Thursday, October 10, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Why are House Churches the Key to Church Growth ? - 2
Why are House Churches the Key to Church Growth ? - 2
I have been closed off to the House Church concept
since I had a bad experience with a House Church leader
in the mid 1980's .
Since then most of the people in Australia that I have met
who have been associated with House Churches,
have been kooky, anti-authority fruitcakes.
So I understand why most Pastors
are reticent to embrace the House Church Model.
So I was greatly surprised recently when
the Holy Spirit began to Minister to me about House Churches.
It began in Goolwa , South Australia
through my involvement in the establishment of a business there.
As I was setting up this business in a local premise,
I met by coincidence a friend from Port Lincoln,
whom I have known for over 40 years.
This friend was special to me
because he helped to lead me to Christ.
What he then said to me caused me to become open to the concept
of House Churches,
which I previously had no understanding of.
My friend said nothing about House Churches,
but what he did say had a profound effect upon me.
We will continue this discussion
in the next Part of this Series .
Christian Leadership College
I have been closed off to the House Church concept
since I had a bad experience with a House Church leader
in the mid 1980's .
Since then most of the people in Australia that I have met
who have been associated with House Churches,
have been kooky, anti-authority fruitcakes.
So I understand why most Pastors
are reticent to embrace the House Church Model.
So I was greatly surprised recently when
the Holy Spirit began to Minister to me about House Churches.
It began in Goolwa , South Australia
through my involvement in the establishment of a business there.
As I was setting up this business in a local premise,
I met by coincidence a friend from Port Lincoln,
whom I have known for over 40 years.
This friend was special to me
because he helped to lead me to Christ.
What he then said to me caused me to become open to the concept
of House Churches,
which I previously had no understanding of.
My friend said nothing about House Churches,
but what he did say had a profound effect upon me.
We will continue this discussion
in the next Part of this Series .
Christian Leadership College
Copyright - Craig Holme - 2013 .
Monday, April 1, 2013
Who are you ? - 5
Who are you ? - 5
Walk into any Psychologist Offices today
and you will see the place crowded with Christians,
who mostly have unresolved Guilt issues.
Sigmund Freud , the renowned Psycho-analyst,
commented,
" One feels inclined to say that the intention that man should be 'happy'
is not included in the plan of 'Creation'."
We need to understand that Freud made this statement
after counselling many Christians
who were riddled with Guilt.
Are you happy with yourself ?
You will not be able to experience true happiness
if you believe the ,
" I'm just a lowly sinner,
corrupt and depraved by nature,
tainted by sin"
condemnation theology .
Freud came to the conclusion that Christians
were a desperately unhappy lot ,
because they could not resolve the issue of Guilt,
and this applied to both Catholics and Protestants.
However Paul unveiled the Secret remedy in his
Letter to the Romans Ch 16v25,
"According to the revelation of the Mystery,
which was kept Secret since the world began."
Paul is talking about the revelation of a Secret
so special that it was kept hidden since the world began.
V26 " But now is made manifest ,"
So Paul has revealed a Secret in Romans
that he clearly states was not made known previously.
Therefore if we hear Teaching today
along the lines of Old Testament Prophets,
such as the berating of sinners,
it is not the New Revelation of Paul.
The secret is something entirely fresh and new,
which the Old Testament Saints had no knowledge of.
It must be something incredibly powerful
for God to have hidden it since time began.
It could only be revealed after the Death and Resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
In the next Parts of this Series we will unveil this Secret,
and see that it is the Key to our happiness.
Would you like to join the discussion on Facebook ?
Christian Leadership College
Walk into any Psychologist Offices today
and you will see the place crowded with Christians,
who mostly have unresolved Guilt issues.
Sigmund Freud , the renowned Psycho-analyst,
commented,
" One feels inclined to say that the intention that man should be 'happy'
is not included in the plan of 'Creation'."
We need to understand that Freud made this statement
after counselling many Christians
who were riddled with Guilt.
Are you happy with yourself ?
You will not be able to experience true happiness
if you believe the ,
" I'm just a lowly sinner,
corrupt and depraved by nature,
tainted by sin"
condemnation theology .
Freud came to the conclusion that Christians
were a desperately unhappy lot ,
because they could not resolve the issue of Guilt,
and this applied to both Catholics and Protestants.
However Paul unveiled the Secret remedy in his
Letter to the Romans Ch 16v25,
"According to the revelation of the Mystery,
which was kept Secret since the world began."
Paul is talking about the revelation of a Secret
so special that it was kept hidden since the world began.
V26 " But now is made manifest ,"
So Paul has revealed a Secret in Romans
that he clearly states was not made known previously.
Therefore if we hear Teaching today
along the lines of Old Testament Prophets,
such as the berating of sinners,
it is not the New Revelation of Paul.
The secret is something entirely fresh and new,
which the Old Testament Saints had no knowledge of.
It must be something incredibly powerful
for God to have hidden it since time began.
