Our Marching Orders

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (cf. Proverbs 29:18).
"A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the LORD's work! ..." (Jer. 48:10, NIV).
"I will show you my faith by my good deeds" (cf. James 2:18).
"Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding..." (Isaiah 5:13, NIV).
"[M]en who understood the times and knew what Israel should do..." (1 Chron. 12:32, NIV).
"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them" (cf. John 13:17).

We take our marching orders directly from the top--Jesus Himself, who has an open-door policy through the prayer ministry!  He issued the Great Commission and has entrusted the faithful to bring it to fulfillment until the day of the "Great Completion."  We are not here to usher in the Millennial Kingdom nor to be utopians, but to be salt and light in a dark and lost world that doesn't know the way-Christ is the Way.  Christ is to restore the kingdom (cf. Acts 1:6).   Christ, who Himself will usher in His kingdom and we are here to advance His agenda and cause in making Christ known to the lost, while also paying heed to our cultural mandate or "Social Commission," which is not a social gospel.

This is not to be confused with the so-called social gospel which is a misnomer (noting that every great social cause in history can be attributed to the church, from universities to hospitals and missions) and we are to be the hands, eyes, heart, and ears of Christ that needs a helping hand--we are to multiply bread and fish and "feed the people" or to meet needs as well as preach. We are commanded to "remember the poor" (cf. Gal. 2:10).   We are not to merely turn stones into bread, or do good deeds for their own sake, or to lose focus of the main objective which is to preach the Word; there's no social gospel, but there's a social mandate to combat evil and be salt and light.

The church is meant to fulfill more than the gospel, but also to make disciples and to teach and prepare for the ministry to the needy, so that they will obey all that Jesus taught.  We are examples to the world to whom we may be the only light they will witness.  There is just enough light to see and just enough darkness not to, and we are to make a difference to those with a positive and willing attitude--(cf. John 7:17) "if any man will to do His will," he shall know the truth to set him free.

But witnesses are to tell their personal story that cannot be refuted (Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so..."), though there is never enough evidence for the unwilling or skeptic, no one can disbelieve for lack of evidence, for there is ample evidence for the willing and open-minded.  You must be willing to go where the evidence leads to find the truth and not rule it out as a possible reality from the get-go.  Christians with faith have nothing to fear from the facts because it's an evidence and fact-based faith.  Unfortunately, skeptics have their minds made up and don't want to be confused with the facts--no amount of evidence will convince them.

Now, what purposes do the churches fulfill in detail?  The primary one is the worship of God, the second is of love towards our fellow man demonstrated by works and good deeds as a witness to the world of Christ's love (mission), the next is to train up the people of God, and then provide for an opportunity of fellowship and communion of the body (contrary to popular opinion, the primary purpose of going to church is not to hear a sermon--that's only part of the equation).  The discipling or training up of believers is a primary function of the church (cf. Eph. 4:13).  People are to get a positive image of Christ and this can only be done when the church is doing its job, but unfortunately, today's church is largely absentee and in dereliction of duty, and many people see evil in the world and wonder where God is, but should be wondering where the church is--e.g., it has a calling to pray for all those in authority.

Secondly, the church must support mission work and to contribute to the needs of the saints in the body--there should be no one who is overlooked in the time of need by a body that is blessed in order to be a blessing.  The church that is not reaching out is a contradiction in terms.  People often wonder what's wrong with the world and should be asking what's wrong with the church.  A focus of the church largely ignored is what the Roman Catholic Church did in colonial days-- spread the light of Western civilization to a primitive world and to be a cultural force to be reckoned with.  It isn't necessarily the turf of the church to directly involve itself in political movements, but to train in the Christian worldview that believers can go on to be a force for good in the world at large.

The church needs to realize what's going on in the world and become informed and heed the wake-up call to action, flying its colors and taking its stand for Christ wherever needed no matter the cost--it must defy evil and illegitimate decrees from government, for Augustine said that "an unjust law is no law at all."   Isaiah 10:1 pronounces woe on those who decree unjust laws.   The church is not to sanitize society, but to be a positive force and influence for good so that there will be an opportunity to preach the Word and minister to those in need (sad to say, though, the church has become lax in its social commission, even as the moral conscience, compass, or fiber of society). NB:  It's not the government's role to outlaw all sin, but to keep evil at bay and protct huma rights.

In God's economy, there's always a right way to do things, and we must realize that the pragmatism of politics is evil.  The world cannot survive without the aid of the church as its preservative.  The apostolic church devoted itself (cf. Acts 2:42) to sound doctrine, prayer, fellowship, and communion or the breaking of bread (which presumably included fellowship meals to share with the needy and reach out in ministry and mission).

