Drawing the Line

Ted Williams was the last man in baseball to bat over .400 (.406 in 1941). He credited his visual acuity. Williams claimed he could see the spin of the ball's stitches from the moment it left the pitcher's hand, letting him distinguish a fast ball from a curve and anticipate the ball's placement and motion.

An interviewer asked Williams about his legendary batting skills. It was simple, Williams said: he made it an absolute rule to never swing at a ball unless its path would touch the strike-zone.

"But with your eyesight," said the interviewer, "surely you could have connected with pitches that were only an eighth of an inch outside, or a quarter-inch. Couldn't you have gotten even more hits that way ?"

"No !" Williams said. "If I did that, where would I draw the line ?"



The Church' first charge is to draw the line. God's has entrusted no one else with His spiritual acuity to distinguish good from evil. But the Church follows its own batting philosophy.

Ronald Reagan took office preaching rebellion: "...government is the problem."

George W. Bush used the anniversary of 9/11 to teach blasphemy. In the same words with which scripture lauds Jesus, Bush told us the "ideal of America" is "the hope of all mankind," and "the light [that] shines in the darkness."

Eighty percent of American evangelicals in 2012 voted their personal choice was to be led by a priest of anti-Christ.

Where does the American Church draw the line ?

A parable

Two rival politicians were on the platform, ready to pitch their candidacy to a crowd of voters.

The first politician took the microphone and began to build his case. He represented the party of the great Abraham Lincoln, he told the crowd. Moreover, he espoused the principles of Lincoln. As his speech progressed, he compared himself to Lincoln in more particulars. By the time he made his final humble plea for listeners' votes, it was clear the candidate was the near-reincarnation of Lincoln.

The second candidate took the microphone. "It's true my opponent bears a striking resemblance to the great Abraham Lincoln," He began, and paused. When he had the full attention of the surprised crowd, he rasped, "If you can imagine a short, fat, dishonest Lincoln."

Some say America is a Christ-like nation. That may be true...if you can imagine a rebellious, violent, greedy Christ.

How apostate is the Church ?

It's a sticky question to even ask. "Apostasy" is ordinarily the cry of those promoting a partisan view (always self-flattering, of course) of who is "really Christian" and who is not. In such cases, it should rightly be regarded as a matter of personal opinion; usually slightly unhinged (not to mention prideful) opinion, at that.

But treating every question as a matter of mere opinion is a teaching of the world's political culture. Given that source, there can be no surprise that it is untrue: and that it is favored by the dishonest. More to the point, the world's teaching is useless in questions of spiritual discernment, as "apostasy" manifestly is.

Christians have access to the Spirit's Own discernment. And we can't but discern that scripture regards apostasy as a reality, and exactly defines it (which definition, for Christians, must be taken as the absolute operative meaning of the word). Christians who blow off all talk of apostasy as "just your opinion" do so contrary to scripture and the Spirit.

Scripture's definition of "apostasy" is neither highly technical nor a matter of theological hair-splitting. Like all scripture, the word is meant to be understandable and readily applicable for all who hear it. "Apostasia" (for example, in II Thessalonians 2:3) means what it says: in Greek, "apo-," away from + "histemi," stand: in its various English translations, "falling away," "desertion," "defection."

Jesus put very simply what it is to be a Christian: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27), and "A stranger they simply will not follow..." (v. 5). Apostasy is following any-One but Jesus.

The Old Testament's formulation is equally clear and simple: it is when God's people "follow" or ("serve") "other gods." Apostasy is breaking the first commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me." Apostasy is the deepest possible disobedience to what Jesus said was the greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10).

It's not a game of theological inches to say Mormonism's "Christ" is another than He of Biblical Christianity: the highest Mormon "Prophet" says it is so (http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/31188/Crown-of-gospel-is-upon-our-heads.html): and no one heeding the Spirit's discernment could mistake the two.

It's not a matter of opinion that our vote shows who we desire to be led by. So the election just past tells us where the heart of the Church in America is: 79% of "evangelicals" desire to be led by the priest of a demon who claims to be Jesus.

