What Time Is It ?

In my favored NASB translation of the Bible, the word "hypocrite" is used 18 times, all by Jesus.  The NIV uses the word 18 times, but once is in Proverbs.  The word appears 31 times in the King James Version, with 11 in the Old Testament (8 of those in Job).

In whatever translation, Jesus owns the word "hypocrite."  He uses it a few times in a general sense, describing "hypocrisy" per se: but most often it's how He characterizes some religious leaders of His time, usually the "scribes and Pharisees."

Except once.  In Luke 12:54-56, speaking to "the crowds" who followed to hear His teaching, Jesus said

"Whenever you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'A shower is coming,' and so it turns out.  And whenever you feel a south wind blowing, you say, 'It will be a hot day,' and it turns out that way.  You hypocrites !  You know how to analyze the appearance of the earth and sky, but how is it that you do not know how to analyze this present time ?" (my emphasis)

Undoubtedly Jesus knew that calling your audience unflattering names is a sure way to lose them.  Or maybe His point was so important, and "the crowds" so clueless, that He thought it needed to be said ?

The Greek word there translated "analyze" is dokimazo: to test, examine closely, prove what is genuine.  In secular use, Greeks would dokimazo a coin to ascertain if it was actually silver or gold.  Jesus exhorted "the crowds" who followed Him to similarly "analyze" the spiritual time in which they were living.

If Jesus was speaking to us as well, about "this present time," two facts seem extremely relevant:

In Jesus' discourse on His return and "the end of the age" in Matthew 24, He repeatedly warns His followers not to be misled by the many deceivers who target Christians in that time, including "Christian" deceivers.

In 2016, 81% of self-described "Evangelicals" voted that a blatant liar should be America's leader; and 75% of "Evangelicals" again wanted to follow him in 2020.

Are today's crowds of Jesus' supposed "followers" Spiritually analyzing "this present time:" or do they deserve His harsh rebuke, "You hypocrites !"

Amen.

What spiritual time is it for Christians in America ?

What's The Church ?

Studying the gifts of the Spirit (charismata), it struck me long ago that we are exhorted to "...earnestly desire the greater gifts" (I Corinthian 12:31).  Paul explained a few verses later what he meant by a greater gift: "...greater is one who prophesies...so that the church may receive edifying" (I Corinthians 14:5).

In this context, relative "greatness" is nothing about the person to whom the Spirit gives a word of prophecy.  There are certainly some members of the congregation recognized as "prophets:" but Paul's "all may prophesy" (I Corinthians 14:31) may be open-ended, that the Spirit can give His word to anyone among the gathered Church.  That would certainly be consistent with the teaching that The Spirit Sovereignly ",,,distributes [charismata] to each one, just as he determines" (I Corinthians 12:11).

A charismata is "great" relative to its edifying ("building up") the Church, the Bride Jesus loved so much He gave His Life for her (Ephesians 5:25).  The "love chapter" (I Corinthians 13) is literally at the center of scripture's primary teaching on charismata i(n Chapters 12 and 14); and we manifest Jesus' love for the Church when we minister His Life-giving Spirit to build her up.

A charismatic understanding of the Church re-orders our operative view of the church.  It also fundamentally re-orders our view of each other...the Church...that any one of us may, at any time The Spirit chooses, speak out God's word of "...edification or exhortation or consolation" (I Corinthians 14:3).

Amen.

Discerning "Interpretations" of Prophecy

So how do we know if an interpretation of prophecy…our OWN or someone else’s…is valid ?

Scripture says the Spirit ALONE, Who authors prophecy,  is able to interpret its meaning:

“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter

 of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of

 human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”  (I Peter 1:20,21)

Jesus gives us these guidelines for recognizing if an interpretation of prophecy is from the Spirit:

     “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…

       and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me…”  (John 16:13-14a)

If an interpretation of prophecy is untrue, it is not from the Spirit.  (Under Moses' Law, the penalty was death for saying God prophesied something was going to happen, and it didn’t: Deuteronomy 18:20-22.  Such a law would certainly thin the ranks of today’s “interpreters of Biblical prophecy.")

