Sunday 10:30 a.m.
Sunday 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday 7:00 p.m.
(231) 893-7864
2741 Winston Rd
Rothbury, MI 49452
If You Want the Truth...
River of God: Quick Answers to Common Questions
Outline for Quick Reference
2. Accepting truth, and accepting that there is truth
A. Bible translations
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3. Charismatic Distinctives
A. Raising hands
B. Clapping and Tambourine
C. Dancing
D. Speaking in tongues
E. Singing in tongues
1) Purpose
F. Prophecy
G. During prayer
1) Laying on of hands
2) Falling under the power of the Presence of God
3) Healing
H. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
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4. Personal Distinctives
A. Use of computer
B. Discussion of history, politics and finances
C. Why so happy?
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5. Local Distinctives
A. Usual order and time of regular services
B. How often we meet
C. Length of services
D. Praise and worship
E. Why in a house?
F. Dress code
G. Talking during church
H. Beeping watches and cell phones
I. Communion
J. Fellowship meals
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6. Biblical Clarifications
A. Tithing
1) Difference between tithes and offerings
B. Discipline, rebuke, and authority
C. Spiritual warfare
D. God talks to you?
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God is calling you and every other person to Himself, but not every person is willing to come to Him in sincerity and truth. Many act willing, but are in truth unwilling to face the areas in their lives which need to be changed. Every person comes to God as a sinner (Romans 3:23). In that sense, you are no better and no worse than any other person who comes to Christ. We all need to be changed and transformed (Romans 12:2). Even if you have known about Christ for a long, long time, the transformation is not yet complete and you will still need to change and grow. Do not become like the Pharisees who felt they knew so much they had no need for a physician.
Christ accepts all who come to Him with an honest and believing faith, but all who truly come to Him must be willing to accept change. This is part of accepting the Lordship (or Rulership) of God in your life, which, along with faith in His Lordship, is the basic requirement for salvation (Romans 10:9).
2. Accepting truth, and accepting that there is truth
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We believe and act on the principle that there is knowable and provable truth. We believe that a basic requirement of salvation is believing the truth. We believe that the truths of God which are provable include the existence of God (Romans 1:16-20), the death and resurrection of Christ (Acts 1:3) and the truthfulness of Scripture. These truths are not simply assertable, but provable. The many fulfilled prophecies are one example of the many proofs available.
We believe that through the use of wisdom, which is built upon the solid foundational truths of Scripture, all disagreements about truth can be resolved. 2 Peter 1:20 says, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation.” Only because of not using proof and logical interpretation of Scripture have various denominations and interpretations of Scripture arisen.
This does not mean that disagreements will not arise. Far from it! Rather, when the church operates as it is required to do, in a biblical manner, these differences can always be resolved. The biblical prototype of how to resolve disagreements is found in the church’s resolution of the disagreement in Acts 15, where scripture and provable facts are used in an open, honest, and loving discussion to determine the truth amongst open-minded seekers of the truth.
This does not mean that we already have every answer, or even that we cannot be wrong in some area. What it does mean is that all errors are correctable, and that we will accept every further truth when it is presented to us. The reason people do not change when further truths are presented to them is that they prefer to protect their egos rather than admit they have been wrong. We believe that truth is too important to be sacrificed for ego.
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Another fog that sometimes attempts to enshroud the truth is the idea that our Bibles have not translated the original manuscripts correctly, and therefore there are many different versions of the Bible. This needs to be addressed at least briefly. Those translations of the Bible which claim to be literal are almost identical in their meaning, though often not in their precise choice of words or sentence order. The New American Standard, the King James, and the New King James versions claim to be, and largely are, literal word for word translations. They are certainly not perfect, but they are close. For those wishing to get closer to the original, we teach how to use tools, such as interlinears, that enable non-Greek or non-Hebrew speaking individuals to get as close as possible to the original manuscripts.
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We use the New American Standard Bible. As I have translated the Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew, I have found this version to be the most precise. Feel free to follow along in whatever version, however, that you desire. While following along in the same version may be easier, it is not a requirement.
