The Orchard Christian Church

Words of Messiah

2009-08-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

Jesus the Jewish Messiah quoted the Hebrew Scriptures, (known to Jews as Tanak and to Gentiles as the Old Testament): “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?” [Matthew 19:4-5]

Messiah (Yeshua in Hebrew) also said: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town.” [Matthew 10:14-15]

As more Jews in Israel and the Diaspora see the love of Messiah at work in the lives of Bible believing, Born-again, Spirit-filled Jewish and Gentile Christians, they also will seek to know their Messiah for themselves. Christianity is not a foreign religion for Jews; essentially, it is Judaism personally completed by their living Messiah, and now open to Gentiles also.

Hands raised, feet grounded

2009-08-24T17:18:00.000-07:00

Years ago, after my graduation from Dallas Theological Seminary, I was in the library of Christ for the Nations (a Charismatic worship and missions school also in Dallas). I ran across this quote in a magazine: “Evangelicals want to nail down the floor boards when they see the ground shifting, but Charismatics just want to reach for the sky.” Some people may see this as an “either/or” choice, but I would say “both/and” is a better way to go here.

I love to worship God in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. So usually, I think of Martha as the “bad sister” and Mary as the “good sister”, because of Jesus’ words to them: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” [Luke 10:38-42] Also at a party later, Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume, and wiped His feet with her hair, and Jesus defended Mary and praised her. Extravagant worship, recorded at length in 3 Gospel accounts. When I can, most of the time, I want to worship as Mary did in these 2 cases.

But what about when times are bad? When their brother Lazarus died, and Jesus didn’t show up for 4 days? [John 11:1-45] Did Mary (young, attractive, passionate, emotional, Charismatic “CFNI” Mary) choose what is better then? No. As much as I hate to admit it, she was pouting in her room, and would not go out to meet Jesus. In a time of testing, young Mary flaked out. Jesus didn’t cut Mary off. He patiently waited for her, and accepted her when she finally came out to him. And Mary’s ministry to Jesus was not over. But the sad truth is that, in a moment of immaturity, in spite of all her passion and emotion, Mary cut herself off from Jesus.

It was Martha (older, quiet, conservative, Evangelical “DTS” Martha) who went out to meet Jesus and prove her faith and worship in her own quiet way. When times were hard, Mary was worried and upset about her own hurt feelings, but Martha had the strength to remember God’s Word and choose what is better: Martha chose to be with Jesus anyway. Apart from Jesus, Martha was the hero(ine) of the Lazarus resurrection story. So when times are bad, I want to worship as Martha did here, with my feet on the ground and my hands raised to the sky.

Focus on the good

2009-08-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

When we look at the lives of “great men”, like the Apostle Paul or Martin Luther King, we need to carefully examine their lives in light of the Scriptures. We should try to focus on the good that they did. Many times, we can learn from their good example. We can also learn from their mistakes- but first we must acknowledge that they are mistakes. We must not call “good” what is really “evil” just because some “great man” did it. We cannot make a double standard. The teachings of the Bible apply to everyone- no exceptions.

Recently, it was in the news on Google that, after the death of Martin Luther King’s widow, people were showing honor and recognition for his favorite mistress. Yes, he was a great man in many respects. And it’s true that, like all men and women, his mistress too is made in the image of God, and so she has dignity and deserves respect as a person. We should not go looking at people’s past to try to find some “dirt” to accuse them, we should move forward in forgiveness and newness of life. But that is different than saying “wrong” is “right”. No one should ever be publicly honored for committing adultery. This woman can repent of her sins, turn to Jesus Christ, and be forgiven, just as I have. The gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” [Romans 1:16]. But sin is still sin. Adultery isn’t honorable just because it was Martin Luther King who did it.

Likewise from the Bible, we can consider the story of Timothy, the young Christian son of a Gentile from the area of Galatia. “Paul wanted to take him [Timothy] along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” [Acts 16:3]

The frequent teachings in the Bible on circumcision, coming from Paul and others, are very, very, very clear. Timothy should not have been circumcised. Paul never admitted to doing this. He never gave any explanation for circumcising Timothy, so I don’t need to either- except to say that it was clearly wrong. In this particular case, Paul was teaching one thing, but he did the exact opposite. And Paul was very publicly rebuked for it, all the way in Jerusalem, as noted in a previous post. If anybody else besides Paul had circumcised Timothy, we would all immediately recognize that this was clearly wrong. But the Evangelical Blind Spot makes it hard for us to see. This was not God’s missionary method, it was Paul’s sin, and right away God slammed the doors on Paul, wouldn’t let him preach the Word, and sent him far away from “the Jews who lived in that area”, to Europe, and a group of Gentile women who were praying. There he could preach the Word again.

