Pride in our midsts

The exterior implications of reformed theology are a new revelation to me. I have not been REFORMED reformed for very long. (I have accept the doctrines of grace for some time now, to some that would classify me as reformed, but that is not so.) These new ways of looking at, well, everything is quite a burden on me. First, because there is so much to read, evaluate, and understand. Two, we have fallen so far away from the attainments of our spiritual forefathers.

The issue of pride has come into my mind much now, due to these revelations. Not just my pride, but the pride in worship. The churches of our day seem to be breeding grounds for this sin. For instance, the charismatic churches emphasis on the external reactions of a “spirit filled” believer is quite intense, and due to the fact that most of these “spiritual gifts” produced by them are actually produced by the flesh. This gives the fleshly (which we all are to some degree, being wrapped in the flesh) the opportunity to gain the attention they desire. One act of babbling gains the attention of the whole congregation and now they're a prophet! One vague prediction of the future (which must be vague in order to somewhat come to fruition) and suddenly they have the appearance of being more in tune with God then the rest! This, I believe, is one of the reasons why this obvious fallacious so-called sign-gift is still accepted in these charismatic churches. The ego of the “prophet”.

The rest of us non-charismatics, us cessationists, are not free from this folly however.

The churches of our day love their professional singers, their celebrity pastors, and their worldly means of impressing the lost world. These may seem like problems that effect only the modern evangelical churches, yet, the reformed love their choirs and priestly garb.

There are women (and men), I've noticed, who love to make much of themselves in worship, who love the stage, love the attention, they love to raise her voice above the rest of the congregation that we all might adore there vocal performances. What can we say if we reject the regulative principle? Not much at all. What can we say about the priest who “make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,"(Matthew 23:5), nothing really. Yet, these things, many of them, have been done away with the Levitical priesthood.

Look, we can never totally erratic ate sin in the church. Discipline will always be necessary and some things are just not clear enough to make judgments on. We don't know people. We don't know their hearts or why they do the things they do. However, if we don't take advantage of the biblical and historical models set before us, how can we even begin to strive for purification in our churches?

Journaling log-1

I’m an avid journaler.(..I know I said I wouldn’t make posts about myself, however, I’ve determined that that is inevitable.) I want to encourage you, reader, to a life of journaling. A life of pouring out your soul on paper, or electronic medium.

A few thoughts on journaling…

Journaling does not take a wise man (or woman), or an emotional person, or a wordsmith - it takes a reflective person. This is something that we are either born with or can acquire. Now, how do we acquire this ability? Through being observant. After all, isn't journaling just writing about your observations? For the most part.

What about those entries that spring from the soul and not the eyes? These take reflection and observation as well, examining the mind and reflecting on what takes (or took) place in the heart. What difference is there between the one who journals and the doctor who inscribes on paper the prescription? nothing!

Why journal?

Journal because you want to. If you don’t want to, you will eventually quit, and very soon and If you do stick with the art your portraits will indeed be something quite awful. How do you acquire a taste for this cuisine? By the joys that spring forth from reflecting on what you've tasted (ok “written”, sometimes i’m too poetic). And I know, this is all one never. ending. circle.

Look, let me make this plain and simple for those who appreciate plainness and simplicity, for journaling is not merely for those love elegant verbiage and beautiful wordplay: When you write in a journal you’re able to document your life for yourself, or all, to see. Myself, I am a private person, but I don’t mind being transparent, when I want to be. I challenge you to be interested enough in your own situations and emotions to ponder them upon a pad. If my own life - a snoozefest, is interesting enough to document surely you, the reader’s, life is as well.

Time

Recent events have really caused me to reflect on the concept of time. Time is infinitely precious, especially to the finite man, who will eventually live forever (talk about a paradox). Time is like...a car on a one-way lane, with no reverse, and no brakes. You can only move forward. If you loose your way you can never go backwards and re-embark on your journey. You can only recouperate and continue where you left at, arriving at your destination late. Many of those who left at the same time as you have long since passed you by...but i digress.

Time is the father of wisdom.
"Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child"(Proverbs 22:15) and "Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days,"(Job 12:12) ,beloved.
What seperates children and men is time.

Time brings circumstances. Without time, nothing that happens happens.  "In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth"(Genesis 1:1). "In the beginning", time. MUST preceed creation, and you can deduce from that that ALL that occurs within the created order is dependant on time.

See how valuable time is?

*I have often lamented the time I have waisted in my life. I honestly view everything that happened in my life prior to coming to Christ as UTTERLY worthless to me. Worthless in the sense that my old man has not left me any practical inheretance in this new life. I truly am reborn -my hypothetical car crashed and upon its repair all the cargo I once hauled is now spoiled goods, worthless garbage. Now im in a virtually new car and I must harvest new goods. All that time collecting trash is now lost! Anyways, enough about me. (I dont want this blog to be about my personal life.)

