I say, you are the reason The Virtual Pew exists. Anything I can do to help out, let me know. Thankfully I have some friends who agree with the process, and between them and me, we will do what we can to be different. Heck, if living in the Wichita area, we are even open to exploring the possibility of starting a group that will do and become exactly what I am talking about. We are real and I promise, thankfully at this point, haven’t become the very thing that kept us out of church. I promise, we will eat with you, share in your difficulties, share in all things, and you will never have to ask first because I realize our responsibility to be there for you. I think we all want that, I just pray we all get there. If in another part of the country, we will do what we can on line, and if possible, at least recommend you to other churches we know about. While I can’t guarantee any church, I can guarantee that we will try to show love, not just talk about it, even if that means putting you in touch with people who will love, care, and be as much like the church in Acts as possible.

I would like to say one last thing, to those like myself, who either have, or still do fall into the category of what I call, The Last, The Lost and The Least. I know what it is like to be an outcast, to feel that no one understands or cares. This can be because of being homeless, having family issues, drugs, broken homes, abuse and so much more. I am tired of people talking about showing us love, and in reality backhanding us on their way to their social clubs they often call church. There is no excuse for people to say they follow Jesus and act like this. The truth is, some of us know that many do act like this, and in fact, our experience tells us that most act like this. To you I say come on along with The Virtual Pew and be an instrument of change, an instrument of change to do things the way we are called to, but more importantly, be ultimately, when we can, an instrument of change to those organizations who call themselves church but in reality look nothing like the Bride of Christ. We have access to a world wide web now where you don’t have to be alone. Whether in Australia or the backwoods of Kentucky, we can come together, help each other, love each other. I say this, not because you need it, although you may, but because I know I need it and we can share in life together.

I am convinced there are many great churches, that are doing all they can to follow the process and be a loving bride, we just don’t hear about them. They exist within many denominations and many non denominational churches. They realize it is Christ who is a loving husband, a loving forgiver of sins and a loving leader who is there for us, to love us, hold us, and comfort us. We are always looking for those types of churches as well to refer people to. To those of you who are trying to be the church we read about in Acts and other parts of the New Testament, I say congratulations and may God’s Spirit bless you. If there is anything we can do to help, let me know as well. I would love to know enough about you to use you as a reference to the people who come to The Virtual Pew and are looking for a local body of believers to worship with. Whether a small home church or a large mega church who attempts to grow based on new followers of Jesus or reaching out to others I call The Lost, The Last, or The Least, we desire communication with you as well. Visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ to learn more about our ministry, or feel free to contact me via email at mike@thevirtualpew.com I can think of nothing I would love doing more, than growing, and assisting the Church as Christ desired the church to be.

When the Church loves, and is the church Christ desires, we can see the power of love. Check out the video below for an old classic with a ton of metaphor and allegory, listen to the words. Just double click on the video below, if that don't work, just try the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NMph943tsw


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The Dr. Phil Of The Jerry Springer Crowd

Jerry Springer and Dr. Phil in the same title, tell me it can't be true. Well it is true, and I am sure the contribution today will raise more than a few eyebrows.

I have a confession that runs the risk of gaining a few friends, and losing a few others. I have to admit, on occasion when flipping through the television channels, I stop and watch what some call the worst show in the history of television, The Jerry Springer Show. I could take it a step further, I have actually studied The Jerry Springer Show and while I often have serious issues with the program, I have come to really appreciate Jerry Springer's mastery of how to control an audience, and his ability to interview and create situations that at the very least, in a controversial way, creates riveting television.

On the other hand, I have on occasion also watched Dr. Phil. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of what I call "Junk Psychology" but Dr. Phil is a master at being able to give some resemblance of help to people who need it in varying situations in a short period of time. I actually appreciate what I consider his Gestalt techniques at times and know that for many a viewer and many a guest, he has indeed been responsible in helping make a difference in their lives. Having been a student of psychology and counseling, and a counselor myself, I have also studied the approach of Dr. Phil.

I have often wondered, how in the world would you take an approach like Dr. Phil and address the people who are more in tune with Jerry Springer, after all, it is no secret these are two distinctively different audiences. Recently while flipping through the channels I found myself stopped at a particular program, impressed with someone offering sound, solid, and appropriate advice to the Jerry Springer Crowd. Someone who I felt was filling a niche that hadn't been met.

