Repent, While There is Still Time

I can no longer believe that many so called “evangelical” churches are even Christian. Churches by the tens of thousands, led by their pastors, have strayed so far from the New Testament directive that they are no longer Christian. That does not mean no one is saved because that cannot be discerned by man. A person’s salvation can only be known by God. The Lord knows those that are His.
But if we take a step back, and if we examine the teachings of Christ and the New Testament without cultural dilution, we must see how tragic the situation is. And it comes from many different avenues and theological streams. From the health and wealth movement, to the emergent church movement, to the purpose driven template, to the positive thinking teaching, to the ecumenical debacle, and many other movements, we now have a mess that cannot truthfully be called Christian.
What we have are religious constructs which are built and operate in the power of the culture and the mindset of the western populace. There is no hint of salt or light, and no hint of "come out from among them and be separate". Some churches claim Jesus was a he-man and demonstrated a virile sense of masculinity. Others claim He was extremely pragmatic and sought earthly solutions. Some teach that Jesus sought to dramatically elevate everyone’s personal wealth. Other churches portray Jesus as a someone who sought to unite all faiths. Many teach that Jesus was a “you can make it” kind of guy.
The entire evangelical landscape is now poisoned by all kinds of misrepresentations of Christ and His teachings, and upon those misrepresentations are built many falsehoods and grievous errors. The culture has assimilated most of the western church so that over the last several decades Christianity as it was known and practiced in the early church no longer exists in the west. Most of the western ecclesiastical construct is nothing more than practical advice about things which benefit our earthly lives. That is not Christianity.
The gospel has become nothing more than an appendage to practical advice, and God is portrayed as existing as a servant for man. Sacrifice and self denial are curse words. Preachers live as kings and spend more time golfing than they do in the prayer chamber. You have the always smiling Joel Osteen on one end, and the aggressive and self absorbed Mark Driscoll on the other. And a brand new phenomenon is the millionaire preacher. Private jets, five star restaurants, designer clothes, Rolls Royce cars, and extravagant expense accounts now define thousands of so called preachers.
No longer is Jesus the demonstrative core of their theology, to say nothing of being a living template. In many ways, Jesus has become nothing more than a doctrinal talisman that justifies any and all prostitutions of the revelations in God’s Word. As long as Jesus is mentioned preachers feel licensed to teach all sorts of heresy and cultural twisting. A man like Mark Driscoll can be rude and aggressive as long as he mentions Jesus in his statement of faith, while a man like Joel Osteen can be spineless and compromising as long as Jesus makes a cameo in his statement of faith.
And the outward signs and manifestations of a religion that says it is Christian but reveals everything to the contrary, are all around us. In fact, if you cannot see the open disfigurement of the faith once delivered to the saints you are deceived as well. And these are not minor disagreements that are more fringe than core. These modern displays tear at the very fabric of what Jesus came to do and what the church is ordained to do and be. Again I say that the situation is so horrifying and treacherous, that in good conscience most of the evangelical religious expressions can no longer be called Christian.
Oh for a humble and sincere return to the simple but bold faith that requires sacrifice, commitment, and a quiet but remarkable lifestyle of faith. The Spirit must yearn for the church to come together once more to worship Christ with all their hearts and minds without having to be manipulated by all sorts of technological accoutrements. I embrace a demonstrative worship atmosphere, and its volume is irrelevant. But when it is obvious that people are manipulated by the music or the lights or the visuals, then it becomes nothing more than a sports atmosphere that attaches a religious moniker upon it.
It is impossible to worship God on Sundays when all week long you have worshiped the world. When you go almost prayer less, and when you barely touch God’s Word, and when you have spent countless hours in front of the television, do not expect to worship God on Sunday mornings without a season of deep repentance. And when hundreds of people who have spent little or no time with Jesus during the week; and when some have lusted all week long; and when some are encumbered by the material things of this world; and when some are contemplating adultery or promiscuity; or when some have obvious unforgiveness in their hearts; when that mixed multitude can come together and outwardly seem to worship God then you can know that the music and the praise leader and his team are the driving force behind the worship service.
What kind of worship are we offering the Risen Christ? Is He impressed by the way we worship when we are supposed to and when the music vibrates our being, but when no one sees us we are as dead as toast before Him? Is that a sweet smelling savor that wafts up before His throne and gives Him glory? Or is that kind of perfunctory worship nothing more than a mirror of the Muslims when they bow before Mecca at the appointed time? Let us be painfully honest so we can do authentic business with our Master!
Finally, in an attempt to awaken that which may be dead inside of us, let us revisit the Savior, the Redeemer, and the Living and Risen Christ. Let us recall who He is and what He has done. That, my friends, is the issue. And when we describe Him there can be no hyperbole. In the revelation of Him, the most colossal hyperbole is just truth which only touches the hem of His garment! He is life itself, and in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead.
The story escapes the cords of prophetic parlance and arrives in full glory in the insignificant, little town named Bethlehem, or the house of bread. The Bread has come down from heaven and clothed Himself with a human form and is called Emmanuel, God with us. The event is historically monumental, but far greater in its spiritual consequence and redemptive power. Here is He who would save His people from their sins. How quaint the phrase but how powerful the meaning.
The perfect Son of God, incarnate in the likeness of sinful flesh, but pristine in His Person and determined in His mission. He walked the earth for more than thirty years, and He traveled with common men and common women. Conspicuous by His miracles and teachings and inconspicuous by His appearance, He lived without sin. But even the Holy One gained enemies, since the sinners He came to save did not know who He was nor did they care. But still His eyes were fixed upon Golgotha.
It is impossible to fully grasp the enormity of our sin and the enormity of the consequences of that sin. We were doomed, separated from God, and completely dead. Our lives were mere shells, and we took every opportunity to rebel against our Loving Creator, who for thirty years stood before mankind. Not only were we not looking for Him, in reality we did not desire Him. We were content and satisfied in the pigpen of our own iniquity.
But God’s Son walked right into the trap laid before Him, all the while knowing full well His fate. But the Christ did not just know what was before Him, He embraced it. In fact, He orchestrated it. What kind of love is this? There was no reasoning with us, and nothing short of death could ransom the captives. And God Himself stepped into the diabolical plan that would end His life and provide life for the unrighteous dead. This is love about which we are unfamiliar.
And there He hangs, beaten and bloodied, and nailed to two Roman planks. He who existed in the glory of heaven, the emerald aura of God’s throne room, was now the object of scorn and ridicule. Wearing the spittle of wicked men, He looks down from His unjust place of death and asks forgiveness for those who carried out this colossal injustice. Like a slaughtered animal, a Lamb to be sure, writhing in His last throws of death, He bleeds out the power to redeem all human kind.
And lifting up His mangled body, He breathes in His last breath, and with His last ounce of energy, He expels the last breath to ever enter His lungs, and He says, “It is finished”. God the Son has died. To say it is a mystery is a feeble attempt to explain it. Stand there and gaze at the unthinkable. Squint your eyes as you behold the most glorious sight a sinner could see, and yet a gory mess, limp and lifeless and covered in the crimson flow that only a few hours ago gave Him life but now is shed for ours. The Creator has given His life after suffering the unfathomable torture that was meant for every man. It should have been us, but He died in our place.
Do you think this story is much too archaic and void of the modern sophisticated thought about God and religion? Does this narrative have a hollow ring to your sensibilities and your intellectual reason? Or is this story only for children and not for the clear thinking adults? Oh my friend, if you feel that way you haven’t just missed something wonderful; you have missed life itself. We believers are not perfect, but we have touched and been touched by a redemptive power that cannot be fully communicated by words.
Jesus is our Savior, Jesus is our Lord, Jesus is our God, and Jesus is our very life! Yes, our sin sometimes distracts us and the cares of this world rob us of the experience of His presence, but do not let that fool you. It is not us you should be seeking, it is Him. And Jesus, in all His august glory, majesty, and power, will incline His redemptive ear to any sinner who cries out for salvation. Halleluiah, what a Savior!
And so you should now see why we reject the Christless expressions that are passed off as God’s church in these last days. We do not wish to pick a fight or to find fault, but we cannot, we must not, remain silent when Christ is crucified afresh on the altar of filthy lucre, pragmatism, human sexuality, earthly success, and the entire ecclesiastical industry which only uses the name of Jesus to project its own selfish agendas. No one who has been redeemed by the Master, and who has been given life and life everlasting through faith in that magnificent sacrifice, can stand silent as the Savior is misrepresented and put to an open shame.
You desire to use someone for your own self interests? Then use us, not Him. You, Warren and Osteen and Bell and all the rest, if you desire to crucify Him again through your religious and humanistic machinations we implore you, crucify us. You wish to ignore Him, then ignore us. You wish to drag His wonderful name through the wringer of earthly success and personal prosperity, then drag us. Our hearts are broken over what you are doing to the Savior of all mankind. We are torn between righteous indignation and tears of grief.
But this word of warning: One day you will wish you only had to face us, because on that day you will stand before Him from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And everything you did to shred His Person, His blood, His cross, and His glorious resurrection will come up against you. And what, pray tell, will you do when you face the Consuming Fire?
Please, repent now, while there is still time.

