My prayer for the next generation:
That you reject the tyranny of “tolerance” without sound morals …
Affirm true liberty, which is the freedom to pursue virtue …
And embrace authentic love, which never forgets that only God’s truth can set us free.
Author: Plumbline Faith
Simple Truths from a Lifetime of Service to the King of Kings
If I want a performance, I’ll go to a concert …
Or maybe watch a show on some big screen TV.
If I want church, however, I’ll gather with those who unpretentiously minister one to another …
As co-heirs of God’s grace and as joint participants in His Kingdom.
“Being the church” as the New Testament shows it …
Is far better than “going to church” as most have come to know it.
That’s because the many diverse gifts God gives us for ministry to one another as the multi-part Body of Christ …
Far exceed the mono-ministry most experience each week through scripted “services” by the one.
Unfortunately, when gathering together, few these days are even allowed to use the gifts God’s given them.
Instead, “church” is often more about building itself up, through ministry that revolves around one gifted man …
Than about Christ building us into a visible expression of Himself in our local communities as we learn to function together in our diverse gifts as He directs.
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“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Eph. 4:16
Unless teaching comes from doing …
It seldom leads to doing.
Which explains why so many “church” leaders and teachings today …
Are so ineffective at making disciples.
Freedom in Christ is not about losing your identity in Him, but finding it through Him …
Including the wonderfully diverse gifts, motivations and callings He has for each of us.
Christian Maturity:
Learning to use God’s gifts, motivations and callings for you …
In ways that aren’t dismissive of – but affirm – His differing gifts, motivations and callings for others.
I have the privilege of ministering to the unpretentious …
Which is why my life and words routinely offend the pretentious.
Plus, I have no patience for those who claim to love Christ, while elevating their own ideologies, narratives and sensibilities …
Over God’s authoritative revelation of Himself – and so much more – in Scripture.
The thing is, I think God also has about reached His limits with them.
(Oops, I think I just might have offended them again. 😎)
Eating junk food …
Makes no more sense than consuming junk culture.
One corrupts our bodies …
The other our eternal souls.
Yet the answer to junk culture is not retreat and isolation.
Let’s learn to be immanent in a world God still loves …
While transcending its perils by openly embracing what is eternally true, good and beautiful.
Jesus said all Scripture points to Him.
But that doesn’t mean our perception of Him supersedes, or takes us “beyond” (as some now imply), the authority of Scripture.
Rather, it means that only when we submit our perception of Him to His self revelation of Scripture …
Will we understand Him and His written Word.
I don’t want just a “relationship” with Christ.
Instead, I want all of Christ …
Including all that He’s authoritatively revealed in Scripture so we can:
Know who He truly is;
Function together as His church;
Do as He commands;
Be full citizens of His Kingdom;
Redeem a world He still loves; and
So much more.
New believers often need potty training.
Older believers, however, often need reminding that this inevitably involves messy situations …
Because in real discipleship, “accidents” happen.
Those who reduce their “faith” to what they subjectively perceive God is telling them, filtered through their own sensibilities …
Often reject external Biblical morality, precepts and commands which stand independently true in Scripture.
God can speak however He choices.
But for them, it all comes down to what they individually feel and like …
As they elevate their own perceptions as the final standard over God’s own, objective revelations in Scripture.
The naïve theological relativism and narcissism we see among too many “Christians” lately …
Is rooted in past postmodern, “existential” philosophies of either individualistic or “group-think” autonomy.
Is it any wonder, then, that we see an emphasis on new “doctrines” which try to:
- Define Christ, and our relationship to Him, by our own subjective perceptions of Him?
- Redefine grace in ways that destroy all concepts of objective standards?
- And dismiss – if not in fact then at least in effect – God’s plenary authority of Scripture as His written Word?
Nonetheless, God is calling forth His own:
Those who truly want to know Him on His terms …
As they worship Him once again in spirit and IN TRUTH with lives of reverent obedience.
Anything less is fraudulent “faith.”
We avoid our hurts and wrongs …
When we don’t confess them.
And what we avoid, we can’t give to God …
To receive His freedom in return.
For believers:
Confession, forgiveness and repentance are NOT about keeping our justification …
But finding wholeness.
God’s grace is the means, not the end, of salvation.
When offered, our proper response is repentance through faith …
Leading to obedience and good works.
Just because God is transcendent …
Doesn’t mean our perceptions of Him transcend Scripture.
After all, God is also immanent …
As is His written Word.
Contrast the vulgarity of the recent so-called “Woman’s March” …
With the dignity of yesterday’s March for Life.
One degraded women and the entire human race …
The other elevated women and everyone else.
I choose life because I choose dignity …
For all.
The charm of a charmer …
Leads many astray.
Be careful who you quote, promote, support or “like” online …
Or anywhere else.
Sure, they may say, write or do things designed to make you feel good so they look good.
But that doesn’t mean that they or their agendas are good for you …
Or anyone else.
When leftist elites redefine “love” as vulgarity and virtue as “hate” …
What we saw at the so-called “Women’s March” in Washington last week is the result.
Don’t get upset at the March’s resulting, open display of depravity by regressive “progressives” …
But rejoice that their utter contempt for decency and virtue – which they previously hid in the shadows while working to undermine our culture – is now on full display for all to see.
The more they expose their true ideology of oppression against all that is right and decent …
The more men and women of good faith will be stirred to action against their underlying obscenities.
Make no mistake:
True “rights” are based on virtue …
And lift everyone.
Anything less is a lie.
Rejoice that their lies increasingly are becoming evident for all the world to see …
While resolving to stand firm once again for true rights based on doing right …
For all.
Did you know:
In the New Testament, the context of the Greek words typically translated as “preach” or “preaching” is always – with one possible ambiguous exception – outside the church toward unbelievers …
Rather than in the church toward believers.
Or that the Greek words describing the type of “teaching” that happened in the church – with believers – primarily mean participatory, interactive dialogue …
And not one-way preaching or monologue sermons.
If that surprises you, check it out yourself.
Then ask, what else about “church” have you uncritically assumed or done …
Without studying Scripture to first see what God actually says about it?
The key to healthy churches is simple:
Are God’s gifts to you about advancing your ministry …
Or about advancing His wonderfully diverse gifts in others?
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4
The ultimate temptation exploits your greatest strength …
Not your greatest weakness.
May our only agenda
Be to avoid all agendas
That keep God’s people
From fulfilling His agenda
For themselves, one another,
And a world He yet loves.
Plumbline Faith 