Teachings of Jesus - Part XI

THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS - PART XI

 

Jn.9: ³⁹ And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

⁴⁰ And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
⁴¹ Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

There are many teachings of Jesus about which people refuse to do any personal research to find the essence of their truth. These verses are among them. Ask the average pew dweller to define what Jesus is teaching here and you will hear varying interpretations as well as many who will at least tell the truth and admit they do not know. The sad thing is that most cannot be curious enough to find out, to say nothing of being diligent. And among those who may even be able to exegete these verses how many will observe a self denying obedience to their words?

But if we distill these words and pour them out as one pure revelation we will understand that we are called to a humility which rises way above the earthly definition. Sometimes we get the idea that when an Oscar winner stands and acts humble that is what the Spirit is saying here to us. It is far from that. Man’s humility is mostly pride dressed up as humility.

I Pet.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.

The Spirit exhorts us to be clothed with humility. We are not just supposed to show humility but we are to be covered and clothed with humility. As I take in these words I am not sure I have ever been clothed with humility. And when I think of the Scripture which says we should “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” and it goes on to compare it with Christ leaving the glory of heaven and coming down in the likeness of a man, well I am overwhelmed. I am a man with unclean lips who dwells among a people with unclean lips. Oh how we have lost the sense, to say nothing of the desire, for the kind of humility which resembles our Master.

Watch as pompous showmen strut on stage as if they were an actor which in most cases they are. Listen to their words as they lift up man and lower God. Listen as they create in their listeners a longing for prestige and material goods. There is no humility in them at all, and in fact there is no Jesus in them either. The majority of the American church is American but not Christian. In the verses I first shared Jesus addresses those who lift themselves up and claim to be all knowing. People sit on the edge of their seats and clap and nod as if they were listening to a god, and in many cases they are. Watch as they jump to their feet and applaud and scream wildly in approval of that man’s performance. No tears, no repentance, no sacred awe. It is all thespian in nature and void of the Spirit.
These men and women claim they see things in the Spirit that the average person cannot see, Some liars even claim to have been to heaven itself and people by the millions believe them. Jesus says that those who say they see are rejected and those who say they do not are embraced. The teaching is clear. Jesus is using a Hebrewism to teach the humility to the proud. It confronts and dismantles the struts of the modern peacock preachers and gives grace to the humble. But let us not just compare ourselves with these false teachers and self absorbed Americans. That is low hanging fruit.
The humility of which Jesus and the Spirit are speaking is a great challenge to us. When was the last time you were offended? That is a sign. When was the last time you felt smart? Or better than someone? Those are all bad signs. But those are only signs of a surface problem. Remove your shoes and let us tip toe further into the Spirit of truth.

Phil.2: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Our Savior humbled Himself and became obedient to the cross. Oh my. Oh my. It was be a humility about which we know nothing just to understand that God became a man. That tests the human mind and finds it completely unable to process such abject humility. But to understand that God submitted Himself and became “obedient” to death, even the public and excruciating death of crucifixion is humility in its unimaginable and purest form. We are called to a depth of humility that experiences our own death and replaces it with His life. It is not enough to just imitate Jesus as we believe He is and was. We must die. And often we treat that as some kind of metaphor which just means we should not do or speak what we desire.

That may reveal some of it but that only touches the surface. Unsaved people can watch their tongue and even direct their fallen hearts to have compassion for others. Gandhi was a professed unbeliever and yet he showed uncommon humility on the outside which was indeed much more than most professing believers in Jesus. But our calling, our mandate, it to die to ourselves and to allow the Spirit to resurrect the Lord Jesus within us. Oh does that not sound so metaphysical and out of touch with reality? Well, because the church no longer teaches nor endorses it then it might sound like so much mercurial philosophy. But in the Spirit it is a glorious reality.
I exhort you to read the Book of Martyrs with a prayerful and contrite heart and you will see believers walking to their death clothed in humility and full of Christ. There are many moving and convicting narratives in there. But there is one account of a believer who told his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that he would glorify His Savior while being burned at the stake. He told them that he would wait until the flames were climbing all around him and then he would raise up his hand with his finger pointing toward heaven. Crowds would gather around these horrific spectacles just as they used to watch hangings. Many of these martyrs sang on their way to the gallows or the stake.
The man was strapped to the stake and the faggots were set on fire all around his feet. People watched and his brethren waited for his hand to rise. But soon the flames became very hot and even covered his face until his brethren despaired because they thought he had died too quickly to lift his hand or even remember his promise. But from within those flames a scorched and blacked hand lifted up and pointed to heaven for two seconds and fell back down in death. It may not have seemed like much to others but to those who knew Jesus it was a miracle to the glory of God. I would have rather seen that blackened hand for two seconds the most of the sermons I have ever heard.
That, my friends, flies in the face of what passes for the faith in these self centered modern times. Oh that the Spirit would lead us all to our own place of death, and after we die men would see a nail scarred hand rise up and live in our place. The greatest enemy we face is when we try and live for Him without dying and allowing Him to live for us. But be aware, my dear brethren, that will take a cross.
***** 

Jn.8: ³¹ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

³² And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Every year a fallen nation celebrates what is commonly called “freedom”. That celebration remembers how America was released from British rule through a violent revolution. Many thousands died from wounds or infection from both sides including the Germans. That war was over unfair taxation. That war is now celebrated in America and July 4^th is recognized as the day of independence.

