Saturday, July 11, 2009

the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and the teachers


Understanding Ephesians 4:11-12

Q. The Apostle Paul speaks about the gifts that Christ has given the church we are the following: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and the teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build the church, the body of Christ.

My first question is where the operation (job description) of these gifts are defined in the Bible because I want to know how a certain gift is expected to operate?

Secondly, why in nowadays we specifically hear ONLY about Pastors and other gifts are seemingly disregarded as compared to pastoring?

A. The key to understanding Ephesians 4:11 can be found in a study of the Greek words Paul used, and comparing them with what he said about their purpose in verses 12 and 13. The word for apostle means ambassador or commissioner, the one for prophet means foreteller, evangelist means preacher, pastor means shepherd, and teacher means instructor. Their combined purpose is to bring unity, maturity, and purity to the body of Christ.

I think the position of pastor became the senior one among these when we began paying pastors as professionals and giving them ultimate authority over local congregations. But as Ephesians 4:11-12 indicates, this was not the original intention.

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Law AND Grace? The LAW Returns After Rapture?


The Great Pause, More Follow Up

Q. Are you saying that after the Rapture, one must believe in Jesus ‘and’ subscribe to the Law? The plan obviously shifts to Israel but does this mean that no Gentiles have a chance after the Rapture? What is the purpose of the sacrifices in the Temple then? Is it only for the Jew? Which blood atonement will God recognize, that of the animals for the last 7 years or that of His Son? Will there be no grace after the Rapture?

A. Just after the Mark of the Beast is introduced, God will send an angel to warn the people of earth to refuse the mark or suffer eternal consequences. Rev. 14:12 says,“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” Like it was in the time before the Church, when faith had to be evidenced by obedience, so will it be after we’re gone. Remember, the Church didn’t end the Age of Law, it just interrupted it seven years short of its appointed time.

There has only ever been one blood atonement for our sins, and that’s the blood of Jesus. The sacrifice of animals delays the judgment, but doesn’t eliminate it.

The only Temple will be in Israel, so as a practical matter only those living there will participate in the sacrificial system. And even then only until the abomination of desolation makes the Temple unusable in the middle of the last 7 years (Daniel 9:27).

Although ultimately all men are saved by grace, the Doctrine of Grace as it’s put forth inEphesians 2:8-9 will expire with the Rapture. After that salvation will be by faith in Jesus as evidenced by obedience to the Commandments, whether Jew or Gentile.

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Post Rapture Salvation


Post Rapture Salvation

Q. My question is about those left behind after the Rapture. If a person has heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ before the rapture but has not yet accepted Jesus as Lord nor repented and made a true confession of faith, what are their chances of being saved during the tribulation? Is it impossible?

In this respect would Jews and Gentiles be in the same situation - or do the Jews have a chance to come to Christ because they still have the Abrahamic covenant?

I know that everyone who has not heard the Gospel is eligible to be saved during the tribulation - my concern is for those who are still on the planet after the Rapture and are too late to be part of the Church. Thank you as always for your Bible knowledge and generosity in sharing it with us.

A. Some believe 2 Thes 2:9-11 warns that anyone who has heard the gospel and not accepted it will be subject to delusion after the Rapture and won’t be able to be saved then. Others say that the time after the rapture is intended for Israel to accept the Messiah so the remaining gentiles will not be a priority for the Lord.

I’m not sure that either of those positions is conclusive. But I do believe that it will be an extremely difficult time for gentiles who come to the Lord after the Rapture. As descriptive as some of them are, I think books and movies that try to depict those times accurately fall far short of conveying the precarious situation tribulation believers will find themselves in.

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"...recent times my rapture enthusiasm seems to have waned..."


Waning Rapture Enthusiasm

Q. I find that in recent times my rapture enthusiasm seems to have waned somewhat, and I don’t know why. I am starting to fear that it is because I never had any truth faith in Jesus at all, and am just deluding myself into thinking I’m a true Christian when I am just a false convert. Do you have any advice for me?

A. Yes I have. Get back into the word and review the promises the Lord made to you. You’ll find that if you asked sincerely the Lord granted your request for salvation and will never revoke it, no matter what. If you don’t know for sure that you were sincere when you asked, then do it again. It’s important to get this resolved, because the enemy has spotted a weakness in your defenses and is exploiting it. He can’t “unsave” you, but he can cause you to fear and doubt. That’s how he steals our joy. Try Matt. 7:7-8, John 6:38-40, Romans 10:9-10,13 and Titus 3:4-7.

You should also read 2 Cor. 10:3-5 and begin taking those thoughts of doubt captive and making them obedient to Christ.

