Jack - September 23, 2012 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

About fifteen years ago we had a tornado rip through our yard at the house in Shippensburg.  Just tore up trees and stuff everywhere.  Across town, some friends from church happened to walk by and see the damage. The next day, many people from the church volunteered to help with the cleanup.  We took 20 pickup loads of split wood out of that yard.  Butch and I ran chain saws all day.  My next door neighbor, who had damage as well, asked if he could hire the crew when they were finished at my house.  You should have seen the look on his face when we told him that these were people from the church; not to mention his reaction when we all marched into his yard and cleaned it up as well.  So accustomed to being alone and looking after himself, Jack was overcome with what a church community is really like.

Church community, a place where a person feels they belong, is something I believe the people of this world long for, yet is very elusive. As the un-churched people of this world live out their lives in isolation, deep in their hearts is a longing to find some place where everybody knows their name.  And, as Jack noticed, to see this sense of community and belong will make the un-churched pause and take notice.  That’s because community is so unusual in today’s culture.  People have become so isolated and alone in today’s culture.  And although there are no steel bars before them, many people today are living in their own private prison where nobody knows and nobody cares.  But maybe this isn’t a new problem. Maybe people struggled with this even in Jesus’ time. If so then perhaps that explains why Jesus gave us the Church.

John the Baptist had a very short ministry.  He baptized people for one year, but spent two years in prison.  I know that John said to his disciples, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30), yet it is apparent that John began to wonder and question things as he sat alone in prison.  Perhaps this is why John sent two of his disciples to find Jesus and ask Him, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” (Luke 7:19). 

John’s life would have hit rock bottom, at least from his perspective. Dejected, depresses, and doubting, John was looking for some assurance; some strength and hope to hold on to when his world was falling apart.  But instead of a straight answer, Jesus offered John something far greater.  Jesus offered John the community of believers.  “Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John’s disciples, “Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” (Luke 7:20-22).

Although Luke does not record John’s reaction when his two disciples returned, can you imagine the stories they would have been able to tell!  A blind man stumbling through the crowd would have walked away seeing clearly.  Someone who was carried to Jesus would have danced with joy. Those with withered hands or skin diseases; those tormented by evil spirits; every affliction you can imagine would have been wiped away by the touch of the Master’s hand.  So can you image what these men might have said once they returned to John?  They could certainly do more than simply say “Yes, He’s the Messiah”.  While facing his doubt, John would have been able to draw strength from these two disciples who now believed because of the evidence they had seen and heard.  John would have been able to draw strength from those around him who were convinced that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah.  What Jesus gave John was the comfort of two other believers who could assure him that his faith has been placed in the right person all along.

Just before these two disciples of John leave, Jesus pulls them aside and says, when you go back to John, I’m sure you are going to tell him what you have seen and what you have heard.  He knows the scriptures well enough.  No doubt he is familiar with what the prophet Isaiah said. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies” (Isaiah 61:1-2).  But I want you to remind him of one more thing.  Tell him, “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me” (Luke 7:23).  Literally it means “Blessed is the person who is not ensnared away from me”.  A person is blessed when they do not fall away; when they are not trapped by something else.  John was not just behind bars at this point in his life, but he became a prisoner to isolation. And perhaps through no fault of his own, John may have been left alone during this time in his life; abandoned, perhaps, even by those who had been his disciples.

“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25), says the author of Hebrews.  It’s important to meet together because in community a believer can find strength and encouragement.  Of course, I don’t need to tell you that, you already know this.  But there are many who do not.  There are many who have become ensnared and isolated; trapped by their own loneliness and isolation.  And I feel it is the responsibility of the church to reach out to them with open arms and draw them into the fellowship of believers.  This is what Jack needed.  It’s what a lot of people need.

There are times in each of our lives when our faith wavers.  We all struggle with periods of doubt.  And it’s times like these that I am thankful for what Jesus has given us.  When I see the evidence of your faith; when you tell me of what Christ has done in your own life, I find the strength I need to battle the doubts that haunt me.  When you give testimony of what you have seen and heard, each of us is strengthened because of your conviction.  That’s the beauty of the Church.  That’s the warmth and strength found within a body of believers.  That’s what separates a church from the rest of the world.  In a Church, you are not alone.  In a church, you can find strength when you are weak.  In a church, you need not face a crisis alone. Our Savior knew this.  He knew we would need each other to hold on to when we are weak and to encourage us when we fail.  That’s why Jesus sent these two disciples back to John with evidence and not just an answer.

