Networking the Nebulous

NETWORKING THE NEBULOUS

I want you to listen to this video from a man named Rob Bell.

 

 

I Cor.14: ⁷ And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?

⁸ For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?

If you study the world’s religions you will find a myriad of thoughts and ideas about the essence and nature of the God or in some cases “gods”. Some see God as a collection of principles while others see Him as a divine human. Some characterize Him as all inclusive while others describe Him as a cosmic engineer. Every religion has its own narrative about who or what God is. And many religions have allowed their perspective about the nature of God to change with the times as well as updated practices of that particular religion. And many ways if not most of how God is described are incompatible with each other.

Most religions have their own divine writings which form some kind of basis for their beliefs. But many religions have different sects within the same religious title. And some religions claim to have an ongoing stream of inspired revelation which can change what was previously taught and believed. The entire religious landscape is a combination of ancient landmarks as well as mercurial thoughts. It is kind of a “Baskin Robbins” spiritual store which offers a religion which can scratch you where you itch.

Now within the religion generally known as Christianity there are all those same different thoughts and perspectives that can be seen throughout all religions. Christianity has sects like Roman Catholicism which can change doctrine and practice when the Vatican so decrees. There are other Christian sects which do the same thing. There are Christian sects which have sacred writings in addition to the 66 books we call the Bible. There are sects which have a leader who speaks for the entire sect. Some sects claim they are the only true followers of God while other sects say all religions lead to God. Yes, Christianity is a smorgasbord of thoughts and ideas and practices which sometimes are decidedly at odds with each other.

And in America you have many different movements which claim to be Christian all moving in different directions in belief and practice. Of course there are sects that claim to be the exclusive sect with no redemptive room for others even within Christianity itself. But much more fashionable is the nebulous approach which suggests that any hint of exclusivity as it pertains to Christ and His redemption is misguided and archaic in thought. This kind of Christian stream openly suggests that the truth revealed in Scripture must be malleable and seen more clearly through a more modern prism. They suggest that a reworking of our beliefs must reach further than just a more modern approach in practice. No, they teach that our entire concept of God must be retooled and made to manifest a more well thought out caricature which can relate to the modern understanding of how a deity should be defined.

This kind of thought is not restrictive, and in fact swings wide open the doors for all kinds of thoughts and suggestions about God. Scripture is only one of many sources with which to arrive at a more sophisticated view of God, and everyone’s opinion and philosophy are not only important ingredients, they are essential in the final belief product. One of the most alluring aspects of such a sect is the way truth is a journey and not an absolute. Everyone can arrive at the gathering on Sunday morning excited about what new truth may be revealed from the pulpit or even what old truth will be dismantled and reformed. Yes, it is very exciting and makes those adherents feel very chic and like spiritual pioneers.

These kinds of movement are usually started with the energy and personality of a few main gurus and grow with many pied pipers who are able to articulate the vision and motivate the audience. They are very witty and urbane, and they use many effective communicative techniques. Books and CDs and other media are tools with which to spread their philosophy. And most of their message is a network of philosophies which allow the listeners to arrive at their own beliefs and conclusions. In fact, they are designed to lead people away from making any substantive conclusions except to conclude that these men are hearing from God.

And now please listen to this short video from a man named Peter Rollins.

 

 

 

This nebulous philosophy which relies almost entirely upon human stories and parables and philosophical perspectives moves forward a conversation which has no answers and which has no goal. It perpetuates a kind of philosophical Carousel of Progress which sees through a kaleidoscope of truth that constantly remolds and repackages truth by piecing together different kinds of life experiences and creating a truth which seems relevant to these experiences. There are no absolutes which are applicable to all situations and experiences. Truth itself is defined as figuring out how to deal with life in all its experiences.

When a man like Rollins speaks in philosophical whispers it appeals to those who either have no Biblical foundation or who have moved away from the Biblical perspective because of spiritual laziness, disenfranchisement, or an ecclesiastical disillusionment. Rollins’ words speak to pain and questioning and mystery and they elicit intellectual interest in a spiritual exploration. His kind of philosophies are anything but Christ centered, and as I said at their core is the human experience. Everyone can relate to his presentations of despair and suffering and the unknown element. And much of the strength of these kinds of nebulous philosophical musings is in creating a community of mutual identification. In general, if you find a personal identification in his words then you find an attraction. It is a kind of community palm reading or fortune telling, and along those lines it is indeed witchcraft.

Another major proponent is a man named Doug Paggit.

 

 

 

Here we see that his brand of Christianity is so bland and so innocuous that is not only does not offend the atheistic humanist, but it is a friend and coworker to it. The message of Christ has become so diluted and so nebulous that is has lost all meaning. That kind of Christianity in effect is no longer Christian and now is just a networking of how to live philosophies which are compatible with almost anything else. If you say you are concerned with people, than his brand of Christianity is no different or better than yours regardless of what you believe about Jesus or of indeed you believe in a god at all.

This life and the human experience become your statement of faith and your doctrinal foundation. They are your ever changing absolutes which of course is an oxi-moron in and of itself. And what you stand for and push forward offends no one outside of Christ and is now finding all sorts of avenues through which to gain access within the church. Slowly but surely the evangelical community has allowed and even invited such philosophies to come aboard. Rick Warren and Joel Osteen are just other leaders over the same philosophies. This nebulous belief system rejects doctrinal rigidity and openly suggests that not only does the application of truth need to be pliable, but truth itself should be fluid and mutable. And truth is formed by the human experience rather than the human experience being brought to truth.

And do not be deceived. These kinds of vain philosophies are being manifested in many different formats through the evangelical communities. From the Purpose Driven to the emergent to the seeker sensitive and everywhere in between these philosophies are being implemented. Even those preachers who refuse to address such movements are unwilling partners in their expanding efforts. These are damnable heresies which have no redemption and imprison souls with enticing words of men’s wisdom. I realize that to espouse and teach Biblical truth is becoming more and more unpalatable to the evangelical church and seems so out of touch with the problems of the modern man.

In these last days anyone who believes in the Bible as the only authority will be perceived as an unenlightened dinosaur. And anyone who believes that a personal faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life will be seen as intolerant and unloving. And although many churches do not endorse such men and their teachings, neither do they warn their flock lest they lose members. We live in perilous times in the flesh and the spirit. This war in the spirit is about truth, and this truth is about Jesus. Watch and pray, for in the end we all will be required to give an account for what and who we believed. The hour is late and the day draws near.

