I’m glad to have Rob, Alen, and Ben staying on for another segment. Also, Alana Milson is blogging for the first time at InFocus. I’m looking forward to what she will have to share.

I’ve said this privately, but wanted to say a public thank you to all of the contributors here at InFocus, past and present. They put a lot of time and effort into ministering to us here.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the new “recommend” feature for facebook. Let me know what you think about it.

Well, for segment 7, it all starts here this Monday. Strap on your seat belt and hang on for the ride!

So without any further delay, let’s take a quick look at these 3 areas!

Doctrinal Development

In the early church there wasn’t a consensus on what books were to make up the New Testament until the 4th century. Up until that point there were disagreements over various books of the NT and people made little distinction between canonical and non canonical books. Both were kept and used, obviously with different levels of authority in mind. People didn’t really make it a priority to agree on what was canonical until their lives were on the line. During different times of persecutions sometimes Christians were forced to give up the scriptures to be destroyed otherwise it would cost them their lives. The last thing someone wants to do is lose their life over a non-canonical or even spurious piece of Christian writing.

We also see heresies help develop the understanding of Christian doctrines that we hold today. The early church dealt with numerous heresies but probably the most known would be those dealing with Gnosticism and Arianism. These errors and others helped form a consensus of the orthodox view of Jesus Christ as both man and God, the trinity, salvation, Christian living and so forth and so on. Some of these errors almost seem to be mincing with words but when we think about it we realize that these errors though at first glance may not seem so serious but if we follow them to the logical end we have grave problems. The early church went through the hard work for us in working out all the finer details in all these various doctrines.

Spiritual Development

You generally know someone is serious about something when they pursue it despite the fact it costs them. It can be time, money, friends, family or even their life. The early church suffered persecution on and off until the beginning of the 4th century when the Edict of Milan was passed allowing Christians to freely worship. Yet this persecution was to a degree a blessing in disguise. It helped keep the church filled with serious Christians. You didn’t have very many half hearted Christians in those days and it helped create an environment that was spiritually minded. The Christians were known for their love towards one another and for their good works.

When the church was made the official state religion it became quite advantageous to be a Christian. Obviously in such an environment it is easy to see how Christianity quickly spread and people began to take Christianity less seriously than they did once before. The spiritual zeal was lost in the overall feel of the church over time and developed into what it is today in the Roman Catholic Church. The same has been seen throughout history whenever conversion becomes beneficial for the masses, whether that is socially, politically or even financially. Where my parents are from the Ottoman Empire invaded and conquered the region and put everyone under subjection to their rule. If you were not a Muslim you had to pay extra taxes, you were viewed as inferior and had less say concerning the law (i.e. a Muslim’s word was taken with greater weight than a non Muslim), you were ostracized from society and in every which way and it’s not surprising to see that about half the population converted to Islam.

Practical Development

Practically, and this may not seem (and probably isn’t) as important as the other 2 points but conflict help develop the church in practical ways as well. Things that we take for granted in most churches with regards to our services were fought over in earlier times. Though quite recent in comparison the the early church, it was still many years ago for most of us. Music is a good example. Were songs allowed? If so was it only hymns? What instruments were allowed and were they considered worldly? More recent issues we’ve seen in today’s churches include the use of projectors and Powerpoint presentations. All these things were (and to various degrees still are) all practical things that the church fought over. Even radio and television broadcasts are good examples of technology being used in a practical way to the glory of God was at one point hotly contested. These points admittedly are still debated in some circles but the church as a whole has moved forward through these controversies and has helped it think through these things with a biblical mindset when it was taken for granted beforehand.

Application

I realize it’s very easy to say conflict and persecution are blessings in disguise without having to go through all of it myself. It’s almost a back handed comment when you’re telling someone who has seen people die for their faith that it’s a blessing in disguise. In saying all this though, I know in my limited experience that the trials and conflict I’ve went through has helped to develop me and in some cases develop the people around me. I think it’s important to realize the good that God brings out through tough circumstances. This is not at the expense of the hardship we go through or the hurt we are feeling or had felt.