Likewise, if an interpretation of prophecy glorifies man, man’s thoughts, man’s ways, or man’s works, it is not from the Spirit.   The Spirit will glorify Jesus: He will emphatically NOT glorify any “interpreter of Biblical prophecy.”  Nor will He glorify any nation of men, doctrine of men, culture of men, or political faction of men.

Many of today’s self-proclaimed “interpreters” tell us that Biblical prophecy says the “culture war” doctrines of a current political faction are the only way to “save” America.  The book I noted a few months ago, Letter to the American Church (authored by a “conservative”-media celebrity) is a prime example.

Let me say here, forcefully and firmly, that no such “interpretation” of prophecy is from the Spirit of God.

Amen, and amen !!

What If Jesus Was Serious ?, by Skye Jethani

 Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness…”   Matthew 5:10

“When Jesus spoke about persecution, He made it clear that not all suffering His followers experience is persecution.  He said, ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness…’ and He went on to bless those who are persecuted, ‘on My account.’  It is when we suffer for doing what is right or for being identified with Jesus that we are blessed, but there are plenty of Christians who may claim persecution…are actually suffering due to their own foolishness or unrighteous behavior.  Some suffer for righteousness.  But frankly, some Christians suffer because they are insufferable.

“…A desire to be seen as a ‘genuine’ Christian, however, may cause us to claim persecution where none exists.  This temptation is compounded by two additional realities of our age.  First, the privileged position that the Christian faith and values once enjoyed in our culture is diminishing.  As this occurs—for example, removing Christian prayers or symbols from public spaces—the loss of privilege can be misinterpreted as persecution.

“Second, we live in a strange time when some want to claim the label of ‘victim’ in order to accumulate cultural and political power…there can be a twisted upside to being seen as a persecuted group today.  It may be used as leverage against cultural and political opponents, or to excuse one’s own unrighteous attitudes and behaviors…

“Persecution is never something sought by a Christian.  It is the by-product of seeking first the Kingdom of God rather than the privileges of the world.”

                                                    --  What If Jesus Was Serious ?, by Skye Jethani, pp. 40-41

A People Prepared

There's an interesting phrase in Luke 1:17: that John the Baptist came “…to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

And scripture indeed attests that when Jesus came, the hearts of those who had responded to John’s message were ready to hear and respond to Jesus, The Truth.

We know satan loves to imitate God’s ways.  Could it be that in the run-up to his greatest spiritual counterfeit he is “preparing a people” for the Anti-Christ: a people whose hearts have been made ready to hear and accept satan’s ultimate Lie ?

Jesus’ hallmark teaching in Matthew 24 about “the end of the age” and His return REPEATEDLY warns His people not be “misled” by, or “believe,” or “follow,” the increasing crowd of deceivers active at that time (an increase we see around us today).  And it's certain those who don't heed Jesus' warning will end up misled by the deceivers: and fully prepared to receive satan’s Lie incarnate, the Anti-Christ ?

Many Christians study prophecy in the thought that they’ll be able to recognize Anti-Christ when he comes, and reject him.  But I think we have to consider the possibility that some, “even the elect,” may have so thoroughly trained their hearts to believe the lies of Anti-Christ’s “forerunners” (such as those we have today) that they’ll be completely PREPARED to accept satan’s counterfeit “Messiah"...and unable to reject him.

"Unable" because God Himself will set the full force of His Own spiritually-determinative power against them:

"...because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved...God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false."        II Thessalonians 2:10,11

I beg all who read this to Always LOVE The Truth, and FOLLOW The Truth.  Amen !! 

Allegiance

 From a favorite blog by a Canadian Christian:

"An allegiance is...our single non-negotiable. It is our only priority. It is the sole conviction and passion that controls, moderates and, if needed, displaces all loyalties. Nothing comes before it. All things must bow to it.

It is the hill we are willing to die on.