Yes, Paul was a great man, anointed by God as an apostle to the Gentiles primarily, (although part of God’s method for the Gospel is “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” [Romans 1:16] and we all are called to carry out God’s plan as He enables us.) In a number of ways Paul is a good example to us, and we should focus on the good and learn some things from his example. But let’s not idolize Paul and justify his mistakes by calling them missionary methods. (When I read Paul’s letter to the Galatians, I’m reminded of a quote from Shakespeare -“Methinks thou doth protest too much”- but maybe I’m wrong.)

God has not changed, and the Bible has not changed. But our infinite Living God may give us new understanding of His Word as he progressively reveals Himself in time. As I wrote more at length in a post last year, in the time of Copernicus and Galileo, the Bible scholars were sure that the Bible taught the earth was flat and at the center of the universe, and the sun revolved around the earth. Most “Protestant” Christians today believe that Paul was right to circumcise Timothy, including most of my pastor friends. It is not worth breaking fellowship over this issue, and this “Paulist” tradition has been part of Western Christianity, perhaps since the Reformation. It’s like the air we breathe, so it’s hard to see. I respect people who don’t see the Bible the way I do on this particular issue, and we don’t have to agree on it. Although I believe it is important, it is a “nonessential”. But in the interest of intellectual honesty, I would like my Christian friends to acknowledge two things. (1) The position I am putting forward is solidly based on the clear teachings of the Bible. (2) Saying that Paul was right to circumcise Timothy is saying that the clear, repeated, specific teachings of Scripture regarding circumcision do not apply to a particular individual (Paul) in this case because of special circumstances. This is what most of us would call “liberal”.

As for application in my own life: If a large Bible-teaching church has an “Evangelism Explosion” program, to go out and share the Gospel in the streets using Scripture verses, I think this is an admirable intention. But if I was arguing with another seminary student who was over me running the program, the associate pastors in the church were locked in a continual power struggle, and the church’s senior pastor was battling the church boss who controlled the board of elders, I don’t think we were really in the will of God. I think that one big root problem was that there were too many people like me- sincere but immature Christians who knew the Bible well and were trying very hard to “be like Paul” and succeeding, rather than trying to be like Jesus. If we are in God’s will, we will see the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. So as we remember Paul and consider the outcome of his way of life, let’s meditate on his inerrant teachings, and imitate his great faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which is an inspiration to us all.

Who was right?

2009-08-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

When two people who are in close relationship have a big disagreement and their relationship is broken and destroyed, many people ask the question: Who was right?

When Barnabas and Paul started on the “first missionary journey”, the two of them were sent together by the Holy Spirit. [Acts 13-14] (John Mark “went” with them, but he wasn’t “sent” by the Holy Spirit. Personally, I don’t see John Mark’s brief time on this trip as any big deal. I see him as a promising but inexperienced young man who went along on a short summer mission trip with his uncle to check it out and get some experience as a temporary helper. Maybe he bailed out and went home a little early, but he wasn’t really even supposed to be on the trip in the first place, so his absence did not cause any significant hardship or problems. That’s my opinion on John Mark's short trip, but I could be wrong.) Barnabas and Paul had a long successful trip together. In time they returned to Antioch. “Some time later, Paul said to Barnabas ‘let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the Word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.” [Acts 15:36-39] Question: Who was right, Paul or Barnabas? Answer: None of the above!

This is not a model of good missionary methods, it’s an example of what NOT to do. Paul and Barnabas did not seek God’s will this second time, in worship, prayer, fasting, and the Word. On what is commonly called the “second missionary journey”, they “went” but they were not “sent” by the Holy Spirit. Was it God’s will to break up the team of Paul and Barnabas and send out 2 teams instead? Were Silas and John Mark the right people to take as new partners? Was this the right time to go? Maybe or maybe not- we don’t know. But one thing is certain- they could have sought God’s clear leading about such an important decision, rather than fighting in a spirit of “discord”, “fits of rage”, “dissensions”, and “factions”. If it was God’s will to split up, they could have parted in an atmosphere of “peace”.