So the next time we’re involved in some sort of trial we should see this as a time of personal development that the Lord has provided and we should work through it seeking to glorify Him in the process. In the years to come such issues that are hotly debated today have been fought and won and taken for granted in that generation of Christians just like we take for granted what the church has fought hard for us today all those years ago. Let’s look to the future and more importantly to God through these times.

Until next week, God bless!

I’ll put up some more information on that soon.

Thanks.

One of my lecturers has a saying that goes something like “Everything heads toward decay”. This of course is not just true in the physical sense but also the spiritual. I guess you could say he had a very pessimistic view of churches as a whole but it is rarer to see a church move from error to truth than to see it slip away from the truth into error. Unfortunately, slipping into error doesn’t require one to take massive giant leaps. It is often small steps, so small in fact that it’s hard to say “Now is the exact point they entered heresy”. The same is true with the Catholic Church. It’s hard to say when it was and when it wasn’t but most would say that be the time of Pope Leo I it had all the general fittings we would ascribe to the Catholic Church.

There are several factors that helped pave the way to Catholic Church and none of these things in of themselves were “wrong”.

The Universal Church

One of the key contributions to the development of the Catholic Church is the sense of unity the early church had. Churches worked together and supported each other and had a sense of oneness that we have so very little of today. From the writings of Ignatius we see very early early on the sense of unity. He was the first to call the church “Catholic” which means “universal” and from his writings up until Cyprian we see this drive towards this concept of unity amongst all the churches. With Cyprian’s writings we come across the quote “He can no longer have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother”. It’s hard to say what he really meant by this comment. It could be that he was talking in a spiritual sense (i.e. the invisible church) but regardless of his intentions it’s easy to see how statements like this help shift the church in the Roman Catholic direction.

Hierarchical Leadership

It was not very long after the founding of the church that a hierarchy started to develop within the church government. By the time of Ignatius we see that the Bishops and Elders were split into two different roles with the Bishop at the top, Elders following and Deacons coming last. This development occurred early on as it was understood that the role of a Bishop and Elder were two different offices as opposed to clear scriptural teachings regarding the fact they are synonymous roles. With time the hierarchy developed and the roles in church leadership became a prominent position not only within the church but within the community. At first in the early church it was non uncommon to have slaves as elders in a church with their masters as members. However with the development of the hierarchy it became less and less likely for the lower classes to have such positions.

Authoritative Positions

Even earlier than the above developments we see an emphasis on submission to church leadership. We see this from the writings of Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Cyprian and so forth. Submission to church leadership was important in the early church’s eyes and alongside the developing hierarchy it is not hard to see how the two combined can become a force to be reckoned with. Submission was seen as important to help keep unity within the church as well as help protect it against error. With time there arose a dichotomy between the laity and the clergy and they were eventually seen as two separate rather than interconnected groups.

Apostolic Succession

Thanks to the works of Cyprian and others the focus on Apostolic succession became great in the early church. The intention behind Apostolic succession was to guard against error. It was figured by the early church that if they could trace a decent back to the Apostles they would have themselves an untainted and pure line of descent that would guard themselves against error. After all it was figured if someone allowed another to succeed them you would think they would only allow one who shared their beliefs into that office? Obviously their mentality did not produce the fruits they were seeking after.

First Among Equals

The last and defining point of the Catholic Church is the rise in power of the Roman Bishop to whom now we would call the Pope. It’s not hard to see this occur after looking at the focus on church hierarchy and the authority given unto them. In the early church there was several key churches that had been assigned some sort of authority I guess you could say. However with time and for various reasons these authoritative churches fell out of the scene and left only the church in Rome for others to seek guidance. Alongside the writings of Jerome and Cyprian we see an emphasis on the Roman Bishopship.

