Category: Unchurched

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Don’t worry, I’m not going to knock on your door

Kathy and Joanne

I am not going to force my belief upon you.  I’m not going to go door to door with the assumption that only my belief is the correct one, and be vain enough to try to get you to believe my ways.  I’m not going to stand on a platform and preach Hell and damnation so I can scare you.  I’m not going to lead a revival of emotions to trick you into coming closer to God.  I’m not going to have a weekly altar call that requires non-believers to go to the front of the church and be confronted by a good deal of emotion and confusion. If you invite me to one of your functions, I will seldom speak of my Lord Jesus Christ unless the conversation is first initiated by you. I am NEVER going to reject seekers of Christ and His things, no matter how different they are from me. I am not going to post a bunch of nonsense on the social media pages that is popularly spread amongst people that makes them feel good when they share the posts.  I’m not going to act holier than you; nor am I going to act lower than you; I’m just going to be myself.

But, be forewarned, I am a very strong Christian leader, with constant and true faith in my Lord Jesus Christ.  I take my assignments for the jobs He has given me to do very, very seriously.  Almost all of my waking, and some of my sleeping moments involve planning and leading activities to reach the goals of my Lord.  That’s why I sometimes don’t make good conversation.  I am always thinking of the Lord’s work; social niceties often are difficult for me to navigate.  And by the way, the closer I come to God through my Lord Jesus Christ, the more righteous and holy I do become.  Yet, I always remain me; maybe a little bit better than before me…but I am still me.

I am a Master in Divinity, Pastor, Chaplain, President of an Academy, author, teacher and sometimes activist. Joanne is a Christian Counselor, author, Vice-President of our ministry, and teacher. We are Christian leaders that keep secrets of those that must confess or seek our counsel. We sometimes marry and bury; we are always developing God’s works on the Internet in far-away places. We don’t charge anything for the teaching and sharing of God’s Word to the unchurched.  The only money we receive for the spiritual works we do is the career-developing Academy that we are starting to train up Professional Theologists, Pastors, and Chaplains, with full licensing, ordination, and endorsements. This training equips them to assume their Christian leadership jobs with full licensing by us as we support and monitor their activities. Our paychecks as President and Vice-President of Becker Bible Ministries are required by regulations, and taxes are withdrawn from our income. Most importantly, all the money we receive, including our paychecks every month, are turned back into the ministry to insure its growth. We are also blessed to have trustworthy donators that give their money monthly to ensure we are successful in our ministry development.

Today we have the Non-Profit ministry of Becker Bible Ministries, Inc. and we are developing Becker Professional Theology Academy. We also have a public Wise Folk Publishing business that has been approved by the government to be an arm of our non-profit to ensure funds can be received from this business. We are tremendously busy trying to keep it all going. Last year, we had over fifty contractors working with us; soon we  hope to hire many full-time skilled workers in the immediate future.

I do not look like a Christian leader.  I am extremely cognizant of my deteriorating looks.  I do the best I can, but it is never enough to look my part.  But, those that get to know me spiritually, honor and uphold my journey and respect my decisions.  Most look to me to guide them to the places they should be in Christ’s world.  We baptize more people yearly, on the average, than do the churches in our area.  Though our creeks run cold most of the time, we’ve got access to warm water tanks, should old bones need it.  Yearly, people we don’t even know knock on our door and ask for Bible Studies.  We have many Bible studies with many student groups who are always different.  I write Bible Studies specifically for the participating students of each group, guided by the Holy Spirit, in order that they are spiritually restored and moved closer to God. With the professional help of Joanne, we are able to counsel sexual abuse victims, drug and alcohol addicts, prisoners, oddballs, and your general broken people found everywhere amongst the unchurched.

