Following Judah's Lion

The Empty Blog Throne

Col.1:18 - ...that in all things He might have the preeminence.

Lest I forget Gethsemane, Lest I forget Thine agony,

Lest I forget Thy love for me, Lead me to Calvary

I have whittled my blog reading to a precious few. Throughout the Christian sector there are many and varied topics. Some deal with revival. Some write about the falling away of the church. Some are dedicated to reformed theology. Some are political. Some journal personal experiences. Some reference historical theologians. And on and on. Some are very edifying and informative. Some are well written while other are more colloquial. But after six months (my blog experience) I now feel as though something is missing.

As I visited some emergent blogs I could not believe the things that were posted and presented as important Scriptural issues. I mean moral issues like homosexuality were treated as if we needed to take a second look about defining them as sin, and most shocking is the idea that salvation could be expanded to include people who were followers of another religion who presumably had never heard of Jesus. The world was treated as some post modern sculpture, there to be admired and figured out. Like walking through a modern art museum and everyone surmising what each painting was saying to us, that is how some of these blogs look at this world. The rapidly transforming global culture combined with the breathtaking technology is studied as if it was the paramount issue concerning the gospel. And secular authors and experts are quoted as sources for Spiritual truth.

And then I visited some reformed blogs. Now there are many blogs that are presented by a Christian with a reformed perspective that are well worth the read. But I discovered that there are many whose unswerving mission is to refute Arminianism and continue to bang the chimes of Calvin. To be honest with you I can take a little of that, but after a while it grows old and clearly comes across as self righteous. Some of these blogs act as if they are the guardians of the Holy Grail, and most of the writings are meant for the consumption of the Calvin choir anyway. To be fair I still am greatly edified by several blogs who sometimes post about election but have allowed the Holy Spirit to widen their menu to feed people like me. To those brothers I say "Amen!".

And then I visited some watchman blogs. These are the blogs that are dedicated to inform the body of the different heresies and departures within evangelicalism. By way of full disclosure, it was at one of those sites that I first became informed and alerted to the Emergent movement. But after a while my spirit began to stir within me about the uncharitable nature of many of those sites. Never a call for prayer for the men they criticize, never an acknowledgment of any good being done, and never an inspection of their own sin. And the writings come across with an "ek cathedra" flavor to them, almost as if they were speaking infallibly for God Himself. And with all the references used, both Christian and secular, it became evident that many of the authors were consumed with search and destroy details. And in addition some of the most high browed and vitriolic sites were overseen by unordained women, a clear unbiblical usurpation of authority to gain the ecclesiastical right to rebuke and correct ordained elders.

Well after months of perusing many sites I felt a growing emptiness in my spirit as I read all the different blogs. I remember seeking the Lord about what I was feeling, and I now believe it was due to my consumption of much junk food and not enough edifying health food. And suddenly I recognized something very startling. The person who is most overlooked in the blog domain is...Jesus. That is correct, for every article about the Person of Jesus there are literally hundreds about Warren, MacLaren, Bell, MacArthur, Pink, Spurgeon, and on and on. In many high schools the principal develops more intimate relationships with the problem children rather than the honor students because of the time he spends with them. The same has become true with the church, we have been caught up with many things like Martha, but we have neglected the better part.

So in an attempt to "heal thyself" I am going to make a conscious effort to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through me concerning the Person and work of the Lord Jesus on a consistent basis. Oh I will still address some other issues as before, but I want brothers and sisters who visit this poor blog to go away with a deeper love for our wonderful Savior. He should have all the preeminence and He should be held high in worshipful adoration. Jesus should be the strong thread running through the Christian internet regardless how the church as a whole departs. We should not allow the purpose/seeker/emergent movements drag us from our first love while critiquing their doctrinal issues. Our hearts should remain soft and broken before our Lord, and while John the Baptist preached repentance he bowed in humility before Jesus the first time he met him. So let it be with us.

So here it is, Lord Jesus my life, I rededicate this blog to You. May You and You alone receive all the glory and honor. Keep me from my disgusting self, and in whatever You give me to share may it be revealed wrapped in the Spirit of Grace as well as the Spirit of Truth. And I ask You, Holy Spirit, to take these poor words and make them life to those who read. Let everyone who visits here leave with the fragrance of God's Son, so that others may take notice that "they have been with Jesus".

To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever.

Amen.