Conclusion

So with these points in mind we can see how the Roman Catholic Church came into being. While some of these points were probably not the best step there are some that were actually really good steps but combined together all these tiny steps started heading down the wrong direction. Though they may have had good motives as the saying goes “The path to hell is paved with good intentions”. Now as with all things the development of the Catholic Church was a complicated task and it wasn’t just due to the church in of itself moving towards this direction but external forces did also come into play which I did not deal with in this post. A further shift in the authority of the church for example is when it became the Roman state religion in 381AD.

Application

As individuals and as churches we need to be very careful with the steps we take. Each individual step doesn’t seem like a big deal now but after the succession of many little steps we may be in a position we couldn’t have imagined seeing ourselves in all those years before. I thought I’d add this thought in since I didn’t really elaborate on this point last week but we really need to judge our motives when we make dramatic shifts on our position on some thought. This application doesn’t just apply to music but most every area of our lives. The steps we take regarding our jobs, our friends, our entertainment and our hobbies all can cause a shift in the wrong direction if we are not careful. We need to be discerning and we need to be careful about every decision we make.

So, until next week, God bless!

While I was counting on the major parties tearing each other apart during the election, hardly anyone saw the Rudd camp throwing missiles into the ALP tent with damaging leaks against Gillard half way through the campaign.

So Tony Abbott, on present numbers, seems likelier than Gillard to form a new government with a handful of independents. Given my previous predictions however, I am very reluctant to say much more on what will happen in these coming days.

Labor however took one big boot this election. They lost the popular vote and their majority in the House of Reps was shattered.

What are some lessons that we can take from the campaign and result?

1. Even in the world, the foolish things sometimes confound the mighty.

Do you remember not so long ago the ALP doing high fives after they heard Tony Abbott (aka the Mad Monk) was the third opposition leader for the Liberals? Abbott was ‘unelectable’ given his views on abortion, his previous commitment to WorkChoices, devotion to John Howard, etc.

The media must have licked their lips wondering how long it would be before Abbott not only shot himself in the foot, but also put one through his neck?

Well Abbott did have his bad days but the man stayed on his feet! He ran an ultra marathon in Port Macquarie earlier this year then spent the last 36 hours of the campaign meeting every voter he could find.

Seeing someone exceed other people’s expectations (and perhaps even their own) does my soul good. I want to move forward in life and exceed my own expectations and do what God has called me to do, despite my weakness and failures.

2. Disunity is Death.

The inexcusable happened during this campaign. We know all political parties have, from time to time, ‘rats in the ranks’ but this time the rats didn’t stay inside the bins where it was good for them. Incredible havoc was wreaked on the ALP through divisive leaks. The public wondered: if the ALP can’t govern itself how can it govern us?

For believers, unity around the truth is everything. Churches need to move in one direction in faithfulness to God’s Word. Families need to stay close for the Lord’s sake and frankly, their own.

3. There is wisdom in discretion.

Abbott was often criticised for having ‘no vision for the future’, running a cynical campaign etc. But when your opponent is self destructing, why bother?

There is such a thing as discretion and keeping your cards close to your chest, when everyone expects you to reveal everything, all the time. Keeping your own counsel can be hard sometimes, but it is a valuable art to be learned and perfected.

4. The public have a warped sense of morality.

They were offended the ALP hung Kevin Rudd before they got the chance to!

The extent of this public sentiment is debatable, but I believe there were many voters disappointed they didn’t get to register their disapproval against the elected PM Rudd so they did it to the installed PM Gillard instead. Like the days of the judges, both the ALP and the public were doing ‘that which was right in their own eyes’.

5. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Bill Shorten MP was one of the reported assassins of Rudd.

Shorten’s mother-in-law is none other than Her Excellency the Governor General Quentin Bryce, so reports are that our G-G has sought legal advice about her role in any decisions she will need to make in the forming of a new government! The lawyers win again! But there is some very macabre humour in all of this. Particularly when Shorten is considered a future Labor PM in the wings.

6. Best of all God is still on the throne.

While we presently have a caretaker PM (it is an unfortunate expression in the circumstances), our hope needs to be firmly on Christ.

