Posted 6:40 PM by Gene

"Spiritual Judgment"

One of the most troublesome areas in the Bible is that of judgment. We read in Romans 14:4, "Who art thou that judgeth another man's servant?" In I Corinthians 2:15 we read, "But he that is spiritual judgeth all things . . . ." And in Matthew 7:1 we read, "Judge not that ye be not judged." What a confusing mess on first examination? So let's tear into this.

Now, the way we are going to break down all this matrix of judging is with the 'contextual principle of Bible interpretation.' So let's see what is around these verses.

First, we see the topic in the beginning part of Romans 14 to be that of one brother thinking it wrong to eat certain things, while another feels it's fine to eat anything (vs. 2). Paul is saying that all this talk is petty, relative to the larger issue of Salvation through Christ (see: Romans 14:8-9). Don't get bogged down on what tactics one brother uses to keep himself holy before the Lord. In our day, one person thinks personal holiness is to be had in a day of the week that they are to be off work and not even go fishing, let's say (see: vs. 5), while another holds all days alike in his mind. So Romans 14:4 means that we are to let people be themselves -- not impose Blue Laws, for example, where people are constrained to not work on Sundays, etc., etc. And on the other hand, let the guy who won't go fishing on Sundays do his thing too.

Now, I Corinthians 2:15 deals with "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" (see: vs. 13). A mature Christian is constantly evaluating the behavior of those around him, as well as his own behavior, to see what is spiritual in Christ. It's not that he is gonna go out in public and start being critical of other Christians or himself. He is just constantly rolling things over and over in his mind. He meditates on God's Word all the time and compares everything he experiences in light of the Word. He is discerning.

Finally, we get to the most abused verse in all the Bible, Matthew 7:1. It reads, "Judge not that ye be not judged." But what people forget is to read on past verse one: "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (vs. 2). This doesn't mean that we are to never judge. In fact, we just read that a spiritual man "judgeth all things" (I Corinthians 2:15). What it means is that whatever moral ruler you use in your judgment of others will be the same moral ruler God uses to judge you. An example of this moral ruler concept in action is the woman who is caught in adultery (see: Romans 8:1-11).

The Pharisees bring a woman caught in the act of sexual intercourse outside of marriage to Jesus. She is probably the married party, making the act "adultery" (vs 3), since were she single she would probably be viewed either as a concubine or as transforming into a wife to the man involved by the sex act. (Men of this time were allowed many wives, but a wife was to have only one husband.) Anyway, the Pharisees want her stoned, but Jesus says, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (vs. 7). Because we are all sinners, the wouldbe stone throwers were convicted in their conscience and walked off (vs. 9).

So we see that Christian judgment is very complex. It's best to be very slow to speak and quick to listen.

respectfully,

Gene Chapman, Minister of Christ

Posted 2:44 PM by Gene

"Extortioners Shall Not Inherit The Kingdom Of God!"

The word 'extortion' is perhaps the most powerful word in all of Holy Scripture against the Internal Revenue Service and the members of the United States House and Senate, who are complicit with the IRS, by their silence on the tax liability issue, as it relates to individuals. Even the sitting President of the United States is complicit in any extortion that he sees but does not act against. But let's not stop there. Every minister in every pulpit in America who doesn't speak up against extortion where they see it is also complicit in that extortion. And every citizen of a democratic republic who sits silent while watching an extortion take place is complicit in that extortion, as well: for, to be in a democratic republic is to be either actively or passively complicat in every act of that government, as we are all individually responsible to God in the running of such a government.

Webster's Dictionary defines 'extortion': "to obtain from a person by violence, threat, oppression or abuse of authority."

'Extortion' appears in the Bible twice. 'Extortioner' appears three times. And 'extortioners' appears three times in Holy Scripture, as well.

In I Corinthians 6:9-10, we read the following: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulters, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners , shall inherit the kingdom of God." Paul the Apostle is telling the church at Corinth here that those who "obtain from a person by violence, threat, oppression or abuse of authority" are those who can expect that they "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." But what does it mean not to 'inherit' the kingdom of God?