Christ gave us Himself.  But He also gave us each other; people like you and me who gather as a family because of what we have seen and what we have heard.  Thank you for the strength you give me on the days when I am weak.

Knowing Holiness - September 16, 2012 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

Saturday, as I was returning from District Conference, I was passed by an individual driving erratically and dangerously; weaving in and out of traffic.  He actually passed me on an exit ramp, cutting back into traffic just as the lane came to an end; his tires throwing gravel as he spend through traffic at a furious pace.  It was in that moment I lost my holiness.  I passed judgment upon an individual I did not know and who was perhaps dealing with a situation unknown to me.  I did not wish the driver well.  I did not pray for his traveling safety.  I actually began to hope that something would happen in order to teach the driver a lesson.  It was about then that I realized the sinfulness of my thoughts, and how unholy my attitude really was.  And in that moment, I felt unclean.

I recently read an article in Leadership Journal called When Clean and Unclean Touch. Author Mark Buchanan challenged his readers to think about who Jesus touched while He walked this earth. And that is something that has often touched me. As I read about the people Jesus actually touched, most all of them were individuals the religious people of the time would have avoided. These were people deemed unclean or unholy. Yet, as Mark Buchanan points out, those who were unholy were made holy by the touch of the Master’s hand. It’s an interesting piece, which I have made available out on the bulletin board shelf. But one thought continued to run through my mind as I read this article; the idea that there is a difference between holiness and righteousness.

About a month ago I spoke about how the Holy Spirit helps us to know we are loved by God. If you’ll recall, Paul points out that, “we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love” (Romans 5:5). But in spite of that tremendous gift, many people struggle to really feel the depth of the Father’s love. Many people are still haunted by past sins, and they continue to bear guilt that God has actually removed. I pointed out that sometimes we are the ones who resurrect guilt from sins Christ has put to death. But sometimes the one who reminds us is Satan. And if we will let him, Satan will not hesitate to remind us and remind God of our apparent lack of holiness, just as he did to Joshua, the High Priest.

One day, the prophet Zechariah received a vision from God, and in that vision, he sees three characters; the Jewish High Priest Joshua, the Angel of the Lord (which is Jesus before He was born), and the Satan. And Satan was up to his old tricks. Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. (Zechariah 3:1-3)

When Judah returned from captivity in Babylon, Joshua (son of Jehozadak) began leading the Jews in worship and sacrifice to God. But the adversary, the Satan, simply wanted to point out just how unholy Joshua truly was. And indeed, Joshua was clothed in filthy garments. He certainly was not completely holy. But that didn’t change the Lord’s opinion of Joshua. It didn’t seem to faze Him one bit. The Lord simply rebuked Satan’s attempt at passing judgment on someone’s holiness. And instead, the Lord spoke of Joshua’s righteousness; that the Lord decided to snatch Joshua from the fire.

“Holiness”, as described in the Bible, basically means cutting off or separation from what is unclean.  In Old Testament times God gave Israel the Law so the people might know how He expected them to live. It was not given as a means to righteousness.  The Apostle Paul says, “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” (Romans 3:19-20).  In other words, righteousness is not found in perfect obedience to God’s laws, but, as Paul points out, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” (Romans 3:22).  A person was holy when they lived according to the Law, but not Righteous; not right with God. Righteousness has always been and will always be a gift from God for our faith.  “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (Romans 3:24).

Righteousness is given to us by God because of our faith in Jesus Christ.  It is not earned. We are not made right with God because we have stopped smoking or drinking or chewing or hanging around people who do. We are not made right with God through obedience to His Holy Laws. But it is our unholiness that Satan likes to attack. It is our filthy clothes, stained by our sin that the Satan uses against us.

Since salvation comes by Faith and not by obedience, then why does Satan use our unholiness against us? Why does he work so hard to convince us that we do not deserve God’s grace, mercy, and love? It’s because he is trying to deceive us. Satan wants us to believe that we obtain the Father’s love and are made right with Him by obedience to a set of laws and rules. But that simply is not true. As a matter of fact, God demonstrated the depth of His love for us when He sent His Son to the cross while we were still covered with filthy sin. Satan lies. He has twisted holiness around as something to be used to his advantage; something to drive a wedge between us and God.