The church is to reach out to more than one demographic, recipient, or audience:  the seekers, the skeptics, those of another faith or no faith, the infidel, the pagan, the atheist, the agnostic, the nihilist, the polytheist, the anti-theist, the agnostic, the mature, and last, but not least, even the baby or newborn believer--anyone's guess who's in church.  Meanwhile, it must inform, educate, enlighten, and transform by preaching and teaching the Word faithfully, giving heed to sound doctrine (for heresy can creep in unawares and people become blind or callous to an orthodox faith).  We must admit that doctrine is not too arcane for the Average Joe believer, for it's a matter of the enlightening of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of one's heart--thought some have become hard of hearing spiritually speaking.   All this is accomplished in toto by the cooperative effort of the body exercising their God-given gifts of the Spirit--all needing each other in some respect to use in ministry to each other.

The calling of the church is five-fold:  worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry (to believers), and mission (to the lost). Above all, the church belongs to all the family of God and is to be known as a house of prayer for all members.   Unfortunately, today's church seems to be the so-called "Church of What's Happening Now" and into the latest fad or movement (political or social), and is guilty of moral and spiritual laxity and negligence all for the purpose of making a name for itself, not a name for Jesus (for we are to minister and reach out in His name--e.g., too many churches are erecting edifices at great expense but have their priorities misplaced).

Our marching orders may be summed up as follows:  occupy or stand our ground till Christ returns, doing business as usual, not being doomsayers, purifying ourselves in holiness in sanctification (living each day in readiness for the Lord), watching for Christ's return (i.e., reading the signs of the times and being ready), worshiping and glorifying our Maker and Redeemer, all while reaching out to a lost world that needs salvation.  All in all, it should be the custom of believers not to forsake (cf. Heb. 10:25) the assembly together of themselves (all the more as one can see signs of the coming of Christ) and to meet with God regularly with a genuine and real encounter or experience with the Almighty in the fellowship of the body where no one is the rock but Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). 

The church has always been a light to the world of its devotion and mission:  Saint Theresa said she wanted to build a convent.  Someone asked her how much were her resources, and she replied twelve pence.  They told her that even Saint Theresa couldn't build a convent with only that at her disposal.  She retorted that Saint Theresa and twelve pence and God can do it!  We need to be examples of our faith in action and that God will always provide the provisions for His work and will. "Seek the welfare of the city I deported you to..." (cf. Jer. 29:7). 

This goes a long way in making an impact on the community and making a difference for Christ in the world at large and setting the example for the body of Christ at large, and so God has done something about the evils and problems in our world--He made the church and expects believers not to be remiss of their commitment to it, knowing that true faith expresses itself, because the faith we show is the faith we have!

The bottom line of the church's mission is that the members should know their place in the body (or they'll be a fish out of water!) and know what they believe (instead of pointing fingers and fixing blame we should find solutions and take responsibility) and realize the faith is defensible and they should be ready to take a stand for the truth in the world as Christ's ambassadors--the church is not a hotel for saints as much as a hospital for sinners and a training camp for soldiers of Christ to be equipped for the angelic and cosmic battle with Satan and his minions; i.e., having a working knowledge of apologetics and be ready to be defenders of the gospel and Christ.   In other words, Job One is the Great Commission and we must never lose focus to keep the main thing the main thing--getting people saved is only the beginning; there must be a follow-up!

In sum, we don't just go to church just to hear the preaching of a sermon (or corporate worship), but to get a spiritual checkup, take spiritual inventory, interact in the body by means of fellowship, minister in accordance with one's gift, serve one another even in the order of the towel or the servile act of foot-washing as an example of humility if need be, to charge one's spiritual battery pack, and ultimately to prepare for the mission, which is the world, and for the angelic conflict,  fulfilling the Great Commission in accordance to one's gift and preach the good news and the Word where the door is open.  However, though the church at large has a directive from God,  it's focusing on movements for pragmatic and expedient reasons.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Is There A Second Great Commission?

Gov. William Bradford came to the New World to "advance the kingdom of Christ," while many pilgrims sought religious freedom and the Puritans organized to purify the church.  America was the first "safe haven" and refuge for the religiously persecuted ever founded, and the State of Maryland was the first colony in America to grant Catholics freedom of worship and sanction when they were persecuted.  We are to be good citizens promoting the general welfare and be a blessing (cf. Jer. 29:7; Prov. 11:11). 

"If we are not governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants." (William Penn). 