Are Christians following Jesus ? Is the Church pure and without blemish, ready to welcome its Bridegroom ?

God, our Father, send your Spirit of deepest repentance on our hearts lest we die !!

Can the Church Hear Jesus ?

"And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” --Luke 18:9-14


"There are 47 percent of people who will vote for the president no matter what...who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That’s an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what ... These are people who pay no income tax ... [M]y job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.” -- Mitt Romney


Mitt Romney's comments are not surprising. He follows an anti-Christian spirit: he believes its teaching that the Bible is full of "corruptions," and that the Jesus of the Bible is a false god. He has every "religious" reason to disregard and despise Jesus' words in our gospel.

Romney himself is hardly the issue, and has lost his political platform. But the spirit by which he is led, and leads, continues: and through the deceit of politics, that spirit continues to mislead Christians, those whose actual desire is to hear Jesus and obey Him.

Through politics, that spirit has taught God's beloved Body of Christ to live by the evil attitudes of the enemy. The Church loves rebellion because Ronald Reagan taught it that "Government is the problem."

The Church blasphemously loves America in place of Jesus as "...the hope of all mankind...That hope still lights our way. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it." George W. Bush told us so.

Meanwhile, the Church holds itself righteous, and views others ("liberals," the poor, illegal aliens, Muslims, etc., etc.) with contempt.

Jesus said "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." The simple fact is that when the Church follows the priest of a demon, it is NOT following Jesus.

To any who WILL hear, God is commanding repentance. May the Spirit of Christ fiercely purge the Church' heart of its sinful pursuit of its own way, and save those whom God loves and calls !!

Prayer for the Apostate Church

Please, Father, in Your mercy,

Send Your Spirit on all hearts who desire You,

With understanding, with wisdom.

Guide us in the ways that please You.

Uphold Your word.

Vindicate Your servants.

Glorify Your Name in all the earth.

According to Your heart, Father,

In Jesus' Name.

Amen.

Do As They Say

"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.' " (Matthew 23:1-3, NASB)


"Moses' chair" was a specific position of spiritual and national authority. I doubt it equates to anything in American politics. But this scripture has been coming to mind this week in regards to our place in the wayward church.

The hard-line view of the Church' apostasy is that it's an unmistakeable sign to "come out of her." That's tempting: though it inevitably raises the question where in America to find a fellowship that remains true to God. But I don't hear God saying "come out of her" just yet.

For one thing, I sense He still wants His witness to remain among those who have been deceived: even now, some may repent and follow Him. It's an uncomfortable business in the meantime: no one wants to hear that they've been deceived, or that they need to repent. But that's God's word to the Church: and clearly none of its own chosen leaders will tell it.

For our relation with the deceived Church, Jesus' words also seem to have another application. The Church still takes God's word in their mouths, and His word we should always "do and observe." Even if the Church and its leaders have gone off into the grossest possible disobedience, God's word remains true: we must do what they teach, and not what they do.

We Lost

The election is over. I'm simply glad it's over. It makes no real difference for God's sovereignty over our people and nation. Indeed, belief in politics' promise to change anything important is the foremost false gospel in America today.

But elections do tell us something about where people's hearts are. In that regard, we lost this election.

Not because Obama was re-elected: that's the "political gospel" again. The Church lost this election because of what was manifested about Christians' hearts. A significant turning-point...or point of departure...has been reached.

The enemy has been substituting his political gospel for Christ's in the Church' affections for many years, shrewdly undermining Christians' true faith, hope, and love. But there's no reason we should have been blind to his deceits: God has always been pleased to give His Spirit to any who will turn from his own way and his own thoughts.

Any who WILL honestly ask Him for spiritual eyes to see, can count on His promise. But we haven't bothered to question our own thoughts and ways, or WILLed to have eyes to see and ears to hear at all.

Our alliance with the world's political factionalists started with a questionable teaching we failed to question: that God will only bless nations whose leaders are godly. And joined to it, the prideful falsehood that America is God's especial "Christian" nation.

