Origins

     Origins are extremely important. If you don't know where you came from then you really don't know who you are or where your going. If we don't know our heritage then how do we know what is true or genuine?

     I bring this up for two reasons. One is in the worldview debate of creation vs. evolution and the other is in how we view Jesus and the Church. So in tackling the debate of creation vs. evolution I will use the abbr. of CVE.

    So in CVE I continue to see such a large portion of our society and the world as one that continues to believe in the the evolutionary side of things and this continues to grow. No matter how many times the evolutionists theories prove to be wrong and no matter how many times they must change their theories they portray them as absolute fact and anyone that disagrees must be as dumb as a chimp.(although they are the ones that came from them) The problem that I have with this world view is more than the idea that we evolved from chance or a chance of a chance of a chance into a single celled organism that had to survive and reproduce after each mutation, but it is the fact that their science is not based on fact but unobserved and unproven theories. They praise Darwin for his observations that some animals have similarities to other animals which may be the case in micro-evolution, but in macro evolution these observations are like a child going to the zoo. "Daddy that lizard has the same neck as that bird. Are they related?" "No, son. Just because something has a similarity to something else doesn't mean it is related."
I don't mean to sound mean but that is the simplicity of things. Man tries to over think so many things in order to give himself measure and prestige, but sometimes truths are simple.

   So of what importance is this? Well, I continue to see it becoming an issue in evangelism. The devil has brought forth a lie that continues to spread and makes the gospel useless in the persons life that believes in evolution. The more and more that people believe in evolution they resist the gospel more, because if we had natural origins then we cannot have supernatural destinations. So when we witness to someone who believes in this deception I believe it to be my response to them that they are the creature and they know deep down inside that they have a creator and they need to stop choosing to follow this lie and submit to Him. My hope then is that the Holy Spirit will reveal himself to them and lead them into the truth. But this is why the CVE is so important as it is a real warfare going on around us and yet we as Christians seem to just accept it.

    The other issue of Origins is for the Christian and it is who Jesus is and who we are as his people. I continue to see an idea that the church should be different than it was before the AAC. I continue to see instead of people following Christ people getting bogged down in excessive conflicting doctrines and thought, rules and regulations. People from the early church did not have Seminaries and Colleges to go and get there masters or doctorate in Theology, yet they did just fine serving the Lord and perpetuating the gospel. Many, many will say that was the early church and we (God) work differently now. Really? Was that God's plan was to have 3 centuries of Christians go all out and give their entire lives for Him in service and sacrifice, but since then he has decided to let the rest of us coast and simply pursue a higher education so that we can "expound" on the things the apostles already wrote about in the Bible? Again like the Scientists of evolution there are many who hold to the name of Christ that want to over think the word of God. They want to create something more than what is in the text.  Now I am not totally against a higher education as I myself am looking to further mine through potential colleges. However, I hope no matter what I learn and how high my degrees may take me that I never forsake the simple truths of scripture for the elitist experience that comes from adding onto scripture. I have been involved with many churches and the one thing most always boast about is how true to scripture they are and how important it is never to add to scripture. But then they will turn around and add something to scripture by putting forth a rule or belief that has no basis in scripture whatsoever. These examples are countless and for me to even begin would just take too much time, but whenever we add to scripture we lift ourselves up as idols. So we must be careful not to over think the scriptures and simply obey them. I find that many times these churches that create all of the rules and regulations that are added to scripture are the same ones who would deny that one must take up their cross and follow Jesus in order to inherit eternal life. INTERESTING... But that all being said we cannot deny our origins in Christ. The deeds the early church did though not prescriptive and possibly just descriptive doesn't matter because if that was what describes the early church than I want to follow in their example. If the early church was commanded to give all and love others than sign me up too. Again, how are we so arrogant and excuse the terminology, but ignorant to think that some how after a certain period in time God just decided to do something different and decided not to tell us about it through scripture as he did with everything else. There in and of itself is adding to scripture, but if you study history you see the changes that have occurred are not through scripture or some divine revelation. These changes that have occurred are rooted in the Catholic Church and stem out through the churches of the Protestant Reformation. They never went to a place where they said "We need to get back to the Biblical Church that the Catholic Church interrupted." Instead they continued on in the same formats and ideals of the Catholic Church, but changed a little bit of doctrine here and there.
     So now today what do I suggest? I suggest following in the examples of the apostles and their immediate offspring. I suggest us focusing on Jesus Christ and all out serving him in any way shape or form available to us. I suggest giving up our focus on Churches having to be ran in a certain way under certain traditions and rules. Now I am not suggesting Chaos but simply being flexible to changes that bring us closer to the format of the AAC Church. Maybe we don't have a Wednesday night service, but have a time where the whole congregation goes out and knocks on doors or meets at a public place where they can have interaction with the people who are there. Maybe instead of a Sunday night service you have a short bible study and then go help out and serve a family in the community. But this cannot just be an annual occurrence, for things like this must become a monthly if not weekly thing or else they are just a hollow event. Most churches that I have been to or go to continue to teach the same basic things over and over again, yet where is the training of the saints for works of the ministry? Where is there time that we as a church go out and serve the lost and share the gospel...together. We must also not teach in a way that allows our secondary doctrines to be lined with arrogance where if someone else doesn't believe the same way we do then they are of the Devil or the nicer version they are very misguided... followed by laughing.
    Origins... know your roots so that you know how you should branch out. Understand that simply because things are done someway today doesn't mean that is the way they have to be done. Most things that are done one way today was originated by a man only a few centuries ago.(or maybe decades ago) They are not biblical mandates, but traditions that man has put forth for himself to follow. So know you were created and your destiny is eternal.(Heaven or Hell) Know that many people gave their lives for the gospel and we must give everything up including our traditions and preferences to continue in the furtherance of the gospel.