The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. (Luke 18:11)
Any Pharisee blood in you, brother? sister?
I've got some. God calls it to my attention regularly. I am constantly in repentance for that, among my other sins. This life in Christ is very much about learning to be a repentant sinner.
Pharisee-ism is one of the great weaknesses of the professing church today. In the mind of many, the church is a place for the Perfect Ones. Those of us who have "arrived." The less-than-perfect are not welcome among us, lest they soil the pew cushions or track mud into the sanctuary.
May I remind those who think like that, Jesus said:
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
(Luke 5:31-32)
His Church is made up of sinners......saved sinners to be sure. Church rolls are crowded today by the names of folks who've never been born again. (That's another sermon....) I want to address this to those who are indeed His, those born again from above, washed in the Blood, made new creations in Jesus Christ by the miracle of the New Birth.
Do you now rest in the assurance of your salvation and look down upon those who struggle with sin, those whose sins are more public than yours, those whose sins carry more social consequences than yours? Have you forgotten where you were when Jesus found you?
My ministry is conducted behind razor wire and electrified fences. To get to my meeting place, I am searched, x-rayed, and run through a metal detector. The men I deal with are state prison inmates who have been convicted of every imaginable crime against the State of Tennessee and its citizens: drug crimes, sex crimes, murder.....
Some of these men have been saved out of their life of sin by the grace of an amazing God. Their testimonies break my heart. I'd love to take them home with me, to take them to church with me, to show off these "trophies of Grace" which God has on display for all eternity.
I am a member of a Biblically sound local church--great preaching, wonderful missions outreach, sweet fellowship--but the sweetest fellowship of all for me is during the time I am with my brothers in those tiny little chapels, just a handful of us, sometimes only 3 or 4, sometimes 20 or so (we're not in the numbers game, for sure).
There's something wonderful about being with folks who KNOW they are sinners. These guys are not going around thinking: "Well, I'm not so bad....I'm a pretty good citizen, I pay my bills, etc" like the regular "free-world" church member. These guys KNOW. So, if they're saved, they know they've been saved out of something: SIN.
Too many times, you start talking to "church folks" and soon realize that sinners are "those people"......not them!....it's someone else. "We're not like them!" I have wonderful brothers finish their sentences or get paroled, go back out into the world and can't find a church which will welcome them. "We don't want their kind...."
"God, I thank you that I am not like these men: convicted dope dealers, robbers, drunks, wife-beaters, rapists, killers......."
You fool!
You are just exactly like them. The only reason you are not doing time with them? God's grace! That restraining Grace with which God hedged you up and kept you from going any further down the road to destruction than you did go....(Hosea 2: 6,7)
God has described you perfectly in Romans 3: 10-18....you, me, and every man who has ever drawn a breath. If you are now God's child, it's because of what He did......not because of anything you did! Do not sit back in your pew and spew like a pharisee that you are "not like those people"....whatever your pet target might be: poor, ignorant, another social class, another race, another neighborhood, another ethnic background. Convicted criminals? They broke man's law. They paid the penalty for it.
You broke God's Law. There's nothing you can do to atone for that! Only God can redeem you from the certain, eternal death which that Law-breaking calls for.
He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (Titus 3:5-6)
Let's repent of this pharisee-ism. We are, in and of ourselves, no better than the worst we can imagine. If you are a Christian, the good in you is there by the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit of God. We need to repent of this sinful pride which causes us to look down on any other men You think you are Somebody? You think you have Something? Hear the Word of the Lord:
For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
(1 Corinthians 4:7)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
PREACHING IN IGNORANCE OF BASIC DOCTRINE... WHAT AN ABOMINATION!
What a state the "church" is in today.....led by so many "preachers" who are abysmally ignorant of the basic doctrines taught in the Word.
For the past couple weeks, I've been interacting with a group of pelagian-style heretics on Facebook. Over the weekend, one of them responded to a Spurgeon quote on another fellow's page, throwing out the usual straw-man stuff about all calvinists consigning to Hell those who die in infancy. As his presentation developed he made the expected denial of the doctrine of Original Sin then advanced to denying the Impeccability of Christ.
I made a couple responses to his "born innocent" comments then wrote him off, following the admonition in Titus 3:10. Others continued to respond as he went into his "Jesus could have sinned" statement but no one ever confronted him on either heresy (or either component of the same heresy, as you wish). This was on the Facebook page of a preacher who never raised his voice against the man's heresy at all. None of the others involved in the conversation ever even mentioned the issue of Christ's impeccability.
This made me wonder: Do they even know that this is an issue? Do they not recognize heresy when they hear it? Apparently not, because this thread dissolved into a "well, we must agree to disagree..." cop-out. Now, I will "agree to disagree" over instrumental music in church or over the use of a common cup for the Lord's Supper, but the idea of letting slide a major heresy is pretty lame! Will you also "agree to disagree" over the Deity of Christ? ...or the Virgin Birth?
So, I wrote to the preacher on whose page this took place asking him specifically if he was aware of the heresies involved or was he ignorant of them. His response was a non-response "Sorry if I offended you...." This seems to be a modern-day catch all which must mean: I am really offended that you asked that so I am going to apologize and put an end to the discussion. Even allowing the possibility of my tone, being one of combined outrage and incredulity, might stretch to him seeing me as an offended party, the question still hangs there unanswered: Do you or do you not understand the doctrines involved here and their importance?
So, this guy is out there preaching but unable to answer questions from those who will ask about original sin or the idea of whether Jesus could have sinned but set a great example for us, etc. I suspect the nation's pulpits are filled with similar examples of ignorance, and not just ignorance but a willing ignorance, one which shows no interest in learning, in study, in pursuing the details of the Truth revealed in God's Word.
Are we not commanded to "study to show ourselves approved of God......WORKmen who need not be ashamed....because we can RIGHTLY divide the Word"...??? I have deliberately avoided detailed discussion here of the details on these doctrines....because I wonder about you--do you understand them? Do you have a clue what I am talking about? Do you realize the importance?
If not, here are a couple links which will introduce you to the issues:
http://home.att.net/~sovereigngrace/impeccability.html
http://www.fbinstitute.com/McCormick/IMPECCABILITY.htm
http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/classics/jonathanedwards/original_sin.shtml
This McCormick essay contains an interesting footnote: "One scholar (Bartmann) has pointed out that the ancient heretics, however divergent they were in Christology, did not attack or question the Impeccability of Christ."
Even those ancient heretics did not question what these modern day heretics assail in their efforts ultimately to discredit Christ's Deity.
For the past couple weeks, I've been interacting with a group of pelagian-style heretics on Facebook. Over the weekend, one of them responded to a Spurgeon quote on another fellow's page, throwing out the usual straw-man stuff about all calvinists consigning to Hell those who die in infancy. As his presentation developed he made the expected denial of the doctrine of Original Sin then advanced to denying the Impeccability of Christ.
I made a couple responses to his "born innocent" comments then wrote him off, following the admonition in Titus 3:10. Others continued to respond as he went into his "Jesus could have sinned" statement but no one ever confronted him on either heresy (or either component of the same heresy, as you wish). This was on the Facebook page of a preacher who never raised his voice against the man's heresy at all. None of the others involved in the conversation ever even mentioned the issue of Christ's impeccability.
This made me wonder: Do they even know that this is an issue? Do they not recognize heresy when they hear it? Apparently not, because this thread dissolved into a "well, we must agree to disagree..." cop-out. Now, I will "agree to disagree" over instrumental music in church or over the use of a common cup for the Lord's Supper, but the idea of letting slide a major heresy is pretty lame! Will you also "agree to disagree" over the Deity of Christ? ...or the Virgin Birth?
So, I wrote to the preacher on whose page this took place asking him specifically if he was aware of the heresies involved or was he ignorant of them. His response was a non-response "Sorry if I offended you...." This seems to be a modern-day catch all which must mean: I am really offended that you asked that so I am going to apologize and put an end to the discussion. Even allowing the possibility of my tone, being one of combined outrage and incredulity, might stretch to him seeing me as an offended party, the question still hangs there unanswered: Do you or do you not understand the doctrines involved here and their importance?
So, this guy is out there preaching but unable to answer questions from those who will ask about original sin or the idea of whether Jesus could have sinned but set a great example for us, etc. I suspect the nation's pulpits are filled with similar examples of ignorance, and not just ignorance but a willing ignorance, one which shows no interest in learning, in study, in pursuing the details of the Truth revealed in God's Word.
Are we not commanded to "study to show ourselves approved of God......WORKmen who need not be ashamed....because we can RIGHTLY divide the Word"...??? I have deliberately avoided detailed discussion here of the details on these doctrines....because I wonder about you--do you understand them? Do you have a clue what I am talking about? Do you realize the importance?
If not, here are a couple links which will introduce you to the issues:
http://home.att.net/~sovereigngrace/impeccability.html
http://www.fbinstitute.com/McCormick/IMPECCABILITY.htm
http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/classics/jonathanedwards/original_sin.shtml
This McCormick essay contains an interesting footnote: "One scholar (Bartmann) has pointed out that the ancient heretics, however divergent they were in Christology, did not attack or question the Impeccability of Christ."
Even those ancient heretics did not question what these modern day heretics assail in their efforts ultimately to discredit Christ's Deity.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
ON MINISTRY (Part 2--The Point)
I wrote that lengthy, detailed article about Carolyn's surgery and hospital stay for two reasons: to get myself in motion writing and to provide some background for this, the main point, if anyone is interested in detailed background. Feel free to skip it.........lol.
What I want to write about is suffering, and caring for those who are suffering, those who are helpless, and what I have learned about those things during the past 3 weeks. This was my wife's 12th major surgery so in some ways it wasn't exactly a new experience for me (or her!). In a more important way, however, it is a remarkable experience, a life-changing lesson. My greatest fear in attempting this is that I shall fail to communicate verbally something that is so purely experiential.
