Requiem for Stone Commandments

II Cor.3:6-11 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

For the believer there is no more law. None. Does that mean that the born again child is free to do what he pleases? It depends upon your definition of “free”. In some respects the covenant of grace is stricter than the covenant of law, which was just the covenant of grace in incubation. I reiterate my example.

You have a shed in the backyard and you explicitly tell your son that it is off limits to him. Now after a couple of days your son opens the shed door and goes into it because he is curious. You happen to walk outside and catch him in the very act of disobedience. What do you do? You punish him. But did he break any law? What if your neighbor enters into your shed in the cloak of night and he is caught? He is breaking the law and is subject to its punishment. But your son gets punished as well, but not according to the law. He is punished as a son, not a criminal.

It is the same in the spirit. An unsaved person is judged according to the law, while a child of God is punished as a son. Some quote the words of Jesus as proof that the law is still in effect for believers today. He said, “Think not that I have come to abolish the law, but rather I have come to fulfill it”. But the writer of Hebrews assures us in verse 11 that the law has been “done away with”. So what was Jesus saying?

Of course the Savior was teaching us that He alone could satisfy all the demands of the law and therefore proving Himself a worthy sacrifice in our place. Many suggest that verse 11 only applies to the sacrificial law and the ceremonial law but not the moral law, but those categories are man made and have no basis in Scripture. The law is the law and if we are to be judged by it today then we are all miserable sinners who willingly practice sin of all sorts.

And this is where our legalistic brothers stumble. They believe that by keeping certain aspects of the law they are somehow made a little more righteous before God. And that kind of perspective obliterates the relationship aspect of salvation. The law becomes our judge and not our Heavenly Father. Salvation is not an amalgam of law and grace. God forbid. The law poisons grace and runs the risk of reducing God’s grace to nothing. Everyone reading this post would deserve hell and eternal banishment if you were judged by the law in any way.

Picture the father of the prodigal son as he watches for a sign of his son’s return. Was he standing with a sheriff in order to arrest him for breaking the law. In fact, was he standing with the high priest in order to condemn him for eating with swine? Absolutely not. He was standing in love and forgiveness toward his wayward son, and the love and forgiveness was the point of Jesus’ story. The law kills while grace grants life relationship and life everlasting.

To the degree we are motivated by obedience to the law is the degree to which our love for God is reduced. “The love of Christ constrains me”, says the Apostle Paul. The law of death has been fulfilled and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has filled the vacuum. Away with the stone commandments that no one can obey and let the relationship with our Heavenly Father be our consuming passion. Our lives are to be living sacrifices unto God and not some troop of moral policemen who judge others while we ourselves are being judged.

Grace

A person can commit adultery and still be saved. A person can speed willingly and still be saved. A person can lie and still be saved. A person can hate and still be saved. A person can be prayer less and still be saved. A person can not read God’s Word and still be saved. A person can never witness and still be saved. A person can gossip and still be saved. A person can sexually gratify himself and still be saved. A person can lust after his neighbor and still be saved.

But yet, a person can struggle with homosexuality and not be saved?

What kind of grace is that?

The answer?

Man made.

Followers of Jesus

We are mean to others when we need to be. We borrow money just like our neighbors. We speak words of gossip behind closed doors. We encourage our children to be successful. We divorce when it serves us. We pledge allegiance to the flag. We try and save up money for ourselves. We are entertianed by violence and sex. We hold musicians in high esteem. We like and dislike people based upon their politics. We go to church. We teach our children to be competitive. We observe holidays. We drive over the speed limit. We own an abundance of clothing. We watch many hours of television. We spend much money eating out. We applaud individualism. We love our pets. We abhor all kinds of personal suffering. We complain when our pocketbooks are affected. We share negative things about our employers. Inconvenience makes us unpleasant. We go to war. “We are followers of Jesus.” “But”, say our neighbors, “We do all those things and we are not followers of Jesus. What makes you a follower of Jesus?” “Because we say so.”

The Mystery

The Mystery

Eph.1:9, 10 - Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: Eph.3:2-11 - If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 0To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
The entire plan is a mystery. In fact, God Himself is a great mystery. We cannot even understand the nature of a “spirit” and yet God is a spirit. We so matter-of-factly say that God created everything out of nothing with just a Word, and yet that in and of itself is a colossal mystery. The nature of sin and the nature of holiness and the nature of man are all great mysteries which we have reduced to doctrinal check boxes. We have taken the sacred mysteries and made them into a safe set of spiritual tenants that stand without the soul shaking effects that such truths should, or must, have.
Of course they have been shared to us by revelation of the Holy Spirit and on a level that we can understand, but that should not negate their monumental and eternal truths. This Christianity, this faith that we claim to embrace, is much more than systematic theologies and moral philosophies. This faith centers around the Person of Jesus the Christ Who is the ultimate mystery.
I Tim.3:16 - And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
If God Himself is a great mystery, then of what sort of mystery is the Incarnation where God comes as a man? And if you will bow to that mystery, then of what mystery is the Incarnate One’s mission? Why has He come? And surrounded and even overwhelmed by all these mysteries, and if you can surrender to their incomprehensible magnitude, then let us walk into the greatest mystery of them all which has sprung out of all the rest. The cross.
Intricately woven together and precisely placed within a chronology, these mysteries brought forth the greatest expression of the mystery that we call God. Lifted high upon a wooden death instrument, God Himself suffers while impaled upon that which He Himself had made. Just that sentence alone confounds the angels and sends all religions and philosophies running to find safety. The cross unveils a mystery that is dangerous and unbending, bloody and loving, vicious and graceful, repulsive and beautiful, and pulsating with eternal majesty inside the basest of all human deeds. The word “mystery” find its complete etymology in this cross. The source of all spiritual power lives and breathes in this cross, and the cross provides the classroom for studying the continuing mystery of God.
Most humans do not even feel a need for redemption, and most religions provide that redemption through systems of higher knowledge and levels of consciousness. But here is Jesus, the Author and Finisher of this faith, and the One who has existed eternally without having a beginning. Here He is, shamed as a man and abused by His own, and pierced with all sorts of wounds. All this while claiming to be all powerful and the creator of all. He does not exact from His followers a higher level of consciousness or some spiritual cast system where men can rise upon the basis of their own endeavors and labors. Here is Jesus, the God of all mysteries, dying upon a cross and at the hands of wicked men.
Even the angels cannot fathom what is happening. This cross is not for them. How can we understand the Creator of all life succumbing to death at the hands of those to whom He gave life? Only the Spirit of God can open a sinner’s heart and deposit the knowledge of Who this is and the personal nature of this sacrifice. And when this enlightened sinner touches the knowledge of the Holy One and the completeness of His sacrificial death, then he must deal with his own fallen flesh which provides ample excuses for refusing God’s offer.
You see, we desire a mystery which appeals to the senses and could make a wonderful visual effects movie. We desire a mystery which allows us to be something and elevates mankind. We desire a mystery that lifts our emotions and provides us a hope that is grounded in ourselves. We do not desire a mystery which sees the God of our hope in shame and torture and in a seemingly stunning defeat. That is a tough mystery to market to a self serving audience.
But again, that is just another facet of this great mystery. The cross does not come to us in order to stroke our need for self affirmation. It does not provide a place where we can feel better about ourselves. It doesn’t even provide a place of aesthetic visuals that lift our spirits. In the natural, this mystery is depressing and vulgar. But in the Spirit this cross is the zenith of mysteries that carries with it the entire provision for eternal redemption. Countless mysteries are inherent in this one event. The mystery of the Incarnation; the mystery of God’s love; the mystery of sin; the mystery of the blood; the mystery of His sufferings; the mystery of the Trinity; the mystery of redemption; the mystery of forgiveness; and the mystery of divine death. No one can completely understand this mystery. No one needs to fully comprehend this mystery. The only requirement is to believe in this mystery and you have become a part of it.

