Opus 2026-184: A Living Definition

On Palm Sunday we joined in the celebration of communion at our church.  It was the culmination of a great time of worship and, in keeping with its title, was a time of great community.  I had several pictures that stood out.

At our church we go forward and kneel at the altar railing.  It takes three or four repetitions of the ritual to serve everyone.  In one group a man and his wife went forward and knelt together but their children did not want to be left out.  The kids came up and squeezed between them and instead of sending the kids back to their seats, they embraced them.  They were not old enough to partake but were old enough to be part of bonding.  I loved the picture.

Another good sign was the many who joined in union that I did not know.  There were a number who looked familiar but I didn’t have their names down yet.  When you always sit in the same part of the sanctuary you miss a lot of names.  In addition there were a good number that I don’t even remembering having seen before.

I hope that everyone sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit as I did and that the spirit of unity will continue to bring us together.

That is why we call it communion 

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-165: Side Effects of Worship

In theory worship is designed to lift up and praise God.  That is a fine goal but it does not tell the whole story.  There are also a lot of benefits that accrue to the worshipers.

I find that a time of corporate worship develops a greater sense of being a part of the body of Christ.  It is like a mortar that flows through the joints between believers.  It cannot be measured but it can be recognized.

The individual benefits are also multiple.  Worship can improve your clarity of mind and focus.  The experience makers it easier for God to speak to us because we’re listening.  I find that if I don’t know I am being spoken to I miss a lot.  You may have had the experience in which someone is talking to you and you think they are just on their phone, or vise versa.  In that case you don’t miss a lot but you didn’t have a chance for anything because your mind was somewhere else.  When you walk in and open your Bible or hymnal you open the door to communication.   It gives the Holy Spirit a chance

I find it contributes to emotional stability and strength in multiple areas of my life.  There is something about the presence of other believers and the instruments of praise that reach down into our soul and put things into perspective.  That calmness prepares us to deal with life more effectually.

If we listen and apply ourselves it gives us increased knowledge and understanding.  What is not to like in that.

There is also the chance that if you do not know Jesus, salvation may become a reality in your life.  It might even begin a revival in your church and ultimately in the country.

Worship.  If I were writing in Greek that would be in the imperative.  Do it alone on your front porch.  Do it driving in traffic.  Do it in a building set aside for that purpose.  It will be worth your while. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-156: Monday Pulpit: The Blessings of Good-bys

The Sunday School lesson was interesting but I still have a short attention span.  It wasn’t totally my fault.  The guy assigned to read went beyond the request.  I noticed.  My sense of righteous indignation tried to kick in.  Instead I followed along and considered what he had read.

He crossed over into a comment about the antichrist.

(1Jn 2:18 KJV)  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
(1Jn 2:19 KJV)  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

If you are into eschatology then you are probably familiar with The Anti-Christ.  He is a dominant figure in the battles of the end times.  Like so many Biblical concepts, our theology gets ahead of our reading.  Another way of saying that is that our emotions get ahead of our reason or our opinions get ahead of the evidence.  Of course I could be doing that with my evaluation of what they are saying.

But not so fast.  In the Greek the first “antichrist” does have the definite article so we could accept that as synonymous with what end times folks like to talk about.  A couple of problems should be obvious.  The most important is that this Greek word does not appear anywhere but in the writings of John.  The second is that it is implied that this has already come.  A third is that John immediately switches to the plural.  It is many antichrists, not one Anti-Christ.

What got my attention was that John seems to be defining what he means by antichrist.  Look at verse 19.  It seems that John is defining them as people who were once part of the church and then left.  Depending on your theology you can say that they backsliden and gone apostate or you can say that evidently they were never saved in the first place.  Either way, the antichrist is people who once were in and now are out.

With that understanding the antichrist has been around since the first church was formed.  They are still with us.  They will be with us until the resurrection.  This should also tell us that someone leaving your church is not necessarily bad.  It may be they needed a different church and the move was a good thing.  On the other hand it may have been that they were secret disciples of Satan and they just could not take the holy fire of your worship.