I didn't know that the government was ever meant to be the methodology of hastening the Lord's Day or ushering in the kingdom of God, and many preachers have stressed the notion that the Bible is not meant to reform society but to save souls.  It's true that Common Law has found origins in Scripture, and our national heritage is dominated by Christian worldview.  

It is individual believers who act as salt and light to preserve society from evil, but the church's job description is to reform souls, not society!  The church ought to be in the business of showing the way and saving those who've lost the way.  What do you think early believers were known as?  They were followers of the Way!  The way that churches have organized as if our faith depended upon it seems, like overturning Roe v Wade, et al, and other social reforms, such as the Second Great Commission--redeeming and reclaiming our nation for Christ!

The church at large is being deceived and Satan loves it when they get their eyes off the Great Commission (our marching orders) and get a bad rap as the unbelievers see them as nothing but hypocrites.  We must focus on preaching the gospel as keeping the main thing the main thing not getting sidetracked, and not establishing a sort of Christian Sharia law, in that they are forcing the infidel or pagan to live like a Christian, even observing the Law of Moses.  Attempts at this type of sincere Christian venture have repeatedly failed throughout history.  The government is not a necessary evil, but necessary because of evil according to Augustine, and would probably not be necessary if we were all Christians.  Believers are to work in the system, like running for office, but especially in prayer and intercession for our leaders and all in authority.

Christians do Christ no favor by giving the impression they are all zealous (bigots) enforcing the law their way and alienating those who are near the kingdom of God but become prejudiced by their experience with the religious right.  Not all sincere and mature believers are on the so-called right and Christ would never associate with any party or let Himself be labeled or categorized as such.  It is worse than sectarian spirit (party spirit destroys a church from within), which Paul criticized. 

If it is wrong for Muslim states to enforce their faith on Christians and forbid them from even wearing crosses on their lapels or holding public Bible studies, as is the case in Saudi Arabia, then how can Christians mimic this type of enforcement of their views and interpretation of unbelievers?  Nearly every great social reform and cause in history have been the result of Christian influence, from the abolition of slavery to women's rights, to equal justice under the law, to the abolition of child labor, and whatnot, but the church didn't organize en masse to force change, individuals settled the matter, those who made a difference with their witness and testimony, and especially tenacity and stick-to-itiveness like the long-suffering efforts of  William Wilberforce in eliminating slavery in Great Britain.

What we don't want is for unbelievers to stereotype Christians as being against this and that, instead of being for this and that--we prove the love of Christ by our love and tolerance, not pressure techniques and scare tactics like voter intimidation which is common in the South.  They actually are convinced that hounding the gays out of the military will bring God's endorsement to our nation and restore traditional Christian values and consequent blessing to our nation.  Since when does Christ order us to organize politically or to use government itself as the means of advancing God's kingdom, which is not of this world according to Jesus?

Leave ushering in the kingdom of God to Jesus and let us be here to prepare hearts for the onslaught of secular worldviews out there in academia, government, entertainment, and media so that our youth are not corrupted by false ideology and don't learn to see things from a divine perspective.  It is very tempting to use the leverage of political power to create a sort of utopia for believers, but this is not what we are here for.   Isn't the real Christian agenda the upholding of the rule of law and the principle that no one is above the law (justice in action)? 

After all, when the foundations are destroyed the righteous may not be able to find the solution (cf. Psalm 11:3):  Government is not the problem nor the solution!   The government is founded to keep evil at bay and to establish law and order in society--ensuring justice and securing our rights.  What about fighting the abuse of power and the spirit of authoritarianism?  The Christian agenda cannot be defined by one law, no more than you can put God in a box.  It seems to the unbeliever that there are just certain sins that offend Christians more than others when they have sins themselves.  The problem is man's depravity and the solution is the gospel through the grace and mercy of God.  In our nation, there is violence everywhere, due mainly to the accessibility of weapons of mass destruction, and Christians may have to decide whether they put their trust in God or the sanctity of the Second Amendment, knowing that no right is absolute, not even free speech, freedom of religion, nor the right to bear arms.

"We must obey God rather than men" (cf. Acts 5:29) and there comes a time when civil disobedience is not only a right but a duty and opportunity to stand for Christ in the public arena.  Individual believers like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. have sought civil rights through nonviolence and suffered the consequence--he got himself killed just like Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of nonviolent protest.  But where there's a clear-cut command in Scripture we must fly our Christian colors and take our stand--only the coward stands aside according to James Russell Lowell. 