What I Learned

I grew up in a middle class unsaved family. My parents were good parents and typical patriotic Americans. I learned a lot of good things, but although they did not understand what they were doing, I also learned these things:

I learned to hate Russians.
I learned I was white and some others were not.
I learned money was very important.
I learned to root for America in war.
I learned to fight.
I learned that religion has its place.
I learned that education was paramount.
I learned it was all about me.
I learned that love was conditional.
I learned we were Republicans.
I learned Jesus was an historical figure.

All that changed in 1975.

Behold, He Comes

Rev.22:12 - And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Rev.22:20 - He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
How have these words become as a wind passing in days gone bye. No longer does the church even pretend that the Lord is coming, much less coming soon and quickly. This is no religious game, and this is not some fodder for prophetic badminton. Who cares if He comes pre-trib or mid-trib or post-trib - He is coming! Even those prophetic guesses have all but ceased except when the pastor feels obligated to deal with them pre-lunch on Sunday.
But sniff the air and see if there is even a hint of anxiousness or anticipation. There is more concern over a worthless election than there is over the prospect of the return of the Mighty Lion of Judah. How pathetic and self absorbed we are when we are busy about many things but exhibit no concern for that great and terrible day. Do you think it is Santa Claus that will descend upon this earth? The consuming fire is on His way and He brings with Him the cup of God’s wrath.
This candy cane Jesus that is presented among the churches is a lie. Yes He is a friend and a Savior, but He also has made clear that He will one day bring eternal justice to all humanity. But still we laugh and play as if it will never end. And not one politician who claims to believe in Jesus will even mention His returning because they give Him only lip service. The return of the Risen Christ in all His glory should concern us much more than what Iran or North Korea does. That is if we truly believe it with all our beings!
On that day nothing will matter to anyone. All the kingdoms of this world will be brought to nothing. All earthly kings will be nothing but naked sinners in the hands of an angry God. Is that too violent for your taste? Or perhaps you think my words are too theatrical and sensational. Well then perhaps false teachers like Joel Osteen would be more suitable for your spiritual palate, but in reality that is nothing more than a diabolic poison sent to damn men’s souls. You see, all the games are about to end.
The western church has been turned into an awful joke. Teaching and preaching and writing books and making Cds and interviews and church growth conferences and marriage seminars are all very active among the different churches. But they are dead and void and have not the Spirit. Where are the leather lung preachers of old who sounded the clarion call that Jesus is coming back and everyone needs to repent and believe?
The church has become an oligarchy, and like the Church at Corinth the people follow certain men. I am of Warren; I am of Osteen; I am of McArthur; I am of Bell; I am of Piper; I am of Driscoll; I am of Copeland; I am of whoever scratches my itching ears. But still we slumber, contented that Jesus is only really coming again in our theology. Surely He is not coming very soon, and definitely not today.
Matt.24:44 - Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Has there ever been a time when the church in general is less expectant of His return? The whole earth groans with sin, and the signs of His return gloe like neon, and still we slumber. It is time for us to take a spiritual inventory of the confession of our lips. Either we believe it or we do not. The gray area comes with a dangerous uncertainty. And this gray area is overpopulated with professing believers in the millions.
But the Spirit is dealing with many, many people. We have tasted of this world and we have found it does not satisfy. Nothing can fulfill our souls and nothing brings any authentic and life changing excitement. All is vanity and vexation of spirit. Almost everything is a waste of time. We are addicted to entertainment. But the Spirit is knocking on our heart’s door saying, ”Let Me in and we will fellowship”. And if we are honest, we are in desperate need of a mighty move of the Spirit in our own lives. We cannot wait for the church to lead. We cannot even wait for the elders and preachers to lead.
We must hear and follow the Spirit out of the wilderness and into the promise of the Spirit. He is coming, He is coming. No one knows the day or hour, but what does that matter? Is it not enough that He is at the doorstep? And one day you will give an account for the words you are reading in this insignificant little blog. Oh do not worry, I have much business to do with God. I am thirsty for more than what is being offered in this money changing expression of God’s church.
I despise my own flesh. And I simply exist in this present world, but in God’s unseen kingdom I desire to be used. There is nothing left. The only thing you will take to heaven are your children and any souls you might harvest. If you have unsaved or even wayward children you must pray as if the ship is sinking. This is an excellent opportunity to give yourself wholly to pray and fasting and allow the Spirit to reach into hearts and lives that are now closed to you. This is war in the Spirit!
Let this next week see you on your knees and with a passion for the things of God that seems fanatical to those who are bound to this present world. But what will people think? The more important question is what will God think. Stir up the gift of the Spirit. Click off the television for hours at a time and run to the prayer closet with brokenness and worship, and make your petitions known unto God.
Fanaticism does not apply to the coming of the Christ. There is no such thing as being overboard concerning eternity. And it is this very eternity that looms large upon the horizon of history as it comes to a frightful end. Those of us who know Him must step into the gap and intercede for those who stand in eternal peril. Oh please do not think I speak in hyperbole, or that my words are overly dramatic. In fact, no one can fully express the coming crisis that now envelopes the entire world. The things we have discussed in theology and doctrine and on prophetic time charts are about to become a reality beyond all that we can imagine.
Matt.24:45-51 - Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Let him who has an ear, let him hear…

The Former Days

Heb.10:32-33 - But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
Regardless of how much theology I think I know, or how much original languages I learn, or how many sermons I preach, I will always be amazed by this one thing: Jesus Christ saved my soul. I can never seem to get over that, even though that event happened in March of 1975. You see, I was not manipulated or coerced, and I did not say a prayer and then go home to eat lunch. And when I awoke the next day, I knew I was a different person. Everything seemed new and fresh.
I turned on the radio in my car and searched for Christian stations I did not even realize existed. Some man with a British accent, who I later learned was Alexander Scousby, was reading from the King James Bible. I was overjoyed! Today such things are considered dry as last year’s bird’s nest. But let me give you some background, as I promised.
I was raised In southern New Jersey. I went to Lutheran catechism for three years, and I was confirmed in the church where my mother was the choir director. I went to church on Sundays until I left for college. After I flunked out of college in my first year, I got a job and lived at home. I began to experiment with drugs and alcohol, and I became very promiscuous and violent as well. I bought a van, placed a couch in the back, and had a bumper sticker that read, “Don’t laugh, your daughter may be in this vehicle”. I was a real piece of work.
My mother died in 1973 and from there my life spiraled further downward. My father remarried and moved away. My life was drugs, alcohol, violence, and an unbroken stream of partying. I began to sell drugs, even in the local high school. One night I and three of my friends made plans to rob a bank. In New Jersey in those days, just an attempted bank robbery resulted in a 20 year sentence. We all agreed that no one wanted that. So after we chose the bank on the outskirts of town, we agreed to kill the guard as we entered. So it was set.
But before that happened, I got into a street brawl over a girl, and I was injured. I had my finger bitten almost in half. I was living on the street and had no one to attend to my injury. I called my aunt, my mother’s sister, who lived in North Jersey and she told me to come up to live with her. I hitchhiked to Clifton, New Jersey with only a shirt and a pair of Jeans and a pair of shoes. I had nothing else. The hospital had told me to keep my finger in water 24 hours a day for a week, and miraculously my finger healed with a scar noticeable until today.
It was about that time one of brothers became a believer and shared with me over the phone that he was considering becoming a minister. That stirred something inside me but I as yet did not know what. That same brother came to visit me and took me to a Broadway show called, “Godspell”. I was stirred all the more. I went and bought a Bible in Manhattan. I took it out of the box and when I opened it it seemed daunting. Oh wait! There are words in red here. I began to read the words in red. After a few days of reading I began to see that I had to make a decision.
While I was at my aunt’s house, I watched the television in my room. One night I saw Billy Graham preaching, and in those days there was no remote, so unless you were able to get up you had to watch what was on. I began to watch. I was intrigued, so I decided to watch again the following night. Mr. Graham preached on the Second Coming. As a Lutheran I had no idea He was coming again. I was more than intrigued, I was spiritually awakened. Was Jesus who He claimed to be? And if He was, and if He was coming back, were would that leaved me?
That night, at about nine o’clock in the evening, and on a cold, March night, I climbed the face of Garret Mountain that was right across the street from my aunt’s house. On a clear night overlooking the Manhattan skyline I called out to Jesus and asked Him if He was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. There was no audible reply, but the inward witness of the Spirit was unmistakable. I remembered these words,
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
That very night I believed on Jesus and was born again. As I climbed down the face of that mountain I could hardly contain my joy and excitement. No one had ever told me that you could actually know Christ and know that you had eternal life. For many months I drove people crazy as I clumsily witnessed to almost everyone. Yes, I was a newborn and wild lamb.
But here it is 37 years later and I still revel in the simple fact that I am saved! Do not let my attempts at linguistics and literary prowess fool you. I am just a simple sinner saved by grace and all I think I know is just dung compared with knowing Jesus on a childlike level. I still can cry when I share these things since they are so real and tell the actual story of my life. And when I one day lay eyes upon my Lord and Savior, nothing will mean anything then.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

