Category: Simple Discipleship
The Great Commission …
Isn’t about advancing our own cultural presumptions.
Those who dismiss the meanings of words as originally intended, or deny that words can even convey tangible meanings …
Will never understand God, His creation or themselves – as to which He chose specific words to convey His specific meanings through Scripture.
Ironically, those who deny authoritative meaning in His written Word …
Do so with words – thus trying to elevate their own meaningless meanings over God’s chosen means.
God created us to be integrated individuals:
Embodied, rational, spiritual and relational …
With logic, emotions, intuition, feelings, creativity and so much more.
All cults and major heresies, however, deny, isolate or over emphasize one or more of those qualities.
When they do this, they distort God’s desire to redeem our full humanity …
Complete and whole.
Declare or act?
Hear or do?
Profess or know?
Claim or be?
Preach or go?
Sometimes …
Words alone are not enough.
Occasionally I come across those who claim – either explicitly or implicitly – that personal “revelation” can equal to even exceed the authority of Scripture.
But does this hold up?
2 Tim 3:16-17 says that all Scripture comes from God Himself and is the standard for correction and reproof – even as against other revelation we think we have received – regarding doctrine, faith and life itself.
Jesus told a story which reinforces this point. In it, a poor servant named Lazarus died and went to Abraham’s bosom, while a rich man died and went to Hell.
The rich man pleads that Lazarus be sent to give a miraculous, personal revelation to his still living brothers to warn them of Hell so they will stop being wicked.
Abraham’s response is very telling: “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets [i.e., the Old Testament], neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” Luke 16:31.
Is it any different today?
Why do some insist on personal revelation where God has already clearly spoken in His written Word of Scripture?
Isn’t it arrogant to expect more from God, while discounting His plenary authority of Scripture?
In fact, aren’t they just like the rich man in Jesus’ parable?
God can do what He wants and speak how He wants …
But in this parable Jesus warns us not to normally expect “revelations” from Him where we have not been willing to submit to His existing, authoritative revelation of Scripture.
It sure seems to me that Jesus, in this story, also establishes the clear hierarchy of His written Word over all other revelation …
While certainly not discounting the fact that God can and does speak many ways.
But in all cases, God stands resolute against any “revelation” contrary to His external Word of Scripture.
It’s time to reject the partial use of Scripture to construct one over-arching “Story” or “Narrative” …
To transcend or supersede all the rest of Scripture as God’s authoritative written Word.
In fact, there are many themes – and a rich tapestry of truths and narratives – immanent in Scripture.
Don’t be so easily deceived by these latest waves of ear-tickling “existential” doctrines:
Whether from relatively obscure, minor authors like Frank Viola peddling his ever-shifting “eternal purpose,” “theography,” “deeper life,” or more recent “insurgency” wares;
His buddy Jon Zens’ underlying reconstructed “gospel;” or
Or their fellow existentialist Keith Giles with his post-modern, pick-and-choose “red letter” Jesus.
More popular authors like Rob Bell and the late Rachel Evans also tried the same with their self-referential, existential notions of “love” …
As have major “theologians” like Karl Barth with his distorted, wholly subjective idea of “logos.”
Like all who tried before them, their trans-Biblical “narratives” inevitably end up crashing upon all of Scripture as God’s lasting, comprehensive and authoritative written Word …
While they and the faddish limelight they seek today is gone tomorrow.
Unfortunately, though, the wreckage they bring in other lives and churches survive long after.
God is not amused with their big lies wrapped in half truths.
Why is it that white, middle class Americans (like me) …
Persist in acting as though God, His values and His plans for everyone else are white, middle class American?
No matter what your culture …
I have it on good authority that He transcends our own myopic perspectives.
Existential “Christians” use the currently faddish dislike of the word “religion” to peddle a big lie wrapped in half truth …
By claiming that Jesus is all about a “relationship” and not religion.
While it’s true that Jesus wants a relationship with us …
He wants that relationship to include all He has authoritatively revealed in His external Word of Scripture about Himself, us, His creation and so much more.
This includes His propositional truths, moral precepts and objective reality as they apply not just to us …
But also government, church, family, history, culture, economics, and everything else.
Otherwise, for such existential “Christians,” Jesus is all about them rather than Lord and creator of all …
As they seek to define Him on their own terms based on their own perceptions, sensibilities and agendas.
Don’t fall prey to a false Jesus of their own creation.
Instead, find liberty, freedom and authority on His terms, not theirs …
By surrendering all of you to all of Him, as Lord of all who’s over all.
Discernment never confuses:
Charisma for Godly;
Position for credible;
Expedient for eternal; or
Persuasive for truth.
Spiritual warfare is not waged in a prayer closet …
But by going forth to assault the gates of Hell.
The prayer closet is simply where we get our marching orders.
When your ministry becomes your source of validation …
It truly is “your” ministry.
Don’t confuse God’s grace with His delight.
You can experience His grace, which is unmerited …
But then miss His delight, which comes from doing His will and obeying His commands.
If you doubt this, just do a quick online word search for “delight” in any good Bible translation.
Those who deny this distinction with their hyper-grace teachings …
Know neither the authentic God of Scripture nor His authentic joy.
Until we get to the end of ourselves …
We’re not much good for the Kingdom of God.
What we mean by “worship” today seems to have become a distraction …
From what God means by “worship” in the New Testament.
In the original language of the New Testament, the Greek words translated “worship” mean a lifestyle of Godly sacrificial obedience and reverence …
Not music or musical performances designed to press our feel-good buttons.
In fact, there’s not a single use of those Greek words in the New Testament, or in the context of the common vernacular of the day when the New Testament was written, which even hint at such a thing.
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
I’m all for singing God’s praises together, but let’s leave behind the self-absorbed counterfeit “worship” that’s so common today …
And begin to actually worship God by living holy lives of obedience and reverence, as He defines it.
The key to effective ministry …
Is becoming less and less indispensable.
Faith is not so hard to find …
It’s just outside your comfort zones.
A government that wants the power to solve all of our problems …
Soon becomes the problem.
Idolatry takes many forms …
As does its bondage.
May God’s people have the wisdom to resist both.
For me, there’s no greater joy than seeing lives redeemed …
Through the one-on-one ministry of confession, forgiveness and surrendering our associated burdens to the Lord.
There, true repentance happens …
And freedom begins.
Faith presumes no outcome rooted in our own wishes …
But simply trusts God’s goodness.
True liberty is the freedom to pursue virtue …
Not autonomy to pursue vice.
God’s no thief.
He won’t take the burdens of our heart – our accumulated regrets, hurts, anxieties and wrongs – unless we give them to Him …
As an intentional act of surrender.
To give them to Him, however, we must first own them …
By honestly and fully confessing them to Him.
Because if we can’t or won’t do that …
Then they own us, and not us them.
Nor is God a cheat.
When we fully and finally release them to Him …
He always gives us peace and resolution in return.
Always!
Plumbline Faith 