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Our church is a biblical church first and foremost. We have many characteristics of the charismatic movement and most closely align with Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Many elements of the charismatic movement are biblical and are practiced here, though they have been abandoned by much of the traditional church. Since many of these traits will be in evidence at the River, I will give a brief explanation and references for some of the things that will take place. Do not feel required to worship exactly as we do if you do not understand what is happening. As long as you are seeking to learn, feel free to wait until you understand more completely before entering in to some of the forms of worship with which you are unfamiliar.
Praise and worship at the River may be a little different from what you have seen elsewhere. However, if you have seen a few TV worship programs, then you probably have observed at least a few charismatic services. Some of the things you may see at the River of God both during worship, as well as during the prayer time that often takes place afterward, include raising of hands in worship to God, clapping, dancing, tambourines, speaking in tongues and singing in tongues, laying on of hands, people falling when the power of God comes upon them, and healing.
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Regarding raising of hands, Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:8, “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.” Psalm 63:4 says, “So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name.” Raising hands is symbolic of lifting your heart and life up unto God, surrendering them unto our Lord and Savior. Often it may be accompanied by kneeling or bowing before the Lord in an attitude of surrender and worship.
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Clapping and tambourines are familiar to some but not all churches. Psalm 47:1 says, “O Clap your hands, all peoples; Shout to God with the voice of joy.” Both clapping and a joyful shout are expressions of the exuberance and joy we should have in Christ. While many churches do not experience this joy, it is there for those who seek God with a true heart.
C. Dancing
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Dancing, is not as common as clapping, especially as long as we have limited space at the River, but is commanded in Scripture. Again, the purpose is an expression of the exuberance of the joy one has in God and our gratefulness for the relationship we have with Him. Psalm 150:4 says, “Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.”
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Probably the most controversial issue about charismatic events has been speaking and singing in tongues. Speaking in tongues is not a requirement for salvation. But every believer who is truly saved will desire everything God has and wants for him. The entire Corinthian church spoke in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:26). Although they had to be instructed in a more orderly use of this blessing, all had it. Some tongues are praises unto God, and you will typically hear some of these during a regular service. Some are messages from God to the people, and these should not be given unless there is someone present who can interpret them (1 Corinthians 14:28). (As a quick aside, the first time I publicly gave a message in tongues, I already knew the interpretation, but was instructed not to give it. When the interpretation came forth, it was not the precise words, but it was the precise message that had been given to me!)
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Singing in tongues is similar to speaking or praying in tongues, but done in song. We are commanded to sing both in tongues and in an understandable language (1 Corinthians 14:15-17) so that others will also be edified.
1) Purpose
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The purpose of praying or praising in tongues is to build up the spiritual life of the believer (1 Corinthians 14:4), to praise God more perfectly in ways beyond our current understanding (1 Corinthians 14:2), and to pray concerning things which our mind does not yet currently comprehend but our spirits do (same verse).
F. Prophecy
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Prophecy is similar to tongues except that prophecy is in an understandable language. Prophecy is usually a message directed from God through us unto others.
G. Prayer
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We often have times of prayer which will usually, though not always, take place after praise and worship. During this time you will probably see laying on of hands, people falling under the power of God, and healings.
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In the days of the Bible, laying hands on people was the common way of praying for people, though not the only way. Since we believe we are still in Bible days, since the God of the Bible does not change (Hebrews 13:8), we believe this is still the common form of praying for others. Acts 8:17-19 is one example showing that the normal manner in which believers received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their lives was by the laying on of hands (which prompted Simon the magician to covet the same power for his own personal gain): “Then [Peter and John] began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’”
2) Falling under the power of the Presence of God
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When the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon people, He often comes in a tangible, powerful way which causes people to lose their focus upon this earth and focus totally on God. Often in this context, the person loses the ability to retain their balance and may fall. Sometimes the power of God will be upon people so heavily that they will not be able to get up afterward, though this is less frequent. Examples biblically of this can be found in Ezekiel 1:28-2:2, Ezekiel 3:23, Ezekiel 44:4, Daniel 10:7-9, Daniel 10:15-18 and Revelation 1:17-18.
3) Healing
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Often when the power of God comes upon people, they will be healed. Ultimately, healing is God’s perfect plan for every believer. James 5:14-16 says, “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Those who do not receive their answers now need to wait with faith and patience since we “through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12).”
