Wednesday, February 27, 2008

A Stunning (Predictable) Silence

Now here’s a site that caught my attention. I just found it today. I have never commented on a blog site yet. I think that I will begin with this site. Here is what the header says:

THIS ONGOING WAR

Many people lack a factual understanding of events in our region because the media often report them inadequately and inaccurately. Our daughter Malki, murdered at the age of 15 in a restaurant massacre in 2001, was a victim of jihadist hatred and barbarism. Jihadism will end in Israel (New York, Madrid, London, Bali) only after people first understand the scale on which it’s happening. This war is killing us.

That will kick religion out of a man, won’t it? Not a whole lot of niceness here. Whatever this man has to say, I’m listening. What caught my attention was an article written on Monday, Feb. 18 entitled Knowing your enemy and burning the books. Here are some of his comments:

There’s something deeply resonant, even symbolic, in the fact that this past Friday a library was destroyed just across the border.

12 gunmen launched an assault, yet another in a long series of attacks on Christian figures and institutions, on the YMCA library in Gaza City. The ever-reliable Palestinian-Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh writes that the library was completely destroyed ‘in response to the re-publication of cartoons “ridiculing” the Prophet Muhammad in a number of Danish newspapers last week.’ All 8000 books were destroyed. A BBC report says the gunmen asked the guards why they worked for ‘infidels’

If you haven’t noticed, several jihadist groups in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have previously claimed responsibility for earlier attacks on Christian figures and institutions, and murders of prominent Christians, over the past two years. The BBC quotes them saying ‘they would continue their attacks until all 3,000 Christians had left the Gaza Strip.’ Clear enough?

This is pretty alarming stuff. Not the bombing – we fully expect barbarism from the jihadist. But the stunning silence from the leaders of the Christian world.

It’s not as if the writing isn’t already on the wall: the manager of Gaza’s only Christian bookstore was kidnapped, stabbed and gunshot to death four months ago in central Gaza City. The World Alliance of YMCAs condemned the Gaza bombing. And that just about exhausts the list of official Christian voices of outrage.

Stan Goodenough of the Christian news-service JNewswire based here in Jerusalem, describing the process as Moslem ethnic cleansing, puts it pretty pungently: ‘For Gaza’s Muslims, ridding themselves of any active Christian presence would be cherry on top after successfully forcing Israel to remove every single Jew from Gaza in 2005’.
(bold in original)

Beloved, this is the reason that I started this site. Here is an Israeli man who is astute enough to understand that the Christian community is dormant and certainly not outraged by such incidents. Where is our called-out nature? Have we simply turned into a mega-religious culture? Do we not understand that there is rampant evil in this World and that we are in a war? It seems sometimes that it is only the Church that does not understand that there is a cultural, spiritual, physical war going on. They are murdering our daughters! Is our religious success (in numbers) causing us to become cowards?

It took murder to activate this man. What will it take to activate the (remnant) Church? This astute man understands that the destruction of the library is not the most troubling aspect of this event, but rather that the community that should have stood up and demanded answers for this vile act remained mute. How sad!

I agree with this man on every point that he has to make, except one. He claims that only when we understand the scale in which jihadism is acting upon our World society will that same jihadism end. But I seem to disagree with everybody in that respect. Jihadism, murder, ethnic cleansing, etc, etc, will not end with knowledge, good will, reason, education, ecumenism, cooperation among peoples, or any other man-made religious effort - no not ever! Why should mankind change after 6000 years of human history?

To this heart-broken man and his wife, I say, remain faithful to the task that is before you. To the Christian activist community, I say the same. Only we have the Light. Let’s engage an enemy who hates us and who hates the Lord who gave us new life. Let’s not water down His message - We are not a religion, we are a called-out people. Act like it!

Arnold: Jihadism will end only when the Messiah of Israel returns with the armies of heaven to defeat the enemy who hates your people, hates your daughter and who hates your soul and my soul!! I know that you disagree with that assessment, and that you still have hope. Just give the World a little more time. That too will be taken from you. I have lost too many people that I love; my heart is with your heart.

TAFTCom…

Back to the Thirties

This abstract from the JPost of Feb. 19, 2008:

In a letter of condolence following last week’s assassination of Hizbullah terror chief Imad Mughniyeh (Muhammad Ali Jafari) said: ‘I am convinced that with every passing day Hizbullah’s might is increasing and in the near future, we will witness the disappearance of this cancerous growth Israel by means of the Hizbullah fighters’ radiation (therapy).

