God’s into plumblines …
Not pendulums.
Category: Simple Faith
Some believe God is so sovereign …
That He can’t choose to allow people to reject His grace.
Which means that they’re trying to protect His sovereignty …
By denying His sovereignty.
As a result, they’ve made an idol out of their own trans-Biblical, philosophical view of “sovereignty” …
Resulting in too low a view of God and His actual sovereignty.
Nonetheless, they compound their problems by then straining to filter all the rest of God’s Word – plus all the rest of life and everyone else – through the seeve of that core absurdity.
By so doing, they’ve become the arrogant new Pharisees of our day, captive to a dry intellectual edifice of their own creation …
Built on further absurdities heaped upon absurdities.
Is it any wonder, then, that it’s nearly impossible to find the joyous, dynamic life of Christ – or vibrant, multi-gifted Christian community – among them?
Although they are our brothers and sisters in Christ …
It’s time to recognize that they are our weaker siblings, rather than giving them the prominence they presume to demand among us.
There are many “Christian” idols in our churches these days.
For example, what most churches call “worship” …
Is mostly a contrived, manipulative affront to God.
And I’m not talking about styles of music …
But about turning “worship” into a “church service” rather than living lives of reverent obedience and sacrificial service to God.
Unfortunately, those unwilling to submit to how the New Testament actually defines worship and the focus of our gatherings …
Seldom even care.
And so they’ve elevated their own notions of worship above God Himself and what His Word actually says …
Thus ensnaring many in perpetual immaturity and carnality.
While a true encounter with God will invoke intense emotions …
Many “churches” today try to invoke intense emotions then call it a true encounter with God.
It’s not.
It’s just fleshly manipulation masquerading as “worship.”
Big difference!
Our greatest protections against repressive “progressives” …
Are the incarnation and the resurrection.
Because those who understand both …
Will never bend a knee to human tyranny.
Why the Cross?
Because even forgiveness demands justice …
And someone must always bear the cost.
Which is why cheap grace without repentance is still the preferred “gospel” …
Of carnal men today.
The highest form of gratitude is not over what God does for you …
But what He allows you to do for others.
Mature disciples, along with those who are lost and know it, understand the inseparability of God’s:
Promises and warnings;
Forgiveness and judgment;
Mercy and wrath;
Love and truth;
Yeas and nays.
Fools, however, who elevate themselves above God and His written word of Scripture …
Don’t.
Those who reject God’s plenary authority of Scripture as His revealed written Word …
Are not my brother.
Because they serve a God of their own imagination …
Who is not my Father.
If Christians started giving how the New Testament says we should give …
To what the New Testament says we should give …
It’s doubtful that what we call “church” today would survive.
So you want the authenticity of simple, participatory church?
Then consider humbly going where it’s least expected …
Among those of whom the least is expected.
Just like Jesus did.
I’ve yet to see God turn His face …
From those who love and trust Him.
Seldom will evil fess up to its own culpability …
Which is why it is unrealistic to expect closure from an evildoer on an injustice they caused.
Instead, find closure by fully expressing to the Lord the hurts and wrongs your heart still carries …
Then forgive by releasing your need for justice to Him.
Not to excuse the evil or those who did it …
But to acknowledge the wrong, find freedom and move on.
Honor in God’s Kingdom comes not from having fame, fortune or followers …
But being faithful.
Paul of Tarsus:
Lashed, left for dead, shipwrecked, jailed, scorned, abandoned, tried, beheaded.
I guess he never read “Your Best Life Now.”
I may have an ability or perspective that you lack.
But I have yet to meet anyone – and I mean anyone – who does not exceed me in some aspect of their own abilities and perspectives.
Likewise, no church or ministry will be healthy if it pulls into itself or thinks itself beyond everyone else.
This is true also with our different sub-cultures, theological “tribes,” and the often unexamined presumptions and perceptions of our own community of like-minded friends.
Unity through diversity with humility, rather than uniformity through control with hierarchy, is God’s intent among those who love Him and heed His Word …
As we learn to submit to one another and together become the multi-gifted, multi-functional, multi-part Body of Christ.
Real grace doesn’t exempt us from conviction and repentance …
But loves us enough to take us there.
“Religion” today …
Means all the stuff in the Bible we don’t wanna heed.
Authentic faith …
Treats grace and repentance as inseparable.
The most enduring qualities of lasting faith …
Are gratitude and wonder.
When we fully confess and turn our mistakes and regrets over to God …
He turns them into stepping stones for good.
Few want to confess and let God forgive them …
Fewer still to repent and let Him define them.
Until we fully surrender the disappointments of our past to God …
We will never fully embrace His joy in our future.
I tire of all the fads constantly being peddled to Christians in some new book, ministry, podcast or program.
Instead, just go and do what Jesus commands, as He’s called you to do it.
When you do, it certainly will look different than the latest hot new distractions making the rounds on social media.
So don’t be diverted by “Radical,” “Christocentric,” “Deconstruction,” “Eternal Purpose,” “Insurgence,” or whatever.
Because once someone brands God and His purposes with some new label and convinces everyone to hop on board …
It’s likely so saddled with egos and extraneous agendas that it’s already way off track.
Instead, learn to discern what’s good and eternal and leave the rest behind, because God’s into plumblines …
Not pendulums.
The greatest obstacle to faith is not doubt …
But our own comfort zones.
