Humility

I Pet.5:5 - ...Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.
Clothed with humility. What a phrase and what an exhortation. Not just humble but clothed with humility. How many of us are actually "clothed with humility" which is tangible to those around us? The word in the Greek is a combination that doesn't easily translate, suffice to say it full indicates the spirit of Phil.2:3 - ...but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.". This is very difficult when you consider our preference for ourselves, both overt and hidden. We are such despicable creatures to think anything of ourselves in the light of God's grace. But I have discovered something as I've perused the internet during the last year.
There seem to be such distinct pockets of Christian thought and truth. Not just slight differences of insignificant doctrine, no, these are major differences that impact the very dogma of the gospel itself. And I, being an old fashioned Armenian(if you don't know what that means don't worry about it) am drawn to most of the reformed writings because these new breed Armenians have long since discarded Wesley for a hedonistic, humanistic Biblical interpretation of the Christian life and the gospel itself. The falling away of the church has broken my heart and I not only do not feel comfortable with them, as you can tell from some of my writings I speak out against this worldly and selfish spirit. What we see today is a complete departure from most of church history and the study and meditation on the Scriptures is a thing of the past as well as any deep, meaningful prayer life. We have become Babylonians that reject the God of the Bible while still using lightly some of His vocabulary.
But I want to address something that has become more and more evident among the reformed(et. al.) group with which I feel so much more Scriptural kinship in spite of the free will difference. In these circles there is some wonderful and poignant warnings and Scriptural alarms that God is using to bring some sheep to rethink their positions and lifestyles. I have been so edified by the pleading about humanistic preaching, worldly music, compromised evangelism, careless lifestyles, unscriptural affiliations, and doctrinal tolerance of even heretical gospels and non-Christian religions. Most of what is addressed is so needed for millions to hear.
But one thing that seems to be missing in all of us is a substantive sense of humility. Being used of God as a "watchman" doesn't absolve us from realizing our own need of a deep and searching revival and surrender. When you visit many blogs you will notice that any devotional posts get the very least among of comments while the most vitriolic garner comments hot and heavy. Why? The despising of certain issues about the falling away elicit the deepest and most energetic reactions, while seeking the very face of the Savior through brokenness, prayer, and fasting are only rarely addressed. And so many seem to have it completely figured out even going so far as to disparage great men of God such as Wesley, Moody, Torey, Ravenhill, and their absolute favorite whipping boy Finney. Now there is no room for a "be careful of this theology", no, it is a complete and utter dismissal of all their ministries usually based on their unreformed theology. When one reads the incredible accounts of revival under Charles Finney they are either lies or wonderful moves of God's Spirit. Oh yes, when Finney left revivalism and delved into theology he was out of his calling and morphed into some crazy teaching, but that doesn't discount his ministry in the northeast that still bears fruit today. And his call to discipleship was one of complete surrender that at times was thoroughly legalistic, surely not liberal and bears no resemblance to today's evangelical world. This is one example of the exclusive spirit that sometimes prevails among some circles.
So OK, you can still retain Finney for your convenient figure of a heretic but let me ask you is there much addressing of the powerless state of the reformed movement? Why has this seeker/purpose/emergent spirit spread like wild fire? Where is the power in those of us who grieve over this departure from God's Word? We can hide behind our theology but the truth is who spends hours a day on our face before our Lord begging Him for power to intercede on His behalf? Where are the corporate prayer meetings that substantiate the fact that we really believe that God is our only hope? Why is there more announcements than prayer even on Sunday mornings? Where are the elongated seasons of fasting both personally and as believers together? We pat ourselves on our theological backs with our "high view of God" but that doesn't translate to a high view of prayer and fasting. Who among us is so disturbed by what is happening that we rise early and cannot fall asleep at night due to intercession. When was the last time you noticed someone (the preacher?) weeping uncontrollably over the sins of the people as well as theirs? Private tears of repentance? The entire world lies in the wicked one, headed for an eternal torture of unfathomable proportions, and we are tearless? And if we spent as much time in prayer as we do researching the internet would revival be possible? And in many, many ways we who by the grace of God have been awakened to the Spiritual departure, we are the most culpable. To whom much is given much is required and the creative, purpose driven, seeker sensitive, relevant, and culturally persuasive ministries seem to have more power (however human) than those who hold the truth. Do we have no brokenness? Are we so smug that the Spirit cannot hold the mirror of His convicting Word to our faces and instead of seeing Rick Warren we sometimes see us? Do we glory in the complete sovereignty of Almighty God or do we sometimes glory in the fact that WE believe in His sovereignty?
Much talk, and true, but little prayer. Is it time to call a solemn assembly? If our brothers were thrown in jail would the church find the power to begin to pray day and night as in Acts? Walk around the Biblical schoolhouse and visit the classrooms. Grace IV - full. Sovereignty IV - full. The Falling Away IV - full. What is Wrong with Anything IV - full. Biographies IV - full. Prayer 101 - there is plenty of room, it is an elective. Fasting 101 - you can audit this. Humility 101 - We no longer offer this course due to lack of interest.

Even in the face of obeying the calling of your Spirit...never let us stop seeking you preeminently to turn the bit in our own hearts to follow hard after you clothed in humility and energized by your grace alone.