Abram's Tithe

Abram is well known in the Bible as the one whom God called to be the Father of the nation of Israel. He's the one who pretended his wife, Sarai, was his sister to save his own neck (more than once, I might add). He's the one who picked up and left Ur of the Chaldeans upon God's request. Abram is the one who took Isaac to be sacrificed even though Isaac was the chosen son through whom the nation of Israel would be born.

Abram is famous for a lot of different things, but did you know that Abram was the first person with whom tithing is mentioned in the Bible?

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Genesis 14:18-20 NIV

Tithing (giving "one-tenth") is certainly an Old Testament tradition. In the book of Deuteronomy, tithing is explained as a means by which to celebrate the abundance of the Lord's provision (Deut 14:22-26), to support the Levites (Deut 14:27) and to provide for the poor (Deut 14:28-29). God wasn't too pleased about the postexilic Israelites who were withholding their tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:6-12). They were accused by God of not only robbing the Levites and the poor, but robbing Him!

Jesus also endorsed tithing and He did all the Law (Matthew 5:17-20, 23:23). Of course, obedience to the Law doesn't result in our salvation; however, our salvation should result in our obedience to the Law. Throughout Scripture, loving God and worshiping Him are at the heart of tithing.

We should also understand that all of what we have ultimately belongs to God, Himself. We are merely stewards. Giving a tenth back to God is simply giving back a portion of what rightly belongs to Him in the first place.

In America, there is an old adage. It says, "20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the giving and ministry within the Church." I would venture to say, that the adage should be updated to something along the lines of "15 percent of the people do 85 percent of the giving and ministry within the Church." And in this current economy, churches and ministries are having to further cut budgets even more.

Tithing began with Abram. It continued with the Jews during Moses' time and then with the nation of Israel under Malachi's watch. Jesus endorsed the tradition so that we can continue it today.

Noah

I'm re-reading the entire Bible in my devotional time with the Lord. Currently, I'm in the Book of Genesis, and this morning I read chapters 6-9 which contains the story of Noah. Noah's story is such an interesting story on many levels. Aside from Bill Cosby's routine on Noah, we don't know much about his personality or character. We know that "Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time" (Gen 6:9) and that he had three sons and a wife. We know that Noah was obedient to every detail given by God in building the ark (Gen 6:22, 7:5). Noah was also the last person to live over 500 years.

What's interesting to consider about Noah is his patience as well as his response after the flood.

We read in chapters 6, 7 and 8 of Noah's patience. He built the ark according to every detail from God and brought all the animals on to the boat as God instructed. Both of those tasks must have taken a really long time to complete. We don't know for sure how long. From the time Noah entered the ark until the earth was completely dry was 375 days. That's a long time to be couped up with your family and a bunch of animals! Imagine Noah's sons asking, "Are we there yet?" for a year!

The Bible also tells us that Noah was "a man of the soil" (Gen 9:20). God's Word goes on to tell us that Noah planted the first vineyard recorded in the Bible, drank its wine, got drunk and passed out naked. The Bible doesn't clarify, but I wonder if this was a one time (perhaps the first time?) thing or if it was a regular occurrence for Noah. Either way, it's an interesting thing for Noah to do considering what he's been through. For such a great man (Hebrews 11:7), his drunken stupor and condemnation of his son's ancestry are the last recorded acts of Noah's life. I guess I'd want my life's record to end on a little more positive note than that if I'd been the forefather of all human civilization.

Christ In Culpeper

We had our second Christ In Culpeper prayer gathering today. We had about a dozen people attend, representing at least six different churches and four different denominations (and non-denomination).

This is one of those things that isn't about numbers, though. The intimacy of the smaller group really brings something precious to the mood and environment of the group. In fact, if we were to get much bigger, we would probably need to discuss planting a second prayer gathering. Love it!

Plan on joining us in June. We meet on the last Wednesday of the month from 12noon to 1pm at the Depot Center, Room #2. Invite a friend, too!