But millions upon millions of Americans who also profess Jesus see nothing wrong with embracing Jesus as well as the Revolutionary War. They have been raised from birth to embrace war and that America is not only on the right side of wars, but that God birthed America as His own. And in that convoluted thinking the line between earthly freedom and redemptive freedom become blurred and in many cases they are looked upon as one and the same.
But all that, and I mean all of it, compromises the price that was paid at Calvary and obscures the image of the Redeemer. It is probably impossible to overstate the damage that has been done to the faith because professing believers who happen to live in America have not only fallen in love with this fallen country, but have even woven a divine quality within it which they say began with its creation. This is no small issues and it has severely compromised the faith until the dilution has become grievous and in many cases a mortal wound.
But true freedom, eternal freedom is found only in Jesus. This must be our bedrock confession and the foundation of our faith. To celebrate earthly freedom is to make it a cousin, even a lesser cousin, to the freedom which was purchased at such a high price at Calvary. We are believers and followers of the one true Redeemer who paid the ransom in His own body and who has with an unsearchable loved granted us that ransom through grace and faith alone. Can you not feel the Spirit well up in you as you read these words? Remember, the same Spirit that was present at Calvary lives in you and me. He was there. He heard the groans. He saw the wounds. He saw the lashes. He saw the blood. He heard the last breath. And while human men saw a crucifixion that was common to men, the Spirit knew the price that was being paid. He existed with the Word now made flesh from eternity past. They and the father were part of the mystery of the Godhead. So when we speak of His sufferings the Spirit within us imparts knowledge and emotion and spiritual truth which we could not know in our own strength.
Let us never forget the bondage from which we came. Those of us who were saved as a teenager or an adult can remember vividly just how sin had imprisoned our hearts and minds, and how to this very day it beckons to imprison us once again. But the King had triumphed where we had so emphatically failed. Our father Adam had fallen just like we would have if it were us in that garden. And just so there was no mistake about that all of us born with Adam’s curse enthusiastically built upon his legacy with uncountable deeds of our own. I still feel the shame of it all.
But then He came. Born among animals. Born in our likeness. Fed from a fallen women’s own body and yet without sin. Who can know such a thing, and yet the Spirit enlightens us to that sacred knowledge. And He walks among us for over thirty years, and then in the space of hours he suffers and bleeds with a divine power the blood of animals could never know. God dies in our place. Oh my…what human mind deserves such knowledge? What human soul earns such a ransom? And in one small but genuine act of faith we were set free forever and forever. This is not some religion or spiritual philosophy. This is the everlasting gospel and it has set men free from the Day of Pentecost even unto this very day. Somewhere in the world today souls are being set free.
It may be in a church building. It may be on the street. It may be in a thatched hut. It may be in a hospital. It may be in Canada. It may be in Russia. It may be in Brazil. It may be in Nigeria. It may be a businessman. It may be a young mother. It may be a little child. It may be an old man. It may be someone dying of AIDs. It may be a gay person. It may be an adulterer. But the power of the gospel still lives around the world, and devout sinners like me are hearing the Spirit’s voice and responding. It is the miracle of all miracles. And who the Son sets free is free indeed! Halleluiah!
There should a word that is a greater and more revealing word for freedom. The freedom we have in Christ is unfathomable and without comparison. It is beyond our mental ability to comprehend a freedom from sin and all the fires of hell. That is freedom about which the world knows nothing. Millions of church members travel every Sunday to sit in church pews who know nothing of that freedom. Only God knows who are His but it is obvious that church members are consumed with money and politics and the economy and sports and employment and even the nation in which providence has placed them. But how many walk with the heart filling knowledge of the freedom in Christ we have? Until we get serious about the Word, and until we seek revelation knowledge about our salvation, it will all be so much religion and moral standards.
One day we will receive the fullness of our redemption. And we will understand in the eternal realm what the temporal realm never could. We were ransomed from eternal death and set free. But we weren’t just released from prison and sent to roam without direction. We were set free and we were placed into Christ by the Spirit of God. Rejoice all you who are in Him through no efforts of your own. Rejoice all you who deserved eternal damnation but received eternal life! Rejoice all you who were rescued from the penalty of death you so richly deserved! Rejoice all you prisoners of sin for you have been set free forever! So follow Him and His Word and do not return to bondage. Eat of His goodness and the milk and honey of His Person and beckon others to follow. This is the legacy of the redeemed.

And you are now free…free indeed!

*****

 

Mk.9: ³⁵ And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
³⁶ And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
³⁷ Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Matt.20: ²⁵ But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

²⁶ But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
²⁷ And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
²⁸ Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

This teaching goes deep into the heart of the western culture and mindset. The entire culture is about power. Money and success and knowledge and material wealth and prestige are all interwoven with the hunger and thirst for power. And what is power in this fallen world? It is power over others. That is the essence of what is called power. That is why the cross of Christ is so widely rejected or minimized because it does not align itself with the human definition of power. In fact those that crucified Jesus are the ones who wielded power in the earthly realm. And much of the church subtly and openly aligns itself with the crucifiers rather than the Crucified.