Who was right? God is always right. But Paul, Barnabas, me, and you fall short of the glory of God. When we are in God’s will, we will lift up the name of Jesus Christ above all others and put Him in the center, we will live by the 66 inerrant books of His Word, the Bible, and we will demonstrate in our lives the Fruit of the Spirit that Paul taught us about: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”. [Galatians 5:19-26]

Growing in the image of Christ

2009-07-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

The nursery school version of the Bible often divides the characters into three groups - the heroes (Paul, King David, Moses), the well-meaning fools (Peter, King Solomon, Jonah), and the villains (Judas, King Saul, Pharaoh). The unspoken underlying idea that is hammered into the heads of Christian children is that we should “be like the heroes.” Some older people make lists categorizing all the Kings of Israel and Judah into “good kings” and “bad kings”. And scholars continue with this unspoken idea.

I’ve heard of a book (but never read it) entitled “Missionary methods: The Apostle Paul’s or ours?” The answer to the question in that title is “none of the above.” I don’t doubt the sincerity, scholarship, or salvation of the author of such a book, and it probably has some useful insights. But the underlying premise is that that “Paul was our perfect model" and that can tend to take the focus off Jesus. Years after becoming a Christian leader, Paul wrote this to Timothy:

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. [1 Timothy 1:15-17]

Paul circumcised Timothy in direct disobedience to what he was repeatedly teaching, and Paul was very publicly rebuked for it, in front of Timothy, Luke, and many other leaders. [Acts 21:25] Paul spoke to Timothy in the present tense- he did not say "I was", he said “I am" the worst of sinners. As a Pharisee, Paul may have had trouble being real about his own sin in a more public setting. But Timothy knew very personally and intimately about Paul's sin, and so in this letter to Timothy, Paul drops all pretense, and he just gives all the glory to God- and we should do the same. God uses imperfect messengers (to deliver his perfect message), like Paul, and me, and you. When we are born again, we have newness of life, but none of us instantly become sinless "supermen"- we have to work out our salvation, with fear and trembling sometimes, but we can trust and rely 100% on our heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

Missionary methods- God’s or man’s? That is the question we must ask ourselves, and as Christians, the answer clearly should be GOD’S. We want to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. We want to be like Jesus- all others fall far short in comparison. We want God’s way, not our own human way. We want to bring glory to God, not ourselves or any other mortal man who ever lived, not even imperfect “heroes” like King David or the Apostle Paul, even though the scriptures written by their hands are inerrant and apply to everyone including them. Our frequent daily readings and prayerful meditations on the inerrant 66 Books of the Word of God should connect us to the living Word made Flesh, our model for life, Jesus Christ.

Satan can quote the Bible

2009-07-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

When Satan tempted Jesus, he quoted Scripture. Satan said to Jesus “If you are the Son of God,” he said “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command His angles concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” [Psalm 91:11-12] [Matthew 4:5-6]

Satan was calling into question the unique character of Jesus Christ, the perfect sinless Son of God. Likewise, in ignorance, Peter did the same thing with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration, wanting to put up “three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” God the Father was merciful to Peter, because he acted in ignorance, but He interrupted Peter with a voice from heaven. “This is my Son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” [Matthew 17:1-8]

Even sincere religious people have a tendency to raise other religious figures to the level of Jesus, and that is often how cults are formed. But God says NO! Not Moses or Elijah (for Jews), David (for Branch Davidians), Mohammed (for Muslims), Mary (for Catholics), Paul (for Evangelicals), “Saints”, angels, Joseph Smith (for Mormons), Mary Baker Eddy (for Christian Scientists), Charles Taze Russell (for Jehovah’s Witnesses), or any other gods or people.

Jesus Christ is Lord. No other man or woman in history is even close to His level, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23], even the authors of the inerrant 66 Books of Scripture, who sometimes didn’t practice what they preached.

