A vibrant relationship with the Living Word …
In submission to the authority and discipline of His written Word.
GOD’S CREATION
Coffee is proof that God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives.
BY WHAT STANDARD?
Many “Christians” define God and judge Scripture by their notions of love …
Rather than submitting their notions of love to God and His Word.
They are pseudo Christians …
Who worship themselves rather than the sovereign God of all.
MOTIVATIONS
Sometimes it takes grace and wisdom to distinguish between God using a flawed person …
And a flawed person using God.
MATURITY
With age and wisdom, I increasingly understand the importance of God-centered gratitude, awe and stewardship …
As antidotes to the self-consumed hopelessness, inertia and despair that grips many.
THE POWER OF PRAYER
Effective prayer is more about hearing and doing what God wants …
Than Him hearing and doing what we want.
BY WHAT STANDARD?
Some judge all Scripture based on their notions of love.
True disciples, however, judge all notions of love based on Scripture.
Otherwise, our notions of love become limited to our own subjective, internal sentimentalities …
Rather than God’s comprehensive, objective revelation.
TRANSFORMATION
Faith presumes obedience …
Because without obedience, there is no faith.
THE HARD PATH
I will continue to speak, work and stand for real solutions to real problems …
Rather than take the easy out of conspiracy paranoia.
The Sovereign God of Heaven and Earth …
Expects no less.
STANDING FIRM
The fight these days is not between conservative verses liberal or Republican verses Democrat, but between:
Truth verses deception;
Reality verses destruction; and
Virtue verses depravity.
Fortunately, when it comes to what’s true, real and right …
Biblical Christians have the home court advantage.
So don’t give in or grow weary of standing firm for what is eternal and good …
Even if the heathen rage in response.
They’re only protesting their own failures and frustrations …
Born of their own irrational incoherence.
CHURCH “SERVICE”
“Church” is not a meeting or a “service” …
But a local community of people in service to God and one another under Christ’s Lordship, which also happens to sometimes meet.
TRUE WORSHIP
“Worship” today …
Has become an industry that exploits, for fame and fortune, the pursuit of fleeting intensity among a broken generation.
It is the new addiction.
The sole antidote is true worship, which is a life of humble submission and faithful obedience to God’s sovereignty, on His terms.
Only there can we find real joy and authentic wholeness.
SONGS AND WORSHIP
Singing and music are important for our gatherings, but please don’t call that “worship”.
Rather, the New Testament says that living lives of reverent submission and faithful obedience to God and His sovereignty …
Is true worship.
When we say that singing and music are “worship”, however, rather than teach what worship truly is …
We end up with carnal churches and carnal people.
So let’s joyfully sing God’s praises to encourage one another when we gather, as the New Testament commands …
While also learning to walk in true worship the rest of the week through humble submission and steadfast fidelity to Him.
GOD OR EXISTENTIALISM?
The prevailing characteristics of postmodern existentialism are relativism and narcissism, rooted in individual autonomy.
Is it any wonder, then, that we see an emphasis on new “doctrines” which:
Define Christ and our relationship to Him by our own subjective perceptions;
Redefine grace to destroy all concepts of objective standards; and
Dismiss the plenary authority of Scripture?
Yet God is raising up a people who want to truly know Him on His terms …
And to worship Him once again in spirit and in truth.
MORE THAN A FEELING
Many know God as only a feeling …
And love the feeling more than God.
Which is unfortunate.
Although the authentic knowledge and love of God often invoke feelings …
They don’t depend on how we feel.
GODLY COURAGE
May we be less concerned about offending others with our speech …
Than offending God with our silence.
UNCANCELED
What good are Constitutional protections against governments restricting our:
Freedom of speech;
Freedom of self protection;
Freedom of religion;
Freedom of association; and
Freedom of commerce …
If we allow companies with monopoly powers to restrict our rights instead?
PAGAN “WORSHIP”?
“Worship” these days is more pagan than Christian.
It is no longer about reverent obedience to a Sovereign God, but about the pagan practice of stirring up intense feelings which in turn conjure up some man-made god or deity.
It does this by creating the expectation that the more we surrender to the intense, manipulated emotions generated by some band, song, or charismatic “worship leader”, the more God will be present.
It has become the new idolatry, by equating manipulated feelings with God Himself.
It is an addictive distraction from who God is, and how He wants to dwell among us and in us as the Sovereign Lord over all creation.
