So many of us have heard the reason we aren't supposed to use instruments in worship (even saying it is sinful) is because Ephesians 5:19 only says to sing.

Once we understand those two things we go back to what Paul wrote to understand the point he was actually making and it had nothing to do with condemning the instrument in worship.

I believe it is wrong to twist the Bible to make it say things it doesn't actually say and even more wrong to divide over these issues. This calls for repentance.

This month is the 30th anniversary of Wineskins! Wineskins started as a print publication in May of 1992 when Rubel Shelly, Mike Cope and several others came together to gather some of the best voices in the Restoration movement (and beyond) to ask tough questions and explore hard answers.

I want to say thank you to Rubel and Mike for their vision that launched what we have today at www.wineskins.org and ultimately here on the YouTube channel!

Connect with Wineskins:

A famous Church of Christ argument has been that God told Noah to build an ark of gopher wood so that is the only wood he could use...not oak or pine...just gopher. Is that really true? Did the whole of human history revolve around Noah finding enough gopher trees?

Once you find out more about gopher wood you will see that the the whole argument falls apart. The argument that we can only use what is specifically and precisely biblical authorized falls on its face. It was already a pointless argument because no one only does the specific things mentioned in the Bible...no one.

If you want to read more on this, check out Al Maxey's fantastic article - http://www.zianet.com/maxey/reflx457.htm

If you have ever been a legalistic Christian or part of a legalistic church this video is for you. The road out of that to a healthier, more biblical faith is a very difficult one. Many people can't find their way our or they give up altogether.

If you are wrestling with this and trying to find your way to freedom, I hope this video will serve as a guide to point you to some things to consider, study in the Bible and pray about.

My hope is that in watching this you will know that you are not alone and that many have gone ahead of you on this path!

Please let me know how I can help!

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

01:05 - Israel's Journey

02:09 - Orientation-Disorientation-New Orientation

02:56 - Step 1 Legalism

06:36 - Step 2 - Descend the mountain

10:28 - Step3 - The Wilderness

16:17 - Crossing the Jordan

18:06 - Freedom

Resources mentioned:

Walter Brueggemann "Message of the Psalms"

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0806621206/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=kinglivi-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0806621206&linkId=c1c335dfd49909b53cf100f67ab5f712

Wolfgang Simson "The House Church Book"

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MZARBI/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=kinglivi-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B002MZARBI&linkId=56030beeb7b6c1dbd084cd65ff2e2838

If you would like to support the channel and see more videos like this one you can donate here - https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/newwineskins

If you want a weekly email of all of our content (video, articles, and podcast) signup here - http://eepurl.com/g9I2k9

Blessings,

Matt

FTC Legal Disclaimer - Some links in the description of the video may be affiliate links, meaning Wineskins will make commission on sales you make through product/book links. This is at no extra cost to you while allowing you to support the channel!

Clay Mason is a minister in Colorado. He lives among the poor and homeless, serving them and showing them the love of Jesus. Jesus said "Go" and he and his wife have gone on this mission. They don't take a paycheck from it. It is a labor of love...a wild adventure that is full of challenge and joy one day at a time.

The interview chronicles how they got into this grassroots ministry, happenings at the river, moving away from traditional church and ministry and how they see God working. The interview will bring you joy and make you cry. Be blessed by watching it and hearing all God is doing!

I am confident you will be blessed by this conversation and I hope you will consider two things:

1 - Is God calling you to something non-traditional in ministry

If you would like to donate to Clay's ministry you can do so through the Goldthwaite Church of Christ. Checks made payable to "The Way" and mailed to:

Dr. Richard Oster of Harding School of Theology gives some insightful history of head coverings in the Greco-Roman world and how that affected the situation in the churches in Corinth. Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians 11 and it has been a very misunderstood passage resulting in all sorts of applications that don't fit what Paul said at all. The problem has also been mislabeled as a problem with women in Corinth when the context is clearly that it is a problem with some of the men and some of the women. They were bringing in their religious practices of paganism (what they knew) into the Christian assembly in a way that undermined their message. This is what Paul was addressing and it has nothing to do with wearing a hat to church.

Jimmy Hinton is an expert in child sexual abuse. Several years ago he discovered his father had been molesting children in their church. His father was the preacher in that church. Jimmy did an amazing and courageous thing. He turned his father into the police and his father has been in prison every since. Jimmy did another remarkable thing - he took on the preaching role in the church where his father preached to bring healing to that congregation. It is an amazing story that will touch your heart. There is still more, though, Jimmy has made it his mission to protect children by understanding the mind of the predators so we can know what to look for and take precaution.

Much of what he shares in this interview will surprise you. Pedophiles often molest kids in plain sight...they test and quickly identify their victims. I know that sounds hard to believe but it is true. You need to hear Jimmy explain how this happens and how they get away with it. Pedophiles train and practice and refine their approaches to get away with this for years and, on average, molest over 100 kids.

Please be informed so we can do our best to protect our children from these sick and dangerous individuals who often occupy positions of great trust. We must be vigilant because the predators already are and they are going to keep trying to do what they do until they are stopped.

For more information check out Jimmy's book, "The Devil Inside" - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1950948617/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=kinglivi-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1950948617&linkId=ec1a6b44d37b72656b5792fe3fec26d7

Apollo Robbins Ted Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZGY0wPAnus

Jimmy's website - https://jimmyhinton.org/

Jimmy's email - [email protected]

Tod Vogt of Mission Alive joins the Wineskins podcast this week talking about why they, as a church planting organization are focused on equipping people to make disciples who make disciples. We talk about our hope for the future of our churches post-COVID and creative ways to engage and equip ourselves to impact the world looking ahead.

If you want to be encourage, informed, and equipped for the next leg of your Christian journey, stick around and watch a few more videos! If you like what you see...subscribe and follow along! Signup for all Wineskins articles, videos and podcasts in one email per week - http://eepurl.com/g9I2k9

Links/resources mentioned

Rick Krug joins the Wineskins podcast talking about a forthcoming book he has co-authored with Jessica Kapp titled, "Tombstones to Cornerstones: Why congregations are failing and what to do about it". The interview reframes what faithfulness is all about and how churches can finish well. This is needed perspective in a time when success can be measured with worldly metrics rather than biblical metrics. The book hasn't yet been published but when it is, we will make sure to let you know in the Wineskins Community Tab!

It is a question that can be difficult to tackle. Ministers can't touch it...they might get in hot water. Elders often are hesitant to tackle it. The church often just goes along with the leaders...but are our leaders biblical?

The Bible has far more to say about this than qualification checklists...just like marrying someone has qualifications like they be single, you know you are looking for a lot more than a single person. The Bible also gives us character traits and responsibilities of those in the role of elder in 1 Peter 5 and 1 Tim 5.