Chains

I’ve said before that I am in no way a bible scholar and don’t claim to be, but I do feel like God speaks to me and shows me things through his word. So here goes my blog:
My quiet times have been sporadic at best this summer. Today was my last first day as a college student and I began the day by trying to get my quiet times back into gear. I began with praying that God really show me something and speak to me, and to help me get back on track to keep growing closer to Him. Well what do you know, God answers prayers. I started reading Philippians, Chapter 1, and from the first verse on God spoke. I will skip to the part where I’ve decided to blog on, and you can read the rest for yourself. Verses 12-27 are about Paul’s chains advancing of the Gospel. He is being imprisoned in chains for preaching the Gospel and it has encouraged the brothers to speak God’s Word more courageously and fearlessly. Then you read verse 15-18 which I will post below:
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.[c] 18But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Paul says there are people preaching out of envy and rivalry, and do so for selfish ambition, not sincerely. He goes on to ask, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false or true, Christ is preached.” Then he rejoices over it.
Who cares what motives Curt had in start this church plant, although I can tell you that it was to reach college and young adults, in a way they could generationally connect to. Oasis is not changing the Word, but just presenting the Word in a non-traditional format. Nothing will be changed from the Word, nothing will anything be added, nor will anything we left out. We just want to reach a generation that we feel is not being reached well by traditional churches in Greenwood. We are teaching and have the same beliefs as all Southern Baptists’. Motives didn’t matter to Paul, he rejoiced over all preaching of Christ, over any Kingdom building. Oasis is preaching Christ! And Oasis is building the Kingdom!
Curt and others have received tons of criticism and persecution about this church plant and about their beliefs or doctrine and many other things. Yet no one has bothered to say anything to me or about me. Why is this I wonder? Anyway that’s for another blog maybe. I would love to be persecuted for Jesus. So bring it on. Yes I am asking that you attack me! This blog is meant to stir up some controversy or maybe to even solve it, which ever will work for me. All that goes to say that my beliefs are the same as Curt’s and everyone else involved in this church plant. Almost all, if not all of us have grown up in Southern Baptist Churches. We would love to be associated with the SCBC, but may not really have the opportunity to do so. We believe the same that is in the Baptist Faith and Message. I follow God as best I can in my own life and in this church planting process. Yes I make mistakes in both, NO ONE is perfect, not one! After God I follow Curt fully in the church plant, I believe in his vision for Oasis, and if I think he is doing something wrong I’m not afraid to tell him and vice versa. So all this stuff about Oasis being a cult, attacks on Curt’s beliefs and his family, attacks on others involved in Oasis is nonsense, because you’re only showing how well you follow God. That has been on my chest all summer and I’m finally able to get it out. So please feel free to leave me your anonymous comments about me or what I’ve said or even about me in general. Let me know how you feel about me and don’t let my “connections” keep you from doing so.