In the letter, in which Jafari consoled (Hassan Nasrallah) over the death of the ‘martyr,’ he continued: “There’s no doubt that the death of this loyal fighter will strengthen the resolve of all revolutionary Muslims and fighters in the struggle against the Zionist regime, particularly the resolve of those who fought by this martyr’s side.’
(bold mine)

I’m feeling guilty. For the last few days, I’ve been bitten by a bug that’s forcing me to work my back yard in order to plant artichokes. Steep slope, clay soil, time consuming and not at all spiritual - but enjoyable. So I woke up this morning (2:00 A. M.) and thought that it’s time to get back to the blog. Love artichokes; the entire family loves artichokes; they look beautiful, and taste great, but this guy is talking about nuking Israel. I should have commented on the full article when it came out, but I was planting artichokes! By the way, I congratulate Muhammad Ali Jafari for actually saying the word Israel. This is progress. Peace must be just around the corner. He later came to his senses and used the term Zionist regime, but it may be too late. They may have already cut out his tongue. So here I am thinking that I’m some sort of a Watchman on the Wall. While I’m changing clay soil to a more artichoke friendly soil, Israel is about to get nuked, Ezekiel 38-39 looms ahead of us and the Church slumbers. I vow! Yes, I swear that one of these days I’m going to stop planting artichokes, and devote all of my time to annoying people with these TAFTCOM… articles. By the way, I have also been bitten by the bug to plant cacti and succulents. It’s a strange looking yard.

It’s the year 2008, right? Feels more like 1939. IT’S 1939 BELOVED! We’re snake-bit and we’re not paying attention!

TAFTCom…

Friday, February 22, 2008

Take Home Some Thoughts

I attend a small fellowship on Friday nights and in the past year we have covered several topics and/or biblical passages that have concluded with some very substantive take-home certitudes. I thought that I would attempt to distil some of them down into a single-sentence utterance that would become ingrained within our minds for spiritual nourishment for the rest of our days. Yes, I think that they are that important!

We started off in the book of Hebrews and two thoughts surfaced there. Concerning our privilege of entering into the Most Holy Place, the author concludes with this encouragement: Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confessions. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. (4:14-16) The conclusion was this: If we can draw near with confidence, then we can be confident that whenever we come to Him in prayer, we are heard. Every word that we speak He hears. However innocent and innocuous that statement may seem to you, at least to me, it enormously increases my faith in my prayer life. He hears every word that I speak!

Later in the book, the author exhorts us with this: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (11:23-25) To those of us who believe that we are approaching the very close of the age and that our faith will be severely tested, we cannot isolate ourselves, but more than ever, as we see the day drawing near, we need to assemble together and to encourage one another.

After Hebrews, we reviewed Phillip Keller’s wonderful book on the shepherding of his flock of sheep (and the typology of their being a type of the Church) A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23 (Zondervan, 1970). So many absolutes surface from this book, but the one that I found to be the most current was found in the analogy of the pasture that the sheep nourished in. The group’s conclusion concerning our feeding habits distilled down to this: To whatever degree that we nourish in the pasture of the Good Shepherd, to that degree we bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23); to whatever degree we nourish in the pasture of the hireling (i.e., the things of the world), to that degree we bear the fruit of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). So the single-sentence utterance takes the form of a question: In whose pasture do we nourish? Do we nourish on the things of the Spirit, or do we nourish on the things of the flesh? (John 10:11-13)

Currently we are studying in the book of James. The author says this: Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (1:2-4) Verse 12 words it this way: Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (See earlier post) So often we miss the life-changing aspects of Scripture. We are meant to undergo internal change within ourselves. This process is time-centered, is fruit-bearing, and forges our personality that will endure throughout the ages. What I find to be most encouraging and life sustaining through our various trials is summed up by this thought embedded within the passage: knowing that the testing of our faith - produces…!

Well, this effort was really selfish. I really generated this article with our fellowship group in mind, but I thought that I would share it with you as well.

When we come into His presence, we are heard.

As the current world conditions worsen, and those who hate the Church are more emboldened to act, we need to assemble together and to encourage one another.

In our walk through this life, our growth process is constantly being generated. Is it our tendency to feed and so nourish our spirit, or is it our tendency to feed and so nourish our flesh? We need to reflect on that question: In whose pasture do we nourish?

Finally, as we participate in that wonderful experience of being tested, let us be comforted by this thought: We are to know that the testing of our faith - produces.

