Help us repair the house of the Lord in central Indiana
By Pastor James Brown Jr.
“But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD. And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD. And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD, And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.”
–2 Kings 12:9-12
The wicked influence of the house of
Ahab brought apostasy upon the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Due to the idolatry and immorality of the age,
the house of the Lord was neglected and fell into disarray.
Under the leadership of Jehoiada the
Priest and King Joash (Jehoash) there was revival and reformation in the
Kingdom of Judah. This revival first
began under the leadership of Jehoiada the Priest after Jehu destroyed the
family of Ahab and the worshippers of Baal in Israel (northern kingdom), which
affected both the northern and southern kingdoms.
Although Jehu did not “walk in the
law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart” (2 Kings 10:31), and
therefore stymied reformation in the northern kingdom of Israel, the partial
revival encouraged a movement against the house of Ahab and pagan worship that
produced revival and reformation in the southern kingdom.
Ahab’s daughter, Athaliah, was the
wife of Jehoram who was the king of Judah. (Be careful not to confuse this Jehoram with the Jehoram or Joram of
Israel who was the son of Ahab.) The
power and influence of Ahab was not only upon the northern kingdom of Israel
but has infected the southern kingdom of Judah as well.
When Jehu carried out his conspiracy
against Ahab’s son, king Joram (Jehoram) of Israel, 2 Kings 9 records Joram’s
brother-in-law, king Jehoram (Joram) who was the king of Judah, was also slain
in Jehu’s assassination conspiracy against the house of Ahab.
Jehu continued his revolt against the
house of Ahab and in 2 Kings 10:11 informs us that “Jehu slew all that remained
of the house of Ahab.” In chapter 11, we
read that that Ahaziah, the son of Jehoram, who was king after the death of his
father was also killed.
Truly, this is what is meant in
Proverbs 28:28, which says, “When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but
when they perish, the righteous increase.”
Transgressions of God’s law increase
when the wicked are multiplied (Proverbs 29:16) but we are also promised that
“God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness” (Proverbs 21:12).
“The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.”
–Proverbs 12:7
Such was the case in the revival and
reformation under Jehoiada and Joash. When the wicked perish, i.e., are removed from authority, the righteous
increase (Proverbs 28:28).
In desperation, Athaliah, who was
Jehoram’s wife and Ahaziah’s mother, killed the remaining royal seed in Judah
in order to secure the throne for herself. However, Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram of Israel, who was the
step-sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, Ahaziah’s son and Athaliah’s grand-son, and
hid him so that he would not be killed in Athaliah’s counter conspiracy.
As the wicked rulers of the house of
Ahab were being removed and losing power in the anti-establishment movement,
Jehoiada, a priest in Judah and the husband of Jehosheba, took advantage of the
fervor to call the people of Judah to renew the Covenant between the Lord, the
king and the people (2 Kings 11:17). This covenant renewal was familial, ecclesiastical and civil.
Unlike Jehu, Jehoiada, was not
satisfied with just removing the corrupt house of Ahab from power. He understood that true reformation was not
just political but covenant renewal to God in the Church, family and civil
government.
On the ecclesiastical side of this
renewal, godly leadership was restored in Jehoiada who immediately worked to
renew the Covenant and repair the house of the Lord.
Too many times we have an all or
nothing approach in one area or another. This is demonstrated in the endless parachurch organizations, political
action committees, think-tanks, and single-issue Christians.
True reformation is going to be centered
in the three ordained institutions from God—family, church and civil government. Reformation that does not affect all three is
no reformation at all. Still yet,
reformation proceeds from the Church effecting reformation in the other two
institutions. Just as judgment begins at
the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), so too does reformation.
The Church is the most important
element of reformation. Even though
reformation will be evident in all three God ordained institutions, it proceeds
from the Church, which is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).
This is contrary to the modern
American mind because we have been hoodwinked into believing the lie of radical
democracy. The United States was founded
as a republic not a democracy. However,
most Americans have been socially engineered to believe that republicanism is
democracy.
This creates an impossible situation
in the Church. As long as churches are
governed through a system of the lowest common denominator, we can never
experience reformation. Democracy is a
capitulated down-grade. Democracy is not
built upon law, authority or principle but upon consensus.