The One who these men downplay and ignore and repackage is about to return. And then which philosophy will you use to cover your spiritual nakedness? The eternal seriousness of the situation is not nebulous. And when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in all His glory and with an innumerable company of warring angels, and when He comes to take His vengeance, then all nebulousness will be burned away under the mighty weight of His holy power. On that day the vain philosophies of men will be their eternal indictment and the gospel of Jesus Christ will be the only eternal safety.

It will be a dream come true for a few and a nightmare for most.

The Art of Deception

THE ART OF DECEPTION

 

 

This 25 year old woman mourns at the grave of her 28 year old brother who lost his life while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There was a recent documentary on television called “Hubris” which outlines the manipulation and sometimes out right lying which led America to war in Iraq. After ten years we still have a presence in Iraq and soldiers still die in Afghanistan. And before going in the lying tongues of politicians told the public that this would not be another Vietnam.

War breeds lying and manipulation and many people become wealthy. And war brings death and mutilation and misery. But the patriotic spirit many times covers up the reality and horror of war and provides a forum for well fed and hedonistic people to revel in a misguided nationalistic spirit. It happens oh so often among believers as well. Thousands of men and women have died and many thousands will live wounded and maimed for the rest of their lives. But let us be very clear, except for the initial attempt to bring justice to Osama Bin Laden, the rest was manipulated lies by the ruling political class in America.

Although President Obama presented a platform that was less aggressive than was President Bush’s, his policies are very close to that of his predecessor. I am not a part of any of it, but I continue to feel a strong sense of responsibility to inform and correct my brothers and sisters in Christ because so many of them are walking in a state of delusion. Nationalism, moralism, violence, and war in general are all at odds with the teachings of Jesus, if that even matters anymore.

This is not a contest between liberals and conservatives or between Democrats and Republicans. This, for us as believers, must be a reinforcing of what we know to be true as it pertains to Jesus, His gospel and His teachings to His followers. The world is a colossal mess, and America if measured by the teachings of Christ is no better than Russia or China. Just because a country has religious freedom does not in any way mean they are more or less moral than a country which does not.

In many ways this earthly freedom has built an unseen bridge which systematically transfers fallen ideas into the church as well as removing any deep spiritual commitment from within the church. It is in this clandestine way that the church has become a product of the culture and not a product of the Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost it wasn’t the Roman government which proclaimed Christianity as legitimate and produced a constitution which contained a “free exercise clause”. Those men and women in the upper room did not spill out into the streets to begin a Tea Party movement designed to protect their religious freedom.

No, the church was born of the Holy Spirit distinctly separated from and at odds with the fallen course of the world. In fact, for many, it would cost them their lives to follow Jesus. It still does cost many their lives today. But the church has become so blind and deaf that it does not see the vicious dangers connected with any earthly freedom. In fact the church revels in that which is killing her. Believers have bought into what the secular schools have taught them. And instead of a remarkable and separate thought process which makes it distinctly Biblical and diametrically opposed to this world, the church walks in lockstep with its national origin.

And now the church endorses killing and violence whenever America takes to the battlefield. And believers continue to drink the Kool Aid offered by the secular media. And in an astonishing and breathtaking spectacle, carnal and hate filled men like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and women like Ann Coulter are loved by millions of professing believers. That in and of itself is profound evidence concerning the depth of deception and how the Christian faith has been changed in order to fit in with conventional patriotic thought.

But violence covers the earth and permeates the culture. Headstones continue to be added to military graveyards. Tens of thousands return home wounded physically and emotionally. And the fallen world continues to manipulate the people into supporting what they say they believe to be true. The entire system is one of deceit and decay and all kinds of diabolical trickery. And money flows like a river. And in the midst of all this is the church…participating, supporting, and joining hands with the enemies of Christ. The young woman in the picture was mourning the death of her brother. But that picture could also be a metaphor for a believer mourning the spiritual death of the church. We as followers of Jesus should not even believe the words of unbelievers when they speak the truth since that is an unstable bridge which eventually leads to lies.

Oh Praise His Name

OH PRAISE HIS NAME

 

I am going to present a post which addresses the way the evangelical church has compromised and embraced the Roman Catholic Church. But before I do I wanted to share my heart.

With all the talk about the new pope, and all the discussion about the false teachings that come from the Church at Rome, I want to humbly but forcefully give Jesus praise because He drew me to Himself and saved my soul. God forbid I should project any spiritual hubris, and sometimes I cross that fine line. I cannot but speak the truth revealed in God's Holy Word, but I am a sinner who was so undeserving of God's eternal grace.

May the Holy Spirit open the hearts of those precious, precious Roman Catholic people. Paul would have wished himself accursed to see them saved. May many come to Christ in these final hours. The time is short, the sickle is coming. Let my light shine much brighter than just an orthodox doctrine. Please, Lord Jesus.

Walking in the Spirit and Living in a Divine Reality

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT

and

LIVING IN A DIVINE REALITY

A young man is drafted by the Army in 1967. After his basic training he is sent to South Vietnam and there he sees combat. Some of friends die right in front of him, but he makes it to his final day. But on his final day, while on patrol, his unit runs into a fierce fire fight with the Viet Cong. Many in his unit are killed, and he sees some of his fellow soldiers literally blown to bits. Blood is everywhere, soldiers are screaming, the sound is deafening, and the smell of gunpowder permeates the atmosphere.

Somehow reinforcements arrive and the Viet Cong are forced to retreat. Several hours later this man is transported by helicopter to an air base and he boards a plane to the United States. In a little more than 24 hours he steps down off the plane and he is walking the streets of Los Angeles. Just 24 hours ago he saw inconceivable mayhem and he was filled with mortal terror, but now he is sees stores and cars and smiling people. He has been pulled out of one reality and dropped into another.

Many soldiers cannot cope with such a massive reality transition, and many turn to alcohol, drugs, and even suicide. Many soldiers come home, sit down on their couch, invite their children upon their laps, and visions of Vietnamese children attack their minds. Many of us cannot comprehend such emotions and struggles. But to be transitioned from one reality so violent and confusing and filled with terror, and then asked to calmly become acclimated into a reality without those things is asking a lot. But in order to live in this reality soldiers must leave the other reality which is most difficult for anyone.

