Thursday, March 28, 2024

Our Dominion Mandate & The Kingdom of God

borrowed article 
to be shared to the Council Bishops Leaders 
at HLM for us to GLORIFY GOD ....




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The Kingdom of God and the Dominion Mandate

In a recent conversation with a dear friend and brother, we ended up discussing the dominion mandate. 
I believe that regaining a Biblical understanding of the dominion mandate and how it relates to the kingdom of God would have a profound impact on the Church, which in turn would have a profound impact on the world. 

So, what is the dominion mandate? 

Admittedly, this is not language that is terribly common in evangelical circles, many people hear the root ‘dominae’ and they think of words like domination, or domineering. People picture a tyrant, forcefully imposing his will upon unwilling citizens. 
So when we talk about ‘taking dominion’ or seeking to build Christ’s Kingdom so that He will have dominion, many people associate this with a 
crusader-style conquering; “conversions” at the end of the sword, or some other coercive efforts. 

So let’s get this straight at the outset: this is NOT what we’re talking about when we talk about taking dominion.

So then what do we mean? 
For that we need to go back to the beginning. 
Genesis 1:28: God made mankind in His image, “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 

God made man the vice-regents over His creation. To have dominion was to have lordship over creation. 
God created the world, and gave mankind a mediated authority to rule, govern and steward His good creation. 

Adam and Eve were tasked with fruitfulness and dominion. 
They were to be fruitful; have children, fill the earth with image-bearers, who would collectively exercise godly dominion over the world. 

So to exercise godly dominion is to faithfully steward that which God has entrusted to you. 
  • It is faithfulness to God in all that He has given you authority over. 
  • It is seeking to let your life, and all that you are responsible for redound to the Glory of God. 
The original dominion mandate for Adam and Eve was to fill the earth and subdue it. God wanted this whole earth filled with His image bearers who would subdue, and cultivate the earth as they went; imitating their creator in bringing order out of chaos. 

Mankind would exercise dominion through their God-honoring work of bringing order and beauty into all of God’s creation; exercising their authority in a way that would honor God. Beginning in Eden, they would work to extend the blessings of Eden into all the world, building, exploring, cultivating and worshiping God. They would exercise godly dominion; being faithful with what they had been given so that God would be glorified in them and all their work in all the world. 

So at root, this is what it means to to take godly dominion. 
As Christians, we are seeking to bring everything under the Lordship of Christ. Because this world is His, because we are His, we are to exercise 
Christ-exalting dominion, bringing every area of our lives under His feet; seeking to honor Him in everything. So whatever God has given you authority over, you are to exercise that authority in a way that will glorify God. 

This has application for everyone, because regardless of where you are or who you are, God has entrusted you with some authority.

The most basic level is our own 
self-government. 
We have been given control over ourselves, and we are called to exercise self-control. What does that mean other than to govern ourselves in a God-glorifying way? We exercise godly dominion by seeking to use what God has given us to glorify Him. This has a good number of implications; in every area of our personal lives, we must labor to surrender ourselves to the Lordship of Christ. We live by the principles of God’s law; laboring to Love God and neighbor, and so do all that God requires of us to the best of our ability. 

We seek to glorify God with our bodies. Godly dominion over our physical bodies means that we will care for what God has given us. This has implications for hygiene, diet and exercise. We must not be negligent with the bodies God has entrusted to us. We will also honor God by using our minds. God has given us all potential; we honor God when we use what He has given us to honor and serve Him.

When this happens, if these Christians have been well-taught, they will begin living according to different principles than the world around them. They will follow Christ in applying God’s law, following  His example and teachings of radical, counter-cultural, self-giving love. They will become a people who advocate for justice (Biblically defined) and are compelled by their love for God and neighbor to acts of charity, hospitality and love. 

This is the Kingdom of God; gospel-transformed people, living and serving Christ as Lord, seeking to bring every area of life under His feet, building, cultivating, loving, and worshiping. 
This Kingdom living is a glimpse of the future consummation of Christ’s kingdom. 

Our desire at all times is to see absolutely everything come under the Lordship of Christ, that He might “have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!” 

As I mentioned earlier, this does not happen through the sword, Jesus made it very clear that His Kingdom will not be advanced through physical force, but we’ve been given a much more powerful weapon, one that has the ability, not merely to end life, but it is the means by which God raises spiritually dead men back to life. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we fulfill the commission that Christ gave us, God is raising people to spiritual life. 