A change of government will not necessarily mean we will have more prosperity or less debt. Perhaps we need less prosperity and more debt for people to start looking to God rather than the government for answers to life’s troubles.

We simply don’t know what the future holds. But we do know the One who holds tomorrow in His Hand and that should be enough for us.

By Robert Apps

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Okay, I’ll be straight up. I think music is amoral. I don’t believe any particular note or set of notes can be classed as moral or immoral. I know for a fact that this teaching isn’t found in scripture but I’m willing to see if there is any principles people think you can derive. I do believe however the moral quality of the music is affected lyrically. Without the lyrics the music is plain. Now of course I know people may disagree with me but I’d like to see scriptural arguments to prove me wrong. There is nothing that I can see that suggests music has a moral quality or *gasp* we must listen only to Christian music.

What About Association?

Now the common rebuttal that people throw against this view is “What about association!?!??!?!?!?”. In other words can I grab a R. Kelly, Michael Jackson, 2Pac, Justin Beiber, Rihanna or Eminem song and chuck Christian lyrics to it and still have it being a “moral” song? My answer is: Uhh.., yeah! Association isn’t enough to class something as sinful (food offered to idols anyone?) though someone with a weak conscience can sin if they chose to listen to such music if their conscience tells them otherwise.

Rockin’ the Church

Well, won’t the church be turned into a house of entertainment if we used all those modern music styles? Church will always be entertainment for some people and music can be one of those ways. As with any change we should always ask ourselves: Why? Depending on that answer we might not be able to introduce that particular music as it won’t be for God glorifying reasons.

Let the “Discussions” Begin!

Anyways, let’s get this show on the road. I may not be the most knowledged in this area but I’d love to see other viewpoints and perhaps we can all engage in a meaningful dialog?

Until them, I’ll be listening to some Lecrae ;)

Until next week, God bless!

I booked return flights on 2 different airlines. Both flights, save for this bit of trivia, were, for differing reasons, abject disasters.

Endless waits for baggage drops, security checks, flights and then baggage collection.

Then, after finally arriving in my old stomping ground, when I wasn’t preaching, I spent what seemed like the rest of the weekend in Sydney traffic.

Well at least I got ‘exit row’ seats on both flights.

These are usually found on Row 12 (in about the middle of the plane) and offer the kind of leg room business class passengers enjoy but without the seat going backwards for ultimate comfort.

If you book seats online the airlines usually try and charge you more for exit row seats. My genetic miserliness prevents me from forking out dollars at this point.

I prefer, at the time of check in, to kindly enquire if there are any exit row seats available. And both times this weekend I scored such seats!

The only downside of exit row seats is that you are expected, in the event of an emergency, to open the emergency exits.

So depending on the nature of the emergency, exit row seat holders are the first ones to escape or die.

Every plane must have an emergency exit.

In the event of an emergency there is a way out- every time.

This reminds me of the divine exits that always exist in times of spiritual emergency or crisis, otherwise known as temptation.

Some believers look for such exits, while others simply pass them by and suffer the inevitable consequences.

People like Samson, King David and Solomon rushed right past their exit rows while others like Joseph took them with both hands.

There is grace and help for every temptation if only we ask God for them.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

By Robert Apps

Dr. John C. Vaughn is Pastor Emeritus of Faith Baptist Church, Taylors, SC and President of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International. He is also the author of More Precious Than Gold, a touching account of the fire that changed the Vaughn’s lives forever.

Pastor Vaughn was my pastor for five years and has impacted my life in so many ways. If you are able to attend either of these events, I am confident that you will be profoundly blessed by Pastor Vaughn’s ministry.

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Sydney

Condell Park Bible Church
20 August, 7pm

Cairns

Trinity Baptist Church
23 August, 7pm

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You can learn more about Bro. Vaughn at the John C. Vaughn Evangelistic Ministries website.