Steve Wilkos, a former marine and beat police officer stands 6' 3" tall and has a talent that causes him to be what I consider the Dr. Phil of the Jerry Springer Crowd. For fans of the Springer crowd you will simply know him as Steve, the bald headed chief of security for the Springer show. As of recent he has been hosting various shows ranging on various topics. I have to admit, Steve's approach is one I really appreciate, and one completely different than Jerry Springer. In fact, when Steve is hosting a show, one might say it doesn't resemble The Jerry Springer Show, it is totally different, with a different focus and a different approach. Sure there are some of the overt Springer events, the handing out of the Jerry Beads, pole dancers and those types of things, but it is obvious this don't fit so much into the personality of Steve as it does the producers of the television show. In fact, at times, it is obvious Steve is not comfortable with this direction of the show when hosting it.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not endorsing The Jerry Springer Show, even when Steve is hosting, I am saying I find value in Steve's approach and I believe he is helping people, both on screen and off screen who are members of the Springer fan club. Steve in essence, with his background as a police officer, and years of observing Jerry Springer work a room, may have found his true gift in life, being the Dr. Phil of the Springer Crowd.

I am amazed at how people are different. There is the white collar crowd, the ones working Wall Street, involved in investments, living in the suburbs, drinking Heineken and on and on. Then there is the blue collar crowd, the ones working in the factory, living in panel houses or housing projects, those who drive cars more than 10 years old and drink Pabst Blue Ribbon. The sad thing is it seems as if society places a higher value on one group of people over another, which is a shame; it is a shame because in the eyes of God, both groups are of equal value.

The truth is, it is just as important for the fans of Jerry Springer to have sound advice, in their language, and in their world that can offer a glimmer of hope. While ultimately that hope comes from God, it is nice to know that some folks like Steve Wilkos is there at least making some level of progress. Whether he is helping a hooker get off the streets, or offering advice to a pregnant daughter to develop a more appropriate relationship with her mother, the advice can be solid and of benefit. Again, not just to the person on the screen, but to the viewer at home who is attracted to this type of program.

In the Bible, we often read analogies of how Christians are like a family, brothers, sisters, that type of thing. We also hear of an analogy of growing up, being like a baby, drinking milk, and then becoming more mature where you can eat more adult types of food. There is another analogy that fits here though, that is the Church, or people of God being like a body. Here you have a body that has hands and feet, fingers and toes, arm pits and, well you can imagine. All are important parts of the body, all are needed, all are essential to helping the other parts do their jobs. Sometimes that body is dirty from working dirty, difficult jobs, sometimes that body is clean but mentally drained from working on detailed, organizational jobs, but, they all serve each other, and all are needed to truly bring about a complete and perfect body. I find it sad, that often times people ignore the dirty, the so called insignificant, and in return there is little respect for the one who never seems to get their hands dirty. The truth is we need each other.

There are numerous passages in the Bible that help illustrate this, today, I want to close with looking at the entirety of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12. After reading it, ask yourself, what kind of gifts can I give? What kinds of things can I do to help others? How can I do it in a way that allows me to be who I am? Then after answering those questions, apply and start work towards your answers. I'll tell you right now, if God can use the Dr. Phil of the Springer Crowd he can certainly use you. I don't know for sure, but I would suspect that even Steve Wilkos, Jerry Springer, and Dr. Phil would agree on that point. Here is the chapter to read, think about, and apply.

1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual Gifts
(1) My friends, you asked me about spiritual gifts. (2) I want you to remember that before you became followers of the Lord, you were led in all the wrong ways by idols that cannot even talk. (3) Now I want you to know that if you are led by God's Spirit, you will say that Jesus is Lord, and you will never curse Jesus.
(4) There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. (5) There are different ways to serve the same Lord, (6) and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do.

(7) The Spirit has given each of us a special way of serving others. (8 ) Some of us can speak with wisdom, while others can speak with knowledge, but these gifts come from the same Spirit. (9) To others the Spirit has given great faith or the power to heal the sick (10) or the power to work mighty miracles. Some of us are prophets, and some of us recognize when God's Spirit is present. Others can speak different kinds of languages, and still others can tell what these languages mean. (11) But it is the Spirit who does all this and decides which gifts to give to each of us.

One Body with Many Parts
(12) The body of Christ has many different parts, just as any other body does. (13) Some of us are Jews, and others are Gentiles. Some of us are slaves, and others are free. But God's Spirit baptized each of us and made us part of the body of Christ. Now we each drink from that same Spirit. (14) Our bodies don't have just one part. They have many parts. (15) Suppose a foot says, "I'm not a hand, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the foot still belong to the body? (16) Or suppose an ear says, "I'm not an eye, and so I'm not part of the body." Wouldn't the ear still belong to the body? (17) If our bodies were only an eye, we couldn't hear a thing. And if they were only an ear, we couldn't smell a thing. (18 ) But God has put all parts of our body together in the way that he decided is best.
(19) A body isn't really a body, unless there is more than one part. (20) It takes many parts to make a single body. (21) That's why the eyes cannot say they don't need the hands. That's also why the head cannot say it doesn't need the feet. (22) In fact, we cannot get along without the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest. (23) We take special care to dress up some parts of our bodies. We are modest about our personal parts, (24) but we don't have to be modest about other parts.