Fat Portions of the Firstborn

In the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4), we read that Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord while Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The discrepancy between these two offerings is worth mentioning since the Lord's response to the two offerings was different.

The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. Genesis 4:5 NIV

Many of us today are just like Cain. We put all of our time, treasure and talent into things that don't express an appropriate response to God's grace and love. As a result, we don't receive all the blessings that God has for us. Then we turn around and get mad at God for not giving to us what we want.

God wants our fat portions from the firstborn. He doesn't want some of the fruits. In other words, He wants us to respond to Him first. He wants us to respond with extravagance and generosity. He wants us to trust that what we give to Him will be multiplied and returned to us (see Malachi 3:6-12).

When we get our paychecks, I believe the first check that is written should be the tithe check. It's the fat portion of the first fruits - not some of what is left over. Our attitude towards serving in ministry and time spent with God should be the same. If someone was to look at my calendar, I'd want them to see that my priority is spending time with the Lord and serving Him through ministry.

God's Discipline

Discipline is a Biblical concept that originated in the book of Genesis when Adam and Eve rebelled against God in their decision to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We read in the third chapter of Genesis the story of Adam and Eve disobeying God's instructions and then suffering the consequences of their actions. Adam and Eve are God's children, and this story tells us a few very important truths about discipline and how it should work in our families:

1) There are always consequences to our decisions, and those consequences are not always restricted to us personally. We don't live in a bubble, so our lives touch others as well as the world around us. In this case, the consequences can be seen in Adam's and Eve's shame and God's judgment against them, the serpent and the world in which they live.

2) Discipline is a necessary part of life. We all need it and must be aware of it. Without discipline, we have a very difficult time understanding the difference between right and wrong and the importance of the difference.

3) God's discipline is swift. A great deal of time did not pass between the rebellion and God's discipline. The poor decision(s) of Adam and Eve were still fresh in their minds when God pronounced his judgment on them.

4) God's discipline is perfect. It fits the sin perfectly. God's judgment isn't too much or too little. As imperfect humans, we have a tendency to miss the mark in choosing the right discipline to fit the sin. It's important, however, to discipline our children with the same measure as their sin.

5) God continues to show compassion and love in the midst of the discipline. Discipline should not ever be confused with a lack of love or a ceasing of compassion. This is evidenced in Genesis 3:21 - The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Thank you all men and women who serve or have served in the armed forces. Praise God for our freedom of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness! Praise God for the freedom to worship the Almighty how and when we want to!!

"Likewise"

The use of the word "likewise" in verses 8 and 11 of 1 Timothy 3 is the biggest clue into correctly interpreting this passage. Paul wrote quinaikas hosautos or "women likewise" in linking verse 11 with the previous verses. Hosautos links the entire passage into one theme. It links the deacons to the elders in verse 8 and also the women in verse 11.

This wraps up a series of posts addressing women as leaders in the Church. These posts are not meant to be read as a thesis, for certainly I didn't take the time to cite my sources nor expound on every point and counterpoint in this debate within the Church. These posts are perhaps just more than a glance at the issue, touching on some of the more key texts used within the debate.

Qualifications for Elders and Deacons

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 3:1-12 NIV

One of the most popular reasons why people believe women should not hold leadership offices in the Church is the verses that refer to men being the husband of but one wife. However, if those verses are used as literal qualifications, then this would exclude men who are single as well as remarried men. Further, it would exclude the Apostle Paul himself, even though he refers to himself as an elder in Philemon 1:9.

Polygamy was a large cultural problem among Greek, Roman and even Jewish culture. Therefore, Paul addresses this specific sin.

More coming in the next post...

A Closer Look at 1 Timothy

Particular attention has been paid to 1 Timothy 2:11-15 through the years:

A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing - if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

Many churches implement this passage so that women may not possess any leadership roles within the Church that would place a woman in authority over a man; this includes teaching from the pulpit.