Counterfeit Redemption

There she is; dancing around and on a pole. Men are glaring at her with evil intentions and planning their next move. She wears her most alluring face and smiles, beckoning at anyone who is watching and especially those who might have money. She offers herself on different levels. Inside she is empty beyond words. She left high school early and escaped the home life which had tortured her through all kinds of step father abuse since she was 9 years old. She knew her mother was aware of much of it, but her mother refused to intervene. New wounds opened up on top of freash scars; she drank daily from a mixture of fear, hate, and immeasurable shame. Hopelessness was her constant companion, and from time to time her self loathing led her to cut herself. Drugs? Whatever could soften the pain was welcomed into her mouth as quickly as she could get it, and alcohol was her daily bread. Any male who showed her any attention could have her on the same night she met him. Without skills or education she sought a way to earn money. She found it through stripping. So here she was performing her nightly masquerade in hopes of living one more hopeless day. Please, brethren, do not feel sorry for this immoral specimen. She is a slut by any definition, and she is a mockery to womanhood. She provides a wonderful example for sermon fodder, and her life can be castigated with Biblical terms such as harlot, whore, and temptress. If she votes at all she probably walks the liberal line, and when you see her in the grocery store, point her out to your children as one who hates God. This witch pollutes society and upstanding and patriotic believers must take a stand against such people. And we can feel good about ourselves as we kick these miscreants since the New Testament is full of examples of how Jesus Himself attacked sinners. We walk in His footsteps. And if she turned out to be a lesbian, it would only be icing on the moral cake we have baked. But if she repents, we might love her. Jesus died to have these people banished from our culture and stricken from the record of human existence. Oh how I love Jesus.

(As we worry about a government shut down, millions of lives have been shut down long ago. I was once one of them. I will never forget.)

Turn Your Eyes

Matt.6:24-34 - No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. With this exhortation from our Lord about earthly priorities compared with the eternal kingdom of Almighty God, which do we seem to be devoted to? What consumes us, and what worries us, and what does the media compel us to dwell upon? And what do many western churches devote their teachings to? There are the endless “how to” sermons and the earthly success messages that imprison the listeners to that which perishes and give tacit acknowledgement to that which is eternal. The church has lost the walk of eternity. Eternity is a modest doctrine usually described as “heaven” and pointed to as a coming event and place in the distant future, but with little if any significance in the daily lives of those who believe in such a place. Grandma is there along with Moses and the saints, but that place is detached from the here and now. Eternity is a doctrinal curiosity, and like a zoo animal it is brought forth and paraded around at appropriate times in order to affirm our theology, but never without the cage which protects our lives from the dangers that might bring about sacrifice if indeed eternity was let loose. It is a pitiful spectacle. The average believer saves up money in order to secure a life of retirement and travel while still professing that he believes God will provide and that souls without Christ are lost forever. The western churches spend literally billions of interest dollars on buildings where affluent believers can gather and worship in comfortable surroundings and automated climate control. And while people around the world starve and are in distress, and while brothers and sisters are in dire need of help, we manipulate our emotions with musical sound effects and wonderful sound systems and three dimensional presentations of the new building program. And then we have the audacity to call forbidden vows and usury a “faith pledge” which will be presented to the secular banks so they can lend God the money He doesn’t have and then use the interest to fund all sorts of immoral ventures around the community. And like Samson we do not even realize something is missing and something has gone terribly wrong. The western church is in desperate need of a massive revival that shakes all of us to our very foundations. This is not the time to “tweak” our theology, this is the time to rend open our hearts and realize that our theology has become wind and paper, and that our lives have been assimilated into the very culture we were supposed to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I suppose that the Spirit would have to be careful in what dose He revealed our rebellion to us since we probably would not believe Him, but definitely could not handle it all at once. But where is the thirst and hunger for more? Why have complacency and contentment immobilized us and relegated us to an unremarkable lifestyle within a dark and sinful world? Our children are no longer taught about the great revivals of times past where believers were so broken and then filled that entire towns felt the spiritual tremors. Those stories seem like fairy tales that warm our emotions but render our hearts untouched and our lives unaltered. But what can change the status quo? What can awaken our souls in a way that openly demonstrates a dramatic elevation in commitment? It is simple and yet profound. I suggest, no I insist, that only through a time consuming desire to seek and visit the glory of the Risen Christ through the prism of His sufferings can any believer genuinely find a repentance laden awakening that lasts more than a one hour church service. In fact, that kind of awakening must be sought in spite of the tenor of the church rather than in concert with the same. The seeking saint who finds this world vacuous, finds the church unfulfilling, and most of all finds his own mirror extremely disappointing and in need of a significant overhaul, will most likely find little encouragement within the church. It is a lonely journey filled with all sorts of pitfalls, the most dangerous being his own self righteousness. It is most difficult to make spiritual headway and find a deeper relationship with Christ and remain humble and without judgment of others. The same can be true for those of us who speak correction to the church. I stand in dire need of a penetrating revival of my own heart and a clearer devotion to the crucified and risen Lord. So here we are, collectively and personally. But with the weight of the cares of this world upon our shoulders, how in God’s dear name can we even begin to move toward the cross and empty tomb, and the One whose fragrance permeates those eternal landmarks? I suggest that we return to the time of our conversion and reignite that spark without the confusion and interference from the numerous distractions both within and without the church. I suggest we ascend the metaphorical mountain and seek Him and Him alone. Surely we must do the things of this world of which we have been given responsibility. But we must reorganize our time priorities to not only accommodate spiritual disciplines, but we must avoid just a reorganization without a tangible spiritual passion. Does the Risen Christ rule and reign from His throne room? Is He going to return soon? And He is the Creator Lord of all that is? Is Jesus, Yeshua, worthy of all our praise and worship and sacrificial service? Has He purchased our eternity through His unspeakable sufferings upon the cross? And has He resurrected from the dead as the Victor over sin, death, and the grave? Oh it sounds like such an old story told upon a child’s flannel board, but it is just those things that must become dynamic life for us once again. Do not look for accolades from the intellectuals or the moralists or the nationalists. But close your ears to everything but His voice, and seek those things which are above. Rest your affections upon things not of this world, and let those affections be used by Christ to reach a lost and dying world. If the lost cannot see a dramatic difference in our affections and the way we live, then how can we expect them to see the Lord Jesus? Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace

A Moron

I would like to say that a so called pastor burning the Quran is misguided, unwise, and unchristian. And I would like to say that this so called pastor acted in an unchristian way and has hindered the spread of the gospel among the Muslim people. I would like to say those things.

But I think I'll just say he is a moron.

The Hoofbeats Approach

The time draws near but the earthly watches are stopped.

The Passion and Love of Christ

The word “passion” is often a term which refers to the time between the Lord’s Supper and Christ’s death upon the cross. It indicates both His intensity and the depth of suffering He endured. We can only imagine what He endured, but only the Christ Himself can ever know the extent of His redemptive sufferings.

We tend to view God through the prism of a “supreme being” whose power is His greatest attribute, and in so doing we minimize, as well as misunderstand, His heart. This perception has been handed down through science and has found some legitimacy in the church. Grief and sadness are viewed as weakness and part of the human experience, but those kind of emotions are typically downplayed as it concerns the Creator. But that antiseptic view of God severely constricts His glory and in fact leads to a divine caricature of God rather than one that embraces Him in all His fullness.

So how does God reveal His love to a lost and fallen race? And is His love enough, or must that love act to provide a way that leads to a living eternity in His very presence? And what act can provide both an expression of love and a tangible vehicle of redemption? Remove the sandals from your heart and let us look again at the horror of God’s love.

Love as we understand it is supposed to be a display of tenderness and gentle devotion, and two young lovers in a meadow sometimes comes to mind. Who can forget our first love when our hearts were drawn to someone in school or the neighborhood? We might have been drawn by their eyes or hair or personality, but something about them captured our hearts and we experienced for the very first time the emotion we call love. It was all so like a fairy tale.

But how can we fully experience God’s love, and what about the Father can draw us to know and experience His love toward us as well as materialize within us a love for Him? Will it be the beauty of the mountains or the brightness of the stars? The majesty of the oceans or the wonder of the human figure? The expanse of the universe or the warmth of a mother’s affection? Which of these or others will God use to exhibit His matchless love for us? Of course all of these fall short in communicating the Father’s love but they all come with finite beauty and limited majesty.

But in the holy wisdom of God’s own counsel none of these created treasures are what God has chosen to reveal His everlasting love to us. Take a closer look and set your eyes upon a small hill just outside of the City of Peace, Jerusalem. Do not search for something warm and cuddly or even something pleasant to the eyes. The revelation of God’s love comes not with the normal expectations of man and his understandings concerning love, no, this revelation confounds the poetic and romantic inclinations of our hearts, this revelation is repulsive and frightening, but it is the powerful mystery that illuminates the divine love to the sinful heart of man. This is the cross, revealing the horror of God’s love.

What do I mean when I say horror? With that term I attempt to explain that the cross displays the depth of God’s love through the single most striking and chilling event that man can experience, the visual and elongated death of another man. A spectacle through which every sinner can identify because death awaits us all, but this death is so much different than any other, this is the death of God’s only begotten Son. Only the sadistic nature of a fallen man would be drawn to watch a tortured man die, but there is something about this death that has had a holy voyeuristic quality to it that has lasted until today. Something, some small inside voice says that there is more to this death than can be seen by the natural eyes, something spiritual and far more meaningful than a Jew taking his last breath at the hands of Roman soldiers.

The visual aspect of Golgotha is indeed filled with blood and water, sweat and agony, and the entire scene is most repugnant and yet there remains an attraction that is not explained by any sadistic element, this allurement has a redemptive essence that seems to seek some form of shelter from this bleeding form. People have worn it, made its sign, drawn its shape, placed it on graves, and it has found a place on and in buildings throughout the world. What is it about this death, this tortured punishment, that has so mesmerized much of the world?

Deep inside the physical nature of this death burns the inescapable motivation for it all, something that has had no beginning and existed before the first atom was spoken into existence. Underneath the bloody wounds lives the eternal love of God, the love that is now extended through this horror and which mysteriously flows out from those incarnate veins. No pleasant meadow and no tender scene comes to present God’s offer of love, no, a vicious and violent scene of torture and ultimately murder itself is the fresco upon which God expresses His love for us. The method of communicating this love, much less its very nature, is beyond the human comprehension since this crimson scene speaks of anything but love in the usual context.