The mark of a growing Christian is not how many Bible verses he can quote- it’s the Fruit of the Spirit that the Apostle (“I am a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee” [Acts 23:6] ) Paul wrote about in his inerrant teachings: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” [Galatians 5:22-23]

Voice of the Jesus People

2009-07-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

“Love Song” 1973 (some called it heresy). “My image of Jesus was that he was way up here and then Saint Paul was down here- and here was I. And how was I ever going to get there with those guys. And a Saint was something that I thought was this person who went around never doing anything wrong, just living this perfect sinless life. Then I found out later on, it really blew my mind to read in the Bible you know, when I first really read the Bible, I realized that these people had frailties, that they blew it once in a while. And it was right there in Scripture. I thought that everybody that was ever mentioned in the Bible was some holy person. And then you read about all the guys that blew it.” Quoted from “Jesus People Live Concert, Love Song 73 (DVD video), Bonus: Includes a reprint of the original Living Water Tract by Greg Laurie.” By The Word For Today, www.twft.com (The group “Love Song” ministered directly under the personal discipleship of Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa on and off between 1970 and July 10, 2009.)

“Love Song” is in agreement here with the exhortation of the humble author of Hebrews, who intentionally chose to remain anonymous but was a contemporary of the Apostle Paul the Pharisee. “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” [Hebrews 13:7-8]

Some Christians are fighting each other these days, even as the wicked spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah is advancing into the mainstream of our society. It’s a good thing that Calvary Chapel pastors are like-minded, one in the Spirit, united in agape love, and in agreement on key points like the inerrancy of Scripture and the unique perfect character of Jesus Christ, “The only guiltless man in all of history” in the words of Brenton Brown ("Jesus you are worthy"- it was a blessing to see him lead worship at Calvary Chapel Montebello.) The Calvary Chapel Statement of Faith proudly declares “Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Not the image of anyone else, living or dead. All the inerrant teachings of the Bible apply to everyone who ever lived. We can’t pick and choose and make exceptions for certain people because of their position.

Personally, I had never even heard of the group “Love Song” until last week. I had never heard their music either, except in retrospect I remember hearing “Welcome back” when I visited Calvary Chapel Golden Springs. Somehow, the closing words of the Old Testament come to mind, from the Book of (the Italian prophet -Yes I respect and revere God’s inerrant Word and I tremble at His voice, but I also believe that God has a sense of humor) Malachi. “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” [Malachi 4:6]

Model for ministry ??

2009-06-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

The apostle Paul wrote: “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.” [Galatians 2:11] I agree with other Evangelical Christians that Peter was clearly in the wrong. However, does that have to mean that Paul was 100% clearly in the right, and we should “be like Paul” and model ourselves after Paul’s action here? Should we automatically assume that Paul’s method of handling this situation was 100% correct, without examining him in the light of his own inerrant teachings and the inerrant teachings of Jesus? Are we saying that we should rebuke an older man harshly, publicly bringing an accusation against an elder without any other witnesses and without talking to him privately first, and then brag and boast that we were victorious in a fight with a famous man and we proved him wrong? Or is it possible that, like all Christians, Paul was a work in progress, and he had some room for improvement in his walk to become more like Jesus?

Paul wrote: “Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.” [1 Timothy 5:1] and “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” [1 Timothy 5:19]

Jesus said: “ If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.” [Matthew 18:15-17]

Pastor Tony Evans, who founded Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas, has been quoted as saying “Where the Bible bumps up against blackness, blackness has got to go.” Building on this concept, I would say that where Jesus and the inerrant teachings of the 66 books of the Bible bump up against the imperfect life and ministry of Paul the Pharisee, Paulism has got to go.

Personally, I have blind spots when it comes to the Bible. What are they? If I knew that, they would not be blind spots! I can almost surely guarantee you that if you take any Born Again, Spirit-filled Christian who believes in the inerrancy of Scripture, and sit me in a room with him, I will agree with him on all the major points. But if we talk long enough, there will be at least a few minor points of interpretation and application, where, in the eyes of God, he is right and I am wrong. And you know what? That is OK!

I’ll close with the words of our only perfect model for ministry, Jesus Christ. “I have spoken openly to the world” … “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong.” [John 18:20-23]

The hardest words to say

2009-06-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

When I was studying at Dallas Theological Seminary, I remember people quoting this saying: “You can always tell a Dallas grad, but you can’t tell him much.” Maybe this saying tends to apply to me, and also my brothers the Calvary Chapel pastors, or other Born-again Spirit-filled Christian believers like me who believe in the inerrancy of the 66 books of the Bible and teach it verse by verse. I think the saying would also apply to the Pharisees, of whom the apostle Paul was one.