God put our bodies together in such a way that even the parts that seem the least important are valuable. (25) He did this to make all parts of the body work together smoothly, with each part caring about the others. (26) If one part of our body hurts, we hurt all over. If one part of our body is honored, the whole body will be happy.

(27) Together you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is part of his body. (28 )First, God chose some people to be apostles and prophets and teachers for the church. But he also chose some to work miracles or heal the sick or help others or be leaders or speak different kinds of languages. (29) Not everyone is an apostle. Not everyone is a prophet. Not everyone is a teacher. Not everyone can work miracles. (30) Not everyone can heal the sick. Not everyone can speak different kinds of languages. Not everyone can tell what these languages mean. (31) I want you to desire the best gifts. So I will show you a much better way.

Footnotes:

1 Corinthians 12:10 and some of us. . . present: Or "and some of us recognize the difference between God's Spirit and other spirits."
1 Corinthians 12:13 Some of us are Jews. . . that same Spirit: Verse 13 may also be translated, "God's Spirit is inside each of us, and all around us as well. So it doesn't matter that some of us are Jews and others are Gentiles and that some are slaves and others are free. Together we are one body."
1 Corinthians 12:31 I want you to desire the best gifts: Or "You desire the best gifts."



Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are numerous postings, and you will have to go into the archives to see the 100 plus postings over the last months.

Now I also want to remind you that you can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page scroll down to the left hand side of the page where you sill see our store. Your purchases through our Amazon store provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something on the page to buy, you can click on the search engine for the store, (do not put anything in the search box at this time) and you will then be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew and/or at the very least shop our store. The items on the store page are highly recommended.

Oh Yea, here is that contact information again.
The Virtual Pew
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217

Or you van give on line via Pay Pal at: http://www.furches.org/donations/index.html

To become a part of The Virtual Pew, visit, http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ To learn more about me visit http://www.furches.org/ I am also active on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/mikefurches I have another blog at http://blog.myspace.com/mikefurches To visit the Hollywood Jesus group at MySpace with membership by numerous Hollywood Jesus reviewers visit: http://groups.myspace.com/hollywoodjesus For a more in depth weekly study and conversation you an visit: http://virtualpewsermon.blogspot.com/ where you can access deeper teaching and ultimately videos for viewing and teaching. You can also subscribe to the newsletter at http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ or see the newsletter on line at http://thevirtualpewnews.blogspot.com/ You can also sign up for the free newsletter from The Virtual Pew by visiting the main page for The Virtual Pew, or you can see the newsletters online by visiting this web site: http://thevirtualpewnews.blogspot.com/ You can contact me via email at mike@furches.org or mike@thevirtualpew.com For those interested in knowing more about my own story, contact me for a free e-copy of my book The Keystone Kid in pre-edit form.

Oh Yea! Porn Baby!

Sometimes I have writers block as was the case yesterday but today, the juices are flowing. I read a friends blog this morning, and checked out a video he had posted from YouTube. The video features a ministry I have respected for some time now, xxxchurch.com. xxxchurch.com simply put, gets it. They get the fact that Christians are to develop relationships with those in the world and love them in then name of Jesus. Unlike so many other Christians, they have decided to get their hands dirty. The truth of it is that getting your hands dirty while doing the work of Jesus shouldn't be something new, in fact, it should be expected.

For far too long many Christians have assumed that being a Christian means you go to church, hear a few songs, maybe, if you’re a really good Christian go to Sunday School, listen to the teacher or preacher, then go about doing your regular thing, whatever that is for the remainder of the week. How unfortunate and how sad that is the perception of many, if not most Christians. Somewhere along the way, the message of loving Him and loving them got lost. Somewhere along the way, the concept of showing love to others unconditionally was lost. While there is the, "You are going to Hell" crowd,that loves to justify their own holiness, I have to wonder if their actions aren't more like the Pharisees than they are the acts and methods of Jesus. While watching the video this morning, I was moved and compelled by the pastors of xxxchurc.com Craig Gross and Mike Foster as they described the need for Ron Jeremy, who they have a friendship and professional relationship with to know Jesus. These two are seen as ones who won't deny the existence of Hell but they also demonstrate the fact that Ron Jeremy can be forgiven for all of the wrongs he has done, and ultimately find salvation through Jesus Christ. The amazing thing about the interview is that while some may take offense to the methods and efforts of xxxchurch.com Jeremy seems to be supportive of it, even saying the Porn industry needs them.