Something to think about.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-146: Monday Pulpit: Ranking

During the Sunday School hour we were working through Romans 8 and breezed past this verse,

Romans 8:15 (KJV) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

I interrupted and tried to get the class to pause and consider adoption.  It didn’t work.  I got patted on the head and they moved on.

Any time I come across the word “adoption” in the Bible it makes me stop and consider what it meant in that day.  We have a tendency to believe that past cultures think the same way we do.  For that matter we tend to do the same with modern cultures.  In some cases it is dangerous.  In this case I think we miss a lot of the richness.

Adoption in the Roman Empire of Paul’s day was considered a higher level of family than natural birth.  In Rome, if you were not happy with the way your children were turning out, you would go out and adopt someone you thought worthy of being your heir.  That would put your children aside because they were less significant.  Sometimes the push to adopt was the result of women being reluctant to have children themselves.  Roman culture had a lot in common with modern women who value their own physical beauty over having children.  So you would adopt.

When you adopted you did not go out looking for an outcast or settle for second best.  The modern concept of adopting handicapped children or disadvantaged teens would have been a strange concept.  You did not adopt for the benefit of the child but for your purposes and goals.  Keep that in mind when you consider that Paul is saying we are adopted.

The gentiles were the focus of this adoption.  They were brought in from outside the family of Israel.  They were made children with the right of addressing God with the familiar rather than the formal.  That is what the “Abba” was all about.  We like to say that we are not worthy of salvation and that is true but this would seem to indicate that God sees something in us that is not in the unadopted.  It could be something as simple as a willingness to believe in Jesus.  It could be that you have unique qualities like the Apostle Paul when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus.

However you want to look at it accept that being adopted into God’s family makes you special in His eyes.  You are not ranked as superior to your brothers and sisters in Christ but you are elevated to the class of family.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-074: Terms in Transition

We like to use words without being forced to define them.  There are so many different ways you can use the same term.  Currently a word that comes to mind it “ice”.  Spoken quietly at the dinner table it can mean you want a few more cubes in your glass.  Screamed in a mob it can mean, “Attack the nazi thug.”  Totally different uses.  My most common example is the word “can”.  Just stop and think of all the different ways it can be used.

What started me down this road is a recent discussion by Steven Gregg on the future of Israel.  In the process, a lot of time was spent on “Who is Israel?”  It occurs to me that this is a question that has parallels in New Testament vocabulary also.  Have you ever wondered “Who is the church?”  I find the same definitions are necessary.

In the OT you have the nation of Israel juxtapositioned with what might be called the True Israel.  One is based on DNA and geography.  The other is based on on faith and obedience.  The nation of Israel is repeatedly turned over to invasion and God’s wrath.  It is exciled and dispersed.  Words like “destroyed” are used and yet the Jews kept coming back.  The key word here is “remnant”.  In the midst of the threats of wrath there is a constant reminder that there will be a faithful remnant.  That represents the true Israel which is the recipient of the promises.

We see the same problem of definition emerging in the New Testament.  Here the word of confusion is “church”.  In the Greek it means “called out ones”.  During NT times it was probably a good word to describe the saved people of God.  In modern times the word has become almost meaningless.  It has become a building.  It is often nothing but a social club.  It has often lost its spiritual meaning.  We sometimes talk about the “true church” just like we might have talked about the “true Israel”.

There are Biblical words that are more accurate.  When you want to refer to the Israel that is the recipient of God’s promise it is the remnant.  When you want to refer to the church that God is saving, refer to the body of Christ.

I think that understanding would go a long way toward clarifying issues.  If you are one of those people who don’t want clarification then try reading the L.A. Times.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-008: Finally

He finally finished Second Samuel.  I had to laugh at the enthusiasm of that remark.  The “he” in question was the pastor of a church that my children attend.  The pastor is very serious about Bible study.  I remember talking to him once about the in-depth study that he did.  I was favorably impressed.  He wasn’t bragging.  He was simply explaining his passion.  I don’t know how long it took him to get through Second Samuel, but my guess is a couple years.  Finally, he was finished.