In my last post, I established the context of Paul's instructions to Timothy at Ephesus. Women domineering over men, leading them in false teaching and using sex as a tool to gain authority were the prominant issues the Church faced in Ephesus. In fact, the mythology of Artemis included the belief that she was the midwife to her twin brother Apollo and, therefore, was the protector of all women who gave birth.

This false teaching might lead to a clearer understanding of verse 15. Paul was merely trying to direct everyone's focus from a mythological goddess to the True Protector of our lives and souls. Paul's encouragement does not refer to Biblical salvation through childbirth (if so, then women who are unable to bear children would not be saved), but merely physical safety during the difficult process of giving birth.

Again, Paul is addressing specific issues within the church at Ephesus. He's giving specific instructions to Timothy to confront these specific problems. Because we do not have the right to pluck verses out of context and pick and choose which ones we want to be universal and which ones we want to be specific to a particular situation, we must look at Scripture as a whole. If we were to apply verses 11-15 as universal truths, then we must also apply verses 8-10:

I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

Clearly, the Church does not require men (and only men) to raise their hands up every time they pray. Many times I pray with my hands folded down by my waist. Likewise, the Church does not require women to resist wearing braids in their hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes. The adornment of women in Ephesus is well documented as a means by which women seduced men into the false teachings and sexual depravity that God detests. Verse 8-10 were also instructions specific to the church in Ephesus because of the issues with which they struggled.

In my next post, I'll discuss the qualifications of overseers and deacons found in 1 Timothy 3.

Understanding the Context of 1 Timothy

The last few posts have offered clear examples found in Scripture of women in leadership positions within the Church. In these positions, without any doubt, women exercised authority over men.

These examples appear to be in strict contrast to Paul's instructions to Timothy found in 1 Timothy 2:12

I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.

After reading this verse and knowing about Junia, Phoebe, Deborah and Priscella, one must come to a conclusion: these women were not what the Bible says they were; the Bible contradicts itself through instruction and example; or Paul's instructions to Timothy are misunderstood by current readers.

We know the Bible is the authoritative Word of God and is free from mistakes as originally written. The Bible doesn't contain lies, nor does it contradict itself. So if the mistake is not within the Bible itself, it must be found within us. In other words, the mistake is in our interpretation of it.

When a person learns hermeneutics (the study of interpreting the Bible correctly), the first and most important point to remember is context. There's an old saying: Text without context is pretext. We must always ask ourselves the question when trying to discern the meaning behind Scripture, "What did the original author intend to convey to the original audience at the time that he wrote it?"

In looking at the Book of 1 Timothy, Chapters 1 and 4 both deal with false teachings. So, is it possible that the chapters in the middle would also relate in someway to false teachings? Let's answer that question by asking a couple of others.

To whom is Paul writing? The answer is Timothy, who was serving at least as some kind of apostolic representative capacity if not the actual pastor of the church at Ephesus.

What do we know about the church at Ephesus? We know that Ephesus (located in present-day Turkey) was a city that was famous for its temple to Artemis, the Greek goddess of fertility. In this temple, women oversaw the worship services that almost always contained perverted sexual activity and prostitution as a form of worship offering to Artemis. In these services, women domineered over men.
So, we can conclude that the context in which Paul is writing is somewhat clear: it's a letter written to Timothy who is overseeing a church in a community that has a rich history or tradition of female deity worship. Sex is the tool by which women are overseeing and domineering men, leading them in false teaching.
In this context, we must read both pastoral letters to Timothy from Paul. Without understanding the context of these letters, we can easily misunderstand Paul's instructions and apply them inappropriately.

In my next post, I'll dive a little deeper into the instructions contained in chapters 2 and 3 of Paul's first letter to Timothy.