Our ministry has missionaries and our teachings in every country of the world.  Many of our missionaries are in dangerous places that we must continually watch out for to ensure their protection.  We are known by the various governments, have been vetted often by the United States Pentagon, Army, CIA, and law enforcement agencies.  Many foreign governments also monitor our teachings, and continue to allows us to place them on their internet; many have embraced Christ as their Savior because of these opportunities!  We even have a pin in our ministry map for a place called “Hell.” We suspect it is a foreign country name, but that is how it was reported, so we stuck a pin in it!  We proudly provided many Bible Studies, including our books to soldiers in danger in the Iraq wars.  We also provided a training and counseling place for Chaplains during this wartime, and we were honored to gather together almost 500 chaplains with the Army and Pentagon into a group ministry.  All of us were blessed to figure ways of accessing and including God in the midst of horror and despair.  What a ministry life we have lived!

So, all of the new people meeting us, that’s what we do.  We do our jobs very well for the LORD God and we try our hardest to be perfect in delivering His teachings to others.  Sometimes our personal lives suffer, and people leave because they cannot rise up to the spiritual level that Joanne and I must maintain.  It breaks our heart each time; sometimes more than others.  But, we have to choose the life that God demands us to live and pray for those that must leave our presence that the seeds we have planted are not thrown away, but quietly waiting a regrowth and regeneration.  Prayer is all we have in many situations.

I am me.  I am different than most.  But, if you are a part of Joanne’s and my spiritual life, you know us and love us just as much as we love you.  It’s the way God made people in His Kingdom, and it promises to be just a small foretaste of what will come when this old earth comes to an end.  I can hardly wait for the pains and disappointments of this life to be over on that Promised Day and finally be able to stand in the presence of my Lord!

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Our Rewards Come Later with Jesus

Prosperity

Have you seen and heard the fancy pancy Christians that claim great reward and prosperity available to all that pray a certain prayer, belong to a certain religion, or claim reward in order to receive it? It is a lie. God will not give you reward and prosperity for your accomplishments or wishes in this life. It is not going to happen.

So how do we address those Christian leaders that claim such lies?  We call them false prophets and false teachers, and we get away from their mumble jumbo as fast as possible.  Your righteousness, holiness, and life after death depends upon your choice of Christian leadership to follow.  Don’t be tricked!

I have created a “False Teacher” (https://biblestudydata.com/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=127) and a “False Prophet” (https://biblestudydata.com/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=128) checklist to aid seeking unchurched Christians to find their leader that will shepherd them in the way of Christ and to prevent falling into the hands of the devil.

I know the popular messages on facebook from misguided Christians that encourage prosperity coming to them through prayer.  Don’t waste your time.  The Bible tells us differently:

“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Revelation 22:12)

The rewards of God come afterwards, when your life on this earth is ended and your works are completed. They never come to you when your works directed by God are unfinished. Reward never comes to any Christian for the stuff they do on this earth, until it is given by Jesus to you in His coming Judgment of your works:

“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as holy fire.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)

The works I’m doing on this earth that are guided by God, the works you are doing on this earth that are guided by God, will be judged later, after our works are created and our lives are over on this earth. If any pretend Christian leader dares to tell you otherwise, tell him or her “Satan, get thee behind me!” and run like Hell is close at hand!

Now, don’t ever doubt the grace-filled Providences of the LORD God when you are given exactly what you need to accomplish His Works.  When you are doing His extended works, He provides the tools, materials, and strength to accomplish it fully; He even sends people to help you with your job.  If you run into a situation that you need more help, supplies, strength, or any other material need, your prayers to Him will alert your situation. He will then evaluate and provide the best solutions for your task at hand.  Immediately.  Supernaturally.  Happens often in my life and many other Christian leaders lives as we do the things He wills.  I’ve seen it happen in common Christian’s lives also, so it is not just restricted to the officers and leaders of His Kingdom.

Don’t expect prosperity or reward on earth.  Money and materials coming your way from God’s Hands are restricted to the use towards His tasks, to the penny.  Misspending and misappropriating His things can even result in death coming to you, should you misuse them in deliberate ways:

“But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.” (Acts 5:1-11)

Do you see what I am saying? When you are doing works for the LORD God, take great care and consideration of all resources that come your way to the job He has given you.  The natural life gifts of shelter, food, and livelihood that come to you from our Lord that is taking care of His flock, is much different for the materials and gains received from the LORD God for completion of works.  In the first case of natural life gifts, praise the Lord often; it is nothing you did that merited such a gift!  In the case of resources coming your way for the completion of His works, use them wisely! And, in the case of reward that will come to you and bring you exceedingly great prosperity, look for it when you are in the presence of the Lord and He rewards you for a job well done!