The sad part of this is that he is not representative of most pastors, in my opinion.  If you have a pastor that puts in serious time digging into the word, studying, meditating on what he studies, and struggling to put it together in a way that speaks to you as a person in the pew, then count your blessings.  You have a rare specimen.

Back when I was still looking for a church I did a lot of visiting.  I don’t know if I attended any church where I was convinced about the study habits of the pastor.  There were a lot of great speakers.  They attempted to communicate and did a good job, but I think they spent most of their time in figuring out how to be impressive in their speaking ability rather than digging into the depth of what the Bible was saying.

Most pastors have their theology down in a way in which is well organized and readily available.  They’re preaching and teaching tends to be boiler plate.  There might be some adjustments, but they aren’t really open to what they’re finding as they look at the Greek tenses and consider the situation that the Bible verses were written to.  What dominates their thinking is the training they got in theology.  That in itself is not bad if you take that and use it as part of what you are studying as one of your tools. What is the problem when you refuse to see simple statements as simple statements and warp them to fit.

We run into this quite frequently with the unrecognized influence of John Calvin and Saint Augustine.  Another big influence that people don’t seem to understand is the writings of the Rabbis in the Talmud of which over the years have been making their way into the teachings of the church.  So many things that we believe just ain’t so.  I’m not talking about the basics such as the physical resurrection of Jesus or the requirement of trusting in His shed blood.  I’m not talking about the centrality of grace.  The thing is there is so much more that is taught in the Bible than just that and once that foundation is laid they should be building something bigger and stronger.

So if you have one of those rare jewels, treasure him. You might suggest to a board member or Deacon that he needs a raise. Do everything you can to keep him.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-528: Brain Storming

Tonight (written Wednesday) I’m going to a meeting at church and the goal of the meeting is to brainstorm where we want to go in the future.  There are a number of things that will be on the agenda, if there is an agenda.  First will be a concern with reaching younger people and trying to get young people into the church.  The second one will be a building program.  That is needed.  Beyond that I’m not sure where it will go or what direction.

I will need to sit on myself quite regularly because I tend to talk too much.  I have a lot of ideas, and am too critical at what others come up with.  So my challenge will be to listen and if there’s something that I just can’t hold back to go ahead and suggested.

What is going to make it difficult is the feeling expressed by the pastor that they don’t want to change anything.  Now when it comes to doctrine and the emphasis on scripture, I have no problem.  That should not be on the board at all.  When it comes to style of worship, he is big on hymns.  I think that’s a positive point but it’s not just that he’s big on hymns; it’s that he doesn’t let us sing anything which is not in the hymnal.  I find the typical contemporary worship incredibly boring.  I don’t think it reaches young people.  But then that’s the opinion of old guy.  However, there is a fair amount of what you would call contemporary music, which is quite singable, theologically solid, and worth adding to our worship service.  It should be a mixture of both hymns and the good contemporary stuff.

Then you have the issue of people in positions of leadership.  We have a pianist, who is very skilled.  She is an excellent pianist.  I have a CD that her husband gave me of what she did one time.  I’m told she never had to go back and do anything twice except when a motorcycle went by and somehow got through there sound barriers.  She is really good.  Or I might say she used to be really good but her skills have been going down seriously.  She’s in her 80s.  She has always played slow.  And the choir mentions they regularly trying to get her to go faster and she just won’t do it.  I don’t know if it’s lack of ability or lack of desire.  I know that you can use hymns and they can really lift people up but only if you sing them at the proper tempo.

As far as the building program goes, yes, we need to do something because we are at that point where people will stop coming because it gets too crowded.  My background tells me that’s about 80% of capacity.  My suggestion before they start a building program, would be to go to double services.  I don’t think that they’re open to that.  We’ll see.

So tonight I’m going to try to get there.  I’m going to try to be positive.  I know that God wants to use this church.  We’ll see if we’re open to it.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-324: Growth Potential

Is it possible for church to grow beyond the level of the pastor?