Although the Bible is filled with laws and commands, a Christian is not made right with God by obeying those laws and commands. So why were they given? Why has Jesus commanded us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us? Why should a Christian live a holy life (a life set apart and different than the rest of the world)? We don’t strive to be holy so God will declare us righteous. We strive to be holy because God is holy. And if we are to represent God to the people of this world, we need to act in a way that reflects His holiness. “You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own” (Leviticus 20:26).  “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Leviticus 22:32). In other words, a Christian strives to be holy because a holy life becomes an offering to God.

When a Christian strives to be truthful, honest, loving, and kind; when a Christian turns the other cheek or prays for their enemies, these deeds become an offering to God. The Christian exclaims “Lord, I give You my honesty. Lord, I give You my sexuality. Lord, I give You my integrity. Lord, I give You my obedience to Your holy standard of living”.

Righteousness is a gift from the Father; holiness is our gift to the Father.  We strive to be holy so that God might be glorified and so that the world might know He is Holy.  As Christians, we follow God’s commands of Holiness not because it makes us righteous, but because it demonstrates the character of God to the people in this world. And if the Satan can keep us from doing that, then God is mocked and His name is defamed before the unbelieving people of this world.

Holiness and Righteousness

I recently read an article in Leadership Journal called When Clean and Unclean Touch.  Author Mark Buchanan challenged his readers to think about who Jesus touched while He walked this earth.  As I read this article, one thought continued to run through my mind: the difference between holiness and righteousness.

Several years ago I was approached about a couple in the church who were living together.  They both had recently confessed Jesus as Lord and were beginning to learn what it meant to live as a Christian.  Little by little the Word began to convict them.  When they realized they were living outside of God’s Holy standard, they would come to my office and I would give them counsel.  However, not long after they began attending I was asked when I was going to dismiss them from the church.  They were, after all, living in sin (as if I wasn’t aware of that fact).  You should have seen the look I got when I said “Never”.  In my mind I felt that to remove this couple from the church would be to remove them from hearing God’s call to Holiness; something I preach quite often.  And I just didn’t want to drive them away and lose any opportunity to lead them toward holiness.

“Holiness”, as described in the Bible, is living according to God’s standard.  In Old Testament times God gave Israel the Law; not as a means to righteousness but a means to holiness.  As Paul points out, “Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” (Romans 3:19-20).  In other words, righteousness is not found in perfect obedience to God’s laws, but, as Paul points out, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” (Romans 3:22).  A person was holy when they lived according to the Law, but not Righteous; not right with God.  Righteousness has always been and will always be a gift from God for our faith.  “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (Romans 3:24).

Righteousness is given to us by God because of our faith in Jesus Christ.  Likewise, we are not made right with God through obedience to His Holy Laws.  And the Bible says that the Law was given to reveal our sin.  So does that mean a Christian no longer must obey the Laws of God?  Does than mean we can live any way we want, living just as we did before we came to Christ?  These questions are important because it is here at this point we find the greatest tension.  Some will say that we must obey the Law, while others say we are off the hook and can live any way we wish; for our salvation is not based upon our deeds, but upon our faith.  Who is right?  Which side is correct?  Well, I’m beginning to realize that we should be asking a whole different question.

If Salvation comes by Faith and not by obedience, then what do we gain by obeying the Laws of God?  That’s the question we should be asking.  What do we gain by being truthful, honest, loving, and kind (and remember that Salvation will not be our reward; that came through faith in Christ)?  What reward will we receive by submitting our sexuality to God’s standard of Holiness (see Leviticus 18) or in the ways we interact with others (see Leviticus 19)?  Well, truthfully, those kids of questions reveal just how selfish and arrogant we have become.  And it demonstrates that we have forgotten the whole reason God calls us to holiness in the first place.  God calls us to be Holy because He is Holy.  And if we are to represent God to the people of this world, we need to act in a way that reflects His holiness.  “You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own” (Leviticus 20:26).  “You shall not profane My holy name, but I will be sanctified among the sons of Israel; I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Leviticus 22:32).

Righteousness is a gift from the Father; holiness is our gift to the Father.  We strive to be holy so that God might be glorified and so that the world might know He is Holy.  As Christians, we follow God’s commands of Holiness not because it benefits us, but because it demonstrates the character of God to the people in this world.

