I got a letter this week from a government agency that was informing me of the restrictions that I have as a pastor in the political process.  I am not allowed to use the stage or my influence to sway peoples votes.  Interesting how scared the government is when it comes to christian influence.  I did vote today and I can say that I voted the only thing that matters to me and that is Godly values and morals.  I got in a debate with a “christian” who said it is stupid to vote for morals because it is not the governments job to uphold morals that we should vote for the economy, war, taxes, and all that jazz.  The first thought that came to my mind was you can not serve God and money.  The way I voted was morals first and then everything else secondary.  I think if we seek first the kingdom and HiS righteousness then He will add the secondary issues.  Well, because I cannot tell you who my vote went to, I thought I can tell you why I voted the way I did.  BLESS YOU ALL and get out there and vote!

Hey all,

I have a lot of good questions to answer.  This week I should kick back in gear.  Thanks for the grace as I have been focusing on my family and new baby.  I will be back on target so check back every couple days and I should have some new posts up.  Bless you all!!

Aaron

This is a question sent in by wondering on the “Ask Aaron Anything” link:

do you believe in the rapture? what denomination is your church?

My Answer:

I have to say that when it comes to eschatology or end time events… I am a wimp!  I think it is okay to talk about it and debate it but not a real issue to preach as doctrine. The study and the fascination with the end times I think can be a diversion from living for Jesus now.  

Matthew 13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 32 But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake ”for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning” 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake. 

Here is my approach to end times; Stay awake!  Jesus has given all of his servants a work and a position and He has called us not to sit around a figure out when He will come or how (I know He will return) but that we need to not fall asleep and get lazy.  I think people who spend all there time trying to figure out end time events can easily get lazy in the work Jesus has left for them and the position he has called them to.  

Here is some great thoughts from Mark Driscoll:

The rapture, like the age of the earth, is an issue that Christians should discuss and debate, but not divide over.  Curiously, the rapture is a doctrine that has existed for less than two hundred years in the church’s history. The word itself started at a peculiar and possibly cultic charismatic prayer meeting where a women prophesied that the church would be raptured. From that simple beginning, the doctrine has now become the leading eschatological position in American evangelicalism. For more on this issue, the book The Incredible Cover Up: Exploring the Origins of Rapture Theories by Dave MacPherson is a fascinating historical read. Since the doctrine was not even heard of by men such as Athanasius, Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Zwingli, and Wesley, we should not make this doctrine the litmus test of biblical faithfulness, otherwise we are saying there was no faithful eschatology for the first 1,800 years of the church.

This is a quote from His book, vintage Jesus:

One of the most astonishing things about Jesus is that as God He actually chose to come into our fallen, sick, twisted, unjust, evil, cruel, painful world and be with us to suffer like us and for us. Meanwhile, we spend most of our time trying to figure out how to avoid the pain and evil of this world while reading dumb books about the rapture just hoping to get out. 

what denomination is your church?

We are not affiliated with a denomination

Sorry guys,

Some of your great comments got deleted on accident.  SORRY!!  Make them again… LOL.  I am so sorry!  Hey I have some other questions I am working on so stay tuned.  I am having a baby this weekend and I will post some pics when she comes.  Bless you all!!

Comments deleted form following posts;

Why accountability partners?

Death by Love

Is it ok to smoke marijuana in moderation?

If you have the time please put your thoughts again. 

Aaron

This is an answer to the Ask Aaron Anything:

Question from Brett:

I feel the term descipleship is used so loosely when I hear it in certain places… the radio… TV, todays church….. A song or a one hour group meeting per week, or a radio show or television program discussing life issues hardly even scratches the surface of what discipleship really is. Christ was engaged daily in the lives of his disciples and spent day in and out with them. He raised them up and sent them out. My question to you is, do you feel that people are making themselves feel better by calling their more than lack luster activities discipleship? Do they know what it is? or are they making it easy and chewable just as they have done with the gospel? Furthermore what can we do as a house to show the world that discipleship works? we have so many testimonies to prove that it does.

My Answer:

Brett thanks for lobbing me a softball on my first question. I love discipleship and I cannot imagine going back to doing life with Christ or doing church any other way.  I think the key in this is what you wrote in your question and that is that discipleship can never be an activity, a program, a class, a group, or any other thing that churches do and call it discipleship.  It must stay at its purest state-a relationship, a life, a covenant.  When it all comes down to it Jesus came to this earth and paid the highest price ever to restore relationship and purpose to His people that He created.   Because of the finished work of Jesus, God placed that same Spirit that dwelt in Christ (the Holy Spirit) in His church and empowered them to fulfill the great commission to go and make disciples of all nations.  

To answer your questions:

Do they know what it is? You know what, I am convinced that people are doing what they have been taught to do.  One thing that really grates on me is how the church has become “Seeker Sensitive” where they are teaching people what they want to hear instead of truth.  I think we have too many salesmen and not enough preachers.  Salesmen who are trying to package Jesus and discipleship in a way that they believe that the consumer will buy it.  I am not against big crowds… I want them!!! Just don’t change the message to keep them.  When we started calling people to discipleship at lifeconnectionchurch.net all of my peers told me it was not going to work in America because it was too much commitment.  I think the American church needs to look at Jesus and church as a covenant relationship and not as a religion.