This visual tells of murder and violence and vengeance and punishment, but surely not love. What kind of love lives and breathes in mutilated gore, and what loves reaches out through that which is feared most? Only the redeemed child of God can appreciate the meaning of Calvary’s mystery, but the horror of God’s eternal love draws from our bosom the sweetest emotions of gratefulness and praise for the measureless depths of that expression of divine love. It is the horror of it all that seems to awaken our souls to understand the august greatness of this love, and it is only the Spirit that can bring understanding to such a bewildering act. To say the cross was a selfless act is to severely diminish its glory, since it was God delivering His only Son for us all and that truth is incomprehensible.

But each and every sinner who, by faith, touches this love exposed in death, is transformed by its inexhaustible power. That God loves the universe is amazing, but that God loves mankind through the death of His Son is unfathomable. But that God would show His love through the horror of His Son’s murder to each of us personally leaves us speechless and indeed without the corresponding emotion that this act should require. To be horrified and yet loved at the same time remains a mystery, but it is the deepest redemptive mystery that will continue to redound to the glory of God throughout eternity. And deeper still is the mystery that when a sinner approaches this cross by faith, he himself becomes consumed by God’s love and made a part of this divine death, only to be resurrected into a new creature made in the image of God’s love, His Son. Selah.

And so a lonely man, as it were, barely walks His own beaten frame up the hill called Calvary, and allowing Himself to be nailed to the planks, and allowing Himself to be mocked, and allowing Himself to be unrecognized as to Who He was, He lasts six agonizing hours before bowing His head in death. And the glory of this horror continues to shine God's love without measure even unto today. Please bid me no further for my words only detract, but grant me this one last thought. In the end, there is no love but God’s, and the cross is the blood spattered mirror through which to see it most clearly.

The Blood Still Cries Out

Gen.4:8 - And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Cain thought he could hide his evil deed, but God knew and hears Abel’s blood cry out metaphorically from the ground. Cain stands indicted. There is a movement aflame throughout all of Christendom to silence the blood from another murder. Abel did not wish to die, but this Person came to die. The movement to suppress the voice of His blood takes on many forms, but it is a coordinated effort orchestrated by the one who motivated Cain. Let us be perfectly clear. Without this blood there is no faith, no power, and no redemption. The spiritual battlefield has always been played on and around the crimson flow that drenched Golgotha’s ground. Whether it be the diminishing of the One who shed this blood, or redefining the meaning of that blood, the evil one has always attacked that which defeats and destroys him. The conversation about the blood is now seen as unsophisticated and unpleasant and even ignorant in today’s spiritual marketplace. The blood has been given a back seat to string theories, esoteric theologies, and the earthly works of man.

It is assumed that the modern, intellectual man may be allowed to list the blood in his systematic theology, but to discuss it openly is probably unwise and unpalatable to the post modern audience. The blood of the Lamb is now so obscure that it must be assumed that the church does not attribute any real power to it. This is not just another sign of the great apostasy, but it is the cornerstone of the current apostasy. And it isn’t just men like Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, and the entire emergent movement who are the leading guides into spiritual darkness, but most of evangelicalism preaches a man centered gospel of self help and success.

Terms like success and prosperity and wholeness have been repackaged in order to be attractive to the flesh and even to be offered as the will of God. And where does the blood fit into all this? If mentioned at all, the blood is granted a cameo mention at the very end of a sermon, right before the masses are dismissed to commit gluttony. Do we think that God is impressed with a theological acknowledgment of His Son’s sacrifice? Are we so comfortable with our doctrine that we assume the blood does not deserve consistent preaching? As long as we have a written belief system we are satisfied.

But the blood of Jesus Christ is the only saving agent for all eternity. The further we distance our preaching and teaching from the blood the further we distance ourselves from God Himself. The Redeemer was not ashamed to shed His blood openly and in the midst of mocking sinners, so why are we so reticent to powerfully profess our faith in that blood? The voice of that divine blood cries out from the sacred ground of Calvary. The shame, the grief, the pain, the suffering, and the sacrificial death that are all woven inside that blood cry out to those who have been redeemed by its power. Where are the human voices that are lifted with worship as they exalt the Lamb and give praise to His scarlet glory?

Why isn’t the blood being voiced throughout the world by lips that know His cleansing power? Why are wicked men stripping the blood of its power while so called orthodox believers just shake their heads or defend their doctrines on sheets of paper and electronic screens? Millions of western believers have sold their birthright for a mess of national or moral pottage. Why does the world not accuse us of being archaic in our faith because we still adhere to the blood sacrifice? It’s because they hear us endorse candidates, and criticize homosexuals, or scream about economics, but they hear precious little about the blood of Jesus Christ when in fact that is what they need to hear.

The blood is still crying out to sinners. The church needs to have a revival of the blood which would not only reinvigorate our evangelism, it would draw us once again to holiness. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Do we believe that is an ancient practice observed and believed by uneducated and unenlightened men? Or do we actually believe that is a dynamic truth that is true for all eternity and transcends all times, all cultures, and all intellects?

The church has drifted. But instead of using the compass of God’s Word to get back on course, we have embraced our position and soothed our consciences by confronting those who have drifted further than have we. One day in eternity all of creation will be witness to the eternal glory of the bloody wounds of the Risen Christ. In that moment, it will no longer seem barbaric and unseemly, and we will feel a tangible sense of shame when we realize how sinful was our timidity about discussing, much less our preaching, the redeeming blood of God’s only Son. In fact, those who speak against the blood seem much more vocal and bold about diminishing its significance and even suggesting the entire gospel narrative has been misinterpreted. Some even go so far as to suggest that the blood itself is meaningless. The cross to them is an example to man as to what not to do to each other.

But go ahead all you false teachers and blind guides. Go ahead and create some form of human endeavor that needs not the Lamb’s shed blood. Go ahead and mock His eternal sacrifice and replace it with your own fleshly machinations. Go ahead and sell your books and hold your interviews and spew forth that which cannot save and is an abomination to the Lamb Himself. Go ahead and bask in the adulation of the spiritual Bourgeoisie and be exhilarated with the controversy that surrounds you. But do not be deceived, the controversy isn’t about your humble walk with Jesus. It is about your wicked boldness that appeals to the fallen nature of sinner and professing saint alike. You have even drawn the fascination of the wicked and fallen media.