...That gets to the heart of the matter for Christ followers. Our single allegiance is Christ, the one willing to die on a hill for us and, frankly, the only one who commands our sole allegiance."

--  n  https://christianity201.wordpress.com/

"Allegiance" is probably too "controversial" a matter for American Christians to question, raised as we all are to recite "The Pledge of Allegiance" on every civic-religion occasion: our pledge that each of we individual Americans...Christian or not...will put the American flag, "and the republic for which it stands," above our every other love and loyalty.

I'm consequently having to re-think my reflexive and rote recitation of "The Pledge."

What's a Dollar Worth ?

The details aren't important, but I had to ask for a refund from a motel.

Fortunately, it was a local franchisee, and I could talk to him in person.

We paid for a week, I said, but the friend I rented for had to go to the hospital yesterday, so he wasn't in the room today.  Can we get a refund for today ?

No, said the franchisee, you rented for a week, at a special rate, so we can't refund that.

Well, I said, I can remove my friend's possessions from the room, and you would have it available for rental today.

No, he said, you rented for a week, at a special rate, so we can't do that.

Alright, I said.  How about this: my friend was in the hospital because he got sick and had to go to the emergency room, no fault of his own.  But he'll still need to be in town next week for additional medical appointments: can you add the day he wasn't actually here to the week he rented for ?

No, he said, the room was rented for a week, at a special rate, so we can't do that.

O.K., I said.  Thank you.

I was polite throughout, as was he.  But...

Our national currency used to be backed by gold-reserves, which guaranteed its value.  Since 1934 the value of a dollar betokens our trust in the government which stands behind it.

The thought occurred that a dollar can also represent our heart's desire to "do justice" and "love mercy."

Warning Against "Political Idolatry," by Andrew Strom

Andrew Strom was a New Zealander ministering in the Kansas City area when I ran across his website some years ago.  His teachings about living out Christ's teachings very often seemed to hit the nail on the head, and I began reading his website regularly.

About 10 or 15 years ago he felt like God called him back to New Zealand.  I think he currently has a church in the Auckland suburbs; and frequently travels to Africa to teach, and has a ministry to the Maori.  And he still has a heart for the American Church, often addressing spiritual issues and events in the U.S.

His e-mail teaching-letter recently reprised this warning from 2006, when I believe he was still in the U.S.  It seems even more relevant and even more critically needed today, than it was 17 years ago.  Even if what he then called "Republicanism" might now be understood as "Conservatism," his prophetic warning remains spot-on.

His characterization of this danger to the Church as "Political Idolatry" also seems to put it in exactly the right terms: worship of what mankind has created, above worship of The Creator of mankind.

Amen !!

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REPENT of POLITICAL IDOLATRY !    by Andrew Strom

Something I find a little distressing in America is that the Christians
are so often relying on POLITICS to accomplish SPIRITUAL results.
Thus they ally themselves fervently with one particular party and
treat it like "God has won" if that party wins - and "God has lost" if
it doesn't. I almost see this as a kind of BLINDNESS.

The fact is - most of America's problems today are SPIRITUAL
problems that can only be solved by a sweeping move of God's
Spirit. Yet we are relying on Politics and Politicians to accomplish
many of these things?? How bizarre!

How bizarre that we strive and strive to get the "right (worldy) guy"
elected. How bizarre that we treat the President like some kind of
mega-preacher or mega-minister. We put our "hope" in him and his
Political party for all kinds of SPIRITUAL things! What is wrong with us?

I don't know of any other country where the Christians put such
hope in worldly political parties for things that ONLY GOD CAN
DO. Is this not a kind of IDOLATRY??

Yes - there are issues of righteousness to be concerned with - and
it is good to vote. But what is with this OBSESSION with Politics
amongst the Christians? Do we not realize it is a kind of "phony
war"? Imagine if we spent all that time PRAYING instead of
STRIVING for Political victory. We might be actually having a
Revival right now!

Can Politics make America truly righteous? NO! Only GOD can do that!