When the Church swallowed those propositions, it naturally followed that in our democracy ("people rule") WE can (and SHOULD) do the works that leverage God's blessing.

The political faction with which Christians foolishly allied was happy to paint its candidates "godly" (it washes off easily) on the superficial "issues" it shared with Christians: gay marriage, abortion, and so forth. It was a small price for them to pay (and with counterfeit sincerity, anyway) to ensure they could pocket Christians' votes.

The factionalists didn't even bother to whitewash their candidates this time: there's not enough paint to make men rooted in the teachings of Joseph Smith and Ayn Rand look like anything but what they are: men led, and leading, in the spirit of antiChrist.

But the factionalists' candidates didn't NEED to be whitewashed this year. The political gospel has replaced Christ's among Christians enough that few notice the difference any more...or even look for it.

The election is over. The Church lost.

Knowing the times and seasons

“And He was also saying to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, “A shower is coming,” and so it turns out. And when you see 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 the sky, but why do you not analyze this present time?’ ” -- Luke 12:54-6 (NASB)


We know with certainty that this is a time of spiritual warfare. God has equipped us with all the spiritual armor we need to “stand firm against the schemes of the devil,” and armed us with the sword of the Spirit. There can be no mistake He's readied us for spiritual battle.

With scripture’s certainty, we know too that the enemy is spiritual, not flesh and blood. We are wise to look beyond appearances, and recognize the enemy’s attack in evil “speculations…raised up against the knowledge of God.”. We know his attack is first against our minds: and that his great “scheme” is to capture our thoughts by his evil “speculations,” and turn Christians’ hearts traitor, to join him.

Only the One who sets the “times and seasons” knows them completely. But Jesus clearly teaches that, in its time, God reveals everything we need to know about the spiritual forces behind this world’s surface tumults, if we pay close heed. He clearly expects us to do so.

God’s been especially gracious to reveal the enemy’s “scheme” in this present time. He’s let the enemy assemble his armies together in one place, in plain sight. We can see exactly where the attack is coming: and if we “analyze” what God reveals, we know exactly what lying “speculations” the enemy is sending to capture our minds and hearts.

The enemy’s attack is led by the anti-Christian spirit of Mormonism. Its founding principle (the “First Vision”) is the “truth” a supernatural being taught Mormonism’s “Prophet:” all Christianity is corrupt, and “an abomination” in God’s sight. On its rejection of Biblical Christianity, Mormonism claims to be true Christianity, supernaturally restored only in the scriptures and prophecies its “God” gave to Joseph Smith and his successors.

A recent Mormon President and official "Prophet" made this explicit in his speech to an LDS conference, as reported on the official LDS news-site. To Christians' charge that Mormons don't worship the Jesus Christ of Bibical Christianity, he said

"No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom
they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak.
For the Christ of whom I speak...appeared to
the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820..."

---- http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/31188/Crown-of-gospel-is-upon-our-heads.html

The "God" of Mormonism, its “Christ" and its “gospel,” are not those of Biblical Christianity. Mormons themselves insist on that difference: that difference is the entire basis of their religion, and distinguishes their “restored Christianity” from “corrupt” Biblical Christianity. We who instead believe the Bible must insist on its contrary discernment: that the teaching of “another Jesus” or a “different gospel” is the enemy’s attack on Christ’s faith.

Alongside Mormonism’s hatred of Christianity, satan sets the demonic doctrines of “New Age” philosophy. And just as the enemy’s Mormon standard-bearer makes no secret
of his anti-Christian “faith,” his (nominally-Catholic) running-mate boasts of being a devotee of Ayn Rand, and politically-inspired by her teachings.

What are her teachings ? First, militant atheism. Belief in God makes man an “abject zombie.” Faith is “a short-circuit destroying the mind.” Nothing exists greater than man himself, so man is rightly his own god: “…a heroic being, with
his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life…and reason as his only absolute.”

The only true morality is (as Rand entitled one of her books) “The Virtue of Selfishness.” Each man must “…exist for his own sake, [not] sacrificing himself for others...” Indeed, concern for others is destructive weakness, since it hinders man’s great purpose of self-fulfillment.