Turning them from rebels into citizens. Turning enemies into sons. There is no growth of the Kingdom apart from the gospel. 

Advocating for the godly exercise of dominion communicates a more holistic understanding of the Kingdom of God than what is typically communicated or understood in much gospel preaching. 

In many instances, the gospel has been truncated; it becomes about getting souls to heaven and generally ignores or forgets about God’s intentions for this world. This leads to an aimlessness for Christians, who develop a view that the only kingdom-building work to be done is Church planting, preaching and evangelism. Those Christians who do not make this their full-time work end up thinking that their only role in the kingdom is to support those who are doing the “real” work. 

Regaining a proper understanding of the dominion mandate and the Kingdom of God brings meaning and purpose to all Christians. We all have a role to play, and it is all Kingdom work. 

As Christians faithfully embrace the call to exercise godly dominion in their spheres of authority, Christ’s Lordship is demonstrated in and through His people. Our businesses, our homes, our workplaces, our places of recreation all become stages for Christ’s Lordship to be demonstrated. Godly dominion will mean a bold and straightforward commitment to glorify God with whatever He has entrusted to us. 

Are you a mother or a father? 
Ask how you can most honor the Lordship of Christ in your child-rearing. Apply Biblical principles, equip your children with a thoroughly Christian worldview. 
Are you a business owner? Let everyone know that your business belongs to Christ, and is ultimately aiming to glorify Him. Are you a mayor, trustee, or some type of governor? Study the word of God; learn to rule in such a way that is consistent with Biblical principles. 

Whatever your sphere of influence or authority, use it as best as you can to glorify God. 
There is more kingdom work to be done than pastoral ministry. Part of the job of a pastor is to help people understand this. Whether you’re a painter, a musician, a bricklayer,  butcher, a baker, or candlestick maker, let all that you do be done to the glory of God. Work in service to King Jesus, exercise godly dominion, may your heart’s desire be to see what Jesus taught us to pray: “Your Kingdom Come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

-Soli Deo Gloria

Principles in Kingdom Giving

Article by
Randall Caselman

Principles Of Kingdom Giving

Reading
2 Corinthians 8.1-7 & 9.6-11


Well... How can we meet such an ambitious budget?
Are there some Biblical Principles that will help us?... Of course!!
God did not leave us without instructions on how to accomplish His work

You see Church... my giving and yours... does not amount to all that much. Individually we are pretty insignificant. But... but... when you put us together... and you give our combined gifts to God...
- He blesses our giving, and...
- He empowers our giving to accomplish His work.

This is the significance of this budget this morning. This presentation is more than just abstract figures... It is the power of God at work in our world. Believe that... and we will accomplish all that God asked of us. Disbelieve... and rely upon ourselves, and our own ability with money and we will fail... and fail miserably.

Before I get into the Biblical principles for giving, I just want to say something about what an exciting time to be a part of the Bella Vista Church of Christ. Audience, do you have any idea how much of our world has been touched by this church... and by your generous giving? If you go to Africa, you'll find dozens of churches that have been started or strengthened by your giving.

We just completed a workshop in Cape Town and Johannesburg. In attendance were over 400 people from over 20 different congregations... three of which were from Namibia. You could go to Nigeria... where we have supported the Nigerian School of Preaching for over 18 years. Today, we continue to support Matt and Andrea Miller... who work with the French speaking people of Togo... on the West Coast of Africa.

In South America, we are the only support for three preachers in Bogota, Colombia... in Santiago, Chili... and in Honduras. In Quito, Ecuador... we provide the total support for two preaching students in the School of Preaching. Robert Miranda works with congregations in Mexico... Central America... and South America. And we support his work at $18,000 a year.

We are in Tver, Russia through the Baldwin congregation in Fayetteville. Tens of thousands of people in Ukraine hear the Gospel preached each day on television... made possible by your generous giving. We are in India though Russell Bell who makes two extended teaching and preaching trips there each year.

And of course... through Gospel Tracts International... people all over the world read about Jesus and His church through the almost two-million tracts printed each year... distributed to 60 different countries. I help raise funds for Gospel Tracts... and I know of no other congregation who gives to this preaching and teaching effort any more than those in this church.