Democracy is unity in mediocracy. At best, it can only reduce unorthodoxy to
its lowest level and raise orthodoxy to the highest level of acceptance by the
unorthodox.
The idealist sees democracy through
the lens of human potential in an Arminian philosophy. The problem is man’s depravity renders man
incapable of ever being able to come close to democracy’s promises.
The point being is that Reformation
is not cultivated in a vacuum. No
righteous cause can be successful without a theological foundation to affect
the family and civil society.
I have known people who have
sacrificed their lives, fortunes and sacred honor for a righteous cause in a
godless fashion. While they claimed to
be Christian, their human efforts are no friendlier to reformation than Planned
Parenthood is to human flourishing.
Like Jehu, they desire to destroy the
corruption of ungodly rulers and may even desire the abolition of certain
elements of pagan worship, yet, they do not want to destroy the golden calves
of Bethal and Dan. They want a
conservative revival in certain areas but partial resurgence never leads to
reformation.
They continue to enable unfaithful ministers
and churches by their financial corroboration, strategic compliance and
theological cooperation. This down-grade
of true Christianity effectively creates godless movements.
The various conservative movements, and
yes, even those claiming to be Christian are mostly godless. The reason is because most have abandoned the
true source of our hope, which is Christ and His Church.
The reformation of our society can
only come through the true Church of Jesus Christ. Yet, you will find the most conservative
politicians, the most fervent activist or the faithful financial supporters of
righteous causes attending liberal churches or no church at all. The reason is because they see the Church as
supplemental at best or irrelevant at worst. The result is attempts at revival and/or reformation that are
unconnected from the source.
Instead of tithing to the Church to
govern the work of revival and reformation, they give to countless para-church
organizations. While they do not desire
the prevailing wickedness in our society, they do not want to give up their
autonomy and be accountable to the authority of the Church.
For over 40 years, Christians have tirelessly
worked and contributed millions of dollars to end abortion but to no avail. For over 50 years, there have been endless
campaigns, boycotts and millions of dollars spent to end pornography without
success. For over 70 years, there has
been a concentrated effort to eliminate or at least slow down the communist threat
but we have only seen the increase of this evil. The same holds true for other issues like the
Second Amendment, civil liberties, homosexual rights, Islam and the list is
endless.
Yet, in spite of the devotion, effort
and billions of dollars, we now have the worst anti-gun, pro-abortion,
pro-sodomite, pro-communist, pro-Islam, tyrannical President in our history and
a Republican opposition that capitulates to the Leftists every demand.
How can this be? In Deuteronomy 8:19, God warned Old Testament
Israel, “And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk
after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this
day that ye shall surely perish.” Joshua
warned these same people according to the Word of the Lord in Joshua 24:20, “If
ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt,
and consume you, after that he hath done you good.”
Like the children of Israel, Americans
believe destruction could never happen to us for we are the apple of God’s eye. Yet, we have committed the same mistakes as
the Old Covenant Israelites and we are now suffering the consequences.
The children of Israel were told in Joshua
23:13, “Know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any
of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you,
and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off
this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.”
Because we have not driven out the
false gods that are identified by their false doctrines and false commandments,
these gods fashioned by the hands of men have become traps to ensnare us in strong
delusions. Up to the time of their
captivity and destruction, the children of Israel believed they were the
servants of Jehovah. They were
practicing pagans but they did it in the name of Jehovah.
Today, we call ourselves Christians
while we are worshipping new gods that our fathers did not know. We believe new doctrines our fathers did not
confess. We practice new sacraments our
fathers never imagined. We still call it
Christianity but it is not the faith of our fathers. We have fashioned a new god of our own
imaginations created by the inventions of our own doctrines and commandments.
Even in the midst of our problems that
are even largely recognized by modern evangelicalism, the best the American
Church can muster is emergent doctrines and commandments. In other words, it is to continue the very
same practices that led us into this mess. However, the remedy to our modern plight is not emerging humanistic
ideals but a return to the faith once delivered to the saints.
The true worship of the God of heaven
and earth is essential to any genuine reformation. Therefore, with the renewal of covenantal
ecclesiastical leadership, Jehoiada repaired the house of the Lord. God’s house is the foremost landmark that is
to be preserved in any society.
