Faith in Houston

Hurricane Harvey has taken a catastrophic toll and left 100’s of thousands displaced and stranded. In the wake of a storm like this, the body of Christ is mobilized to action. Faith Apostolic Church is doing its part. Pastor Josh Wilson is en route with much-needed supplies for the churches, pastors, and families we’re connected with, and Pastor George Hurt has been on the scene from the beginning helping with rescue efforts.

One pastor receiving our assistance just posted the following:

Almost everyone in our church is under water or has water in there homes! They have no where to go. We need cots, blankets and pillows to set our church up as a shelter to this community and our church members. Let us know if you can help.

We’re extremely grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received so far, allowing Pastor Josh to take over $10,000 in much-needed supplies to the area. If you would like to contribute, please use our online giving, give on your mobile device using Givelify, or contribute by check.

We’ll keep you updated as our efforts further develop. God bless you and all you do to advance the Kingdom here, in Houston, and around the world.

Man Camp 2016

FAQ

Who is MAN CAMP for?

Are you a man? It’s for you. Are you younger than 14? You’re not a man. Hang in their, tiger.

How much does it cost?

$15 per person with a family cap of $30.

What if I’ve never camped before?

No problem. MAN CAMP is all about getting outside our comfort zones and learning something new! We’re here to challenge and encourage one another.

What do I need to bring?

We’ll supply a full list soon, but the basics would be: a sleeping bag and tent (unless you want to just sleep under the stars, which definitely earns you more man points); a backpack filled with camping gear (think canteen, compass, teddy bear with a handlebar mustache…the basics); a foldout chair, dry clothes, and any food you may want beyond what’s provided.

How long does it last?

Wow, you ask a lot of questions. But, no problem. It starts as soon as you can get yourself to the Coffey Grounds on Friday, September 30 (official start time is 1800 hours) and will last until sometime mid-afternoon on Saturday, October 1 (probably between 2-5 PM…this is our first year doing this, so hard to say).

What if it rains?

You’ll get wet, snowflake.

What are we doing?

Sleeping outside. Building fires. Roasting pigs. Laughing. Competing. Splitting wood. Testing our strength. Telling stories. Learning to clean a fish. Learning to shoot a gun & be safe with it (i.e.—not shooting our faces off). Making pals.

What if I sign up and then cancel?

Tough noogies. Being a man means keeping your word. Canceling means we’re keeping your money.

  • NameAge 
    List each attendee's name and age. Attendees MUST be at least 14 years old. Under 18 must be accompanied by parent or legal guardian or speak to a member of the pastoral staff for permission to attend.
  • Cost for each registrant is $15 with a family cap of $30. After you complete registration, please make your check payable to Faith Apostolic Church and drop it in the offering on Wednesday or Sunday. Please write MAN CAMP (all big and manly-like) in the notes field.

Communion: It’s Not for Perfect People!

Anyone who grew up in the church can probably relate to the fiery preacher’s warning about communion: “Unless you’re where you need to be spiritually, you’d better not participate because you’ll be doing it unworthily and will be eating and drinking damnation to your soul!”

communionFor some, observing the Lord’s Supper was a frightening time. The prospect of drinking damnation discouraged all but the “holiest” and “most righteous.” It was implied that to take Communion you had to be perfect, or pretty close. For those who felt they weren’t “measuring up,” it was safer to sit in the back than to risk participating unworthily.

The irony is this type of skewed attitude is exactly the opposite of what celebrating Communion is all about! Communion is about remembering.  Its about remembering what Jesus did on the cross.  He gave His body to be broken and His blood to be shed so that we could be saved.  But it’s not only about remembering that He went to the cross, it’s also about understanding why Jesus went to the cross.

Jesus came to this earth, suffered, and died because man could never measure up! If man, by observing the Law, could have obtained righteousness, a Savior and a Cross would not have been necessary. Paul makes it plain in Galatians:

Gal 2:16 – Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ…for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. KJV

Our righteousness, goodness or works will never be enough to put us in right standing with God. If we could be justified by our own works then the Cross was unnecessary.

Hebrews, Chapter 8, puts it like this:

If the first covenant (the Law) was faultless, then there wouldn’t have been a need for the second covenant (Christ) – Hebrews 8:7

CommunionPraise the Lord! Jesus is a mediator of a better Covenant – one established upon better promises.  We are declared righteous because of what Jesus did. It’s His righteousness, His goodness, and His perfection that we are trusting in! When we obey the Gospel and are born again, we stand by faith in His work, not ours.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.

Observing the Lord’s Supper is about remembering that Jesus died on a Cross – because I could never measure up. Communion is not for perfect people. That notion would defeat the whole purpose of the sacrament. Communion is celebrating the fact that we stand in His righteousness, not our own. We trust in His moral perfection, not our own. We are clothed in His purity – a purity we could never attain apart from Him.

Paul said, “Let a man examine himself

If perfection were the qualification to partake of Communion then Paul would never have encouraged self-examination. If perfection were the pre-requisite, and Paul wanted us to participate, then Paul may have said:

“Whatever you do, don’t examine yourself!” 

Because an honest self-examination will always render a guilty verdict – we will always find imperfection. If it were about perfection, self-examination would always result in each of us being disqualified to participate in Communion.  He said, examine yourself and then participate:

1 Cor 11:28 – But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. KJV

The purpose of examination was never to discourage us from participation; rather it was intended to help us see why we need to participate.   What self-examination is supposed to accomplish is to bring us to a stark realization of our own human frailty. When I look inwardly, I come to the conclusion that even in my best attempts, I still fall short of the mark. But that isn’t supposed to preclude me from participation. Paul said, “And so let him eat!”

In other words, my conclusion that I’m an imperfect human being causes me to remember the Cross. I eat the bread and drink the cup as a glorious reminder that my trust is in the Cross – my faith is in His work, not my own.

Certainly, I cannot reflect on the Cross and treat sin frivolously. I’m not advocating celebrating the Lord’s Supper without solemn repentance and heart-felt confession of sin. How can I reflect on the sufferings of Christ and it not cause me to die to sin and worldliness?

Neither is Communion to be done frivolously. It’s not the same as eating a light-hearted meal with our fellow believers (like what was happening in Corinth.) It is a very serious and solemn sacrament.

Communion is not a celebration of our perfection – it’s a celebration of His perfection.

Repentance and solemness are all part of observing Communion, but let’s not lose sight of what’s at the root of the celebration: Imperfection doesn’t disqualify us from participation, rather our own human imperfection is the very reason the Lord’s Supper is necessary! Communion is not a celebration of our perfection – it’s a celebration of His perfection. It’s not a glorying in our own achievements – it glorying in the Cross.

Wouldn’t it be the epitome of irony if the one’s who are truly guilty of eating and drinking “unworthily” are the very people who feel like they are measuring up and  are worthy of taking communion?  That makes me think about the two men that Jesus observed praying in the temple.  Remember what He said about the man who prayed like he all it all together?  He was the one who went home unjustified.

I believe the people who are worthily celebrating the Lord’s Supper are the one’s who are trusting in Christ’s sacrifice at the cross.  They are frail human beings doing their best to please God, but still, at times, falling short of the mark.  But they celebrate communion by remembering that it is for that very reason Jesus came.  They are the ones who are  truly “discerning the Lord’s Body.”  They understand it was “His body on the tree” that paid the debt man was unable to pay and when we don’t measure up, the Blood of Christ makes up the difference!

~Matthew Ball