John Young

Luck is truly biblical when it comes to Pot-Luck Dinners at church, I'm sure it and "casserole" are from transliterated Greek or Hebrew words for freewill meat offerings or something. Either way it is a tradition handed down to us by faithful men and women and it has been very beneficial to the body of Christ. So we are very lucky to have it.

I went to one church down south, a long while ago, that the women had gotten spare modesty attachments for dresses. They were about the size of a hand towel and attached to the garment. If a new person came and was clear they were trying but just didn't know how to cover properly, one of the older ladies would kindly take here aside and explain the churches modesty requirements and show her how to attach it. Typically those who dressed immodestly did not come on their own but were invited by a conservative relative who would take them aside, so there was not to big of a problem with it for them.

I haven' studied it out much but I believe the accepted father was Simon the leper of Bethany. It was at Simon's house that Christ publicly rebuked Judas about the Alabaster ointment and it was there where Judas decided to find a way to betray Christ.

Basically, for me, Repentance is the state in which grace can be received. God will not chose a non-repentant person for salvation nor will a non-repentant person want to be saved.

We are currently going over "Repentance and Faith" at church. Below are my notes in regard to this topic. We are also currently going over in our Sunday School every time the word "repent" is being used in scripture. REPENTANCE AND FAITH We believe Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations, and inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. Psalm 51:1-4,7; Isaiah 55:6-7; Mark 1:15; Luke 12:8; 18:13; Acts 2:37-38; 20:21; Romans 10:9-11,13 Repentance: Always has an inward change of heart and mind that manifests in an outward change. We believe “Repentance towards God” is the spiritual action of humbling one’s self before God in the knowledge they sinned and deserve the punishment declared and is willing to do what is required to make it right again. (Re=to do again; penitence=the state of being penitent; regret; contrition; repentance; penitent=feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing and disposed to atonement and amendment; repentant; contrite. Contrite=showing sincere remorse. filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent: a contrite sinner. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:17. (Repentance is a requirement for mercy and grace from God regardless if the person has been saved or not. God resist pride but rewards the humble with grace. Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6) Faith: We believe “faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" is Realizing the penalty and payment made for our rebellion, Accepting this payment, and Relying on Christ to keep us. Obligations: The requirement to do something. (The binding power of a vow, promise, oath or contract, or of law, civil, political or moral, independent of a promise; that which constitutes legal or moral duty, and which renders a person liable to coercion and punishment for neglecting it. The laws and commands of God impose on us an obligation to love him supremely, and our neighbor as ourselves. Every citizen is under an obligation to obey the laws of the state. Moral obligation binds men without promise or contract. Web1828) Grace: A special favor given to the humble sinner to be heard of God, even though Judgement has been declared. Quicken: to make alive again. (1. Primarily, to make alive; to vivify; to revive or resuscitate, as from death or an inanimate state. Romans 4:17.2. To make alive in a spiritual sense; to communicate a principle of grace to.You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. Ephesians 2:1. 3. To hasten; to accelerate; as, to quicken motion, speed or flight.4. To sharpen; to give keener perception to; to stimulate; to incite; as, to quicken the appetite or taste; to quicken desires. 5. To revive; to cheer; to reinvigorate; to refresh by new supplies of comfort or grace. Psalms 119:25. Web1828) Thereby: By the Spirit of God we receive the ability to repent, believe, and call out for salvation from our corrupted state. It is not of our own ability but that of the Spirt of God working in us when we hear the Gospel of our salvation. Heartily: From the heart; with all the heart; with sincerity; really. (1. With zeal; actively; vigorously. 2. Eagerly; freely;) only and all-sufficient: Not trusting in self, works, or anything or anyone else to save and that Christ Saves so completely that nothing else is ever needed again. Processes involved in biblical repentance and faith. 1. Man rebels by violating God's order and God declares his intent to punish it. (the Soul that sins shall die) 2. Mankind recognizes their fault, God's rightful justice, accepts it, humbles self before God, and asks for mercy. (re-pentance) 3. God sees their humility before Him and humbles Himself by forgoing judgement and grants mercy. (Mercy. A stay of judgement but not a removal of grievances) 4. God then extends Grace in their humbled so that they can believe in his prescribed method of removing the grievances (Grace) 5. Mankind accepts the method and conditions offered for restoration of peace. (Faith) God repenting: God repents of declared punishment of rebellion only if Mankind repents of the rebellion (Jeremiah 26:13). God does not Repent of Covenants or Promises (Numbers 23:19-20)

We choose Edgecliff because there was no church, real or fake, of any type, within a mile of the neighborhood. It was also situated between two large cities that will need many more baptist churches in the coming future. We have about 6 IFB churches here for 300,000+ people and 20,000+ more each year. Of loose Baptist type we have about 10 solid churches. The rest seem to be very lax on doctrine/standards or protestant/catholic/cult.

Welcome to the forum, David Jay Jordan. I appreciate the fact that you have been serving Christ for over 50 years. You and I have something in common as I am pasturing in your old neighborhood. I do not want to take away form your professed service to Chrsit and commend you for it. However, the problem most have with your testimonial is that you say that Jesus is your authority yet you seem to have never submitted to Believer's Baptism nor to His church, of any type. If you follow scripture and have Christ as your authority then you should also be obedient to a local church. Baptist is basically those churches who baptize and serve Christ in accord with the clear outline presented in the Gospels and Acts as contrasted to catholic and protestant churches which follow extra biblical traditions and teachings. Baptist is not a denomination and can include non-denominational, and other bible churches which follow the NT church model. House gatherings which do not have an ordained pastor, nor practice church discipline, nor have a organized membership, nor great commission effort are not churches.