The word 'inherit' in I Corinthians 6:10 is the Greek word, "kleronomeo." It means, "to be an heir," "possessor." It means you are the type of person who should expect to go to Hell when you die. So, if you allow such things to go on, you are complicit in 'extortion' and should expect to go to Hell when you die.

So, Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church, Dr. Tony Evans of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Bishop T. D. Jakes of The Potter's House, Dr. Jerry Falwell or Thomas Road Baptist church, Dr. Lee Roberson of Tennessee Temple University, Dr. Bob Jones III of Bob Jones University, Dr. Billy Graham, Dr. Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church, Dr. Charles Stanley of First Baptist Church in Atlanta, President George W. Bush, Senators and Congressmen, Americans, I present the following: If, as Irwin Schiff asserts, there is no tax liability in the IRS Code Book (ie. Tax Laws) for individuals, then, to the extent that you remain silent and/ or uninquisitive in these matters, you are complicit with one another in an extortion of funds from the American people and may fully expect not to inherit the kingdom of God.

Jesus said, 'I was in prison, and ye visited (ie. Greek -- episkeptomia: to look out for, to inspect) me not' (see: Matthew 25:43). "Then shall they also answer him , saying, Lord, when . . . saw we thee in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punnishment: but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:44-46). Notice that righteous people, who go into "life eternal" have a heart that moves them 'to inspect/ look out for' those in prison. I know a man named Dick Simkanin who needs the inspection of the American Christians. I know another man named Bill Lear in the same prison circumstance. All they have done is ask, "Where is my tax liability in the law?" And no one in power or in pulpit will 'inspect' or 'look out for' their situation, as Jesus taught us. No one, that is, except for a rag tag group of tax honesty folks, me included.

respectfully,

Pastor Gene Chapman

Posted 6:03 PM by Gene

"The Tithe"

In the formation of Gentle Love Christian Fellowship Church (gentlelove.blogspot.com), some have wondered where I come down on the "tithe." In fact, the Colony of Rhode Island was formed in part over a theological conflict with the Puritan leaders of the Colony of Massachusetts on the issue of the tithe. Some Rhode Island leaders didn't see the tithe as being consistent with New Testament ideas of not giving money by "brow beating or of [taxation]" (II Corinthians 9:7).


The tithe is a biblical idea, found clearly taught as a tax policy in the Old Testament for the Jews. Abraham (ie. Abram before the name change) tithed before the Law of Moses to "Melchizedek king of Salem" (Genesis 14:18-20), but the tithe doesn't seem to be clearly laid out in the New Testament, so I've never taught it, as I do not want to violate II Corinthians 9:7.

All we see clearly laid out in the New Testament that I can find on any consistent weekly giving to the work of God (ie. collection for the saints) is in I Corinthians 16:2: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come," written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth.

I will note that consistent giving to a work one respects to honor God does seem to motivate a person to be more productive. A trucker drives more miles, for example, when God is honored consistently in their giving. More care is given to make things last, to get more use from things, when God is the object of consistent giving to His work. Other than this, I can't promote anything in the area of a tithe. You can give 1% or 100%; it's your relationship with God, not your relationship with a pastor or a church.

I don't like people knowing I give either, so I hesitate to even make my giving here a spectacle, but I realize that me being a leader in this requires a certain transparency that we would never seek to impose on you all.

My personal theology on giving to God is based in I Corinthians 6:20: "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." As a Christian, I am the 100% possession of God, and so I have no right to have a will of my own. I'd just mess my life up anyway, if I ran it. King Jesus is my only ruler, in the end, as he is my owner. As God's possession, all I make at a job is God's, 100%. All the turns in the road of life are God's, if I turn over everything to Him. How can you go wrong listening utterly to God alone? If God told me to write a check for everything He owns through me to you folks, I'd do it in a second. When God directs my path left, I go left. When he directs my path right, I go right. My suggestion is to do as I do in this area. Seek God, and He alone will tell you when, where and how to give to HIS work and not to men's agenda to build temples to themselves.

respectfully, Gene.