There is a lot that one could get into but there are three basic Biblical principles that I will touch on today. Jesus says in Matthew 16, verse 18 to Peter, "……upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it." There is a concept here that I would touch on, that is, the church is on the attack. It is not sitting back waiting for the evils of the world to attack it, it is instead, attacking the gates of Hell. Hell as exemplified in the city gates of Jerusalem was also referred to as Hades. Hades, interestingly enough wasn’t just a spiritual place. Outside the city gates of Jerusalem it was a real place, a place where the extreme poor, the prostitutes, the lepers and all others were at work. It was in fact, a dirty disgusting place, yet many theologians and archeologists like Ray Vanderlaun believes that these are the very places we saw Jesus and the early church, on the offensive, going to disgusting dirty places, taking the message of love. Christians met together on a regular basis, sharing in each others lives, but they also went out into the deepest, darkest places of their community, sharing the love of Jesus with the very people many found disgusting. What ever happened to the churches efforts to do those things? I wonder about this when realizing that xxxchurch.com's greatest critics are those within the church.

Another Biblical concept is that Christ made clear; the greatest of all commandments was given in Luke 10:27, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF" Jesus goes on in verse 28 and says, that of all of the commandments none are more important or greater than these two, for when we keep these two, we have kept all of the commandments. Now think about that, part of loving God is loving others, we are to love Him, we are to love them! Isn't it sad that so many churches, so many Christians find ways to not love others? We talk about all of their sin, all of their wrongs, all of their dirt, all of their filth, but we can't find the time or ability to love others. Thank God that some like xxxchurch.com get it. They get it and are taking the love to Jesus to places where many Christians don't accept or tolerate. I have to wonder, how big you think that smile is on the face of Jesus regarding the obedience these people display. I can't imagine, the smile for the joy of obedience, but at the same time the sadness knowing that these are people he loves, yet few go out of their way to show that love. Jesus obviously went out of the way to show prostitutes and those involved in sexual wrongs that he loved them, yet we find excuses not to.

There is a third Biblical concept I will conclude with. There is a passage I love that is one of what I call the hard sayings of Jesus. Luke 9:23 is one of the hardest sayings in the entire Bible, but Jesus gives some very clear instruction here. He says; "If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me." All too often we hear about how hard it is to be a Christian like Jesus wants us to be. It is easy for many Christians to stay in their little cubby holes, having nothing to do with anyone but their friends, and not take the work that Christ has called us to seriously. That is a shame, and I believe a sin. Jesus never promised that it would be easy; he even compares the work here to taking up the cross. I will challenge, Jesus knew full well what it meant to take up the cross. He knew his own future in this regard but it didn't change the work he did. Neither should it change the work we are expected to do. We are commanded to reach our friends, neighbors, family and acquaintances with the message of Jesus love. It is the one and only thing that we can't do once we get into Heaven. In fact, Jesus stated himself that he came to this earth to seek and save the lost, which are those that have not experienced his love. We are told Jesus is the only way to experience that love, he went so far as to say that no one would know the Father in Heaven unless they first knew the son, or himself. Jesus knew these things, the Bible is very clear; we are to love the lost, the last, and the least. Jesus even tells us in Matthew that when we love the least of them, it is as if we have loved him.


I personally get excited when I watch someone like xxxchurch.com fulfilling the message and work of Jesus. Taking the love of Jesus to people caught up in unbelievable wrongs, while at the same time, realizing they must go through a great level of sacrifice and criticism when doing it. They are attacking an area and life where many people get hurt, and often ruined, with the message of love and change that Jesus provides. Who in our communities are we reaching? I’m not talking about those in the porn industry; maybe God hasn't given you that burden. But to the Christians, have you prayed asking God to give you a burden for someone who doesn't know him. Have you been willing to develop not relationships of judgment, but relationships of love for those people God has given you? The truth of it is, I know many hasn't done that, many don't care about sharing the love of God with others. Then there are those who want to share the love of God, but for whatever reason you don't know how or are afraid to do it. To those, who don't know how or are afraid, learn, I'll be glad to teach you. I'll share with you a way to share the love of Christ that won't be difficult; in fact it will be natural. For those that know me, you know that while I may on occasion be slow due to the large number of responses that are required, I do follow through with responding to each pm, each email, each phone call. There is nothing better you can do than love God with all of your heart, while at the same time, realizing that one of the best ways to love God is to love others. I would be glad to help you with that if need be. Find your niche; find the people just on the other side of the gates of hell to go after. They need you, and God expects it, now let's get ready to attack.

Here are some great videos featuring the work of xxxchurch.com. Watch them; listen to the innovative ways they are reaching this community with the message of Jesus. From debates at institutions of higher learning to pancakes and porn breakfast meetings they have found their niche.

Feature on Nightline


Feature on CNN


Music Video


Porn & Pancakes


Porn Confessions


For more videos from xxxchurch.com click here.

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are numerous postings, and you will have to go into the archives to see the 100 plus postings over the last months.

Now I also want to remind you that you can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page scroll down to the left hand side of the page where you sill see our store. Your purchases through our Amazon store provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something on the page to buy, you can click on the search engine for the store, (do not put anything in the search box at this time) and you will then be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew and/or at the very least shop our store. The items on the store page are highly recommended.

