unity

PERSECUTION…AN EXAMPLE

Posted on April 29, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

The following message was written by Joseph Hay, Youth Ministry Director

The high priest questioned them saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him. –Acts 5:27-32

In this passage, Peter and the other apostles are in front of a court of the religious leaders where they are accused of not following the law. Peter defiantly said that the apostles would not stop preaching and teaching the Word of God and the teaching of Jesus Christ because they must obey God over any man or law.

Today in Houston, pastors, elders, church leaders, and Christians are facing a similar situation. The mayor of Houston, Annise Parker, and the city attorney’s office previously subpoenaed several pastors’ sermons in which the topic of homosexuality and/or “HERO” (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance) were mentioned. It is apparent that the city is planning to use these sermons to accuse pastors of hate speech as an attempt to censor what Christian pastors may say from their pulpits, thus attempting to either modify or sensor God’s Truth.

This article is not aimed at fighting these actions, or at speaking to their legality, instead, it focuses on how believers should conduct themselves in times like this.

It is open persecution when individuals involved in the Lord’s work/ministry are told to stop preaching the Gospel and the Truth of God. We are clearly now in that time of persecution, and we should respond … However, we should not respond with anger and hatred toward those persecuting us. Instead, committed believers should respond as the apostles did when they were faced with a similar situation:

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council (persecuting entity), rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. –Acts 5:41-42.

We should REJOICE in this time because it is our city that is found worthy to suffer for His name. Persecution of God’s holy, ordained church has never been a bad thing because our Lord has used times of persecution to strengthen and grow His church. One of the main reasons for this growth is that persecution commonly produces both purity and unity within God’s people. Purity of both the message and the people increases because if one truly doesn’t believe in Christ and His power then most likely one wouldn’t be willing to give up one’s life for Christ.

Unity among believers also increases because when facing a common problem, believers put aside issues/differences to focus on the larger crisis. We have seen this unity during this current crisis because hundreds of churches are praying and supporting the targeted Houston pastors. Certainly, we should rejoice during this time of persecution because our Lord has seen fit to allow us to suffer for His great name.

Nonetheless, the New Testament apostles did not stop with just rejoicing, they continued to boldly proclaim the message of Jesus Christ even though they were ordered to be silent (attempted censorship). This, church (WOF), is what we MUST do. We MUST continue sharing the truth in love and teaching the Word of God, even if men, cultures, governments, religions, or any other powers on earth command us to stop! Before Christ ascended he said:

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. –Matthew 28:18-20

— Joseph

STUDY

Posted on March 22, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

Almost everyone can come up with a reasonable definition or understanding of the word “STUDY” as we use it in today’s communication. In addition, most believers are familiar with the instruction of II Timothy 2:15:

Be diligent (study or labor) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

In this New Testament passage, one finds the Greek root word, spoudason, literally meaning to:

1. make an effort

2. be earnest/serious.

3. endeavor/exert effort.

The KJV and Amplified translators used the word “study” because the “accurate handling” of God’s Word is of the essence, and the implied method to reach that result could only be achieved through consistent diligence in one’s personal study.

The grammatical Greek structure found here in II Timothy 2:15 is second person, singular, aorist (tense) active (voice), imperative (mood) verb, which conveys the idea of saying … “Do your best, make haste, give diligence, hurry on, and be eager about showing yourself approved unto God” – all in the use of one word, “STUDY!”

The Apostle Paul used the same word in Ephesians 4:3, with the same emphasis, concerning the preservation of unity within the church body where “endeavor,” as used in some English translations, is too weak of a word. Paul’s intention was to stir up his son in the faith, Timothy, now the young lead pastor at the church in Ephesus, so that he would seek the Lord’s approval in/while handling, instructing, teaching, equipping, and training the believers in that community.

Pastor Tim was not instructed to seek any level of human approval, like that of the community at large or even of those in the congregation; instead, His Lord’s endorsement, and in so doing would ultimately prove himself to all as being a responsible workman according to his gifts and callings.