It also is a doctrine borne of carnal men, and is nowhere found in the New Testament.
It has become big business, with mega churches and mega recording deals …
While supplanting the simple New Testament commands to congregationally sing God’s praises together for the sole purpose of simply encouraging one another.
Unfortunately, though, it will continue to thrive …
Because just like the pagans, people still want a God who appeals to their carnality and is easy to control.
THE AUTHENTIC JESUS
I know this may mess up some of y’all …
But that Jesus you see in the New Testament is also God in the Old Testament.
Every last bit of it …
Including the parts you don’t like.
And He’s the same Jesus today and forevermore.
Any other Jesus, reflecting your own sensibilities through selective pick-and-choose Bible verses …
Is just an idol created in your own image.
DECLARE OR DO?
The clamorous “declare” and “proclaim” crowd seems more driven by the anxiety of their own fears and insecurities …
Than by authentic faith.
Authentic faith, in contrast, quietly goes forth in the power of Godly confidence and assurance …
To actually redeem lives and the world around them.
TRUE WORSHIP
Successful New Testament church and discipleship requires that we re-align our concept of “worship”.
That’s because what most people call “worship” …
Isn’t.
At least, not according to the New Testament.
“Worship” in the New Testament means a life of reverent obedience.
That’s it, pure and simple.
It’s not a Sunday service …
It’s not a song …
It’s an ongoing lifestyle, 24/7.
Yes, we’re encouraged to congregationally sing praises together when we meet, but only in four passages in the New Testament.
Two of those passages say why:
It’s to encourage one another.
That’s it. Nothing more.
That destroys the modern narrative of “worship” as pursuing intense experiences, often invoked through manipulative “worship” bands …
Which supposedly conjure up God’s presence.
Where do you even find that in the New Testament?
You don’t.
In fact, that’s more pagan than Biblical.
Although a genuine encounter with God certainly generates emotional intensity …
These days, we pursue emotional intensity and call it God.
Instead, let’s congregationally express God’s presence already in us …
Through songs that encourage one another towards true worship by living lives of reverent obedience.
Otherwise, we’ll remain trapped in pagan carnality …
Rather than find authentic church, authentic worship and authentic discipleship as defined in the New Testament.
FREE SPEECH
The greatest threats to liberty are not those who say what we don’t wanna hear …
But those with the power to silence them.
PROPHETIC RUBBISH
It’s gotta be said:
If you got caught up in all the “prophetic words” about Trump being re-elected from the Elijah List of for-profit non-prophets and other self-appointed, unaccountable and attention grabbing “prophetic” crazies …
Or you got caught up in the bizarre world of Q-Anon delusions …
You need to humbly examine yourself, return to the Sovereign God of Scripture, embrace the simple – yet comprehensive – power and authority of His Word, and commit to healthy Christian community where you can begin to find balance in your life.
When you do, there will be no need or desire to pursue counterfeit realities or distracting, drama laden “solutions”.
Yes, there are real issues, and yes there are those who are authentically prophetic …
But God is not a freak show and what you gave yourselves over to was not of Him.
True disciples, who put their trust wholly in Him and His Word and are committed to healthy Christian community, will learn to discern the difference.
Those who don’t, won’t.
Repent, and get about the hard work of rebuilding the foundations in your own life and in our nation …
Before it’s too late.
“PROGRESSIVE” RACISM
These days, if you oppose the Leftist political views held by many (but certainly not all) black organizations, it is called racism – even if you oppose those views because you want the best for the black community.
Thus, according to how oppressive “progressives” have redefined the word, you are “racist” based on legitimate political differences even if you care deeply about what’s happening in the black community.
This twisting of language by the Left is insidious, and is used by the Left to stifle honest debate over their political policies that are actually doing great harm to the black community.
Don’t let the rhetoric of hate from the Left silence you:
Renounce their oppressive policies that are destroying Black lives, Black families and Black communities;
Proclaim with confidence those Godly principles – like worth, dignity and responsibility, in the context of faith, family and community – which offer true hope for all as we seek to heal our broken nation; and
Stand for virtue.
Only then will the true racists be unmasked.
FAR HORIZONS
Few see beyond our immediate circumstances.
Which is why God always sprinkles among us …
A few who crave the far horizons.
FINDING FAITH
Those who give the most of themselves, often lost the most the most of themselves …
But found faith instead.
STANDING STRONG
Freedom is not the right to choose evil …
But the right to resist it.
Plumbline Faith 