We are in agreement about the inerrancy of Scripture; God, Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and Holy Spirit; faith in Jesus as the only way of salvation by grace, the realities of heaven and hell, in the beginning God created us male and female, all the teachings of the Bible, including everything that Paul taught others to do; The Gospels, most of the other New Testament books, and the entire Old Testament. So what don’t we agree on?

The interpretation and application of the apostle Paul’s personal life, ministry, and comments about himself in the inerrant Bible record of 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and the second half of Acts. If Paul, (or Jesus or another author of Scripture) clearly teaches one thing, but the Scripture clearly shows that Paul did the opposite, I believe that Paul’s action was wrong. Paul didn’t always practice what he preached. That should not surprise us, because none of us do perfectly, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The “traditional” interpretation in most American Evangelical circles now is, essentially, that none of Paul’s mistakes or sins are revealed in Scripture. Traditionalists will say, “we should be like Paul” without examining his life, because if Paul did it, he must have had a good reason, he was the world’s greatest missionary, he wrote most of the New Testament, he suffered a lot for the Gospel, etc. I admit that it is easier to teach Paul’s life as if it was the perfect life of Jesus- but we are called to be Christians, not Paulists. We should try to be like Jesus- He is the center.

What are the hardest words to say? “Maybe I was wrong.” In my zeal for the Word of God, maybe I was trying too much to “be like Paul” instead of trying to be like Jesus. God and His Word have not changed, and my beliefs and opinions about God and His Word have not changed- but my opinions about the apostle Paul have changed. God used Paul mightily in many ways, just as He used Mary, Jonah, Solomon, and others. But Paul wasn’t perfect, he made mistakes, and those mistakes are revealed in Scripture. In the power of the Holy Spirit, who will guide me into all truth, I want to know God and His Word more and more as I follow Jesus every day. I confess that I don’t understand the Bible perfectly, and in this life I never will, but I want to receive God’s truth every day as he reveals his infinite character. I want to be like Jesus.

Whose lifestyle are you trying to imitate?

2009-02-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

As a Christian, there is only one answer that is 100% true all the time. If you try to be like Mary, you’re “Marian”. If you try to be like Paul, you’re “Paulist”. If you try to be like David, maybe you’re a “Branch Davidian”. There are other men and women in the Bible, and in the worlds of politics, religion, entertainment, sports, music, art, literature, etc that many people idolize. Many people want to imitate the lifestyle of their idols. But as true Christian followers of Jesus Christ, the lifestyle we are called to imitate is that of ____________. (You fill in the blank)

How would Jesus start a church?

2008-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

According to Gospel of John, Jesus met the first disciples at the ministry of John the Baptist. It is safe to assume that these working adults took unpaid time off work, and paid their own travel and food expenses, in order to seek the things of God. They were introduced to Jesus, and talked with Him. The next day, Jesus invited them to join Him in going to a: (Look at the Bible and then choose the right answer below)
1) Worship service
2) Prayer meeting
3) Bible study (ok, Torah study)
4) Evangelistic outreach program
5) Ministry of service to the needy
6) Party

Future Events

2008-04-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

To receive a personal, individual response from Matthew regarding; Bible studies, prayer & praise meetings, coffee hours, dinners, trips, movie nights, concerts, conferences, Badminton or Volleyball games, outreach activities, worship services, parties…oops, I mean “Christian fellowships”, etc. please write to us at TheOrchardMontebello@hotmail.com

April 2008 Inductive Bible Study

2008-03-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sundays April 6 & 20, 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Starbucks north Montebello

Like Paul or like Jesus?

2008-02-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

A dialogue between “CHRISTIAN” and “PAULIST” about the interpretation and application of the 66 Books of the inerrant Bible.