We have to ask ourselves some very serious questions if we are to ever be released from this fallen culture. Please recognize that our upbringing within this culture has shaped, and warped, our mindset. And most of that has impacted how we understand the teachings of Jesus. Unless we understand that we will not and cannot receive and understand the teachings of Jesus as taught by the Spirit. Confronting a problem is first recognizing that problem before it can be overcome. And until the church as a whole or individual believers recognize what has happened to us we will never be able to enter into the glorious truths spoken and lived by Christ.
This culture lusts after power. It demands power. It teaches power. It is built upon power. Political power; financial power; physical power; military power; media power; gender power; conservative power; liberal power; the entire culture seethes with power and the desire for more power. And that spirit has permeated every area of our lives including and perhaps most prominently our hearts and minds. And once that spirit has unpacked and made itself at home within our hearts and minds it is most difficult to evict it. Partly because it is cloaked in religion and reason and common sense, and partly because it hides among many peers and its voice is reinforced by others, and partly because it has sunk its teeth deep within our minds and hearts. And it then subtly affects how we perceive things. And even after we recognize on some level that it lies and must go that is no small task. It is not an overnight challenge.
When you speak of spiritual power you must reject earthly power. The two can never be partners. And the template will always be the cross. The church has used the cross for salvation purposes and then cast it off as a doctrinal relic that his no bearing on our earthly lives. Jesus speaks about taking up our cross. What does that mean? Is the church passionately on a quest to discover what that means? Why not? Living the cross of Jesus is a great and glorious mystery which can only be realized if we hunger and thirst for it. There is power in that death. And that power can only released when we die. But unless we seek more than interesting metaphors we still will be caught in an earthly labyrinth of human power.
Walking in newness of life and walking in the power of His resurrection requires our own death. Again, an interesting and striking metaphor which has absolutely no power until it is implanted in the heart and thereby controls the life. Few implant it, and then it needs water and more water and much water. There is power in relinquishing all earthly power and resting in the power of death…His and yours. But the flesh is very strong and has been made immensely stronger by the nourishment it has received by the culture. It is a miracle of grace that we can even see just how power hungry we really are. And then to see where Jesus desires to take us is another miracle of grace. But when those two perspectives meet it requires much more than just an accurate perception.
When you begin to watch for power struggles and desires in your life you are amazed at just how much you like and reach out for power regardless of how small it is. Power makes us feel strong and significant. Power helps us win arguments. Power makes us right. Power strokes our egos. Power helps us win in comparisons with others. Power gives us some contentment. And sometimes in an ingenuous element of the flesh power allows us to forgive or show mercy as long as we retain that power buffer lest we let others feel superior to us. Oh how the flesh is so diabolical!
But Jesus talks of servanthood and in verse 28 He once again turns to the cross as the standard. Now think about that for just an unguarded moment. Can there be any greater example of servanthood and the rejection of power even when He had all power? The cross undermines every vestige of earthly power and it points us to a power the world knows not. The cross was a once in history event but its power will last forever. And to anyone who truly meditates upon that cross it becomes obvious that earthly power and divine power are unequal enemies. The power that comes from the earth is sensual, carnal, self centered, and evil. But the power which flows from God denies self, is spiritual, is clothed in humility, and embraces the selfless death on the cross as its template and mandate.
So while others must be addressed as “sir”; and while church leaders have “Dr.” in front of their name; and while some set themselves as Biblical scholars; and while many receive the applause of men; the calling of the Spirit will always be to a hill just outside of Jerusalem where death met life and life won through death. And those who walk through that mystery by faith come out of that tomb as servants. And that is the highest calling of all.
*****

 

Matt.15: ⁸ This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

⁹ But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
¹⁰ And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
¹¹ Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
¹² Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
¹³ But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
¹⁴ Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
¹⁵ Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
¹⁶ And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
¹⁷ Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
¹⁸ But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
²⁰ These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

There are many applications here as well as a few different streams of thought. This is another attack on legalism and the outward appearance as opposed to the intents of the heart. It is light years easier to outwardly march to rules and laws than it is to allow the Spirit to create a clean heart within us. Even the unbeliever can obey rules, but only a surrendered believer can have his heart sanctified and pleasing the only One who can see it.

So Jesus is clearly and unequivocally revealing how God sees things as opposed to how man sees them. Man looks upon the outward appearance while God sees the heart. Jesus is dealing with manmade religious traditions so this does not mean that things which go into your eyes and mind cannot be detrimental to your spiritual walk. We know that to be untrue. But to seek and maintain a clean heart is a labor of the Spirit. How many professing believers live every day with a view toward a clean heart? How many even know what that means? How many even care?
In spiritual terms your heart is you. Our lips can be such liars which create protections for some of our inward flaws. “As a man thinketh so is he”. The only way to cultivate a pure heart is through God’s Word and prayer, and I believe that is most powerfully measured in private. It is easier to lie to others and ourselves than it is to lie to God. Man looks upon the outward appearance but God ponders the heart. Sports and Hollywood and politics and even much of the organized church is fueled by the outward appearance and the power of human lips and the power of performance.
But the secret place of the heart is where the Spirit truly works. In the Old Testament God’s presence dwelt in the Holy of Holy upon the Ark of the Covenant between two angels. And only the High Priest was allowed to enter into that place and he only once a year on the Day of Atonement. But after Jesus died and rose again He sent the Spirit Who dwells within the heart of every true believer. And that makes a believer’s heart the Holy of Holies and we have access to that place every single moment of every single day. The blood of Jesus has been applied and the presence of God through the Holy Spirit abides within us. So what we say can only be authenticated by the Spirit for it is God Alone who lives in and tests our hearts.

It is a glorious miracle as well as a great responsibility.

The Walls are Down - The Gates are Burned with Fire

THE WALLS ARE DOWN

THE GATES ARE BURNED WITH FIRE

I do not normally link to something like this but I believe it is important to place before our eyes the extent to which the church has fallen. This is a critique of the popular movie “American Sniper” which has been heralded by millions of professing believers. If bad language offends you even in this one instance then do not click on the link. But if you do you will be shocked. And I do not wish just to shock us. That would be useless. I pray it will lead us all to a deeper personal repentance. The days are drawing to a close. 

HERE

Neh.1: ³ And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

⁴ And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

The walls are down. The gates are burned with fire. When the walls are down the enemy comes in from everywhere. And when the gates are burned there are no more gates. When the walls are down no gate is necessary. Sometimes I look around. Most times it just comes to me without me looking for it, but sometimes I look around. And what I see is astounding and makes me shake my head. I cannot believe what has happened.

