Well,with a couple of days now since, (what could well be the very demise of a once great and prosperous Nation), the election, I have been thinking, reading the top Christian bloggers and famous political talking heads of our day and have come to at least one conclusion for now, God is still in control and although I may be frustrated (and down right angry) that half this Nation would actually re-elect a man that will lead to their own destruction, I find peace and comfort in His Omnipotence, "Exo 15:6 Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. "
But, the question most of us are asking is, "how could this possibly happen"? ( other than my dispensational end time eschatological theology), might I suggest, it may very well be, too a certain degree, the American Christians fault. How? I believe for too long now that we as "conservative" Christians have let the long arm of government do our job. Now I'm not saying that we shouldn't support politicians who hold certain of our values i.e. pro-life, traditional marriage, but instead we have for too long rested in our "leaders" to do our job through legislating certain actions we as believers deem unacceptable, instead of getting to the heart of the problem, which is, the heart.
How long now have we listened to the famous ( or infamous) "preachers" just rip into the sins of the nation, sodomy, abortion, fornication etc, (and rightly so) but never walked across the street to share the true gospel of Christ? How many times have we as the pew sitters put our feet and hearts in motion and imitate our Savior who ate (fellowshipped) with sinners and publicans?
This may seem as just some type of motivational "let's just go soul winning" diatribe, but I assure you it isn't. As a matter of fact I'm not a big fan of that term, I know what we mean by it and that Jesus "wins" the soul, but the term, for many, means Tuesday night door knocking. And I think it's safe to say, where that has gotten us ( as a Nation). I'm not trying to disparage door knocking, it's just not the end all many of us thought. The old "get them to pray the prayer" mantra.
So how could this have been different, how could we have stopped what has become inevitable i.e. the demise of a Nation once know as the land of the free? Love, yes love. Love for the sinner, the baby killers, the gays, the fornicators, the drunkards. Now I know that that term at first may have stuck some as "soft", mushy, and even New Evangelical-ish, but I say that's the problem. What does ! Cor. 13 say-"
1Co 13:4-7 (ESV) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Of course I'm not advocating tolerance for their sin, we hate their sin (as much as we should hate our own sin), but not because they themselves are the sinners, but because we as believers know the outcome of their sins, death, the separation from God, here and in eternity. The fact that Scripture says " the way of the transgressor is hard", it's love for our fellow man. This is not a social gospel, it's taking the Gospel too society.
So how could we have demonstrated the love scripture is speaking of? in what ways can we love the sinner? Endurance, love endures all things,again not that we tolerate sin, but we endure the fact that we may be maligned, ridiculed, mocked, persecuted, ignored. Think of it, our Savior spent three ans a half years and what, at the end, did He have to show for it? desertion, he was deserted by all. And when He finally gave up His life the only person that seemed to care enough and go beyond his feeling of utter loss and defeat was a secret disciple Joseph, who most of us wouldn't give two cents for his spiritual attributes because he seemed more worried about his own skin than the Saviors. So we need to remember that in sharing the gospel there are no guarantees, we may plow for years and see no fruit, but that doesn't mean that fruit will never come to bear, that's up to God.
Some ways we can accoplish this task:
1. Instead of snubbing our noses at those who are doing things we find reprehensible, we need to remember 1Co 6:11, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." We must remember that we have been washed and if that's possible for us, it's possible for other sinners as well. We must reach them,and there are many ways this can be done. Get involved somewhere where lost people are, look for ways, volunteer, have your neighbors over for cookouts, dinner, let them get to know us personally, then we have the open door to share why we are the way we are. And they will ask.
2. Reexamine the way we fit into culture, not go out of our way to blend into every culture that exists, but remember Paul said " I will be all things too all that I may win some", we don't compromise clear Biblical truth, but examine ourselves and see if any of the "standards, opinions etc. can actually hinder the ones were trying to reach instead of "winning" them.
3.Pray, pray that God will give us the courage, strength and love of the lost that He has to tackle this, even when it seems there's no hope, remember "love hopes all things" .