Can a church rise higher than the spiritual standing of the pastor?   I am thinking of the growing number of churches that are rejecting the orthodox teachings of Christianity as revealed in the Bible.  For that matter, many are rejecting the Bible.  What are the chances of finding truth in an atmosphere dedicated to falsehood?  Some people commit to staying in a church that is going apostate and hope to be a force for revival.  Does that ever work?

Suppose the pastor accepts the teaching of scripture but remains what Paul would call a “babe in Christ”.  What if he lacks and is not seeking spiritual maturity?  Can a church move beyond spiritual maturity of the pastor?  If he doesn’t have any discipline, exercising any spiritual gifts, spend time in personal study and worship, will the church ever be able to develop behind that?

What if the pastor isn’t real smart?  What if he is deficient intellectually and has no desire to learn more?  What if the pastor doesn’t see anything beyond superficial and refuses to study and broaden his understanding?  Will the church ever go beyond the superficial?

We could keep going down this road but the question remains.  I am one of those people who think that church splits and a general exodus can be healthy for the life of the real church.  A change can often bring new growth in individuals if it is done for the right reasons.  If you are a believer I would invite you to seriously think about the question.  Keep in mind that there is no perfect church and no perfect pastor.  Just because he doesn’t use the translation you like is no reason to go running to greener pastures.  I have learned to look for the insights in the KJV because that is what my church uses.  The positives might outweigh the negatives and we need to be sure that we are not one of the negatives.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-233: Headlines: Gag Reflex

My computer did its “I am in charge” reboot and I was forced to get things going again.  As a result the opening page of my browser showed up without being invited.  One of the things that it likes to do it try to get me to click on its choices of important spots.  The first one got my attention.  It said that Pope Francis had died at 88.

My reaction?  “At last.”

The AP slant was that he was a “...pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and...”  Even for the AP that shows an ability to lie that is exceptional.  I don’t know a lot of Catholics but I never met one who felt he had a “humble style”.  Most thought him to be an arrogant socialist who was committed to destroying the traditional Catholic church.  I guess the Muslims liked him because he kissed up to them but the faithful in the church could not wait for him to depart the scene.

As an outsider I will find the replacement rituals interesting.  He was working hard to make sure that there were enough socialist cardinals that when he was gone a boiler plate replacement would be installed.  I am one of those born again types who have repeatedly said that Roman Catholics were Christians.  I do not mark the Romans church as the anti-Christ.  I hope that they will recover from this setback.  I am not sure that they can survive another Francis.  I can only hope and pray that there is another John Paul in the wings.

Pray for the Catholics.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-204: Revival of Catechism

When I was pastoring, I made sure that I did not get cavalier and casual about taking people into church membership.  You couldn’t just show up one Sunday, have an overwhelming emotional experience and be taken into membership.  I would have classes that extended for a number of weeks as we went through the basic beliefs of Christians and the peculiar aspects of our denomination.  I tried to make it clear what was basic in following Jesus, and what was expected to join our fellowship.  I don’t remember hearing any big complaints because people tended to be interested in learning what they needed to know.

I am somewhat shocked at how easy it is for people to join some churches.  I think a basic course in theology should really be required to join.  Notice I said to join, not to fellowship.  Fellowship can be extended just on the basis of, “Hi, my name is….”

In light of that, I think it would be good if part of our secret knowledge, so to speak, included a few words in the original languages of the Bible.  If we could learn those words, it would clear up a lot of confusion.

One of those words is that which is translated “LORD”, in all capitals in the KJV and NASB.  The Hebrew word is Yahweh.  There’s no great virtue in being able to say that word, but there is great value and understanding that it is as a statement of God that His name means, “I am.”

It might also be helpful to learn to pronounce the Jewish name for Jesus, and understand that that means savior.

I also think that the words dealing with being saved are important.  I think that people should learn to say the Greek word charis, rather than just grace.  I think learning a Greek word for faith, pistis, would help clear up some confusion.  It would force people to look a little deeper and think twice as they read the scriptures and talk with other believers.