Then back on this side of the globe... our Bulletin and Tape Ministries reach so many. And not only does your giving make these ministries possible, many of you work to see that these ministries are carried out... Thank you so much.

- One man writes... Our congregation has not had Gospel Preaching for several months... But now with your tape ministry, we have two sermons each and every Lord's Day... Thanks!

- Another says... My mom is in a nursing facility in California and has not been able to attend church for several years... But now she enjoys your sermons... the prayer and songs each week.

- Another says... I hope you don't mind us sending your tapes other places when we are finished with them. Some we hate to part with... but most of them are sent to India... to Singapore... and Malaysia.

And listen to this: This past year this church expended $28,720 in Benevolence... Most of that above what was budgeted. And... and.. over $20,000 of that was made available to those in our own church family.

Plus... there are so many of you who give of your own money to help others... in and outside the church. This kind of giving is never recorded anywhere except in heaven. Just this week we will send over $4,000 to the church in Indonesia to help with those devastated by the Tsunami.

INDEED!!... INDEED!!!... What an exciting time to be a part of this church!

You see, this budget is much more than just some abstract figures on a piece of paper... It is the will and power of God working through His people.

OK... What Biblical Principles Are There That Will Enable Us... As a Church... To Meet This Budget?

FIRST... WE MUST GIVE AS GOD HAS BLESSED US... PROSPERED US.
I believe that this is consistent with what James says... "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above... coming down from the Father of lights."

Church... our giving is based... in part... upon how God has blessed us.
When you put Paul and James together... they seem to be saying... Count your blessings and then give accordingly. Did we do that last Sunday? Today? Every Sunday? Folk... when we do this... our Elders will not have to struggle with how to distribute all the money... AMEN??

SECONDLY... WE ARE TO GIVE LIBERALLY... GENEROUSLY.
Paul warns... "If we sow sparingly... we will reap sparingly. But, if we sow generously... we will reap generously." Jesus said... "Give and it will be given unto you... shaken down and pressed together." Jesus is saying that God watches our giving... and then rewards us accordingly. May God help us to count our blessings and then give liberally... generously.

GOD ALSO WANTS US TO GIVE CHEERFULLY.
Our offering to God is to be voluntary... Not as if we had to. God does not want us to give grudgingly... or to give under compulsion... out of NECESSITY... But freely... cheerfully. Church... if we can't feel good about the amount we are giving... then we are under New Testament commandment to change that amount... either up or down. God wants us to feel good about the way we give to Him... and the work in His Kingdom.

WE ARE TO GIVE SACRIFICIALLY.
Even the casual Bible student knows that sacrificial giving has been a part of God-required worship from the beginning of time.
- The first time worship is mentioned in the Bible... it had to do with sacrificial giving by Cain and Able...
- Noah sacrificed...
- As did Abraham...
- Sacrificial worship played a major role in worship under the Law of Moses.

Paul and the Hebrews writer both tell us...
- That one... God was never pleased with dead sacrifices...
- And two... Worship which pleases God today... is our offering ourselves as living sacrifices... instruments of righteousness.

Then, Paul lets us know in our text that when we give ourselves as living sacrifices then our first day of the week giving will be right. The Macedonian church gave correctly... sacrificially... because they first gave themselves.

WE ARE TO GIVE AS WE HAVE PURPOSED... PLANNED.
Paul says... "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give� as he has purposed." Folk, genuine New Testament worship to God is our Proposing... Vowing... Pledging to God... to give a certain amount or percentage to Him... and then just doing it. This is Bible.

AND THEN... OUR GIVING IS TO BE REGULAR... SYSTEMATIC.
Paul tells us in First Corinthians 16.1 & 2... "Now concerning the collection for God's people... do what I told the Galatian churches to do. On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income."

Sunday, March 10, 2024

GLORIFY GOD

under construction ....
thoughts and more soon ....