4.Be ready, ready to " give an answer for the hope that lies within us". That means we need to know our Bibles, speak on what it speaks on, remain silent where it remains silent, and not allow our standards to become the litmus test of whether or not some really "meant it" when they repented and received Christ.
On the fourth point I think we really need to park on, I feel that we, for too long,have examined not only the lost, but the truly regenerated of their spiritual worth based on our man made standards , I won't name them, but if we examine them on our own I think we know what I'm driving at. There are many Kingdom workers who may not "look like us" ( and I've yet to see a mandate other than Gal. 5:22-23 as to what a believer looks like), but are being used of God in a great way to bring the lost into His Kingdom.
Lastly, we need to remember that the end game isn't the rebirth of a great Nation, getting America back to her roots, worrying if we'll ever have a "good" President again, that may not be what God has planned, the damage of this land caused by rejecting his laws may now be past undoing, but instead, it's about building His kingdom, for His glory and for Jesus to receive the rewards for His suffering which are the lost coming to repentance!
Not a motivational pep talk, truth be told I myself am still a bit discouraged, worried about the future of my children, this, I guess you could say, was more of a venting blog post. A way to try and clear the fears and dismay from my own mind and maybe, just maybe, encourage myself by encouraging others all for His glory.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
What? Me a Pharisee?
It's been a while since I've blogged, with everything I have going on (or better said what I don't have going on) I've just not been able to get the blogging juices flowing , but here goes. Some may read this and not really understand the point , but for those of us who have gone from a strong, even militant, Separatist mindset it should hit hard.
As I've been reevaluating my Christian life over the past year or so, I have come to realize that during the last 10 yrs of my, Hardcore, Strict, Separatist Baptist worldview, I was actually a living , breathing, Pharisee. How you ask, well for one I did exactly what our Lord said was not wise, I compared myself to other believers. I walked around with the attitude of "look at me, I work in this many ministries, how about you?". I measured other brothers and sisters spiritual walk to what I felt was my superior service to Christ. And now I must say first, I'm sorry, to any whom I may have made feel that I was better than you, I'm not now nor ever have been.
But, can you see how I was a Pharisee? I did exactly what they did. They were constantly comparing themselves to any who were not "like them", does the story of the Pharisee and the Publican in the Temple ring a bell?
And, as well, I measured those outside of the "movement" I was a part of , ( The IFB, KJVonly, no CCM, no pants on women, no "worldly" entertainment or secular music whatsoever, and not even fellowship with those who may have not held these same "beliefs"), all the while not even considering the fact that there are MILLIONS of believers out there that , although may have different likes and tastes, are my brothers and sisters in Christ and I was the one in the wrong, I was the Pharisee.
Now this is not to say that we shouldn't separate over false doctrine or anyone who in any way would try to water down the Gospel, we should, and we should be militant about it, we should "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered".... but the faith is not founded on whatever moralistic standards I or some hardcore "Fundamentalist" (which I am not) pontificates, it's built on Christ!
With that said, let me move on to what views I once held, views that aided me in my Phariseism, have changed (disclaimer, I'm not saying that those who may hold to the KJV as the only reliable translation or those who may be against CCM or have different dress standards are Pharisees in any way, but what I'm dealing with is the attitude that any who may hold a different view are in some way inferior):
1. I'm no longer KJVonly. Is the KJV the Word of God? yes. but so also is the NKJV, the ESV, the NASB and a few other conservative translations for a lot of good reading on this subject go Here
2. I love a lot of different types of music , some CCM, as well as...wait for it..... Some reformed Gospel rap, there I said it. For some good reading on the subject of music read Here
3. As for "worldly" entertainment, well as long as it doesn't contradict the mandates of Scripture and the Holy Spirit's leading within me, and I find it enjoyable, then I'm for it, whether it's the movie theater a ball game, or a concert (secular or Christian).