It could only be revealed after the Death and Resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
In the next Parts of this Series we will unveil this Secret,
and see that it is the Key to our happiness.
Would you like to join the discussion on Facebook ?
Christian Leadership College
Copyright - Craig Holme - 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Who are you ? - 4
Who are you ? - 4
How do you feel about yourself ?
This is a relatively taboo question to be asking in
Christian circles today,
yet in the secular domain
it is one of the main questions being asked .
If you believe that you are "corrupt by nature ",
as some Ministers teach,
you are going to have a hard time feeling good about yourself.
One of the main reasons Christians began to be called "wowsers",
is because we were telling everyone ,
" Don't do this , don't do that,
don't sin, don't have fun ,
Movies and RocknRoll are evil,
don't do ............... "
and on and on.
The problem is that most of the "wowsers" looked desperately unhappy,
and seemed to be envious of the sinners who were having all the fun.
The Wowsers love to brag that ,
" I'm just a lonely sinner ,
corrupt by nature,
tainted by sin ".
But , should we be unhappy with ourselves.
The Wowser feels that it is sinful to feel good about yourself,
Why ?,
because they think that we are still "corrupt by nature".
I realize that the "corrupt by nature " theology is inherent
in Protestant tradition.
I am thankful that I was never indoctrinated
with any thelogical tradition.
If you believe that you are
" corrupt by nature , just a lonely sinner ",
you are going to completely miss the whole point of
Paul's letter to the Romans.
For this reason we are going to start our discussion of Romans
at the end of the Letter.
Romans Ch16V25 KJV,
" Now to him that is of power to stablish you
according to my Gospel,"
Notice first of all that he calls this message
"my Gospel".
This means that he was Teaching something
different to what others were Teaching before him.
This is why he was confident to confront Peter,
and call him a hypocrite,
when he seperated himself from Gentile believers.
It would have taken incredible boldness at the time
to declare that what he was teaching was
"My Gospel",
when the Apostles who walked with Jesus
were still Teaching.
What makes Paul's Teaching different ?
Romans Ch16v25 ,
"And the Preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery"
So Paul is elucidating the point that he
has revealed this Mystery in the letter.
If it is therefore a Mystery,
it may not be perceived by everyone.
The mere fact of Paul calling his Gospel
the revealing of a Mystery,
means that every listener may not get it.
Otherwise he would have called it
"the revealing of the blatantly obvious".
Hence Paul deliberately chose the word Mystery
for an exact purpose.
Can you imagine Paul standing up to Teach
"My Gospel ",
his exciting new revelation of the Mystery ,
which he received directly from Jesus Christ
and not from another Apostle,
and saying ,
" I've got bad news for you all ,
you're all still sinners by nature,
just unworthy sinners,
tainted by sin,
corrupt to the core,
but hold on to the bitter end
so that you might be saved,
You dirty rotten bunch of sinners,
I told you all repeatedly to stop sinning,
naughty , naughty !
You ought to feel very guilty,
and bad about yourselves ".
Yet , this is essentially what many believe that Paul taught.
Is it any wonder that the secular world and many psychologists
believe that this Sin Consciousness is what we actually Teach,
and make a mockery of the 'wowsers' because of it?
What do you think ?
Join the discussion on Facebook,
Christian Leadership College
How do you feel about yourself ?
This is a relatively taboo question to be asking in
Christian circles today,
yet in the secular domain
it is one of the main questions being asked .
If you believe that you are "corrupt by nature ",
as some Ministers teach,
you are going to have a hard time feeling good about yourself.
One of the main reasons Christians began to be called "wowsers",
is because we were telling everyone ,
" Don't do this , don't do that,
don't sin, don't have fun ,
Movies and RocknRoll are evil,
don't do ............... "
and on and on.
The problem is that most of the "wowsers" looked desperately unhappy,
and seemed to be envious of the sinners who were having all the fun.
The Wowsers love to brag that ,
" I'm just a lonely sinner ,
corrupt by nature,
tainted by sin ".
But , should we be unhappy with ourselves.
The Wowser feels that it is sinful to feel good about yourself,
Why ?,
because they think that we are still "corrupt by nature".
I realize that the "corrupt by nature " theology is inherent
in Protestant tradition.
I am thankful that I was never indoctrinated
with any thelogical tradition.
If you believe that you are
" corrupt by nature , just a lonely sinner ",
you are going to completely miss the whole point of
Paul's letter to the Romans.
For this reason we are going to start our discussion of Romans
at the end of the Letter.
Romans Ch16V25 KJV,
" Now to him that is of power to stablish you
according to my Gospel,"
Notice first of all that he calls this message
"my Gospel".
This means that he was Teaching something
different to what others were Teaching before him.
This is why he was confident to confront Peter,
and call him a hypocrite,
when he seperated himself from Gentile believers.
It would have taken incredible boldness at the time
to declare that what he was teaching was
"My Gospel",
when the Apostles who walked with Jesus
were still Teaching.
What makes Paul's Teaching different ?