CHRISTIAN: My friend, I’m glad we agree on most things. We accept every word of the 66 books of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, in a category above everything else that has ever been written or spoken in all human history.
PAULIST: Amen to that. There are a lot of liberals today who are teaching, “Paul was wrong.”
CHRISTIAN: Yes, everything Paul taught was right, the same way that everything all the other authors of Scripture taught was right.
PAULIST: So we agree on everything then, don’t we?
CHRISTIAN: I have a different interpretation and application of the inerrant account of the Apostle Paul’s personal ministry, recorded in the second half of Acts and in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians and the Galatians.
PAULIST: What do you mean “different”?
CHRISTIAN: Just because Paul’s teaching was inerrant does not mean that his life was inerrant or his ministry was inerrant. Paul didn’t always practice what he preached. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he taught us “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control,” and he was right. But if we look objectively at Paul’s own ministry, we don’t always see that fruit coming from Paul.
PAULIST: I thought you believed in the inerrancy of Scripture!
CHRISTIAN: I do.
PAULIST: But you are saying that Paul was wrong!
CHRISTIAN: No, I’m saying that all Paul’s teachings were right, and he taught, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Are you saying that Paul’s teaching was wrong here, and that Paul lived a sinless, perfect life?
PAULIST: No, of course not. The Bible is inerrant.
CHRISTIAN: Yes, the Bible is inerrant. Here is a 2-question diagnostic test to help determine if you are unconsciously idolizing the Apostle Paul.
Question #1: Where does the inerrant Bible reveal Paul’s sins and mistakes?
Question #2: Are you willing to examine the life and ministry of Paul compared to Paul’s teachings, to all the other teachings of the Bible, and to the perfect life of Jesus?
If you draw a mental blank trying to answer these questions, you feel a bit uneasy, and you start thinking of Biblical justifications that you have read or heard for almost everything that Paul ever did or said, then maybe you are unconsciously idolizing Paul.
PAULIST: Of course, Paul wasn’t perfect. But I don’t understand where you’re going with this, and it makes me a little uncomfortable.
CHRISTIAN: Jesus is the only person in all history who is without sin. So we don’t want to be like Paul, we want to be like Jesus. The inerrant records of Paul’s ministry accurately show that Paul’s actions fall into many different categories: clearly right, clearly wrong, partly right, questionable, or just decisions that reflected his personality.
PAULIST: But Paul wrote a huge portion of the Bible.
CHRISTIAN: Solomon and Jonah (and David, Moses, Peter, John, etc.) also wrote significant portions of the Bible, and we clearly see their sins and flaws revealed in the inerrant Word without questioning the inerrancy of their teaching. The teachings of the Bible apply to everyone, including the human authors of Scripture. Just because Paul never admitted to any specific sins or mistakes does not mean that he didn’t do anything wrong. Why should Paul be an exception?
PAULIST: But Paul was the greatest missionary that ever lived!
CHRISTIAN: Most of the New Testament authors wisely tried to make themselves as invisible as possible in their own writings. They didn’t write extensively about themselves and their own ministries like Paul did, maybe because they realized that they could not be objective and unbiased about themselves. I try to do as Paul taught the church at Corinth to do, and “not take pride in one man over against another”- except in the case of Jesus. I think Jesus was the greatest missionary that ever lived.
PAULIST: But why do you think that the Bible covers so much of Paul’s life if he is not to be a role model for us?
CHRISTIAN: Probably the same reason that the Bible covers the lives of Solomon, Jonah, and all the other authors of Scripture who were not perfect. Paul’s life is an example, sometimes good and sometimes bad. He is should not be our model. We must interpret Scripture with Scripture, not automatically assume that whatever Paul did was correct. Jesus is our only perfect role model. If we just took Paul’s letters at face value without having Luke’s inerrant account in Acts that exposes some of Paul’s flaws, we would be tempted to think that Paul was some sort of superman, like a second messiah.
PAULIST: Yes, there are some “problem passages” in Scripture where it appears that Paul was inconsistent, but many good Bible commentaries and other books provide an explanation and justification for most of these “problems.” There is general agreement among most Evangelical scholars here.
CHRISTIAN: I agree with most Evangelical scholars on most issues. However, when it comes to the interpretation and application of the inerrant account of Paul’s ministry in the second half of Acts, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Galatians, my understanding is different than some of them. Many of these scholars approach this portion of Scripture with an unstated premise, or underlying assumption, that I do not share. They preach the life of Paul as if it were the perfect life of Jesus. They take a deductive, “Paulo-centric” approach instead of an inductive, “Christo-centric” approach. They tend to use Paul’s life as the standard that trumps his teaching, or any other part of the Bible. They start from the premise that whatever Paul did was correct, and then they search the Scriptures for verses to back up this forgone conclusion and explain why Paul was correct. They assume that if Paul disagreed with anyone, Paul was right and everyone else was wrong. They assume that Paul was always perfectly in God’s will, and always obeyed God’s leading. In many cases, Paul is to Evangelicals as the Virgin Mary is to Roman Catholics.
PAULIST: Are you saying that all these Bible scholars are wrong?
CHRISTIAN: Lets think about how Jesus, Martin Luther, Copernicus and Galileo responded to the traditions of the Bible scholars of their day. We all know how Jesus was often at odds with the Scribes and Pharisees about their traditional interpretation of the Scripture. The Roman Catholic Church put their tradition above Scripture, and Martin Luther cried out for “Sola Scriptura”. Copernicus, a Polish astronomer, observed that the sun is the center of the solar system, and the earth revolved around the sun. Later the Italian mathematics professor Galileo agreed with him. In 1632 Galileo published, “Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems”, which put forth the idea that the sun was at the center, not the earth. Galileo was convicted of “suspicion of heresy”, and spent 10 years under house arrest, because the Bible scholars of his day were so sure that, according to the Bible, the sun revolved around the earth. Copernicus and Galileo did not challenge the inerrancy of Scripture- they challenged the traditional interpretation of Scripture common in their day, which put the center of the solar system in the wrong place. Likewise as Christians today, we cannot put Paul, an imperfect man of the earth, at the center of our faith- we must be centered on The Son, Jesus Christ, and revolve around Him. Jesus Christ is the center.
PAULIST: Isn’t this kind of a “slippery slope”? If you start questioning things Paul said and did, where will it end?
CHRISTIAN: We face slippery slopes every day in life. The way to deal with them is to remain walking in close relationship and constant communication with our Lord Jesus, in prayer, worship, and the Word. We should not be like the Scribes and Pharisees who tried to create a religious “system” that they could master and control. “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” [Psalm 145:18]
PAULIST: I’ll have think about this.
CHRISTIAN: Jesus reminded us that He is the center in the closing chapter of the Bible, with these words [Revelation 22:13, 16]: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End… I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