I have been a believer for forty years and in just four decades it has gotten worse than anyone could even have imagined. What is colloquially called the “church” is a mockery of the Scriptures and the life and teachings of Jesus. There are so many false teachers and false teachings and compromises and passionless practices of the faith that it is beyond belief. Nehemiah recognized the condition of Jerusalem and he heard the commission of God, but the church is fast asleep with the exception of some discernment which usually aims at the most obvious heretics but still is blind to the overall condition of the church which includes all of us.
This should be a sad time for all true believers. The church is in worse condition than we all could have imagined, and that condition is much worse than you may think. The office of elder/pastor is a sham and has become a hideout for greedy and lazy men. Even some good things are brought into focus at the expense of Jesus and the gospel. Some churches boast about their ministry to the family unit and they treat the family like an idol. While it is true that God desires families in line with His Word, it is also true that a strong family means every family member must be a passionate follower of Jesus. All things will work together for good when that is the case.
As can be seen on some television shows you can have a loving and vibrant family and not be a self denying disciple of Jesus. Can you see the subtly here? We are not to follow the family unit, and just having a loving family has never been our goal. In fact Jesus openly claimed that many times when someone repents and seeks to be a passionate follower of Jesus it causes a schism within the family. But again idolatry has taken hold within the church and good things such as the family have become the core of the faith. People now seek a local church they feel will minister to their family and not one that will deeply challenge each individual concerning the quality of their discipleship.
That is just one of the ways in which the church has turned away from Jesus and has turned unto idols. It is a stunning tragedy of epic proportions. The fog of deception now blankets the whole ecclesiastical community in subtle and open ways and even those who can see some of the more gross deceptions and falsehoods walk in deception themselves. The carnal and deceptive climate that permeates the western church cannot be overstated. That is not to say that no churches are doing any of God’s work. No, there are still missionaries being sent all over the world and that is wonderful. But here in America the average church member lives a self centered life which is heavily weighted toward activity, fellowship, and a soothing sense of community and belonging. But the hidden spiritual and devotional life of the average church member is abysmal if not nonexistent.
Now think on this. If your eyes were opened and you could see and every house on your side of the street was engulfed in flames would you not cry out? Would your bloodstream be filled with adrenalin? Would you not forget about embarrassment and run around the neighborhood warning everyone? But if you sat on your front porch where you all the fires, including the one in your own house, could be seen and yet you kept rocking and eating, what would that tell us? It would clearly reveal you were blind to all of it, or perhaps you could see the fire in a few houses but not all. The only other answer would be you had utterly no regard for human life at all.
And so here we are and the fires of hell are consuming the community of faith subtly and openly and yet there are those who say nothing. In fact professing believers are wallowing in the fire ignorant of the burns they are sustaining and ignorant of the life this fire is claiming from them.
And here sit a group of “orthodox” firefighters chatting among each other. They have taken videos of some of the other houses as the fire rages and they comfort each other with the fact that they see those fires and they are against fire. But their house may not be engulfed in flames, but it is on fire nonetheless and yet they do not cry out against the fire in their own house. But, brothers and sisters, the whole neighborhood is on fire. Money and material goods and entertainment and nationalism and war and prayerlessness and many other things have become kindling to this fire. And there should be strong and even panicked prophetic voices crying out to all of us, but where are they? Cry out against Osteen and Warren and Copeland and all the obvious heretics, but the Spirit desires to convict us as well. Our walls are down and our gates have been burned. And that is why some of us have escaped and now are nomads. But many of us cannot go back into a burning building.
Professing believers are consumed with the most despicable forms of entertainment. If the movie houses were showing what they show now fifty years ago no evangelical would step foot in them. And yet today professing believers sit and listen to movies laced with four letter words and sexual scenes and graphic violence and think nothing of it. In fact many like it. Evangelicals by the millions are consumed with money. They think about it, they dream about, they stash it away, they labor hard for it, and compared with the time and effort they expend on their spiritual lives it is easy to see where their hearts are. And professing believers by the millions express their love and allegiance to a fallen nation and will kill and die for it if need be in spite of the teachings of Jesus. The entire “church” entity is a literal cesspool with very few exceptions.

Josh.24: ¹⁴ Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

¹⁵ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Here we stand in the midst of a smoldering pile of religious timber. People continue to stoke the fire and warm their hearts and lives by it. This is not the fire of God. This is the fire of hell and man’s fallen heart. Do not look for a massive repentance that sweeps across the land in thousands of churches. But God still does work within the hearts of individual believers just like he did with Jeremiah. Seek Christ through the Spirit. Reject self righteousness as strongly as you reject the compromised and deceived church. Seek to make Jesus the absolute Lord of your life. Pray over everything and set your ears to hear His voice. Fall in love with Jesus with a broken and contrite heart. Let obedience be a sweet smelling savor to our Lord and make obedience be your contentment. Pray much. Pray more. Allow the Spirit to revolutionize your prayer life. All he needs is your heart and your time. The days are evil. Stay under His shadow. Repent often. Rejoice in His love and forgiveness.

Jer.9: ²³ Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:

²⁴ But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.

Those That Seem to be Somewhat

THOSE THAT SEEM TO BE SOMEWHAT

 

Gal.2: ⁶ But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

In certain ecclesiastical circles they hold conferences as do most circles, but during the conference they have a handful of men sit on the platform and field prepared questions read by the moderator. Then each man speaks as if he is “ek cathedra” and the audience takes his words, his opinions, as inspired by God. I abhor such a spectacle. It elevates men to the “inspired class” and sets them up on doctrinal pedestals. And many times, if not most, it is a redundant rehashing of the charismatic or word of faith errors. And they even put forward the God accepted style of music as they/God sees it.

I have watched and listened to many such Q & A sessions which are mostly from the orthodox wing and mostly from the reformed wing of the orthodox wing, and I have yet to see anyone openly admit their own struggles and shortcoming. I have yet to hear that they went through dry spells or that they were unsure as to the meaning of a certain passage of Scripture. I have never heard one of them share a personal experience in prayer which melted their hearts and brought them to an unexpected state of brokenness and repentance.
They often speak of repentance in the doctrinal abstract and insist it is part of the gospel, but why do they not share some deep personal repentance of their own even after they were saved or even while they pastored? I have yet to see any tangible emotion probably because they eschew emotion as it pertains to the faith. And as they go doctrinally skeet shooting with such large and easy targets, they do not seem to address the dire need of spiritual awakening among their own select community of faith.
All in all it is presented as the authoritative council who know Greek and Hebrew and who can rightly divide the Word and are sharing the Holy Grail with others. It is doctrinal humanism at its finest, and even if they are accurate in certain areas of doctrine, without personal and collective humility it becomes an award ceremony for the ecclesiastical Bourgeoisie accompanied by the requisite books and Cds and tapes.