I do not question the salvation of those who still have way too much of the world in them, but I do question their understanding of what it means to live as a Christian.  Truthfully, if the people of this world cannot see a difference between a Christian and a non-Christian (except for what they do on a Sunday morning), then the Christian is not honoring God, not serving God, and probably not submitted to God.  If a Christian has been called to love God with all their heart, mind, and strength, then perhaps the best way to demonstrate that love is to simply strive each and every day to surrender those parts of our lives that do not honor His holiness.

Knowing Satan - September 9, 2012 Sermon

By Pastor Greg

Screen Director George Lucas is an expert at tricking his audience. Consider his Star Wars movies for example. When it first came to the screen back in 1977 we were introduced to Darth Vader. In a later movie we meet Senator Palpatine.

One was dark and sinister; the other kind of looked like a college professor or even someone’s grandpa. Yet for those who know the movies, the one most wicked was not so obvious. In other words, we couldn’t tell who was the bad guy based upon external evidence. George Lucas kept us guessing.

Much to my surprise, George Lucas captured the very essence of evil when he portrayed the great adversary as a sweet, loving, and kind older man. This is the true presence of evil in this world. The Great Adversary that stands in opposition to God the Father and God the Son cannot be perceived by outward appearance.

The Satan, the accuser who stands in opposition to God, is trying to mess up what God is trying to straighten up. It is the Satan who constantly tries to take our eyes off of God. And I tell you the truth; Satan uses some underhanded trickery to accomplish that goal. Probably his greatest trick is that he doesn’t appear as the wicked one. You can’t pick him out simply because of the way he looks. Actually, since he is a master of deception, sometimes he even puts on his Sunday best and goes to church. There, He lies, slanders, and tears down what God is trying to build up. But the good news is that a Christian is not left to figure these things out alone.

John the Apostle says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error”. (1 John 4:1-6).

John the Apostle has called us to test the spirits and discern whether they are from God. His test was whether a person who claimed to speak for God would confess that Jesus has come in the flesh. The Apostle Paul echoed those thoughts as well. “So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit”. (1 Corinthians 12:3). But I believe there is also another way within us to discern what is of God and what is of Satan. From what the Bible says, the Holy Spirit within us will make us sensitive to the presence of Satan. And some Christians will actually be given a Spiritual Gift to discern when and where Satan is working.

The Apostle Paul warns us to “not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”. (Ephesians 4:30). Paul speaks of an emotional bonding with God. And what grieves God the Father with grieve God the Spirit. And since the Spirit lives within each Christian, a Christian who is sensitive enough to the guiding of the Holy Spirit within them will begin to “feel” when something just isn’t right. This is what is commonly known as conviction. But Paul also mentions a special gifting by the Spirit to discern the spirits. “He (the Holy Spirit) gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit”. (1 Corinthians 12:10). In other words, God the spirit gifts certain individual Christians with the ability to perceive the works of Satan; whether it be lies, deceit, trickery, or even Satan’s presence.

Satan is real: he is not an imaginary figure created by the church in order to scare people into obedience. I tell you he is real because God has given Christians the ability to see his works of darkness in this world. And to some God has given the ability to feel the actual presence of Satan within a room or in certain places. These Christians feel darkness, and I want you to know that that ability is actually a gift from God to be used to warn the rest of the Church that Satan has tricked and lied and weaseled his way into the heart of a family of into the heart of Church.

Now maybe you’re wondering what the “feeling” is like. Christian author Karen Hancock describes it best (Legends of the Guardian King – page 41). What she described is not fiction. It is real. I’ve had a few individuals describe those very feelings to me. I’ve experienced it on 4 separate occasions. And Karen’s description is spot on. And before you try to tell me they were panic attacks, on three of those occasions the people with me felt the same things as well.

God has given us His Spirit so that we might know the Father and know the Son. But God has also given us His Holy Spirit so we might be able to perceive the lies, tricks, and destructive behaviors of the Satan. Sometimes Satan lies about God, sometimes he tricks us into believing something that is not true, sometimes he manipulates unsuspecting Christians to do things or say things that tear down the work of God. And sometimes Satan tricks us into believing things about ourselves that simply are not true.

I plan to talk about the lies, deception, and trickery of Satan next week, but today I need you to understand that Satan is indeed real, and that he desires to destroy anyone, and especially any work of God. You also need to understand that we are working in enemy territory. For the time being Satan is free to roam the earth looking for someone weak to devour (1 Peter 5:8). So to prepare His children for what they will face, God the Father sent God the Spirit into our lives so that we might be able to perceive (to know) light and darkness; good and evil. And even though evil walks among us, John the Apostle tells us DO NOT FEAR, for “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world”. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives that is greater than the Satan who is present in the world.