Romans Ch16v25 ,
"And the Preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery"
So Paul is elucidating the point that he
has revealed this Mystery in the letter.
If it is therefore a Mystery,
it may not be perceived by everyone.
The mere fact of Paul calling his Gospel
the revealing of a Mystery,
means that every listener may not get it.
Otherwise he would have called it
"the revealing of the blatantly obvious".
Hence Paul deliberately chose the word Mystery
for an exact purpose.
Can you imagine Paul standing up to Teach
"My Gospel ",
his exciting new revelation of the Mystery ,
which he received directly from Jesus Christ
and not from another Apostle,
and saying ,
" I've got bad news for you all ,
you're all still sinners by nature,
just unworthy sinners,
tainted by sin,
corrupt to the core,
but hold on to the bitter end
so that you might be saved,
You dirty rotten bunch of sinners,
I told you all repeatedly to stop sinning,
naughty , naughty !
You ought to feel very guilty,
and bad about yourselves ".
Yet , this is essentially what many believe that Paul taught.
Is it any wonder that the secular world and many psychologists
believe that this Sin Consciousness is what we actually Teach,
and make a mockery of the 'wowsers' because of it?
What do you think ?
Join the discussion on Facebook,
Christian Leadership College
Copyright - Craig Holme - 2013
Who are you ? - 3
Who are you ? - 3
We are surrounded by identity crisis
in today's western society.
Depression, Anxiety and other emotional problems
are on the increase.
Psychologists have coined a phrase ,
"I'm Ok , you're Ok",
to summarise a psycholgical discovery.
This principal basically states that if I feel that I'm Ok,
then I am going to see you as Ok.
If however I feel bad about myself,
or if I see flaws in my personality,
or I am unhappy about some aspect of my appearance,
or I am in some other way negative about myself,
I will therefore see flaws in you.
How does this concept relate to
Who we say we are as Christians ?
Often we hear the following being taught ,
" I'm just a lowly sinner like everybody else,
corrupt by nature,
a humble sinner saved by Grace,
an unworthy sinner,
rotten to the core with sin,
flawed by the nature of sin. "
Is it any wonder that Psychologists offices are packed with Christians ?
If I see myself as " corrupt by nature",
then that is what I am going to act out.
I will be forever battling secret sins
and will be riddled with guilt,
and subsequently I will be calling the Psychlogist for a panacea.
If I see myself as essentially " corrupt to the core",
I am not going to be able to receive God's Grace,
because I will feel unworthy of His Love.
To say that you are still "corrupt by nature",
is to deny the Power of the Cross ,
and relegates Christianity to be classified
as another "religious opiate of the people".
To declare that you are " corrupt by nature",
will enslave you to the gravity of sin,
and ensure your inability to overcome secret sins.
The reality is that we are no longer "corrupt by nature",
we are now New Creations in Christ Jesus.
To believe otherwise is to contradict
the clear message of Paul's letter to the Romans.
It is absolutely ridiculous to believe that Jesus
would be Crucified and Resurrected ,
only to leave us "corrupt by nature".
We will continue with this Series in the next Part.
Would you like to join the Discussion on Facebook ?
Christian Leadership College
We are surrounded by identity crisis
in today's western society.
Depression, Anxiety and other emotional problems
are on the increase.
Psychologists have coined a phrase ,
"I'm Ok , you're Ok",
to summarise a psycholgical discovery.
This principal basically states that if I feel that I'm Ok,
then I am going to see you as Ok.
If however I feel bad about myself,
or if I see flaws in my personality,
or I am unhappy about some aspect of my appearance,
or I am in some other way negative about myself,
I will therefore see flaws in you.
How does this concept relate to
Who we say we are as Christians ?
Often we hear the following being taught ,
" I'm just a lowly sinner like everybody else,
corrupt by nature,
a humble sinner saved by Grace,
an unworthy sinner,
rotten to the core with sin,
flawed by the nature of sin. "
Is it any wonder that Psychologists offices are packed with Christians ?
If I see myself as " corrupt by nature",
then that is what I am going to act out.
I will be forever battling secret sins
and will be riddled with guilt,
and subsequently I will be calling the Psychlogist for a panacea.
If I see myself as essentially " corrupt to the core",
I am not going to be able to receive God's Grace,
because I will feel unworthy of His Love.
To say that you are still "corrupt by nature",
is to deny the Power of the Cross ,
and relegates Christianity to be classified
as another "religious opiate of the people".
To declare that you are " corrupt by nature",
will enslave you to the gravity of sin,
and ensure your inability to overcome secret sins.
The reality is that we are no longer "corrupt by nature",
we are now New Creations in Christ Jesus.
To believe otherwise is to contradict
the clear message of Paul's letter to the Romans.
It is absolutely ridiculous to believe that Jesus
would be Crucified and Resurrected ,
only to leave us "corrupt by nature".
We will continue with this Series in the next Part.
Would you like to join the Discussion on Facebook ?
Christian Leadership College
Copyright - Craig Holme - 2013
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