I am not what I should be, and I am not even what I could be, but I am not what I was, and for that I openly and publicly praise Jesus. And one day I will be like Him. It is all of Him and none of me, and so shall it every be. Amen.

A Word of Encouragement

It was 1974 and I was a lost sinner. I will elaborate later upon my conversion story, but I was a musician and a fan of many rock groups, as well as classical music. One of my favorite bands was called Jethro Tull. I not only liked their music, but I admired Ian Anderson’s linguistic talent.
And during the time the Spirit was drawing me to Christ, I went to see them perform. They sang a song called “Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day”. Now you can discount it if you must, but I contend that God can and does use the most unexpected things to draw sinners unto Himself.
And as I sat in the audience under the influence of whatever narcotics I could get my hands on, I heard these words.

Meanwhile back in the year One --- when you belonged to no-one ---
you didn't stand a chance son, if your pants were undone.`
Cause you were bred for humanity and sold to society ---
one day you'll wake up in the Present Day ---
a million generations removed from expectations of being who you really want to be.

Skating away ---skating away ---skating away on the thin ice of the New Day.

So as you push off from the shore,won't you turn your head once more ---
and make your peace with everyone?
For those who choose to stay,will live just one more day ---
to do the things they should have done.
And as you cross the wilderness, spinning in your emptiness:you feel you have to pray.
Looking for a sign that the Universal Mind has written you into the Passion Play.

Skating away on the thin ice of the New Day.

And as you cross the circle line, the ice-wall creaks behind ---you're a rabbit on the run.
And the silver splinters fly in the corner of your eye ---shining in the setting sun.
Well, do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?
Or that everybody's on the stage, and it seems like you're the only person sitting in the audience?
Skating away on the thin ice of the New Day.

God had been dealing with my heart, and I had been severely convicted about the reality of the claims of Jesus Christ. And while I listened to the words of the above song, I heard two phrases that caught more than my attention.

Looking for a sign that the Universal Mind has written you into the Passion Play.

That was exactly what I was searching for!
Then these words:

Well, do you ever get the feeling that the story's too damn real and in the present tense?

That was it. It was not long after that concert, and by many other means, that I believed on Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Now I share this with you to encourage you to pray for your children and loved ones, even though they are engaged in activities in which you cannot see how God could ever work. You minimize the power and scope of the ministry of the Spirit. God has used all kinds of things to water the seed that the Spirit has implanted in a person’s heart.

Thirty-seven years later I still cannot get over the fact that God saved me.

Keep praying and keep asking.

The Errors of the Messianic Churches

Eph.2:14-16 - For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Col.2:16-17 - Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Heb.8:6-13 - But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

There is a movement that has many different streams that I will call the “Messianic Movement”. These are churches who not only acknowledge the Jewish roots of Christianity, but who also teach that the Christian church should have outward manifestations of Hebrew culture, as well as observe many feast, festivals, Hebrew words, and have an overall Hebraic distinction about their theology and practice. Generally, in my experience, these are saved people who love Jesus.
You may recognize these churches by their names or symbols. The words Hebrew, Zion, Israel, and Hebrew words many times are part of their name or are displayed prominently on their signs and literature. And their worship services contain many Hebrew sounding songs (which I like) and with Hebrew words, and the overall atmosphere of their service has an unmistakable Jewish flavor. There are varying degrees of this phenomenon.
Some call themselves synagogues and some even change their personal names to Hebrew names. The pastor is called a rabbi, the Bible is called the Torah, and so on it goes. I believe it is beneficial to understand more fully the connection between the Old Testament and the New, especially as it pertains to Christ Himself. I have attended a few Passover Seders and have been edified by a further revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in those teachings settings.
But this movement is misguided in many ways. The church is not an extension of Israel, and in fact, the church is a brand new work of God called the body of Christ. It is unique and miraculous, and the church in no way is tethered to the Old Testament Law, or the feasts, or any observance other than baptism and communion. The entire Old Testament is a futuristic mirror that reflects the Lord Jesus and His redemption.
But when a church clothes itself in Old Testament visuals, and when they speak as Jews, and when their theology is almost more pro-Israel than it is pro-Jesus, then it has in practice strayed from being the Bride of Christ which in ethnicity is overwhelmingly Gentile, but is neither Jew nor Gentile in substance. Paul himself was severely persecuted by the Jews because he taught that believers in Christ need not obey the Law or observe the feasts or fashion themselves in any way after the former covenant. And some churches, a la John Hagee, even teach that a Jew can be saved without Jesus. That, my friends, is blasphemy!
Another unchristian aspect of this movement is the self righteousness exhibited many times by those who practice it. The Messianic Christians openly suggest that their way of worship is the God ordained method, and that God also desires us to support Israel without reservation and that New Testament theology is only pure when it is tethered to the format outlined by the Old Testament. That is untrue and leads directly to a clique mentality and a spirit of theological hubris.
The Old Testament was the scaffolding God used to build a structure upon which He could bring forth His Son and fulfill His plan for eternal redemption. But once Christ had died and resurrected, the scaffolding should only be used to look back and see God’s plan. It was never intended to be infused into this new building of the Spirit. The glory of the Old Testament was that it shined a prophetic light upon the Lord Jesus, and in fact that glory was to bow to the eternal glory of God’s Son, not to compete with it.
I admire their zeal. I admire their demonstrative worship. I admire their sincerity. But their direction is wrong. The church is a new thing, a creation out of God’s redemptive love, and she is the Bride and Body of Jesus Christ. It is beneficial to research the shadows and types of Jesus throughout the Old Testament, but it is a mistake to mold the church in the likeness of the Old Testament. We are to be living replicas of the Lord Jesus Christ, not replicas of shadows of days gone bye.

Huntsman Quits

John Huntsman has suspended his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the Presidency of the United States. In his remarks, he said,
“This is the most important election of our lifetime.”
Where have I heard that before? Oh yea, only every single election in my lifetime. (60 years)
Does the term redundant irony apply here? I will go out on a limb here. Regardless of who is elected this year, not much will change. Abortion will still be legal, some states will still allow gay marriage, violence will still cover the nation, greed will be an attribute, politics will still be cultural sewage, the church will still be self absorbed, and all things remain the same since the fathers slept.
Oh yea, Jesus will still be Lord!