As we anticipated this surgery and all that comes with it (anticipated most of the stuff, anyway), I had this intellectual grasp of what I would be doing. I've done it before. You have a helpless patient, a pain-racked patient, and it's someone you love dearly. Things need to be done--things which despite long years of intimacy are still discomforting to the one who cannot care for herself as usual. I'm not going into specifics--y'all know the kinda stuff, not limited to holding a basin for someone to vomit into, or washing their face afterward, but stuff like that.
So, I've done that before and I don't mind doing it. I don't. And she knows, as much as humanly possible, that I don't find such things repulsive or disgusting. I love her; I'd do anything to help her when she's suffering. But this time it's different. God has taken me in hand, put His arm across my shoulders, and drawn me a bit closer, let me see a bit more of His grace through His son.
As I sat through those worst hours there in the hospital, doing my little routine with the basin and the wet cloths on her forehead and so forth.....sometimes I sat and waited for the next call to service and realized that I wasn't being a dutiful husband, suffering through these menial chores with a stiff upper lip, deserving of so much appreciation for my dedication. What I was is this: Blessed. I experienced something which previously I had only read about: the joy of serving another person, the blessing which God bestows upon His children as they learn something about "ministry"
I want to say it out loud: I love caring for her. It's a joy to care for her in whatever way I can. I'm so grateful to God for taking me past that selfish state of "being noble" and suffering dutifully. Jesus said He came not to be ministered to, but to minister. Have we ever twisted that word into something grotesque! Most "ministers" haven't the foggiest concept of ministering.
We all know the story of the "Last Supper" from the Gospel accounts. As the apostles arrived, Jesus garbed Himself as a servant and washed their feet. And we hear a lot of sanctimonious preaching about how we need to do likewise, and some denominations take that literally and have services during which folks wash one another's feet. What do you suppose they are thinking when they do that?
What do you think Jesus was thinking as He did that? "I'm gonna do this to teach these guys how to be humble" If you think that, you are making Him out to be disingenuous at best. This was a cultural practice, a courtesy extended by hosts to their arriving guests. The household servants washed the guests' feet because they were dirty! Jesus Christ came as the Servant of Jehovah. This was His heart on display; He loved those apostles. He wasn't thinking "Yuck, I've got to do this just to make the point"
If we love the brethren, we will serve them with the same heart....not begrudingly (well hidden, of course) but joyfully. It was Christ's great joy to serve His children. It will be so in all eternity as well.
We're home now and Carolyn is regaining some mobility and can care more for herself but still needs help. I am still in service here. I still rejoice in it. I am beginning to feel that I've failed in my attempt to communicate this. May God make it clear to all who read this, despite my poor effort. Ministry is servant-hood. Poor, pitiful folks who think "being like Jesus" means being King......or some other big shot. The Christ whom the church is to emulate is that Humble Servant, joyfully washing the feet of the disciples.
What I want to write about is suffering, and caring for those who are suffering, those who are helpless, and what I have learned about those things during the past 3 weeks. This was my wife's 12th major surgery so in some ways it wasn't exactly a new experience for me (or her!). In a more important way, however, it is a remarkable experience, a life-changing lesson. My greatest fear in attempting this is that I shall fail to communicate verbally something that is so purely experiential.
As we anticipated this surgery and all that comes with it (anticipated most of the stuff, anyway), I had this intellectual grasp of what I would be doing. I've done it before. You have a helpless patient, a pain-racked patient, and it's someone you love dearly. Things need to be done--things which despite long years of intimacy are still discomforting to the one who cannot care for herself as usual. I'm not going into specifics--y'all know the kinda stuff, not limited to holding a basin for someone to vomit into, or washing their face afterward, but stuff like that.
So, I've done that before and I don't mind doing it. I don't. And she knows, as much as humanly possible, that I don't find such things repulsive or disgusting. I love her; I'd do anything to help her when she's suffering. But this time it's different. God has taken me in hand, put His arm across my shoulders, and drawn me a bit closer, let me see a bit more of His grace through His son.
As I sat through those worst hours there in the hospital, doing my little routine with the basin and the wet cloths on her forehead and so forth.....sometimes I sat and waited for the next call to service and realized that I wasn't being a dutiful husband, suffering through these menial chores with a stiff upper lip, deserving of so much appreciation for my dedication. What I was is this: Blessed. I experienced something which previously I had only read about: the joy of serving another person, the blessing which God bestows upon His children as they learn something about "ministry"
I want to say it out loud: I love caring for her. It's a joy to care for her in whatever way I can. I'm so grateful to God for taking me past that selfish state of "being noble" and suffering dutifully. Jesus said He came not to be ministered to, but to minister. Have we ever twisted that word into something grotesque! Most "ministers" haven't the foggiest concept of ministering.
We all know the story of the "Last Supper" from the Gospel accounts. As the apostles arrived, Jesus garbed Himself as a servant and washed their feet. And we hear a lot of sanctimonious preaching about how we need to do likewise, and some denominations take that literally and have services during which folks wash one another's feet. What do you suppose they are thinking when they do that?
What do you think Jesus was thinking as He did that? "I'm gonna do this to teach these guys how to be humble" If you think that, you are making Him out to be disingenuous at best. This was a cultural practice, a courtesy extended by hosts to their arriving guests. The household servants washed the guests' feet because they were dirty! Jesus Christ came as the Servant of Jehovah. This was His heart on display; He loved those apostles. He wasn't thinking "Yuck, I've got to do this just to make the point"
If we love the brethren, we will serve them with the same heart....not begrudingly (well hidden, of course) but joyfully. It was Christ's great joy to serve His children. It will be so in all eternity as well.
We're home now and Carolyn is regaining some mobility and can care more for herself but still needs help. I am still in service here. I still rejoice in it. I am beginning to feel that I've failed in my attempt to communicate this. May God make it clear to all who read this, despite my poor effort. Ministry is servant-hood. Poor, pitiful folks who think "being like Jesus" means being King......or some other big shot. The Christ whom the church is to emulate is that Humble Servant, joyfully washing the feet of the disciples.
ON MINISTRY (Part 1--Background)
You might want to read Part 2 first...this is the "deep background" for it and might not be worth reading at all...
This seems to be my toughest-ever writing assignment.......self-imposed as it is. Been thinking about it two weeks and just can't get started.....so here we go:
June 22 Carolyn had knee-replacement surgery. I spent 4 days and 3 nights at her bedside in hospital and have been her 24-hour per day "nurse" since her return to the house.
The Monday evening after the surgery, all day Tuesday, and Wednesday morning were rough! She came out of surgery about 2:30 Monday afternoon. Surgeon called me and reported that all went well and she would be in Recovery for a while. About 4:00, they let me go back into the Recovery Room and visit her. At that point she was in excruciating pain and the staff was baffled and in a well-controlled frenzy trying to figure out what the problem was. During the surgery she had had a spinal block (short lived but highly effective) plus an epidural anaesthetic (longer term). At the end of the surgical procedure the anaesthesia team did a block of one branch of the femoral nerve which was intended to control the pain as the spinal block wore off and when the epidural catheter was removed, ending that relief.
Bottom line is the femoral nerve block failed....so she had no anaesthetic benefit at that point only 90 minutes after the incision was closed. She was in agony and the staff was doing a major running analysis there at her bedside, so they ran me out, promising to call me back when they had overcome the problem.
At 5:30 they called me again, saying that Carolyn was fine and ready to go to her own room. We didn't get the information immediately but the short form of the story is that there are 3 branches to that femoral nerve and they either missed the first attempt (my guess) or it was necessary to do a second block on another branch (their spin). This is not intended to be critical....that stuff happens and I'm impressed at the concentration of brain power and intense effort the whole staff put into resolving the situation as quickly as possible.
An attendant rolled her bed down endless corridors and through a couple of elevator banks to another building which must be a quarter mile away. We ended up in the old Vanderbilt Hospital building, 6th floor, in a huge (by hospital standards) room. From her arrival there, Carolyn was pitifully nauseated off and on for the next 24 hours. She has always suffered from this post-surgery misery and though this was not the worst-ever, it was pretty bad at times. As time went on, we figured out is was a reaction to the high-powered pain killer they were giving her by IV (oxycontin). After 3 doses at 12-hour intervals, she told them...."Don't do that again; I'd rather hurt!" They switched her over to some oral stuff of lesser magnitude and the nausea was greatly abated.
Tuesday morning, they announced that her blood level was low and they were going to give her a transfusion. We were prepared in advance for this possibility and she had given a pint earlier which they had on hand......so she would be transfused with her own blood. This is about a six-hour procedure and would delay her physical therapy for just about the entire day. At this point it looked like we were losing a whole day in the scheduled process geared to her being sent home on Thursday.
Three hours into the transfusion, she was racked by more excruciating pain. Worse, she says, that the undiminished post-surgical pain when the nerve block failed. Once again, the staff was baffled! We had this tremendous charge nurse, a young woman originally from Colombia, and she was doing the transfusion.....but she fell victim to the same sort of thing which happened in the Recovery Room.....something outside the "way it ought to be" Severe back pain is a side effect of blood transfusion. They know that. BUT....it isn't (according to The Book) supposed to happen when you are being given your own blood. The nurse was smart enough to see no other proximate cause and turned off the blood flow. Within minutes, the pain eased, and Carolyn went to sleep. Watchfully, the nurse turned the drip on again, and the transfusion was completed without further incident.
Wednesday was really the beginning of physical therapy, the progress in which is a determining factor in when and whether one goes home on schedule. It did not go well. Carolyn was still nauseated off and on, more or less a day behind, acting like someone whose surgery had been Tuesday not Monday. It was discouraging to hear talk of going to a Rehabilitation facility for 7-10 days rather than going home on Thursday as we had planned. At the same time I forced myself to face that possibility, I also resolved to do all I could to get her home.....and that "what" was to beseech God to do a work regarding her condition.