Therefore, the approved workman diligently and steadfastly studies the Word … first, seeking to apply it / live it personally, then sharing it with those he/she teaches, trains and equips so they can do the same. The Word is the workman’s tool for building up the body of Christ until we “attain unity of the faith,” and become mature individuals in Christ through the knowledge of Christ! (See Ephesians 4:12-13)

Then, as a result of the workman who is approved by God Himself and not ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth, believers no longer act like children, tossed around by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men and deceitful scheming, but instead, speak the truth in love, and grow up in Him, the fullness of Christ Jesus! (From Ephesians 4:14-15) The entire body then successfully comes together and is held together according to the proper working of each individual. This always causes the growth and even more maturing as Christ’s Body, His Church, is being built up and strengthened in genuine love (of/for Christ, His word, and one another)! (From Ephesians 4:16)

The sloppy and ashamed workers get all hung up on other distractions — what others think of them, how they themselves feel about a topic or subject, what others are doing and saying, or even how their teaching(s) may be accepted. Some of these even handle the word of truth deceitfully in order to twist it into saying exactly what they want it to say. As they waste time on these things (some trivial and some complete heresy), they have little or nothing to give of true substance, that spiritually-enriched meat that brings about powerful life transformation!

My sincere prayer and personal desire as your pastor is for each and every believer at West Oaks Fellowship to become an approved worker who is not ashamed, and can accurately handle the word of truth on a daily, moment-by-moment basis.

Nonetheless, that dream/goal is unattainable unless God’s people are: 1) making an effort. 2) earnest/serious. 3) endeavoring/exerting effort.

How then shall we live? (See Matthew 4:4) — His & yours, PF

FELLOWSHIP

Posted on March 21, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

WHO NEEDS IT ANYWAY?

Many believers have adopted such an attitude for various reasons, and offer numerous excuses of why they don’t or won’t fellowship with other believers. Perhaps a biblical definition would help curve that attitude into something of authentic value. As with many things, a broader or better understanding often results in a new perspective.

God has provided and revealed His direct thoughts through the Bible, but as time passes, some of His concepts have grown obscure in our culture and become ambiguous. We somehow manage to morph His intentions into our own comfortable practices, often discounting the true intent and purpose of His Word/Truth. The biblical concept of fellowship among Christians/Believers is one that has been especially confused within the framework of Christ’s Church!

Today, churches have fellowship halls, fellowship dinners, home fellowships and various fellowship groups, etc, etc. However, very few have actual fellowship … and yet for a Body of Christ (church) that seeks to be guided and directed in principle and practice by the New Testament, fellowship is absolutely essential. The well-being and spiritual development of the entire body/church, as well as that of every individual participant, is directly impacted by the type and quality of fellowship one experiences in their church.

So, what is fellowship as purposed/intended by the Lord? As one looks back into church history and digs into the original languages of the Bible, there are several significant facts that illuminate God’s projected meaning/intent for fellowship among His faithful.

The first fact concerns the meaning of the Greek root word “koinos.” This term is a prefix in ancient Greek from which our English word, “fellowship” or “koinonia” is derived. If you were to add this prefix to various words like “living,” “owning a purse,” “a dispute,” or “mother,” you would get words meaning “living in community together,” “owning a purse in common,” “a public dispute,” and “having a mother in common.” The root of the word “fellowship” means “to hold something in common.”

The Greek word “koinonia” would be commonly used to describe corporations, labor guilds, partners in a law firm, and the most intimate of marriage relationships. Therefore, from the usage of the word, we can conclude that fellowship is a word denoting a relationship that is dependent on more than one individual . . . an interdependent relationship.

I Corinthians 1:9 states:

God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Note this – the word “fellowship” is never used in the biblical text concerning a relationship between humanity and deity until after God’s Holy Spirit indwells believers, making it an exclusive post-Pentecost experience/connection/affiliation! Initially, fellowship focused in on spiritual unity, a personal relationship as emphasized in Philemon 6, II Corinthians 13:14 and Philippians 2:1.

Nobody had to come to the disciples and other new believers on the day of Pentecost and say, “Now you need to go practice fellowship.” God’s Holy Spirit had come upon all these people and uniquely formed a bond of unity! Their inclination (not natural, but supernatural through God’s Spirit), thanks to their new nature in Christ Jesus, was to exercise it outwardly. Acts 2:41-47 speaks clearly:

So then, those who had received his (Peter’s teaching) word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

This is fellowship, not as a concept or idea, but as an action in the midst of His church! If one was to remove themselves from these activities, they would no longer be experiencing fellowship with other believers. Fellowship was unquestionably a hallmark of Christ’s early church, yet today it’s been sadly reduced to annual potluck dinners despite the admonition of Scripture. I John 1:6-7 presents genuine fellowship as the obvious by-product of an authentic personal relationship with Jesus Christ:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Let’s rediscover the truth and value of Fellowship –PF