We cannot sit on the fence and claim neutrality on vital Christian issues.  The best work is done by individual believers called by God to accomplish His will, not the church at large.  William Wilberforce never organized the Church of England and Martin Luther King, Jr. never called for the church to aid his agenda as role models.

There's a Second Great Commission in a sense, but not a social gospel to preach though, and we must focus on what we are here for--spreading the gospel and being examples that they may see we are Christians by our love, not our political views, and the church ought to be careful not to organize as being officially for any party or political cause so as to be identified and labeled with anything but as being followers of Christ, not a political leader.   Whatever we do as a body of Christ ought to be done in the name of Christ and not to promote any party, or even party spirit, within or without the church.  

One great evil misconstruing this movement has precipitated and facilitated is the Postmodern worldview of truth and the creation of an alternative universe (of "facts"), not seen since the days of Joseph Goebbels, the notorious Nazi propaganda chief.  We have a right to our own opinions but not to cherry-pick our own facts, though everyone tends to just believe the facts that suit their own worldview. 

Many Americans in this generation now are convinced that character counts for nothing and leaders are no longer our role models--all that matters is AGENDA AND PLATFORM and it doesn't matter how it's achieved either; i.e., the ends justify the means.  

IN SUM, THERE'S NO LEGITIMATE SOCIAL GOSPEL PER SE OR ANY SOCIAL COMMISSION, BUT THERE IS SOCIAL STEWARDSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY.   Soli Deo Gloria!

To Advance The Gospel

 "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is the church"  (Col. 1:24, ESV)
"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake"  (Phil. 1:29, ESV). 
"[T]hat I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings..." (Phil. 3:10, ESV).

Paul rejoiced "that what has happened to [him] has really served to advance the gospel" (Phil. 1:12, ESV).  If we have a meaning behind why we're suffering, we can endure it for Christ's sake.  It serves a larger purpose than ourselves, God is turning evil into good and all of our trials, tribulations, tests, and sufferings are but to bring glory to God as we are vessels of honor in His sight.  We must cling to the promise of Romans 8:28 that all things will work together for our good and God is too kind to be cruel, too wise to make a mistake, and too deep to explain Himself; even Job got no reason or explanation for his trial, only a revelation! Even when evil befalls us, God means it for good (cf. Gen. 50:20).  It's not a matter of "Why?" but "Who?"  It is a proven psychological fact that when people are given a "why" for their suffering, they can endure nearly any "how."  This is focused on our attitude, to rejoice in the Lord always! When we see the big picture of God's providence, we can have the right attitude.  Only we can choose our attitudes. 

If we know God, we will trust Him through thick and thin, and when the chips are down our faith will be all the stronger.  There is no kismet or blind fate of Islam, but we have a personal God who gives us a destiny.  We aren't called to be stoics of depressing fatalism though and sing "Que sera, sera," "What will be, will be..." as Doris Day sang, nor to gladly let the chips fall where they may, but seek God's preceptive will through Scripture, knowing that His decreed, hidden will is none of our business (cf. Deut. 29:29 says, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God...").  Stoics are called the philosophers of the "stiff upper lip," because they just believe we have to grin and bear it, no matter what and just accept our fate--resignation or accepting the status quo is not faith.  But Christianity is not determinism!

We have a destiny to participate in and God has plans for our good and to bless us in doing His work. (Jer. 29:11, ESV, says, "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, plans to give you a future and a hope." God will fulfill His purpose for us (cf. Psalm 57:2; 138:8).  "He carries out his decree against me, and many such plans he still has in store," (cf. Job 23:14).   God doesn't have to explain Himself to us and we aren't His judge, but we have to explain ourselves to Him and He is our judge.  We are suffering to bear witness to the world, but we aren't saved through suffering; it's only an honor to suffer for His sake as we fill up the sufferings of Christ in the body. Actually, the blood of the saints was the seed of the church according to church father Tertullian, and martyr means witness--it was the suffering of the church that gave it such growth.

The problem of suffering is not answered definitively in Scripture; we must take God's Word that He means no harm, but our good and is wise enough to work it out.  But then again, no religion adequately answers this question, of why there's evil in the world.  Concerning Paul, who boasted of more suffering than any of the other apostles, and still thought himself unworthy, Jesus said, "For I will show him [Paul] how much he must suffer for the sake of my name" (Acts 9:16, ESV). We must not strive against God's will (kick against the goads) per Acts 26:14.   Paul reluctantly mentioned what he had endured for the sake of the gospel in 2 Cor. 11 and the suffering was really a feather in his cap, to his credit.  Even so, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble, because he had suffered so much for the sake of the Name.