Gal.5: ¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal.5: ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Rom.8: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

We are exhorted and commanded to walk in the Spirit. Most believers never explore, much less seek, the meaning and the reality of walking in the Spirit. We all live in the flesh and the reality of this present world. But as Paul says we must not only live in the Spirit, which is the glory of our redemption, but we must also walk in the same Spirit. I am not speaking of some self serving experience that sees angels and hears God audibly and shares it so as to draw attention to yourself. I am speaking of walking in a different reality that dies to self and understands all things through the Spirit.

Our flesh loves this present world and so often we have drudged on and on in the flesh with only a few respites in the Spirit perhaps on Sunday mornings. But to walk in the Spirit takes you from the fallen reality of this present world and ushers you into the reality of Christ and His eternal redemption. Although it is accompanied by emotions of every sort, it goes way beyond emotion…way beyond. In fact, walking in the Spirit can only be understood by believers that have done just that.

Consumption of the Word and supported by a life of prayer are the portals through which you can walk into the reality of the Spirit. It makes the Holy Spirit much more than a doctrine. The Holy Spirit becomes a friend, a guide, a power, and a tangible reservoir whose name is Christ. How can I communicate how a person can know about Christ, and then know Christ intimately, and then walk in Him? It is a special place which ministers an intimacy unknown to most believers. I am not attempting to sound spiritually urbane and accomplished. On the contrary, I only wish I would walk in the Spirit with a greater consistency.

Yes, we are all so prone to walk in the religious flesh and believe we have fulfilled a religious obligation. Millions upon millions of professing believers think that supporting moral causes or defending Biblical doctrines define walking in the Spirit. They are sadly mistaken. There is a realm, a reality, which only can be known through prayer and fasting and an uncommon meditation upon the Word of the Living God. Then and only then can our minds and hearts and eyes and ears be fully disciplined and actually be surrendered prisoners of the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit emanates from an illuminated heart and increases that illumination step by step. Have you ever experienced an entire day or a part of a day where you literally felt like you were floating? Have you ever looked at people with a divine love regardless of what kind of sinner they were? Has the Word of Life ever been so alive in your soul that your mind keeps feeding you verse upon verse all throughout the day? Have you ever felt so close to the Lord that you speak to Him without any thought of it being “prayer”? Have you ever experienced a phenomenon that sees the world as performing on a stage and you were the audience?

When we walk in the Spirit our own lives seem insignificant and all that matters is Him. A few days after I was saved in March of 1975 I was walking down one of the most openly sinful places on the planet in New York City and all I could feel was love for each and every sinner. I could not explain it, and I had walked down that street in Manhattan many times before, however this was amazing. I sometimes believe that we have allowed the cares of this world as well as the cares of the church to cloud out the Spirit. We are encumbered by many things and people and events consume our thoughts.

But in the Spirit there is freedom…wonderful freedom. This freedom does not come from any system of government. It does not come from the Constitution. This freedom comes from Christ, and the wind of the Spirit blows into our hearts and suddenly all worry is gone even if by earthly standards we should worry. This is why people would ask us about the hope within us. Do we wonder why people do not ask us that question? Could it be that we do not walk in the Spirit?

And so to return to my first analogy this Vietnam veteran left one reality and began walking into another. And so it must be with believers in Jesus Christ. Leaving this present reality and beginning to walk in an eternal reality of the Spirit is not easy. It requires a relentless desire and an unquenchable thirst. This present reality has so much to offer, but the reality of the Spirit offers that which human hands have not made and human minds cannot conceive. But most professing believers walk in this temporal reality.

They are consumed with the temporal. They complain about money and the price of everything. They rigorously debate politics. They are emotionally attached to their national origin. They are primarily entertained by secular sources. They worry about almost anything. And Sunday morning is usually the only time where their thought processes are altered temporarily. As Dr. R. G. Lee used to say, “A shallow stream of piety that runs a fresher course on Sabbath mornings.”

But to be sure walking in the Spirit does not come with any amount of spiritual laziness or a resignation to a redundant lifestyle where prayer and fasting are historical events and God’s Word is used more for proof of orthodoxy rather than being consumed voraciously. Most of the church has been so assimilated by the culture that it no longer even knows what walking in the Spirit really is, and it no longer pursues that about which it is ignorant. In fact, how can it? We are more concerned with who we are doctrinally than we are walking in the Spirit.

But there is a reality, a realm, where the flesh dies and the fragrance of eternity not only permeates the human heart, but it takes hold of that heart and fills it with Jesus. And in that reality the things you already knew about Jesus become so fresh and so new that they literally affect your mind, body, and soul. It is difficult to fully convey or even define what takes place within a believer when he is walking in the Spirit and not just walking as a saved sinner. We have heard the phrase “crucified with Christ” and yet how many professing believers investigate what that really means to say nothing of relentlessly pursue its reality? Isn’t this why a church which numbers in the tens of millions can practice their religion, live and work within a dark culture, and yet have so little influence? Could this be why the world sees us as a political force rather than luminescent representatives of Jesus? Could this be why the church lives a reactionary existence rather than a spiritual reality that lives, breathes, and speaks of Jesus and His everlasting gospel?

We have left our first love but we have deceived ourselves into believing we still love and follow Jesus. And “walking in the Spirit” is now seen as some charismatic experience rather than a life changing reality that illuminates the inner man in places we could never have known. This isn’t about tongues or praise music or, God forbid, moral and political causes. This is about a self denying sacrifice which surrenders completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and translates a believer into an eternal reality which transfixes his heart and soars way beyond his own ability to adequately describe. In fact, there are times in the Spirit where you yourself cannot fully understand what is happening within you.

And the question is this: Are we content with the spiritual life we now have, or do we know there is much more and do we desire to enter into an eternal reality which God’s Word says is “walking in the Spirit”. Remember this: Even if you desire more and know that there must be more, if you can be stopped from walking in the Spirit…you will be.

Can Immoral Acts be Moral?

CAN IMMORAL ACTS BE MORAL?