Why is our heritage being
destroyed? Why is the name of our
forefathers being stricken from our memory?
Why are our landmarks being removed? It is because we have forsaken the most important landmark in our
society.
The liberals are destroying our
cultural and political heritage because we destroyed our ecclesiastical
heritage. We have forsaken what was old
for something new.
Notice in the revival and reformation
under Jehoiada that he did not tear down and rebuild but repaired, in order to
preserve, that which had already been built. He did not respond to societal corruption by seeking new worship or new
doctrines. He did not establish an
emergent movement or even a conservative movement to preserve the remaining
elements, but he repaired the elements that were in disarray.
“Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.” –Proverbs 22:28
Such is the work that we are engaged
here in central Indiana. Our task is to
be a “repairer of the breach” by repairing the foundations that lie in waste
(Isaiah 58:12).
For this reason, Reformed Church of
the Holy Trinity is dedicated to repairing the house of the Lord according to
the old paths revealed in God’s Word. We
believe this old way was faithfully affirmed in the early Church creeds and
councils and following the Roman apostasy reestablished in the
Reformation. This old path is identified
in the terms Augustinian, Reformed, and Calvinism to name a few.
This belief system that produced the
Christian culture of Western Civilization brought about the formation of these
United States. God truly blessed the
faithfulness of our forefathers as they returned to the Biblical Sola’s of Sola
Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solos Christos, and Soli Deo Gloria.
Without this theological foundation
and the application of these eternal truths as affirm in Reformed Theology,
there is no basis from which regeneration, revival and reformation can work.
We proclaim a God who is sovereign
but this sovereign God has ordained means by which His work proceeds. The means that produce faith, repentance, and
sanctification are only to be found in His Church. The Westminster Larger Catechism, in Question
154, identifies the ordinary means of grace as “the Word, sacraments, and
prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for their salvation.” Without the effectual work of grace in
individual lives there is nothing to be renewed or sanctified, and therefore,
no hope of revival and reformation.
The Reformed faith and practice in
America was consensually rejected in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The fruit of our turning away from God was
harvested in the 1960’s social revolution and our decline has been spiraling
out of control ever since.
Unless we return to the God of our
fathers we shall never see America reclaimed for Christ. Unbiblical religion or movements built apart
from the pillar and ground of the truth will not affect change. It is ineffectual because it is not built on
the authority of the Lord theologically or practically.
Therefore, our message is the same as
Azariah when the Spirit of God came upon him to warn his nation of
judgment. He proclaimed, “The LORD is
with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you;
but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15:2).
We have come to a new day in history
where there must be a renewed effort to call sinners to repentance and saints
to covenant renewal. In the midst of the
Golden Calf apostasy, Moses declared to the children of Israel, “Who is on the
Lord's side? Come to me” (Exodus 32:26). We too must lift up our voice like a trumpet (Isaiah 58:1) and call this
generation back to God.
Will you not join with us to repair
the house of the Lord? Jesus promised that
His Church would prevail over the strong defenses of hell. Reformation cannot be attained if we continue
to retreat to Counterfeit Cathedrals that
are built upon the sinking sand of devilish doctrines and pagan practices.
The Lord has provided the saints of
God, both locally and abroad, an opportunity to restore God’s house in central
Indiana. In 1900, the Episcopal
Methodists built a country chapel as a sanctuary for the public worship of God
and as an embassy to send forth ambassadors of the gospel.
The Calvinistic Methodists have all
but vanished because of the progression toward liberalism, church growth and
the emergent influences of this modern apostasy. Due to the theological down-grade and their
cultural applications, New Harmony Methodist Church was reduced to three
elderly trustees attempting to keep the property as a lighthouse for the
kingdom of Christ.
Around July of 2013, we planted
Reformed Church of the Holy Trinity and began holding services in our
house. After about 6 months we had grown
to the point where we had no more room for parking and it was getting cramped
for worship.
Although we were praying and looking
for a facility to hold services, we were determined to wait upon the Lord to
supply our need. Around September of
2014, we came into contact with a trustee from New Harmony Methodist Church.