Affliction is inevitable:  David says in Psalm 34:19, NLT, "The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time."  "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God," (cf. Acts 14:22).  In summation, it is to be noted that only in our faith is there meaning behind suffering--Eastern thought of karma just says you get what you deserve in life or the next time around, but doesn't offer a higher understanding. Karma is negated by the undeserved sufferings of our Lord, of Joseph, and of Job; note also Psalm 103:10, "He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve."  Mercy is not getting what you deserve, and grace is getting what you don't deserve--only Christianity fully embraces in these doctrines.

In sum, "adversity, discipline, suffering, and trials inevitably happen to all Christians," but Christ was honest enough to warn us and doesn't expect anything of us that He didn't experience and didn't exempt Himself from suffering (He learned obedience through suffering, cf. Heb. 5:8)--in fact, our crosses pale in comparison!  Remember: no cross, no crown!  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Ushering In The Kingdom

Jesus told Pontius Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world.  Pilate then perceived Him to be a philosopher or harmless dreamer, but no threat to Caesar.  If His kingdom were of this world His followers would fight, but we have no such marching orders.  Many misled, though sincere believers throughout history have tried to usher in the kingdom of God, and thought that the church's job was to aid in doing it.  William Bradford, Pilgrim governor in Colonial America, said that his mission was to "advance the kingdom of Christ."  The Puritans also tried legislating Christianity in early America, but it failed and turned out to have evil fruit, such as hanging innocent women accused of witchcraft. John Calvin even tried to enforce biblical mandates on Geneva, like mandatory Sabbath observance and even forbidding anyone from naming children anything but biblical names.

Only Christ will usher in the kingdom of God and our marching orders are to fulfill the Great Commission, not to make a Christian nation. Yes, we are light and salt, but we must not lose focus and keep the main thing the main thing.  Christians are not to dedicate their lives to the betterment of society unless God calls them specifically to this.  The "social gospel is not only a misnomer but has no place in the church.  We are interested in saving souls and winning people, not becoming political activists. The Bible is meant to be a light for salvation, not government reform or social activism. Everyone has the obligation to be involved in his society that behooves a responsible citizen.

Entering the kingdom is synonymous with getting saved.  The whole purpose of announcing the kingdom of God to be at hand is to make people realize the urgency to repent and get ready for the second coming of Christ in glory.  The first words out of John the Baptist and Jesus in their ministries was to repent.  The kingdom is both present in the here and now, and future to be fulfilled at the Second Advent.  Presently Christ reigns in the hearts of His followers and we shall all reign with Him in His millennial kingdom after the tribulation period.  Jesus said that if He cast out demons by the finger of God, "the kingdom of God has come upon you."  Salvation (the fulfillment of our redemption) is nearer now than when we first believed according to Romans 13:11.

We are to do kingdom living while sojourning on this earth as pilgrims, this is not our home and we should realize that our true citizenship is in heaven (cf. Philippians 3:20).  We are just passing through and have spiritual green cards and this life is but a staging area or tryout for eternity, where each note we play has eternal vibes.  We are rehearsing for kingdom living and our faith must be tested and God wants to prove our faithfulness and reward it according to our deeds done through faith by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Isa. 26:12; Hos. 14:8).   Like Paul said (cf. Rom. 15:18), he would not venture to boast of anything, but of what Christ has accomplished through him.

We are not to seek nor store up treasure in this life nor to seek earthly fame, fortune, nor power, but to seek spiritual riches and to learn to live in the power of the Holy Spirit in God's kingdom.  God's kingdom is invisible and only God knows who is in it for sure or who the elect are  (cf. Mark 13:27 "... and shall gather his elect from the four winds ...").   Jesus said to "seek ye first the kingdom of heaven" and this means that our number one priority is kingdom living in God's economy, and when we put God first in our lives all else falls into place.  As it says, "all these things shall be added unto you."

The richest people are not those with worldly wealth, but those most content in what God has blessed them with and faithful stewards of our resources, time, talents, gifts, money, and opportunities. Someone has said that riches are not in the abundance of our possessions but in the fewness of our wants.  When we seek first God's kingdom all our priorities become focused on Christ and our life is oriented in the right direction and given divine purpose and meaning.  In sum, we ought to live one day at a time in light of eternity--not regretting the past, nor worrying about the future.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You In A Movement?