I realize that this could get carried away.  I know there is always the danger of becoming an exclusive club with “secret knowledge”.  I don’t think we need that, but we do need to somehow get people to think more seriously, and more deeply about their faith.

Maybe we could even start translating our Bibles using certain keywords in the original language.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-199: Prayer Requests

At least twice a week we have a time for sharing prayer requests at church.  There’s nothing unusual about this.  Most of you have been through a similar experience.  At first it seems like just a long list of aches, pains, cancers, and other really serious situations.  When I’m in the wrong mood it seems almost dangerous to go to church because there is so many problems I don’t want to catch.

Attitude and perspective can change many things.  As I get to know the people over the years and as I watch and listen to their attitudes and perspectives, I find myself being encouraged.  I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life in many ways.  I wonder how I will respond when I go through the deep waters.  Watching these people, and the joy of the Lord that radiates from them in the midst of their cancer is encouraging.  Being made aware of intense pain they may be going through and still have a smile on their face is uplifting.

What I’m saying is that while the prayer requests are actually given so that we pray, it may be that one of the reasons we share is because that experience lifts us all up.  A group of the seniors get together on Fridays at a local restaurant.  We had a couple that came for the first time in a long time this week.  She had been through multiple serious struggles.  He’s been our prayer list for quite a while because of intensive pain, and how the treatment given by the doctor had made it even worse.  It was a joy to see them out and moving.  I could look down the table and be aware of some of the struggles that different ones we’re going through.  It’s not that everyone was in the depths of despair or falling apart, but there were enough issues in the group to make me rejoice in their presence.  They took the time and made the struggle to come out and be a part of our fellowship.  It is an honor to be a part of them.

So when someone asked you to pray for them.  Do it.  Don’t forget the spiritual aspects of their need.  People often overlook that.  But also remind yourself that this is evidence of God’s hand at work, not only in their lives but in yours.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-234: Sunrise Slathering

I went to dinner with my fellow old folks from the church and we had a good time of fellowship.  I’m usually one of the last ones to get there.  They originally told me 5:30 and I have kept that schedule even when I realized that they arrived earlier.  A habit was establish the first time.

When I came in and we went through the traditional raucous, greeting time, I noticed that there was an aluminum wrapped object on the end of the table where the empty seats were.  I sat down and moved it out of the way, and they informed me that it was for me.  With this group, you can never tell if they’re serious or pulling your leg so we went back-and-forth a few times until I realized that, yes, it was a loaf of sourdough bread that had been prepared by one of the members of the group, and she had given it to me.

The gift in itself was a blessing because it speaks of being accepted as part of the group and being important to them.  That is always a good thing.

It got better the next morning.

I don’t know if you have ever experienced fresh baked bread, hand sliced to your preferred thickness, early in the morning, with butter that has had a chance to soften up to room temperature, slathered on with wild abandon.  Add to that the early morning hour  and being able to look at the kitchen window and see the rose of sunrise on the horizon.

This is a good definition of what blessings are.  We are surrounded by so many modern miracles like air-conditioning, hot and cold running water, dermatologists, and grocery stores full of everything you can imagine, that we tend to forget what a miracle all of these things are historically.  Then you add fresh baked bread and butter that spreads easily, and did I say a toaster?

That is a blessing.  Count them, but don’t bother keeping track because they get very numerous.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-100: Rubicon or Styx?

After years of playing footsie with paganism the United Methodist Church has finally crossed the Rubicon.  Maybe it would be better to call it the River Styx.  They are now officially apostate.  They have rejected the Bible and endorsed the Gospel of Gaia.  

If you missed the headlines, the United Methodist Church has officially voted to embrace the agenda of the homosexuals.  They have voted to celebrate what is called “gay marriage” and endorse open homosexuals and lesbians to the ministry.  The attack on Biblcal standards has been going on for years but the Christians in the churches seemed to have enough votes to keep it in the wings and not the pulpits.  That has changed and the change is only beginning.