Thursday morning a new day dawned but I was so exhausted from the 3 days of stress and sleeplessness, I wasn't too cognizant of the change until mid-morning. Carolyn was simply "much improved" The physical therapist could hardly believe she was the same person who could barely do anything 18 hours earlier. Carolyn was up, taking steps with her walker, sitting in a chair, getting up, etc. By noon or one p.m. the charge nurse was saying things like: I think you'll be going home. When I, still a bit stupified, said "When?".......she floored me with "this afternoon"......and sure enough, at 3:05 Thursday, she was in the car and we were merging into the traffic outside the hospital driveway.
This seems to be my toughest-ever writing assignment.......self-imposed as it is. Been thinking about it two weeks and just can't get started.....so here we go:
June 22 Carolyn had knee-replacement surgery. I spent 4 days and 3 nights at her bedside in hospital and have been her 24-hour per day "nurse" since her return to the house.
The Monday evening after the surgery, all day Tuesday, and Wednesday morning were rough! She came out of surgery about 2:30 Monday afternoon. Surgeon called me and reported that all went well and she would be in Recovery for a while. About 4:00, they let me go back into the Recovery Room and visit her. At that point she was in excruciating pain and the staff was baffled and in a well-controlled frenzy trying to figure out what the problem was. During the surgery she had had a spinal block (short lived but highly effective) plus an epidural anaesthetic (longer term). At the end of the surgical procedure the anaesthesia team did a block of one branch of the femoral nerve which was intended to control the pain as the spinal block wore off and when the epidural catheter was removed, ending that relief.
Bottom line is the femoral nerve block failed....so she had no anaesthetic benefit at that point only 90 minutes after the incision was closed. She was in agony and the staff was doing a major running analysis there at her bedside, so they ran me out, promising to call me back when they had overcome the problem.
At 5:30 they called me again, saying that Carolyn was fine and ready to go to her own room. We didn't get the information immediately but the short form of the story is that there are 3 branches to that femoral nerve and they either missed the first attempt (my guess) or it was necessary to do a second block on another branch (their spin). This is not intended to be critical....that stuff happens and I'm impressed at the concentration of brain power and intense effort the whole staff put into resolving the situation as quickly as possible.
An attendant rolled her bed down endless corridors and through a couple of elevator banks to another building which must be a quarter mile away. We ended up in the old Vanderbilt Hospital building, 6th floor, in a huge (by hospital standards) room. From her arrival there, Carolyn was pitifully nauseated off and on for the next 24 hours. She has always suffered from this post-surgery misery and though this was not the worst-ever, it was pretty bad at times. As time went on, we figured out is was a reaction to the high-powered pain killer they were giving her by IV (oxycontin). After 3 doses at 12-hour intervals, she told them...."Don't do that again; I'd rather hurt!" They switched her over to some oral stuff of lesser magnitude and the nausea was greatly abated.
Tuesday morning, they announced that her blood level was low and they were going to give her a transfusion. We were prepared in advance for this possibility and she had given a pint earlier which they had on hand......so she would be transfused with her own blood. This is about a six-hour procedure and would delay her physical therapy for just about the entire day. At this point it looked like we were losing a whole day in the scheduled process geared to her being sent home on Thursday.
Three hours into the transfusion, she was racked by more excruciating pain. Worse, she says, that the undiminished post-surgical pain when the nerve block failed. Once again, the staff was baffled! We had this tremendous charge nurse, a young woman originally from Colombia, and she was doing the transfusion.....but she fell victim to the same sort of thing which happened in the Recovery Room.....something outside the "way it ought to be" Severe back pain is a side effect of blood transfusion. They know that. BUT....it isn't (according to The Book) supposed to happen when you are being given your own blood. The nurse was smart enough to see no other proximate cause and turned off the blood flow. Within minutes, the pain eased, and Carolyn went to sleep. Watchfully, the nurse turned the drip on again, and the transfusion was completed without further incident.
Wednesday was really the beginning of physical therapy, the progress in which is a determining factor in when and whether one goes home on schedule. It did not go well. Carolyn was still nauseated off and on, more or less a day behind, acting like someone whose surgery had been Tuesday not Monday. It was discouraging to hear talk of going to a Rehabilitation facility for 7-10 days rather than going home on Thursday as we had planned. At the same time I forced myself to face that possibility, I also resolved to do all I could to get her home.....and that "what" was to beseech God to do a work regarding her condition.
Thursday morning a new day dawned but I was so exhausted from the 3 days of stress and sleeplessness, I wasn't too cognizant of the change until mid-morning. Carolyn was simply "much improved" The physical therapist could hardly believe she was the same person who could barely do anything 18 hours earlier. Carolyn was up, taking steps with her walker, sitting in a chair, getting up, etc. By noon or one p.m. the charge nurse was saying things like: I think you'll be going home. When I, still a bit stupified, said "When?".......she floored me with "this afternoon"......and sure enough, at 3:05 Thursday, she was in the car and we were merging into the traffic outside the hospital driveway.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
PASTORAL HERMENEUTIC? (part 2)
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)
Familiar text, is it not? I've seen pastors who managed to get around to that at least every month. I want to undertake an examination of this verse and the way it is used or mis-used.
********
I. The verse as seen by those who use it to "keep the sheep in line"
This one is pretty obvious. Probably all of us have seen this kind of "pastoral" abuse. Rather than recount the extremes, let me say we need to be aware of the more subtle forms which bring about the same results. There are those who call for blind obedience to the leadership. As they do so, they will deny that "blind obedience" is their call. The justification is phrased along the lines: We are God's anointed ("called" "appointed" "ordained") leaders and God expects you to obey us. Those who do not follow their lead will, perhaps after some counseling efforts, be culled from the flock.
One of the hallmarks or distinctives of Baptists has always been the concept called "Priesthood of the believer" This doctrine was (and is) promulgated in direct refutation of the Romish idea of the "clergy" being possessed of superior knowledge and advanced revelation which they will impart (when appropriate) to the "laity."
Luther made a strong case for such priesthood or what is sometimes called "soul competency" But the true basis for such a doctrine is the Word of God, not merely the writings of any man. God has equipped each of His children with all he needs to discern the will of God and the truth or falsity of teachings. The indwelling Holy Spirit guides believers in all truth. We are instructed to "test the spirits;" we are assured of His spirit witnessing with our Spirit. We are told the there is one Mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus. There is no need or provision in scripture for any man to act as intermediary or priest or dictator over the flock of God's sheep.
Yet, in a day when the slightest hint that liturgical worship might be introduced in a Baptist congregation results in loud protests, a far more insidious Romish practice has very nearly smothered this idea of individual soul competency. Pastors and Elders are established over so many congregations in a ruling hierarchy reminiscent of the Soviet Presidium. Edicts are handed down and they are to be swallowed by the congregation because the have been issued from "on high."
Generally, these are not matters of doctrine. Certainly a believer in a congregation where false doctrine is being promoted needs to do just one thing: flee! These anti-Baptist pseudo-popes are freely handing down practices regarding budgets, buildings, music practices, missions and other programs, etc, in the "I have spoken" format. Whether these dictatorial pronouncements emanate from the single-elder dictator or the multi-elder board (which is usually a rubber-stamp facilitator for the "chief elder"), the result is the same. The congregation is told: This is how it is. We have decided what's best for you.
In maybe 90% of cases, it doesn't matter. Where it gets rough is in the other 10% of cases where there is real cause for questioning the Edict from On High. But, questions are not allowed. The prevailing mindset is: Obey. We are responsible for your soul, therefore you just do what you're told. We know what is best.
It's a variation on the old: Trust me. I'm doing this for your own good. If one has the temerity to question the Edict, it can get ugly. "You're undermining the pastor's ministry" "You're bitter" "You have a critical spirit" Never is it even considered possible that the leadership could be off-track. Never is it considered that all God's children are priests, all are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, all have the Spirit of discernment, and in fact, each believer is just as competent to discern God's will as the best-educated, highest-paid Elder in the land.
I'm tellin' ya.....this is the Baptist Road to Rome. Baptist means nothing these days, of course. But I call your attention to these concepts which were once definitive of Baptists: the priesthood of believers; the idea of congregational polity. I'm all for church governance by a plurality of elders, but I think there is a whole lot more weight on the "authority" side than there is on the qualification to hold the name "Elder."
The church has been corrupted by assimilating business models and by emulating Rome. The age-old dichotomy of clergy-laity is becoming more and more a "given" in the Baptist world. Pastors and Teachers are among God's gifts to the local church. Elders are to be selected from among the membership from those few who meet the qualifications. Being chosen by God for any of these jobs does not impart spiritual superiority to anyone.
Too often we hear the "obey me because I have this authority"......without ever being convinced that the person is one who should be followed. That "obey" in the KJV has hints of "confidence" in it. In combat, soldiers are under orders, as always, to obey their superior officers. But when the bullets are flying and lives are at risk, the officers who are obeyed are those who inspire confidence in the followers.
(This is supposed to be part 1 of 3....but has taken me a long time just to get here....and this is off the top of my head and not very well-organized...but it's a start, subject to some editing I imagine)
Familiar text, is it not? I've seen pastors who managed to get around to that at least every month. I want to undertake an examination of this verse and the way it is used or mis-used.
********
I. The verse as seen by those who use it to "keep the sheep in line"
This one is pretty obvious. Probably all of us have seen this kind of "pastoral" abuse. Rather than recount the extremes, let me say we need to be aware of the more subtle forms which bring about the same results. There are those who call for blind obedience to the leadership. As they do so, they will deny that "blind obedience" is their call. The justification is phrased along the lines: We are God's anointed ("called" "appointed" "ordained") leaders and God expects you to obey us. Those who do not follow their lead will, perhaps after some counseling efforts, be culled from the flock.
One of the hallmarks or distinctives of Baptists has always been the concept called "Priesthood of the believer" This doctrine was (and is) promulgated in direct refutation of the Romish idea of the "clergy" being possessed of superior knowledge and advanced revelation which they will impart (when appropriate) to the "laity."
