Jesus established the church as His local participatory assembly …
To represent and advance His Kingdom here on Earth.
Instead, we’ve turned it into an entertainment business with weekly staged performances.
Category: Simple Truth
Nearly all heresy starts as truth out of balance.
When someone insists on one unifying “truth” that explains everything …
Watch out!
Even our personal perceptions of Christ Himself fall short …
No matter how otherwise accurate.
Seeking the favor of power by laying aside our Godly values …
Rather than making those in power seek the favor of our Godly values …
Seldom turns out well.
Lord, give us more Nathans …
Who speak truth to power, rather than seek the privilege of its favor.
Those who think Christ’s return is about saving us from the problems of this world amidst evil’s imminent triumph,
Have bought into a theology of retreat, defeat and escape …
Which is a big reason why the problems got so bad in the first place.
In an age of radical autonomy – with individuals fractured from themselves, others and God …
It’s time for Christ’s disciples to bear open witness – through our lives and words – to God’s transcendent truth and immanent grace.
When we capitulate to evil in the name of “peace” or in the name of “unity” …
We become the evil.
Judge not?
Never have two words been taken so out of context to distort what Jesus actually said …
Which explains the mess we’re facing in our culture, churches and politics.
May God’s people and those of goodwill begin to judge righteously once again.
Apart from God who created us in His likeness and image …
Reason, creativity and virtue lose all meaning.
Which makes the Christian retreat from reason, creativity and virtue …
Rebellion against God Himself.
Man is neither God nor beast …
And has not the right to choose otherwise.
Western culture blossomed under the Biblical notion that the State should protect our liberty to pursue virtue …
And restrain evil from taking the rewards of that virtue from us.
It then deteriorated under the post-modern notion that the State should promote autonomy from virtue …
And force the virtuous to subsidize the consequences of that autonomy.
May righteous people return to our foundations …
For the blessing of all.
The Great Commission …
Isn’t about advancing our own cultural presumptions.
When we lose the capacity for shame …
Self government is impossible and tyranny inevitable.
A government which undercuts the virtue of its people …
Will not long survive.
But a people who lack virtue …
Will not long survive their government.
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.
When we define faith by our own interests or sensibilities, it’s no longer faith …
But narcissism.
Christians in democratic societies have a choice.
We can either insist that elected officials adopt Godly precepts to earn our favor …
Or we can alter our values to earn their favor.
In the long run, the former usually turns out much better.
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.
Truth in isolation …
Is almost always a lie.
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.
When we capitulate to evil in the name of “peace,” we become the evil.
When we suppress truth in the name of “love,” we become the lie.
When we excuse abuse in the name of “unity,” we become the abuser.
Discernment never confuses:
Charisma for Godly;
Position for credible;
Expedient for eternal; or
Persuasive for truth.
Why is it that those who consistently fail at establishing any real vocation, fail at being part of a functional local church, and fail overall at life in general …
Seem most inclined these days to promote themselves as “apostles,” apostolic “workers,” or some such nonsense …
Where they only succeed at reproducing their failures in others?
God heard the cries of His people …
And humbled the proud and haughty.
Now the real work begins.
Let’s be worthy of His mercy.
Plumbline Faith 