Unrepentance

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
 Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.     --  Isaiah 55:8

In his seminal "Agreeing With God," my beloved teacher Derek Prince emphasized that it's critical we agree with God's definitions.  What God says anything is, is what it absolutely is.

Last week I was meditating on repentance.  I often find it helpful, in getting a clear and full idea of a subject, to consider its opposite, so I was searching for scriptural references to "unrepentance," "unrepentant," and related words.

There were none, in any of the top three English translations of the Bible (the King James, New American Standard, and NIV versions).  I found it remarkable that the Bible speaks so often of "repentance" and "repenting," but not once of its opposite.  But clearly God thinks in different terms than I do.

When I told Donna about it, she immediately came up with the same word I did, as scripture's characterization of the unrepentant: "stiff-necked."

That's the beginning of another study, of what scripture says about being "stiff-necked."

But in the meantime...while I was working in the garden yesterday and pondering these things, a thought came very clearly to mind.  We often hear these days of public figures who are publicly shamed for telling lies or doing wrong.  It is amazing to me how often they justify their lies and unrighteousness, rather than repenting of them.

The term that's commonly used to described their self-justification is "doubling down."  Rather than admit they've lied or done anything wrong, they angrily "double down" on their sin.

The thought God put strongly in my mind is that I should think "stiff-necked," and "unrepentant," each time I hear that someone "doubles down" on his lies and unrighteousness.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

"Conservatives" and Their "Reality"

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Had to compress my comments, talking on a local site to a guy bloviating all the standard "conservative" talking points and attitudes.

Rather liked that the short-form comment seemed to get to the point (better than I usually do):
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Bob: did you notice I strongly recommended, above, a belief in "objective truth" ?

If so, you can see why you're wrong-footed from your first statement, that "there [are} facts and there are Liberal facts."  Objective truth is, by definition, the same for everyone: and not under the control of any faction.

No, Bob: there are facts, and there are lies (or as "conservatives" like to call them, "ALTERNATIVE facts").

Reality is what it is: not what ANY human being ("liberal" or "conservative," since those seem to be the poles of your worldview) wants to conjure it.

To live in objective reality, you have to admit it exists; and you have to acknowledge reality is sovereign to your personal interpretation of it.

Those who aren't God, but want to believe reality is their own creation, really REALLY need to repent.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

What Should Christians Do About the "Homosexual Agenda" ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

"I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;  I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges."          I Corinthians 5:9-13

My thanks to Onesimus, brother Tim in Australia, for reminding me of this scripture today !

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Patriotism, False Patriotism

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

On this Memorial Day, with its patriotic sentiments, every person in America has a choice of patriotisms.

By patriotic, I mean what "patriotism" really means: how we truly show "love of country," when "love" means intense desire for what is good for our country.

We all know that God promises that if His people called by His Name will humble themselves, pray, seek His Face, and turn from their evil ways, He will "heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14).  That seems to me exactly what any true patriot would desire for his country.

We also have the politicians' contrary promise: that pride, greed, contempt for "losers," a belligerent attitude toward others, and lies upon lies will "make America great again."

Why do those called by Christ's Name believe the politicians instead of God ?  When God promises His wrath against unrighteousness, why do those who know the scriptures follow the liars and ungodly who say their ways will bring God's blessing on America ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Letter to My Congresswoman

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

I sent the following letter to my Congresswoman today.  It sums up rather well (which I think shows God guided my sometimes scattered thinking) what I'd wish to say to every adherent of the "conservative Republican" ideology.

Quite obviously, many who follow that ideology do so because their intent in it is deception.  (It's unclear if their demi-god founder had that intent.  To give him the benefit of the doubt, I tend to think he was just ideologically shallow: which is what makes his doctrines so broadly popular, contrary their true merit.)

