God is a polyglot:
He speaks and relates to different people different ways.
If, however, we don’t respect how others hear and relate to God differently than us …
Then relational participatory church – with ministry by one another to mutually build up each other – will sputter and die.
Category: Simple Love
Relational participatory church? How is that possible?
By letting God change our attitudes.
For example:
I may have an ability or perspective you lack.
But I have yet to meet anyone – and I mean anyone – who does not in turn exceed me in some aspect of their own abilities and perspectives …
Even if they’re a brand new Christian.
Relational participatory church – as mandated in the New Testament – only works when we all, leaders included, begin to embrace that kind of outlook …
By learning to truly submit one to another as the multi-part, multi-gifted, multi-functional Body of Christ.
Otherwise, ministry by one another for the mutual edification and building up of each other when we gather together …
Is impossible.
May we live our lives as sacraments of God’s presence before a lost and hurting world.
Some judge all Scripture based on their notions of love.
True disciples, however, judge all notions of love based on Scripture.
Otherwise, our notions of love become limited to our own subjective, internal sentimentalities …
Rather than God’s comprehensive, objective revelation.
Those who give the most of themselves, often lost the most of themselves …
But found faith instead.
Real church with real community and real discipleship …
Must embrace tough love.
Because ultimately, you can’t have real community or real discipleship …
With people who only want what they want from God and others.
Eventually, you must let them go.
Otherwise, you’re not helping …
But enabling.
Because I love Christ, I’ve opened my home and my life to those abused by people who use Christ to exploit others.
Because I love Christ, I’ve ministered to people in jail and the woods with whom polite society won’t dirty their lives.
Because I love Christ, I’ve loved His “ekklesia” rather than the man-centered institution often called the “church” these days.
Because I love Christ, I’m still willing to exceed my comfort zones.
Care to join me?
Loving God is not enough,
Because without repentance,
It’s not God you love …
But your own concept of Him.
Being an adult means fully bearing the costs, and the consequences, of our own choices.
Unfortunately, many parents today don’t let that happen …
Then wonder why their “grown” kids are such failures at life.
Tragically, I frequently saw this when I went into our local jail …
Mostly among twenty-something “boys” from middle class families.
Even more tragically, the parents and their churches often continued – out of guilt – to enable their immaturity even when they got out.
It never turned out well.
Do them a favor:
Stop subsidizing their immaturity and let ’em fail!
Don’t enable them, but let them begin to experience the full, unmitigated consequences of their choices …
Even if it means they go homeless and risk destitution until they begin making mature decisions and start to grow up.
Being allowed to become homeless and nearly destitute will be a great shock to them – and they may initially stumble badly – but I’ve always seen it eventually turn out to be the best thing for them.
For the first time, they are forced to begin owning their own future and growing up.
As even Paul instructed the Thessalonian church, if someone doesn’t work, then don’t feed them. 2 Th. 3:10
These are not theoretical musings, but how our own churches over the years learned to help guys from the jail who needed to grow up …
Because in the long run, tough love is often the best love you can give.
A Christian can’t truly love the LGBTQ community …
Without opposing the deceptions that trap them in sin and bondage.
Guys in jail often ask me how to find a good church when they get out.
I tell them that if they visit a couple of times on Sunday and no one ever invites them home to share friendship and a meal together, move on …
It’s just a meeting, not a church.
We are bound by the limits of our fallen nature, which makes us spiritually “dead in our trespasses and sin”.
We are not spiritually sick, but dead.
Free will, therefore, is a myth apart from God’s grace giving us the option to choose Him …
Because those who are spiritually dead have no choice in and of themselves.
Fundamentally, we have no human autonomy or ability to choose anything apart from what God has chosen to delegate and enable.
According to His sovereign will, however, He didn’t want puppets on a string …
So He gave Adam the option to choose sin and death – as He knew he would – by rejecting His rule.
Adam chose foolishly.
Christ, according to His eternal plan …
Then defeated sin and death through the Cross to give us the option to choose righteousness and life by submitting to His rule.
This is what makes God’s grace so amazing.
Choose wisely, therefore …
While you still have a choice.
The triune God of the Bible is perfectly one and complete in and of Himself.
Unlike Islam and various “Oneness” heresies, however, His complete unity also includes diversity.
That intrinsic diversity means He can internally relate, love and communicate …
And thus, as He chooses, do so externally as well.
Which explains the main difference between the true God of the Old and New Testaments …
And the detached, abstract and mute “God” of Islam.
You don’t reconcile with church “leaders” who use and abuse others …
Or who facilitate such evil by protecting abusers within the church.
You expose and stop them, as commanded in 1 Tim. 5:19-21.
End of story.
Only if there’s true confession and public repentance …
Can another story begin.
Jesus is our Lord who loves us …
Not our lover.
Unfortunately, the words and mood of too many songs that pass for “worship” these days …
Seem to confuse this vital difference.
Selfless living …
Springs from an attitude of gratitude.
Christ’s incarnation, ascension and promised return affirm we were not created to be detached spirits.
As His followers, we will always be physically embodied beings who exist in a material world.
That’s why mature disciples have hope for the future …
But remain well rounded and grounded in the present.
Progressive “Christians” …
Are neither.
Because you can’t love God …
And dismiss His Word.
Or love liberty …
And dismiss His rule.
I’ve yet to see God turn His face …
From those who love and trust Him.
Real grace doesn’t exempt us from conviction and repentance …
But loves us enough to take us there.
I’m often asked, “Where do I find simple, relational, participatory church?”
Why not start with hospitality …
And see what God can do?
Because it’s easier to share Christ together …
When we share life together.
So let’s open our homes and open our lives …
And be the church once again.
God doesn’t define sin to condemn us …
But to warn us, because He loves us, about what can harm and destroy us.
Those who reject that …
Condemn themselves.
Sometimes …
Love says no.
All love, we burn up.
All truth, we dry up.
Have both, we grow up.
May our walk with the Lord and each other be ever rooted in both truth and love.
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.
Plumbline Faith 