Christ or Politics - Not Both

I love and hate the political system. I love it because it exposes so openly its profound fallen nature on a daily basis, and I hate it because it has so infiltrated the church of Jesus Christ. This political year promises to be as absurd and nasty as it gets. I do not follow all the ever changing machinations, however I cannot help but watch some of the debates.
But this current Republican primary season has unearthed some viciousness and rancor usually reserved for the presidential election process itself. And there is also a striking dichotomy between both major parties. The Republicans give lip service to the pro-life position, and that is good. But they also champion a kind of hedonism that suggests “get all you can and can all you get” philosophy. The Democrats are mostly pro-choice, which is bad. But they give lip service to the poor. What a fallen mess.
But just recently there arose a dispute among the Republicans concerning the nature of capitalism. In reality it contained a lot of personal motives between a few of the candidates, however the subject is a good one. And in light of God’s Word and Who we follow, what are we to make of that debate? Let me provide you first with some quotes from someone not running for political office. He says:
And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
OK, let’s just stop there. What kind of economic suicide is being proposed here? I mean, come on. Let’s be real and bring the debate into the 21st century. That kind of ancient rhetoric might have worked in the Dark Ages, but in this enlightened and prosperous age we need a more relevant discourse. Let see what else this person has to say on the subject.
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
There is it again. Meaningless prose, out of touch with reality, and more fanciful than real. That kind of lofty speech is more suited to a Hindu gathering, but surely not within the western culture of prosperity and success. That is socialism at its finest and Americans must reject it outright!
OK, I hope you can see satire. But can you not see the absurdity of such things when we actually juxtapose the teachings of Jesus upon the fallen back and forths of the political system? One candidate is willing to accept large sums of money for nothing more than his advice and influence, but he accuses another candidate of going too far in his capitalism. Its like an SNL sketch. And normally reasonable people listen to it and participate in a system that is much more than absurd and self serving. It is in fact antichrist.
The teachings of Jesus have nothing to do with enhancing our economic condition. In fact, the teachings of Jesus have more to do with the economic condition of others than they do with you. That, my friends, is the basic and crucial problem. Since we belong to a kingdom that has no subset with any other kingdom, it is impossible to bring them into a communion. And when we attempt to assess another kingdom, we inevitable must compromise since any Biblical assessment would render it completely at odds with all our Master stood for and taught.
And make no mistake, the two candidates for president will already be millionaires. Is it not ironic to see millionaires play philosophical badminton over how best to help the poor and needy?
“I have the answer!”
“No, I have the answer!”
And after the debate the candidates will retire to a glorious repast at a restaurant where you and I could not dream of affording. It is a spectacle with colossal irony, satire, and pulsating with self righteousness. And most westerners do not see the irony and do not see the inconsistency and double mindedness. Why? Because they wish they were rich! And in the end, the overwhelming majority of people will vote for the candidate they feel will elevate their personal prosperity.
But brothers and sisters, we have not known Christ after this sort. This is not the path that leads to Calvary, nor is it a path already trod by the Master’s feet. The uncomfortable question is do we still desire His path at all? Or even worse, do we even know what His path looks like anymore? And yet in the light of that piercing indictment do we still look for answers from the systems of this world? And how long will we embrace a system that is antithetical to the teachings of the One we profess to love and follow? And will we worship earthly freedom at the expense of sacrificing our freedom in Christ on the altar of political compromise?
In a previous post I suggested Jesus practiced socialism. That of course is somewhat inaccurate since it suggests that Christ bows to an earthly system. But my point was that Christ’s way is not our way. Democracy, capitalism, socialism, communism, totalitarianism, dictatorships, and all the rest are the recreation of the Tower of Babel. And they all present the fallen pottage of this world as if it was the divine birthright.
Is it not time that we as servants of the Most High God and of His Christ should humbly but decidedly withdraw from all that smacks of Cain’s fruit and openly cling to the Lord Jesus with all our hearts? This is no time to compromise. This is a time for all who bear His name to place themselves wholly and purely upon the altar of His circumcising Spirit. Politics be damned, and yes, I do mean damned in the spiritual sense. It is just such things that plunge the world more deeply into condemnation, and by design reject the Christ and war against the Kingdom of God. Let the Spirit open our eyes that we may see things as they are, which are the things not seen, and not as the world says they are.
Slowly but surely we have lost the glory of the cross, collectively and personally. And when the church does not see the cross as her life, but only as one pillar of our theology, and when the church preaches the cross only once or twice a year, and when the church teaches the cross primarily in the historical and theological abstract, then we have lost everything and we are undone.
Is.29:13-14 - Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Mk.7:5-7 - Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Away with the traditions of men! Away with vain worship! Away with hollow professions! Away with marrying the systems of this world with the Word of God! Away with it all!
Pray that God will empower us to remain separated from the ways of the world, refusing to even think ourselves wise enough in our own strength, and that our love for Christ will deepen in ways that we could not even imagine! This year, with all it opportunities for compromise and carnal thinking, will also reveal many, many opportunities for believers to shed the grave clothes of this world, and humbly proceed further into the glory that is the knowledge of Him, and into the freedom that always accompanies a sacrificial obedience to all He commands.
He is worthy!

Two Different Systems

The world’s system:
When marines kill Afghanistan soldiers - praise.
When marines urinate on their dead bodies - punishment.
(Irony alert?)
The system of Christ:
Do not render evil for evil.
And now you have a choice.

Jesus - a Practicing Socialist

The church should be an instrument of redemption and practice redemptive socialism.

It is impossible to read the New Testament and not see the theme of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, that is the exclusive theme in both the Old and New Testament. The sacrifice of God’s Son upon the cross provided redemption for whosoever will believe. And yes, we can understand that now, but our understanding with be much greater and soaked in experience when we one day lay eyes upon the Risen Christ! What a glorious day of promise.
But there is an interesting subplot that makes much more than a minor cameo appearance throughout the New Testament. And this supportive theme many times is minimized if not wholly ignored. Again, it is impossible to read through the New Testament and not see this continuing exhortation. And this theme is designed to uphold, empower, and aid in the spreading of the gospel of redemption. As believing followers of the Lord Jesus, we are personally called to lives of moderation.
But it goes much deeper than that. Even in that moderation and personal sacrifice, we are called to minister to the people of this world. And when I say minister, I mean more than just teaching and preaching. So often we have isolated teaching and preaching and walked away with a feeling of religious fulfillment and a faithful dispatch of our New Testament duties. But in so doing we are ignoring the Scriptural outline for a disciple’s behavior.
Capitalism, nationalism, and hedonism has captured and imprisoned the western evangelical marketplace. And if you are “orthodox” in your doctrine, then the fringe issues seem negotiable. Therefore, if you believe in the deity of Christ, and salvation by grace through faith, and a few other pillars of the doctrinal faith, then you stand in fulfillment of the teachings of Christ. You are a disciple.
But wait a minute.