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What are the Muslim beliefs in regards to Mary?


Mary And Islam

Q. I have a question regarding your comments about what religion would possibly be dominant during the tribulation. What are the Muslim beliefs in regards to Mary?

A. Many Christians are surprised that Moslems have a great affection Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to Juan Galvan, author of “Jesus and the Virgin Mary in Islam”, no woman is given more attention in the Quran, and of its 114 chapters, she is one of only eight people who have a chapter named after them. (Hers is number 19.) Although the Quran offers a different story on Mary’s origins than the Biblical account, it does confirm her supernatural conception resulting in the birth of Jesus (Quran 19:16-21) Mary is the only woman specifically named in the Quran and plays a very significant role in Islam. She is thought to be an example and a sign for all people.

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Is Jesus’ payment for sin more like a business transaction than a gift?


Question posted on Yahoo! Answers: Jesus paid for my sins, but there’s a catch. I have to devote myself to him.

Doesn’t that defeat it’s power as a gift? — I mean, it’s more like a business transaction now.

The gift is eternal life, salvation is the cost of the Son of God purchasing you from who you sold yourself to.


He doesn't have to give you eternal life, though he saved you from your sins, the choice is yours to continue in them or find out that the only real freedom is constraint.

Love constrains you to choose to Obey out of intimacy and tenderness, not devotion to a cause or religion.

Michael James Stone





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What exactly is the “Trinity”? Is it a core belief of Christianity?


Question posted on Yahoo! Answers: What exactly is the “Trinity”? Is it a core belief of Christianity?




Jesus said, I pray Father that they may know me and know you and I am in you and you in me and I pray they may be in us.

Trinity is a way of explaining what God is in relationship to Father, Son and Spirit.

As far as God is concerned, he said I am and left it at that.
The rest for "core" you can read I John and figure it out from there.........

Michael James Stone
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How do I make sure I am saved? I am worried.


Question posted on Yahoo! Answers: How do I make sure I am saved? I am worried.





My mother used to say, as long as you are worried about it,

You have nothing to worry about.

I tend to agree.


Michael James Stone


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Faith is Personal not Political: More Americans Question Religion’s Role in Politics


More Americans Question Religion’s Role in Politics

Conservatives’ views now more in line with the views of moderates and liberals on this issue

Washington, DC - Some Americans are having a change of heart about mixing religion and politics. A new national survey finds a narrow majority of the public saying that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters and not express their views on day-to-day social and political matters. For a decade, majorities of Americans had voiced support for religious institutions speaking out on such issues.

The latest survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted from July 31-Aug. 10 among 2,905 adults, reveals that most of the reconsideration of the desirability of religious involvement in politics has occurred among conservatives. Four years ago, just 30% of conservatives believed that churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics. Today, 50% of conservatives express this view.

The new survey finds that conservatives' views on this issue are much more in line with the views of moderates and liberals than was previously the case. Similarly, the sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats that previously existed on this issue have disappeared.

There are other signs in the new poll about a potential change in the climate of opinion about mixing religion and politics. First, the survey finds a small but significant increase since 2004 in the percentage of respondents saying that they are uncomfortable when they hear politicians talk about how religious they are - from 40% to 46%.

While the Republican Party is most often seen as the party friendly toward religion, the Democratic Party has made gains in this area. Nearly four-in-ten (38%) now say the Democratic Party is generally friendly toward religion, up from just 26% two years ago. Nevertheless, considerably more people (52%) continue to view the GOP as friendly toward religion.

Similarly, the survey finds increasing numbers of Americans believing that religiously defined ideological groups have too much control over the parties themselves. Nearly half (48%) say religious conservatives have too much influence over the Republican Party, up from 43% in August 2007. At the same time, more people say that liberals who are not religious have too much sway over the Democrats than did so last year (43% today vs. 37% then).

Changes in views about the role of churches in politics notwithstanding, many of the contours of American public opinion relating to broad questions of religion and politics remain largely unchanged. Two-thirds of the public (66%) say that churches and other houses of worship should not endorse one candidate over another, which is unchanged since 2004 (65%). And while most say it is important for presidents to have strong religious beliefs, they are divided about whether there currently is too much, or too little, in the way of expressions of faith by contemporary political leaders. Roughly comparable numbers say political leaders express their religious beliefs too much (29%), too little (36%) or the right amount (28%).