But the blood of God still cries out, and to those who have ears to ear that cry is both a glory and a warning. God will not be mocked, and God sees and knows all. He will one day take up His own defense for the blood of Christ. And the blood of humans will be spilled by the millions, and that blood will be hollow and meaningless and without the slightest particle of redemption. And if you helped a billion old ladies across the street and fed three meals every day to every starving child on the planet it still would not find any favor with the Creator God.

Many have strayed so far that only a sovereign miracle could reclaim them. But let all of us allow, yea beg, the Spirit to revive us to His will and His ways so that our discipleship does not rest in identifying the apostasy in others. But let our discipleship be know for its love for the Lord Jesus and our unashamed boldness for the blood that gave voice to the everlasting gospel!

The blood still cries out; let us cry out with it!

Banal Christianity

There used to be power; there used to be mystery; there used to be sacredness; there used to be eternity; there used to be the afterlife; there used to be a second coming; there used to be glorious revelation; there used to be passion; there used to be uncommon sacrifice; there used to be all these things associated with the post resurrection church. But year by year and decade by decade the church has allowed the world and its system to eviscerate those things from the faith until what we have now is nothing more than a mundane religion of the “now” that is no different than the mosque or synagogue down the street.

In fact, there is more difference between denominations then there is between believers and unbelievers. People like Bill Gates and secular organizations dwarf what evangelical churches give in humanitarian efforts. But let us examine what churches give toward gospel missions. The largest evangelical organization in the world is the Southern Baptist Convention. They provide a good measuring stick.

Churches cooperating through the Southern Baptist Convention spend, on average, $1.31 per member annually to reach every person living in the U.S. and Canada while they spend $0.04 per person to reach the nations.

You do the math.

I am sure we spend much more than that on our dogs.

Authentic Manifestation

In order for a sinner to be saved the Holy Spirit must illuminate his heart to things that seem so foolish and unsophisticated. That fallen heart which embraces all that is fallen and remains hardened to spiritual truths, must be cracked and opened and by a miracle of the Invisible Spirit as He deposits the truth about Jesus. At that moment the free will of man comes face to face with the everlasting gospel and the Everlasting Savior. There may be a time of assessment and contemplation as was my case, or there may be an instant embrace of the Risen Christ. But if that sinner waits too long and becomes adept at living with the spiritual tension, the power of that truth will begin to erode and eventually that sinner will consider his spiritual encounter as nothing more than a passing thought.
But if and when that sinner meditates upon the gospel, and if his heart is chased by the relentless Spirit of Truth, then he may come to a saving faith in one glorious moment. His eternal destiny has been changed and he now belongs to God. But the exhilaration of that new birth is not automatically sustained. Just as the children of Israel could not depend upon the Red Sea experience, so the new born child of God cannot receive life from the memory of his salvation experience. The complete and panoramic landscape of all things eternal does not naturally capture a believer’s heart.
The things of this present world are louder, more aggressive, more natural, and much more visible than the things of the Spirit. The believer is inundated constantly with things that malign Christ and with things that imprison the mind and even the heart. To walk in the Spirit is a labor of love, but make no mistake it is a labor nonetheless. The way of Jesus, which is the way of the cross, is no simple task and certainly not a course which can be audited. Living with the brightness if Jesus in this evil world must have at its core a determined and sacrificial heart that will pay any price to have the fellowship of His presence.
And so there must come a time, or perhaps several times, in a believer’s life where he asks himself once again, “Do I actually believe these things with all my heart?” And I do not mean some rhetorical question that is answered with the carelessness of a quiz show question, but I speak of a deep examination within one’s own heart to see with uncomfortable vulnerability just how much stark evidence there is to substantiate an affirmative answer. In other words, what observable criteria in my life separate me from those moral beings who do not believe? Do I have a statement of faith, or do I have a life of faith?
And before we answer those questions we must revisit what we say we believe in all its severity and colossal implications. As believers we have grown accustomed to regurgitate our beliefs with little passion and with the sincerity of a homework assignment. It has become all too familiar and unremarkable. We believe that God came down to Earth in the flesh and in the likeness of a man. That statement in and of itself is enough to ponder for all eternity, and yet we are much more prone to defend it as truth rather than allow it to transform our entire being. If you could see and talk with the Incarnate Jesus would it change your life? That implies that we believe in Jesus much more if we could see Him, and our belief in Him now is lacking the depth and power that would revolutionize our way of living.
Upon further investigation we say we believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world, and that He resurrected from the dead. That, my friends, is either powerfully true or it is the fairy tale of the ages. But it cannot be just some doctrinal point about which some attack and some defend. If Jesus resurrected from the dead, then the life we now lead must be nothing less than a showcase for the Risen Christ which is used up for His glory. We must come to as place where we exit this fallen world and open our hearts once again to hear the voice of the Spirit. Do we believe and live the Resurrected Savior or do we just believe? Is my life so dramatically different than my neighbors that even those who do not believe have no doubt that I do?
We say that the Jesus who resurrected and who was God the Son actually lives inside of us. It is almost impossible to imagine all the implications of that assertion. Even the cults attempt to construct distinctive and observable differences from ordinary people even if they do it through the flesh and through legalism. We cannot be satisfied with the way the church has morphed into an organization which exists neatly fitted into the cultural landscape. The effect of the western church is little more than some benign talisman passed down from generation to generation.
But let us cut to the chase. We say that we believe that every soul lives forever either in a place we call “heaven” or in a place we call “hell”. The former a place of eternal bliss and the latter a place of unspeakable horror. And with a straight face we profess to believe that scenario while enjoying the pleasures of this world and literally denying ourselves nothing but sin, and even enjoying some of that as well. And given the passive and even vacuous nature of our so called witness, the validity of our profession is extremely suspect. And if our prayer lives were uncovered, most of the church would blush with embarrassment.
We seem so satisfied by using heretics as scapegoats for our own grevious shortcomings, and as we beat the dead horses of the usual suspects we have become blind and deaf to our own comfortable lives. If we are consumed with the false teachings of others we become indifferent to the false manifestations of our own discipleship. While we indict others we stand indicted ourselves.
The disproportionate nature of what we say we believe and the way our lives are lived must be addressed. It is time to look deeply into the mirror of God’s Word and with the eyes of the Spirit come to an understanding. Do we really believe these things. If we say we do, what are we willing to do to authenticate that profession? If we continue on this present path we will be known as one of the great religions of the world on Wikipedia, and we will have earned that debased moniker.