Once you reject the clear teaching of scripture on sexuality it will not be long before you do the same for such things as the divinity of Christ and the physical resurrection.  Obviously sin is not a problem that needs solving.

There has been a movement, led by the African churches, to leave the UMC and start a separate denomination.  I believe it is called the Global Methodist Church and it embraces the Methodist church that emerged from the Wesley Revival of England.  

We are now seeing John Wesley roll over in his grave for a second time.  His original plan was to revive the Church of England.  He remained an ordained elder in that denomination until he died and urged his followers to stay in the church.  That did not work.  After he died the people called “Methodists” in derision took the name and started a new work.  That was the first roll over.  I think the second came when the church that theoretically followed his teaching voted to ignore the Bible and go pagan.

So far about 25% of Methodist churches have pulled out of the denomination.  I expect the departure of organized churches leaving will slow for legal reasons involving property.  I also expect the increased departure of individuals who have been reading their Bibles, hanging in there praying for revival and fighting the good fight.  The good fight is over in the denomination.  I expect they will be looking for churches that are still believing in Jesus and the teachings about Him in the Bible.

Look for them in a church near you.  Welcome them.  Pray for them.  It is a hard decision but one that needs to be made.  You might pray for your own church because the leaven might already have a foothold in a house of worship near you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-230: The Answer

There are many benefits delivered by a men’s Bible Study.  Obviously you get to study the Bible, or at least that is the goal.  You have a chance to get to know people on a deeper level.  You gain insights that you could not get on your own.

You also find out you are not the only one.

Part of the time we spent together was spent in a project to help a widow in the church.  In the process of discussing our lives one guy pointed out that his wife wondered why he had time to work on church projects but not enough time to do what she wants.  Suddenly we were all nodding our heads.  It seems this is a common concern of the women in our lives.

I guess it is just one of those mysteries that has no answer, except, “Yes, Dear.”

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-190: St. George and the Horse

Alicia Childers had some click bait about Trojan horses invading the church.  She was interviewing someone named Dr. Erwin Lutzer.  It was a short and generally accurate examination of the way pastors and churches have swallowed the anti-Biblical nonsense of CRT and other woke philosophies.  He explained the problem and the general point was the churches needed to read their Bibles and put its principles to work instead of trying to conform to the world.

I noticed a point of genuine irony as Dr. Lutzer was talking.  He said something to the effect that George Floyd’s death was tragic.  No it wasn’t.  It was a case of justice coming home to roost.  That was one of the talking points of the left wing city burners.  Floyd was a violent thug with a long history of brutality.  On the night in question he was heavily overdosed on illegal drugs and was vigorously resisting arrest.  The policeman was following the policy set out by the police department.  Was he supposed to let Saint George jump up and go running off down the street?

This is an indication of how the values and vocabulary of the God haters is infiltrating the church and we don’t even see it.  We want to fit in so badly that we repeat their talking points instead of speaking truth.  Yes, the Trojan horses are in the church.  There are more of them than we want to admit.

I hope we wake up.

Pray.  Speak up.  As Paul repeatedly tells us, reprove, rebuke, correct.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-130: One Temple or Many Churches

There was only one temple.  It was the house of God.  It contained the Arc of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat.  The inner chamber was the Holy of Holies.  It was the one place where sacrifices could be made for atonement.  There were synagogues where people met to discuss and study.  It was there that children were trained.  Every village with ten men could have a synagogue, but there was only one temple.  I know that Jews call their houses of worship “temples” today but that is more a wish than a accurate label.

Today many Christians refer to churches as houses of the Lord?  Is that theologically accurate?  I guess we could make a distinction between “House of God” and “House of the Lord” and say that Lord refers to Jesus, but I don’t think most people are following that logic.  Is the local rented gymnasium a “house of the Lord” because a congregation meets there for worship?

I suggest that Pentecost gives us an indication.