When we’ve had tragedy hit us we are quick to respond out of emotion to those around us. As the saying goes “Hurting people hurt people”. This can and generally does make a bad situation worse. This is especially the case when we are experiencing hurt from a loved one. We may react more violently than we would to the average John Doe if they did the same thing.

Breaking Bad News

I do a lot of reading online. I come across a lot of atheist, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Christian cult websites. I also read sites that promote different theological viewpoints to what I hold. In my reading I come across a lot of testimonies of Christians changing views or former Christians who leave the faith because they’ve become atheists or their lifestyle conflicts with Christianity and they don’t want to give up the former.

Almost unanimously those people have had negative experiences relating this news to their loved ones, especially their family. Time and time again people are ostracized, given ultimatums, yelled at and threatened. I’ve read of people who have barely declared that they are no longer Christian who have family members screaming violently at them that they are going to burn in hell. Some even seem to say it with a grim satisfaction.

News Flash: Wrong Reaction

The way we react will leave a profound impact on these people. If people are leaving the faith, we’re confirming what they have believed to be true; Christians are hypocrites. If people are changing their views that are sacred within “Cultural Fundamentalism” and they are treated as anathema by those whom they use to have tender fellowship with, once again they’ve confirmed in their minds the falsehood by the obviously bad fruit resulted of such views.

It’s understandable that we are hurt. If someone is moving away into what you perceive to be error it can be extremely painful to see them do such a thing. This of course tempts us to react in anger, frustration and as a result attack the people we love. Sometimes these wounds do not heal and we have to live with the consequences.

Breath in and Breath Out

Being slow to speak is a great advantage in such situations. Respond in love. Let them talk and reaffirm your love for them. This is something they have probably long feared to tell you because they wouldn’t know how you’d react. They’ll feel relieved to know despite your differences you still love and care for them. Of course this doesn’t dismiss your differences and you can let them know you don’t agree but leave the debate for another time when you both calm down emotionally.

If you’re not familiar with the issue, research it. Look at the issue from multiple angles (I can assure the other person probably has done the same, so study up) to get an in depth grasp of the issue. Depending on your background you may be completely oblivious to certain viewpoints. Rest assured though that there are a lot of books on the many topics that could possibly be brought up.

Whether the issue is theology, music, dress, translations, mental illnesses or even *gasp* homosexuality you will find resources on the issue coming from a wide spectrum. Spend time reading up on the issue and touching base with the person. Once you’ve got a grasp of it or if you are already familiar with it; open up the dialogue with them.

Conclusion

I don’t claim to be an expert in such issues but I’ve read time and time again the accounts of many people who experienced negative reactions and what they would have liked to have had happen. In my own personal experience I’ve had to struggle with my family and I’ve lost friends due to my beliefs.

This is nothing compared to what I’ve seen others go through so I am almost embarrassed mentioning it but I do so to say this: In the situations I’ve been in I would have liked it if the people I knew responded this way rather than emotionally. Ostracization is probably the most painful reaction and I suggest at the very least you don’t respond in such a manner.

Personally, I’ve got a habit of responding emotionally to personal hurt but I’m working on it and whilst doing so I encourage people now to begin reading up on various issues in order to be able to respond biblically when the time comes. We may very well not let loose but if we haven’t a biblical answer to their perceived problem than that isn’t much good either.

Until next week, God bless!

• I’ve often tried to think of a way to make this work. Preach, then Sing.

• Bob Bixby has some helpful things to say about Pastoral Numerology. And he’s not against it.

• Do you shop on ebay? Amazon? Commissions for Missions allows you to designate money to Fundamentalist mission organisations as you shop at dozens of online stores!

• Trying to discern whether a website is credible? Here’s a helpful checklist.

• Can you imagine this article in the Sydney Morning Herald?

• The Lutherans seek forgiveness for persecuting the Anabaptists.

• If you struggle with guilt and doubt, this could be one of the most important posts you’ll ever read: Confession is not Propitiatory.

That’s it for today!

Grace to you.