Teachings of Jesus - Part X

THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS - PART X

 

Jn.11: ³³ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

³⁴ And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
³⁵ Jesus wept.
³⁶ Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

Phil.3: ¹⁰ That I may know him…

Let us look at terms first. The word translated “know” in that 10^th verse in Philippians is the same word the Spirit used in Matt.1: ²⁵ And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus. That is the level of intimacy to which the Spirit refers. But how can we be that intimate with Christ? How can you communicate the depth of intimacy we have with a Person we have never seen and never touched and never heard? To the natural man it is complete foolishness and is a product of an unbalanced life. We all have had earthly relationships which meant much to us. We have shared emotions and feelings and secrets and we have loved with vulnerability.

But there is a spiritual intimacy available with Jesus to every true believer that the world cannot know. In fact most professing believers are also ignorant of that kind of relationship. But as with serious earthly relationships it requires time. Can you remember falling in love with someone and you thought about them constantly and could not wait to be with them again? And when you were able to be with them were you in a hurry to do something else? Did you look at your watch and think about cleaning the oven or did you gaze into their eyes hoping time would stop? Oh that we would understand Jesus desires to have that kind of love relationship with us.
I do not suggest we see Him as we see an earthly lover. No, but I am suggesting we treat Him with far less intimacy and hunger and thirst than we do with many earthly relationships. And the mystery and miracle of grace is such that we can see Jesus with that kind of love and intimacy without compromising how we see Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It is an incredible and sacred gift. And when you experience even a few minutes with Christ with that kind of intimacy you can never be satisfied again with a long distance relationship which is heavily weighted on organized doctrines and not that which comes from prayer, fasting, and more prayer filled with the spirit and essence of God’s Word.
But the intimacy of our relationship with Jesus surpasses anything here on earth. Words are barriers as we try and describe that intimacy. How can you communicate the ministry of the Spirit when He opens the innermost part of you being and Jesus steps in? Oh I know, it sounds like some syrupy religious rhetoric but it is the power of God. And this kind of heart rending intimacy changes you. It affects you in many different ways. It is different than loving a girlfriend or a spouse or a mother or even a child. How is it different?
Well, I can't really tell you if you don't already know. All I can say is that it is very different. Eternally different. And you will never be able to understand until you experience it. And then you will need no explanation. But as you walk further and closer in this relationship you will be granted revelation about which you could not understand before. The Spirit opens doors that are only opened to born again seekers.

Matt.13: ¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

¹¹ He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
¹² For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
¹⁵ For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
¹⁷ For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Even unbelievers can read English words and understand their common meaning. And professing believers by the millions sit in churches and listen to preachers and they understand what He is saying but they are deaf to what the Spirit is saying. Many carry Bibles and follow along as the preacher reads some passage and they understand what is being said in English. And they can also understand some of the applications made by that preacher and they may even be interesting. But how many have walked into the gathering filled with the Spirit and with their hearts and ears open to His voice? English is common to man, but the Spirit chooses surrendered hearts.

But most will walk content with their baptism and their church membership and their doctrines. But most will not know, much less pursue, the fellowship in the Spirit with the Lord Jesus. Over the years the church first lost prayer, then it lost intimacy, then it lost the desire, and finally it lost the knowledge that once was even exists. And when that happens the church can only walk in a redundant practice and an earthly mindset which has traded intimacy for programs, morality, and a love for country.

And they shall hear and not understand and they shall see and not perceive.

***** 

PUREST DISCIPLESHIP

Would you follow Jesus if He saved your soul but would not be involved with your earthly life at all? If not then your discipleship is self centered.

Lk.14: ³³ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

I wonder what that means. I wonder if we even wonder what that means. I wonder what the preacher would say if you asked him what that means. I wonder if we even care what that means. Well if you have a moment you can waste, I wonder if you could spend it with me uncovering some rocks and opening some drawers and asking some penetrating questions in order to flush out some of that verse without first making sure we have safely hidden away anything that might be uncomfortable or costly or embarrassing.