More Women Leaders

Deborah is probably the most famous of all the women leaders in the Bible. She was not only a prophetess, but also a judge and leader of the nation of Israel (Judges 4 and 5). Other women spoken of as prophetesses in the Old Testament include Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), Noadiah (Nehemiah 6:14). In the New Testament, Anna (Luke 2:36) is mentioned as a prophetess, as are the four daughters of Philip, the evangelist (Acts 21:9).

It can easily be argued that leadership and authority coexist with the gifts of apostleship and prophecy based on the Scripture found in 1 Corinthians 12:28:

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having fits of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

This verse offers a hierarchy of those possessing gifts. It certainly infers the importance, in order, of these positions. Ephesians 2:20 further indicates that the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the Church with Christ as the Cornerstone.

Possibly the most well-known woman teacher in the New Testament is Priscella, the wife of Aquila. Priscella and Aquila were tentmaking church leaders who traveled with Paul (Acts 18). In Acts 18:24-26, the Jew Apollos entered the scene and was taught by the husband and wife team in their home "the way of God more adequately." This is clear evidence of a woman teaching a man in the early Church.

Phoebe - A Female Minister and Guardian

I’m continuing a series of posts taking a close look at women’s roles in the Church according to Scripture (not according to our culture). Last time, I discussed Junia, a forgotten apostle mentioned briefly in Romans 16:7. In this post, I want to bring to our attention another lady whom Paul mentions in his conclusion of his letter to the Romans.

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. Romans 16:1 NASB



Phoebe was a special servant of God. She was also, evidently, special to Paul – so special that she was the person chosen to travel about 800 miles and hand deliver this letter to the Roman Church that would later become recognized as the authoritative Word of God. We read this letter today in our Bibles as the Book of Romans.

Who was Phoebe? We don’t know a great deal about her other than what Paul, himself, tells us in this one verse. So, let’s find out what we can by his statement.

He says that she is a sister – an obvious statement that indicates she is a Christian. Paul also writes that she is a servant of the church at Cenchrea and a helper to many. Ahh… Here are some important clues. Let’s break this down a bit.

The word offered for “servant” is a form of diakonos and the word used by Paul for “helper” is prostatis. Diakonos is the word from which we get “deacon.” It is translated “servant” or “minister.” Prostatis is translated “protector” or “patroness.”

Paul uses the word diakonos often to describe not only himself and other leaders in regard to their positions within the Church (e.g., 1 Corinthians 3:5, Ephesians 3;7 and Colossians 1:7), but also Christ in relation to all Christians (e.g., Romans 15:8 and Galatians 2:17). It is illogical and unreasonable to assign a position of leadership and authority when using this word with Paul, Jesus and other names, but suddenly remove the authority that coexists with the word with another name just because it happens to refer to a female.

Paul uses the masculine form diakonon in reference to Phoebe which is further evidence of Paul’s intention of her leadership and authority within the Church. If he believed her to be less, he would have used a noun like doulos or used the feminine form of servant.

The word helper sometimes infers a weaker position. However, the word prostatis is literally translated as “a woman set over others” or “a female guardian.” In the Hebrew language, the word for helper (ezer) is assigned to God seventeen times in the Old Testament. It is absolutely a word indicating power and authority. In fact, Paul asks the Roman Christians in this verse to come alongside Phoebe and assist her, not the other way around.

Furthermore, in the Jewish communities of Paul’s day, prostatis was commonly used a label for someone who offered legal protection over another person or group of people. One might easily say that Phoebe served as the legal protector of the Christians at Cenchrea. Paul uses this word elsewhere to refer to those who were in rule or leadership within a church (see Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:12 and 1 Timothy 5:17).

In my upcoming posts, I will offer yet more evidence of women who held leadership roles within the early Church as well as discuss the qualifications for leadership as written by Paul in 1 Timothy and Titus. We’ll examine the apparent contradictions in what Paul’s written qualifications indicate compared to what was actually happening under his leadership.