We must have the same view concerning lost time as Paul had:

"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, " (Phillipians 3:13b).

And, with the new time God may grant us?

"making the best use of the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16).

Brothers, sisters, let us praise God for the moments granted to us in this fleeting life and do all for the glory of him who is the called the Ancient of Days.

Are we still under OT law?

Matthew 5:17 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish   the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but   to fulfill them."

To what extent are you required to obey that which God commands of you, Beloved? How vast is his law to you? Does is span the length of the Jordan, then end? Or, does it flow from the lake of Gennesaret outward?  

See, Many of those who profess the Lordship of Jesus Christ think of his commands, from Matthew onward, as a “new thing”. Hence the term "New Testament"(a term which I have no problem with whatsoever, if properly understood)is very profitable to them. Conversely, those same men view those former commands, from Malachi backwards, as, well, "the old thing" - that which is to be discarded for that which is more..fashionable. 

The Old Testament is viewed by many professing Christians today to be obsolete -now made void. Yet, Christ here pronounces the exact opposite! Certainly, they reason, this must be understood a different way,because no man in his right mind thinks those under the blood of Christ should dare trample that blood by sacrificing lambs and doves. Well, his reasoning is certainly correct. It is what he concludes from that reasoning that is error.

They assume that the law is to taken as one whole. They then throw that which has passed away out with that which is still valid. The law is to be understood by a division of moral, ceremonial, and civil sanctions. God has DONE AWAY with the ceremonial aspects of the law through Christ’s sacrificial death, those civil laws are also done away with the nation of Israel (the general equity of thereof still binding).

The MORAL aspect of the Mosaic Law is STILL BINDING. They are as timeless as God is. Our infinitely holy God’s view of morality does not change. Should we assume that God’s view on sodomy will change someday? Of course not!

Let me ask you something:

Exodus 22:19 ESV

“Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.”

Does God still view bestiality negatively? If you don’t believe the OT moral law is still binding then you can’t say so definitively. If he views it negatively, isn't a man having relations with, say, a cat a sin?

Christians must STOP denying Christ by rejecting the Old testament and understand its proper application in Christian living today. Without so we displease God by neglecting to obey his commands. I know first hand that many things are hard to understand, but we must apply ourselves to understanding Gods's will for the church in American and as a whole.

Anti-religious, liberal, Christian rhetoric

(I'm not saying this guy is an anti-religious liberal, he is just an example of the sentiment)

The following is not a critique of the video (I saw this video a while ago), I like the video, nor is a critique of any article. It is the critique of a growing sentiment within the modern church that “Christianity is not a religion, but rather, it is a relationship”. I’m almost positive that this statement came about as a sort of defense for Christianity and a way to diminish frustration on the part of unbelievers who have been turned off by the monotonous rituals of Sunday worship and Christian lifestyle. The idea is that unbelievers believe that Christianity is only what we do – the concrete (go to church, read the bible, and not doing certain things deemed ‘sin’). We, however, know that a person (a Christian person, that is) “is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ,”(Galatians 2:16 ESV). So in attempt to write this wrong idea that salvation is by works, some Christians have moved to the other side of the spectrum and have said that salvation is by “faith alone”- the abstract (relationship). To which I would shout Amen. But the person who raises this point is almost always saying (whether he or she acknowledges it or not) that “salvation is only through faith (relationship), so you do not have to worry about the concrete (going to church, reading the bible, and not doing certain things deemed ‘sin’).  And now you are starting to understand the meaning of the title. I have almost always seen this sort of view and consequent lifestyle from all who have said “Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship,” this liberal, laidback, free-spirited attitude towards what the bible commands of Christians. Ask one who says “It’s only about a relationship,” (or something of the sort) if they go to church every Sunday, you will almost always get the response “No”. Why? Because it is not binding on them. Bring up Hebrews 10:25 and you will undoubtedly get the response “why are you trying to bring me back into legalism, man?” With that said, I don’t think missing church once in a while makes anyone a bad Christian, but if you only go once a year (I’m exaggerating) and aren’t attending for any particular reason, I would have some doubts. I am also not saying people who say “it’s only about faith” are all liberal, the terms I used were “almost always” not “always”; the majority, not the totality.

I would feel uneasy if I left it at this though, I don’t want to come off as a legalist or someone opposed to Sola fide. I agree with the term whole heartedly, on its face, but if not explained properly, it rears its ugly head. Salvation is only our relationship with Christ, but our relationship with Christ is always shown by our religion or our piousness. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”(John 14:15 ESV). This is a command to religion.

Religion is “a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.”