 

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We teach that too!

Today friends, I am going to illustrate our teaching goals as we are training Christian leaders at Becker Professional Theology Academy.

The Traditional Sunday Worship Experience

Traditional worship

The Sunday services that joins together like-kind people in neighborhood churches. Usually a generational church with people that have been there a lifetime, as had their parents and grandparents before them. Pastors preach a steady program of basic Christian messages that their parishioners can apply in their lives during that week. It gives the congregation a chance to remember God and pray to him once a week at least. This type of church is often exclusionary and sometimes cruel and rejecting of believers that do not look or live like them.

Never fear, part of our Academy teaches our Pastor recruits on how to conduct neighborhood churches, with a focus on traditional hymns and the benefits of pot-lucks. Really! Church pot-lucks are the best; it not only feeds the people and gives a chance for sharing amongst themselves, but, the food is always good as the women in the church bring their foods that they have perfected over the generations. Fellowship is fueled perfectly! So we teach our Pastors about tradition and hymns and neighborhood fellowship; but, we do it a bit differently by insisting that all people, even those that are ornery, ugly, lonely,  different, or just plain weird are welcomed to the table.

The Spirit-filled Worship Service

Hoply Spirit worshippers

How wonderful these services are when the Holy Spirit surges through the congregation of believers and all worshipers lift their hands to praise the Lord! Members excitedly attend most services and expect to see His wonderful presence always. Church services often leave members refreshed and spiritually restored; exhaustion from unlimited praise to God justifies the sharing of food after the service. It is good also! Raised hands, singing, and sometimes-supernatural activities such as Spirit-guided talking in tongues and healings happen regularly in these type of churches. Though Holy Spirit churches are all over the world, the South gathers a good deal of them together in the places where black worshipers can join their neighbors and praise their Lord. I have never experienced an exclusionary attitude amongst Holy Spirit worshipers and have seen countless instances of inclusion, fellowship, and Christian love greeting newcomers.

We seriously teach every student the importance of the Holy Spirit presence in worship and in daily activities. We insist upon His inclusion in every part of their ministries, and will not accept exclusion of His presence in their works; thus, we teach them how to make contact with God, and be a conduit of His moving to the people they are ministering to. Though we focus less on the worship service, and more on the day-to-day activities and works for the Lord, our students are fully equipped to lead the revival of Spirit worshipers.

This is us!

Perfect Coaching

 

This illustration reflects perfectly our primary focus in training up Pastors and Chaplains at Becker Professional Theology Academy.  Check out this apparent “oneness” of the coach and his assistant. How great would it be if Pastors and Chaplains in this world did their jobs with perfect reflection of Christ? Watch the assistant reflecting the actions of the coach, right down to the tiniest of motions. This assistant duplicates his main coach’s actions with unceasing “oneness.”

There is little focus placed in teaching the preparation of Sunday best or waiting upon the Holy Spirit in planned times. It is about being so well trained, and so confident of their Lord’s expectations, that it gives our students a different perspective on ministry. Rather than being limited by traditional Christian expression or celebrating in a church building once or twice a week, we are training up our Pastors and Chaplains to reflect the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly, with attention to details and practice, practice, practice of the Lord’s ways.

Becker Professional Theology Academy teaches its Pastors and Chaplains how to do ministry outside the four walls of a church. We teach them how to reflect Christ’s movements perfectly, and confidently complete the works given to them with a precision so apparently Christ, that it is recognized by all.  We believe that Christ’s works are not limited to the exclusive religions or perfected worship services behind four walls.  We believe that unchurched believers can have supernatural contact with God given the chance, and it is the job of our Pastors and Chaplains to bring Christ to them in the way He would respond, perfectly.