Before Pentecost the Holy Spirit was given to selected individuals.  I think of Saul in particular.  Samuel tells Saul,

(1Sa 10:6 KJV)  And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

After Pentecost the Holy Spirit was available to all believers.  Consider that the temple veil was torn in two.  A few years later the entire temple complex was leveled by Roman soldiers.  Would it not be a possible suggestion that the Temple ceased being the location of God’s worship and that was transferred to local churches?

I can’t think of any verse in the New Testament that ties a building to the presence of God.  Individual believers, yes.  Buildings, no.  I would suggest that any structure that has believers gathered for worship could be called a house of the Lord, not because the building is sacred but because God has promised to meet with them.  

(Mat 18:20 KJV)  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Words are wonderful for communication and learning.  Don’t let unimportant distinctions distract you from seeking truth.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-073: Social Evolution

Progressive revelation is the idea that God revealed eternal truth a bit at a time.  Noah was not filled in on the Law.  The Sermon on the Mount was not delivered by Jeremiah.  The trinity was cloaked in mysterious ways even though Genesis 1 uses a plural name for God and mentions the Spirit.  Even now the prophecies about the end times are open to many interpretations (with apologies to those who think they have it figured out).

Why?

Probably for the same reason you don’t explain where babies come from in great detail to a four year old.  You start kids with T-ball not 100 mph fast balls on a full sized diamond.  My daughter started her culinary adventure with Kraft Macaroni and Cheese not some of the exotic stuff she comes up with now.  

Just as we are not ready, humanity was not ready.

He could have delivered it in one lump sum but most of us have a hard time reading the entire sermon on the mount at one time.  Admit it.  How often do your eyes glaze over when the pastor insists on reading an entire chapter of Romans at the beginning of a sermon?  Since I hate to be read to I tune out early.  My world is full of squirrels and rabbit trails.  Every time I make chili or jerky I need the detailed recipe in front of me.

So God had mercy on us as individuals.

It takes time for our cultures to adapt to new truth and it must be a natural adaptation for it not to be just better robots.  Take the issue of the place of women in God’s plan.  We tend to gather on one of two extremes.  Either we mimic the Muslims and treat woman like inferior creatures or we go woke and portray them as superior in all ways at all times.  Will we ever get to the Biblical balance?  I am willing to hold my breath but not until it happens.

Society evolves slowly.  That should be obvious since we resist learning as individuals.  Hang on.  Do your part.  Live as an example.  Leave the pace up to God.

homo unius libri

Opus 2022-312: First Step in Revival

Hey, you.  Yes, you.  Don’t look the other way.  Don’t pretend that you don’t hear me.

I am guessing that a few years ago you were faithful to attending Sunday Morning worship.  You might have even gone to Sunday school.

There are pastors out there trying to do it right.  Most of them are in small churches, working a side job, hearing about the big name preachers and about ready to throw in the towel.  I will admit that there are a lot of guys filling the pulpit that should be janitors at a local middle school.  There are still those who are genuinely called, believe the Bible is the Word of God and have a personal relationship with their Lord.  

So what is my issue?  

You.

You have given up on the church.  You have gotten used to sitting at home and if you feel like it watching a big name preacher on the screen.  Don’t blame it on the Covid lockdown.  You were there before all that nonsense started.  You are still there.  You might have heard someone complain about the state of the church.  You might have said a few things yourself.  Some of the big guns are doing a sterling job of proclaiming truth but you can’t sit there on your duff and think that you are doing your part.

I know one family of believers.  It is actually three families over three generations.  They are godly, talented people who have not darkened the doors of a church in years.  I take that back.  The elders went to church with me when they were visiting.  After the service I heard nothing but nit picking.

If you are waiting for the perfect church to pop up on your radar then get ready for a long wait.  Just as Utopia in politics does not exist, neither does Utopia in the church.  It doesn’t exist in marriage or in children, but you already knew that.  If Utopia had existed in the days of the Apostle Paul we would have none of his letters.  