GLORIFY GOD personally
for the glory of God in PRAYER, the WORD, MINISTRY, RELATIONSHIPS and CHARACTER

  • PRAYER -- consistency, private and public
  • WORD -- proper interpretation
  • MINISTRY -- service with a servants heart
  • RELATIONSHIPS -- love, kindness and fruit
  • CHARACTER -- Spirit controlled and honoring Christ JESUS



GLORIFY GOD organizationally
for the glory of God in FACILITIES, OPERATIONS, PROCESSES and DECORUM

  • FACILITIES -- properties and maintenance and designs
  • OPERATIONS -- systems and interactions
  • PROCESSES -- flow and outcome
  • DECORUM -- looks, cleanliness and more

Sunday, February 25, 2024

DEEP BENCH -- our thrust 2024-2025 at HIS LIFE MINISTRIES



TURNING 31 at HLM, what will we do NEXT?


We will equip, empower the NEXT .... 
  • the next set of People who will come to KNOW the GRACE and LOVE of JESUS.
  • the next set of People who will be willing to GROW and BE TRAINED to become instruments and tools in the Mighty Hand of GOD and for HIS WORK.
  • the next set of People the LORD will send to us who are RISKY, HUNGRY, and COMPASSIONATE believing that the earth must be covered with the knowledge and LORD as the waters cover the sea.
  • the next set of People who will have a CLEAR CALLING experiencing a "NAME CHANGE", baptized by the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT and will only walk and run in the FILLING of the LORD and for the GLORY of God!

AS we TURN 31
  • lets have 31 __________________ FILL in the BLANK .... after prayer and fasting.
  • LETS go for 31 __________________ FILL in the BLANK .... after creating a TEAM of like minded people --- ONE HEART, ONE MIND, ONE PASSION!


Friday, February 23, 2024

WHY they LEAVE and WHY they STAY?



Here's an OBSERVATION and WISDOM TRACKER in the area of PASTORING churches, congregations and groups.
AS we TURN 31 .... going 32, this is so helpful.  

WHY PEOPLE love to stay .... 
WHILE others would like to opt the other way ....


READ these great thoughts submitted:
Here are the reasons WHY MANY consider leaving their churches.
  • They have tried and tried to find COMMUNITY but Haven't.
  • They feel that the Church is only for the INSIDERS and Isn't Doing Anything for People Outside of it.
  • The LEADERSHIP Abuse their POWERS.
  • They Don't Agree With the Vision, Mission and Strategies employed by that church.
  • MANY would leave because they Don't Trust the Church with their MONEY.


Borrowing these thoughts from OUTREACH MAGAZINE GROUP --- this is their ANSWER:  
Why People Stay at a Church—and Why They Leave

Most churchgoers will put up with a change in music style or a different preacher. 
But don’t mess with a church’s beliefs or there may be an exodus, according to a new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research.

The study of Protestant churchgoers found most are committed to staying at their church over the long haul. But more than half say they would strongly consider leaving if the church’s beliefs changed.

Pastors often worry about changing church music and setting off a “worship war,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. But few say they would leave over music.

Churchgoers are much more concerned about their church’s beliefs.

“Mess with the music and people may grumble,” he said. 
“Mess with theology and they’re out the door.”

Churchgoers stay put.
LifeWay Research surveyed 1,010 Protestant churchgoers—those who attend services at least once a month—to see how strongly they are tied to their local congregations.

Researchers found most churchgoers stay put.

Thirty-five percent have been at their church between 10 and 24 years. 
Twenty-seven percent have been there for 25 years or more. 
Twenty-one percent have been there less than five years, while 17 percent have been at the same church for between five and nine years.

Lutherans (52 percent), 
Methodists (40 percent) 
and Baptists (31 percent) are most likely to have been at their church for 25 years or more. 
Fewer nondenominational (11 percent) or Assemblies of God/Pentecostal churchgoers (13 percent) have such long tenure.

“Most church members have been at their church longer than their pastor,” said McConnell.

  • More than half (57 percent) of churchgoers say they are completely committed to continuing to attend their current church. 
  • About a quarter (28 percent) are “very much” committed, while 11 percent are moderately committed. Two percent are slightly committed, while 1 percent are not committed at all.

The more people go to church, the more committed they are to attending their same church in the future. Those who attend at least once a week are twice as likely to be completely committed to attending their church (62 percent) than people who go once or twice a month (31 percent). 
Those who attend once or twice a month are more likely to be moderately committed (36 percent) than those who go at least once a week (7 percent).

Churchgoers with evangelical beliefs are more likely to be completely committed (67 percent) than those who don’t have evangelical beliefs (45 percent). 
Baptists (60 percent) are more likely to be completely committed than Lutherans (47 percent).