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Few of the things described in this section occur on a normal basis in churches which do not believe in the Baptism (or outpouring) of the Holy Spirit. In the early church, a new believer first confessed Jesus as Lord, then hands were laid upon him for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the scripture recently referred to, Peter and John always laid on hands for the impartation of the Holy Spirit. In the context just preceding this Scripture about the Holy Spirit being received with the laying on of hands, the Scripture says, “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).” The fact that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was different from initially receiving Christ is indicated by the fact that they had already been baptized in the name of Jesus and had believed in Jesus; yet they still needed more!
This does not mean a person who has only been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ has none of the Holy Spirit. Rather, the person who has received Christ has received the Holy Spirit in the sense that the apostles received it after Jesus was resurrected (John 20:22) but were still told to wait in Jerusalem for the full outpouring of the Spirit (Acts 1:8) with the confirming signs of Acts 2 and the rest of Acts, meaning signs, wonders, healings, prophesying, and tongues as the result.
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This section will discuss a couple of the differences you may find between the way I, as the pastor, do things and the mannerisms of many other pastors.
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I will often use my laptop when preaching or leading a Bible Study. This helps if I feel God would like me to go in a different direction than I had previously prepared. I can quickly find other scriptures which I may need. It is an efficient tool to increase the effectiveness of our time spent together. We use whatever tools will effectively work to bring about spiritual depth and change within our lives.
B. Discussion of history, politics and finances
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A question some people have asked is: why do I touch upon subjects such as history, political theory and finances? The reason is simply that the Bible is a manual for all of life and all of society. It contains instructions on how to live, not just how to go to heaven; but how to live while here on this earth, and how to make this earth at least a little closer to heaven while we are alive.
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One of the questions many people have wondered about is why I am so happy. First of all, my happiness is not always an overflowing bubbly thing, but there is always a deep-seated joy within me. In the last few years, there have only been a couple times when I was temporarily (less than a day) down. Both times had to do with great spiritual loss in the lives of close friends. Overall, I carry both a deep sense of the sadness for the areas in which I and others still lack, but it’s coupled with a sense of joy and exuberance because of the hope of what I know God has already, and will to an even greater degree, accomplish. Philippians 4:4 says in light of this hope, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.”
A. Usual order and time of services
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We have services on Sundays at 10:30 AM and 6:00 PM, as well as another class time on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM. At the time of this writing, Sunday morning is usually teaching and Sunday evening is often a time of praise and worship. Wednesdays are usually a time of teaching and/or discussion. To both the Sunday and Wednesday meetings, bring a Bible if you have one, but if you forget or do not have one yet, we have a few extras. For those who desire, there may be prayer after praise and worship or at the end of the service. This is the usual order of service, but it is totally flexible and open to change. There are times when we do everything in a different order. Just relax and “go with the flow.”
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Some people have wondered why we meet so often. We have services on Sunday and Wednesday, plus once a week when it is more pleasant we often do some form of exercise, such as ultimate frisbee, or some form of water game when it’s warmer. Our goal is that eventually there will always be something going on for those who desire to participate. We enjoy fellowship with God and with our fellow believers. Schedules may interfere, but we desire to enjoy fellowship as often as possible.
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The length of our services also reflects our desire for fellowship with God and each other. We do not usually have 15 minutes for a quick sermon, preceded by 15 minutes of singing, and then head for home. We want to learn; we want to praise; we want to get something out of our time with God; and devote ourselves to sincere worship of Him. Biblically, at least one-seventh of our time belongs to God (Exodus 20:8-10). Before service starts on Sunday morning we have a prayer time beginning at 9:45 AM for those who desire to attend. The morning service usually runs from 10:30 AM to around 12:30. The evening service begins at 6:00 PM and usually runs until around 7:30. The Wednesday class time, 7:00 PM to 8:30 is the only service in which we try to end precisely on time. The other services may go longer or shorter depending on what God has for us on those days.
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During praise and worship, we use a projector. This way we can worship God freely without having to worry about holding a book in our hands, and also we can have a greater freedom in the variety of music we use. Currently, we often use digital instrumentation.