Posted 5:10 PM by Gene

"Do Good Deeds"

In John 3:19 we read, ". . . men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil." The "light" represented in this text is Jesus Christ, but he further represents all that is right in the universe.

So, as we do evil works, we can presume that we will develop a heart that turns its back on Jesus or "all that is right in the universe." The opposite of this is that when we do good, we support all that is right in the universe (ie. Jesus Christ).

If you want to throw off Socialist/ Communism, the way to do it is to "do good works," according to the Bible. Pass out computers to poor black kids in Alabama, etc. If you want a better world, the Apostle John tells us here to go out and do individual acts that together culminate in a better world being present all around us.

If you don't like prostitution and drugs in your neighborhood, then don't go buy hookers and cocaine in someone else's neighborhood or anywhere for that matter, including your own neighborhood.

We make the world love light (ie. all that is right in the universe) because our individual deeds are good. So, do good deeds. respectfully, Pastor Gene Chapman.

Posted 4:58 PM by Gene

The general funding for the Church is set up as follows:


10% Prison Ministry:
5% Dick Simkanin Legal Defense Fund. Balance: $10.00.
5% Fans for indigent prisoners. Balance: $10.00.


10% Christian School/ Home School Funding of Children. Balance: $20.00.


10% Feeding and Housing of Poor/ Homeless. Balance: $20.00.


10% Widow and Orphan care. Balance: $20.00.


10% Alabama Christian Reparations Project. $340.00.


10% Gene Chapman TV/ Internet. Balance: $20.00.


10% Billboard Ministry/ Advertising for the Church proper. Balance: $20.00.


30% Property Lease/ Purchase Account for Montgomery, Alabama Location and Catastrophic Emergency Fund. Balance: $60.00.


TAX MARCH ON WASHINGTON: Balance: $101.65.

ATLANTA PROJECT: Balance: $1,000.

Total Deposits This Week: $1,540.

I feel it is important that people see that leadership in any endeavor participates at all levels. For this reason, I'll state that all additions this week to last week's financial report numbers were funded by myself. I hope detractors, present in any public work, will see that I put my money where my mouth is. respectfully, Gene.

Posted 5:46 PM by Gene

"Not A Novice" In I Timothy 3:6, we read that one of the stated qualifications of being a "bishop" (vs. 3) or pastor is that he be "not a novice." The word for 'novice' here is the Greek word, "neophutos." It means: "newly planted" (ie. a young convert).

One problem we find in modern churches is a lack of knowledge in the pulpits, resulting in a credibility problem with younger members of the church. These youthful adults have been to colleges and universities and often put to shame the educational backgrounds of their less educated pastors. The pastor is then brushed aside, the young adults leave the church, feeling that Christianity is a buffoon's religion, and years go by before these young unimpressed peritioners finally get into another church where they are fed a rational diet of God's Word. This problem comes often by men being promoted to pastor of a church when they are too young in the faith to have explored all the other pertinent religious views and be settled on Christ as their only hope for Heaven in the next life.

In my view, a man is not ready to pastor a church, based on the 'novice' point here in I Timothy 3:6, until he has an ability to explain why he is not a Mormon, not a Jehovah's Witness, not a Buddhist, not a Hindu, not a Muslim, not a Baptist, not a Pentecostal, not a Lutheran, not a Catholic, etc., etc. and can explain why he is a Christian by faith alone. Everybody else in a pulpit just seems to me to be jumping through somebody else's hoops, so-to-speak, to impress church leadership and not God.

For the record, my theology is about 50% Lutheran, 45% Conservative Baptist and 5% Pentecostal, but 'I am of Christ' (I Corinthians 1:11-13) and no one else. You will have to ask me where I come down on each, as I am my own man when it comes to interpretation of the Bible. Each of these denominations have their positives and negatives, which I am happy to explain, and this why you know I'm "not a novice." respectfully, Pastor Gene Chapman.