The fictional character called Colonel Kurtz in the movie Apocalypse Now is disillusioned about how the American military is fighting the Vietnam War. He suggests that there is no such thing as morality, and since men have different moral codes it costs lives. He has left the military and now operates within Vietnam with his own men and with his own set of rules, or lack thereof. He shares this with another soldier:

I've seen the horror. Horrors that you've seen. But you have no right to call me a murderer. You have no right to call me a murderer. You have a right to kill me. You have a right to do that, but you have no right to judge me . It's impossible for words to describe what is necessary to those who do not know what horror means. Horror. Horror has a face, and you must make a friend of horror. Horror and mortal terror are your friends. If they are not, then they are enemies to be feared. They are truly enemies.
I remember when I was with Special Forces--it seems a thousand centuries ago--we went into a camp to inoculate it. The children. We left the camp after we had inoculated the children for polio, and this old man came running after us, and he was crying. He couldn't see. We went there, and they had come and hacked off every inoculated arm. There they were in a pile--a pile of little arms. And I remember...I...I...I cried, I wept like some grandmother. I wanted to tear my teeth out, I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I want to remember it, I never want to forget. And then I realized--like I was shot...like I was shot with a diamond...a diamond bullet right through my forehead. And I thought, "My God, the genius of that, the genius, the will to do that." Perfect, genuine, complete, crystalline, pure. And then I realized they could stand that--these were not monsters, these were men, trained cadres, these men who fought with their hearts, who have families, who have children, who are filled with love--that they had this strength, the strength to do that. If I had ten divisions of those men, then our troubles here would be over very quickly. You have to have men who are moral and at the same time were able to utilize their primordial instincts to kill without feeling, without passion, without judgment--without judgment. Because it's judgment that defeats us.

(Apocolypse Now 1979)

This dialogue from that movie states in logical and clear terms how to win wars. The character, a maniacal colonel, has left the official American forces and now carries on his own war without traditional “rules”. The word “rules” is so self serving and it provides a buffer from being seen as monsters; however that word is a transparent and a feeble attempt to ameliorate the concept of war itself. Because some desire to engage in barbarism while still retaining a veneer of morality they present parameters which when crossed are unacceptable in a “civilized” culture. Dropping bombs on cites when necessary is acceptable, but cutting off heads is out of bounds.

The entire principle of morality as it pertains to war is most curious and presents a myriad of conundrums. But if you have no absolute resource to consult, then opinions are law. But we as believers have the teachings of Jesus, the account of the life of Jesus, and the New Testament as a whole. And if we are constrained to follow and obey those teachings, than how can we incorporate the horrors of war? In order to accommodate war we must modify those teachings in order to have them be compliant when circumstances seem to be extraordinary and in need of actions that normally would be forbidden by those teachings. In essence, those teachings are not to be viewed as absolutes and applicable truth in all circumstances and cultures.

Now once we employ that kind of Scriptural application we have kicked open the door to all sorts of Scriptural mischief. In fact, once that thread is pulled it threatens to unravel the entire garment called “truth”. Truth, Scriptural truth, now becomes malleable and is now a servant to circumstances. And many so called “orthodox” believers suggest that movements like the emergent church have done just that. They rebuke the way liberals approach the interpretation and the application of Scripture. The orthodox crowd rejects the way liberals gut the Scriptures and make them bow to their cultural necessities. They suggest that emergent and liberal teachers do not treat the Scriptures as inerrant and absolute.

And they are correct. However they are blind to the fact that they themselves practice the same form of Scriptural reshaping as it pertains to violence and war. If you preach that we should turn the other cheek and love our enemies, then what kind of detour must you take to suggest Jesus desires us to kill people including women and children when necessary? In fact, Jesus supports us in that kind of violent horror even when some country just presents a threat? But you cannot preach Scriptural truth as applicable to your next door neighbor but not as it pertains to the world.

This hedonistic culture has come to embrace the church as part of the culture because we are so unremarkable and we so often walk in lockstep with unbelievers. When unsaved men and women (the majority of them) decide the country must go to war, the church flexes its patriot muscles and wholeheartedly supports the violence and even prays for God’s blessings on “our” war effort. Now in order for the church to take such a stance Scripture must be sliced and diced into moveable parts. Things that Jesus said must be rendered impractical and suspended when it comes to war.

The question must be asked, “Is it moral to use acts of immorality in order to prevent other acts of immorality?” Almost all professing believers would answer “No!” So war must be assigned a new definition where the horrors and killings can be seen as given divine approval for a limited time which will be determined by human reasoning. So God approves of the Iraq and Afghanistan for as long as 535 members of congress and the President and Vice President decide. In fact, they also decide when and where and how to go to war. What if they had decided to drop a small nuclear bomb on Baghdad? Would that have met with the church’s approval? Why not? Too much? What if that had ended the war right then and no American lives would have been lost? Over 100,000 Iraqi lives were lost in the war, so what if that nuclear bomb had killed only 75,000 Iraqis and no allied lives were lost?

So just what kind of moral slicing and dicing is that? So thousands upon thousands more lives must be lost just so we can maintain a civilized kind of war that can blow people heads off but does not use unacceptable weapons? Go ahead and piece that kind of morality together even in the natural. More killings are more moral than less killings? Ok, we have now entered an alternative universe. Do you believe the first century believers, even if they believed in self defense violence, would have seen our conventional bombs as "weapons of mass destruction"? But since then we have embraced those weapons and now have a new definition of mass destruction. I am still not sure when the body count crosses the "mass destruction" threshold.

 

But we as believers do not have the luxury to construct our moral scaffolding with our own reasoning and weighted by the given circumstance. We must bow and obey the teachings of the New Testament. If we can compromise that truth because of circumstances and logic and necessity, than all Scripture can be compromised and be made to accommodate circumstances which we believe need to be addressed outside of absolute truth. In essence, then all of us are part of the emergent church. Truth vacillates, and Scripture is remolded to perform various tasks which fit neatly inside our nationalistic necessities. Our allegiance is compromised and our view of Scripture is qualified rather than absolute.

 

Prehaps it is necessary to lie in some circumstances, The sin of adultery may have a caveat as well. Perhaps every sin can be allowed for a season given the right circumstances. Yes, when you deal in absolutes you must deal in absolutes. And when obeying the Scriptures presents a conundrum, then we must bear the consequences of the conumdrum rather than the consequences of disobedience.

Yes, I believe most of this is directly connected to our view of earthly citizenship. And because we have love and loyalty and allegiance even to the point of death concerning our earthly citizenship, we also by definition dilute our allegiance to Christ and His teachings. When the national interests conflict with His teachings it has become evident that His teachings must have a caveat.

When national interests are at stake:

You do not have to love your enemies.

You can return evil for evil.

You do not have to turn the other cheek.

You do not have to do good to your enemies.

You can pick up the sword.

You do not have to deny yourself.

You do not have to go the extra mile.

You do not have to pick up your cross.

You do not have to die to self.

You can be unequally yoked.