Oh Yea, here is that contact information again.
The Virtual Pew
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217

Or you van give on line via Pay Pal at: http://www.furches.org/donations/index.html

To become a part of The Virtual Pew, visit, http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ To learn more about me visit http://www.furches.org/ I am also active on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/mikefurches I have another blog at http://blog.myspace.com/mikefurches To visit the Hollywood Jesus group at MySpace with membership by numerous Hollywood Jesus reviewers visit: http://groups.myspace.com/hollywoodjesus For a more in depth weekly study and conversation you an visit: http://virtualpewsermon.blogspot.com/ where you can access deeper teaching and ultimately videos for viewing and teaching. You can also subscribe to the newsletter at http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ or see the newsletter on line at http://thevirtualpewnews.blogspot.com/ You can also sign up for the free newsletter from The Virtual Pew by visiting the main page for The Virtual Pew, or you can see the newsletters online by visiting this web site: http://thevirtualpewnews.blogspot.com/ You can contact me via email at mike@furches.org or mike@thevirtualpew.com For those interested in knowing more about my own story, contact me for a free e-copy of my book The Keystone Kid in pre-edit form.

Ephesians 4 Gifts

Prior to starting the study of Ephesians Chapter 4 I feel compelled to mention an important aspect. Often times, Christians take principles and concepts out of context. The following chapter is a perfect example of that. I have held and still do, that the way we treat non Christians, as opposed to Christians is different. In fact, that is not only the case in tone, but in attitude and expectations. I truly believe that Jesus was the ultimate example of this, he responded totally different to non religious people than he did religious people.

If looking at the life of Jesus, it is easy to see him confronting religious people, even his own followers, but often times, if not most all of the time, loving of the non religious people, whether a tax collector, a prostitute, or whoever else he came into contact with outside of religious beliefs different than his own. Yet, we as Christians, often times seem to take the confront all, speak against all, that is different than what we believe in a harsh directive tone and manner. The following chapter of Ephesians is one in particular that some often use as an example of the right to do this. Here is my challenge, Ephesians, as you can tell from looking at past studies, was a letter of Paul to the Church. Paul is in fact telling the church at Ephesus how they are to treat each other. There is no indication that this is the way we are supposed to treat people outside of our faith.

I have been criticized quite often because of the fact I try to be loving and considerate of people outside of our faith. I am slow to judge, and even slower to condemn. I simply believe it is not my job. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to do his work with those who are not of the same belief. In fact, in all honesty, I will say, that it does not matter what I say, or what I do, other than the fact that the Holy Spirit of God, may, or may not choose to use my words and/or actions. Of course at that point, I also understand that the person has the choice to listen or not. Bottom line though, I have the right, and even obligation to confront my fellow believer of where they may be wrong, even then though, it is to be in love, and with the intent of making right and good with God. When it comes to one who don’t believe though, I am to love, share what I believe after relationship is developed, and then let the Holy Spirit do his job.

Now with all of that said, remember, the words we will study today, were words directed towards the church at Ephesus, thus to Christians.

Ephesians Chapter 4

Unity with Christ
(1) As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. (2) Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. (3) Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. (4) All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God's people. (5) We have only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. (6) There is one God who is the Father of all people. Not only is God above all others, but he works by using all of us, and he lives in all of us.

Paul is again letting it be known that he sees Jesus Christ not just as his Savior but as his Lord. He owes him everything, Jesus is seen as a master, and Paul gladly sees himself as a slave. Paul in his own humility is openly willing to beg for the points he is about to present. He cares about the people he is writing, but he also cares that they present themselves as living in a way that illustrates them as displaying God’s love for them and their need to live up to God’s expectations for them.

Paul starts hitting the message right off the bat with this church in this passage. Telling them to be humble, gentle, patient and loving of each other. One can’t help but think of how often those who call themselves Christian don’t act this way towards each other. It is important to remember this point a little later on, while there may be times of controversy within the church, among Christians, the way we treat each other should still be following these directives here. Believe me, I know how difficult this is, I know how often I fail, but I also know what I see among others who call themselves Christian. Unfortunately not only are we not these things with each other, we aren’t these things with the very ones that God loved so much to send his son to die on a cross for. We confront them, their wrongs, and expect that for some reason we are better than others, again, even Paul, uses these words carefully.

One of the things that I often have difficulty with is the elitism among some denominations. They tend to think they are right and everyone else is wrong. Yet, within this church, and even for all Churches, Paul is asking to find ways to be united and to live in peace. In other words, get along with each other. I can tell you from past experience as a pastor of a church. The reality is that more churches and denominations approach each other from a competitive perspective than they do a loving unified perspective. It is unfortunate, but that is the way it is. All churches, have to make the effort to get along, to help each other in the building of the Kingdom of God, instead of the competition and tearing down of each other. It is one of the things that in my opinion gives validity to the need that The Virtual Pew is a organization and group that works with churches of various denominations. While each church has to be a church that recognizes the basics of the faith in the person of Jesus Christ, we need to be able to make recommendations to the Methodists, Mennonites, Baptists, and Non Denominational among others. The truth of it is we serve the one God. We are a part of the same body and the Holy Spirit has the ability to bring us together.

