Church attendance (1): The subject’s bull’s-eye

Bullseye

I love a mystery, don’t you? In this blog post, we will examine a verse that is commonly quoted by churchgoers regarding church attendance but seldom understood. It’s a mystery solved at the end of an arrow’s head as it searches for the subject’s bull’s-eye. It is time to call in the archer.

Archery is a very old sport that reportedly started in ancient Babylon. The bow and arrow were originally used for hunting and later became adapted to warfare. As time went on the skill of the bow spread to every civilization and became a major source of defence. During the 1500s in England, golf was banned as it took man’s time away from developing his archery skills. King Henry VIII even ordered men to practice such skills every Sunday after church.

As time marched forward, archery went from hunting to warfare and finally to sports competitions using a circular target. At the centre of the target, made up of concentric circles, is the gold section more commonly called the bull’s-eye.

The term “hit the bull’s-eye” actually meant to hit the golden centre of the target. Perhaps the most interesting and gross part of this traditional bull’s-eye, is that it comes from folklore which may in fact be historically accurate that early sports participants actually used to target the eyes of bulls. They would literally aim for the eye socket in a bull’s skull. The one who hit the most eyeballs won the competition. A rather grizzly thought isn’t it.

Continue reading “Church attendance (1): The subject’s bull’s-eye”

The dead church member (part 3)

mortify your members

This blog post marks the 3rd of a 3-part miniseries regarding 3 commands for the dead church member. The first command we looked at is to “seek those things”. The second command we examined is to “set your affections”. The final command we will outline in this post is to “mortify your members”. It is also from the Bible text Colossians 3:1-4 with some added verses as follows …

v. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
v. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
v. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
v. 5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
v.6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
v.7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

According to v. 3, born-again Christians are “dead”. This is because, in the mind of God the Father, He has positioned us in His mind as being forever associated with His Son Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, in God’s mind so have we! Therefore, in one sense we are dead church members! We have died to our old way of life that was under the judgment of our holy God.

Because this is true, God wants us to do 3 things as “dead” church members. The third is in this post and it is …

Continue reading “The dead church member (part 3)”

The dead church member (part 2)

set your affections

This blog post marks the 2nd of a 3-part miniseries regarding 3 commands for the dead church member. The first command we looked at is to “seek those things”. The second command we will be examining in this post (“set your affections”) is also from the Bible text Colossians 3:1-4 as follows …

v. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
v. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
v. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

According to v. 3, born-again Christians are “dead”. This is because, in the mind of God the Father, He has positioned us in His mind as being forever associated with His Son Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, in God’s mind so have we! Therefore, in one sense we are dead church members! We have died to our old way of life that was under the judgment of our holy God.

Because this is true, God wants us to do 3 things as “dead” church members. The second is in this post and it is …

Continue reading “The dead church member (part 2)”

The dead church member (part 1)

Seek those things

This blog post marks the 1st of a 3-part miniseries regarding 3 commands for the dead church member. The first command is to “seek those things”. It is from the Bible text Colossians 3:1-4 as follows …

v. 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
v. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
v. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

According to v. 3, born-again Christians are “dead”. This is because, in the mind of God the Father, He has positioned us in His mind as being forever associated with His Son Jesus. Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, in God’s mind so have we! Therefore, in one sense we are dead church members! We have died to our old way of life that was under the judgment of our holy God.

Because this is true, God wants us to do 3 things as “dead” church members. The first is in this post and it is …

Continue reading “The dead church member (part 1)”