WINTER 2008
Our Pilgrimage to the Living Faith Christian Fellowship
By William & Christol Longden
“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, “One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.” Mar. 10:21
To the many that have read and pondered this passage, and its application to us, this past year, we stepped out in an effort to fulfill its mandate for our family. We moved here to Brookfield, Missouri from Placerville, Idaho (a town of 60) in September of 2007. Our journey to where we are today has been long and full of many trials and temptations.
I want to start with saying, our walk with God started about 5 years ago. After coming to know Christ we went to several different churches. Prior to knowing Christ we were true heathens following the way of the “new age”. After coming to know Christ we went to a Pentecostal church, a Baptist church, a Non-Denominational church, an Amish church in Rexford, Montana, and to a Mennonite church in Grandview, Idaho. We have had a yearning to find a church family and a simpler way of life for a long time. During our walk we have traveled to Rexford, Mt. They have a beautiful Amish community. We stayed a total of 2 weeks there over 2 separate visits. Their way of life was simple and what we were yearning for, for our family and raising our boys. We were not welcome there because I had had a divorce in my past, before coming to know Christ. I was very upset with the situation, and went back to Idaho with an attitude of never being able to find the right church. At that point, I had decided that “this is as good as it gets”.
Continuing to walk in a godly way amongst heathens, devil worshippers, and even so called Christians without a church family was what was in store for us. After we had visited the Amish church, my wife felt convicted of head covering. We discussed it and looked at the scriptures and realized that this was yet another step in the walk that we were wanting with the Lord. Because of the head covering and modest dress, even amongst our “Christian” friends, and others, we were looked at as the “weird ones,” the outcasts. Even with our family members, she was told that she was being rebellious and going against the grain as she had her whole life. My wife realized that this way of living was not as good as it could get. She searched and searched the internet, wrote letters and got onto plain women’s posting boards, all in the hopes of finding what we were yearning for. What God was calling us to.
She spent a good 2 1/2 to 3 years searching and praying about the people that she was getting in contact with, and sharing our struggles and new enlightenment as well. She met Sis. Kimberly Lewis through a posting board and she told her about the church and invited us to come to Missouri. After the invitation, I was still skeptical about finding what we were looking for, especially so far away, and nothing closer. Our original plan was to come out for a visit in April, 2007, but the Lord works in mysterious ways, and opened up a door for us in February, when work was very slow. We decided - what better time than the present? The drive was about 1500 miles on the snow and ice. It took us 2 full days, a blizzard, and lots of fog. The Lord had his hand upon us, because we made it all the way to Brookfield and the Living Faith Christian Fellowship.
We stayed with the Lewis’, for all but one night of the time that we were here. We intended on staying 2 weeks, but ended up staying about a month due to weather. The church family was very open to us and invited us into their homes and into their lives. God’s hand was in our extended stay as well, for it gave us more opportunity to get to know every one and have all of our questions answered. During our time here, we realized that this seemed to be exactly where God wanted us to be. The last weekend we were here, we were invited to join the church and did so. We know that this was not an invitation made lightly by the current members because they had just gone through a difficult time with some previous members.
As we left that cold, March morning, with a 2 day drive ahead of us back to Idaho, we had a lot of talking to do about preparations to move here. We had a home in Idaho, several vehicles, many friends, and I had a very good job. Once God showed us Brookfield, and the church and its members, we were constantly guided in the process it took to get us back here. We spent the next 5 1/2 months preparing for what we knew God was guiding us to do. We had family members that were angry with us, friends that thought we were crazy, and enemies that made life very difficult. The next 5 1/2 months seemed to drag and take forever, but as we look back, the time seems like it moved too quickly. We sold cars, winterized our property, finished undone projects on the house we were still building, and tried to de-clutter our lives. We worked extremely hard to gather the money that we needed for this long journey. All the while staying in touch with the church family.