These verses also display the nature of what many Christians call The Trinity. Notice there is a distinct purpose of God, The Son, (Jesus Christ), and The Holy Spirit. Involved with all of that is the closing comment that all will work with those who call Jesus Leader and Forgiver. The concept that God works, while using us, is a concept I still marvel at. To think that God would choose to use me is unimaginable. Yet, that is exactly what God does, not just for me, but for all who have a relationship with his son Jesus Christ.

Questions:
1. How does Paul see himself in this passage?
2. How should we see ourselves?
3. What does it mean to be humble, gentle, and patient?
4. When Paul says be united and live in peace, what is he talking about?
5. What happens if we don’t allow God to use us?

(7) Christ has generously divided out his gifts to us. (8) As the Scriptures say,

"When he went up

to the highest place,

he led away many prisoners

and gave gifts to people."

This is an amazing passage of scripture that would be easy to loose sight of if we are not careful. There is the powerful concept that Jesus has given gifts to his followers. I often strongly encourage followers of Christ to take a gifts assessment test to see where their gifts are at. I actually have a couple of assessment tests that I strongly believe in but know others exist. For Christians who have not done this, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot. It will help let you know where your gifts are at from a Biblical perspective, but they will also give clarity as to why you are the way you are. I would encourage you taking one of these tests, then getting with your pastor, and or ministry leader and have them help you explore how you can use those gifts. For those that depend on The Virtual Pew, get with me, email me at mike@thevirtualpew.com and I will get you an assessment, go over the tests with you, and help you explore the best ways to use those Christ given gifts to help where you are, and to help with The Virtual Pew if that is the place God is calling you.

I have several Christmas gifts that are still in their packaging. I opened them from their Christmas wrapping but haven’t opened their other packaging yet and put them to use. I will assure you, until I do so I won’t experience the full benefit of those gifts. The same can be said with the gifts that Christ has given you if you are a follower of Jesus. It is time to open up all of the wrapping, and put the gifts to use.

Questions:
1. Have you taken a gifts assessment?
2. What are your gifts?
3. How are you using the gifts God gave you?
4. How do your gifts help others?
5. Would you like to be used by God?
6. What are you doing to be used by God?

(9) When it says, "he went up," it means that Christ had been deep in the earth. (10) This also means that the one who went deep into the earth is the same one who went into the highest heaven, so that he would fill the whole universe.

(11) Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, (12) so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong. (13) This will continue until we are united by our faith and by our understanding of the Son of God. Then we will be mature, just as Christ is, and we will be completely like him. (14) We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like winds that toss us around from place to place. (15) Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head (16) of the body. Christ holds it together and makes all of its parts work perfectly, as it grows and becomes strong because of love.

Some say, and I tend to agree, that Paul is reminding the church at Ephesus that Jesus went through the ultimate sacrifice for them. He literally went into Hell, and then ascended to, and went up into Heaven where he now resides. From Heaven, Christ can look over the earth, look over his people, and then be there to assist and direct the Holy Spirit as to what to do.

We need to recognize, Jesus is the giver of gifts. We can’t change what he gave to whom. Bottom line though, he knew what gift was best for each individual and gave that individual those gifts. He gave these gifts so that people could learn and better serve each other. Notice the gifts are not for our own benefit per say, but for the benefit of others. I fully believe, if you aren’t using your gifts to help the body or help other Christians or those who don’t believe in Jesus, then you are not really using the gifts that God gave you.

Verse 13 is critical, Paul is telling us that God is going to use this method until we reach maturity. For many, the belief is that we never reach full maturity until we get to Heaven. I don’t know about this. I do believe that we should continue to mature, as we get older, not just in our faith but in years. We should learn in such away that we have begin to take on these attributes that Paul talks about. As we mature, as we use the gifts God has given us to serve others, the more we become like Christ. Remember, Jesus was at peace and able to totally love every individual, no matter how much harm they chose to bring to him. Jesus was content, and able to do incredible works. As we exercise the things that Paul is talking about to the church of Ephesus, as we begin to use our gifts and serve each other, remember, we become more like Jesus in all ways.

Paul then goes on and gives a little strong admonition here. It is kind of contrary to other passages of scripture if you think about it. Some say we should become like Children, yet, Paul here is telling us to quit acting like children. He tells us this, I believe with the understanding that we have to be careful about what we listen to, and who we listen to.