4. Dress standards. Well what does Scripture say, "modestly" well as long as it's modest (and this has just as much to do with high cost and flashy as it does form fitting , and it's for men and women, sorry men no skinny jeans), then wear it if you like it and you get a good deal.
Some other things I'm also researching is the whole "Body of Christ", Universal church" thing as well as some of our " Baptist Forefathers" that are supposedly in our "Lineage" (the Montanists for one), I care about truth, not about someones movement or agenda, and where ever the light of truth takes me, whether in history or positions once held, then I will follow. What does that have to do with Pharisee-ism? The attitude that if you don't accept my view then your an inferior Christian.
In conclusion, my earnest desire is to fight the ever present Pharisee within me, always looking for the opportunity to rise up and take control.
P.S. Here's a new book I found on this subject, and it's only $3.99 on Kindle Here , and watch the short video on the book at the bottom of the page just linked!
As I've been reevaluating my Christian life over the past year or so, I have come to realize that during the last 10 yrs of my, Hardcore, Strict, Separatist Baptist worldview, I was actually a living , breathing, Pharisee. How you ask, well for one I did exactly what our Lord said was not wise, I compared myself to other believers. I walked around with the attitude of "look at me, I work in this many ministries, how about you?". I measured other brothers and sisters spiritual walk to what I felt was my superior service to Christ. And now I must say first, I'm sorry, to any whom I may have made feel that I was better than you, I'm not now nor ever have been.
But, can you see how I was a Pharisee? I did exactly what they did. They were constantly comparing themselves to any who were not "like them", does the story of the Pharisee and the Publican in the Temple ring a bell?
And, as well, I measured those outside of the "movement" I was a part of , ( The IFB, KJVonly, no CCM, no pants on women, no "worldly" entertainment or secular music whatsoever, and not even fellowship with those who may have not held these same "beliefs"), all the while not even considering the fact that there are MILLIONS of believers out there that , although may have different likes and tastes, are my brothers and sisters in Christ and I was the one in the wrong, I was the Pharisee.
Now this is not to say that we shouldn't separate over false doctrine or anyone who in any way would try to water down the Gospel, we should, and we should be militant about it, we should "earnestly contend for the faith once delivered".... but the faith is not founded on whatever moralistic standards I or some hardcore "Fundamentalist" (which I am not) pontificates, it's built on Christ!
With that said, let me move on to what views I once held, views that aided me in my Phariseism, have changed (disclaimer, I'm not saying that those who may hold to the KJV as the only reliable translation or those who may be against CCM or have different dress standards are Pharisees in any way, but what I'm dealing with is the attitude that any who may hold a different view are in some way inferior):
1. I'm no longer KJVonly. Is the KJV the Word of God? yes. but so also is the NKJV, the ESV, the NASB and a few other conservative translations for a lot of good reading on this subject go Here
2. I love a lot of different types of music , some CCM, as well as...wait for it..... Some reformed Gospel rap, there I said it. For some good reading on the subject of music read Here
3. As for "worldly" entertainment, well as long as it doesn't contradict the mandates of Scripture and the Holy Spirit's leading within me, and I find it enjoyable, then I'm for it, whether it's the movie theater a ball game, or a concert (secular or Christian).
4. Dress standards. Well what does Scripture say, "modestly" well as long as it's modest (and this has just as much to do with high cost and flashy as it does form fitting , and it's for men and women, sorry men no skinny jeans), then wear it if you like it and you get a good deal.
Some other things I'm also researching is the whole "Body of Christ", Universal church" thing as well as some of our " Baptist Forefathers" that are supposedly in our "Lineage" (the Montanists for one), I care about truth, not about someones movement or agenda, and where ever the light of truth takes me, whether in history or positions once held, then I will follow. What does that have to do with Pharisee-ism? The attitude that if you don't accept my view then your an inferior Christian.
In conclusion, my earnest desire is to fight the ever present Pharisee within me, always looking for the opportunity to rise up and take control.
P.S. Here's a new book I found on this subject, and it's only $3.99 on Kindle Here , and watch the short video on the book at the bottom of the page just linked!
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