 

In short, when national interests are at stake you do not have to follow Jesus until the war is over, and then you return to believing the Scriptures. Nothing is at stake anymore and the “all clear” has been sounded. It will cost you just what it cost you before…nothing. Since the war has ended all these teachings and principles can be taught once again as if God spoke them and as if they were absolute and completely transcultural and without any caveats. But we all know that cannot possibly be true.

The Money God

THE MONEY GOD

 

A man robs a bank and makes off with 10 million dollars. He is never caught and his family invests the money and generations of his family become wealthy. They call it God’s blessings.

Tens of millions of slaves are transported to America. They play a significant part in America’s growing economy. Later, many white people who benefited from that slave labor directly and indirectly proclaim God’s blessing on their finances.

I’m not seeing much difference. In America, “God’s blessings” are almost always measured in dollars. Donald Trump and Hugh Hefner must be God’s favorites. Somewhere along the line we have made God a divine rich uncle. But God desires to fill our hearts, not our wallets.

Eph.1: Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

² Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
⁴ According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
⁵ Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
⁶ To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The church of Jesus Christ was never meant to acquiesce, much less embrace, the dictates and mores of the culture in which God planted it. But so often the church at large and individual believers as well have lifted up their eyes and seen how the heathen lived and what satisfied them. And after gazing longingly at their lost neighbors they began to acquire a lust for the things that enamored the kingdom of darkness. And instead of fulfilling such needs with the spiritual blessings given to us in Christ the church found their lusts could easily be satisfied by money and material things.

And after a while the word “blessings” always had something to do with money or material things. And when you cement an attachment to God’s blessings with money then you will easily fall into a deep trap. Without even realizing it you can become prosperous by leveraging the fallen culture and call it God’s blessings. That is exactly what has happened to the evangelical community in the west. Anything that positively affects your financial situation must always be God and anything that negatively affects your finances is a cause for prayer asking God to turn it around.

Jude ¹¹ Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

¹² These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
¹³ Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

These are very serious and even dire warnings. Could it be possible that millions of professing believers have believed in God’s hand and not on God’s Son? The church has brought God the sacrifices of Cain which are the fruit of our hands. Larger buildings and larger numbers and more activities are what the evangelical church believes God will accept. We have great organizations and well orchestrated events and even our gatherings have been well thought out from parking to taking offerings. Our churches are corporations and are constructed to mirror the world in most things.

And we measure the church’s spirituality by numbers and offerings. The larger the church gets, and the greater the offerings, the preacher’s salary gets larger and the requirements for a new pastor can now be elevated. When a church reaches a certain numerical level they usually require any candidate for pastor to have a “Dr.” precede his name. It is run and evaluated just like a secular corporation.

And when the structure and practice is designed according to worldly principles then it isn’t long before the Spirit no longer works within the structure. Even though there may be much activity, a growing congregation, and a wonderful building complex, and in general a thriving ecclesiastical unit, in spiritual terms it is a place of compromise and even death. And let us just take two practices and see if they are according to the Spirit or if they have been adjusted to conform to the habits of a western culture.

The church does not observe any days or feasts. We live in the Spirit and not in the “beggarly elements” of the law. But there are two and only two observances taught in the New Testament. They are communion and baptism. Baptism should occur when a sinner believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and is born again. He then is commanded to be baptized in order to make public his profession of faith. In some cultures that may cost you dearly, however in our culture it is so meaningless that even a fallen culture accepts it as a religious event that is mostly a talisman. It occurs conveniently at the end of a service or at the night service, but somewhere where it does not significantly interfere with the overall timetable.

Pictures can be taken, and many families enjoy a get together of cold cuts and a general atmosphere of celebration. Every person baptized gets a certificate which is proof of that event, and that baptism also is a necessary component to being a “church member” which is another element of being like a secular club. Being an official church member has been gleaned from the culture and is primarily so a person can vote in church business meetings. Voting and church business meetings are also another way that the church has been constructed according to the culture. And baptism is the door to it all. Some churches have even spent much money to have a wonderful place to baptize which looks like a lovely pond surrounded by green foliage and is accommodating for pictures.

Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, was instituted by our Lord at the last Passover observance. It is spiritually important and is a time for repentance and remembrance. In fact Paul deals extensively with the Corinthian church over how they were observing communion. It seems they were conveniently incorporating it into their church picnics. Yes, the early church ate together regularly. But in Corinth they would get hungry and so instead of waiting for everyone to arrive they would begin eating and consider that communion as well. Even back then they began to treat the gathering in terms of convenience and without the sacred aspect it deserved. How much more today?

 

Communion has been shoehorned into a tight schedule and observed with the utmost efficiency and with a breathtaking redundancy. Rarely, if ever, does it consume an entire gathering. And it is served to the entire mixed multitude without question, and after a person is baptized he is allowed to participate, which usually requires little more than eating and drinking when a prayer ends and everyone else does it. And it is an incredible show of compartmentalization to see how quickly the mood and direction can change after the communion is over. We even have a table for the event. And if done correctly it does not extend the service significantly and all is well with the world.

Rev.2: ² I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

³ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
⁴ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

This admonition was not written to an apostate church. It was written to a church which could not abide heretics in their midst. This was a church that would have rejected Rob Bell or Rick Warren or Joel Osteen. They did labor for Christ; they did have a missions program; they did see people saved; they did observe communion and baptism; they did believe God’s Word. But the Spirit said they had left their first love. Wow, what an indictment from God.

You would have thought that since they did serve God in those areas that the Lord would have cut them some slack. But God is not interested in redundant ecclesiastical constructs even though they might serve God in some ways. God seeks our hearts, and too often local churches have an organization which serves the people well but they have lost the passion and deep spiritual love for Jesus. And money, personal success, and the material world in general have become lynchpins for how we love and praise Christ.

But the Laodicean church in Revelation chapter three were lukewarm toward God but very focused about the material world. They claimed to be “blessed” and all their needs were met, however they were poor toward God. The American evangelical church uses the word “blessed” as well. “We have been so blessed here in America” is a well word mantra in the church. And what is meant by that can be defined it terms of money and material goods. When people say America is the “greatest country in the world” they mean materially and militarily. And yet God said the Laodicean church was poor and wretched and blind, even in the midst of their prosperity. They had earthly gold, but nor the gold of knowing and serving Christ.

I do wonder, though, since we have become so entrenched and so integrated within a dark and fallen culture, only a mighty move of God could ever break our spiritual inertia.