Knowing Worship - September 2, 2012 Sermon

 

By Pastor Greg

The great aviator Charles Lindbergh one wrote, “In my youth, science was more important to me than either man or God. I worshipped science. Its advance had surpassed man’s wildest dreams. It took many years for me to discover that science, with all its brilliance, lights only a middle chapter of creation. I saw the aircraft I love destroying the civilization I expected it to save. Now I understand that spiritual truth is more essential to a nation than the mortar in its cities’ walls. For when the actions of a people are undergirded by spiritual truths, there is safety. When spiritual truths are rejected, it is only a matter of time before civilization will collapse. We must understand spiritual truths and apply them to our modern life. We must draw strength from the almost forgotten virtues of simplicity, humility, contemplation and prayer. It requires a dedication beyond science, beyond self, but the rewards are great and it is our only hope.” And here I thought Obiwan Kenobi was our only hope.

There are a lot of things the Holy Spirit does for us in this life. His presence in our lives marks us as saved. He helps us to know God, to know God’s love, and to know truth. He gifts us for ministry. And, as Charles Lindbergh observed, He helps us make sense out of life. But there is one more thing the Spirit helps us do; and that is to truly worship God.

As Jesus is speaking with a Samaritan woman one day, she asks Him how to properly worship God. Jesus says, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24).

Those who seek to truly worship God will worship Him in Spirit and Truth, not spirit or truth. But why must it be both? Why must the Spirit and why must the Truth be married in order to truly worship the Father? It’s because the Spirit does not speak on His own initiative, and without the Spirit we are not able to discern Truth. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.” (John 16:13-14).

This is an important lesson for us because it means that there is no teaching from the Spirit, only revelation. The Spirit reveals (or discloses) what God the Father and what God the Son have already spoken. So the Spirit will not reveal or teach anything that contradicts the teachings of the Father or the Son. The Spirit will not guide you or tell you to do something that is contrary to what Jesus has already taught.

Consider what Jesus taught His disciples. He said that “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). Guided by the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter echoes those words. “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). Peter doesn’t change the message to suit his audience, but instead reaffirms what Christ has already proclaimed. Even Jesus did not come along changing the words of the Father. “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” (Matthew 5:17).

Even though this lesson is vitally important, it seems to be a lesson fading away within the Church. A trend exists among some Christians to divorce themselves from Truth, and merely try and worship in Spirit. When Truth is divorced from worship, it’s easy for a person to feel good about themself. But when Truth is ignored, a person can choose to believe whatever they want, as long as they feel happy. Unfortunately God is interested in holiness, not happiness. And a worship devoid of truth is a worship devoid of holiness.

Of course the opposite is just as bad. It’s just as damaging to remove the Spirit from worship as well; for to divorce ourselves from the Spirit is to remove the ability to discern truth. And without the Spirit, truth can be twisted and corrupted to mean whatever a person wants. And once again, worship can become whatever a person wants.

Consider what was happening between the Jewish believers in Jerusalem and the Gentile believers in Antioch (Read Acts 15:1-11). Mind you, those who would impose customs and traditions were also believers. But they could not conceive a worship apart from their traditions and customs. Not guided by the Spirit, a few of these men tried to impose their view of truth on the Gentile believers. But, once the Spirit was involved in discerning Truth, the answer seemed clear. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:” (Acts 15:28).

I see this same thing happening today; where traditions and customs have been elevated above the Truth. Recently I had a conversation with a man who felt salvation for women was gained only when they wore a head-covering; a clear indication that the Spirit had been divorced from the Truth. As revealed in scripture, Salvation comes through faith, not in following a prescribed list of rules, traditions, and customs. But without the Spirit, that truth remains hidden.

If there is one essential belief for all Christians to understand it would be that God is in harmony with Himself, no matter how He chooses to reveal Himself. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit do not work independently of One another; they do not exist in contradiction. God the Son will not teach us to reject the teachings of God the Father. And God the Spirit will not direct us to live in ways that contradict the teachings of both the Father and the Son.

To Thee, great three in One, belongs all our worship, adoration, praise, and obedience. And to truly know how to worship You, we must begin by worshiping in Spirit and in Truth.