Distemper of the Times

If there is a temper of the times, there is a distemper of the times. In the American Church today, our distemper is factionalism, a work of the flesh posing as spiritual strength.

Most American Christians accept as a matter of course that "we" are surrounded by enemies: secularists, "liberals," socialists, a legion of evil-doers and evil-thinkers who are intent on destroying "Christian values," and determined to take our God-given liberty from us. To a Church which thinks itself besieged, combativeness seems the highest spiritual virtue, and those most violent in their enmity are hailed as the greatest defenders of the faith.

Church, grow up. We are surrounded by enemies because we have invaded their kingdom. Their realm is imperiled, not the one we belong to. Like the Allied armies after D-Day, we have enemies on all sides of us...because we are advancing into their territory. It's a dangerous place to be, and in human combat can go either way: but the Church' war cannot. Established by God Himself, empowered by His Spirit, chosen and prepared as the bride for His Son, the Church WILL NOT be defeated or destroyed. If that's your fear, skip ahead and read the last chapter of the Book.

Church, grow up. We are not called to be God's defenders: He is ours. God is our Savior: by what mad pride do you, powerless transient vapor, consider that The One Almighty and Eternal needs to be saved by YOU !?! In this battle, we must stand with God: but it's for OUR protection, not His.

Church, grow up. We indeed have liberty in God: but it's not the kind that can be taken away by the world's evil forces. In fact, our liberty is exactly from "the world's evil forces:" sin, hopelessness, and death. If you're fighting to keep "them" from taking your God-given rights, you're operating on the Declaration of Independence' idea of "liberty," not scripture's. When Paul wrote about "liberty," he was not urging Christians to fight for their "rights." Church, get serious.

We are not in danger of being destroyed...unless you disbelieve God's promises and His scripture. We are not called to defend God...unless you think your strength is greater than His. We are not in danger of losing our liberty...unless you think our culture's idea of liberty is truer than God's. Combativeness and enmity are not spiritual strengths; they are manifestations of pride and disbelief. They are exactly what scripture says they are, works of the flesh contrary to the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-21).

Church, grow up. Church, REPENT !!

Simplify, Simplify

We all have a theology, a body and system of belief toward God. Even atheists' disbelief orients them toward Him. There are as many theologies as there are human beings; but I think there's wisdom in looking at them the way a famous jazzman looked at music: "there's only good music, and bad music." Theology too is either done well, or done badly.

Theology should be easy. Most subjects of study are constantly changing, with new fashions of thought, and new discoveries. Even history, which we might expect to remain static, is subject to continuing revision and correction. But God is unchanging. What He is today is what He has always been, and will always be. The truth about God will always be true. He's not a moving target.

Theology should be easy to do well. It consists of only two parts, God and our understanding of Him. He's the unchanging I AM THAT I AM. Our lives, in contrast, are characterized by continual change: but that's a necessary fact of good theology. Our movement in time and circumstance allows us to see God in new dimensions. It also challenges us to be honest observers, and realize where the movement lies between One standing on the bank and those roiling through the rapids.

Theology only has two parts; God, and ourself perceiving Him. The difficulty of good theology is that it requires absolute truthfulness toward both. We have to be rigorously honest about the relationship of the two; that God is God, and I'm not. It's a simple affirmation of reality, and everyone admits the theology of the first point. Our problem is with the theology of the second.

Medical students are said to detect in themselves the symptoms of every disease they study. When we turn our life to understanding God, we likewise become aware of His working in ourselves...and uncomfortably aware of all the falseness there His presence spotlights. It's an unbearable awareness, for which there are only two remedies: remove the filthy rags with which we furnish our innermost life, or shut out the harsh light that reveals them.

Our problem with God is that He requires us to look at ourselves with the Truth that He Is. We have to be honest about our self-centeredness, pride, self-will, self-justification: to call our most prized attributes what they are, sin. God being God challenges our autonomy at its root: our comfortable delusions of self-sufficiency must go, or Truth will. It's a very high, very PERSONAL, price we're often not willing to pay.

Perhaps I find theology easy because I fail worse than most at being God. I can't deceive even myself (always my surest dupe) on that score. Painfully aware (by God's mercy) how far I miss the mark, I don't dare miss HIM. Hope and life exist only in God's living Presence: whatever it costs to know Him is worth the price.