The Taking of a Human Life and the Worth of a Soul

THE TAKING OF A HUMAN LIFE

and

THE WORTH OF A HUMAN SOUL

A human life is a creation of God. Yes, God created the life that He knew would be unproductive, and that He knew would be named Adolf Hitler, and that He knew would study to become a doctor who performs abortions. God knew all that and yet still He created that life. I do not believe that God created the universe including man and then sat down to watch as an uninvolved spectator. Nor do I believe that God orchestrates everything like moving a chess piece. I believe it is a great mystery, but it is evident that God both intervenes as well as allows man to find his own way. Anyone who tells you he has it all figured out is enamored with his own intellectual prowess and is to prayed for rather than listened to. Anyone who can present an ironclad doctrine about such things by removing any mystery is playing an eternal game with earthly rules.

But a human life is much more than arms and legs. Each life, regardless if it travels down the fallopian tubes for several days and fails to attach to the uterine wall and is discharged, is still a human soul. Yes, without arms and legs and eyes and ears, and a full five to six weeks before the heart begins to beat, a living soul has been created. And this soul, even though only existing within a few cells during the first few moments, was known by God before the first atom was created. But to the temporal and carnal mind the concept of a soul has been all but ignored except for a few minor doctrinal tenants.

Through death and war and miscarriage and contraception, and perhaps the most vicious killing of all called abortion, the world has been desensitized to the taking of a human life, and we have also been completely inoculated from coming to grips with a human soul. We see murder constantly on television and the movies, and when I was young we played cowboys and Indians and when shot we would fall and be dead. Those were the rules. We can watch a car crash during a race where the driver is killed and we are startled and horrified, but how often do we consider the fact that in that steel wreckage a human soul was released from its human body and is has now in the hands of its Creator?

I have presided over many funerals and I can tell you that the earthly loss almost always outweighs the spiritual state of the dead person. Only if the person had been a faithful follower of Christ is there any mitigating factors. In fact, when a saint dies there is some sadness mingled with great joy. But usually that is when a person dies of old age or even a disease. I have officiated at funerals where a man has been murdered or someone has died suddenly in a car wreck. I once was the minister at a funeral where an ex-husband had kidnapped his ex-wife, a faithful member of the church where I pastored, and he murdered her and then killed himself. Surprisingly, the family had both caskets there at once for a dual funeral. Not your run of the mill funeral to say the least.

So when a human like is taken by the hands of another human being it is a most serious event. And if that person was young people will say, “He had his whole life ahead of him”. And while that may be true in an earthly sense, it is most untrue when you consider that person’s soul. Regardless of when anyone dies and at what age, that soul will exist forever in eternity. I realize the evangelical church no longer really believes that aside from some half hearted doctrinal assertions, however it is true nonetheless. The taking of a human life has eternal consequences and that alone must make it an act of war against God.

So let us come to grips with the reality of days gone by and the narrative contained within the Old Testament. God clearly has taken human lives in the past, and even used people to do it. Let us be transparent here and admit that many things that are recorded in the Old Testament are mysteries and do not seem to comply with the teachings of Jesus. That is why it is impossible to place the Old Testament Law of Moses in a bucket, add the New Testament grace of Jesus in that same bucket, and stir them into a spiritual meal which contains a little of this and a little of that. No, we live completely and exclusively within the church age where Jesus is Lord and His teachings and His life are our guides being empowered by His Spirit. When the Spirit of God came He was to speak of Jesus, not Moses. The amalgam of the law and grace presented by some is erroneous and has spread self righteous error in some corners of the church. You do not get to pull out parts of the law. If you desire the law to be your guide then you must embrace all of it; every single part of it from picking up sticks on the Sabbath to stoning a rebellious child. You cannot present your condensed version of the law and teach that your version must be followed.

Now having addressed that, the New Testament provides a far reaching template for believers that overrides any and all former teachings. Only God can sort out the “why’s”, but we are called to follow Jesus and His teachings. And in that context a human soul must be held in the highest of all concerns. Now if your main concern is preserving your way of life, or if your primary concern is to protect and defend a nation, than you already have made a human soul irrelevant. Although you may claim to believe the Bible, you do not. But if you do believe the teachings of Jesus, then you cannot teach that some souls are worth less than others.

During the last century or so, the church in America has been systematically taught a religion of moral patriotism and has been led away from the faith once delivered to the saints. Now I do not just mean the liberals and the Rick Warrens and the Joel Osteens. Even some of most orthodox among us who may loudly rebuke those men and others has succumbed to a spiritual format that has been severely compromised by the patriotic culture. In effect, when believer lends his love and allegiance to any earthly system it begins to poison all areas of his spiritual life. It clouds his thinking, makes him double minded in all his ways, and renders his doctrinal statement as compromised even when those words seem orthodox and in alignment with some ancient creeds.

And the practical implications of such a compromise are many and varied. From unwholesome speech, to hatred for certain people, and to self serving prayers, the infection of a patriotic spirit contaminates any disciple who wishes to remain pure and broken before His Lord. It puts the spiritual foundation of truth at variance with the entire revelation of the New Testament. And although there are many manifestations of such a compromise, the one most notable is the devaluing of a human soul and considering it subservient to the interests or worldly affairs.

Matt.16: ²⁶ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

It is impossible to understand the enormous worth of a human soul. We are so prone to see and assess the worth of everything in the temporal and not the eternal. But Jesus said that if you gain the entire world it is not worth one human soul. That means if you could kill all your enemies, and if you alone owned everything in this world, and if you were the ruler over all the inhabitants of the world, that could not compare in value with the soul a little eight year old HIV infected African girl. And Charles Manson’s soul would be worth more than that as well. You see, it all depends upon what prism you use to see and understand truth. And even though you may understand truth in the doctrinal abstract, if we do not preserve that truth as we make practical applications then our doctrine is hollow and just a show piece.

If we consider the weight of the cross as it pertains to redemption and the implications about how God feels about human souls, then we must be driven to a more expansive view of the value of the human soul. And given this more spiritual perspective it will lead us into uncomfortable areas that we have considered as “settled law” in the practical realm. What I mean is that we have for so long lived within an ecclesiastical structure that accepted and embraced compromise that to reexamine some of these issues would not only be inconvenient and discomforting, but it could well lead to major changes in the way we think and act. And no one likes that kind of change. And I can personally testify to the spiritual and even emotional pain caused when I have had to face a Biblical reality, repent of my thinking and ways, and set out to bring my being into conformity with the teachings and truth of Jesus that I had previously abrogated.