That 33^rd verse is rather astounding if taken literally. But who takes the teachings of Jesus literally? Even those who parade their “I believe the Bible is literal” credentials shrink from that confession when it comes to His words. And the “great” Bible teachers of our day are adept at compartmentalizing and emasculating the words of Jesus because if taken literally, or even close to literally, they would have dramatic consequences in the way we live. And the church desires people to stop smoking and taking drugs and committing adultery, but it must shy away from dramatic changes in the way we live, especially if it involves money and material things. And that phrase “all that he has” is shocking and attacks our common sensibilities. I mean come on. Let’s get real here.
And that word “forsake” must have some spiritual meaning since it cannot mean what it would generally mean. I can recall many preachers say “It’s alright to have money and wealth as long as it does not have you”. There are two problems with that. For one much money always has the one who has it. And secondly that goes against the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament in general. Imagine sitting in a college classroom where science was being taught. The professor says that the Neil Armstrong walked on the surface of the Moon. He says that will be on the upcoming test.
At lunch you are speaking with other classmates and they are discussing what the professor taught and they mention Neil Armstrong’s walk on the Moon. One of the boys at the table says, “That was just a metaphor. Don’t take that literally.” The whole table turns and looks at this kid like he is crazy. But the kid sticks to his gins and insists Armstrong did not walk on the Moon and it was a literary device meant to teach the possibilities of exploration anywhere. You would dismiss that kid as unbalanced and not in touch with reality. So when Jesus says “forsake all that he has” and preachers reject it as literal and mold it into some ethereal life lesson why do we embrace him as a great teacher?
So, you say, does that mean we should sell everything we have and follow Jesus? Does that mean we should give everything we have to the poor and the cause of the gospel? Well, does it? Ok, now we are getting somewhere. The first step into taking a fresh look at the teachings of Jesus is to get us all off of our comfortable interpretations and dare to pray for deeper understanding. To retreat into well worn and safe mantras plants nothing, waters nothing, and harvests nothing.
We must search our hearts. Are we serving Jesus at all according to His words? And if so are we serving Him because of His benefits or how it makes us feel? Or are we committed to serving Him because of His majesty and glory and because He is worthy? I realize we love Him because He first loved us. And I realize He gave His life for us and that alone should propel us into His service. But the highest form of service should always be because of who He is and not just because of what He has done.
Discipleship is all about Him and less about us. If we make discipleship about Christ then we will follow. Rules have energy which quickly fades or they become traditions inbred with self righteousness. But when Christ is exalted and His words become reflections of Him, then we will have the will, the desire, and the power to follow Him. What did we forsake when we came to Christ? Was it only things that were destroying us? Was it only some major sins? What of great value to us did we forsake? What did it cost us to follow Jesus? What does it cost us today?
Today’s Christian can attend filthy movies. He can join hands with unbelievers in politics. He can use inappropriate language. He can hate certain sinners. He can save up large amounts of money for himself. He can go into debt. He can spend his money on the same accoutrements as his neighbor. And he can spend enormous amounts of time on sports and recreation and entertainment and almost no time in seeking the face of Christ through much prayer and meditating within the Word of God. So just what does he forsake?
Does the average church member suffer for Christ? Oh it rains on the just and the unjust and there are temptations and sufferings that are common to man, but what sufferings are within the fellowship of His sufferings? Ok, I will admit that when you understand the teachings of the New Testament we can have family and a job and a dwelling place and clothing. But what then do we forsake? Is that not a legitimate question given the words of Jesus?
But allow me to take us a step further. Here is a man on a very large ship. He has fallen overboard and is now flailing way in the midst of large ocean waves. The captain signals the man overboard siren and all hands on deck. The sailors pull down a life preserver and throw it out to that drowning man. As he bobs up and down he is swallowing water and he is getting very weary. The life preserver is right next to him, however he cannot grab it unless he forsakes his own flailing. He must forsake his own efforts and then he can reach for that life preserver.
You see, we cannot lay hold of something unless we forsake what is already in our hands. So if we are unwilling to forsake all then we cannot lay hold of Christ, and then we cannot be His disciple. I do not profess to know completely what that entails as it pertains to a western life, but I do know this. We are all supposed to seek the answer to that and then joyfully forsake all and follow Him. Be definition we cannot embrace our own life and live His as well.
Forsaking does begin in the heart and mind. Repentance is a change in your mind and it can only come by the power of His Spirit. And when our minds are changed concerning the Lordship of Christ, then they are by definition changed as it pertains to our own lives. We now are servants and even bond slaves to our Wonderful Lord. And the Spirit desire to lead us to a place that we do not count our own lives as dear. And then the Spirit desires to lead us to count our lives as belonging to Him. And then, if we are relentless in our prayerful pursuit, the Spirit just may be able to lead us to the place where our lives ARE His. But before you get to that place please remove the sandals off your heart for you will be walking on holy ground.
*****

THE RESURRECTION OF THE FAITH

Jn.8: ⁵⁸ Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Contained in this statement from our Lord is the very basis for our faith. Yes, it proves the deity of Christ and His eternal existence, but it goes further than that. You see Jesus wasn’t just interested in some study of Christology. And Jesus was not just a representative of God the Father. Jesus came to die and in that death would be two interconnected and eternal truths. And both these truths are foundational and in a mystery they are actually one and the same. Jesus is the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, and Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone of the church.

Listen carefully to what I am going to say. It is not enough to believe in the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross and that only through faith in Him can eternal life become possible. That, of course, is foundational and nonnegotiable. But it must also be foundational that Jesus is the Head of the church and what he taught are commands to His church. In many ways the evangelical church has embraced the former and compromised the latter. But Jesus is not only Lord of our salvation, but He must be Lord of our new lives.
And given the current state of the church we are in desperate need of a spiritual resurrection of the faith which believes in and also follows Jesus. If you believe we can tweak the current church system and please God you are greatly mistaken. The situation is so dire and has taken a self serving journey which is so far from Jesus that to return to a Christ centered experience and practice is a monumental task. In fact it requires a level of repentance most of us have never known. We have experienced a repentance which is aimed at unkind words or some sinful habit or other personal attitudes.
But this repentance is the portal through which we return to the true faith which follows Jesus and His teachings. And to follow Jesus without following His teachings is to not follow Him at all. That sounds so simple and it sounds like something you might hear in a sermon, and in reality it is. It is something we have heard. But through the years the essence of that truth has been lost within a maze of religious rhetoric, ecclesiastical organization, and the power of a fallen culture. And the repentance necessary to begin a return must begin with a profound seeking of the Spirit which begs Him to open your eyes. And as you beseech Him for such an awakening you must first place everything on the table. Nothing can be stored or defended or protected from His searching power.
And that is just the beginning of a painful yet marvelous journey. Ok, you ask, just what are you saying here? I am saying the western church for the most part believes in Jesus the Savior of our souls, but it no longer follows Him.
In magic, especially cards tricks and the like, the move known as the “sleight of hand” is employed. It uses misdirection and an amazing dexterity to imprison the eyes and build upon what the mind understands as normal and real and then reveals the unexpected and the unexplained through confounds normal logic. And false teachings use the sleight of truth by misdirection and reason. I have heard preachers quote some portion of Scripture and then lead his audience to a well known reality in their lives, and from there he takes some spiritual and eternal truth and cleverly hides it within an earthly truth. And then he teaches an earthly truth as if it were an eternal truth. The switch had been made, and because the hearers can identify with that earthly truth and because the speaker has used his personality and persuasiveness to elicit affection and trust, the hearers understand the connection he is making and they embrace it as God’s truth.
And there is a tangible psychological phenomenon evident here as well. An audience desires to be approved of by a speaker who they recognize as wise and a profound spiritual conduit. They naturally listen eager to understand and enter into agreement which subtly allows them to feel they understand on the speaker’s level. So when the speaker says something and then looks at the people expectantly they respond regardless if they fully grasp what he is saying. In fact you will hear some speakers say, “I wish I could get a witness in here tonight!” or “You’re not hearing what I am saying!” which is also a psychological tool meant to nudge the audience forward into full and even effervescent agreement with the speaker. I mean who wants to be left behind and seem ignorant?
In the end that speaker can almost preach Popeye and the crowd will clap for joy and more importantly empty their wallets. The speaker has used all kinds of different truths and made unholy alliances with earthly logic and Scriptural truth and he now leverages them to control the listeners. The speaker has used a sleight of truth and by the power of his personality and performance he has cleverly and pleasantly deceived the people.
And this is what has happened in the western church regardless of how orthodox they are in theology. The church is Christocentric in is soteriology (doctrine of salvation) but Christ and His teachings are no longer embraced in understanding and practice. The switch has been made by cleverly directing our eyes to orthodox doctrines about Jesus and about salvation while deftly discarding the full weight and implications of His teachings as they apply to the lives of believers. This is a deep and serious issue if we are to take the faith seriously. Can we embrace Jesus as the I AM for salvation and then walk in WE ARE after salvation?
The western church for the most part believes in Jesus the Savior of our souls, but it no longer follows Him. But do not assume that once you reach that conclusion that you immediately are following Jesus. Oh no, my friend, your journey has just begun. And this journey back to Jesus will be filled with many levels of repentance, many levels of humility, many levels of sorrow, many levels of joy, many levels of understanding, many levels of confusion, many levels of correction, many levels of glory, and in the end you will recognize that this journey will only end when you leave this life and enter the life to come. And then I believe we will enter a completely different journey filled with many levels of worship for all eternity. Oh my...dear Jesus.
If we are honest and do a complete and thorough examination of everything the church practices and how the professing believer lives against the foundation of the literal teachings of Jesus what will we find? Of course I do not expect the church at large to even entertain the question, much less embark on such a quest. But there remains this issue in this modern church era. The industrial revolution gave birth to a materialistic culture and the average man was no longer a lowly farmer. Now people could make enough money to buy many things and enjoy the comforts of home, and the list of those comforts continues to grow every day.
And so under the weight of the culture the church began an inconspicuous shift in its belief system and practice. Many churches deemphasized doctrine while many others made doctrine their one legged foundation. And the casualties were the teachings of Jesus. One church reconfigured Jesus into a servant and entertainer of man while the other church admired Him in a gilded doctrinal cage. And the teachings of Jesus fell through the cracks and were absorbed by the religious culture. So the church was considered orthodox if their theology was Christocentric even if their practice was not. And that created a brand new view of orthodoxy.
I have posted nine chapters of a series I called “The Teachings of Jesus”. The first step is to recognize how earthly and self centered the church has become. The second step is a journey of many steps to read and absorb and understand and submit and obey the teachings of Jesus. Until we do that we are adherents of another faith and a partial Jesus. Let us all resurrect a vibrant and passionate and inconvenient search for Jesus in all His glory and through the prism of His eternal teachings.
***** 