Matt.28:18-20 - And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Many of our ultra-orthodox (whatever that is) friends have long since made the point that we are to make disciples, not just believers. Personally I believe there is a touch of semantics in that, however they bring up a valid point. Verse 20 states that we should teach the converts. And so we have Sunday Schools and Christian books and statements of faith and systematic theologies. And ultimately we consider a mature believer as one who can articulate an orthodox systematic theology.
But that is not what Christ is saying in the Great Commission. Jesus commands us to teach believers to observe - or DO - what He has commanded us to do. That is profoundly different than saying teach the great doctrines of the faith. The words “observe” and “command” indicate something much greater than just learning truths. They indicate a doing and an obedience to the commands of Jesus, not just a learning of what He said and what He taught. If knowing all the core doctrines of the faith is the indispensable element of being a disciple, then there were not many disciples until recently since millions of believers were illiterate and perhaps millions still are today. And none of His commands had anything to do with enhancing and elevating our own lives.
Ask the average western theologian about what constitutes the foundational truths of Christianity and he will inevitably give you a list like this:
Deity of Christ
The Trinity
The virgin birth
Salvation by faith alone
The Resurrection
The Atonement through the blood
Now those things are important and do provide a foundation for understanding eternal redemption. But missing are the “to do” commands of Jesus, which must be important to Him since He included them in the Great Commission. Where are these in such lists:
Feed the poor
Minister to the sick
Visit the prisoners
Clothe the needy
Give water to the thirsty
Do good to your enemies
Rejoice in persecution
Bless them which curse you
Take up your cross
Be clothed with humility
Where aren’t those things in any list of approved orthodoxy? Why is humility an elective? Why is humanitarianism not an orthodox doctrine? We seem to be content, and even prideful, when we can regurgitate the written doctrines while seemingly ignoring the commands. And because many are prideful about their orthodoxy and their carefully exegeted doctrines of the faith, they step lightly on the commands of Christ concerning humility, humanitarian deeds, and being kind to our enemies. They are wary about others misjudging them as liberal or emergent because they feed the poor, etc..
But in downplaying such deeds the church has done substantial damage to the faith. The Christian faith was never meant to be an SAT test. It was birthed as a living exhibition of the Person of Christ and the redemptive heart of God. We were never meant to gloat in our literal interpretation of the Scriptures concerning a certain set of truths, while we place other Scriptures in a more casual light and in effect eviscerate their substance.
But, sadly, the average evangelical church stands upon its statement of faith as proof of its Biblical alignment, but the lives and behavior of its congregation are no more remarkable than the average “I believe in God” kind and nice person. The distinctives of a believers life have become so shallow and so unremarkable, that when we have a four sentence conversation with a stranger and he does not curse we think he might be a believer. Really? So a disciple is recognized by the things he does not do, and not so much by the things he does do? How pitiful!
Where is that light that shines in the world? That light that Jesus spoke of as shining through us, that isn’t placed inside a book of theology and encouraged to shine at preacher’s conventions and discussion forums and in pastor‘s libraries. That light is action; it is deeds. And those deeds must be uncomfortable and selfless and aimed at sinners from all stripes. Those deeds must have the love of Jesus Christ as their power and message. And those deeds are living epistles, ripped from the walls of doctrinal taxidermists and infused with His life they go without the camp, bearing His cross and washing the feet of leprous sinners.
We are to observe all things that He commanded of us. To love the Lord your God is more than doctrinal purity; it is more than just a great worship service; it goes way beyond mere words. Loving God cannot be separated from loving your fellow man. When you did not do it to the least of these you did not do it to Him. What a profound mystery, and yet no one can pretend ignorance. Christianity is more than just a religion. It is a life. And that life is an instrument of redemption, broken and spilled out, and stooping down so low so as to minister to the scabrous, the repugnant, the immoral, and in reality the dead corpses that walk among us every single day.
Let us come down from our doctrinal pedestals. Let us repent of the ways in which we have created a system that is so aloof and comfortable. Let us leave the redundant regurgitations that praise what we know and ignore what we must do. The church is so stagnant, so insulated, and so immobilized even while exhibiting a form of godliness within a myriad of activities while millions die physically and spiritually.
Redemption required blood. Read James once more and see that spreading that gospel message requires more than words. How much does He require of us who bear His name?

Just everything.

Nothing more, nothing less.

And the Answer is?

Iran is developing a nuclear weapon.
Syria is killing its own people.
The Muslim Brotherhood governs in Egypt.
North Korea is threatening.
President Obama may have one billion dollars to campaign with.
The Republican candidates are politics as usual.
The abortion mills are in full vigor.
The economy continues to struggle.
The western church runs toward apostasy.
Sexual sins are rampant
Earthquakes happen around the globe.
The Middle east is a war waiting to happen.
Iraq is a mess.
Afghanistan is a mess.
Pakistan is a mess.
Divorced men and women defend the sanctity of marriage politically.
Men’s hunger for money and entertainment is unquenchable.
It seems as if there is no answer to the world’s dilemma.

Oh, but there is an answer.

The cross.

The High Cost of War

or

The Machinery of Death

or

Bloodletting Through Lies

LOST

U.S. Troop deaths - 4,486 US troops
US Troops Wounded - 32,226
Iraqi civilian deaths - Near 100,000
Cost in dollars - 1 trillion
Emotional casualties - Many thousands
The cost of continuing healthcare for injured - probably another trillion
Perhaps another trillion in debt interest

ACCOMPLISHED

A corrupt democracy
More terrorists inside Iraq
Sectarian violence higher than under Saddam

WHAT WE WERE TOLD

Iraqis would welcome us as heroes
Iraqi oil would pay for the war
Saddam had many weapons of mass destruction
Iraq would be a shining example of democracy in the region
People’s lives would be better

SUMMARY

Deaths, wounded, lives wrecked, incredible debt, and all of it presented on a platform of lies.

War: How do you like me now?

The Shame and the Glory

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

In Jesus’ day, the cross was not an ornament to wear
lined with jewels and made of precious gold
Instead it was an instrument on which a person died
for all the men and women to behold
To bear the cross meant suffering beyond all other means
as an example seen by one and all
But only Jesus Christ endured the full extent of pain
for only He could remedy the Fall
The glory of the cross is not in just that Jesus died
but that He conquered death for you and me
It’s in His resurrection that the glory is complete
securing Life for all eternity
So when we view the cross on which the Lord did pay our debt
remember all the shame that Jesus bore
But know Salvation was completed when He rose again
and Christ will sit in glory evermore
David L Vanderpool

Tim Tebow

I am a rabid Notre Dame fan. Don’t ask me why except that I am 50% Irish (and 50% German - Frueh). But I admire a college team with 9000 enrollees who can compete with ones who have 70,000 students. I admire their standards as well.
I do not believe God is interested in football at all, or any sports for that matter. But I cannot help but pull for this kid named Tim Tebow. The fact that his parents are overseas missionaries drew me at first, and I like the fact that he gave glory for his life to his “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. I know, that kind of language is often self serving and makes a cameo appearance at sports events, music award show, and academy award extravaganzas. And it is difficult to rejoice in such things when the person saying them is on their 4th wife and is now living with a girl 30 years his younger. Oh well.
But this kid Tebow seems to be the genuine article. Is he perfect? Let’s be real. But he seems to say the right things, and the people who know him best say he is what you see. He has a great platform to speak the name of Jesus, and his remarkable achievements this year have elevated him into the national discourse. Some mock him, and some doubt, and some even hate him because of his faith in Christ. But almost everyone knows the situation.
I root for him, not just in football, but I pray for his faithfulness in his witness. A young kid with money and the pressure of today’s world, to say nothing of testosterone coursing through his body, is confronted with many temptations. But up until now Tebow has been a very good witness for Jesus Christ. We need more like him to whom we can point and tell our children, “There is a godly young man!”
Let us pray for him and that God will be glorified in all of this.
(BTW - I grew up a Cowboy fan!)

Here is Love

In the early 1900’s a young man named Evan Roberts began to pray. The Spirit began to take hold of his soul, and God’s power began to rest upon him although he was a young man. Everywhere he went revival followed, and in a couple of years thousands of souls came into the kingdom, and the spiritual landscape of Wales was changed forever. You would do well to google the Welsh Revival and challenge your soul.
During the revival, the song that became sort of an anthem was “Here is Love”. It is sung below by Robin Mark.

Here is Love


How is it that truths like this song have almost disappeared from our church vocabularies? How can we stand before God with all the nonsense that goes on in church and the lifestyle compromises that live openly in believers? Does it not break our hearts when we see how much redemptive love was poured upon us by our Loving God, and yet we bring Him such wood, hay, and stubble?
Perhaps God’s great grace will allow us a revival here in the western church which is so petrified by activity and the cares of this world as another Jesus is worshiped. The gateway to such a revival is first a resurgence of prayer. The second step will be a mighty resurgence of prayer. Prayer must be our life, prayer must be our breath, and the church house lights must begin to burn during the week with seeking believers on their face before God.
During the Welsh Revival many coal miners came into the kingdom. As they went down into the mines they noticed that the ponies that pulled the carts had trouble obeying their commands. Why was that? They came to realize that as Christians they no longer used profanity in their commands and the ponies were confused. The ponies had to be retrained!
How have we decimated the precious faith of Jesus Christ? We have taken the sacred and trodden it under the feet of our hedonistic and secular culture. And how treasonous is it to hear the truth of God's matchless love, and yet live as if it means almost nothing? Where are the mighty transformations from sinners to saints? And where is the divine incandescence that should be emanating from our lives so that sinners might awaken and Christ may be high and lifted up? Read these words and see if Christ deserves more, much more, than what we currently offer Him.

Here is Love

Here is love vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as a flood
When the Prince of Life, our ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.

Here is love. Lord, we remember.
From our hearts we lift Your praise,
Raising high the living anthem
All will sing through endless days.

On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide.
Through the floodgates of Your mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.

Here is love like mighty rivers
Poured unceasing from above.
Heaven's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

O what love! Great love!
Dying Lord, what love!

Here is love vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as a flood
When the Prince of Life, our ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.Here is love.