The Lordship of Jesus brings everything, and I mean everything, into question. If we truly desire to follow Jesus as Lord, then it cannot be with a tepid understanding about that Lordship which is more prominent in worship songs than it is in our lives. Many things we do without a real spiritual searching as to the will of the Spirit revealed in the Word of God. In fact most professing believers have never done any searching even close to that, nor do they have any desire to do so. And that is not only sad and unfortunate; it contaminates the church and over the years changes everything within the evangelical community. Given enough decades without any deep spiritual vigilance or laying what we believe and practice comprehensively before the Lord in prayer and fasting, the church will slowly but surely comply to the dictates of its surrounding culture.

And when the church becomes attached to this world in thought, word, and deed, then the souls of men are not held as valuable as is taught in Scripture. That means men and women can die without the church shedding a tear unless it affects us. That means that many thousands can die if they threaten our western lifestyle and the church rejoices in victory. That means that the church can provide a written creed which says that Jesus died for ever person but then the church goes about feeling and treating differently. That means that the driving force within the church is not the gospel and the redemption of lost souls, but it becomes a matter of earthly issues and influences.

And when the church lives in such a compromised and spiritually treacherous position then the taking of human life becomes much easier to digest because the worth of human souls are no longer seen in the light of eternity and with a divine creative element. This is no small issue. In fact it literally rips out the core of the gospel and of Christianity itself. We can now travel to and from church every week without a shred of observable compassion for the plight of the lost. And only an horrific event that claims the lives of children or has a certain amount of deaths to it can elicit even momentary “tsk-tsk” kind of disapproval. But every day and every week and every month souls are killed and souls die to face a Christless eternity and yet the church service is always designed to lift our spirits and avoid any real spiritual evaluation. It’s the gays and the liberals that need to change, not us.

The world has created more efficient and convenient ways to kill people it deems as enemies. The drone technology increases every day, and soon they will flood the skies. You can kill people while sipping a latte. It is probably inevitable that some nation will use a nuclear weapon. Bombs are now guided to their targets by satellites circling the earth. And companies are making huge profits from these killing technologies. Yes, man seeks to increase his expertise at killing other human beings. The reasons are varied, you can take your pick. But we as followers of Jesus are called to His teachings and not the reasoning of fallen man. Yes, the world has created more efficient and convenient ways to kill people.

We should be thankful Jesus came for a purpose completely at odds with killing enemies.

We see arms and legs and mouths.

Jesus saw souls.

The Myopic Evangelical Church

THE MYOPIC EVANGELICAL CHURCH

In 1994, in the space of about 100 days, anywhere from 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were slaughtered in Rwanda, Africa. Most Americans do not know that nor do they really care. The genocide went on without much of an interest here in America. The human devastation was almost unfathomable. Mothers, fathers, and children died mercilessly. It is too bad they did not have oil or were in America’s national interest. Had they been white Europeans things may have been somewhat different.

And during this time we could assume the evangelical churches in America were at least fasting and praying in desperation? No, that would be massively inaccurate. So just what were the churches actually doing while such bloodshed raged? They were playing a game they so often like to play. Three Blind Mice.

This raises a profound question for all who confess Jesus as Lord. Are we to live with a vision for mankind that begins and ends in our national locale, or are we called to see the humanity without race, without social status, and without national citizenship? In short, are we called to care about all people around the world or are our interests primarily, or even exclusively, where we live?

Soon after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to seal and empower the first believers, the gospel went out into all the world. To have all the different Jews from all over the world in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost was a setting orchestrated by the Spirit of God. And when thousands believed on Jesus and were filled with the Spirit they went with Christ in their hearts and lives to the far flung corners of the world. And things of the Spirit began to happen at an amazing pace. The gospel bore fruit in almost unbelievable numbers and power until the rulers of this world became very nervous. No one seems nervous today.

And how did these new believers know to be concerned with brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world? Being so young in the Lord, and without the New Testament, how did they know to feel a sense of compassion for the lost and the poor? How did they know to support Paul’s missions and to give to the poor and needy people they had never met? And it was just that global vision that allowed the gospel to spread rapidly around the world. With no New Testament, with no Bible schools, with no television, with no Bible commentaries, with no church system for support, and yet many became missionaries purely upon the ministry and calling of the Spirit within their own hearts. Where is that today?

Millions around the world are starving to the point of death. Millions will die without medicine and proper medical care. Millions live in war torn areas with their very lives at stake every day. And billions walk in spiritual darkness. But with the knowledge of that situation we are colossal wasters of money and time. Walking a dry eyed and self serving existence we have constructed an ecclesiastical system which is supremely designed to meet our needs and wants with a small humanitarian corner designed primarily to soothe our consciences. I once mentioned to a very godly lady that people were dying around the world and she replied that we do not live in those areas. Yes, exactly.

Tragically the church in the west is just another consumer demographic. In fact many companies design some products in order to appeal to the evangelical community. A rich entrepreneur mentions that he supports traditional marriage and evangelical consumers by the millions flock to his place of business and purchase amazing amounts of his chicken sandwiches. Waiting in line professing believers reveled in their outward support of the already rich because it made them feel righteous. However millions of people were still starving. There we no lines to help them. Again, the evangelical community has become a narcissistic bastion of self righteousness.

We cannot plead ignorance. We know what is happening around the world. Oh we for sure do not know it as we should but we do know the unvarnished facts. And are we responsible to act according to God’s Word? Are there geographical boundaries for our responsibility? Surely we know the answer to those questions, and if the New Testament is true, and if the life and teachings of Jesus mean anything to us, then how can we wallow in wasteful abundance without any sacrifice? How can we turn a blind eye and a deaf ear toward those in such desperate need? What is this thing called Christianity all about anyway?

How myopic has the church become when we pass out voting record cards in the worship gathering and strongly urge people to exercise their Constitutional rights? That has become a passion within the church at the expense of following Jesus and His passion. We rush to confront the latest heresy and false teacher and yet just the way we live out the faith is heretical when juxtaposed upon the teachings of the New Testament. We are safe, contented, warm and well fed, and literally have need of nothing. The Spirit addresses that condition in the third chapter of Revelation.

