Author: Gary Purgason

November 2023 Mission Letter

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Gary Purgason reports
We Preach Jesus Christ and Him Crucified
To the ends of the world
November 2023


Grace unto you,
This is a theological clarification and delayed ministry report for the purpose of humbling man and glorifying the Son of God.
There’s currently a description of the contrast between faithful Christians and God rejectors that’s spread across the country. Ignorantly, people have adopted and redefined biblical words in a vain attempt to make themselves appear more pious and more virtuous and more righteous than a sinner who faithfully attends the local corporate worship of God Almighty.
I first heard the contrasting terms in California, as a way of justifying a mother that did not teach her children the biblical Jesus and that family had nothing to do with the gathering of God’s saints in corporate worship.
The next time I heard the contrasting terms was from my pastor’s pulpit a few weeks later. My pastor was delivering his sermon and gave details about how unbelievers reject the Gospel. In the sermon, my pastor gave a recent example of an elderly church member attempting to witness to his new neighbor about the love of God. The new neighbor of the elderly church member speedily revealed to him that he was “spiritual but not religious.” The elderly church member was greatly confused about the contrasting terms, just as I was the first time I had heard the term used. The elderly church member was so confused that he went to our pastor and asked what his new neighbor was conveying in the statement, “spiritual but not religious.” My pastor gently explained to the elderly church member that his new neighbor doesn’t want to hear, nor have anything to do with the God of love that we church members have faith in.
“Spiritual but not religious,” is the weak attempt of the God hater to portray themselves as more spiritual and less hypocritical than the faithful church attendee. This slogan has been around for many years now. The Pew Research Center took a survey with the term in 2017. This is the slogan for the post-liberal theological movement within “Progressive Christianity.” “Progressive Christianity” is the destruction or “deconstruction” of the biblical faith handed down by the Apostles of the New Testament. It’s simply the Postmodern philosophy that I have been warning Christians about for many years, yet I haven’t heard of this oxymoronic contrast until last year.
The statement is an ignorant oxymoron. The words “spiritual” and “religious” can be easily defined in a dictionary, and the Holy Bible says that everyone is both. The irreligionist’s system of beliefs (or their religion) is the lack of or rejection of religious beliefs or practice. While the Spiritualist’s system of beliefs (religion) defined by Merriam-Webster deals with that which is sacred and religious. Thus the statement “spiritual but not religious” is self-defeating.
The Holy Bible says that “if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are SPIRITUAL should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” (Gal. 6:1)
(Luke 9:55) states that Jesus turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of SPIRIT you are of.”
Therefore, there are good and bad, holy and unholy “Spiritual” people in the world. There are in fact spiritual children of God and spiritual offspring of Satan. Thankfully, Satan gives his children up for adoption to God, but God never relinquishes His children.
James says in verse 26 of chapter 1, “if anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s RELIGION is worthless.”
James goes on to say in verse 27, “Pure and undefiled RELIGION in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Therefore, there are true and false, pure and defiled “Religions” in this world. Christianity is the only true and pure religion there is and ever was prior to the term being used in the book of Acts.
This segues me into the topic of “pushing religion on people” or “pushing religion down people’s throats.” I have heard these statements for many years. They are usually used in reference to my street preaching or my manner of witnessing about the grace in Christ to people who did not expect it or ask for the Gospel.
Whether I am a seasoned, bold preacher of righteousness or a new convert with basic understanding of the cross of Christ. I should be making it my honest business to violently shove my hopes in Christ alone down everyone’s throats. Either they will swallow it or choke, and if there is no compassion in my bones to spread the Word of God throughout the universe, then I should be questioning my call to repentance and election.
Ministry Report:
It’s been one year since I began preaching Jesus Christ from the Scriptures in a vacant church building in Likely, California. Since then, the old vacant church building is being relocated to a new donated property in a beautiful setting in the center of the community and completely remodeled with a new bell tower. Likely Community Church now has a church constitution, adopted the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, became incorporated again, and also has a tax ID number under 501c3 status.
We have pew Bibles so we all can find out places on the same page as we exposit the Scriptures. We have hymnals with accompaniment music played by a bluetooth speaker. There are over 9 faithful attendees, and soon we will cover membership requirements of a local church. The essential means of grace in the sacraments of communion and baptism will be covered extensively following the study of the purpose and function of the local church in corporate worship of our God and Creator.


Prayer Request:
Please pray that all of our ornery hearts will melt in a cup of unity, love, and harmony for the glorification of Jesus Christ in His church.

Re: Jared Longshore “Are Your Children Members of the New Covenant?”

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Yesterday Jared Longshore posted Are Your Children Members of the New Covenant? He responds to the argument that Jeremiah 31:31-34 teaches that the New Covenant is unlike the Abrahamic Covenant in that the geneological principle does not continue because the New Covenant is made only with the regenerate elect. Promises to the Children of New […]

Re: Jared Longshore “Are Your Children Members of the New Covenant?”

History of the church in Likely, California

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LIKELY COMMUNITY CHURCH
The Likely Church was first called Wheeler Memorial, later it was changed to Likely
Congregational Church. Twelve (12) members were registered in 1894, at that time
the minister was Rev. L.L. Wallace, who served two years. In 1896 Rev. J.A. Spencer
came to serve for two years.
The first minutes were recorded in 1898. The business of that meeting included a
call to Rev Watley and the pledging of $100.00 a year for his salary. Rev Watley
served seven years. Rev Paul Bandy was the next minister, he served three years.
Rev T. C. Crook was called in 1908, he also served three years.
In 1911 Rev O.L. Corbin came and served four years, and devoted Sunday
afternoons to the Indian families, who lived at the Indian Camp. His salary was
raised to twelve hundred a year.
At this time (1911) the church was moved from the south end of town to the
present location by the means of a capstan, which was either horse drawn, or man
drawn. It took nearly a month to complete this half mile trip. The land for the
church and parsonage was donated. The benches (which are still in use) and pulpit
which were hand hewn, by a man named Harrison Harvey.
There was a considerable drop in salary when Rev. Thomas H. Dodd came to serve
his year. Forty dollars a month and whatever else could be raised, however the
membership had grown to thirty-five.
In 1916 Rev. R.S. Nickerson from Adin was called, one note of interest at this time
a committee of three was appointed to investigate the possibility of purchasing a
church bell. (It’s, still out there in 2023).
In 1931 the parsonage burned. In 1947, when the young people’s group was very
active the church had a facelift, the walls were covered with sheet rock, linoleum
runners were purchased for the floor, decorative paper for the windows. The
outside was covered with look of brick siding. The young people donated money
for a record player and piano. It is interesting to note that even though the church
did not always have a regular minister, Sunday school and youth group was almost
always active.
In 1950 the name of the church was changed to the Likely Community Church.
Rev McKinsey was part time minister at this time, from time to time and several
ministers from Alturas helped.
In 1954 the church joined the Modoc Larger Parish which was under the direction
of Rev. Ralph Conard. Twenty-five joined the church and the Pilgrim Fellowship
was organized (youth group)
In 1904, a box social was held, and the money was raised to by the church an
organ, which is still in the church
John and Maud McGarva presented an altar and cross and a velvet hanging, Mrs.
Conard obtained velvet drapes for the windows.
In the 1950s Karl Olson and later Bob Ropp ministered.
In later years the attendance dropped and no services were held until the late fall
of 2022, thanks to our new pastor Gary Purgason.