SONG: Come and hear the Voice

2008-01-11T12:02:00.000-08:00

Translated from Spanish to English & Japanese
Escuche la voz,__Come and hear the voice,__Koe o kikoo

Jesus said:
“Father, glorify your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.
Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.”
[John 12: 28-30]

// Come and hear the voice
It’s the voice of heaven //
// It’s the voice of God my Lord
of my loving Father //

// C G
F G //
// C G
F G //

Original Spanish Song: Escuche La Voz, By: Rabito, Album: Viva la Vida, Heard on Radio Nueva Vida 1390 AM Los Angeles
//Escuche la voz
que viene del cielo//
//Es la voz de mi señor
de mi padre bueno//

Japanese translation:
// Koe o kikoo
Ten kara no koe //
// Kami-sama no koe
Yoi Otoosama //

satan's word to Jesus

2008-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

A work of fiction and imagination
Based on John 1:35 - 2:2

“Jesus of Nazareth- who do you think you are, and what are you doing? Why are you showing up at an existing ministry that was started by another man? Why are you waiting to see who will come talk to you? Are you trying to steal sheep? These people didn’t come to meet you- they came for John the Baptist. If you are really sent by God, you don’t need to visit another ministry. You don’t need to make new friends who are already seeking the things of God. Spend all your time with lost people who are living in darkness. What are you doing, talking with spiritually alive adults that you don’t even know, and bringing them to parties? You call that a ministry? Stay away from places where spiritually alive people gather- you can do it alone.

You’re a carpenter from Nazareth, and you’re already 30. You’re not really young anymore, even if you still think like a young man. Get back JoJo; get back to where you once belonged. The friends and family you grew up with in Nazareth already define your identity. Just listen to the elders at the synagogue, and volunteer to help out there- maybe you can work in the children’s ministry. The elders would not approve of what you are doing now. Nazareth already has enough synagogues, and they are struggling. You should build up what is already there, instead of trying to start something new. That’s my advice. Sincerely, your friend, Satan.”

