Those who claim that their relationship with Jesus is all about their relationship with Jesus …
Know not Christ.
Category: Simple Truth
Let’s see:
Morning cup of coffee. Check.
Log on and notice all the social media posts about the latest outrage du jour. Hmmm.
Wisely decide to wait a few days until the real facts come out. Priceless.
In the meantime, continue to live a life that makes a difference in this world by loving God and obeying His commands. Eternal.
The fruit of the Spirit are rooted in …
Truth and virtue.
The best bulwark against human authoritarianism in all its many forms …
Are the precepts of God’s written Word.
By which, history shows:
Free men stand;
Liberty springs; and
Tyrants fall.
Never underestimate the power of people – including Christians – to perceive and believe what they want to perceive and believe …
All evidence, logic and morality to the contrary.
Which is why God gave Scripture as His external standard of truth on those issues where He wants to hold us accountable …
To Himself and each other.
And why those who reject God’s plenary authority of Scripture as His written Word become stuck in existential quagmires …
From which healthy churches and healthy disciples never seem to emerge.
When caught or exposed, some play the victim by seeking sympathy for the consequences of their sin on them …
But never openly confess, repent or ask forgiveness for the consequences of their sin on others.
If so, they remain a danger to all.
“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” 2 Cor. 7:10
You will never experience viable organic, simple, participatory church …
If you fall prey to books, blogs and seminars promoting “how to” by those who “don’t do”.
Seriously, when it comes to “itinerant” authors like Frank Viola, Milt Rodriquez, Jon Zens and other self-styled “apostolic workers” who promote themselves as “church planters” …
You can’t learn to be the church from those who consistently fail to make it work in their own lives, home towns and elsewhere.
Break free of their extraneous existential agendas; their disdain for the plenary authority of Scripture; their cookie-cutter “deeper life” visions; their post-modern “beyond” ideologies; and their history of abuse, sexual predation, infidelity and cover up.
Because you’ll never learn to authentically be and do what we see in the New Testament …
Until you leave phony behind.
It’s easy to have simple church, community, mission and discipleship all figured out …
And tell others “how to” through books, blogs, seminars and online posts …
For those not distracted by actually doing it.
We need more people humbly living it and making it work in their own lives and home towns …
And fewer peddling it everywhere else instead.
Unless you understand Nietzsche, you will fail to understand Trump …
The misogyny, the boasts, the narcissism, the arrogance, the immorality, the lack of consistent convictions, the fascination with totalitarian dictators, the opportunism.
And unless you understand Nietzsche’s ideology …
You will fail to understand why discerning Christians are pleading with those who profess Christ to affirm your faith and turn from Trump while there’s still time.
Evil seduces many with the rationale of expediency.
God is covenantal:
He doesn’t force His rule on anyone.
But neither has He surrendered His sovereignty to anyone …
In any aspect of life, culture or history.
Until we understand:
That the Gospel preached by Jesus is the good news of His Kingdom;
That “Christ” isn’t His last name but means “the anointed King“;
That “church” in the New Testament means the local representative assembly of His Kingdom in each community; and
That He never surrendered His authority in any sphere of life or culture …
Then we will not understand His command to make disciples of all who choose the blessings of His rule – including not just individuals, but also nations.
Convenient silence – or willful ignorance – over exploitation and abuse of others by an inspiring church leader …
Is a damnable form of idolatry.
It sacrifices innocent lives on the altar of personal ease and misplaced loyalties.
God will not hold us innocent.
Moses warned Israel that possessing God’s promises meant slaying giants.
Some things never change.
We all want the milk and honey, but not the battle.
Love without truth is just as corrosive …
As truth without love.
SPIRITUAL NARCISSISM
Sorry, but when your personal “revelation” of Jesus looks a lot like you, I’m just not impressed.
And when “deeper life” is merely a projection of your own postmodern proclivities and sensibilities, I’m likewise not impressed.
Radical? Hardly.
Really, didn’t you get the memo? Existential angst just ain’t that counter-cultural anymore.
So I guess you’re gonna need some new shtick …
Because spiritual narcissism in search of meaning inevitably leads to dead ends.
Scripture doesn’t address everything, nor does God choose to explain all things comprehensively.
That’s His right.
The plenary authority of Scripture, therefore, means not claiming more from Scripture than it actually says.
But make no mistake:
What Scripture does, in fact, actually say is ultimately authoritative …
On its own terms and contexts, not our’s.
Scriptural clarity begins with scriptural authority.
Those who dismiss the latter end up stuck with themselves …
And never seem to find the former.
As Moses learned, it’s easier to take the slave out of Egypt …
Than Egypt out of the slave.
Those who embrace a so-called “Christocentric” hermeneutic join Adam and Eve in presuming the autonomy to decide right and wrong, true and false, real and unreal …
With the further hubris of presuming to then impose it on Christ Himself.
They do this by judging and bending all Scripture to their own concepts of Christ …
Rather than subjecting their concepts of Christ to all of Scripture.
They’re still eating of the tree …
God owes us NOTHING.
Get over it.
Only then can we begin to apprehend the wonders of His grace.
Those promoting a so-called “Christocentric” hermeneutic have too low a view of Christ …
And too high a view of themselves.
They presume to create a pick and choose Jesus through a pick and choose view of Scripture to suit their own sensibilities …
Rather than submit to all of Christ as He authentically reveals Himself in all of Scripture, both Old and New Testament.
Which, by the way, is why they never seem able to make viable disciples or form functional churches.
Don’t be so easily misled by their “new” faith …
Which is no faith at all, except in themselves.
When Satan can’t exploit your weaknesses …
He’ll flatter your strengths.
Why?
Because He’s God and I’m not.
Because His Word stands eternal while I am but an uncertain reed blowing in the wind.
Because it is by His will that history bends, not mine.
Because He is the sovereign creator of all, including me.
Because He defines what is true, real and right, not me.
And because He is Lord of all and bids me “go” into a world He yet loves.
Socialism:
Free cheese in a mouse trap.
It never turns out well, history shows, when frustration over inept leaders, social malaise and moral anarchy …
Elects a so-called “strong man” who knows no law but his own will to power.
Scripture says what we sow, we reap.
This election, sow wisely.
Plumbline Faith 