Lord, we remember.
From our hearts we lift Your praise,
Raising high the living anthem
All will sing through endless days

Let God Be True and Every Man a Liar

II Tim.3:15-17 - And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
In Concord, New Hampshire, Rick Santorum, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president, replied to questions asked from college students. As a rule college students tend to be liberal, or free thinking, and this crowd seemed no different in that respect. When asked about gay marriage the exchange became a little feisty. Here is some of that exchange:

He (Santorum) called on a woman who asked, "How about the idea that all men are created equal, rights to happiness and liberty?
Santorum responded, "Are we saying that everyone should have the right to marry?"
Several members of the crowd loudly yelled, "Yes!"
At that point, the former senator from Pennsylvania compared same-sex marriage to polygamy.
"So anyone can marry can marry anybody else? So if that's the case, then everyone can marry several people ... so you can be married to five people. Is that OK?" Santorum asked.

The woman asking the question was of course quoting the Declaration of Independence which reads, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
If you look closely at the wording of the Declaration, you will see that the answer to Santorum’s rhetorical question about having five marriage partners is, “Yes!” The Declaration does not refer to any Biblical authority, and in fact, elevates our pursuit of happiness as the arbiter and as a “self evident” truth. So in effect, anyone can marry whoever pleases them and makes them happy. You see, the Declaration of Independence is a humanistic document and provides sweeping freedoms for every citizen.
It would seem appropriate to guard the young against abuse, but to all citizens of voting age who desire to engage in things not infringing upon the happiness of others, well, that is an uninalienable right. Therefore no one can marry an 8-year old girl because the government has rightly deemed her as not reaching voting adult status, but as it pertains to consenting adults, full throttle.
So what has happened and what has the church missed? Well, the evangelical church has taken a humanistic document which has some nebulous reference to a deity, and which defines that deity as existing for the happiness of man, and we have attempted to make it a Christian document. And just like the square peg in a round hole illustration, it cannot be done and causes great confusion and compromised loyalties among believers.
When believers embrace the documents of man as inspired in any way, they immediately compromise their hearts, their faith, and the revelation of Jesus Christ. These same deceived believers would never embrace the documents of Joseph Smith, or Mary Baker Eddy, or Charles Taze Russell, but they enthusiastically embrace the writings of Jefferson, Madison, or Franklin. And what is the difference? It is because of their misguided loyalty and allegiance to a country called America.
If you shoot a rifle at a target that is 1 mile away, and if you gun is off 1 degree to the right, then you will be almost 100 feet off target. The same principle applies in matters of truth and spiritual understanding. If you begin with a false and faulty premise, one that is vital and essential, then as you proceed further into Scripture you will inevitably taint the entire process and ultimately come to many inaccurate conclusions. That is how cults are formed, and that is also how all of us can be deceived and compromised.
And so it is with America. Even the humanistic documents, written by carnal men and endorsed by unbelievers, are embraced by professing followers of the Lord Jesus, and ones who boldly proclaim the exclusivity of the written revelation we call the Bible. But because their eyes have been blinded by the light of nationalism, they embrace humanistic documents and the works of men. And it must be remembered that the original documents issued by the founding fathers were the product of both saved and lost men, slave holders and philanderers, and give no reference to the Lord Jesus Christ in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution.
The chains of nationalism are real. And those unseen chains have serious repercussions on every believer who is bound by them, as well as the church at large. I humbly exhort you to seek the freedom that can only be found in Jesus Christ. And the government that rests upon His shoulders is no democracy. It is a monarchy and the King that rules over that government is the only hope for the world.

Let God be true and every man a liar.

Violence and the Gospel

And almost on cue, here are two infamous heretics praying for God to bless war.

Gen.6:13 - And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Matt.11:10-13 - For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
There was much violence through the Old Testament. I must admit to a level of mystery I have concerning God’s participation in such violence. I mean destroying entire cities, etc.. But I will not suggest that I know better than God, and I will never question what He does and does not do. That is a futile exercise in spiritual hubris.
But no one can read the New Testament and not understand that a seismic shift has taken place. What once was standard operating procedure for God’s people has been revolutionized, and the kingdom of God now centers around humility, love, and mercy. The teachings of Jesus are significant since he Himself was God in the flesh. And the words of Jesus are not only filled with nonviolence, they are filled with exhortations of love and kind works toward our enemies. That is astounding given the history of Israel!
But unless you reject Jesus as the Messiah and the Incarnate Son of God, you must acquiesce to His teachings and His example. We do not have the spiritual luxury to carry the banner of Jesus while presenting truths and principles that are diametrically opposed to what He taught. It is disingenuous at best and treasonous at worst. And we cannot ask hypothetical questions about certain outcomes of obeying such teachings and use those hypotheticals to compromise, and in some cases, obliterate what Christ taught.
But sadly, that is what most of the western church has done. Since the teachings of Jesus are so radical and so antithetical to a culture of hedonism, prosperity, and violence, the church has forced Christianity to bow to the culture and seriously manipulated the Scriptures to accomplish its own will regardless of the clear and unambiguous truths outlined again and again in the New Testament. And besides just openly ignoring the clarity of the New Testament, the church has also come up with a melding of the Old Testament with the New Testament which in effect does damage to the overall integrity of Christ’s gospel message as well as encourages individual lifestyles that are at odds with the example and teachings of Christ.
It can only be denied by those who aggressively refuse to take an honest look at Scripture. I know, I used to be one of those. I want to address the culture in which I live because that is not only what I am most familiar with, but it is a grievous example of ecclesiastical compromise. I used to celebrate America including having patriotic services in the churches I pastored. I sang, “I’m proud to be an American” and in earlier years a song called, “The Statue of Liberty”. And once my two older children sang the four songs associated with the four major branches of the military - in church! I was so proud back then.
But I was wrong, very wrong. But I never questioned the issue of patriotism, nationalism, or the use of violence. I mean the entire evangelical landscape taught and practiced such things, and back then I was an independent Baptist. We were so militant we were one step from bringing guns to church! But every new generation was reared to think as we did, and even many Christian schools have a “Patriot” as their mascot. Go into almost all Christian schools and you will find pictures adorning their walls of many presidents and patriots and founding fathers. Many of them were slave owners and adulterers, but because they were Americans such things are overlooked.
One day my best friend asked me this question, “Where in the New Testament are we allowed to violently overthrow the government when we don’t like the tax situation?” I paused and thought. Then he added, “In fact, where in the New Testament are we allowed to violently overthrow the government for any reason?” For some reason I did not brush those questions off, and even though I made some innocuous “That’s interesting” reply, the questions penetrated my heart. For the next week I did a private, and sometimes painful, investigation of the Scriptures.
As I read and reread and compared Scripture with Scripture, a pattern began to emerge which was, in all honesty, openly there before. It was all too obvious that what I had believed and taught was not true. And the issue of violence was not just some fringe doctrine that believers argue about that has no real impact of our faith and our lives. No, this issue was significant and it revealed a major abrogation of the overarching redemptive message of the gospel and the kingdom of God. In one week of Scriptural honesty I stood before God naked and indicted. I was pierced to the heart.
I praise the Risen Christ for His mercy and patience with such a stupid man as I. I can report to you that God forgives us our sins the very moment we confess and repent of them. And unlike man, God does not hold a grudge. Of course what God does have to do when the Spirit leads us into a greater revelation of His Person and His truth, He has to warn and correct us when we almost inevitable exhibit a level of self righteousness concerning our new found epiphany. And true to form, when we confess and repent of that He is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse.
And through my personal experience concerning the nonviolent nature of the gospel of grace, I also have been led by God’s grace into a greater level of humility, which is both painful and no easy task for God. And by the way, this humility thing? I have to do faithful sentry duty or I can easily slide into self righteousness again. How sinful we are and how glorious is our Redeemer! But the duplicitous nature of the western evangelical church must be uncovered and addressed. We are not of this world and our actions as well as our thought processes must be brought into the obedience of Christ.
II Cor.10:3-5 - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
We cannot, we must not, sift what we believe about truth through the lense of culture or the hypothetical kaleidoscope of “what ifs”. God’s truth needs no outside support to make it more true, and many times what we call reason is nothing more than cultural baggage. The mild and meek servants of God that desire to reflect the Christ and walk in self denying crucifixion, have become the boasting patriots that claim national superiority, divine favor, and a divine approval and empowerment to go to war. If we could bring 100 early believers back from the year 100 A.D. I am sure they would be confounded concerning our brand of Christianity.
And let me add this observation. My words or presentations about this subject have been met with little enthusiasm. In fact, just the discussion many times elicits manifestations of the flesh. It is amazing to see how people react when you question idols that are considered settled law. But we must continually ask God for His love for them to run through us. Easy to say, difficult to exhibit. So I have found that for the most part, only a person that is drawn by the Spirit to ponder and investigate such things personally will be changed. Most of my time presenting or arguing bore precious little fruit, and if I am honest, sometimes my own flesh was stirred.
Let us pray that God will enlighten many hearts, and that God will lead us to a deeper level of crucifixion of our own fallen man. Just because we have come to an understanding about nonviolence does not guarantee that we will be more like Jesus. There is much ground yet to be taken and our journey continues. To whom much is given, much is required. We don’t just owe God a lot - we owe Him our lives. Let’s pay up!