Hell

The doctrine of hell, an eternal place of justice where sinners outside of Christ are separated from God eternally, is a Biblical truth. I do not relish that thought and I do not profess to know the extent of the horrors of such a place. What I do know is this:

No one really believes in hell.

What I mean is that even those of us that claim to believe in such a place, do it overwhelmingly in the doctrinal abstract. For if we truly believed in hell and allowed that belief to permeate our beings and melt our hearts, we surely would act and feel very differently. If we embraced such a reality, we might weep for our lost loved ones and neighbors. We might push aside our timidity and become a bold witness for the Savior. We might reject this entertainment laden culture and be consumed with spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and the serious nature of that call to redemption.

We might spend hours in trailing prayer begging God to use us to rescue the perishing. We might spend our money sacrificially to help send dedicated missionaries to the four corners of the world. We might feel a sense of fear and foreboding for those who walk in darkness. We might feel such gratitude for our own salvation that we offered our lives as a living sacrifice. We just might experience bouts of sleeplessness as we anguished over the eternal plight of those we know and those we do not know.

The truth is that if we actually believed in the place called hell it would radically change the way we pray, the way we give, the way we worship, the way we loved, and the way we live. But until we believe it on that level, we will have to soothe our conscience by showing our membership card in the club called "doctrinal orthodox". Read our systematic theology and you will see that we do indeed teach that we believe in hell.

Oh yes, false teachers like Rob Bell tickle the ears of millions and help allay the fears of sinners by doctrinally eviscerating what God's Word teaches. But let us not derive too much comfort from the fact that we disagree with men like Bell. In the end, most of our disagreement with false teachers is confined to words spoken and words written but with precious little living demonstrations that would substantiate our professions of faith in such a serious and eternal prospect.

If we say we believe something and it does not deeply and observably change our lives, then we do not believe it at all.

Flee the Wrath to Come

It is beneficial to communicate the gospel through all sorts of mediums and with all kinds of words that amplify the glory of redemption. But we must be careful not to journey so far away from the Biblical story with our creative and modern terms that in essence we are preaching another gospel and another Jesus. The writer of Hebrews tells us to not to let the things that we have heard slip away.

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Apostasy is a gradual process, both in an individual and in a segment of the body of Christ. A faithful believer does not awake one morning and walk in apostasy. It slips in through many portals and by various methods of deception. We live at a time in which deception is rampant and apostasy has found its way into many corners of evangelicalism. And many children are now being born into apostasy who have never known the faith once delivered unto the saints.
The idolization of man is a common thread in apostasy. Some preacher with a gift for communication, or an alluring intellect, or a charismatic personality draws people away from Christ and His gospel. And he or she does this while claiming to believe and be sharing the gospel and the Person of Jesus Christ. Talk about deception! Clever books and packaging designed to appeal to the senses aid in spreading falsehoods. And a positive and hopeful message is consumed by the masses. No one wants to be a “downer”.
Pastors are now referred to a Christian “rock stars”. Many preachers are millionaires and live lifestyles of privilege. It is a sad spectacle when so called Christian leaders refuse to answer direct questions on national television. Preachers like Osteen, Bell, Warren, and many others hold special nights where throngs come to affirm them with their presence and their pocketbooks. It is a sign of spiritual bankruptcy.
The western church is caught in the quagmire of the hedonistic culture and has long since succumbed to the temptations of wealth, entertainment, and national assimilation. And many preachers have pounced upon the opportunity to financially benefit from the situation by presenting clever messages and alluring stories that tickle the ears and harden the heart. And some weave a quilt of shallow Biblical phrases with erudite philosophies and present them as enlightened insights into God and His plan. In fact, they are instruments of spiritual death.
Be not deceived in these last days. As the day of His appearing approaches, so does the apostasy increase. The Evil One has many weapons at his disposal and he is using them all. Angels of light roam all over the world today and are harvesting hell’s crop. So often we are taught about the cults as if they are the only arena in which the devil works. But in reality Satan is doing his finest work among the evangelical churches. The day of reckoning is upon us and who will be counted as a follower of the Most High God?
As believers we must all humbly admit that we have failed our Lord in many ways. Our salvation was a great gift and we did nothing to earn it. We must be broken before the Lord as we seek His face. But we cannot, we must not, align ourselves with those who deny His name and claim souls can be saved either without Him or in some post mortem altar call. In the end the final line will be drawn around the Person of Jesus Christ and His glory. It is one thing to struggle and fall short of our glorious calling. It is quite another to dismantle the Risen Christ and present a false caricature that cannot save and in fact leads souls to hell.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, these are the days about which we were warned. The signs of the times envelope us and yet believers watch the news with no emotion and no discernment. God’s voice is blaring with a call to watch and pray! I suggest that the events in Japan and elsewhere are just a minor foreshadowing of what is to come. We may be on the brink of a worldwide calamity that cannot be envisioned by the human mind. And this will not be the work of some “mother nature”; this will be the work of the Creator God.

Flee the wrath to come and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!

A Living Theology

Theology is dead without a life to inhabit. Books and blogs and Cds and computers can defend doctrinal truth, but only a life can project Jesus.

Are You Listening??