There's only good music and bad music, good theology and bad theology. Good theology is easy. But it forces on us the determinative MORAL question, the choice between bad and good. The practical question in choosing good theology is whether we will pay what it costs...our autonomy.

Cross Purposes

I've called this blog "Cross Purposes" for two reasons. First, that everything here is about Jesus Christ, the crucified King. His cross, and His rule, are the only reason, context, wisdom, glory, purpose here.

The experience of living has convinced me in every way that Jesus is the only Source of life, and its whole purpose. That realization is a result of faith He's imparted, not of my own clever observation and deduction. But I consider that faith has been confirmed to my understanding. At every point I observe or experience, to every extent I can understand, Jesus is manifestly Lord.

But it's not just "me and Jesus," as Tom T. Hall sang. Every believer is a functioning part of His living Body on earth, the Church. We are interdependent with every other part of that Body, and each of us dependent for life and leading on Jesus, our Head. The operative fact of Christianity is being part of something larger and more important than ourselves.

By the circumstance of birth, I live in Christ's Body in America, so my concern is that His American Church follow Jesus' leading, and glorify Him in this land. It grieves me that we do not. The American Church has forsaken the leading of Jesus to follow political deceivers. Jesus said His sheep would hear His voice: the American Church instead listens to, and APPROVES, the hateful slander of radio "commentators." Jesus harshly denounced the socio-religious conservatives of His time, the Pharisees; the American Church embraces and identifies with those of our time. Jesus appointed us to minister His hope and His peace in our land; we go forth as "culture warriors," spreading condemnation and divisiveness, in His name !

What I hear God saying relentlessly and continuously to the American Church is "REPENT, and return to your First Love." It's a message that's not welcome in the politicized American Church. Giving that message puts me at cross-purposes with many of my fellow Christians.

But the message is GOOD news. Jesus hasn't given up on us. As far as we've departed from Him, He still holds out the possibility that we can turn from our wicked ways, and seek His face. If we will, He still promises to forgive our sin, and heal our land.

My hope is that the American Church will DEEPLY repent, while God gives us time. I hope we will listen to our Shepherd's voice, and only follow Him. I hope we will turn back to Him with all our heart: He's merciful to those whose hearts are entirely His.

Advisory

I have serious reservations about the value of blogs. It's amazing that we can broadcast our every thought and opinion to the entire world. But the value of that ability depends on whether or not we have anything to say worth hearing. Some do: but vastly more blogging seems merely self-indulgent spews of teen angst, ditto-head regurgitation, and sports trivialities.

I think that's a factual summary, and not elitist disparagement. I'm a middle-aged, middle-class, Middle American. I'm sure those circumstances influence the way I see things, and even what things I'm able to see. Nobody's simply a product of his environment; but it would be disingenuous to deny its pervasive influence. Mine is decidedly ordinary, even dull: nothing "elite" in any sense.

I have further reservations about the democratic principle underlying blogs, that every person's opinion matters. That's certainly true in a personal sense: the ideas we operate on absolutely determine what WE become. I'm skeptical the principle has any larger application. Reality is what it is, and our opinions about it...mine included...don't make any difference. The will...not "opinion"...of the One who created and sustains it is the only relevant fact.

Since I consider blogs of limited value, and doubt that opinions matter, it's fair to ask why I would write a blog; and a better question why anyone should read it. The short answer is that sometimes God gives me something to say, and I say it.

Some people find it presumptuous to say I have the gift of prophecy. But scripture says all may prophesy; indeed, urges us to earnestly desire to prophesy. I desired that gift, and asked for it. God gave it to me. My understanding is that the charismata ("grace gift") of prophecy, like all charismata, is given to build up Christ's Body, the Church. I don't consider the gift is for me, or that it says anything about me except that I believed God, and was willing to receive what He was pleased to give.

For those who don't believe God still gives charismata, it would be a waste of time to read any further. I'd urge you to seriously re-think what you believe God can or will do. In the meantime, you probably shouldn't expect to hear anything here from God if your theology says He isn't speaking in prophecy anymore.

For everyone else, the scriptural command applies. My job is to hear what God is telling me to say, and say it. But I don't always hear, or say what I hear, perfectly: and sometimes my voice is ONLY my voice. It's wisdom, and a scriptural command, that we discern God's voice: when God is speaking, His Spirit will attest His words to your understanding. The scriptural command applies here, and in every other part of life: discern what God says, and do what God says.