But I sincerely believe my Congresswoman is basically an honest person, with an honest desire to do good for her constituents.  So I'm hopeful something in my letter will persuade her to re-think ("repent") the harmful ideology she follows.
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Dear Congresswoman Jenkins:

                I was glad to be invited to your phone conference yesterday.  I was in the queue to ask you a question when the hour expired

                As a legislator, you had to field a variety of questions and concerns, in specific details and as policies.  What enables you to do so, and what comes across strongly to listeners, is the philosophy of governance you bring to your job.  My question was about that philosophy.

                You, and other members of your political faction, frequently cite the famous dictum from Reagans’ first inaugural: “…government is the problem.”   And certainly your faction is proud to promote itself as Reagan’s heirs.

It’s quite an illogical philosophy of government for those whose job is governing.  Indeed, it’s the basic principle of anarchy, the anti-government philosophy.  I’d urge you to re-think your faction’s embrace of that belief.

                That belief manifested itself in Reagan’s core policy, “de-regulation.”  This is likewise the core policy of your faction’s governing: as you said in yesterdays’ telephone conference, to “reverse job-killing regulation.”

                Please re-think the philosophy of governing, and the governing policy, your faction derives from its founder.  They are bad principles, rejecting God’s mandate to human rulers in the first verses of Romans 13.

                As part of a human government, that scripture says your job is to be “a minister of God [to people] for good.”  Doing good towards citizens is also the commonsense principle, and the traditional American principle, of government’s job.  It’s amazing your faction has always been so equivocal about government doing good for citizens; and has often denigrated that principle as “socialism.”

                Scripture also says your job is to be a “…minister of God” by “bring[ing] wrath on the one who practices evil.”  Please re-think if that doesn't mandate regulation of corrupt practices in the financial system, for example; or regulating pollution that harms America’s land, water, air…and people ?  Your faction’s opposition to “job-killing regulation” is the worst kind of political cant, devoid of honest thought.  Please give it your honest thought.

                My personal sense is that you’re a decent person, and in politics from a sincere desire to do good for your constituents.  I truly believe your heart and your intent are vastly better, and more honest, than the philosophy of your faction.

                That’s why I’d ask you to re-think that philosophy, and your legislative practice of it.

Respectfully,  Steve Hicks

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Today's Prayer

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Jesus, rule in Your Church again !   Lead your people again in Your ways.  Forgive us our foolishness in following the deceivers who come in Your Name !!

Put to shame, utterly crush, those who lead Your people in evil ways !  Cast down the political deceivers and false "prophets" who teach your people to love lies and unrighteousness.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Whose Work ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Whose work is it to persuade Christians to follow lies and unrighteousness ?  To convince Christians that lies and unrighteousness will "make America Great Again" ?

Take careful note of those who do his work for him.  Flee from them, as you would from their father the devil.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Luther quote

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Someone sent me this quote today, attributing it to Martin Luther:

"If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle front besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."

I always try to verify quotes by famous people before I believe them.  On this one, I found that some scholars trying to verify that quote had been unable to find it in Luther's writings; and suggested it may have come about as a paraphrase of the idea he expressed in a letter this way:

“...it does not help that one of you would say: ‘I will gladly confess Christ and His Word on every detail, except that I may keep silent about one or two things which my tyrants may not tolerate, such as the form of the Sacraments and the like.’ For whoever denies Christ in one detail or word has denied the same Christ in that one detail who was denied in all the details, since there is only one Christ in all His words, taken together or individually.”

(https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/justintaylor/2014/02/20/5-quotes-that-luther-didnt-actually-say/)

The quotations are similar.  Both speak of denying Christ in some "little point" or "detail:"  and in both, the assertion is that we deny Him when we do not defend the smallest item of Christ's Being because it is controversial to the enemy's world-rulers, or under attack by "the world and the devil."

As important as it is to verify every word we hear that purports to be true, that's not my point here.  I've repeatedly and fiercely (maybe even stridently) insisted, as long as I've written this blog (and even longer), that all things, and all men, and all ideas, are measured by Truth.

And that's my point.  Rather than the true provenance of a single obscure quotation, I cry out here that Truth itself is "controversial," and "under attack," in this "post-Truth" day.