There were many times that the tapes and encouragement that were sent our way were the only good things happening in our lives. We always looked forward to them. We continued to do our home church, which grew those last few months to include a special friend and her children and Christol’s mother. Finally the last week had arrived, and the Lewis’ were extremely gracious in allowing Bro. Zachary their teenage son to fly out and help us pack a 22 foot Penske moving truck, and a horse trailer full of goats behind a loaded pickup truck. Our journey was exciting and painful all at the same time. Leaving loved ones behind was difficult, as my wife had never been more than 60 miles from her parents and had never lived anywhere but Idaho. We knew it was the right thing to do for our growing boys and us. God was guiding us and that was all that really mattered.
We ran into rainstorms and hail storms and bad weather nearly all the way. The two-day journey gave us time to praise God and ask God to continually guide us in this leap of faith. Knowing that we had no job, no income, and only a small amount of money to live on. We had no idea what was in store for us. Once we arrived in Brookfield, Bro. Mark, since our last visit, had purchased some property with 2 trailers on it, and was kind enough to let us occupy one of them as we are getting on our feet.
After we had gotten settled in the trailer, within a week I realized that it was time to provide for my family. I drove through the town looking for a job. In September, it seemed no one was hiring. As discouragement settled in, I prayed about what to do. The Lord told me to open my eyes and look around. The only things I saw were old run down houses. He told me to look a little harder, and this is when I realized that with all of my past work experiences, I needed to start a handy man business. To this day, the Good Lord has provided us with work, and connections and word of mouth from other customers to keep us an almost steady flow of income. This is where we are today: constantly praying for guidance and direction, and ways to serve Him for His glory. Taking up our cross and following Him was the hardest, most painful, most exciting, and promising step in our journey down the narrow path. Each day we are still tempted and trials come into our path, as anyone knows, that is the way of life. We are striving to live for the Lord, and realize that, without Him, we would still be fumbling and lost in the world.
Our prayer for you is that you too will one day be able to step out in faith and pick up your cross. To give your life, your heart, and your family completely over to our Heavenly Father.
The Longden’s
COME HEAVEN-BOUND PILGRIMS
Come, heaven-bound pilgrims, and join in God’s praise,
Come seek now his blessing and learn of his ways,
In humble devotion bow low at his feet,
In true Spirit worship, his favor intreat.
Let each one consider the price we have cost,
Let each one be burdened with souls that are lost,
And seek that infilling of pow’r from above,
That fits us for service and fills us with love.
Remember each other in true, fervent pray’r,
Pray too for God’s servants that they may declare
The message of truth with an anxious desire,
That all be enkindled with heavenly fire.
O Gracious Redeemer, be with us we pray,
Breathe on us thy Spirit to show us the way,
And fill us with goodness, with peace and delight,
That all to thy glory may shine as a light.
SOME THOUGHTS FROM BRO. BRIAN RODGERS
After the trial of being confronted with modern Christianity’s “jargon”, and feeling the frustration of modern “Christians” pride and presumption, Bro. Brian’s musings found their way on paper. After he shared them with me, I decided you ought to read what he thought.
Malachi 3:6
I am the Lord, I change not.
Psalms 33:11
The Counsel of the Lord standeth forever.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
There are even more verses in God’s word that speak on the timeliness of the Scripture. “Too old fashioned” and “It was meant for THAT day and age, not ours” are phrases we hear in this current time in regards to what commandments we “need to obey”. God teaches us in Malachi 3:6 “I am the Lord, I change not.” If the Lord does not change, who then said we could change? Who did the changing? And when did God say in His word, that it was now “OK” to change? I can find NOWHERE in the New Testament, anything that gives an “expiration date” to ANY of Christ’s commandments. [Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”]
It is our desire to indulge our worldly lusts that causes us to turn away from the “uncomfortable / unpopular commandments” saying “it wasn’t meant for us”, and to be in rebellion to the WHOLE counsel of the Lord (Ps 33:11). Were all of God’s words good only for “them back then” and not for us today? When did we loose Biblical Headship (godly “chain of command”) in our families (Eph 5:23)? When did we give up our God given authority to “train up a (our) child in the way they should go” (Prov. 22:6)? When did we lose greeting our brother in Christ with a “holy kiss” (1 Cor. 16:20)? When did women stop wearing head-coverings (1 Cor. 11:5) and modest dress (1 Tim 2:9)? What about women usurping the religious authority of men (1 Tim. 2:12)? When did the sin of homosexuality become so common place that its spoken of so openly and carelessly and accepted in some churches with flagrant disregard to Romans 1:26-27. When and what caused “progressive society” to ignore, accept, and publicize the immorality and sin of pornography that is so blatantly “in our face” today?