I want to issue a call to all true Christians right now: "REPENT of
trusting in MAN instead of God. REPENT of trusting in Politics to
do things that only God can do. REPENT of striving and striving to
get the "right party" in power - and thinking that will solve this
country's SPIRITUAL problems. REPENT of making an IDOL out
of any party or any PRESIDENT. The Presidency does NOT equal
God's move! REPENT of putting so much energy and effort into
things that WILL NOT SOLVE the PROBLEM!

If only the Christians of this nation would PRAY instead of running
to POLITICAL ACTIVISM - everything would be different.

What if all of this is a false trust - a false hope - a false gospel?
What if our worship of Republicanism is out and out IDOLATRY??

God help us all.

Discerning Prophecy: Perhaps a Key ?

There's a lot the Bible teaches about discerning prophecy; enough that I've been quite bogged down in looking up the relevant scriptures, pondering them, and trying to perceive the outline of their inter-relationships and nuances.

I may have gotten lost in the thicket of (nonetheless-important) details, and missed what may be a "key" for discerning false prophecy, interpretation, and teaching.

It's seemed of critical importance, since God first spot-lighted it to me, that Jesus said some of His followers were "children of the devil."  He went on to say that their familial connection was manifest in their doing the deeds of their spiritual father, lies and murder (John 8:44).

Probably everyone knows what "lies" are; statements contrary to Truth (as Whom Jesus Identified Himself: John 14:6).  Statements not in words only.  We certainly see many whose attitudes, intents, methodologies, "deportment," values, or worldviews are dishonest. contrary to truth.  Anything of man's ways which can be made false can effectually be a lie.  Taken far enough, a person's life can be a lie: a false statement more profound than any we make with words.

Defining "murder" is trickier, as human law-codes show in their various attempts to differentiate "manslaughter" and "justifiable homicide" from murder, and assess degrees of criminal culpability for the latter.  Jesus' definition is more simple, and more radical: which is to say Jesus gets to the root- (Latin, radix) cause of "murder."

He would, wouldn't He ?

Jesus defined murder as hate-filled contempt for others (Matthew 5:21-22)...whether or not it manifests as killing someone.  We who believe Jesus take His definition as absolute: what He says anything is, it IS: starting with creation, and life itself (John 1:1-4).  Thus John affirmed the Lord's word about murder, writing that "everyone who hates his brother is a murderer" (I John 3:15).

By faith we understand that Jesus' characterization of "children of the devil" is definitive: and nothing's more critical than that we recognize the enemy-forces we encounter by His characterization.  The enemy-forces opposing God's children on earth today are the same as those who opposed God's Son during His earthly life.  They are manifest to those who believe Jesus as they were manifest to Him: satan's children do the works of their spiritual father, lies and murderous hatred.

Jesus affirmed...as we do each time we pray the Lord's Prayer...that "the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory" all belong Solely to God our Father, "on earth as it is in Heaven."  The enemy forces that currently hold sway on earth say otherwise: that ruling authority, its power, and its glory, belong to man.

So "politics" (especially the politics of demos -kratia, the "people rule") is always a major focus of those who oppose God's ruling authority and His power over mankind.  God says that human "authorities" owe their positions to him, and exercise His authority: He therefore commands that they be His "ministers" to do good  (Romans 13:1-5).  But we know...and regularly see...satan's children grasp for earthly authority and power so they can do their father's works.

In the past century of earth's history, we've seen landmark examples of "children of the devil," most notably Stalin and Hitler, who used politics in order to do the works of satan.

So we must soberly discern, today, that the enemy's forces still grasp for ruling authority and its power, in our country: and that politics is still their avenue to that end.  And just as in Jesus' day, we must discern that many in the American political faction which identifies itself with lies and murderous hatred claim to be Jesus' followers.

That is what Jesus warns us about in His hallmark teaching in Matthew 24 about "the end of the age" which precedes His return.  He says that "many" will come in His name to mislead His people.  He highlights among them "false prophets:" whom I strongly suggested in a previous post must include false interpreters of Biblical prophecy.

And Jesus' repeated warnings in that chapter are simple, and emphatic: "See to it that no one misleads you," "do not believe them," "do not go [with them]."

