Those who claim that their relationship with Jesus is all about their relationship with Jesus …
Know not Christ.
Faith isn’t about believing God will do what you think He ought …
But trusting He will do what He says He will.
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.
Finding joy often means risking failure …
In love, faith, business and all of life.
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.
It seems their “apostolic worker” gigs ain’t been turning out so well, with failure after failure to sustain local organic church in their own lives, home towns and elsewhere …
So from the ashes of their prior mutual promotion networks like House2House …
Frank Viola, Milt Rodriquez, Jon Zens and their buddies announced today that they will seek to revive their itinerant ministries through a new marketing alliance called:
Higher
Existential
Revelation
Elevated and
Transformed
Into
Christ
In a joint statement issued April 1st, Frank Viola, Milt Rodriguez and John Zens explained:
“We hope this will allow us to extend our influence to even more organic, simple churches around the world, with similar results.”
New books, blogs and seminars to follow …
😉
Until we stop using narcissistic labels like “ultimate,” “grand,” “deeper,” “insurgent,” “radical” and “beyond” to describe our faith …
And learn to walk humbly with God and others …
We’re not much good for His Kingdom …
Or anything else …
Including real ekklesia and functional local community as taught in the New Testament.
After fifty years, I’ve yet to see an exception.
Don’t be deceived:
There will always be those who peddle such enticing, ear-tickling agendas.
But if you look closely, you’ll see that they never seem able to make it actually work first in their own lives and hometowns.
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.
God’s saving grace is freely offered, but costs everything to fully accept.
Forget this, and we pervert the Gospel.
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.
Thinking the Great Commission says start a new church and invite everyone to come find Christ as part of your own community where you live and relate …
Seldom produces real disciples or real church.
Go and present Christ, however, where others live and relate in their own unique communities …
And real disciples and real church often happen.
In authentic church, there’s no single ministry or leader around whom everything is organized.
Instead, Scripture says that God bestows diverse gifts and callings among His people …
And that we are to use them to build up each other through ministry one to another – especially when we gather.
That’s why His mission for me should look very different than His mission for you …
And why there’s no mono-church in the New Testament.
To get roses …
You gotta work with thorns.
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.
Some cast the nets, some build the boats.
In God’s Kingdom, no one person or calling is more essential than another.
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.
Faith that’s not relevant to all of life …
Is relevant to none of life.
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.
Plumbline Faith 