Luther made a strong case for such priesthood or what is sometimes called "soul competency" But the true basis for such a doctrine is the Word of God, not merely the writings of any man. God has equipped each of His children with all he needs to discern the will of God and the truth or falsity of teachings. The indwelling Holy Spirit guides believers in all truth. We are instructed to "test the spirits;" we are assured of His spirit witnessing with our Spirit. We are told the there is one Mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus. There is no need or provision in scripture for any man to act as intermediary or priest or dictator over the flock of God's sheep.
Yet, in a day when the slightest hint that liturgical worship might be introduced in a Baptist congregation results in loud protests, a far more insidious Romish practice has very nearly smothered this idea of individual soul competency. Pastors and Elders are established over so many congregations in a ruling hierarchy reminiscent of the Soviet Presidium. Edicts are handed down and they are to be swallowed by the congregation because the have been issued from "on high."
Generally, these are not matters of doctrine. Certainly a believer in a congregation where false doctrine is being promoted needs to do just one thing: flee! These anti-Baptist pseudo-popes are freely handing down practices regarding budgets, buildings, music practices, missions and other programs, etc, in the "I have spoken" format. Whether these dictatorial pronouncements emanate from the single-elder dictator or the multi-elder board (which is usually a rubber-stamp facilitator for the "chief elder"), the result is the same. The congregation is told: This is how it is. We have decided what's best for you.
In maybe 90% of cases, it doesn't matter. Where it gets rough is in the other 10% of cases where there is real cause for questioning the Edict from On High. But, questions are not allowed. The prevailing mindset is: Obey. We are responsible for your soul, therefore you just do what you're told. We know what is best.
It's a variation on the old: Trust me. I'm doing this for your own good. If one has the temerity to question the Edict, it can get ugly. "You're undermining the pastor's ministry" "You're bitter" "You have a critical spirit" Never is it even considered possible that the leadership could be off-track. Never is it considered that all God's children are priests, all are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, all have the Spirit of discernment, and in fact, each believer is just as competent to discern God's will as the best-educated, highest-paid Elder in the land.
I'm tellin' ya.....this is the Baptist Road to Rome. Baptist means nothing these days, of course. But I call your attention to these concepts which were once definitive of Baptists: the priesthood of believers; the idea of congregational polity. I'm all for church governance by a plurality of elders, but I think there is a whole lot more weight on the "authority" side than there is on the qualification to hold the name "Elder."
The church has been corrupted by assimilating business models and by emulating Rome. The age-old dichotomy of clergy-laity is becoming more and more a "given" in the Baptist world. Pastors and Teachers are among God's gifts to the local church. Elders are to be selected from among the membership from those few who meet the qualifications. Being chosen by God for any of these jobs does not impart spiritual superiority to anyone.
Too often we hear the "obey me because I have this authority"......without ever being convinced that the person is one who should be followed. That "obey" in the KJV has hints of "confidence" in it. In combat, soldiers are under orders, as always, to obey their superior officers. But when the bullets are flying and lives are at risk, the officers who are obeyed are those who inspire confidence in the followers.
(This is supposed to be part 1 of 3....but has taken me a long time just to get here....and this is off the top of my head and not very well-organized...but it's a start, subject to some editing I imagine)
PASTORAL HERMENEUTIC?
It seems to me that there is a dichotomy in Bible interpretation between that of pastoral ministers and us non-pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and so forth who do not lead local congregations.
One of these areas is the concept of "storehouse tithing" I am convinced that there is absolutely no scriptural basis for teaching such a "doctrine," but from the most muddle-headed, decisional-regeneration-hyping, inch-deep, mile-wide theologian of the high-volume-covers-inadequate-study pastors to the Godly, scholarly, otherwise-pretty-good-divider-of-the-Word type, there is agreement on One Thing: We want your money here!
Basically, they are saying: Do not support para-church ministries. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I lead a para-church ministry. Our financial support, apart from my wallet, is in the neighborhood of $240. annually). To be sure, I think there should be no need for para-church ministries. All ministry should be done by the local assemblies. Since local churches have often failed in their assignment, para-church ministries have been started. Many of these para-church ministries are thinly-veiled scams but there are those led by Godly men and women who have stepped into the gap created by the failure of the local church.
It is not unusual, for example, to find a large, prosperous local church with a fairly good foreign missions program. They support several folks in the fields across the world, mission boards, and so forth....BUT that same local assembly has no outreach in its own community. They have no nursing home ministry; they have no jail or prison ministry; they have no food bank; they have no shelter for abused women or children. Their idea of local ministry is usually reduced to the "visitation" model centered on inviting neighbors to attend services at the church....and there's no need inviting folks from nursing homes or prisons, right?
I hate to disabuse all the "comfortable pew" folks but asking your neighbor to come to church is not obedience to "preach the Gospel to every creature." "We have the best coffee in our Sunday School class!" is not the Gospel. "We have a really fun children's program" is not the Gospel!
The other aspect of this "pastoral hermeneutic" is in regard to Hebrews 13:17--Obey your leaders and submit to them.....I'll make that a separate post....soon.
One of these areas is the concept of "storehouse tithing" I am convinced that there is absolutely no scriptural basis for teaching such a "doctrine," but from the most muddle-headed, decisional-regeneration-hyping, inch-deep, mile-wide theologian of the high-volume-covers-inadequate-study pastors to the Godly, scholarly, otherwise-pretty-good-divider-of-the-Word type, there is agreement on One Thing: We want your money here!
Basically, they are saying: Do not support para-church ministries. (FULL DISCLOSURE: I lead a para-church ministry. Our financial support, apart from my wallet, is in the neighborhood of $240. annually). To be sure, I think there should be no need for para-church ministries. All ministry should be done by the local assemblies. Since local churches have often failed in their assignment, para-church ministries have been started. Many of these para-church ministries are thinly-veiled scams but there are those led by Godly men and women who have stepped into the gap created by the failure of the local church.
It is not unusual, for example, to find a large, prosperous local church with a fairly good foreign missions program. They support several folks in the fields across the world, mission boards, and so forth....BUT that same local assembly has no outreach in its own community. They have no nursing home ministry; they have no jail or prison ministry; they have no food bank; they have no shelter for abused women or children. Their idea of local ministry is usually reduced to the "visitation" model centered on inviting neighbors to attend services at the church....and there's no need inviting folks from nursing homes or prisons, right?
I hate to disabuse all the "comfortable pew" folks but asking your neighbor to come to church is not obedience to "preach the Gospel to every creature." "We have the best coffee in our Sunday School class!" is not the Gospel. "We have a really fun children's program" is not the Gospel!
The other aspect of this "pastoral hermeneutic" is in regard to Hebrews 13:17--Obey your leaders and submit to them.....I'll make that a separate post....soon.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
RAMBLING RANT, Part 2
So, in part 1, I talked about 2 fellows with whom I had some rather unpleasant dealings over the local church post. This internet world does seem to have a lot of appeal to folks who don't play well with others.
The anonymity offered gives some folks a great deal of "courage" I guess. Even professing Christians feel "free" to be as nasty as all get-out because they can get by with it, because they are out of arm's reach, safe from that punch in the nose some of them deserve.
On Facebook, another place I have reduced my activity recently because it seems so non-productive in terms of serious ministry, I have met some good folks and a few real "cases" A Facebook friend has been trying to deal with a commenter who very quickly reduces all those with opposing views to the "stupid" and "heretic" class. This guy is apparently a hyper-calvinist who gives credence to all the old stereotypes of calvinists being arrogant, condescending, cerebral and heartless.
At the same time, I have a handful of friends there who are independent Baptists, a group I was once part of and whom I now consider generally to have a theology which is "mile wide, inch deep" and dominated by decisional-regeneration, unBiblical "evangelism" These folks, however, are not like that, and it's a real revelation to me, and a great blessing. Several of them adhere to the doctrines of Grace as strongly as I do, eschew circus-evangelism, and are serious students of the Word. It's a good lesson to me--avoid generalities, avoid stereotyping!
I even have a "friend" there who is a minister in the United Methodist denomination. Now, I assume without asking that he and I have a different view of soteriology. There might be calvinist Methodists in Wales but I don't know of any in Louisiana! At the same time, I see what a heart this brother has for the lost, for the down and out, for the "dregs" of this culture who are rejected by the "church" because they are "not our type" He speaks my language and I thank God for him and his ministry.
So, maybe I'm goin' librul in my old age, huh?
The anonymity offered gives some folks a great deal of "courage" I guess. Even professing Christians feel "free" to be as nasty as all get-out because they can get by with it, because they are out of arm's reach, safe from that punch in the nose some of them deserve.
On Facebook, another place I have reduced my activity recently because it seems so non-productive in terms of serious ministry, I have met some good folks and a few real "cases" A Facebook friend has been trying to deal with a commenter who very quickly reduces all those with opposing views to the "stupid" and "heretic" class. This guy is apparently a hyper-calvinist who gives credence to all the old stereotypes of calvinists being arrogant, condescending, cerebral and heartless.
At the same time, I have a handful of friends there who are independent Baptists, a group I was once part of and whom I now consider generally to have a theology which is "mile wide, inch deep" and dominated by decisional-regeneration, unBiblical "evangelism" These folks, however, are not like that, and it's a real revelation to me, and a great blessing. Several of them adhere to the doctrines of Grace as strongly as I do, eschew circus-evangelism, and are serious students of the Word. It's a good lesson to me--avoid generalities, avoid stereotyping!
I even have a "friend" there who is a minister in the United Methodist denomination. Now, I assume without asking that he and I have a different view of soteriology. There might be calvinist Methodists in Wales but I don't know of any in Louisiana! At the same time, I see what a heart this brother has for the lost, for the down and out, for the "dregs" of this culture who are rejected by the "church" because they are "not our type" He speaks my language and I thank God for him and his ministry.