New Year's Eve Gathering

2007-12-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

December 31st, north Montebello
7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Praise Music, Prayer, Bible reading
8:30 - 9:00 p.m. Fellowship

Contact us for details

December 2007 Inductive Bible Study

2007-11-19T22:28:00.000-08:00

Sundays Dec. 2, 9, 16 & 23
2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Fellowship
3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Inductive Bible study discussion
Starbucks north Montebello- 800 W. Beverly Blvd. 90640

Bring:
1) Your own Bible (we’re using the NIV, but others like NKJV, NASB, and Amplified may enliven the discussion).
2) Money to cover your own beverage, and a good tip for the barristas. (Since The Orchard is not receiving an offering yet, you could consider this money for your own beverage as a part of your tithe or offering, to cover the expense of using the facility we are meeting in on Sunday- in this case, Starbucks. But please note this is not a lunch or dinner. During the Bible study time, drinks only please, while we feed on the Word of God without distraction).

We are gathering as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We will read a Bible passage, and discuss what it says, what it means, and how it applies in our own lives today, as Christians who want to live for Jesus.

We are not looking for perfect people, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” However, we assume that you already know the answers to the following questions: Should I go to church on Sunday? Did God create the universe out of nothing? Is Jesus the Christ, the Son of God? Is the Bible without error? Is Jesus the only person in all history who lived a sinless life? Should I obey the teachings of the Bible by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me?

The answer to all the above questions is YES. If you disagree, God still cares about you, and we care about you too! That is why we held a weekly Bible study for seekers in our home, from September 2005 until August 2007, without ever receiving an offering. If you are struggling with these questions, but you are seriously seeking Jesus, please e-mail us! We would be happy to talk with you, and perhaps meet you, at another time. Also, we can recommend numerous books, and other media.

The Great Commission is not just to “get decisions for Christ”, although He is the only way to be saved. The Great Commission is to “make disciples” in the context of relationships.

Note:
We continue to meet every week for Prayer & Praise.

October 2007 Coffee Hours

2007-09-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Sundays Oct. 7, 14, 21, & 28, 3:00 until 5:00 p.m.
Starbucks north Montebello - 800 W. Beverly Blvd. 90640

Every week - Prayer & Praise group- continuing

Labor Day Weekend Festivities

2007-08-29T16:58:00.001-07:00

Saturday Sept. 1
236th Annual San Gabriel Mission Fiesta
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. historical reenactments, followed by fiesta. Free admission, food booths available. http://www.missiontour.org/sangabriel/

Sunday Sept. 2 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Coffee Hour @ Starbucks north Montebello
800 W. Beverly Blvd. 90640 (corner of Montebello Blvd. 323-721-5110)

Historical Note:
The Mission San Gabriel Arcangel was founded in 1771 in what is now north Montebello. Then in 1774, it was moved to its present location, in what is now the city of San Gabriel.

Vision and Statement of Faith

2007-08-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

Vision
We make disciples of all nations and bring God’s love into the world, continually going out and returning to our group of spiritually growing Christian friends in our church home, where we are being nurtured and equipped in prayer, worship, and the Word.

Statement of Faith
We believe the 66 books of the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Jesus Christ is our central focus. Jesus is the only person in history who lived a sinless life and who always practiced what He preached. Every other human life in all history must be examined in light of the whole Bible. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We believe that God has created us for His pleasure, to be part of His family, and as His church we worship Him in spirit and in truth as an expression of our love. Worship is expressed in music, prayer, giving, serving, and obedience to His Lordship in our daily lives. We look for His love in our lives -the Fruit of the Spirit- as the supreme manifestation that we have truly been worshipping Him. We remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship, we give a high priority to music, and we put great emphasis upon teaching the Word of God so that God may instruct us how we should worship Him.

The Orchard Christian Church is being formed as a fellowship of believers in the Lordship of Jesus Christ, a house of prayer for all nations where Fruit of the Spirit grows. Our supreme desire is to know Christ and to be conformed into His image by the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the only true basis of Christian fellowship is His (Agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess.

We believe: in one God, eternally existent in three persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe in the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, vicarious and atoning death, resurrection, ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return to earth in power and glory. We believe in the absolute necessity of regeneration by the Holy Spirit for salvation because of the exceeding sinfulness of human nature, and that all are justified on the single basis of faith in Jesus Christ who shed His blood for us, and that only by God’s grace, through faith alone, are we saved. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life with God, and those whose names are not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life.

"and a time to dance." Ecclesiastes 3:4

2007-08-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

'70s and '80s Dance Music by ACE
WHEN: Thursday August 30, 6:00-8:30
WHERE: Montebello City Park Bandshell