It couldn't be clearer, then, that Jesus requires us to discern which prophets, interpreters, and teachers speak God's word, and which do not.  It is His command that we not believe or follow every prophet, interpreter, or teacher who claims to speak "in My, Jesus', name."

His characterization of "children of the devil" as liars and murderous haters is absolute, and easily understood: recognizing those works of satan is likewise easy.  The key discernment I missed may be just as evident.

The scriptural principle is that "...no prophecy is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God." (I Peter 1:20).  The take-away is that only the Spirit can truthfully interpret His word of prophecy.

The simple key to discernment is that "children of the devil" never speak from the Holy Spirit.

They may claim to be Jesus' followers.  They may cloak their lies in half-truths to deceive the unwary.

But this is certain: the Spirit of Christ never prophecies, interprets, or teaches a political answer to a spiritual problem.  The Spirit of Truth will never vouchsafe a political (or any other) lie.  God's Spirit will never incite murderous hatred of others for political (or any other) purposes.

Those are of course the regular prophecies, interpretations, and teachings of the "Christians" who follow  America's "children of the devil" faction.

Jesus' command is clear: none who love Him will believe them or go with them.

Amen !

Practical Theology

It's far from the first time I've heard it: often enough that I usually don't pay much attention to it anymore.  At our last Bible-study the teacher, a retired minister, mentioned some recent event he'd heard about.  Can't remember how CNN came into it: either he knew it wasn't on CNN, or he apologized that he had heard it on CNN: but in either case he said he doesn't listen to CNN because "they're too liberal."

Like I say, I've heard similar remarks from "conservatives" for years, and usually don't pay much attention to it.

This time it caught my attention: in the context of Bible-study, where we come to hear what God says, the teacher's criteria seemed bizarre; and I had to think "I wonder what God's criteria is for CNN ?"

I've been too seized by Jesus' self-identification in John 14:6, for 'way too long, to come up with any better answer to that question than "Truth."  God desires truth in man's innermost parts (Psalms 51:6): I have to believe He desires not a whit less truth in man's network news.

Fortunately truth is also the standard journalism sets for itself, in a secular manifestation, "accuracy."  Honest journalists' criteria is to tell events as they verifiably happened, quote newsmakers' words accurately and in their true context, and clearly label their personal interpretations as "commentary."

Honest journalists make mistakes: some may even at times give in to the temptation to mix personal opinion with verifiable fact.  Don't we all fall short of our own standards, much less absolute Truth ?  But "falling short" of truth is meaningless unless our criteria is truth.  As it is for journalists...and even more for Christians.

The world...Christians and all other human beings...cannot live without Truth.  Try to imagine a society where scientists are honored for faking their data: where witnesses in court take an oath to lie: where news-media reliably report as fact the opposite of what happened.

We all know there have been such societies: and we know that they never endure.  Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia are two examples.  It cannot escape our notice that in both societies honest science, justice and journalism were falsified to conform with the dominant politics of those nations.

Indeed, politics seems the only human "institution" where lies have any history of (albeit short-term, and disastrous) "success."  Needless to say, politics has long been a favorite venue of "the father of lies," and one in which he has perpetrated destruction and untold death, through deceived men.

So it struck me that the Bible-study leader's criteria for CNN was a political one: not the criteria of truth that CNN's journalists' set for themselves, in which Christians concur.

It seems a widespread perversion of the faith among so-called "conservative Christians" that politics is their sovereign criteria, in all things.  The name they've chosen for themselves tells where their priority lies, and their voting-record over the last 40 years confirms it.  Could anything more delight the "father of lies" ?

Jesus said He IS The Truth.  It seems then the practical theology of every Christian...the way we practice our belief in Jesus...must be loving Truth, following Truth, and measuring all things else by Truth.  Down to an including what news-media we favor, or disfavor.

May God lead His people in Truth, by the Spirit of Truth, to all Truth.  May every follower of Jesus desire as God does "truth in the innermost parts."

Amen !!