CCM Group that Got It Right

 

Building 429

Where I Belong

 

Sometimes it feels like I'm watching from the outside
Sometimes it feels like I'm breathing but am I alive
I won't keep searching for answers that aren't here to find

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

So when the walls come falling down on me
And when I'm lost in the current of a raging sea
I have this blessed assurance holding me.

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

When the earth shakes I wanna be found in You
When the lights fade I wanna be found in You

All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong
[x2]

Where I belong, where I belong
Where I belong, where I belong

 

+ + +

 

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

1 Corithians 2:2 ESV

 

But we preach Christ crucified

1 Corinthians 1:23

 

In my Father's house are many rooms.

John 14:2

 

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6

 

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; w

hoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

 

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

John 11:25-26

 

 “Behold, I am making all things new.” 

Revelation 21:5

 

And no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4

 

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.

I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”

And let the one who hears say, “Come.”

And let the one who is thirsty come;

let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Revelation 22:16-17

 

He who testifies to these things says,

“Surely I am coming soon.” Amen.

Come, Lord Jesus!

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Revelation 22:20-21

PART 2 FAC

PART 2



Remember the questions from part 1 and their answers? A quick reminder...


“Who governs the church?”

“Is there a board of elders and if so how do they function?”

“Do you believe the Bible to be the Holy Inerrant Word of God?”

“How many do you have in attendance at worship?”

“Did you or the Senior “pastor” attend Seminary?”

“Do you belong to a larger church body?”

“Does that body have a leader?”

“How does that leader work with FAC?”

Simple yet direct questions that any pastor should be able to answer quickly and with out feeling backed into a corner – questions any "pastor should expect and that should be on the tip of any seeker's tongue worth his salt – especially that tongue just tasted Chinese!

Yet, brother Josh seemed quite anxious at the questions raised and seemed to become just a tad defensive. Answers to the questions above and in order…

“Pastor Ball.”

“Yes, there is a board of trustees that see to the church.”

“Yes, we do believe the Bible to be Holy and without error.”

“We have about 300 members in this church and 300 on a Sunday and about 120 on a Wednesday night.”

“No. We each attended IU. He worked under his father and I worked under him. I did take a class through a seminary in West Virginia. I’ve preached in all of the States and 20 countries.”

“Yes, we do.”

“Yes, it does – Bishop Robert Martin.”

“He can say to us that we should do something and then we will pray about it and Pastor Ball will make a decision.”

+++ (Oops! That's Trinitarian - sorry)

And now here in part 2 you will see the orthodox translation of these answers as viewed through TRUTH...

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" (Yes - this blog is currently sponsered by 'The Great and Powerful Oz' coming to a theater near you)


"The board of trustees basically makes sure that the toilets flush when flushed.  However, they drop the Ball when they don't make sure all of the shit that is spewed on Sundays and Wednesdays goes down the drain."


"That is to say when the Holy Bible doesn't go against our own personal beliefs - and by personal beliefs we mean what ever pastor Ball says.  It never says the word 'Trinity' in the Bible you know!"


"When we say 300 members we are counting numbers of fingers in attendance or 30.  Hey that's not nice to just give us that one finger - we need to count them all!


"If you mean by "attend seminary" that pastor Ball and I studied Exegesis - Isogogics - Typology - Homoletics - Systematics - Apologetics - Christology - Sotariology - Greek - Hebrew - etc.  then no.  But if you meant that I let brother Ball turn me into a mini-me full of false teachings with no clear confession other than brother Ball's way or the highway then - YES!"


"Yes - some long bunch of letters and numbers and some jibberish that sounds like tongues with a .org on the end." Didn't even offer us a crayon from the Children's Chancel Drama area of the building!


"Bishop - sounds fancy doesn't it? Tends to give us a little more legitamacy among the mainline churches don't you think? But make no mistake about it - the only leader is Brother Ball."


"Truthfully?  That bird doesn't fly.  That national level thing is more of an ostritch - very flightless and buries its head in the sand when we don't listen - and we don't listen.  That is with the exception of brother Ball - he's alot like that ol' E.F. Hutton guy."


Well thank you brother Josh for clearing up some of those answers for us.  Should there be a PART 3?  You the reader will have to make...


"Pssst.  Hey ATF guy? One more translation for you FAC does not stand for Faith Apostolic Church.  Truly it stands for Forever Apostate Cult."

 

 

The Blind Leading the Blindaaa

 

 

PART 1

 

I met “pastor” Josh today of the Faith Apostolic Church on the northside of Carmel, Indiana and found out something I wish I had known eleven years ago – I needn’t have gone to the seminary - more on that in a minute.

 

Brother Josh – the associate “pastor” – was a very kind, yet nervous young man.  He showed my friend Marcus and me around the “church,” which consisted of two medium sized designated worship areas – one for the children and one for the adults.  Apparently the children worshiped the eight pound six ounce baby Jesus that Ricky Bobby did in Talladega Nights, while the adults entertained a different Jesus altogether.

 

The diminutive Brother Josh nervously showed us around and led us directly to the worship center – I truly believed that young brother thought we were going to peal away parts of our sweatshirts to reveal the bright yellow letters ATF and therefore, was dancing and looking for a way out all at the same time.

 

However, we were kind and cordial – I think it was our size that frightened him.  Or was it our simple yet direct questions…

 

“Who governs the church?”

“Is there a board of elders and if so how do they function?”

“Do you believe the Bible to be the Holy Inerrant Word of God?”

“How many do you have in attendance at worship?”

“Did you or the Senior “pastor” attend Seminary?”

“Do you belong to a larger church body?”

“Does that body have a leader?”

“How does that leader work with FAC?”

 

 

Simple yet direct questions that any pastor should be able to answer quickly and with out feeling backed into a corner – questions any "pastor should expect and that should be on the tip of any seeker's tongue worth his salt – especially that tongue just tasted Chinese!

 

Yet, brother Josh seemed quite anxious at the questions raised and seemed to become just a tad defensive.  Answers to the questions above and in order…

 

“Pastor Ball.”

“Yes, there is a board of trustees that see to the church.”

“Yes, we do believe the Bible to be Holy and without error.”

“We have about 300 members in this church and 300 on a Sunday and about 120 on a Wednesday night.”

“No.  We each attended IU. He worked under his father and I worked under him.  I did take a class through a seminary in West Virginia.  I’ve preached in all of the States and 20 countries.”

“Yes, we do.”

“Yes, it does – Bishop Robert Martin.”

“He can say to us that we should do something and then we will pray about it and Pastor Ball will make a decision.”
 

 

 

So we begin the conversation and end the conversation with Pastor Ball – who really is running things at FAC.  Pastor Ball is the end-all-to-be-all of this “church.”  But let’s not be hasty – let’s take a look at what Brother Ball teaches from his acrylic podium and we will do just that in PART Twoaaa.

 

And about the seminary thing – I could have saved myself tens of thousands of dollars and a lot of time and effort had I just found a preacher to listen to and then have him pronounce me licensed and ordained!!!  Holy crap!!! Where’s the Tylenol!!!