It has been scoffed at and maligned. It has been the brunt of jokes. It has been merchandised and used to spread fear. Many have attached dates to it and made outlandish predictions. The common word “rapture” is taken from the Latin word “rapio” which means “caught up” in English. It is the glorious gathering of the Bride of Jesus Christ when God takes up the living believers and gathers them together with Him in the air. Then begins the Great Tribulation.
No one knows when this event will take place, but the Scriptures give us clues at to which generation will see it. Famines and earthquakes, diseases and violence, and hatred and greed will accompany this cataclysmic event. And even though Jesus warned against setting dates, He admonished those who were so blind that they could see the weather but could not see the signs of the times. And so it is today.
I am not a date setter, however I can clearly see the signs all around us. If there ever was a time for sinners to seriously consider their standing before God and the claims of Jesus Christ it is today. We are being enveloped with signs and events that point to the coming of Jesus Christ. The church has treated the second coming of Christ as a doctrinal curiosity and relegated its importance far behind finances and marriage and earthly success. But it is upon us.
Do not be satisfied with identifying the spiritual lethargy of the church. And do not soothe your conscience just because you are a little more aware of the approaching hoof beats of the coming King. This is a time for personal repentance and spiritual inventory. The King of all Kings is at the door and will make His entrance with great power and glory. No longer the gentle shepherd that allowed wicked men to spit upon His face; this coming Lord will reveal a glory and majesty that will chase away mountains and cause the entire world to tremble before Him.
This world has been our enemy and has done everything in its power to draw us away from our Blessed Lord and Savior. Through temptation and greed, lust and avarice, and deception on every level the world has cooperated with our own flesh to divert our attention away from the glory of the narrow path and led us into the path of least resistance. We have been captured by all kinds of things that are enemies of the cross but soothing to the flesh. Our ears are inclined to the drum beats of this present world.

Rev.2:7 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches...

WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????

I hear the panicked sound of demons as they scurry to steal, kill, and destroy before they are bound. I hear the whole world preoccupied with this world as they neglect the world to come. I hear the cackles of Lucifer's legions as they mock God's people and their anemic commitment to the Savior Himself. I hear the satisfied groans of Satan as his massive deceptive shift from the unseen to the seen has produced results beyond his expectations. I hear the clinking of coins as believers lay treasures upon treasures on this earth. I hear the echoes of the empty prayer closets and the silence of the unturned pages of God's Word. I hear the constant sound of the last sands of the hourglass hitting the bottom but void of the bold prophets of God unashamedly calling us to prepared repentance? I hear the vows of men to men and women to women pledging their marital commitment to each other while I hear God's spouses breaking theirs. I hear the silent screams of unborn babies being murdered alive in their own mother's wombs while the sound of computer keyboards in the houses of God's people check their portfolios. I hear Israel's enemies gathering around her and the church calls no solemn assembly with prayer and fasting. I hear hell giggle as preachers tell stories and jokes and congregations leave feeling good about their situation without ever knowing what it means to be under the mighty Sword of God's Word. I hear 150,000 souls slip into a tormented eternity ever single day while we sleep on dry, careless pillows.

WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????

I hear a faint but growing, guttural, powerful roar in the distance as if coming from a magnificent, celestial Lion. It's permeating the atmosphere, connecting with the Spiritual ears of His pride, and sounding out a warning of impending doom to all His enemies. He has already marked His territory and the sound of His gigantic paws grows closer and closer. He started with a determined walk two thousand years ago, began to gain speed through the centuries, and He now runs with His fiery eyes fixed and with justice dripping from His tremendous jaws from which He will roar out His irresistible and powerful Word to the four corners of the Earth. I hear His enemies turn their heads in fear as they recognize the gathering storm in the distance is rapidly coming to fulfill the destruction which this Lion has promised to all who oppose Him. All will tremble, all will wonder, all will bow before Him on that great and terrible day. I hear the growing echo of "Behold He Comes" surrounding this Mighty Lion of Judah as He snorts great clouds of wrath from His nostrils!! His subjects prepare to welcome Him with waves of regal worship as this Lion King promenades through His victory. I hear the voice of Judah's Lion beckon for His rightful bride with a wave of His nail-pierced paw, and I hear Him lovingly purr "Come up with Me". I hear a blood bought lioness brought before her Worthy Bridegroom and prostrate herself in love and worship, and I hear this August Lion say "Well done thou good and faithful servant" to His bride.

I hear this Lion breathing, panting, speaking, and coming, shaking out God's glory from His massive mane and with all the armies of heaven His entourage. I hear the clarion call of this Holy Lion's Spirit commanding His pride "Awake from your sleep and arise! The battle is joined, run to it in My power. Put aside your worthless toys and glorify My Name. Away from your shaded places of rest and pleasure and spoil the enemy's camp. Speak what I speak, walk as I walk, shout my name in the heavenlies, stay under the banner of my blood, and be filled with My Spirit. Count it an honor to give your very life for Me and My reward is with Me! I will avenge my enemies, and all who follow Me will share!!"

WHAT DO YOU HEAR???????????

The Blood of the Martyrs

When was the last time you allowed the blood of the martyrs to water your soul and saturate your faith?

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

Thousands upon thousands of men and women have given their very lives for the Lord Jesus. It is beneficial for us all to pause once in a while and ponder the mystery of their sacrifice, and let it humble and embolden us to greater servant hood for our Master.

Thrust in the Sickle

All things are gathering in chaotic order as prophetic clouds that sound His coming. Flee the wrath to come and run by faith into the City of Refuge. Jesus offers more of everything you could ever imagine, all of which find their source in Him. He is the everlasting Vine from which all life comes and to which all eternal life is found. There is no hope outside of Him. Wars and earthquakes and disease and hatred are increasing and yet so many are blind to it all.

He came the first time as a baby in Bethlehem. He allowed wicked men to spit upon His face, and pull out His beard, and crush his skull with thorns, and mock Him publicly, and finally He embraced the suffering of a Roman cross. But He is coming again, and this time He comes as a Lion. To those who love Him He comes in deliverance and great grace.

Those that are not in Him are in eternal danger. There is no other way. I wish there was, but there is not.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life."

"No man comes to the Father but by me."
"Behold I come quickly."