Unlimited individual “rights” and unfettered capitalism are the only path to human happiness, in Rand’s theory. The greatest enemy of both is what she calls “statism:” the belief that society and government should restrain any god-man from fulfilling all his own selfish purposes.

Ayn Rand is understandably the favorite political “philosopher” of Washington’s “conservatives.” Some years ago Chuck Colson publicly warned their faction against the spiritual deceit of her doctrines, and his warning is worth repeating:

http://townhall.com/columnists/chuckcolson/2007/10/16/the_legacy_of_ayn_rand/page/full/

(you’ll have to close a couple pop-up ads
to get to Colson’s comments.)

Rand’s disciple who is now second-in-command of the enemy forces is a prominent leader of the “conservatives” Colson warned. He has twice authored that faction’s proposed national budgets. Those documents, and the rest of his political record, embody Rand’s radically anti-Christian teachings. His political career has proved him well-qualified to now join in leading the enemy’s spiritual attack.

I solemnly charge all who love Christ, the Truth, to obey Him: “analyze” this present spiritual warfare closely, by scripture and the Spirit. If we heed Him, God clearly shows us where the enemy will attack, and what forces he sends against us. God also reveals the specific anti-Christian “speculations” by which satan is now attempting to capture our minds to join him.

We must NEVER join the one who comes only to kill and destroy. Let us all therefore “put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.”

The Zombie Church

After the election this fall, preachers will still give out the message of salvation. Church-members will continue to lament how evil our society is, and how Hollywood, liberals, gay-marriage advocates, and abortionists are corrupting the country's "Christian" values.

The Billy Graham Crusade will still come to town and preach Jesus Christ. Christian-music stars will keep their concert-schedules. Promise Keepers and Fellowship of Christian Athletes will continue their events across the country. Christian best-sellers will still fly off the shelf, and Christian ministries will be on TV and radio as scheduled.

Folks will still go to church, Bible-studies, and Sunday School. Some will actually study their bibles, if only to find that scripture that proves they're right about full immersion, pre-Trib rapture, or speaking in tongues. They will still pray for the sick in their congregations, for lost family-members, for the country.

Christian activities and sermons will go on just the same as always, regardless of how the election comes out. The only difference will be that millions of Christians will have recorded their personal desire (as a vote is) to be led by the spirit of anti-Christ.

Most will do so without much thought, for superficial reasons: "he's a Republican," or "a conservative," or "better than what we've got." Many will set themselves up to accept the spirit of anti-Christ as the lesser of two evils (!!) by their willingness to believe all the Obama-bashing e-mails their Christian friends send them. (After all, if it wasn't true, Christian friends wouldn't send it, right ?)

No doubt preferring the spirit of anti-Christ will make a difference in people's relationship with the Spirit of God. But no matter: it probably won't be a noticeable difference for most: and Christian activities and sermons will go on just the same as always.


“An appalling and horrible thing
Has happened in the land:
The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule on their own authority;
And My people love it so!
But what will you do at the end of it?"

Diversity and Pentecost

Last Sunday was Pentecost. The younger kids all came into the sanctuary waving red and orange streamers, and making a "whooshing" sound as they ran. The scripture reading was Acts 2's account of Pentecost: and after the liturgist read a few verses in English, Tony Kugler read the next passage in Czech. Donna read the next part in Spanish, and I finished with Peter's address and his quoting from Joel's prophecy, in Koine Greek.

I was impressed that Pastor Bud chose to make the service about Pentecost. As a career military man, he might easily have chosen to make it about the secular (and largely militarist) Memorial Day. He spoke instead about the change the Spirit makes when He enters human lives.

I was also impressed with his idea of re-enacting the day of Pentecost. Following an evil political faction, most Christians disparage diversity. Even using the word invariably raises a myna-bird chorus of "political correctness !!," "political correctness !!" from "conservative Christians." Maybe our re-enactment, at some level, challenged that political mis-thinking. Maybe some hearts got the point that diversity is from God, and created for His glory.