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.
Category: Simple Faith
THE POWER OF PRAYER
Effective prayer is more about hearing and doing what God wants …
Than Him hearing and doing what we want.
TRANSFORMATION
Faith presumes obedience …
Because without obedience, there is no faith.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many desire the forgiveness of the Cross …
Without the transformation of the Resurrection.
It will not go well for them, either in the here and now …
Or on that final, fateful day.
Do you want Jesus for what He wants …
Or what you want?
What’s the ultimate standard for truth, reality and morality?
Our perceptions and sensibilities …
Or God’s written revelation and sovereign will?
Herein lies the difference between popular existential ideologies that have deceived many “Christians” …
And authentic Biblical Christianity as God Himself defines it.
As goes the Church,
So goes the Nation.
Repent,
While there’s still time.
Our worse failings are redemptive if we let God use them to get our attention and bring us to repentance.
Alternatively, we can let them destroy us.
That’s why I seldom freak out when someone stumbles – many times I’ve seen it become a turning point for amazing redemptive transformation.
But whether for destruction or redemption, it’s always our choice.
That’s because spiritual health and maturity are not about perfection …
But rather how we deal with our imperfections.
Few are willing to do the hard work of actually being the church.
You know, an active community of believers who encourage and minister to each other …
Both when they gather together and throughout their daily lives.
Most, instead, are content to pay others to do “church” for them …
From an elevated podium and stage each Sunday morning.
Be exceptional!
Dare to be the church as the New Testament actually shows it …
And leave that other stuff behind.
Loving God is not enough,
Because without repentance,
It’s not God you love …
But your own concept of Him.
A Christian can’t truly love the LGBTQ community …
Without opposing the deceptions that trap them in sin and bondage.
I’ve seen more carnal rubbish under claims of being “in the Spirit” than I care to remember.
In contrast, I’ve found that those who live lives of simple humility and faithful obedience …
More often are the real deal.
If you’re not a disciple …
You’re not a Christian.
Because there is no “Christ” in “Christian” …
Without God’s rule.
If we’re not about redemption, then what hope does anyone have?
This is my passion.
This is my cause.
But it ain’t neat and it ain’t tidy.
It’s raw and sometimes ugly.
Because if Jesus doesn’t work for the worse of us …
Then He works for none of us.
God’s presence without His sovereignty …
Is an impossibility.
Which is why I’m convinced that what we call “worship” and “His presence” at many “churches” these days …
Is so bogus.
There’s nothing entertaining …
About authentic worship.
Because worship, as the New Testament actually defines it, means living holy lives of humble submission and faithful obedience.
Which may explain why real worship today among many “churches” and “believers” …
Is so rare.
Revivals come and revivals go …
But true repentance lasts forever.
“Worship” has been reduced from its Biblical meaning of living lives in obeisance (humble submission) and obedience to God …
To music that makes us feel good.
Although music can be a good thing …
Somehow, I think we lost our way.
Plumbline Faith 