Their desire was for another church
to be able to come in and use the facility so that it would continue as a
church that would contend for the historic faith. On October 12, 2014, the facility that for
114 years had housed New Harmony Methodist Church became the home of Reformed
Church of the Holy Trinity.
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| Roof needs immediate repairs |
With the decline of the 20th
Century mainstream denominations, we have the opportunity to rise up out of its
ashes to resurrect Biblical, Reformed and historic Christianity. While we can point fingers at 20th
Century evangelicalism for seeking alterations instead of contending for the
faith once delivered unto the saints, God has been gracious to give us a
wonderful opportunity here in central Indiana to advance Christ’s Church. We can either criticize or do something about
it. We have chosen to repent and renew
the covenant.
However, opportunity is never without
duty and responsibility. Because of the
conservative Methodist decline, the sanctuary had declined along with the
membership. It is a solid facility that
was built when even in poorer rural areas things were built to last.
The problem is that the deterioration
is in areas that must immediately be addressed or it will quickly affect the
skeletal structure. The roof supports
need strengthened and the shingles replaced, two crumbling chimney’s that need
removed because of the weight they are placing upon the floor and several other
maintenance issues.
Although we have a core of 35 people
committed to this task, we simply have not reached the place where we are able
to do this by ourselves. We are only 2
years into our existence as a local body of Reformed believers. Without additional help from our brethren, we
are unable to make the improvements that need to be done in a quick time frame.
We are self-sustaining in the sense
that we are able to supply our daily needs and plan toward long-term projects
but we are incapable of generating the cash flow necessary for immediate
repairs of this degree.
The congregation is joyfully
sacrificing present comforts in order to focus on foundation issues of body and
soul. While this property has great
opportunities, it has never had air conditioning, did not have a restroom until
2002 and is terribly outdated. However,
our focus is to repair that which is broken down in order to restore what was
so we can build toward the future.
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| Decaying Chimney |
We are asking our brethren to
prayerfully consider financially helping us restore this building so it may
continue to be set apart as God’s house. If our brethren could help us save this physical landmark and establish
another 100 years of a faithful gospel witness here in central Indiana, we can
then begin our longer range plans to beautify this house for the advancement of
the gospel.
As David asked his brethren, “Is
there not a cause,” we too are simply asking you to consider the worthiness of
this cause. We have been called to the
kingdom of such a time as this to gather the elect of central Indiana into a
faithful assembly of Christ to preach the gospel to every creature, baptize and
assemble believers into His Church and disciple them into obedience to the Word
of God.
Although there are many causes here
in America and around the world, none is greater than the establishment of
faithful churches. If we are to contend
for the faith and proclaim the gospel in our society and throughout the world,
it must proceed from the Church. Christ
has not commissioned any another other entity to assault the gates of hell,
contend for the faith and advance the gospel. The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15) and
faithful churches must be our priority.
Reformed Church of the Holy Trinity
is dedicated to the task before us. We
do not have a contingency plan because this is our calling. We are committed to the establishment of
Christ’s Church in northern Morgan County, which is just outside the greater
metro area on the south-side of Indianapolis.
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| Needed support repairs |
There is no plan B for us. We have covenanted to plow up the fallow
ground, plant and to water here in central Indiana. This is where God has placed us to faithfully
endure hardness as good soldiers.
Therefore, we have counted the cost
and in wise counsel have established our strategy. It is the most cost effective opportunity
anyone could wish for in our current cultural environment. All we have to do is to repair this ancient landmark
and it becomes a support and foundation of the truth not only in this
generation but for generations to come.
We appreciate your time and
consideration to partner with this ministry to establish and order the kingdom
of Christ in central Indiana. Please
pray that the Word of God would sound forth boldly and increase here in central
Indiana. God bless!
If you would like to help support Reformed Church of the Holy Trinity, you can donate online or write to us at:
Reformed Church of the Holy Trinity
PO Box 1125
Mooresville, Indiana 46158
If you would like to help support Reformed Church of the Holy Trinity, you can donate online or write to us at:
Reformed Church of the Holy Trinity
PO Box 1125
Mooresville, Indiana 46158
“Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church.You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” –3 John 1:5-8
“Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.” – Psalm 90:16
