The Great Commission says “go” …
Not “ego”.
Category: Simple Discipleship
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Did you know:
In the New Testament, the context of the Greek words typically translated as “preach” or “preaching” is always outside the church toward unbelievers …
And never in the church toward believers?
Or that the Greek words describing how “teachings” occurred 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
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.
Words have power.
Daily, I see the bondage they bring when misused …
And the liberating freedom they create when of God.
Is it any wonder, then, why “Christians” who reject God’s plenary authority of Scripture as His revealed, written Word …
Inevitably remain stuck in an existential quagmire of self and doubt?
In God’s Kingdom, leading behind a pulpit …
Is about as effective as leading behind a desk.
Christian mysticism says we die to self to lose ourself in a mystery beyond us.
Biblical discipleship says we die to self to find ourself as God authentically defines us.
Big difference.
Only when we get to the end of ourselves, can we find ourselves …
As God intended.
If we become myopic (i.e., nearsighted) by viewing everyone and everything in terms of our own God-given gifts, motivations and perspectives …
Or our own pet doctrines, understandings and sensibilities …
Or even our individual personality, including our hurts and achievements …
Then we will never understand or experience true church – ekklesia – as mandated in the New Testament.
Yet this is why most house churches become stiflingly insular and fail, and most legacy churches become stiflingly homogeneous and hierarchical.
Continue readingUnder the New Covenant, worship is not about “entering into God’s presence” …
With weekly church “services” – whether traditional or contemporary – designed to lead us there through manipulated feelings of intensity.
In fact, there are no such concepts regarding church or worship anywhere in the New Testament.
Nope, not, nada …
Just ain’t there.
Rather, the New Testament defines true worship as living holy lives of sacrificial obedience and obeisance to God, 24/7.
Moreover, under the New Covenant we are to be His temple, with His presence now in us …
Each and every one.
This is why the New Testament simply says that when we gather together, we should sing God’s praises to encourage one another.
That’s it – nothing more and nothing less – and the New Testament gives no other reason to sing when we gather as His church.
It also says nothing about gathering to “enter into,” “invoke,” “seek” or be “ushered into” God’s presence.
Until we fully grapple with this distinction, we will never understand why being the church as the New Testament actually shows it …
Looks so much different than church as we’ve otherwise come to know it.
Plumbline Faith 