One of the things I think the church has not done a good job of is looking at Scripture in its entirety and then evaluating the teachings of scripture with each other, thus finding a practical and consistent application. In the preamble to this posting I mentioned a way I think we do that. Christians treat non Christians like they should be Christians, often times misapplying scripture as a justification of doing that. They could simply look at the Bible in its entirety and evaluate what has to be a logical conclusion. I believe that looking at the life and teachings of Christ and the apostles provide quality examples to learn from. Yet, what do we often do? We listen to television or radio preachers tell us what to think. They tell us what to think because they don’t think the Holy Spirit can do his job. They Holy Spirit has to have others tell us the meaning of scripture. I would say be careful here, be careful about that radio preacher, that television preacher, even that internet preacher Mike Furches. Measure what I and or any other pastor says with the message of the Bible. Of course we can’t know that message if we don’t read it an apply it to our lives. Then again, we can’t fully know it if we don’t follow the directives that Paul has already given in the first several verses of this passage.

There is a major reason people don’t follow these concepts though, the first word of verse 15 gives us a good indication as to what is needed here, LOVE! The bottom line is, we talk a good game about love, but we don’t really love. We say we do, we say things like, “I’ll pray for you,” then we don’t. We say things like, “If you need me for anything let me know,” then we don’t follow through. Truth is, many Christians have forgotten how to love. Jesus is the ultimate measure of what love means. Yet truth be told we don’t want to be like Jesus, because to be like Jesus means we take up our cross and we follow him daily. Did you hear that? We take up our cross, which means exactly for us what it meant for Jesus, great sacrifice and ultimately death, not per say a physical death, although in many parts of the world that is exactly what it means, but certainly a spiritual death to the point that we give up and turn from all of the things that would cause us to not be like Jesus. Just as Jesus was able to raise from the dead, he is able to bring people together that have minor points of theological difference. He can bring us together and hold us together to accomplish the things that God desires for this world. A world where we care for the poor and needy, provide hope to the hopeless, homes to the homeless, food to the hungry, rehabilitation to the prisoner and on and on. The things Jesus desires for this world are illustrated in the way he led his life and in the life’s of those he touched.

Questions:
1. Why is it important that Jesus went to Hell?
2. Why is it important that Jesus went to Heaven?
3. Do you think the gifts listed are the only gifts?
4. Why or Why not would there be other gifts that Christ might give?
5. What would some of those gifts be?
6. How can you become more like Jesus?
7. How do you determine who you listen to and learn from regarding religious things?
8. How do you determine if a teaching is true or false?
9. Why would some teachers trick us into accepting their teachings?
10. What does it mean for you to become like Jesus?

The Old Life and the New Life
(17) As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. (18) Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, (19) and they are so greedy that they do all kinds of indecent things.
(20-21) But that isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. (22) You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. (23) Let the Spirit change your way of thinking (24) and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.

Paul takes a step out of the norm here, he recognizes that there are those who don’t accept God who are stupid and godless. He talks about how they are stubborn, ignorant and have missed out on all that comes from God. Paul also makes several other negative comments here towards the non follower of Christ. I will note here, I can’t deny what he is saying, but we need to remember, he isn’t trying to per say point out the wrongs of the non follower of Jesus, but reminding people who are followers of Christ as to what their lives used to be like. These individuals already know the truth. One of the concerns I have here, is that people would use this passage to address any non follower of Jesus in this way. From Paul’s actions around others, in the way he reached out to them I don’t think this is Paul’s intent. I think his intent is to make clear to the Christians, in essence he is saying “You used to live this way, now quit.”

Notice the second part of the passage starts out talking about how the church was taught about how to act, they were taught about Jesus. Paul really hits this topic hard. One has to look at these verses in their entirety to have an understanding of what Paul is trying to say. Yes, after the fact, we all did some stupid, godless, ignorant things. Yet we have been taught about Jesus and the time for change is now. There comes a point in time that we have to change our ways. Now I firmly believe that God is involved in that, God helps people know when that time is. In fact, most people don’t like who they are, they want to change, often times they don’t know how. I think one reason Paul may be addressing this is that he wants the people who follow Jesus to act different. They need to be examples to others as to the correct way to act and behave.

Now on this point, notice there is a difference between again, the way I believe Paul addresses Christians and non Christians, here he is speaking specifically to Christians, it isn’t the non Christians he is speaking to making these comments to. It is Christians. Some have again confused my own expectations of Christians in the things they do and don’t do. It is a difficult area, I know an area I have at times failed myself. It is difficult because we have to distinguish between cultural issues, and legitimate spiritual issues. We have difficulty and we all base our views on our own interpretation of the Bible. Likely the closest to taking a pure Biblical approach is people like the Amish, yet I don’t think that is the answer either. I think becoming holy, means doing things that brings us closer to God as opposed to pushing him further away from us. Within this area, there are certainly the clear sinful things, wrong things like stealing, murder and so forth. But there are other things that may be sinful for some and not others, things like drinking a beer, or going to a movie. That is where Romans 14 comes into play. It all comes down to in part, following through with that maturity thing, listening to the directives Paul is giving, using your gifts, serving others and so forth.

