Ghosts and Spirits and Demons

I was asked something along these lines in an email, and since it’s THAT time of year… hey why not talk a little about the spiritual realm?

*organ music*

Of course, the Bible doesn’t spend much time explaining demons or spirits and doesn’t even come close to the ghosts and goblins we talk about during Halloween, but there’s always something a little scarier about Bible for most of us. I’m not sure what it could be, hmmm…… maybe, because the Bible has more than a hint of the real thing?

*cue lightning flash and thunder*

Yeah. I know the majority of Americans these days don’t believe in a literal devil, despite the fact they tend to believe in a literal God. In the Bible however, Satan, fallen angels, and demons are very real. As real as you and me.

So what’s actually in there? Well if you go HERE, you’ll find several very indepth Bible Studies on such things, a lot more than I will cover in this post. Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to scratch the surface just a bit and see if anything slithers out….

Getting More Out of Church – Or At Least Getting Something

Mountain View Christian Church where I pastor is an awesome place. It probably has one of the most loving, preach-the-Gospel focused atmospheres of any place I’ve been. Oh, it’s not a perfect place, but you truly get the feeling that the people here have a heart for their community and for reaching people with the message of Jesus Christ.

So this isn’t to complain about my church, or to point out any church in particular. This is maybe just a little bit of the secret that Mountain View Christian Church is starting to discover for itself…

For many people in this world, the question usually centers around meeting needs. Especially, where the church may be falling short when it comes to meeting our needs? C’mon you can think of something can’t you? Or if not your needs, someone else’s? Where is the problem in your in your life and in your community that your church should do something about? What about the preacher, or the youth minister, or the song leader, or the children’s minister, where are they falling short? How can they improve, what are they doing that you don’t agree with?

While we’re thinking about it, how do you find that perfect situation where the church is meeting your needs and doing something worthwhile for other people? Find a different church? Find the right pastor? Where do you go? How does a church accomplish all these things when it doesn’t have an unlimited budget, and when the pastors make too many mistakes?

You see, I understand many of those who voice concern DO have a point. I’m not making light of complaints or grumblings. The truth is, pastors at all levels are prone to failure, are still learning, and so are church members. Church members do complain about pastors and they often have a point. Pastors complain about church members and they often have a point.

All of us together complain about politics and we all have a point.

Yet, I read this in Romans…

Time to Get a Bit Radical… Open Baptism… very cool idea

Alright. I’ve had it. Seriously. Enough of this being nice all the time, trying not to offend anyone about anything….

OK, it’s not like I have been doing that too much, but you get the idea. If you don’t here’s more:

Aren’t we serving God for a reason? At our own church we have an official “Purpose” and that purpose is simply Matthew 28:18-20. In those verses Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them everything Jesus taught us.

In other words, go tell people the message of Christ, and when they believe -baptize them. Then teach them the Bible. Pretty straightforward except we complicate it. Well maybe not our particular church, but the Church in general. We color it with all sorts of embroidery and pizazz and fellowship dinners. We dress it up in various arguments over doctrinal points we use to defend our traditions.

The Bible, the early church, wasn’t so complicated. They preached. People believed. They got baptized. And baptism wasn’t some ritual to be done to fulfill a “work,” baptism was an outward expression of your commitment to God to leave your old life and your sin behind, and give yourself to Jesus Christ. Baptism was clothing yourself with Christ. Baptism was an outward joining with Christianity -not a particular church or church denomination, but THE Church, THE Faith… regardless of the sign out front. (honestly, they didn’t have signs out front)

It was simple. Today, we have substituted the Sinner’s Prayer for baptism.

Does it Show a Lack of Faith to Use a Doctor

I like what this guy said:

“I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.” -Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)

And this guy:

“No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.” -I Timothy 5:23 (Paul giving some instructions to Timothy about various things)

Also note that Luke, the writer of Luke and Acts in the New Testament, was a physician.

-Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
Colossians 4:14

If being a physician or practicing medicine was a bad thing, then undoubtedly Paul would not have used it as a term of endearment…

Charles Spurgeon, one of those famous dead preachers once said this:

God does not condemn men for the use of the powers he has given them; he condemns them for the misuse of those powers; not for employing them, but for employing them as they ought not to employ them;

And undoubtedly God has given us a brain that can learn, and the ability to pursue fields in science and medicine. We can also use this ability for selfish reasons.

The military establishment, for instance, funds about 60% of all scientific research in this nation. Another good-sized portion of scientific research in America is centered around business and making money. Roughly speaking, it is safe to conclude that the vast majority of our research and development in the United States is not spent on finding cures and treating illnesses. Just as a gut reaction, do you think this is God’s intention for science? To learn new and better ways to fight other nations? Or to learn new and better ways to make a dollar?