The world is in crisis.  Our country is in crisis.  The church is AWOL.  Part of the reason is you are AWOL.  Go find a church where you can make a difference.  Make a pastor’s day.  Maybe with your tithe he can quit his job driving a school bus and actually put in the time to give you the sermons you deserve.  

Okay, maybe I was wrong at the beginning.  Maybe it isn’t you.  Then again...

homo unius libri

Opus 2022-137: Worse Than Facebook Jail

On the topic of persecution.  I believe it is coming.  The easy life we have known as Christians is under attack and I expect it to get nasty.

We talk about persecution but we really don’t know what it means.  Some people think getting put in Facebook Jail is persecution.  I guess it is in a sense but it is a long way from watching your children being fed to lions.  And let’s face it, it is also a badge of honor.  I am sometimes humiliated that I have never written anything to get me banned from Facebook.  One problem might be that I don’t have a Facebook account.  

Much of the persecution we face is so far off the radar that we don’t even know it happened.  I remember that I almost did not get a teaching job because I was a Christian.  I didn’t find out about it until years later but they seriously thought about saying, “No thanks.”  Unfortunately for them they were really desperate so I hung around 29 years.  There is no way of knowing how many other times in life we have been denied something we were qualified for because of our faith.  Does that qualify as persecution?  It brings to mind the old question about the tree falling in the forest with no one around.

I think that the first thrust of felt persecution will come from within the church.  The pagan pastors and church leaders will lead the charge to purge their church social clubs of anyone that actually believes the truths that mark the Christian.  If you are a pastor in some denominations and preach against homosexuality then you will be in trouble with both the DA and the bishop.  My wife is convinced that some denominations are cooperating with the government by turning over membership lists and associated data.

The vaccine mandates came close and that battle doesn’t seem to be over yet.  I remember reading about people advocating a need for proof of vaccination in order to buy food.  Think of New York City.  I don’t know how accurate the reports are but without “the card” you were not allowed in many businesses.  

Can it be avoided?  I think so.  All it would require is for the church to get back to being the church and for revival to break out.  God has held back His judgement before.  He might do it again.  

Or this could actually be the end times.  Finally.  

homo unius libri

 Opus 2022-048:  The Church Needs to Be the Church

One of my daily prayers is for the church to wake up and become salt and light again.  At the root of all the problems in our country is a failure of the church.  One of the calls that will often go out is for the pulpits to stand up and declare truth.  The problem we get into is not wanting to get political.  The weakness of the church is that they refuse to address moral issues such as homosexuality because the secular culture says they are political.

How can the church change society?  I came across this statement as I was re-reading Mere Christianity.  I think Lewis gives the pastors too much of an escape clause but I totally agree with what he is really trying to say.

“People say, ‘The Church ought to give us a lead.’  That is true if they mean it in the right way, but false if they mean it in the wrong way.  By the Church they ought to mean the whole body of practicing Christians.  And when they say that the Church should give us a lead, they ought to mean that some Christians - those who happen to have the right talents - should be economists an statesmen, and that all economists and statesmen should be Christians, and that their whole efforts in politics and economics should be direct to putting ‘Do as you would be done by’ into action.  If that happened and if we others were really ready to take it, then we should find the Christian solution for our own social problems pretty quickly.  But, of course, when they ask for a lead from the Church most people mean they want the clergy to put out a political programme (sic).  That is silly.  The clergy are those particular people within the whole Church who have been specially trained and set aside to look after what concerns us as creatures who are going to live for ever:  and we are asking them to do a different job for which they have not been trained.  The job is really on us, on the laymen.”  p. 83

The times when the Christian church has been most influential was not when the pulpits were the most political or even when the laymen were most political.  It has been when the average Christian has been serious about applying their faith to their daily walk.  It means speaking the truth.  It is to be spoken in love but that does not mean watering it down to the point of vacuity.  

If we want the United States to once again be blessed by God then each of us who claims to be a follower of Jesus needs to become salt and light in our daily activities.  It may not be sexy but it is righteous.

Lewis, C.S.  Mere Christianity.  Norwalk, Connecticut:  The Easton Press, 2002.

homo unius libri