We have become more accepting of sin, and have attempted to excuse and justify our sin by calling ourselves “reformed” or “enlightened” (reformed to and enlightened by Satan’s works), and it all started within the past couple of centuries. If something was sinful up to that point, when did God tell us it was no longer a sin? We excuse and justify our sin by “turning our eyes” from it, not rebuking it, and letting it continue to the point that it has become an every day, accepted, common place way of life, to where we have become immune to it and don’t see it or realize that it is a sin in God’s eyes. [Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when the had committed abomination? Nay, they were not ashamed, neither could they blush.]
People may know that something they are doing is wrong and sinful, that’s why they hide it. That’s why they hide their alcoholism. That’s why they hide their affairs. That’s why they hide their homosexuality. That’s why they hide their pornography. That’s why they hide stealing and murdering. Because they KNOW it is wrong. So why then , do we permit or allow certain sins to be an accepted part of our lives and STILL believe we are “ok”? [Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins… ]
Sin has become so commonplace, that we don’t even recognize it anymore. We have taken it upon ourselves to determine what is and is not sin… Have we become our own gods? HOW DARE WE to assume we are even equal to or greater than God, that we try to determine what is a sin and justify it! We have become Sodom and Gomorrah and deserve the same wrath they received.
The words of the Bible were understood and lived by a people who did not have the “modern educations” we have today. Therefore, who are we to try to change it and decipher it? God did not speak “in code”, so why do we try to “interpret” the scriptures? Can we know all the vastness and all nature of God? [Mat. 6:27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?] We only have HIS word preserved for us through the ages, as he promised. How arrogant we are, to believe that we can “interpret” or “improve” on HIS clear and understandable words? [2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.]
So, for us to say that “it was only meant for back then and not now” or “we are in modern times” is to tell God that we know more that He, and HIS word doesn’t count or matter now. That is pure BLASPHEMY!! When we make our own rules without regard for what God has commanded us, then we are in darkness.
People say, “there has been progress since then”. Yes, there has been…technologically and industrial. But where did the Bible say that a commandment is no longer a commandment? Or a sin is now longer a sin? Surprise! It doesn’t! [Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever.] When “everybody” is doing something, it simply feels natural to our carnal, worldly selves. We say “it must be OK to do it…” HAVE WE BECOME BLIND? Or are we simply in denial and “cannot blush” because we have become SO immune to it, because the sin feeds our worldly appetites? There are people calling themselves “Christians” while they show forth “ungodly fruit” [James 3:12 Can the fig tree bear olive berries? Either a vine figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.]
Our “Cafeteria Style” Christianity is nothing but a mockery of God! He never told us in his word “here is the list… pick and choose what you want to obey and believe”. God’s word stands true, intact, complete, inerrant, and in it’s entirety!
So, we either believe and obey ALL things whatsoever Christ commanded us (Mathew 28:20) or we teeter on the fence and are luke-warm (Rev 2:16), ready to be spewed out of the mouth of Jesus. We are either rebellious or repentant. We are either in light or in darkness, and Jesus will have nothing to do with us [Mathew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.]
This, I will tell you… We are not presuming to be superior to God. We are humbled and strive to be obedient to his supreme commandments. We are in awe of his greatness and choose to follow HIM. Are you obedient and submissive to the Lord God Almighty? Or, are you obedient to a god of worldly lusts and desires? Are you willing to take up your cross and follow him? (Mathew 16:24) Or are you rebellious and sinful? Look deep…What are you? Who or what do you believe? Do you believe the world or the entire counsel of the Lord? (Psalms 33:11)
Brian Rodgers
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