...spoken by Jesus the Christ

I See You

I must openly confess that I resisted the desire to see the movie “Avatar”. Of course the last movie I saw in a theatre was “The Passion of the Christ” so I had to wait until it was on television. And so I watched what was reported to be the largest grossing movie in history and what some pastors called “unchristian”. Of course if we are to use the label unchristian we can attach it to everything from the “Wizard of Oz” to “A Christmas Carol” all the way to much of Disney. Christmas itself is “unchristian” and so probably is ice cream as well. We live in a world that is decidedly “unchristian” and everything is fallen.
Anyway the story is compelling as it showcases the inhumanity of man, the folklore religion of the natives, and an interracial love story. But the indigenous people called the Na’vi had a greeting. Perhaps a little more than greeting. They would say “I see you”. Now the fictional Na’vi people said that this phrase meant more than just eyesight; it meant that you could see into a person and understand them. I was reminded of Paul’s statements to the Church at Corinth.

II Cor.5:15-17 - And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
16. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We quote that 17th verse much more than the previous two, and usually we have come to believe it means shedding some of the outward sins that we practiced before we came to faith in Jesus Christ. I am sure that verse includes those sins, but if we are to take the verses in context the Spirit is guiding us into a startling and incredible truth that is not only overlooked, but is at the very heart of reflecting the Person of Jesus Christ.
The 15th verse exhorts us to sacrifice our own lives and live a life unto Christ. And at the core of living a life for him is living a life for others. This is usually translated as a life that is associated to and loyal to a local, organized assembly of professing believers. Giving and supporting the activities of a local church is considered being “committed”. The western culture loves to compartmentalize everything and the believers living in this culture have adopted this kind of myopic definition of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus the Christ.
But stepping away from the force fed definitions, let us more closely examine what the Spirit teaches rather than what man has constructed. The 16th verse is an extremely penetrating truth. What does Paul mean that he no longer knows and sees men in the flesh? Notice he says that we have known Christ in the flesh but now no more. He is obviously speaking of the Spirit. We know Jesus Christ in the Spirit and it is impossible to know Him without the Spirit. To know Christ through the Spirit is to actually know Him experientially and in a way that the flesh cannot understand. This is the faith once delivered unto the saints.
But now that we know Him in the Spirit, Paul says he no longer knows fellow humans in the flesh. What? This is the path of discipleship. We concentrate on all sorts of outward things. We command believers to give up smoking and drinking and inappropriate entertainments, and there is a place for those exhortations. But it seems we have missed the essence of what it means to be a follower, an imitator, of the Lord Christ.
We chronically see others in the flesh and not the Spirit. To see others in the Spirit is to see them from the perspective of the cross. And that is to see them through the eyes of the Lamb of God. So often we see their sins and not their soul. The words “I see you” in the science fiction story were meant to proclaim that you really saw that person inside. All their needs, all their hurts, all their wounds, and all their fears were seen by you. I was once a lost sinner who was boisterous and arrogant, but inside I was fearful and in desperate need of hope.
To lead a committed life is to lead of life dedicated to others. Jesus came to Bethlehem for others, not Himself. Are you willing to eat with demonstrably gay people? Are you willing to love those who remain behind bars because they were so violent? Are you willing to love the abortion doctor? Do you see these people in the flesh or in the Spirit? Do you see them at the Great White Throne judgment or do you see them at Calvary? Do you feel negative emotions toward “liberals” or does your heart beat with redemption toward them?
The American pulpits continue to thunder down judgment and division, but refuse to see people who they really are in God’s eyes. There will be time for judgment, but that is in God’s hands. We are vessels of redemption’s light that are sent to illuminate the souls who dwell in darkness. The next time you see someone on television who affects you negatively, or someone who mistreats you in the mall, or even a lost family member who disrespects and demeans you, remember the words of the Apostle Paul. Look at them through the eyes of the Redeemer and say within your soul,

“I see you”.

The Gospel Leaves as He Comes

I was born in 1952. By then the practice of Christianity had been smoothed by time and culture. But how can a believer come to understand just what the New Testament commands apart from the compromises that have crept into the faith over the years? I mean how we be sure that we are not embracing a significantly diluted and compromised brand of Christianity? And let us not forget that the nature of deception is a lack of perspective.
I suggest that a healthy reading of how believers used to live their faith will lend some of that much needed perspective. It is so easy to compare ourselves with ourselves and to surrender to what you were born into and what everyone else thinks and believes. After all, we all know people who love Jesus and their spiritual lives are no different than ours. Doesn’t that authenticate our own expressions of the Christian faith? And therein lies one major problem.
There is safety in numbers, and in that safety we find affirmation of our own spiritual lives. I mean could so many people be so wrong? It takes great courage to even suggest that there may be much more than what is practiced by those around us who we love and appreciate. And if some of those peers happen to be family it presents an even greater challenge to take an honest inventory. So often we are prisoners to the present and blinded by other people.
But by taking a look at previous generations and preachers of former times, we may just get a rude awakening. When we read about John Wesley, George Whitefield, Charles Finney, and many, many others we are faced with a startling reality. Their spiritual lives and ours are in conflict. And in order to resolve that conflict, we must believe that either they were obsessed legalists who sacrificed much needlessly, or we are living a profoundly compromised brand of Christianity. The two have very little common ground.
But that perspective is very unsavory to the modern mindset of believers since it presents a spiritual tension and undermines the contentment of the modern church. And when someone presents such a juxtaposition they are considered either negative or self righteous or both. Long ago the western church has abandoned the idea of spiritual disciplines and sacrificial lifestyles that are in stark contrast to the culture around them. But without entertaining the notion that we are living a life that not only violates God’s clear Words, but is even at odds with many historical expressions of a New Testament life.
In other words, we can never overcome our spiritual inertia until we overcome our denial. And the core element of beginning a journey to worship and obey Christ in the manner that glorifies Him can be summed up in one word - time. If we are willing to devote sacrificial amounts of time to spend seeking His face we can experience a deepening and even an awakening in our spiritual lives.

If not, move your computer cursor over 2010, and copy it. Paste it over 2011, 2012, etc., etc

The gospel is leaving just as He is coming.

When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth?

Let the tears come as the gospel almost disappears from God’s creation. But save some tears of love and worship as you reignite your heart with the thought that Jesus will soon come and receive us unto Himself. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by His precious blood he has saved us eternally. And this majestic Savior has chosen to bring us to spend eternity with Him. It is beyond magical, beyond the most courageous dream that has ever entered the heart of man. The Risen Christ melts our hearts and minds into broken worship, and that Christ desires our eternal presence. Selah.