So, maybe I'm goin' librul in my old age, huh?
RAMBLING RANT, Part 1
Since I haven't posted anything for a month, I have all kinds of things on my mind--very dangerous. Thinking about the "firestorm" I referred to in the Local Church posts, I must say one "meets" all kinds of folks on the internet, even when treading "Christian" territory.
The fellow whose blog post I criticized was one of those internet "friends" so-called. He responded with an email in which he called me 9 kinds of a hypocrite and a bald-faced liar. Jaded as I am, I was seriously taken aback. His main basis for that was that I myself had stated some criticisms of local churches--my own, matter of fact--and therefore ought to be sympathetic to his view which involves discarding the local church and playing at it in one's own house. The essential difference, which apparently zoomed right over his head, is that though I have differences on a couple of issues with the practice (not the doctrine) of my local church, I have not abandoned it. I am active, I teach, I attend, I support the ministries. When I start hiding out here in the woods and pretending that my wife and I constitute a Biblical church, then someone needs to jerk my chain.
Another response to that post was from an anonymous one-trick pony whose hobby horse is the "universal church" versus the "local church" He has determined that the local church is apostate and thus not relevant. Apparently this apostasy relieves all believers from participation in local assemblies, negates all Biblical commandments, etc. Now I'm a believer in what is termed by many the "universal church" I define that as the Body of Christ which is made up of all born-again believers from all time. Local churches have regenerate members (most do, anyway) and unregenerate members. We men cannot accurately separate one from the other. That congregation meeting in the brick building down on Main Street is not the Body of Christ....though, hopefully, some folks there are part of the Body.
And, local congregations in this day and time are a pretty sorry lot. It's tough to find one preaching and teaching pure doctrine and practicing Biblical activities. They are diminished and weakened by the high percentage of unregenerate members. Despite this, God's commandment to participate in local assemblies is not repealed. There is no excuse for any believer to abandon the concept of local churches.
The fellow whose blog post I criticized was one of those internet "friends" so-called. He responded with an email in which he called me 9 kinds of a hypocrite and a bald-faced liar. Jaded as I am, I was seriously taken aback. His main basis for that was that I myself had stated some criticisms of local churches--my own, matter of fact--and therefore ought to be sympathetic to his view which involves discarding the local church and playing at it in one's own house. The essential difference, which apparently zoomed right over his head, is that though I have differences on a couple of issues with the practice (not the doctrine) of my local church, I have not abandoned it. I am active, I teach, I attend, I support the ministries. When I start hiding out here in the woods and pretending that my wife and I constitute a Biblical church, then someone needs to jerk my chain.
Another response to that post was from an anonymous one-trick pony whose hobby horse is the "universal church" versus the "local church" He has determined that the local church is apostate and thus not relevant. Apparently this apostasy relieves all believers from participation in local assemblies, negates all Biblical commandments, etc. Now I'm a believer in what is termed by many the "universal church" I define that as the Body of Christ which is made up of all born-again believers from all time. Local churches have regenerate members (most do, anyway) and unregenerate members. We men cannot accurately separate one from the other. That congregation meeting in the brick building down on Main Street is not the Body of Christ....though, hopefully, some folks there are part of the Body.
And, local congregations in this day and time are a pretty sorry lot. It's tough to find one preaching and teaching pure doctrine and practicing Biblical activities. They are diminished and weakened by the high percentage of unregenerate members. Despite this, God's commandment to participate in local assemblies is not repealed. There is no excuse for any believer to abandon the concept of local churches.
LOCAL CHURCH, PAUL WASHER, etc.
The post below on this subject was originally written and posted a month ago. It created a small firestorm in my tiny corner of the blogosphere in a short time. Because I was facing a month of more demanding activity, trips to out of town doctors and hospitals, etc, I took it down so I wouldn't have to deal with the fires or the pyromaniacs.
Now, I have a month of less intense times, hopefully, and I have re-posted it, with minor editing.
To further my point about Paul Washer's view of the local church, what follows is a quote from Heart Cry Magazine #56: a statement of the missionary society's view, their home church's view of the local church:
THE LOCAL CONGREGATION: We believe that meaningful and enduring fellowship in a local congregation is absolutely essential to the Christian's life and ministry. Media ministries can never take the place of the local church and its ministers. We are commanded not only to congregate, but to do so for the purpose of encouraging one another and stimulating one another to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
EVERY MEMBER MINISTRY: Every Christian in the local congregation without exception has been given spiritual gifts which they are commanded to employ for the edification of the entire congregation. The administration of such gifts by every member is necessary for the proper growth and ministry of the church.
Anyone who seeks to justify his self-removal from a local congregation, his withdrawal into a phony "home church" by misapplying anything Paul Washer said is on slippery ground.
There is a Biblical approach which guides some "house churches" but too many of them are simply disgruntled professing Christians whose pride keeps them from obedience to the Word and leads them into this sorry substitute which is no church at all.
Now, I have a month of less intense times, hopefully, and I have re-posted it, with minor editing.
To further my point about Paul Washer's view of the local church, what follows is a quote from Heart Cry Magazine #56: a statement of the missionary society's view, their home church's view of the local church:
THE LOCAL CONGREGATION: We believe that meaningful and enduring fellowship in a local congregation is absolutely essential to the Christian's life and ministry. Media ministries can never take the place of the local church and its ministers. We are commanded not only to congregate, but to do so for the purpose of encouraging one another and stimulating one another to love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
EVERY MEMBER MINISTRY: Every Christian in the local congregation without exception has been given spiritual gifts which they are commanded to employ for the edification of the entire congregation. The administration of such gifts by every member is necessary for the proper growth and ministry of the church.
Anyone who seeks to justify his self-removal from a local congregation, his withdrawal into a phony "home church" by misapplying anything Paul Washer said is on slippery ground.
There is a Biblical approach which guides some "house churches" but too many of them are simply disgruntled professing Christians whose pride keeps them from obedience to the Word and leads them into this sorry substitute which is no church at all.
Monday, March 2, 2009
PAUL WASHER SAYS: "WHO NEEDS CHURCH?"
No, not really.....but that's the implication in a misguided blog article I read yesterday.
After listening to Washer's sermon on "Godly Fellowship" the blogger decided he had found justification for his own abandonment of the local church. (I have not listened to the sermon but think I know Washer well enough to state that he does not advocate or endorse such a shallow view of the local assembly.)
We do indeed have a warped view of "fellowship." My Baptist brethren in particular are noted for thinking that fellowship is just a 3-syllable word meaning "food." And, there is plain old human fellowship: guys playing golf, fishing, a little backyard bbq, etc. None of those are "fellowship" in the Biblical sense.
Biblical fellowship is two-fold: an individual believer's fellowship with his Savior; and the individual believer's fellowship with his brothers and sisters in Christ, the Church. Both forms of Biblical fellowship, always involves the Word of God and worship of God.
For a believer to go off in the direction of the age-old "religious man's" cliche "I can worship God just as well from my fishing boat on Sunday (or the duck blind, whatever...)" and "the church is full of hypocrites" is very sad.
This blogger writes, in so many words, that men have this "tradition" that Christians should attend church else they be considered lost or back sliders or out of fellowship.
If you are deliberately not going to church, you are out of fellowship, backslidden or lost. You are disobedient to the Word of God. You are being hardened to the deceitfulness of sin. You are beginning to believe the lies your flesh is telling you.
The command to forsake not the assembling together of the saints is not a "tradition" as you so flippantly dismiss it. It is God's Word:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
(Heb 10:24-25)
A child of God, a regenerate person, will desire the company of his fellows; he will be drawn to the corporate worship of the Savior by the indwelling Spirit. A person who does not have this inclination, does not love the Church, should examine the basis for his "faith."
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
(1John 3:14)
Yes, there are tares among the wheat. Yes, there are hypocrites in the local churches. We leave this church and that church because they have been taken over by Warren-ites or Osteen-ites, or whatever, but that is not an excuse to abandon forever the gathering of saints. It's foolish to think one will ever find a "perfect" local church. To live in disobedience to God and try to establish some alternative "fellowship" is to fall victim to the lies of world, flesh and devil.
The local assembly is more than a place of fellowship among believers. Maybe too much emphasis is placed on that, especially the non-Biblical forms of fellowship. The Church in Jerusalem, Acts 2, met every day. Read the text and see what they did. It was a time of prayer and worship. It was a time of exhortation and encouragement and edification of the believers. God is blessed by His children's participation in such activities:
Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
(Mal 3:16-17)
(Written March 2, 2009)
After listening to Washer's sermon on "Godly Fellowship" the blogger decided he had found justification for his own abandonment of the local church. (I have not listened to the sermon but think I know Washer well enough to state that he does not advocate or endorse such a shallow view of the local assembly.)
We do indeed have a warped view of "fellowship." My Baptist brethren in particular are noted for thinking that fellowship is just a 3-syllable word meaning "food." And, there is plain old human fellowship: guys playing golf, fishing, a little backyard bbq, etc. None of those are "fellowship" in the Biblical sense.
Biblical fellowship is two-fold: an individual believer's fellowship with his Savior; and the individual believer's fellowship with his brothers and sisters in Christ, the Church. Both forms of Biblical fellowship, always involves the Word of God and worship of God.
For a believer to go off in the direction of the age-old "religious man's" cliche "I can worship God just as well from my fishing boat on Sunday (or the duck blind, whatever...)" and "the church is full of hypocrites" is very sad.
This blogger writes, in so many words, that men have this "tradition" that Christians should attend church else they be considered lost or back sliders or out of fellowship.
If you are deliberately not going to church, you are out of fellowship, backslidden or lost. You are disobedient to the Word of God. You are being hardened to the deceitfulness of sin. You are beginning to believe the lies your flesh is telling you.