Furthermore what can we do as a house to show the world that discipleship works? We can just rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us to live it.  Let’s not just preach it, let’s live it.  I think the biggest thing is that we continue to preach it and not deceive ourselves in being hearers but not doers. We need to continue to preach it but we need to have everyone be involved in what Mark Driscoll calls the “ground war”, we need everyone to be on the front lines and fighting the good fight everyday.  Discipleship is lived out everyday not just done once a week.

Brett, I am glad you are so passionate about discipleship and the gospel, as well as I am, but one thing I have to remind myself of is I cannot just preach this thing I have to live it out.  Paul says in 1 Cor. 9:27 “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”  It is going to take discipline, control, and preaching and we will show the world it works.

Hey everyone Feel free to comment…

Ok… I am not KJV only guy like many people I know and the Non Inspired Version is a joke. So laugh about it.  I am not freaky and all that about reading from modern translations.  I just thought this was very interesting.  Check this stuff out and then as soon as you read the differences between the translations I will take a minute to rant.

KJV vs. NIV

Why did Jesus come to earth? 
KJV
Luke 9:56
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. 

NIV
Luke 9:56
and they went to another village

KJV
Matt. 18:11
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 

NIV
Matt. 18:11
(missing) 

Is repentance important? 
KJV
Matt. 9:13
…I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 

NIV
Matt. 9:13
…I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners

For whom did Jesus die? 
KIV
I Cor. 5:7
…Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 

NIV
I Cor. 5:7
…Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 

In Whom must you believe to be saved? 
KJV
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 

NIV
John 6:47
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 

Did Jesus give His disciples power to heal? 
KJV
Mark 3:15
…power to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. 

NIV
Mark 3:15
…authority to drive out demons. 

If it’s hard to do, should we just remove it? 
KJV
Mark 11:26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 

NIV
Mark 11:26
(missing) 

Who is in charge? 
KJV 
I Cor. 10:28
…for the earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof: 

NIV
I Cor. 10:28
(last part of verse missing) 

How must we deal with our enemies? 
KJV
Matt. 5:44
…Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. 

NIV
Matt. 5:44
…Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. 

Where did Jesus go? 
KJV
John 16:16
A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. 

NIV
John 16:16
In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me. 

Is the Trinity one?
KJV
1 John 5:7&8
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 

NIV
1 John 5:7&8
For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (Verse 7 is missing)

Does prayer and fasting aid in casting out demons?
KJV
Matthew 7:19-21
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

NIV
Matthew 7:19-21
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ’Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. (Verse 21 is missing)

MY RANT:

Ok now I am not against reading NIV or modern translations but you have to get to the place where you ask yourself… why?  Why would they take out such key things?  Why would they take out what Jesus came to do? Why would they take out repentance?  Why would they take out that we have to believe in Jesus? What would they take out some things that we are commanded and have authority to do?

It is important that we go back to a vintage gospel and not a modern gospel.  I am not blaming NIV but it seems to me that in modern times we have preached a gospel that removes Jesus, repentance, belief in Jesus as the only way to salvation, forgiveness, and the authority we have in Jesus.  I really desire to be modern in my presentation and old school in my doctrine.  I will not remove Jesus, repentance, faith in Jesus, forgiveness, and the authority we have in Christ.

I read some modern translations but I always cross it with NKJV and KJV and I use study helps to understand the scripture.  One translation that is has high recommendations is ESV.  Make sure that as you are choosing a bible translation that you do not make your only criteria how easy is it to read.  Go after one that puts value on words and make it so you have to study a little.  Don’t be lazy… study to show yourself approved. (2 Timothy 2:15) 

I know this is a long post but just think about it… What do you think? What translations do you recommend?  

Hi my name is Aaron Dailey I am one of the Elders of lifeconnectionchurch.net and I love to preach, prophesy, and rant. So I figure I would call my self a rantologian- which is a specialist in ranting. I figured I would use this page to kind of spout a little about some certain things that I want to get off my chest. The goal of this page is to glorify Jesus and find truth. I will also use this site to answer questions posed to me by people who want to know what I think. SIDE BAR: I may not be able to answer every question posed to me because I do try to have a life outside of blogging. If you click on the ask a question link on the top bar and fill out the form I will do my best to answer your question. Come and check out this site as much as possible and feel free to comment. I know it is surprising even to me but not everything I spew from my mouth is truth and truth is what is most important. If I miss the mark in anything I say try and extend grace to me but correct me I can take it, but I may still argue with you if I think you are off. If I am joking about something let me suggest something to you laugh about it or LOL if you will. I am really looking forward to stepping out into the blog world. Browse around my site and connect to our other blog sites lifeconnectionchurch.net/blog and ourrisingsound.com.