I should have had three sermons for Acts 15 but didn't so basically this is two sermons in one. The first part we dealt with James use of scripture supporting Peter's testament and conclusions and around the forty minute mark transition to how they were to resolve the issue with their sister church in Antioch.

Confusion on who and what the Church is in this day and time abounds. We believe the Church is not an Israel of any type and that Church and Nations have always had separate functions in both Old and New Testaments. In the last sermon (on Acts 15:1-11) we showed how we are not Israel. In previous sermons we showed how the New Testament Church is an extension of the Old Testament Melchizedek Priesthood, now with Christ as it's High Priest, in Heaven, before God's throne. In this sermon we also show how James uses Amos 9 to show that today the Church is like David's Tabernacle. In the Old Testament, Israel and Church were in fellowship but when the New Testament came and Christ was anointed king, the Nation rejected Him but the Church received Him. This same picture is found with King David. After God, rejected King Saul and had David anointed King, King Saul and the Nation sought David's death. In seeking David's death, King Saul turns against the Tabernacle (Israel's church) by having the Priests of Nob and their families killed (1 Samuel 22). The surviving priest, Abiathar, fled to David for protection and remained separated from the nation until David was received by the nation. James makes it clear that today the Church is with Christ and the Nation is separated from Christ and His Church. We understand from scripture that Israel is separated from Christ, with the world, into the Spirit of Anti-Christ. We also show how the Church in Jerusalem, predominately Jewish in faith and nationally Israelite, reconciled their doctrine with these understandings of separation of Church and State and how in order to be a peace with other churches, particularly those churches of the Gentiles and other nations, wrote letters clearing up and resolving the errors and the unsettling doctrines their members had started to spread. Lastly we are shown the divisions of ministry between Paul and Barnabas because of personal differences. In all this we are given a template for resolving issues between Churches and Ministries, either how to resolve them or how to continue on with ministry without resolving our differences. We show how the resolutions are not based on "forcing" our will upon each other other but rather on mutual cooperation and in the template of Matthew 18, where Christ teaches us how to deal as equals with our brothers. Showing If a resolution cannot be made then we are to separate in peace until it one day it can be made. All the while the primary goal is not to harm and keep pure the gospel ministry, in spite of any unresolved personal differences. Preached: August 5, 2018 Sunday Night. By Pastor John Young, at Edgecliff Baptist Church, Spokane Valley, WA. https://www.facebook.com/EdgecliffCBC/ (Please like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more Bible Sermons!)

Often we hear many say that the church is the true Israel and Christians are the true Jew. While there is an interconnected relationship between them in God's service, Acts 15 makes it clear these are separate and distinct Institutions of God. Failure to keep Israel and Church separate will ultimately lead to compromising the Grace of God given towards the Gentiles and Church, which are in Christ, apart from the Covenant Nation of Israel. Acts 15 shows certain men, Judaizers, who believed Christian salvation was only for those in the Convent Nation of Israel, by the circumcision of Moses and fellowship with God by keeping the Law of Moses. Paul, Barnabas, Peter, and James, knew that the Covenant of Israel, that the Jews, kept was separate and distinct form salvation and the other nations were never under obligations to keep that Covenant and after much discussion the Jerusalem church agreed with this understanding. In this sermon we show why we stand for a clear separation of Church and State Covenants in both Old and New Testaments. Particularly that Israel is not the church and Gentile Christians are not Jews unless they enter into the Covenant of Israel by the Law. We also show how the errors of Keeping the law "for salvation" or "to keep salvation" or "to keep in fellowship" or to "prove our salvation" are derivative of this error of the believing Pharisees. Rather we show how living by true FAITH is better than any LAW. We also give the example of Paul the Apostle to show that he kept the covenant of his own Nation of Israel, as an obedient Jew, even while teaching the gentiles were under no obligation to do so. We also show also show how James, Pastor of the church in Jerusalem, supported this practice of Jewish obedience to the covenant, while supporting the freedom of the Gentiles not to be. Preached: July 29, 2018 Sunday Night. By Pastor John Young, at Edgecliff Baptist Church, Spokane Valley, WA. https://www.facebook.com/EdgecliffCBC/ (Please like, share, and subscribe to the channel for more Bible Sermons!)

Of note is the fact that every verse speaking of predestination Is not ever talking about predestined to "salvation" but rather conformation. In other words the already saved/converted are predestined to be conformed to the image of God's son. So we see that it was predetermined from the beginning for all those who enter into Christ but that the entering in is not at the beginning but rather in the fullness of time. Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Ephesians 1:3-6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:10-12 that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 11 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

I need to correct myself and say that the "request" are later called decrees they were to keep" in Acts 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Though this may refer to the letter of Acts 15, may it also be the other epistles of James, Peter, and Jude as well? I'm still of mind that the four request were not the decrees but the resolved doctrine to be taught was the decrees as the doctrine was important but in references to the four request Paul noted that 1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. and Romans 14:21-22 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. Showing the four request were request and not decrees but rather the decrees were Salvation, Church, And Israel, doctrines that were resolved.

A big contention against local autonomy is Acts 15 were they say the "Jerusalem Council" is determining doctrine for "the whole church" but to me it seems to be a case for local autonomy. As it started out with certain men trying to force the gentiles in Antioch to live as Jews for salvation but they went to Jerusalem to resolve the issue because the offending people were members of the Jerusalem church. While some of the apostles weighed in with guidance on the matter, it was James, the pastor of the Jerusalem church and not the apostles that passes sentence on the matter and the letter is written by that church as a clarification of their doctrine and as a request, not as a decree. Its basically Matthew 18 but with automatons churches, showing us how issues between churches should be resolved and not showing a denominational church hierarchy.