The command to forsake not the assembling together of the saints is not a "tradition" as you so flippantly dismiss it. It is God's Word:
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
(Heb 10:24-25)
A child of God, a regenerate person, will desire the company of his fellows; he will be drawn to the corporate worship of the Savior by the indwelling Spirit. A person who does not have this inclination, does not love the Church, should examine the basis for his "faith."
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
(1John 3:14)
Yes, there are tares among the wheat. Yes, there are hypocrites in the local churches. We leave this church and that church because they have been taken over by Warren-ites or Osteen-ites, or whatever, but that is not an excuse to abandon forever the gathering of saints. It's foolish to think one will ever find a "perfect" local church. To live in disobedience to God and try to establish some alternative "fellowship" is to fall victim to the lies of world, flesh and devil.
The local assembly is more than a place of fellowship among believers. Maybe too much emphasis is placed on that, especially the non-Biblical forms of fellowship. The Church in Jerusalem, Acts 2, met every day. Read the text and see what they did. It was a time of prayer and worship. It was a time of exhortation and encouragement and edification of the believers. God is blessed by His children's participation in such activities:
Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
(Mal 3:16-17)
(Written March 2, 2009)
Saturday, January 31, 2009
A NATION DESPERATE FOR HEROES
Really, a world desperate for heroes....The adulation of the airline pilot who landed his craft in the Hudson is another example of the on-going search by the world for a Hero. Two things about that specific incident before I go on to "make an application"--Captain Sully did a good job. But that's exactly what he did: his job. If he's anywhere near the man I think he is, he would be the first to tell you that 99% of professional pilots would have done the same. He's a fighter pilot. That says it all to anyone who knows pilots. Yes, he's good; that's what fighter pilots are. Secondly, I hope he eschews the glory being heaped upon him knowing that only the hand of God kept that from being a disaster, despite his skills and reflexes. Very few of the reports credit God with much in this matter, which is typical of the world.
What the world wants is a man to worship. Captain Sully is the Man of the Hour right now. We have often heard of men having a god-size hole in their being which only God can fill. Some truth in that; men have a need to worship, and their innermost desire is to worship themselves. We work to fit ourselves into that hole and seek to establish ourselves as God. Only the true and living One, the Creator/Redeemer Lord Jesus Christ can cast out that self-worship and establish Himself in our hearts. When men fail in establishing themselves as god, they seek other men to put into the place of worship. Thus the need for "heroes."
It's especially difficult to work around the true God's role in the advent of heroes like Captain Sully because even the most casual unbeliever casts a few crumbs of credit in the direction of his amorphous "god" for delivering the aircraft passengers. But, for the most part, care is taken to clarify that God would have failed had it not been for the uncanny skills of the crew.
This hero-seeking carries over into the church and professed Bible-believers. So often we hear Hebrews 11 referred to as the Hall of Fame...an extraordinary appellation, equating those named therein with sports or music celebrities when in fact the scripture emphasizes the weakness and sinfulness of men who were nonetheless useful instruments in the hands of a great God.
What greater examples of man-worship and idolatry are there in the "church" today than the near-deification, at least beatification (the Protestant form of canonization...) of preachers and other church leaders? The triumphalism which runs rampant in the modern evangelical assembly is displayed by the boasting about large congregations ("we have 25,000; we have 35,000"...ad nauseum); boasting about celebrity members in the congregations; and most egregious of all, boasting about the leadership--"Reverend Doctor Big Shot is my pastor!" "Brother Neverbeen Humble is my preacher!"
A good look at the New Testament should reveal that "being somebody," being a "hero," is not high on the list of Christian character traits. Paul said he would boast in being the scum of the earth if that's what it took for Christ to be the focus of his ministry. God chose the weak and foolish, he called the discards and the despised of this world for a reason: that no man could boast in the presence of God.
The world looks for "heroes" while God looks for His sheep. Sheep are pretty humble creatures, wholly dependent upon their Shepherd. There's only one Hero; His name is Jesus.
What the world wants is a man to worship. Captain Sully is the Man of the Hour right now. We have often heard of men having a god-size hole in their being which only God can fill. Some truth in that; men have a need to worship, and their innermost desire is to worship themselves. We work to fit ourselves into that hole and seek to establish ourselves as God. Only the true and living One, the Creator/Redeemer Lord Jesus Christ can cast out that self-worship and establish Himself in our hearts. When men fail in establishing themselves as god, they seek other men to put into the place of worship. Thus the need for "heroes."
It's especially difficult to work around the true God's role in the advent of heroes like Captain Sully because even the most casual unbeliever casts a few crumbs of credit in the direction of his amorphous "god" for delivering the aircraft passengers. But, for the most part, care is taken to clarify that God would have failed had it not been for the uncanny skills of the crew.
This hero-seeking carries over into the church and professed Bible-believers. So often we hear Hebrews 11 referred to as the Hall of Fame...an extraordinary appellation, equating those named therein with sports or music celebrities when in fact the scripture emphasizes the weakness and sinfulness of men who were nonetheless useful instruments in the hands of a great God.
What greater examples of man-worship and idolatry are there in the "church" today than the near-deification, at least beatification (the Protestant form of canonization...) of preachers and other church leaders? The triumphalism which runs rampant in the modern evangelical assembly is displayed by the boasting about large congregations ("we have 25,000; we have 35,000"...ad nauseum); boasting about celebrity members in the congregations; and most egregious of all, boasting about the leadership--"Reverend Doctor Big Shot is my pastor!" "Brother Neverbeen Humble is my preacher!"
A good look at the New Testament should reveal that "being somebody," being a "hero," is not high on the list of Christian character traits. Paul said he would boast in being the scum of the earth if that's what it took for Christ to be the focus of his ministry. God chose the weak and foolish, he called the discards and the despised of this world for a reason: that no man could boast in the presence of God.
The world looks for "heroes" while God looks for His sheep. Sheep are pretty humble creatures, wholly dependent upon their Shepherd. There's only one Hero; His name is Jesus.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
ONLY ONE LIFE, 'TWILL SOON BE PAST....
Well, I've had an interesting life.
I've seen a number of wars: WW 2; Korea, Vietnam, Gulf, Iraq, and numerous "small wars" in between.
Saw one president assassinated, at least 3 other attempts: Truman, Ford, Reagan; and had the job of protecting LBJ during my days at a Texas base where he landed to board ground transportation to his ranch. At least he didn't get shot on my watch.....
Went through high aspirations for a personal career in politics which culminated in working tirelessly for a candidate whose loss rivals Alf Landon's defeat by FDR. Then transferred that idealism to the world of military operations and offered myself in the battle to "save the world from the Red Menace". My mother's only two brothers were both killed in WW 2; in the Vietnam War, I lost dozens of friends and buddies, comrades in a way no one who has not been there will ever understand. I remember sitting in the snack bar lounge at Elmendorf Air Base in Alaska night after night as the medevac flights from Vietnam (via Tokyo) landed to refuel, seeing the walking wounded de-plane, come in for a coke, viewing their missing limbs and broken bodies, leaving me to wonder how much worse were the guys lying in hammocks on the plane, those who were unable to walk at all?
I came out of the military thoroughly radicalized politically, returned to university and joined with my old friends, some of whom had served and returned, others who dodged the draft and stayed home. United again, we took an active part in the anti-war movement, burned our 214s and threw our medals back toward any "establishment" figure. Being an active participant in that time, in that place, in that culture, I was a soldier in the Sexual Revolution and an entrepreneur in the Drug Business.
Sensing the futility of that lifestyle, I walked away from it cold one night and moved to Louisville, then quickly on to Nashville. The morning after my arrival in Music City, I drove down Galatin Road and rented an apartment in East Nashville. Next door lived a young woman whose parking place I accidentally co-opted, necessitating a conversation and introduction. About 40 years later, she's still here, in the next room, hardly ever further away than that.
Reading this now, one can begin to see God's hand in all this: my survival of the war, my survival of the post-war madness; my meeting Carolyn. But at that time, I saw nothing. I was blind. The whole "move to Nashville" thing was for the purpose of establishing myself as a writer of music. Meeting and marrying this school teacher seemed to fit right in. She could teach and earn money while I sat at the typewriter all day waiting for the creative epiphany. That didn't work out. We married in April and she quit teaching in May! So, I had to go to work.
We moved to Florida, had our first child, moved back to Tennessee, and have been here ever since. We had five children, buried two, seen three grow to maturity, suffer, struggle, succeed, fail, fall, flounder and survive. We've given up work and business and have thoroughly retired to a place in the woods, quite primitive, which Carolyn described within minutes of first seeing it, as "the place I've always dreamed of".
In 1976, God by His unfathomable mercy and grace saved me from the wrath I justly deserve. Though I "surrendered" to a life of Christian service and ministry shortly thereafter, only in recent years have I had any sense of doing anything which really glorifies Him, and that in a very inadequate way. Through all this, through the teaching of His Word by His Spirit, He has shaped my thinking, re-shaped it from the view of the world where man is exalted to a view in which God is central.
So, when I look back upon all which at one time seemed so important, I understand the scripture which says: All is vanity. I see the country I once fantasized about leading politically, the country I took up arms for, the country I would not leave for any other residence on earth, going further and further into rebellion against God, further into idolatry, further into sin of the most depraved forms. I see no hope for this country. Though I could list sin after sin which blot the soul of this nation, I will mention only one for it is more than enough to justify God's wrath and destruction: the murder of millions of unborn children, murders which have been condoned, abetted, and even financed by the government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" of the United States.
Now, while most of the nation, yea, the world, celebrates the inauguration of our first Black President, I see the nation taking one more great stride toward destruction. The implementation of this administration's pro-abortion policies, already in motion on this first full day in office, sound the death knell for America. My sense is that we, as a nation, have "crossed God's deadline." There is no turning back. How can we undo 50 million murders since 1973? God has given this nation over to a reprobate mind; He has written "Ichabod" over the Seal of the United States. And I want to be clear that I am speaking of the nation as a nation, not about individual persons. God will save his children who are resident here, calling them out one-by-one as He has always done. This nation however is bound for judgment.