About two-thirds (63 percent) of churchgoers who are 65 or older are completely committed to attending their same church in the future. 
That drops to 50 percent for those younger than 35.

Older churchgoers are also least likely to want to leave their church. 
When asked if they’ve thought about going to another church in their area, 92 percent of those 65 or older say no.

Overall, 15 percent of churchgoers say they have thought about going to another church in the past six months. Eighty-five percent say they have not.

Of those thinking about going to another church, about half (54 percent) have already visited another church. Forty-six percent have not.

“If people are thinking about leaving your church, chances are they’ve already started looking,” said McConnell. “So they’re probably halfway out the door.”


Most feel their beliefs line up with the church.
For the most part, churchgoers say they agree with their church’s teaching. 
About half (52 percent) say their beliefs are completely aligned with those of the church.

Forty-two percent say their beliefs are mostly aligned. 
Fewer than 3 percent say their beliefs are slightly aligned, not aligned or they don’t know their church’s beliefs.

Education plays some role in how churchgoers view their church’s theology. Churchgoers who have graduate degrees are less likely to accept all their church’s teachings. Only a third (35 percent) say their beliefs are completely aligned with those of the church. Sixty percent say their beliefs are mostly aligned.

Two-thirds (62 percent) of churchgoers who have evangelical beliefs say they are completely aligned with their church’s theology, while a third are mostly aligned. By contrast, 39 percent of churchgoers who don’t have evangelical beliefs say they are completely aligned, and about half (53 percent) are mostly aligned.

Sixty percent of churchgoers at big churches—those with more than 1,000 attenders—say they are completely aligned with their church’s theology. That drops to 46 percent at churches with fewer than 50 attenders.

Baptists (57 percent) and nondenominational churchgoers (61 percent) are more likely to say they are completely aligned with their church’s theology than Lutherans (43 percent) or Methodists (25 percent).

Still, churchgoers don’t like to see changes in their church’s doctrine. More than half (54 percent) say they’d seriously consider leaving if church doctrine changed.

Researchers asked about other factors that might cause churchgoers to switch churches. Nearly half (48 percent) would change churches if the churchgoer moved to a new home.

Some churchgoers would leave if the preaching style changed (19 percent), if the pastor left (12 percent) or if a family member wanted a new church (10 percent). Nine percent say they would leave over politics. Fewer would leave if they didn’t feel needed (6 percent), if the music style changed (5 percent), if they had a conflict (4 percent) or if a friend stopped attending (3 percent).

The survey shows churchgoers care about doctrine, said McConnell.

“Still, pastors can’t assume everyone in the pews agrees with their preaching,” McConnell said. “Overall, 94 percent believe most or all of their church’s teaching. But there’s still substantial wiggle room.

“Every time a pastor gets up to preach, there’s a good chance more than a few people in the pews are going to disagree,” he said.

Most find church programs helpful.
Researchers also looked at how effective churches are in helping people grow spiritually.

Most churchgoers think their church is doing a good job. 
Three-quarters (76 percent) think their church has been either extremely helpful (36 percent) or very helpful (40 percent) in their spiritual growth. Sixteen percent say the church is moderately helpful.

Relatively few say the church has not been helpful (1 percent) in their spiritual growth or are not sure (2 percent).


Churchgoers did have some suggestions on ways churches can help them grow. 
Among them:

• 27 percent want their church to help them understand more about God and the Bible.
• 20 percent want their church to help them find new ways to serve.
• 19 percent want their church to provide more Bible study groups.
• 16 percent want their church to help them get to know more people in church.
• 14 percent say their church could provide forums to answer their spiritual questions.
• 13 percent want their church to give them more chances to serve.
• 13 percent want their church to provide worship experiences that fit their needs.
• 9 percent want their church to provide more interaction with the pastor.
• 8 percent want their church to provide them with a mentor.


Even though most churchgoers are staying put and are relatively happy, there’s some reason for concern, McConnell said.

At any given church, about 15 percent of the congregation is thinking about leaving. 
If they go, the church could suffer.

“The average church in the United States has less than 100 attenders,” McConnell said. “Losing 10 or 15 people could make a huge impact.”

Used by permission of LifeWay Research.



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