Christianity has beliefs (on creation, salvation, mankind, etc.), devotional and ritual observances (Sunday worship, prayer), and moral code (the teachings in ‘Sermon on the Mount’, for example). So in a technical sense, yes, Christianity is a religion. If you noticed all of these (besides the beliefs part) are concrete actions that the Christian is to perform in as a result of his beliefs. I think most people confuse religion with hypocrisy, two totally different things. To be fair the former is usually in union with the latter. Jesus did not hate religion per se, he hated the hypocrisy that was usually in union with it. James says about religion, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”(James 1:27 ESV). So, there is a pure and undefiled, non-hypocritical form of religion. A religion, in a sense, is just those things we do, like James says (taking care of orphans and widows). Well God commands us to do these things, and let me tell you everything in the New Testament is a command -not a suggestion. I believe our approach at righting the wrong idea that unbelievers seem to have is to point out the difference between our religion and false religion. All religion is based on the process of works salvation, Christianity is based on salvation by faith apart from works. But with that salvation, comes a desire to do those things we once hated or thought of as boring, or whatever.  So I will leave you with this advice that I agree may come off as insufficient for you, but some things need to be explained with greater detail than others and we are talking about a life or death issue here. We cannot continue to broadcast the same canned responses that have polluted Christianity with false converts for so many years. It’s not fair to us, it’s not fair to Christ, and it is not fair to the goat. Let us place more time into contemplating what we affirm lest be preachers of sin and unrepentance and not preachers faith of holiness, Amen.

Intro

Since I didn’t start off this blog the way I intended I figure I’d start with a brief introduction of what I am seeking to accomplish here. I don’t seek to restore pre-fall world peace, or start a massive movement in Christianity, no, these ambitions are too grand for even the most inspiring of bloggers. I guess all blogs start off with the prideful idea that “someone needs to read what I have to say,” who can deny? Unfortunately, I am no exception. I guess a sincere and compassionate, and thoughtful, person could start a post with the revelation that something is not right or is missing and out of a concern for the need for others to know about this thing that is missing, or not right, or whatever, they speak. When I view the vast expanse of Christian thinking I do see a chasm somewhere, but I can’t quite see far down the cleft enough to recall what was there. Liken my thoughts to a lamp then, a lamp that’s illumination is not quite bright enough to see what is lost in the darkness of ignorance (or forgetfulness), but still gives glimpses of what is needed. I cant help feeling prideful as I write this, ah, I guess it is unavoidable. I promise to repent.

What are the Thoughts: The thoughts are a hogposh(?) of random ideas that may or may not be theological, but I hope to say something edifying as much as possible. Are not all things theological is some sense? For instance, “I got flicked off by another driver today.” The doctrine of sin. “I have a 3 hour Anatomy class,” may lead me to comment on Purgatory. I am almost sure I would never speak on things so frivolous though. However, thoughts, big or small, relevant or not, are still worthy of some kind of attention. Children say the darndest things, and often the most profound things are said in simplicity. Would to God that I were a collector of quotes so that I may prove that too you, I hear them often -the one sentence aphorisms. Whatever thought that evolves into words (or letters in our case) is something that someone thought was worth others knowing about.

The Oddities are?: Look around you. Is not the world odd enough for me to not need an explanation? I will assume then that you want specifics, specifics that, unfortunately, are not available. The smorgasbord of world events must all be taken in to some degree. For those who must compartmentalize, you can categorize them as your local paper or Washington Post app would. The emotional spectrum of these things are quite exhaustive as well (hilarious, saddening, serious, horrifying, etc.) Do I seek to challenge Ripley‘s with an array of strange phenomena? No, just simply keeping my ears and eyes open to whatever is out there.

And finally, Theology: My theology is the theology of old, those sound doctrines that have been passed down from Jesus to, Paul, all the way down to Augustine, then Calvin. This theology is the theology of the Reformers both then and now, from Luther to Sproul. I am reformed, I am a Calvinist, two terms which are almost synonymous, however, I like to perceive them as embodying one another. My denominational affiliation is Baptist, but theologically I consider myself more of a Presbyterian (why I am not attending a Presbyterian church, then, is for another entry). What these things imply is that I am a Trinitarian, I am a five-point Calvinist, I believe Jesus is the only way to God, I hold to covenant theology which I believe is best expressed in raising children as members of the New Covenant community and initiating them in baptism, training them in the way of the Lord. I have much I believe in (as we all should), most of which you will undoubtedly come to know as you tune in every now and then. My hope is that my theology will teach, encourage, and convict others. It's my hope that one day the church will come to unity on the blessed doctrines presented in those sacred 66 books we call the Holy Bible. I’m just playing my part to fulfill that.

Well there you have it. 12:35AM and I have completed what I set out to do an hour or so ago and that is to tell you what I hope for here. I am no popular guy, so please tell as much people about this as you will. If you’re not impressed come back in two weeks or a month. If not, well than God bless you and thank you for giving me a chance. I am no wonder. I am no Spurgeon. I am not Jesus. I am me, however good or bad that may be usually depends on the day. I hope to meet God fearing  brothers and sisters from Asia to America (we are rare these days, you know), the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen.