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Pet Theology and Mind Set
That Jesus has sanctioned one political party over another and if an individual does not adhere to the recognized "Christian party" you are a border line heretic.
Plumb Line of Truth
"The Christian Church must be guided by the Word of God and by
it alone. It must not forget for an instant that all political systems,
right and left alike, are the work of men. It must hold itself free to
carry out its own mission and to work out a possibly quite new form of
obedience or resistance. It must not sell this birthright for any conservative
or revolutionary mess of pottage."
Karl Barth - Swiss Theologian (1886-1968)
"By no political alchemy can you get golden conduct out of leaden
instincts." Herbert Spencer as quoted by Henry Drummond (1851-1897)
"When Satan offers to Him all the kingdoms of earth, Jesus refuses-but
the church accepts, not realizing from whom it is receiving the kingdom."
Jacques Ellul sociological/theological writer and commentator (1912-1994)
"We cannot baptize every political ideal because it is sugar-coated
with a naïve religiosity." Charles Ringma commentary after Jacques
Ellul.
Disciples to Jesus: "Lord, are you going to free Israel (from Rome)
now and restore us as an independent nation?" (Acts 1.6)
Jesus to His disciples: "I am not an earthly king. My Kingdom is
not of the world. If it were, my servants would fight...but my Kingdom
is from another place." (John 18.36)
Since His servants are fighting, often one another, what does that tell
us about which "kingdom" we are serving?
This misplaced emphasis has caused polarization in the church rallying
around the wrong cause. The result is a misallocation of time, and money,
and a compromising of its message. The Church is a prophetic community
that is not for sale and cannot be bought. To maintain it's integrity,
it must adhere to the prophetic Word not any political ideology or party
line.
"He who converts his neighbor has performed the most practical Christian
political act of all." C.S. Lewis -- English novelist and essayist
(1898-1963)
"Is this any way to run a country? Is there an honest politician
in the house?" (Psalm 58.1 The Message)
"Your High God, above politics, above everything." (Psalm 46.10
The Message)
"Self control is better than political power." (Proverbs 16.32
The Message)
Me & Mine Maintenance Ministries
Pet Theology and Mind Set
"Look, we've done it this way for hundreds of years. We adhere to the true tradition of the church. All these other groups come and go but we are maintaining what some might call the status quo. But we're not getting caught up in the latest trend. Sure, most of the people in our congregation are all over sixty years old. But we are the faithful few. All our bills are paid and we have money in the bank. Why change now? We're holding on. We can't be concerned about everything that's going on in the world. So don't rock the boat and expect us to change now after all these years."
Plumb Line of Truth
"You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition."
Jesus Christ (Matthew 15.6)
"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you
were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither got
nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich;
I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize
that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked." Jesus Christ
to the Laodicean church (Revelation 4.15-17)
Selfish absorption and indifference. Me and mine instead of us & ours.
"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow
cold." Jesus Christ commentary on the attitude of people in the "last
days" preceding His return to earth. (Matthew 24.12)
Cyberspace for Christ Church
Pet Theology and Mind Set
The so called, "Electronic Church", which includes TV, the Internet, radio, tapes, magazines, books. You are a passive viewer, listener and part of the audience. No human flesh & blood person is necessary to participate. It is "virtual" church. An electronic voice without a tangible body. It is take it or leave it commitment. If you don't like it, change the channel or turn it off. No accountability required.
Plumb Line of Truth
"Don't neglect meeting together as some people do." (Hebrews
10.25)
How do you confess your faults and sins to one another? (James 5.16)
How do you lay hands on the sick? (James 5.16)
How do you break bread together? (1 Corinthians 11.23-31)
How do you build relationships as members of one another? (See various
references to the "one another's" throughout the New Testament.)
How do you share life? (Acts 2.43-47; 4.32-35)
How do you function together as a church body? (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians
12)
The Charismatic Circus
Pet Theology and Mind Set
Often these are experiences at the expense of truth.
A number of people in pursuit of such occurrences, journey from place
to place, church to church, conference to conference, seeking out the
latest Christian fad.
Church meetings have oftentimes been demonstrations of aberrational behavior,
including falling, jumping, jerking, barking, giggling and other emotional
superficial behavior and impulses.
For these people, true Biblical theology is subjective, and there is little
accountability to legitimate spiritual authority. As a result there is
often a misplaced emphasis on so called prophecies, unfounded miracles,
healing, and unsubstantiated visitations of angels.
Someone has said, "The charismatic movement was worldwide, and about
six inches deep." This kind of behavior would seem to confirm that.
Plumb Line of Truth
"We must not turn our religion into a circus as they (Israel) did."
Paul the Apostle to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 10 The Message)
"So much of this circus is an outward show." Jesus to the Pharisees
(Matt 23. 5-10; 25-26)
"We have become a generation rapidly losing our sense of divine sacredness
and reverence in our worship. In our churches you can detect the attitude
of anything goes. No great spiritual movement of believing prayer and
revival is going to come out of such a church." -- A.W. Tozer
"You can't be flippant and giddy when you've had a vision of His
holiness."
Pastor/writer -- David Wilkerson
"Don't be flip with the sacred" Jesus Christ (Matthew 7.6 The
Message)
"Every great religious awakening has a fringe of adherents imperfectly
affected by it. Their profession outruns reality." Alexander MacLaren
-- Scottish minister/writer (1826-1910)
" Often this kind of activity is "soulical" emotionalism.
It often results in disillusionment for people, which the enemy will use."
T.Austin Sparks (1889-1971), English Bible expositor/writer
"There is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off
and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it." Jesus
Christ (Matthew 3.21 The Message)
"Do you not know that one little bit of faith, which can only come
through the Word of God, is worth more than all your crying, all your
rolling on the floor, and all your screaming. God is better than all this."
Smith Wigglesworth, English minister/writer (1859-1947)
"When we are in an unhealthy state physically or emotionally, we
always want thrills. In the physical domain this will lead to counterfeiting
the Holy Ghost; in the emotional life it leads to inordinate affection
and destruction of morality; and in the spiritual domain if we insist
on getting thrills, on mounting up with wings, it will end in the destruction
of spirituality." Oswald Chambers Scottish, evangelist/writer/Bible
expositor (1874-1917)
"Jesus was always in control of Himself. He was always balanced,
and sane, and poised. The Spirit of Jesus is controlled power." E.
Stanley Jones
"Fools feed on fast food, fads and fancies." Proverbs 15.14
(The Message)
Recognizing that God often does things we don't understand there are some
legitimate questions that should be asked:
An Interview of the Church
"When you come before Me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like
this, running here and there, doing this and that--all this sheer commotion
in the place provided for worship?" (Isaiah 1.8-16 -- God through
Isaiah the prophet to Israel --The Message)
"I'm completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each
other and with God. You're acting like infants in relationship to Christ,
capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well then, I'll
nurse you since you don't seem capable of anything more. As long as you
grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you
really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything's
going your way?…aren't you being totally infantile?" The Apostle
Paul to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 3.1-3 The Message)
"If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders
walk in on you,…won't they assume that you have taken leave of your
senses and get out of there as fast as they can?" (The Apostle Paul
to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 3.1-3 The Message)
Do we, "Examine the Scriptures daily to see if these things are so."
(Acts 17.11)
Do we, "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of
evil "
(1 Thessalonians 5.21-22)
Is our behavior consistent with the character of God?
What are we left with after the "goosebumps" go down? What is
the lasting fruit of the Holy Spirit? "By their fruit you will know,
and recognize them." (Matthew 7.20)
We often walk in systems, methodology, liturgy, tradition, forms and the
spiritual fad of the hour, but what does it mean to live life in the Spirit?
Do we know how to be led by and walk in the Spirit? Or is it hit and miss?
Do we know, "what the Spirit is saying to the Churches?"
Whatever happened to:
Lordship?
The Cross?
Discipleship?
Obedience?
As the Apostle Paul said, isn't it time we grew up and ceased to be babies?
Read the next segment of this chapter.
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