Mother’s Day is past and now we can all look forward to celebrating Father’s Day. Last week’s rain and cool mountain mist helped all of our flowers, plants and trees get ready for another incredible spring bloom. The church where I am pastor, Oakzanita Springs Fellowship, is located on Highway 79 a couple of miles out of Descanso. I have been a pastor there for the last four years. Being located at the Oakzanita Springs RV campground provides a lovely garden, paradise park-like place to hike, play soccer or even fit together a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
The RV camp has a camp store, pool where we hold baptisms and a common area where campers can come together on Sunday at 10 a.m. to sing songs of worship, hear an encouraging word from God and fellowship with one another in a non-denominational setting. I tell everyone who comes to our services, and by the way you don’t have to be camping at the RV Park to come to Sunday services, that there is only one church and Jesus Christ is the head of that church.
Many times we will stick around for hours after a service to discuss questions and problems that arise out of scripture which gets lost in translation. Many people have been taught about church traditions that simply are not true or misleading.
When studying the bible it is important to know the culture of the times, the real meaning of Hebrew and Greek words and then examine them in the light of what Jesus taught about these topics. As we get older and receive a silver crown we discover that most times religion has a way of getting in the way of our relationship with God. We find in the book of Genesis the first religious service as Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover their sin, shame, in an attempt to hide from God. Just for the record, nobody can hide from God.
These topics and much more are being discussed on K-Praise 1210 AM, every Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. on a new radio show called “Lost in Translation”. The show is co-produced by Tom LeVine, a local, seasoned radio personality, Ronnie Houlihan, a local businessman and me, Dean Kellio, a pastor-teacher and writer. The show features the biblical knowledge of Rabbi Baruch Korman of loveIsrael.org. If we study to show ourselves approved, workmen who are not ashamed of the gospel, and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate scriptural truth then and only then will we see clearly to rightly divide the word of God
Once we know the truth we have an obligation to tell others. We are all ministers in the church of God. We are brothers and sisters, foot soldiers in the army of Jesus Christ. Although the battle belongs to the Lord, we are called to fight these daily spiritual battles in spirit and truth, through the power of God’s word and prayer. We now see dimly as though through a mirror but someday we will see clearly and face to face.
All of us have a purpose to serve in one capacity or another and we should embrace this opportunity making it our highest priority. We were also give gifts to help facilitate our purpose. I have the gift of teaching and I use it constantly. Some of you have followed my Carpenter’s Corner column since its debut. I have also published an anthology of articles in a book titled “The Well with the Holy Name” under my pen name Daniel Thomas which can be found on Amazon .com.
My point to all this is not to draw attention to myself but to encourage you to cultivate your gifts and find the purpose for which you were created. Embrace these new look on life and take the opportunity to discover these divine appointments that God has created for you to walk in. Our enemy wants to discourage you from pursuing your gifts, engaging in the battle and keeps you busy doing worldly things to distract you from the fight to save men’s souls.
If you are unable to get out into the battlefield yourself then financially support those ministries who are. While we have much work to do, many churches will continue to fight and bicker about non-salvation issues. Many churches will experience a painful church split that will further keep the cause of Christ at bay. If you’re experiencing any of these religious shackles then, shake the dust off your shoes and find a new fellowship where all are united in one cause to love one another and believe on the name of Jesus Christ.
It is time to love one another, to unite together as a family and not be lost in the translation.