Junia - the Lost WOMAN Apostle

Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Romans 16:7 NIV

There is a great debate that is raging in the Church today. It's not a new one. It's been going on for decades really. It's the debate about gender and God's will with regard to leadership and authority within the Church.

Over the next week(s), I'll try to delve into this issue to enlighten us on the historical, social and Biblical views on this subject.

Junia is a female name. Junias is a male name. During Paul's era, Junia was a very common name while the name Junias can't be found in any ancient literature of any kind. Junia is the Latinized name for Joanna, a disciple of Christ mentioned in Luke 8:3 and 24:10. It wasn't until the 13th century that the name was considered to be masculine. All early Church fathers and commentators agreed that the person in this verse was a woman.

The assertion that the original language of Romans 16:7 merely states that the two were well known by the apostle crumbles in the light of scrutiny. The grammatical gymnastics are a poor attempt by leaders in the Church to avoid dealing with the issue that Paul commends a woman who was not just a leader, but who was "outstanding among the apostles." That's saying something when you consider all the apostles Paul knew!

$1800 Shirt

My consulting business has taken me to thethe Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco this week for a meeting. During one of my breaks today, I was stretching my legs and took a walk around the hotel. Browsing, I ventured into a men's clothing shop that is located near the lobby of the hotel. It was obvious that everything in the store was of high quality. A shirt caught my eye and I began to look at it more closely. I asked the merchant how much.

"$1800.00," was his reply.

I looked at him stunned. "$1800.00?" I asked with a noticable unbelief in my tone.

"Yes, $1800.00," he responded with a certain tone in his voice.

"It's certainly a beautiful shirt. A little out of my range, though," I said as I promptly exited the store.

As I thought about this the rest of the evening, it occured to me what $1800.00 can actually do in this world. Below is a short list of what $1800.00 can buy besides that shirt.

-At least 12 weeks worth of groceries for the Dameron family
-Nine water wells in Africa
-120 chickens in Tanzania
-32 goats in Africa
-Two years worth of clothing for an average American family of five
-450 Bibles shipped to places around the world that don't have access to the Word of God
-Twelve months of electricity and gas in Culpeper for a 2000 sq ft home
-One child WorldVision sponsorship for four years

Mistaken Identity

Last night I was waiting for my luggage to arrive on the carousel at San Francisco's International Airport. I saw a bag that looked like mine and I grabbed it. As soon as I picked it up, I noticed it seemed different. In fact, it wasn't my garment bag at all. It looked identical to mine - same color, same trim, same brand. But it was much lighter than I remembered. I looked a little more closely only to realize it belonged to someone else. So, I put it back on the carousel and waited... and waited... and waited...

Apparently, the person who belonged to the bag that looked like mine actually took my bag and went to his hotel. I began to feel very uncomfortable about the thought of losing all my clothes for the week, not to mention my study Bible and commentaries I had brought with me to prepare for Sunday's sermon. I've had that Bible for ten years, and it has notes and comments written all over the pages from Bible studies gone by. There's great sentimental value with that Bible. I had hoped to pass it along to one of my daughters some day.

As I filled out the proper paperwork at the United Baggage Service desk, my cell phone rang. It was the person who had my bag. He was very apologetic, and it ended up being very easy to switch bags as his hotel was only a few blocks from mine.

I'm reminded about how easy it is to mistake the identity of the genuine artifact. When we consider all the world's religions, there's a lot from which to choose. Which one is the real deal? It's so easy to mistake God's identity in the camouflage of all the other philosophies and beliefs.

People like Lee Strobel and Josh McDowell have written some great books on how to know that Christianity is the one true religion. Strobel's book The Case for Christ was a result of his efforts to debunk the authenticity of Christianity. It's an easy read and is full of great evidence. McDowell's latest release of The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict is a classic textbook for those who are challenged with the tough questions about God, the Bible and Christianity.

Both of these books are must-reads for believers! We all need to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have.