Matt.11: ² Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

³ And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
⁴ Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
⁵ The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
⁶ And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Of course one of the reasons Jesus did so many visible miracles was to authenticate His divine status. But I am sure His compassion was also a wonderful element. It has always been curious to me that John the Baptist who proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!” would need more information later and more assurance. The only answer I could come up with for John’s question was that without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit it would be difficult to remain steadfast in one revelation concerning Jesus. That should alert us to the absolute necessity of the power, guidance, and revelation of the Spirit Who dwells in our very being. Let us never rely on the arm of the flesh or the power of our own intellect. Without the Holy Spirit we ourselves would be uncertain about Jesus and would need daily reassurance as to the most basic truths. In other words our faith as to Who Jesus does not require the initial revelation everyday because of the Holy Spirit. It is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit!

All true believers understand the miraculous nature of Jesus’ ministry. He did miracles that no man could ever do even though lying preachers claim otherwise. Who among us have raised the dead after three days? And even in the face of such divine power and wonders men still desire to rob Jesus of some of His glory. They try in vain.
But my mind and heart zeros in on two distinct phrases from our Lord’s lips in these verses. The first being, “The poor have the gospel preached to them.” This is both revealing and powerful. It elevates the gospel to the place of prominence it deserves. Pay no attention to these prosperity liars that claim the gospel to the poor is the good news that God wants them rich. They will one day stand before Christ and give an account for their blasphemy. But it is curious that Jesus mentions the poor specifically.
Did Jesus not say “every creature” just before He ascended into heaven? So why does He single out the poor in this context? I would invite you to read the entire chapter of Matthew 11 and see the entire context. It does not say just why Jesus mentions the poor in the context of the gospel but he must have had a reason which can be ascertained by the overarching context of His ministry and teaching. The poor seem to have a special place in God’s heart. And the poor many times do not have all the trapping of this world that keep men from seeking God. Jesus said that it was very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. It isn’t because rich men’s hearts are any less fallen than an unsaved poor man’s heart. But the riches of this world often choke out the things of the Spirit.
That is why we should all be poor in spirit regardless of our earthly wealth or lack thereof. And within this culture of abject hedonism and greed we as believers need to constantly search our hearts concerning the riches of this world. Yes, there are believers who have wealth but they have a great challenge to not let that wealth affect and infect their spiritual lives. James warned about showing deference to wealthy people in the gatherings. The love of money reveals itself in many subtle and overt ways.
But that last verse speaks of being unashamed in our allegiance to Jesus. In these days where Jesus has been made an American patriot where is the offense? The church treats Him like He is on their “side”. They suggest He is a moral crusader who leads the charge against gays and liberals and Muslims because they are enemies of the state. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is on no one’s side. He calls us to follow Him. When you can live in such a demonstrably fallen and hedonistic culture, and when you claim to follow Jesus within that culture, and when your religious community is treated with respect and invited to have a seat at the table of the scornful, then you can be assured you are not following Jesus. Jesus was rejected of men, and yet today those that say they follow Him are a welcomed part of a worldly system that operates completely against the teachings of Jesus. What does that tell you, class? It tells you that either that worldly system actually loves Jesus or that the church does not. It tells you that either an earthly country is part of God’s kingdom or the church is not.