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
(Psalms 9:17)
So, as I see my life coming to a close here (though God might surprise me and keep me around a lot longer than I expect) I have no regrets about departing this world. I pray that when He takes me out of here, I won't be found clinging by my fingernails to the stuff of this world, trying to maintain a grip on this corrupt and dying society.
There is one thing I see which offers great encouragement so far as the affairs of men in this world. Though the "church" is corrupt and becoming more so every day, not just "in the world" but very much "of the world," there is always that faithful remnant. I see a whole generation of young preachers being raised up, preachers who are convinced of not just the inerrancy of the scriptures, but their sufficiency. These men have returned to the Truth which gave birth to the Reformation and they are preaching it faithfully. I think that in the 30 to 40 years it takes these fellows to get to my present age, God will make one "last call" for America. There will be that time of revival where His true church radiates the Gospel and God brings many sons to glory. I'm excited by that prospect. It would be nice to be here for it, but if not, I shall have a great view: I'll be among the myriads and myriads experiencing that "joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents."
An interesting life, and very soon to be infinitely more interesting........
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus 3:3-7)
I've seen a number of wars: WW 2; Korea, Vietnam, Gulf, Iraq, and numerous "small wars" in between.
Saw one president assassinated, at least 3 other attempts: Truman, Ford, Reagan; and had the job of protecting LBJ during my days at a Texas base where he landed to board ground transportation to his ranch. At least he didn't get shot on my watch.....
Went through high aspirations for a personal career in politics which culminated in working tirelessly for a candidate whose loss rivals Alf Landon's defeat by FDR. Then transferred that idealism to the world of military operations and offered myself in the battle to "save the world from the Red Menace". My mother's only two brothers were both killed in WW 2; in the Vietnam War, I lost dozens of friends and buddies, comrades in a way no one who has not been there will ever understand. I remember sitting in the snack bar lounge at Elmendorf Air Base in Alaska night after night as the medevac flights from Vietnam (via Tokyo) landed to refuel, seeing the walking wounded de-plane, come in for a coke, viewing their missing limbs and broken bodies, leaving me to wonder how much worse were the guys lying in hammocks on the plane, those who were unable to walk at all?
I came out of the military thoroughly radicalized politically, returned to university and joined with my old friends, some of whom had served and returned, others who dodged the draft and stayed home. United again, we took an active part in the anti-war movement, burned our 214s and threw our medals back toward any "establishment" figure. Being an active participant in that time, in that place, in that culture, I was a soldier in the Sexual Revolution and an entrepreneur in the Drug Business.
Sensing the futility of that lifestyle, I walked away from it cold one night and moved to Louisville, then quickly on to Nashville. The morning after my arrival in Music City, I drove down Galatin Road and rented an apartment in East Nashville. Next door lived a young woman whose parking place I accidentally co-opted, necessitating a conversation and introduction. About 40 years later, she's still here, in the next room, hardly ever further away than that.
Reading this now, one can begin to see God's hand in all this: my survival of the war, my survival of the post-war madness; my meeting Carolyn. But at that time, I saw nothing. I was blind. The whole "move to Nashville" thing was for the purpose of establishing myself as a writer of music. Meeting and marrying this school teacher seemed to fit right in. She could teach and earn money while I sat at the typewriter all day waiting for the creative epiphany. That didn't work out. We married in April and she quit teaching in May! So, I had to go to work.
We moved to Florida, had our first child, moved back to Tennessee, and have been here ever since. We had five children, buried two, seen three grow to maturity, suffer, struggle, succeed, fail, fall, flounder and survive. We've given up work and business and have thoroughly retired to a place in the woods, quite primitive, which Carolyn described within minutes of first seeing it, as "the place I've always dreamed of".
In 1976, God by His unfathomable mercy and grace saved me from the wrath I justly deserve. Though I "surrendered" to a life of Christian service and ministry shortly thereafter, only in recent years have I had any sense of doing anything which really glorifies Him, and that in a very inadequate way. Through all this, through the teaching of His Word by His Spirit, He has shaped my thinking, re-shaped it from the view of the world where man is exalted to a view in which God is central.
So, when I look back upon all which at one time seemed so important, I understand the scripture which says: All is vanity. I see the country I once fantasized about leading politically, the country I took up arms for, the country I would not leave for any other residence on earth, going further and further into rebellion against God, further into idolatry, further into sin of the most depraved forms. I see no hope for this country. Though I could list sin after sin which blot the soul of this nation, I will mention only one for it is more than enough to justify God's wrath and destruction: the murder of millions of unborn children, murders which have been condoned, abetted, and even financed by the government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" of the United States.
Now, while most of the nation, yea, the world, celebrates the inauguration of our first Black President, I see the nation taking one more great stride toward destruction. The implementation of this administration's pro-abortion policies, already in motion on this first full day in office, sound the death knell for America. My sense is that we, as a nation, have "crossed God's deadline." There is no turning back. How can we undo 50 million murders since 1973? God has given this nation over to a reprobate mind; He has written "Ichabod" over the Seal of the United States. And I want to be clear that I am speaking of the nation as a nation, not about individual persons. God will save his children who are resident here, calling them out one-by-one as He has always done. This nation however is bound for judgment.
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
(Psalms 9:17)
So, as I see my life coming to a close here (though God might surprise me and keep me around a lot longer than I expect) I have no regrets about departing this world. I pray that when He takes me out of here, I won't be found clinging by my fingernails to the stuff of this world, trying to maintain a grip on this corrupt and dying society.
There is one thing I see which offers great encouragement so far as the affairs of men in this world. Though the "church" is corrupt and becoming more so every day, not just "in the world" but very much "of the world," there is always that faithful remnant. I see a whole generation of young preachers being raised up, preachers who are convinced of not just the inerrancy of the scriptures, but their sufficiency. These men have returned to the Truth which gave birth to the Reformation and they are preaching it faithfully. I think that in the 30 to 40 years it takes these fellows to get to my present age, God will make one "last call" for America. There will be that time of revival where His true church radiates the Gospel and God brings many sons to glory. I'm excited by that prospect. It would be nice to be here for it, but if not, I shall have a great view: I'll be among the myriads and myriads experiencing that "joy in the presence of the angels over one sinner who repents."
An interesting life, and very soon to be infinitely more interesting........
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus 3:3-7)
YOUR WORLDVIEW: SLOW DEATH BY POISONING
The inaugural fol-de-rol and subsequent events surrounding the new administration have the cable news folks and their talking heads spinning non-stop. It's interesting to the point of fascination to see how this carries over in "Christian" discourse and discussion.
I've been convinced for a long time that, in general, Christians demonstrate a real lack of discernment when listening to the voice of the world, even on non-spiritual matters such as business, science, and certainly politics. I'm going to pick on Fox News maybe, but I intend this only as one example. The woods is full of other examples. Fox News is a business with an agenda. It is dominated by the Roman Catholic worldview. Their major players are Roman Catholics, e.g. Sean Hannity, Neal Cavuto, et al. If anyone is tempted to rebut this by throwing out the name of Mike Huckaby, resident Baptist, let me remind you that he is the type of "Baptist" who opposed the conservative resurgence in the SBC in the 70's and sided with the Bible-denying apostates in the seminaries.
Because these celebrities occasionally throw the name of our Lord into their conversation, they are viewed as "fellow-Christians" and thus command the respect and influence the thinking of countless undiscerning Christians. Because of this overly-generous view that FNC is "on our side" we allow them to shape or at least influence our worldview.
Take note of the newest addition to the Cast at FNC: Glen Beck--arch-conservative talk-show type in the mold of Hannity and Limbaugh, but...........BUT! He's a Mormon. And politically conservative Christians sit at his feet and lap up the pearls which drop from his lips without the slightest hesitation. You want some Mormon influence in your worldview? This is no surprise to me considering the "chumming-up" of Rome and Salt Lake City. What a lovely ecumenical couple. One wonders where all this "unity in the church" will lead.........or does one need to wonder? If you indeed wonder, I refer you to the Revelation of Jesus Christ there at the end of your New Testament.
What we are talking about here is another bit of idolatry practiced by Christians (at least professing-). We are subjecting ourselves to the influence of the Godless world, a subtle influence, thus the more dangerous. In his book, WE BECOME WHAT WE WORSHIP, A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, G.K. Beale wrote:
"...when was the last time you were watching the evening news and the anchor introduced the day's newscast by saying "Let's ask for God's wisdom in order rightly to interpret the world events that have happened today"?.......Of course we don't hear such things in the secular media because they don't have a Christian world-and-life view.
The media's worldview has subtly become an idol we easily reflect. And that mindset--that God is not active in the daily affairs of people--can destroy us. What we revere we resemble, either for ruin or restoration."
I've been convinced for a long time that, in general, Christians demonstrate a real lack of discernment when listening to the voice of the world, even on non-spiritual matters such as business, science, and certainly politics. I'm going to pick on Fox News maybe, but I intend this only as one example. The woods is full of other examples. Fox News is a business with an agenda. It is dominated by the Roman Catholic worldview. Their major players are Roman Catholics, e.g. Sean Hannity, Neal Cavuto, et al. If anyone is tempted to rebut this by throwing out the name of Mike Huckaby, resident Baptist, let me remind you that he is the type of "Baptist" who opposed the conservative resurgence in the SBC in the 70's and sided with the Bible-denying apostates in the seminaries.
Because these celebrities occasionally throw the name of our Lord into their conversation, they are viewed as "fellow-Christians" and thus command the respect and influence the thinking of countless undiscerning Christians. Because of this overly-generous view that FNC is "on our side" we allow them to shape or at least influence our worldview.