Let me make this clear to start:  I am against movements.  Many have come and gone in the church and some more influential and misleading than others:  Some even rather harmless, but all wrong and not of God, regardless.  There are many so-called movements prevalent today or remnants of old ones remaining:  Keswick Movement, Perfectionist Movement, Neo-Pentecostal Movement, the charismatic movement, conservative-right political movement, WWJD, (or even WWJT) known as the "what would Jesus do?" movement [I am not against the imitation of Christ as Thomas a Kempis wrote his famous, widely read book, My Imitation of Christ--this is another ballgame], the "Church of What's Happening Now" movement, the one that isn't defined or named is when believers think God wants them to hang around sinners, like the Pharisees accused Jesus of doing.

Scripture says to choose your friends carefully in Proverbs 12:26 and Paul say that bad company corrupts good morals in 1 Cor. 15:33.  The thing you have to look at is who was calling them sinners (the evil Pharisees who were blind) and we are all sinners and if Jesus wasn't our friend where would we be now?   But hanging around them is different and Jesus is our friend when we were his enemies, right?  We are not Jesus and need to be careful with whom we spend our time; however, this does not mean that we need to fear man ("The fear of man proves to be a snare," says Prov. 29:25).

As an illustration, when you get saved it means you should witness to your circle of friends, not go to the local tavern and hang around expecting God to open the door for you--they will influence you more than you influence them and the devil has you right where he wants you.  If you must go there go with a fellow believer for support; Jesus sent them out in groups of two.  You are not some one's friend if you don't witness to them and they will accuse you and blame you for all eternity if you don't at least try!  Jesus didn't condone sinners in their sin, nor did He get tainted, because He couldn't; you can be!

We worship Jesus because of what He could do as the God-man.  Evil company should make us feel uncomfortable and uneasy like it did Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah--don't get callous and insensitive!  "Come out from among them and be ye separate, and I will accept you," says the Lord. (I blogged about this Sept. 7, 2014).  This was meant to be derogatory but remember:  Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  He told the woman who sinned:  "Go and sin no more."  He didn't condone nor participate in sin--he didn't party like one of the guys!

What's wrong with WWJD? Most Christians know their Savior in a very shallow manner--they know the Scriptures a bit, but knowing Christ comes with maturity and the searching for Him is the main business of the Christian life and begins at salvation, not ends (it's better to concentrate on obeying Him than trying to be Him).   Firstly, they don't really know what Jesus would do, they just imagine it.  They might know what their mother would do if she is a Christian, that is, but they can only guess what Jesus would do.  Would he be a teetotaler?  Would he ever speed?  There are difficult questions and God gives us the liberty to have our own conscience and like it says in 1 Cor. 6:12:  "All things are permissible, but I will not be mastered by anything."  "Mama told me not to come" is a popular rock lyric. Another:  "Mama said, 'You better shop around.'"   I've heard it said, that you should always question authority, but never mother!

What's on earth is so bad about the Neo-Pentecostal movement?  They teach unsound doctrine for number one, though I admit most of them have their heart in the right place and that is important, but false teachers like to be mostly right and add a little error to deceive and the element of truth makes it palatable.  We are commanded to teach a sound doctrine as teachers (Tit. 2:1).  This movement is in competition with and even infiltrates other churches and steals sheep or proselytize by impressing them that there is "something more or missing in their experience" just like Paul was admonishing the Colossians to be aware of (mysticism, asceticism, and legalism).

The Perfectionists started with John Wesley who thought you could reach a stage of willful or unintentional sin as a mature believer or that you "have arrived."  Even Paul didn't claim such:  "I do not claim to have laid hold of it yet..." (Phil. 3:12).  The psalmist says he has seen the limit of all perfection in Psalm 119:96.  Proverbs 20:9 says:  "Who can say, 'I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin'?"

The Keswick movement is still alive via Andrew Murray's writings and devotional classic by Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest."  Reading that book, I came across many doctrinal errors and whether you believe this or not, he believed in a second blessing and this is very controversial and not traditional (I blogged about this in "Where is Oswald Chambers Coming From?").  Chambers believes in perfectionism and what's called the "entire sanctification"  He believes that tongues are the initial "initial evidence validation" of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The point is that most people are ignorant of his erroneous teaching and fall for his balderdash and pious talk.  He makes a dangerous dichotomy between discipleship and salvation and doesn't seem to understand just how to become a Christian in the first place!   (I blogged on this March 3, 2014).

What's wrong with the "church of what's happening now?"  They have been led astray by Satan's masquerading as an angel of light like the rest and are on side issues away from the Bible.  They may be into the latest prophecy rage on the Internet or something else like blood moons that tickles their fancy. J. Vernon McGee was orthodox in that he entitled his study: "Back to the Bible."  The devil wants the church to get away from the Bible and doesn't deny that it's important, just not paramount!