Extra Credit

10 points:

What would you call a system where lies are encouraged, slander is practiced, boasting is the norm, self righteousness is a virtue, disingenuousness is a must, and an obscene amount of money is used to manipulate the minds of gullible people?

American politics.

The New Destiny Debacle

Why was there all this commotion over who would be the next pastor at a church called New Destiny in central Florida? The answer is simple: money. And that is almost always the reason in most church power struggles. If everyone had been meeting under a tree, and the pastor’s salary was quite moderate, I suspect the entire matter would have been much simpler and without as much carnal struggle.
All you would have to do is move to another tree.

The Risen Christ

A black hole is a phenomenon of the universe where matter is so dense that the velocity needed to escape (rocket, etc.) is greater than the speed of light. That means that even light cannot escape its gravitational force, hence the name “black hole”. If light cannot escape then the black hole cannot be seen. Some black holes are the size of a football field but with thousands of times as much mass as our Sun. But even though we can describe such a startling phenomenon, human words are incapable of fully capturing such a stretch of known physics. We understand on our level, but our description is profoundly rudimentary.
And so it is with God. The Scriptures tell us that no one has seen God and lived. That means that any visual representation of God is a gift of grace as well as being necessarily cloaked to some extent. God is a spirit, and a spirit cannot be seen with human eyes. But God does reveal Himself through some things that can be seen. Fire, smoke, light, and a burning bush are some of the manifestations God allows to represent His presence. But, of course, the Lord Jesus is the highest representation of God and is, in fact, God in the flesh.
But somehow we have lost the sacred and lost the awe. Somehow we have presented a caricature of God and the Lord Jesus, and we no longer reverence Him, to say nothing of fear and trembling. The Apostle John laid his head many times on the bosom of Christ, and yet upon seeing the Risen Christ he fell at His feet as though dead. Yes, Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and yes He is a loving and intimate shepherd to His sheep. But He is also God, the Eternal Word, and a consuming fire.
The church has significantly redefined the Lord Jesus until all He is good for is helping with your electric bill and getting your auto loan approved. And preachers by the thousands lead their congregations in prayer, asking God to help them garner millions of dollars of secular debt in order to build more buildings. No one can honestly read the scriptures and believe that God is in accruing massive debt.
People speak about Jesus as if He is their great uncle. Some even suggest that He speaks to them audibly because that subliminally suggests God is on your side. This western caricature is nothing like the Christ in Scripture, and in many ways it seems like a doll or teddy bear. There is little conviction of sin, and professing believers by the millions gather to worship God with unclean hands and hearts. Which Jesus are they worshiping?
To be sure there is an intimate side to the Lord Jesus, and anyone who has actually experienced His presence can testify to that. He is a healer and He is the Balm of Gilead. And through the Spirit He comforts us as well. But it is not just unwise to alter His image, it is sacrilege. What would we think of a scientist who confines his definition of a black hole as nothing more than a tightly filled bean bag? That would not only be inaccurate, it would be a gross misrepresentation. And in fact, it would violate any accepted scientific norm.
And so it is with the western church’s representation of the Risen Christ. It is not only inaccurate, it violates the truth of Who Christ is as revealed in Scripture and taught by the Spirit through the illumination of that same Scripture. It is not wrong to often speak with God as a friend, or converse with Him on an intimate basis. Even discussing seemingly mundane things builds up our most holy faith. But we must never strip Him of His majesty and glory. There are no human words to adequately define and completely do justice to the immensity of His Person and the august nature of His eternal divinity. Even the word “God” should stir our hearts and bow our wills.
Without a fresh vision of the Risen Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit we will continue to feast on scraps, and sometimes those scraps are poison. I am one who endorses a vibrant and demonstrative worship before God. I play the piano and have written many worship songs, some to which you can dance. I embrace that kind of unbridled expression of praise and worship. However without a stream of awe and wonder, and deep and compelling reverence, it many times is completely fueled by the power of music and a sophisticated sound system, but not the power of God’s own Spirit.
If we allow the Spirit to reintroduce God to us in all His glory and power, and if we once again are broken before the wonder of the cross, and if we never forget what sinners we were and what sinners we are, then we will experience what true worship is - all about Him and never about our method, never about our music, and least of all, never about us.

The Danger of Carnality

Rom.8:6-8 - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
The word carnal in the Greek indicate a control by an animal nature. It applies to men when their desires and appetites are controlled by their fallen nature rather than by God’s Spirit. Paul not only tells of its danger, but he uses the word “death”. And so it is.
We give far too much room for carnality in the church. Rare is the shepherd who can be alert toward signs of the flesh while not moving into legalism. More likely in today’s evangelical mess are the preachers whose entire ministry is built upon the dictates of the flesh. And when people are subjected consistently to the offerings of the flesh, even while draped in religious language, their appetites become satisfied by carnal and fleshly things.
The meat of the Word is distasteful to the average evangelical palate, and any hint of rebuke repels the carnal mind. The average pew dweller desires encouragement and praise from the shepherd’s mouth, even if he is in mortal spiritual danger. Rebuke the president, rebuke Rob Bell, rebuke Joel Osteen, rebuke Muslims, rebuke homosexuals, and rebuke liberals of all stripes, but do not rebuke us. People do not come to church to hear God’s Word, they come to be blessed.
And the average church service is constructed to make people feel good. The pastor works hard to attract people and he never wants to send anyone away, so he avoids any strong message of correction. His job is to convince people that they love their church. Addition not subtraction is the name of this ecclesiastical game. There is a mortgage to be paid, enormous staff salaries, building upkeep, teen activities, and everything else that costs money.
The worst thing that can happen to the movement called Christianity is if it replaces the power of the Spirit with the power of the flesh. Nothing is wrong with technology unless it replaces the Spirit and draws men through manipulation and carnal coercion. The flesh loves to hear all positive messages that reinforce the carnal lifestyles people already live. Positive attitudes and thoughts of success and the pursuit of prosperity are always on the fallen menu. But there is nothing more positive than allowing the Spirit to conform us in the image of God’s Dear Son.
The church has traded the sacred for the carnal. No longer is the name of Jesus the Christ spoken with awe and reverence. No longer is the presence of God so evident in the gathering of believers that conviction of sin is pervasive. No longer is the ministry of the Spirit of God welcomed among the company of believers. Everything is hype and tinsel, loud and forced, and manipulative and self serving. The carnal equation is simple - the bigger the church, the more God is blessing.
Do believers arrive at the church building on Sunday mornings bathed in prayer? Have they worshiped the Christ privately before they worship Him corporately? Have they come free from a schedule so that the Spirit is free to move as He pleases? Have their lips shared the gospel of Christ at all during the week? Have they watched more television than they have spent in God’s holy presence? What kind of religion are we practicing if there is such a great disparity between what we say and what we do? Doesn’t James address that kind of religion?
It is time to repent and dismantle, and to destroy what man has made and make room for what God desires. There is so much of God’s glory being ignored, and yet to hear these carnal men one would believe they have God’s blessing. And the ultimate question has always been this: Do we actually and demonstrably believe that we have inherited eternal life through Jesus Christ? Well, how can we know that?
To the extent we serve and love this life, is to the extent we are living in unbelief, and that in spite of all our religious rhetoric, we are living a fraud. And with that indictment placed upon the western church, there looms a supreme prospect that carries the weight of eternity within that possibility. And just what is that possibility?
It is entirely possible that much, if not most, of the western evangelical congregations have never been regenerated by God’s Spirit and are caught in a religious system that provides a false and diabolical comfort for lost and religious souls. And if that is the case, then the carnality active within that system is doing much more harm than just compromising the believer’s walk. The current ecclesiastical structure in the west has become a greater evil than just practicing a shallow form of Christianity. It now serves as a monstrous deception that guides fallen souls to an eternal place of judgment, separated from God forever. And this is being accomplished with a religious veneer, praise and worship music, and the name of Jesus deftly and disingenuously pasted upon its form.
And what words are adequate to describe such an antichrist system?