In this time, it's not some "little point" or "detail" the enemy is attacking: Jesus identified Himself as "The Truth."

Where then are 80% of white American "Evangelicals" when Christ' very Being is under attack by the kingdom of darkness, the devil, and his world-rulers ?  They've enlisted in the enemy's army, under the command of his political commissars and false prophets.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Unity and Diversity

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

I posted this comment several days ago on a friend's blog, in response to his post about the "One Worldism" of the last days.

To date he hasn't "published" my comment, and I'm not sure why.  But I think God put some of His wisdom about "unity" and "diversity" in my comment; so I publish it here.
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Yes, your words highlight some essential truths.  Our choices are between the unity Jesus prays for us (John 17:20-21): joined in Him, the Father, and the Spirit of Truth: or the world's (and the enemy's) counterfeit unity.

Unity is a good thing: else why would Jesus have prayed it for us ?  The world too recognizes so, saying "in unity there is strength."

But the world (and the enemy) cannot create anything good: they can only pervert the good which God creates, and imitate it.  Indeed, the most successful perversions of God's good are those that most closely counterfeits what He creates: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, for example, in counterfeit of the Church of Jesus Christ.

But the world's counterfeits, like its counterfeit coins, have base metal at their core.  God enacts unity through diversity (I Corinthians 12:4ff, Romans 12:4-5, and elsewhere).  Only God's wisdom could even conceive of such a thing: and nothing but God's power could do it.  But the world's (and the enemy's) idea of unity is rigid "likeness."

We see the world operating on its false idea of "unity" in so many contexts.  "Tea Party" Republicans try to "unify" and "strengthen" their party by driving out all who don't share their ideology: Serbs try to "cleanse" their nation by killing its citizens of every other ethnicity.

We do well to question if those who scoff at "diversity" as wimpy "political correctness" understand at all that it is God's chosen vehicle of HIS unity ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Do the Right Thing

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Last night the pastor leading our Bible study mentioned how he sometimes set up small "tests" for
church-workers he interviews.  That it told him something about a person whether a person picked up or ignored small trash in the church' hallway, or straightened out a rumpled rug at the church' entrance.

I call that wisdom.  The things we do, especially the small things, say more about our heart-attitude than all the theology crammed into our brains.  In the pastor's examples, what candidates do shows their attitude toward the Church, in ways their academically brilliant ecclesiology doesn't.  And not coincidentally, shows their care for the cleanliness and safety of the church' people...who are the Church.

Scripture's wisdom and truth is that "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."  Our deepest operative attitude shows in what we consistently do.  And what we do consistently becomes our character, who we are.  Scripture's wisdom is therefore to "diligently guard your heart, for out of it are the issues of life."

My Christian take is that what we "guard" for in our operative beliefs, and acts, and character, is simply that we "do the right thing."  That seems the most basic social "good" we expect from others, and ourselves.  And because it's most basic, it's common to all human beings.

C.S. Lewis opens his Mere Christianity with an illustration that's always impressed me.  When people on a bus protest someone taking their seat, they appeal to some idea of right behavior that they seem to believe the other person (street-punk, Muslim, housewife, atheist, or the Archbishop of Canterbury) certainly knows, and recognizes as governing the situation.

Lewis also points out that we show we know and acknowledge this common "law" of right behavior when we break it.  We don't argue there is no such "law:" but rather, that some exception to the "law" justifies us in breaking it.

It's only the most basic manifestation of scripture's truth that God has written His law in men's hearts (Romans 2:15).  And because it's the most basic, everything else follows from it.  All our beliefs and actions toward what's "right" are the beginning of our moral sense, and our theology: the beginning therefore of everything we are, and become.

My Christian take is that God puts His simple, basic "law" in our hearts: and that He evaluates what we become in simple, basic reference to it.  In God's judgement...the only judgement that matters...a man who does the smallest right thing is the greatest righteous man.