Other Findings:

  • While some social conservatives are expressing changed views about religion and politics, there is little indication that they are changing their voting preferences: John McCain has about as large a lead over Barack Obama among conservatives and white evangelicals as George W. Bush did at this stage in the campaign four years ago.
  • Just 28% of white evangelical Protestants say they are strong backers of McCain. Four years ago, 57% of white evangelicals described themselves as strong backers of President Bush.
  • As was the case in previous presidential elections, the voting inclinations of Catholic voters - especially white non-Hispanic Catholics - remain fluid. Four years ago at this time John Kerry held a slight edge over Bush among white non-Hispanic Catholics; but he lost that lead by the election. In the current poll, this group, which accounts for 18% of the electorate, is divided almost evenly: 45% support McCain, while 44% favor Obama.
  • For the most part, the issues that are important to the public as a whole are also important to particular religious groups. However, social issues, especially gay marriage, continue to be more important for white evangelicals than for other registered voters. Currently, 46% of white evangelicals say gay marriage will be a very important voting issue, compared with 28% of all voters. That is only somewhat less than the percentage of white evangelical voters who viewed gay marriage as very important in October 2004 (49%).

The survey is for immediate release, and is available online at http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=334. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Robbie Mills at 202.419.4564 or rmills@pewforum.org.

This survey is a joint effort of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Both organizations are sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts and are projects of the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan "fact tank" that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.


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Faith is Personal not Political


Jesus was not a political pumdit. He did not come to a social gospel anymore than he did a political gospel. His Agenda was to know God, and to confront you and me about Knowing God.

While his message affects politics, it does by the person and changing the individual. While his message affects society, it does by our attitude change.

The Republican Party or The Democrat Party or the Conservative or the Liberal is not the JESUS sanctioned choice:

He would say

  1. Render to the Republicans that things that are republican.
  2. Render to the Democrats that things that are democrat.
  3. Render to the Conservative that things that are conservative.
  4. Render to the Liberal that things that are liberal.
As far as he was concerned,

When you talked about God, None of those above applied.
When you talked about Man, ALL of those above applied.

It's time a person was a Christian First and the rest just commentary.

You are God's.

Render to God, the things that are God's.

Michael James Stone

Running or Finding?: Why Americans Change Religious Affiliation


New Pew Forum Poll Explores Why Americans Change Religious Affiliation

Diverse Reasons, but Distinct Patterns Emerge

Washington, DC - A new survey by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that Americans change their religious affiliation early and often, and the reasons they give for changing - or leaving religion altogether - differ widely depending on the origin and destination of the convert.

"Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S." is a follow-up to the "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey," conducted by the Pew Forum in 2007 and released in 2008, and is based on over 2,800 callback interviews with members of the largest segments of the population that have changed religious affiliation.

The poll results offer a fuller picture of the "churn" within religion in America, where about half of adults have changed religious affiliation at least once in their life.

Key findings include:

  • Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once.
  • Many people who have left a religion to become unaffiliated, the group that has grown the most from religious switching, say they did so in part because they stopped believing in the teachings of their childhood faith. Many also cite disillusionment with religious people and institutions as reasons for becoming unaffiliated.
  • Many people who have left the Catholic Church say they did so because they stopped believing in Catholic teachings. This is true for half of Catholics who have become Protestant as well as two-thirds of Catholics who have become unaffiliated. Many fewer say they left because of the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
  • In contrast with other groups, Americans who have switched from one Protestant denominational family (e.g., Baptist, Methodist) to another tend to do so because of changes in life circumstances, such as marriage or moving to a new community.

The report, including a detailed executive summary, methodology and topline questionnaire, is available online. For the original "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey," visit http://religions.pewforum.org.

If you are interested in arranging an interview with a Pew Forum researcher or need more information, please contact Loralei Coyle at 202.419.4556 or lcoyle@pewforum.org or Robbie Mills at 202.419.4564 or rmills@pewforum.org.

The Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life delivers timely, impartial information on issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs. The Pew Forum is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy organization and does not take positions on policy debates. Based in Washington, D.C., the Pew Forum is a project of the Pew Research Center, which is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


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Sometimes I find Christians flock shopping for good reasons, sometimes to start over, sometimes mad at a Pastor of teacher they are unwilling to get along with. Rootless can mean spinelss when we face tribulation times.

The Issue with leaving is did you leave on good terms? Or Run away?

Will you run next time? or care enough to talk and let those who care about you,

Bless you and send you off.


If you know the Song Friends are friends forver...., you know how we ought to be.

Change cam be good depending on how you make the change, it's not that anyone minds the baggage a person brings, but if you are only visiting a home for a little while, do you really need to move in and make yourself at home by spreading all your personal issues?

Lets bless those who come and bless those who go.

Bless those who remain and bless those who came, we must learn that love is about being challenged, not pretending we get along and leaving our family behind.

Michael James Stone