All the issues of this fallen world have been adopted by us. All the economic and political issues and all the national and moral issues have become of great importance to the preacher and his pew dwellers. And when that becomes our focus, or even our hobby, we have lost the path of Christ. But once we have pinned down the doctrine of justification by faith and the exclusivity of Christ’s redemption are we then absolved from the responsibility to help meet people's material needs? Is ministering to the poor an elective? Has our doctrine muscled out ministry to the poor and needy or any worldwide vision, when in effect our doctrine, if Biblical, must compel us to be passionate about those things.

We all love to speak of the train to glory but do we love to be His living sacrifice while on that train? Could it really be possible that we will have to give an account to Jesus? Does the parable of the talents mean anything to anyone? The devil has provided a litany of false teachers and heresies so as to lull us to sleep concerning our own spiritual compromises and dilutions. The New Testament is replete with all kind of exhortations and admonitions about serving the needy and it makes no distinctions concerning the geographical radius from where you live.

I wish to provide you with some information which I hope you will receive in the spirit it is given. I have in 7 years only provided this information upon request. Approximately twenty years ago my friend and I started Uttermost Parts Fellowship which is a missionary outreach to places, primarily in Africa, which are in great need materially and of the gospel. My friend has the gift of administration and he has faithfully distributed the money to all the missionaries we support. He has never been paid one penny. He does it in love. We are tax exempt and send out tax information every year. If you are looking for a place where your money is assured of going to people who need it then I now provide you with the name and address of our foundation.

Uttermost Parts Fellowship

P.O. Box 61

Crystal Springs, Fl. 33524

Racism? Still? Oh Yes.

RACISM? STILL? OH YES.

So many people, overwhelmingly white, suggest that racism does not exist in America or that it exists only rarely. Because we have now many black doctors and lawyers and elected officials, to say nothing of the President, we assume that racism is all but eradicated. Oh contraire mon ami. Racism not only exists in America, but it still exists within the evangelical community. Yes, we love to point to a black friend or two, or several black families that attend our church as proof that we are freewheeling civil rights advocates who see no color at all. Yes, that is what we tell ourselves.

But the truth is that as long as men are fallen racism from all sides will still exist in the hearts and minds of men. Case in point. Part of the 1964 Voting Rights Act insures that no state or county can change voting laws that restrict in any way the free practice of voting, especially as it pertains to race and poverty. Any law that changes the practice of voting must be approved by federal oversight. Usually, though, learned men can hide their true feelings by manipulating words which are so nebulous that any direct accusation of racism is can be easily deflected. But every once in a while someone opens their mouths and allows their true feelings to come forth in revealing terms which have no linguistic buffer.

Justice Antony Scalia deemed section five of the Voting Rights Act as a “racial entitlement”. Now most of us white people would see that as a little brunt and insensitive, however it far more racially savage than that. In an unguarded moment Scalia has allowed a brief looking glass into the racial prism that still exists in this culture. The county in Alabama that brought this case to the Supreme Court was motivated by one man and funded by several right wings groups. And let is be known that Shelby County, Alabama has attempted to pass 240 voting laws that were blocked by section 5 oversights because they were discriminatory.

So you would think that an educated man who is so well versed in law and so esteemed by the academic community that he was appointed to the Supreme Court would be so enlightened that no hint of racism could ever find its way into his thinking. You would think that but you would be wrong. Most racist speech remains hidden in the kitchen or living room or in a bar or while traveling in a car. But sometimes it inadvertently spills over into the public arena.

This post is about racism or its twin sister prejudice. I want to address some issues which center around two points. First I want believers to see the truth about a fallen culture. And secondly, I want believers to see how racism has infiltrated the church. Do you want a one word expose on prejudice and racism?

Obama.

In the Senate there is a parliamentary vehicle called a “filibuster”. Any senator can block even a discussion on certain legislation simply by rising to speak and speaking for hours on end. He can read a book or just babble, it does not matter. It is an incredible act of insanity. Can you imagine having a big decision to make in your family and someone begins to talk so no decision can be made? Yes, that is how juvenile the government is.

But the longest filibuster ever recorded was in 1957 when Sen. Strom Thurmond spoke for over 24 hours straight. I believe that is even without a bathroom break. And what was the piece of legislation about which Thurmond felt so strongly that he needed to block it? It was a civil rights legislation. And no one knew but Thurmond had “raped” a 15 year old little black maid years before and fathered a mixed child. Now that is some hubris, but he was revered as a great patriot. At least he shared something in common with some of the founding fathers.

Racism is very slippery. It can hide behind talk of socialism, or liberalism, or most anything as long as it is protected from a public revelation. Years ago racism was accepted, but now it is considered objectionable so it must be well hidden. But while these kinds of prejudices are understood within a culture of darkness, they should have no place within the community of faith or in a believer’s life. But, sadly, they still exist and there is little preacher correction from the pulpit against it. In the late eighties I pastured a church when a young couple were living together. But the Lord got a hold of their hearts, and they both professed Christ. The next step was to be married, and they had two children as well. No problem, right?

The man was black and the woman was white. I set the date right after a Sunday morning service. Most people stayed to witness the union, however several “leaders” in the church left because they disagreed with mixed marriages. That sentiment quietly lives within many evangelical hearts. Comments with racial overtones are usually camouflaged, but the attitude still exists. Over many years I have found that unless you face that sin, see it for what it is, you will allow your flesh to cleverly find a place within your heart.

Those of us who grew up in America have been affected by racism both subtle and overt. And when a Supreme Court justice says that a law designed to make sure no law infringes on anyone’s right to vote is a “racial entitlement”, well you know that we have a long way to go. Since the church of Jesus Christ was mostly silent and sometimes complicit in the racism of years gone by, perhaps we can shine the light of Christ this time and openly present the gospel without regard to ethnicity. Until then we can never fully serve Christ.

The church must have a voice that is completely different than all the rest.

When we are called liberal or conservative it is an indictment to us who profess to follow Jesus.

Three Blind Mice

THREE BLIND MICE

 

In 1994, in the space of about 100 days, anywhere from 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were slaughtered in Rwanda, Africa. Most Americans do not know that nor do they really care. The genocide went on without much of an interest here in America. The human devastation was almost unfathomable. Mothers, fathers, and children died mercilessly. It is too bad they did not have oil or were in America’s national interest. Had they been white Europeans things may have been somewhat different.

And during this time we could assume the evangelical churches in America were at least fasting and praying in desperation? No, that would be massively inaccurate. So just what were the churches actually doing while such bloodshed raged? They were playing a game they so often like to play. 

 

Three blind mice.