Anathema maranatha.

2012

Phil.3:7-14 - But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
The new year is here. I do not set dates but I do see signs. We may not have much time left to serve Christ in this world. It cannot be denied by anyone who has even the slightest level of discernment that the entire world is on the very precipice of calamity. And in some areas, calamity is a daily experience.
Americans are worried about money and losing even the slightest portion of the “America Dream”. However we as believing followers of the Lord Jesus must never bow to such earthly pursuits. Our lives must be consumed with Him, and everything we do and say must be to His glory alone. We cannot serve two masters. Jesus is Lord and must be served and worshiped as such.
It would not take much to throw the entire world into total violence, confusion, and utter collapse. But even that prospect should not move us. In fact, as we see the day approaching our hearts should leap within us and our lives should walk in the power of His resurrected will. This is no game, and I am well aware that such dire claims have been made before. But one day they will come to fruition. Perhaps 2012 will see a monumental prophetic movement that shakes everything that can be shaken.
But, sadly, with all that on the horizon the western church continues to practice a religion that bears no resemblance to Christianity. In times past disciples lived lives of sacrifice. Today professing disciples live lives in pleasure. In times past disciples spent many weekly hours in prayer. Today prayer is a lost discipline. In times past disciples separated themselves from the systems of this world. Today professing disciples are consumed with all sorts of worldly battles. In times past disciples embraced their own cross. Today professing disciples embrace neither their cross nor His.
The walls are broken and burned, and the temple of the Lord has been ransacked. The shepherds sing pretty songs from behind the pulpit and the sheep love to have it so. Music is now our god, and worship has become a thing rather than a glorious expression emanating from a heart given to Christ. Men and women can lead weekly lives of prayerlessness, adultery, sexual immorality, and all sorts of hedonism and yet clap and raise their hands on Sunday morning. There is no conviction nor spirit of holiness in God’s house anymore.
Our salt and light are now gone, and like Samson of old, we do not even know it. The practice of church continues with a powerless expression that satisfies the flesh but starves the spirit. This is not Christianity. This is another religion, a cult, that has been carefully ushered in and given the name of Jesus. But it is another Jesus; a wealthy Jesus in the lineage of Santa Claus. This is not the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. This is a caricature that smacks of a fallen western culture. This Jesus is a divine bell hop who serves man and all his desires.
2012 will bring more of the same and worse. Diabolical lies are spread through Christian television and ignorant people write checks to false prophets. The entire mess is a disaster. But judgment must begin at the house of God. And since the church at large is now a whore, we as individual believers must hear the Spirit’s voice and follow the Great Shepherd as he leads those who will hear out of spiritual adultery. And although we lament the current spiritual apostasy that sweeps the western ecclesiastical landscape, we cannot let it end there. We must rise up and seek God’s face.
2012 is full of all kinds of spiritual opportunities. It is altogether possible that if we seek God’s precious Word with a fresh thirst and a new commitment to understand and obey, that the Spirit can open that Word to us with a vibrancy that resurrects truths that we had long since placed upon the shelf of familiarity. John 3:16 and other well known verses may come to life with such profound application and understanding that it may seem that we never really comprehended their depth before. If we open our hearts and delve into the fathomless treasures of the Eternal Word of the Living God, God has promised to reward those who seek Him with that kind of diligence.
And when we begin to awaken to the glories of God’s Word with such brokenness and immeasurable resolve, we will find that we begin to know Him in greater intimacy, love, and a well spring of worship. And when we are driven to the prayer chamber to meet our Bridegroom, it is in that spiritual furnace where the Spirit burns away the dross of our lives and little by little lifts the sacred veil that separates the revelation of His Person from those who just use Him to gain heaven or those who are willing to die to see Him. And those who have their statement of faith as their God must wait outside, while those who journey further into the realm of prayer and worship will be given the priceless gift of His presence. And once you have tasted His presence nothing this side of heaven will suffice.
I do not speak of some self righteousness that claims to have been visited personally by angels. Or some charismatic preacher who says he went to heaven and by that draws attention to himself as well as increases his own earthly wealth. Away with all that! But I do reject the notion that we who do have a solid, Biblical theology can traverse no further in the realm of the Spirit. I cannot agree with those who relegate prayer and worship to some perfunctory exercise and who are so afraid of being labeled that they eschew any meaningful disciplines of the Spirit designed to know Him more fully. And while we rightfully reject contemplative and centering prayer, it does not mean that we cannot approach God’s throne with brokenness, humility, and a Jacob-like relentlessness.
Please do not let false teachers rob you of what the Spirit has for you. The Industrial Revolution has robbed the church of the one precious commodity necessary for any spiritual maturity - time. People now carry televisions around in their phones and I-Pads. All the gimmickry and electronic accoutrements have stripped us of the greater treasures of the Spirit. Rare are the believers who can spend quality time alone with God, free from all the cares of this world, and without an underlying anxiousness about what they have to do next. How tragic.
But 2012 does not have to be a mirror of past years. And this year can be a year of spiritual progress that beaks up the fallow ground, plants good seed in good soil, and reaps a personal harvest to God’s glory. And by a harvest I mean life fruit that bears His image. The days are evil and the time grows short. And if we could be assured that sometime in 2012 we will stand before the Risen Christ, would we live differently? Are we still in love with Jesus or have we left our first love for the mistress of this present world? Do not waste this coming year. Break open the alabaster box of the life God gave you and lavish it upon Him!
Do not wait for the church as an institution to wake up and seek His face. You and I have personal mandates from the Spirit that beckon us to come and dine. How much of our lives are filled with things that do not profit spiritually? Do we really want the quality of our spiritual lives to be measured by what we do not do or by which heretics we reject? But in order for these things to change the person who worries about the cares of this world, and who fills your mind with carnal things, and who casually relegates time with God to the back burner, that person must die. He cannot be reformed. He will not be redirected. He receives no correction. In fact, he is most creative and will allow certain adjustments to be made in order to preserve the core of his carnal pursuits and distractions. He will never admit it but he desires to be lord. No, he must die and he must die every single day.
Why didn’t Jesus allow His blood to be shed without the cross? Why didn’t he orchestrate a narrative that had someone slit his throat like the priests did to the animals? Our forgiveness is in the blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, so why the cross? The cross was meant to kill sinners. And when Jesus says that if we desire to be His followers we must take up our own cross, he is outwardly suggesting that we die. In fact, He is more than just suggesting. Death to self is a spiritual mandate. Shallow is the believer who by faith applies the blood to his sins but who never pursues his own cross.
Yes, Jesus paid the price for us, and it takes only childlike faith to believe on Him and be saved. Halleluiah!! But is that all He deserves? Are we not bought with a price and belong solely to Him? Is He not our Master and we His bond servants? There is no real pain in saving faith, but there is much pain in being conformed to His image. And that is why the church by and large avoids any authentic pursuit of discipleship. We seek a bed of roses and not a crown of thorns. The church has long since defined discipleship as teaching a convert the systematic truths of Scripture, and although that is surely extremely important, it falls embarrassingly short of the path laid our for us by the Master who embodies those truths. A computer, rightly programmed, can spit out an orthodox theology.
And again, we cannot serve two masters. We cannot follow the dictates of this earthly life and also follow the dictates of our life in His Spirit. They are enemies! We have so emasculated the Christian life so as to make it unremarkable within a kingdom of darkness. The flesh has become very adept at appearing religious, and that flesh now reigns. But we again have an opportunity to break these earthly chains and go forth from our spiritual lethargy and find Christ once again! Is that reward too insignificant to pursue? The Risen Master not only awaits the adoration of His servants, but He Himself has promised to help those who seek Him. Can there be any words to adequately praise the name of such a God??
So let us set aside our hearts this year. And when we stumble, and when we do get distracted, let us be quick to repent and quick to go directly to Him who can forgive and restore. This may be the year of His secret coming for His bride, I do not know. I long to see Him. But of this I can be sure. This can be the year that allows the Potter to break our lives, put it to death, and create a life that reflects the glory of God’s eternal Son. Please Lord, let it be so.