The Resurrection of the Faith

THE RESURRECTION OF THE FAITH 

Jn.8: ⁵⁸ Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Contained in this statement from our Lord is the very basis for our faith. Yes, it proves the deity of Christ and His eternal existence, but it goes further than that. You see Jesus wasn’t just interested in some study of Christology. And Jesus was not just a representative of God the Father. Jesus came to die and in that death would be two interconnected and eternal truths. And both these truths are foundational and in a mystery they are actually one and the same. Jesus is the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, and Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone of the church.

Listen carefully to what I am going to say. It is not enough to believe in the substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross and that only through faith in Him can eternal life become possible. That, of course, is foundational and nonnegotiable. But it must also be foundational that Jesus is the Head of the church and what he taught are commands to His church. In many ways the evangelical church has embraced the former and compromised the latter. But Jesus is not only Lord of our salvation, but He must be Lord of our new lives.
And given the current state of the church we are in desperate need of a spiritual resurrection of the faith which believes in and also follows Jesus. If you believe we can tweak the current church system and please God you are greatly mistaken. The situation is so dire and has taken a self serving journey which is so far from Jesus that to return to a Christ centered experience and practice is a monumental task. In fact it requires a level of repentance most of us have never known. We have experienced a repentance which is aimed at unkind words or some sinful habit or other personal attitudes.
But this repentance is the portal through which we return to the true faith which follows Jesus and His teachings. And to follow Jesus without following His teachings is to not follow Him at all. That sounds so simple and it sounds like something you might hear in a sermon, and in reality it is. It is something we have heard. But through the years the essence of that truth has been lost within a maze of religious rhetoric, ecclesiastical organization, and the power of a fallen culture. And the repentance necessary to begin a return must begin with a profound seeking of the Spirit which begs Him to open your eyes. And as you beseech Him for such an awakening you must first place everything on the table. Nothing can be stored or defended or protected from His searching power.

And that is just the beginning of a painful yet marvelous journey. Ok, you ask, just what are you saying here? I am saying the western church for the most part believes in Jesus the Savior of our souls, but it no longer follows Him.

In magic, especially cards tricks and the like, the move known as the “sleight of hand” is employed. It uses misdirection and an amazing dexterity to imprison the eyes and build upon what the mind understands as normal and real and then reveals the unexpected and the unexplained through confounds normal logic. And false teachings use the sleight of truth by misdirection and reason. I have heard preachers quote some portion of Scripture and then lead his audience to a well known reality in their lives, and from there he takes some spiritual and eternal truth and cleverly hides it within an earthly truth. And then he teaches an earthly truth as if it were an eternal truth. The switch had been made, and because the hearers can identify with that earthly truth and because the speaker has used his personality and persuasiveness to elicit affection and trust, the hearers understand the connection he is making and they embrace it as God’s truth.

And there is a tangible psychological phenomenon evident here as well. An audience desires to be approved of by a speaker who they recognize as wise and a profound spiritual conduit. They naturally listen eager to understand and enter into agreement which subtly allows them to feel they understand on the speaker’s level. So when the speaker says something and then looks at the people expectantly they respond regardless if they fully grasp what he is saying. In fact you will hear some speakers say, “I wish I could get a witness in here tonight!” or “You’re not hearing what I am saying!” which is also a psychological tool meant to nudge the audience forward into full and even effervescent agreement with the speaker. I mean who wants to be left behind and seem ignorant?
In the end that speaker can almost preach Popeye and the crowd will clap for joy and more importantly empty their wallets. The speaker has used all kinds of different truths and made unholy alliances with earthly logic and Scriptural truth and he now leverages them to control the listeners. The speaker has used a sleight of truth and by the power of his personality and performance he has cleverly and pleasantly deceived the people.
And this is what has happened in the western church regardless of how orthodox they are in theology. The church is Christocentric in is soteriology (doctrine of salvation) but Christ and His teachings are no longer embraced in understanding and practice. The switch has been made by cleverly directing our eyes to orthodox doctrines about Jesus and about salvation while deftly discarding the full weight and implications of His teachings as they apply to the lives of believers. This is a deep and serious issue if we are to take the faith seriously. Can we embrace Jesus as the I AM for salvation and then walk in WE ARE after salvation?
The western church for the most part believes in Jesus the Savior of our souls, but it no longer follows Him. But do not assume that once you reach that conclusion that you immediately are following Jesus. Oh no, my friend, your journey has just begun. And this journey back to Jesus will be filled with many levels of repentance, many levels of humility, many levels of sorrow, many levels of joy, many levels of understanding, many levels of confusion, many levels of correction, many levels of glory, and in the end you will recognize that this journey will only end when you leave this life and enter the life to come. And then I believe we will enter a completely different journey filled with many levels of worship for all eternity. Oh my...dear Jesus.
If we are honest and do a complete and thorough examination of everything the church practices and how the professing believer lives against the foundation of the literal teachings of Jesus what will we find? Of course I do not expect the church at large to even entertain the question, much less embark on such a quest. But there remains this issue in this modern church era. The industrial revolution gave birth to a materialistic culture and the average man was no longer a lowly farmer. Now people could make enough money to buy many things and enjoy the comforts of home, and the list of those comforts continues to grow every day.
And so under the weight of the culture the church began an inconspicuous shift in its belief system and practice. Many churches deemphasized doctrine while many others made doctrine their one legged foundation. And the casualties were the teachings of Jesus. One church reconfigured Jesus into a servant and entertainer of man while the other church admired Him in a gilded doctrinal cage. And the teachings of Jesus fell through the cracks and were absorbed by the religious culture. So the church was considered orthodox if their theology was Christocentric even if their practice was not. And that created a brand new view of orthodoxy.
I have posted nine chapters of a series I called “The Teachings of Jesus”. The first step is to recognize how earthly and self centered the church has become. The second step is a journey of many steps to read and absorb and understand and submit and obey the teachings of Jesus. Until we do that we are adherents of another faith and a partial Jesus. Let us all resurrect a vibrant and passionate and inconvenient search for Jesus in all His glory and through the prism of His eternal teachings.