Love & Faithfulness

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4 NIV

These two verses are two of my favorite verses found in Proverbs. There's something about love and faithfulness as we understand them that changes a person and sets him/her apart from the rest of the world.

What's even greater is when you dive into the original language (Hebrew) to understand the meaning behind our American-English words. The word for "love" is 'hesed which literally translated in this context means mercy. The word for "faithfulness" in the Hebrew can be literally translated that which can be relied upon.

So, in other words, verse 3 is telling us to be a person of mercy and reliability. When you put the whole thing together, the question is begged: Can God and man rely on you to be merciful?

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer. This year's theme is "Prayer... America's Hope" and is based on Psalm 33:22 - May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You.

Please join us today at the Culpeper Courthouse Lawn from 12noon to 2pm. You can also come to the Chapel at Culpeper Baptist from 2pm to 5pm for a time of worship, prayer and Scripture reading.

This evening, Culpeper Methodist is hosting a service at 7pm.

Moving Walkway

When I'm walking through an airport, I always use the moving walkway. Why? Because you can go twice as fast with half the effort. When you walk through as many airports as I do, you learn the little things...

Moving walkways remind me what it's like to walk in the will of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit. When I'm in that "zone," I seem to be moving twice as fast with half the effort. When I'm not, I feel like I'm trying to run in knee deep peanut butter.

Hop on that moving walkway today. Get in the will of God and live in the power of the Holy Spirit!

A Day with Abby Rae

I love investing in my kids - especially when it's not convenient. Today happens to be Abby Rae's school fieldtrip to the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge. For weeks, she kept asking if I was going to go with her. The problem is that I also have to be in Detroit for an early meeting tomorrow morning. Normally, I would be catching a flight in early afternoon so I can get settled in my hotel room and have time for some preparations for tomorrow's meeting. I've chosen Abby Rae over convenience.

I'm going with Abby Rae today and then catch a late flight out tonight. I'd rather spend a special day with my daughter, spend the flight time preparing and lose a little sleep in order to have the opportunity to invest in my daughter. There will be a time when she won't ask repeatedly for me to spend the day with her and her school friends. Also, she won't really understand the implications of today's schedule for me, but the return on investment from the time I spend with her today will be great!

Investing yourself in those who are important to you - especially your kids - cannot be overvalued. Convenience, however, is overrated. Take the time today to pray about in whom God would have you invest yourself. Once you know who it is, find ways to show that person you care and pour yourself into him/her. Remember, it's the little things that mean the most.

One More Reason We Need One Another

There was a lot going on last night. So much so, I considered cancelling Life Group on Thursday morning. There were a few folks who weren't going to be able to make it due to other commitments, and I wasn't sure how effective the group would be with just 3 or 4 of us in attendance. The Holy Spirit impressed me not to, and it turns out God had other plans.

The majority of the group have been put "through the ringer" these last several days (if not weeks), and yesterday seemed to be the final straw. It was the time when we most needed one another. Ironically, the theme for last night's study was "encouragement through the Church."

I just love when God meets us right where we are and brings a Word of encouragement or reminder of His love and faithfulness to us in the midst of our storms. If I had cancelled the group, we would not have had the opportunity to encourage one another, pray for one another, worship together, laugh together and cry together.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25

so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12:25-26

When you read these two passages, you cannot escape the essential fact that God wants Christians to be connected intimately together - and that means meeting together often. I know of so many Christians who aren't plugged into a church. What is that about? How does a Christian rationalize this behavior when it is so blatently against God's will for their lives?

There are approximately 85 churches in Culpeper County. Find one and get plugged in - there's plenty from which to choose.

Am I irritating you? Well consider Hebrews 10:24...

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

In the original language, "spur one another on" can be translated as "incite one another" or "irritate one another". If my irritation causes you towards obedience in Christ and a deeper walk with Him, then hooray for the power of the Holy Spirit working through me! I'll take that any day of the week.