It is better to be a "cloistered" church that sticks to the Bible (after all the Bible is all we need for spiritual growth and is not only necessary but sufficient).  They may have coffee shops in their church and a bookstore and many extra-biblical activities that get away from the Bible, like overeaters anonymous and whatnot.  So what is the latest fad, they wonder.

What's wrong with the Evangelical right?  The Pope tries to dictate politics and make members vote according to his understanding!  Most black churches are in the so-called Christian left!  First of all, not all sincere and knowledgeable believers are in agreement politically:  This does a grave disservice to Christ by labeling him politically, when He is beyond description and defies analysis.  People are going to judge Christianity by a party and Jesus is not a member of any party!  You cannot put God in a box, nor limit God!

The charismatic movement is more subtle in that it infiltrates even the Roman Catholic Church and many denominations while not having one of its own.  Basically, if you believe that the gift of tongues is a bona fide gift, you are charismatic!  Most churches today are either considered mainline denomination (which is in the state of near heresy and apostasy, losing members rapidly), the evangelical wing (like most Baptists or those who are actively "saving" people and spreading the gospel and not the so-called social gospel (which is a misnomer).  The charismatic tend to make a dichotomy among believers and make them think they are missing out; this makes them have spiritual wanderlust and they eventually leave their home church and become spiritually vulnerable.

A true church will get you into the Word and make it paramount; teaching sound doctrine devotedly.
The church is the body of Christ, not the parachurch or the electronic church.  Watching TV is no substitute for one-on-one, accountability, and fellowship.  I'm not suggesting that we don't need these organizations, because they do serve a purpose; Chuck Swindoll says that if you drink of only one fountain, you lose your perspective: however, there is some pastor out there that is just right for you right where you are spiritual. We need to stay connected and in touch spiritually and not become lone ranger type believers who are doing their own thing.

We are all entitled to opine (to have our own opinions), but not to have our own facts, and fabricate at will.  Many preachers have a personal agenda many a church has an extra-biblical program that they want to promote.   Causes are not taboo, individuals can do whatever they get called to do:  Look at William Wilberforce devoting himself to the end of slavery!   We can even have a political agenda that is self-serving, but we do not have the right to label it as "Christian."

The church needs a wake-up call:  It's okay to hand out bread, but put the gospel in its rightful place--don't get caught turning stones into the bread like Jesus was tempted to do!  "Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).  Don't get converted to a cause or movement, but to Christ!   In conclusion, the only movement I want to be in is (Christ) the fulfilling of the Great Commission, which ought to be the main business of the church and its raison d'etre--don't forget our Marching Orders!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Our Marching Orders

"And do this, understanding the present time:  the hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed"  (Rom. 13:11).
"Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8).

KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!  DON'T MAJOR ON THE MINORS!


The church today is sidetracked with many foci that are not commissioned by Christ--personal agendas and political causes, for instance.  The church was given the Great Commission and this should be the focal point of its ministry.  All other ministries are secondary and should be relegated to the lesser degree of importance--they are not of paramount value compared to the number one goal of achieving the calling given us to spread the gospel and make disciples of all nations.  This commission, by the way, is not any one person's burden, because no one person has all the gifts, but it is the shared burden of the church at large.  We need to do our part as an individual, as well as corporately as a church.

What we have today is the social gospel where churches are into causes so much that they are derelict of their evangelical duties (not just for evangelists--Paul exhorted preachers to do the work of an evangelist).  You might say they are turning stones into bread or of multiplying bread to feed multitudes and attracting crowds, not converts.  People are being converted to the cause, not to Christ.  Bleeding hearts are into the church and taking over because they see it as a social vehicle for change--an opportunity to spread their agenda. They have no interest in Christ Himself and no love for Him, but if He is not the center of church life they feel right at home because they have a concern for the betterment of society and to usher in their idea of peace on earth--and the church is only a vehicle for change.

The priority of the church is the Great Commission and if this loses emphasis the people never get converted to anything other than a cause. They are, in reality, converted to a program, not to Jesus Himself.   The Great Commission includes making disciples (not just converts--they must be followed up and mentored or trained in the Scriptures), and in taking part in spreading the good news first at home (teaching members how to spread the good news too is implied), then elsewhere via missionaries, etc.  There is no limit to the amount of impact one obedient church can have, and this does not depend on its size, because Christ was more interested in quality than quantity.

Today, with all the so-called mega-churches, we see attention given to size as what is impressive, and what most of them are is really crowds, not families;  a church is a local body of believers who function as a family in Christ, not strangers who just happen to worship together.  The order of growth is to believe in Christ, to belong to His body, the church, and to grow and become what He wants for you in Christ.