Take note of the newest addition to the Cast at FNC: Glen Beck--arch-conservative talk-show type in the mold of Hannity and Limbaugh, but...........BUT! He's a Mormon. And politically conservative Christians sit at his feet and lap up the pearls which drop from his lips without the slightest hesitation. You want some Mormon influence in your worldview? This is no surprise to me considering the "chumming-up" of Rome and Salt Lake City. What a lovely ecumenical couple. One wonders where all this "unity in the church" will lead.........or does one need to wonder? If you indeed wonder, I refer you to the Revelation of Jesus Christ there at the end of your New Testament.
What we are talking about here is another bit of idolatry practiced by Christians (at least professing-). We are subjecting ourselves to the influence of the Godless world, a subtle influence, thus the more dangerous. In his book, WE BECOME WHAT WE WORSHIP, A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, G.K. Beale wrote:
"...when was the last time you were watching the evening news and the anchor introduced the day's newscast by saying "Let's ask for God's wisdom in order rightly to interpret the world events that have happened today"?.......Of course we don't hear such things in the secular media because they don't have a Christian world-and-life view.
The media's worldview has subtly become an idol we easily reflect. And that mindset--that God is not active in the daily affairs of people--can destroy us. What we revere we resemble, either for ruin or restoration."
Monday, January 19, 2009
FRAGILE VESSELS
During a quick trip into town, I just met a fellow who has been pretty much "out of sight" for a few months. He's a wonderful brother and I love him greatly. Whenever we or anyone else would run into him on his job or around town, he always presented Christ. He ministered to the poor and despised; he witnessed boldly to the rich and powerful. He has a heart for the lost.
Then he fell. A hobby-business involving guns got him into a mess with the feds and he is facing criminal charges in federal court. He lost his job and, much worse, he has lost his testimony. He's no master criminal. It's a technical thing which might go away next year, but the damage is done. Whether he was just stupid or acted out of greed, I don't know, but he will never been viewed again as he once was by the community here.
In Second Corinthians 4, Paul makes a wonderful description of the Gospel then says:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
The glorious Gospel is a brilliant Light, but God puts it in plain clay vessels to demonstrate that all the brilliance and glory is His, not ours.
Those clay pots are fragile, too. Earlier, in the First Corinthian letter, Paul had written:
But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Ah, the heart-breaking thought--preaching to others, then being "disqualified" oneself! Paul knew it could happen to him, and he made every effort to avoid that disaster. (Please note: we are not talking about losing salvation here, but being disqualified for service)
Paul used the word ἀδόκιμος (adokimos) which can be translated "rejected" "unapproved" or "castaway" as in the KJV. In everyday language, determined by the Greek papyrii of that time, it was often used to describe household vessels--cooking pots and so forth--which had been damaged. In the economy of the time, they often were not discarded but set aside, "put on the shelf" until they could be repaired and returned to service.
This seems such a powerful picture of my fallen brother and others in that same situation. They, as we, are the fragile clay pots God has chosen to contain his Gospel. We fall into the sins of this world and are damaged, rendered unfit for use, and God puts us on the shelf--ἀδόκιμος.
The implication is there that repair will be done and the vessel returned to service. God the Holy Spirit is in the business of mending these damaged clay jars and restoring them to active service in the household of God. What a gracious God we serve!
My prayer is that my friend's state be a warning to all of us in the ministry. Maybe he compartmentalized his life. Maybe he had a "Christian activity" and a "business activity" dichotomy. The failure on the "business" side has damaged the Christian side. In fact, there are no compartments for us to hide in. We need to be watchful that we do not fall into sin. It is deadly.
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
(1Cor 10:12)
Then he fell. A hobby-business involving guns got him into a mess with the feds and he is facing criminal charges in federal court. He lost his job and, much worse, he has lost his testimony. He's no master criminal. It's a technical thing which might go away next year, but the damage is done. Whether he was just stupid or acted out of greed, I don't know, but he will never been viewed again as he once was by the community here.
In Second Corinthians 4, Paul makes a wonderful description of the Gospel then says:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
The glorious Gospel is a brilliant Light, but God puts it in plain clay vessels to demonstrate that all the brilliance and glory is His, not ours.
Those clay pots are fragile, too. Earlier, in the First Corinthian letter, Paul had written:
But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Ah, the heart-breaking thought--preaching to others, then being "disqualified" oneself! Paul knew it could happen to him, and he made every effort to avoid that disaster. (Please note: we are not talking about losing salvation here, but being disqualified for service)
Paul used the word ἀδόκιμος (adokimos) which can be translated "rejected" "unapproved" or "castaway" as in the KJV. In everyday language, determined by the Greek papyrii of that time, it was often used to describe household vessels--cooking pots and so forth--which had been damaged. In the economy of the time, they often were not discarded but set aside, "put on the shelf" until they could be repaired and returned to service.
This seems such a powerful picture of my fallen brother and others in that same situation. They, as we, are the fragile clay pots God has chosen to contain his Gospel. We fall into the sins of this world and are damaged, rendered unfit for use, and God puts us on the shelf--ἀδόκιμος.
The implication is there that repair will be done and the vessel returned to service. God the Holy Spirit is in the business of mending these damaged clay jars and restoring them to active service in the household of God. What a gracious God we serve!
My prayer is that my friend's state be a warning to all of us in the ministry. Maybe he compartmentalized his life. Maybe he had a "Christian activity" and a "business activity" dichotomy. The failure on the "business" side has damaged the Christian side. In fact, there are no compartments for us to hide in. We need to be watchful that we do not fall into sin. It is deadly.
Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.
(1Cor 10:12)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
A Review: For the Tough Times by Max Lucado
I thought I'd begin this review by comparing Max Lucado's new book FOR THE TOUGH TIMES, Reaching Toward Heaven For Hope to C.J. Mahaney's LIVING THE CROSS CENTERED LIFE, Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing.
Both books are about the same size. End of similarities. Lucado does not even come close to reflecting the Biblical truth which underlies Mahaney's work, nor is the Lucado book Christ-centered, rather it reflects the man-focused religion which dominates modern "Christendom."
FOR THE TOUGH TIMES is a small book. It is small in size; it is small in content; it is small in value to believers and dangerous to non-believers.
Mahaney is able to take serious theological concepts and present them in an understandable form so that one does not need to be a seminary grad to get his point. Lucado wants to be "readable" for a general audience as well, but his methods involve taking the things of God and trivializing them. Such childish rubbish as "God's address is 1 Billion Starry Sky Avenue" is not "putting the cookies on the bottom shelf where even the kiddies can reach them" but putting rat poison in the milk.
Lucado's presentation of theological concepts is not only flawed by such trivialization but fraught with error. I'm not going to spend time refuting much of this, if any. I'll just let his words demonstrate the shallow-at-best understanding of God and His character and work:
"He (God) invented Grace"
"He (God) placed His hand on the shoulder of humanity and said "You're someting special"
"Your prayers may move God to change the world"
and First Honors for:
"...upon learning that God would rather die than live without you...."
This is the first Lucado book I've ever read. He is presented as "America's leading inspirational writer" I believe it. He is teaching exactly what Mainstream Christianity believes and wants to have reinforced: It's all about Me. God thinks I'm really Special. The whole of creation revolves around Me. I am so powerful I can get God to change His plans! Me, Me, Me!
To his credit, the chapter on Good and Evil and the role of Satan is pretty solid Biblically. Lucado credits 3 other writers in this work: Erwin Lutzer, John MacArthur, and Anthony Hoekema. He should have leaned more heavily on them.
Initially I was going to offer the criticism that there was not good continuity between chapters; the change is often abrupt. Then I happened to read on the copyright page:
Most of the material for this book has been adapted from (4 previous titles)
ISBN 978-0-8499-2144-5 (repackage)
So, it's not only a small book (barely 10,000 words I'd guess), it's a rehash of already published stuff.....
Bottom line: Hallmark appearance, shallow content, Gospel-deficient.
Both books are about the same size. End of similarities. Lucado does not even come close to reflecting the Biblical truth which underlies Mahaney's work, nor is the Lucado book Christ-centered, rather it reflects the man-focused religion which dominates modern "Christendom."
FOR THE TOUGH TIMES is a small book. It is small in size; it is small in content; it is small in value to believers and dangerous to non-believers.
Mahaney is able to take serious theological concepts and present them in an understandable form so that one does not need to be a seminary grad to get his point. Lucado wants to be "readable" for a general audience as well, but his methods involve taking the things of God and trivializing them. Such childish rubbish as "God's address is 1 Billion Starry Sky Avenue" is not "putting the cookies on the bottom shelf where even the kiddies can reach them" but putting rat poison in the milk.
Lucado's presentation of theological concepts is not only flawed by such trivialization but fraught with error. I'm not going to spend time refuting much of this, if any. I'll just let his words demonstrate the shallow-at-best understanding of God and His character and work:
"He (God) invented Grace"
"He (God) placed His hand on the shoulder of humanity and said "You're someting special"
"Your prayers may move God to change the world"
and First Honors for:
"...upon learning that God would rather die than live without you...."
This is the first Lucado book I've ever read. He is presented as "America's leading inspirational writer" I believe it. He is teaching exactly what Mainstream Christianity believes and wants to have reinforced: It's all about Me. God thinks I'm really Special. The whole of creation revolves around Me. I am so powerful I can get God to change His plans! Me, Me, Me!
To his credit, the chapter on Good and Evil and the role of Satan is pretty solid Biblically. Lucado credits 3 other writers in this work: Erwin Lutzer, John MacArthur, and Anthony Hoekema. He should have leaned more heavily on them.
Initially I was going to offer the criticism that there was not good continuity between chapters; the change is often abrupt. Then I happened to read on the copyright page:
Most of the material for this book has been adapted from (4 previous titles)
ISBN 978-0-8499-2144-5 (repackage)
So, it's not only a small book (barely 10,000 words I'd guess), it's a rehash of already published stuff.....
Bottom line: Hallmark appearance, shallow content, Gospel-deficient.
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