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We currently meet in a house because our house is adequately sized for our fellowship. The early believers originally all met in houses (see Romans 16:5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, and Philemon 1:2). When we become larger, we will probably have to move to a building which can hold more people, but until then, our house works well.
F. Dress code
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The dress code is simply: please dress respectfully, modestly and decently. We ask that you not wear shorts, halter tops or muscle shirts. (Shorts may be allowed on very hot mid-week services, with specific permission on those days from the church leadership.)
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The atmosphere at the River is friendly. Informal conversation is encouraged before and after the service; but even during the service, formal discussion is allowed. If you have questions, we do allow them to be asked during a service. Otherwise, sometimes people will get stuck on one question they are pondering and miss the rest of the message as a result. Feel free to ask, but we request that you do so in an orderly fashion. We ask that you raise your hand if you have a question and wait to be called upon. We also ask that you not feel offended when the way the message is going does not make it a good idea to answer your question, whether just for a few moments or until after the message is over. Often you will need to wait until an appropriate moment, but occasionally until the end of the service. Saying, “Amen!” is also allowable and is a biblical way of voicing your heartfelt agreement with what is being said (1 Corinthians 14:16).
H. Beeping watches and cell phones
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We also ask out of courtesy to others that you turn off all cell phones, non-emergency pagers, and beeping watches before entering.
I. Communion
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Since Communion is a sign of our covenantal commitment to God, and partaking of Communion without being committed to God will bring a curse upon you (1 Corinthians 11:26-30), we ask that you not partake of Communion until you are a member of the church or a member of another Bible-believing church and have spoken with me prior to the service.
We usually have Communion once a month, on the second Sunday morning, unless otherwise announced. We usually only postpone Communion if the second Sunday is on a holiday, in which case we have occasionally rescheduled Communion to the next week.
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On the Sundays during which we have Communion, the second Sunday of each month, we usually have a fellowship meal, potluck style, after the morning service for those who desire to attend.
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A few clarifications are necessary from the Bible. These are actually basic basics, but given the general lukewarm attitude of much of the church, even these areas need at least a brief explanation.
A. Tithing
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First, for those who are not members of the River of God, we do not expect them to tithe here. For those who have come to share the goals of the River, we expect they will desire to share and contribute into its goals with their time and finances.
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1) Difference between tithes and offerings
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Tithing is defined as giving 1/10 of all your income. Scripturally, this is non-negotiable (Leviticus 27:32-33). Offerings are everything above and beyond that. Both tithes and offerings are required biblically of all true believers (Malachi 3:8-11, Matthew 23:23). The amount of an offering is up to the individual believers. Unlike tithes, the amount of the offerings, like the gift from other New Testament churches to the church in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), is voluntary.
B. Discipline, correction and authority
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A Pastor is called by God to lead His people (Hebrews 13:17). Using the Word of God as the guide, he is to instruct and also correct (2 Timothy 4:2). This is totally counter-cultural in today’s atmosphere where you are never supposed to do anything which might hurt anyone’s feelings. But we would rather see a person’s feelings, than their soul, hurt. We would rather go contrary to the current culture than see a person go to an eternal destiny in hell. (And yes, we do believe in a hell. Jesus referred to it very clearly in Matthew 25:40-41. And we believe heaven is definitely the preferable alternative.)
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We also believe that there is a very real devil and that we are in a very real war. Many Christians sing “Onward Christian Soldiers,” but they do not know where the war is, who they are fighting, or how to fight. They are wandering about as easy prey for the enemy. We are commanded to cast out demons (Mark 16:17), to “fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12),” and to wrestle “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12 KJV).”
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I considered placing this topic in the section under charismatic distinctives since when the Pentecostal movement began over 100 years ago there would not have been a single Pentecostal/Charismatic who would have disagreed with the statement that God still talks to people today just like He did during “Bible days.” Unfortunately, however, much of the fire has died out within many charismatic circles, so that some elements even of the charismatic movement doubt this basic principle. I will state here unambiguously that a pastor who believes that God does not speak to us today should not be preaching. I believe my most important purpose in life is bringing people like you closer to God. A pastor who has no one-on-one relationship with God also cannot then introduce anyone else to the wonderful intimacy of that relationship.
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