Until Christ comes the marching orders for the church are not to sound the alarm as doomsayers as some today are wont to do, (we are to be ready, yes, but not to predict or act as if we know some secret revelation from God Himself as a latter-day prophet would),  but to occupy the land or you might say do business as usual, in obedience; to proclaim the Lord's death till He comes; to purify ourselves in holiness and sanctification; and to watch the signs of the times (be ready saying every day, "Lord, will this be the day?"), so that we can judge for ourselves whether we feel the time is near and as we do to not forsake the assembling together of ourselves (Heb. 10:25); and most of all to worship God corporately and personally.

We are not to have an agenda of being prophecy nuts or of warning people of the coming of Christ and of coming judgment as if we are unbalanced or fanatics (what we need are more clear-thinking interpreters of the times who understand the Christian worldview, not self-appointed ministries claiming indirectly to be prophets or to be prophesying).

Many errant preachers have presumptuously predicted the coming of Christ and have been wrong (i.e., William Miller on Oct. 22, 1844, called the Great Disappointment because Christ was a no-show).  The last hour was announced by John (cf. 1 John 2:18) over 17 million hours ago and Paul rebuked believers who jumped to the conclusion that the coming was near and refused to even work.  It should be comforting and encouraging that Christians will be finally delivered ("Therefore comfort ye one another with these words").

In summation, the sole emphasis of the obedient and model church is the Great Commission, and any other ministries are only secondary as they only should serve to unite the body and to reach out and spread the good news as a body.  Liberal causes are rampant in the church and the church has no business getting into political causes or the so-called social gospel, which is a misnomer, and should stay focused on the gospel. The great inquiry and judgment on that day of judgment will be whether we did our part in this Commission.  Causes are not taboo, but the church's function is not that; individual believers can be involved in them, but this is their own business and calling in life as they see fit.  The church can give out bread, but only if it also gives out the gospel first. What we need is a wake-up call to the church, not an alarm to the world at large!  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Marching To The Beat Of A Different Drum

Years ago my coworkers couldn't understand my ways and said I marched to the beat of a different drummer--it was when I had rededicated my life to Christ. I seemed to them like a mystic that listened to the "inner voice" like a Quaker does. I believe this is okay as long as the "User's Guide" is the Scriptures. God has no general M.O. to reveal His will for our lives. It is a walk, step by step, day by day--we only know the next step when we are obedient to the previous one. "Job One" is knowing God's will but and we will not be given an itinerary or master plan, but shown an open door and maybe some closed doors. We "walk by faith and not by sight" and "the righteous shall live by faith" and progress "from faith to faith" growing in glory into the image of Christ himself.

Sometimes we may have to go against the grain and take chances, just like Abraham went out not knowing where he was going, he took a leap of faith. The Christian life is a journey, not a destination, and no one can say they have "arrived." If we do make mistakes, God turns them into blessings according to Rom. 8:28, which says all things will work together for our good.

David was a "man after God's own heart" and the reason he was is that he was willing to do all the will of God. There is no "1-2-3" method of finding God's will because we are all unique individuals in God's eyes. However, He does have a master plan according to Jer. 29:11 which says, "I know the plans I have for you...." Yes, "let the chips fall where they may," because God cannot be thwarted and He has a custom-made plan for each of His children. 

There are many "no-brainers" in the Bible that declare God's will like 1 Thess. 5:18 says, "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." We are commanded to know God's will and not be ignorant of it: "Do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is." We have the privilege of being given the will of God: "...[God] has chosen you to know His will" (Acts 22:14). We are not to sing with Doris Day: "Que Sera, Sera, Whatever will be, will be." We are not subject to impersonal fate. Nor can we be like the blind kismet of the  Muslims who proudly say in a catastrophe: "It is the will of Allah."  

 As a matter of definition, there is the preceptive will of God laid out in Scripture, and His secret, sovereign, decreed will that is secret and none of our business. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, and those that He has revealed belong to us and to our children..." (Deut. 29:29). When we discover the will of God, like an epiphany or "Aha!" moment in the Scriptures, we will have peace (cf. Col. 3:15).    We are to claim promises like Psalm 32:8 saying: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go, I will counsel you with my eye upon you." We can get in sync with God's will by knowing the Word: "I desire to do your will O my God, your law is within my heart" (Ps. 40:8). "Send forth your light and your truth, let them lead me" (Ps. 43:3). "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 119:105). "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way" (Ps. 37:23).   Soli Deo Gloria!