Last note here, in support of my position, notice who it is that makes the change. We don’t by the name calling, the confrontation and so forth make people change. It is the Holy Spirit that brings about change in people. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we will become more like God, which is more in tune with what God wants for each of us.

Questions:
1. Notice Paul starts off addressing this to those who are a follower of the Lord, who are followers of the Lord?
2. What types of stupid, ignorant, godless things have you done before?
3. Are there any of those things that you need to break away from and quit doing?
4. Who is the model we pattern our lives after?
5. Who is the one responsible for helping us change our ways?

Rules for the New Life
(25) We are part of the same body. Stop lying and start telling each other the truth. (26) Don't get so angry that you sin. Don't go to bed angry (27) and don't give the devil a chance.
(28) If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest and work hard, so you will have something to give to people in need.

(29) Stop all your dirty talk. Say the right thing at the right time and help others by what you say.

(30) Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.

(31) Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. (32) Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.

Paul before closing this section, talks about the rules for the new life we now have once we have accepted Jesus as our Leader and Forgiver. We have to stop lying, lying is a way to make ourselves look better, it really isn’t about doing or making God look better. It seems as if Christians are in that sense of competition I spoke about earlier as much as anyone. We get to the point we have to prove our point, and when someone disagrees, we get angry. Notice Paul don’t say don’t get angry, he says don’t get so angry that we sin. There is room for what I call a controlled anger, especially if over theological issues, but don’t let that anger dwell within you, especially to the point that you are wishing ill on the person you are angry at.

Paul also starts to address specific areas, he addresses theft, which is really self explanatory. We could talk about theft from employers by spending too much time on the internet, or lying about the day off and other forms of theft, but the Holy Spirit will make those areas clear to you when you need clarity.

Then there is the section of dirty talk. I really believe here, that many have misinterpreted what this means. Language, especially cultural language is not what I think Paul is addressing, I have some indication of that from other writings in the Bible, but also here. Notice here, the follow up is talking about what you do for other, how you build others up. I think that dirty talk is in reference more about how we treat others and by honoring our word. I could do a whole series on this topic, but think about hit.

When we do wrong, when we ignore what God wants us to do, we make the Spirit sad. I have to admit, I have done this and I know that every single person reading this has done this. The question is, do we keep doing it? I honestly believe that as we get older, as we mature, as we use our gifts, as we serve, then, we get to the place where we sin less. I know that to be a fact in my own life. It is why I strongly encourage you to think about, read, reread, and apply the truths you get out of this teaching today.

Paul is closing this passage, really talking more about relationship than anything. How do we get along? How do we show love to each other? It all comes down to actions. Are we kind to others? What does that kindness mean? Do we show others compassion and mercy? What does that mean? Do we forgive others? What does that mean? I know that I am as guilty of not doing some of these things as the next guy or gal. That is not an excuse to keep on with that type of action or behavior though.

As we come to know and become more like Jesus after we ask him to come into our lives and be our forgiver an leader, we will realize that he has something special for us. Christ loves each of us enough to give us gifts. As we receive those gifts, it is expected that we use them to serve and help others. As we do that, we become more and more like Jesus, in our attitudes, and in our life walk. I guess the question here is, “Where are we in that process?”

Questions:
1. What does it mean when it says we are a part of the same body?
2. How should we treat each other?
3. What are ways you have made God’s Spirit sad?
4. How can you make God’s Spirit happy?

Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are numerous postings, and you will have to go into the archives to see the 100 plus postings over the last months.

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Contact and Giving Information

Oh Yea, here is that contact information again.

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To become a part of The Virtual Pew, visit, http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ To learn more about me visit http://www.furches.org/ I am also active on MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/mikefurches I have another blog at http://blog.myspace.com/mikefurches To visit the Hollywood Jesus group at MySpace with membership by numerous Hollywood Jesus reviewers visit: http://groups.myspace.com/hollywoodjesus For a more in depth weekly study and conversation you an visit: http://virtualpewsermon.blogspot.com/ where you can access deeper teaching and ultimately videos for viewing and teaching. You can also subscribe to the newsletter at http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ or see the newsletter on line at http://thevirtualpewnews.blogspot.com/ You can also sign up for the free newsletter from The Virtual Pew by visiting the main page for The Virtual Pew, or you can see the newsletters online by visiting this web site: http://thevirtualpewnews.blogspot.com/ You can contact me via email at mike@furches.org or mike@thevirtualpew.com For those interested in knowing more about my own story, contact me for a free e-copy of my book The Keystone Kid in pre-edit form.