Let’s dwell on these things.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Peace or Sifting?

This post may become a little strange. I’m not quite certain how it’s going to come out. Let’s find out:

While observing the current trend (thrust?) toward Church Growth, namely the techniques and methodologies so involved, it is becoming clear to me that those involved are generating a process that is bifurcating that portion of the Church into both true and false “believers” in Christ. “That portion of the Church”, of course, would be the postmodern explosion becoming known as the Emergent Church. Let’s include, along with the EC, the Purpose Driven, and seeker-friendly expressions - all expressions that seem to be diluting the absolutes of the Scriptures to the point of apostasy. That there are true and substantive brothers belonging to and participating in that EC thrust is a fact that I cannot ignore. What do I do with such a condition? Well, here’s where it may get a little strange:

When my wife and I first became Christians, the presence of the Spirit was heavily upon us. For those of you who are passionate for, or against, Charismatic expressions, turn your engines off here or you will miss the point. One of the visions (?) that I had in those days was one of an insight into a form of the testing of our faith. Before expanding on this thought, let me say that it is becoming clear to me that many who are involved in this postmodernist thrust are preterist in nature, i.e., they believe that all biblical signs implying judgment and tribulation have been fulfilled by past events in our human history. To those of you who believe in just such a scenario, I ask you to postulate that such was not the case, but rather, that such events await us yet in the future. I, also, invite those of you who believe that the Church will be raptured-out of the Great Tribulation to postulate the same. Let’s work hard at this beloved! We are going to postulate here! Please do so, or you, too, will miss the point. Here is the possible scenario that I believe that His Spirit gave to me: If we are to be tested at a future time of intense tribulation (and I believe that we will), one of the forms of testing will be the testing, under severe conditions, of our unity of fellowship with the entire body of Christ. During this process of severity and sifting-out of the true remnant (in Christ), I envisioned that so many of us “heroes for Christ” would have set before us some so-called brother who uniquely offends our intellectual/spiritual position. As we see the World falling apart and the concomitant hatred for His Church no longer being restrained (2 Tim. 3:1-5), God will force us into a position of fellowship with just such a person. “Alright, hero for God”, the Spirit might say, “Let’s see how much you love Me. This man belongs to Me. What is more important to you? Your great brilliance, or your fellowship with one of Mine”? What an incredibly powerful, intense, and life-changing decision that will be!

So, who will I be tested with? Will it be a King James Only zealot, a Word-Faith zealot, and anti-this, a pro-that, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc? Is the Church going to usher in peace, or is She going to get spanked (by the World) and sifted out (Mt. 3:12) as we approach the close of the age? If it’s the latter, I may get tested by a full-blown Emergent. I am only now learning about this EC thrust, and about those so involved. I am observing them say bad things about people (brothers) like me. I am determined not to do the same until prompted by the Spirit to engage in such warfare. From this point forward, I will choose my demons carefully, and with much prayer. Until prompted by His Spirit to do otherwise, I will consider all those who are so involved in this current thrust to be true brothers in Christ. Those who are truly aberrant will be made manifest over time. Those who are true brothers will unite under Him who is coming and rejoice together with all those who disagree on the nonessentials, but belong to Christ and then will come the end (or so it seems to me). For you see, we may all have to pass that test. A winnowing fork is a terrible thing to waste.

TAFTCom…

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Joy?

Really? I threatened to comment on James 1:2-4, 12 recently, so Let’s do it. Back to The Plumb Line. James says this:

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing…Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

I won’t fully exegete this passage. I think that the implication is more than obvious: We undergo various trials as a process of being tested. When we fight the good fight for our faith, a process is constantly being generated within our inner nature. We are having endurance generated within. Further it will result in ever-increasing perfection and approval by God. The word perfect here is better translated as being completed up. Let us not be intimidated by having to be perfect. We need to be in a condition whereby our inner self is being completed up and is closer to bearing the fruit of the Spirit so that when we are observed by the heavenly court, we will be approved. This approval is a function of our being tested, and when we fight the good fight, sometimes failing and then repenting, and sometimes being faithful to the prompting of His Spirit, our entire being is being changed over into His Image. (Rom. 8:28-30) It is a function of time!

Let us not be discouraged. God is doing a great work within us. Our Christian walk is not a religion. Religion is what we do; the bearing of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is what we are. (Gal. 5:22-23) That fruit-bearing will forge our personalities forever and forever. It’s who we are.

Paul words it like this: And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom. 5:3-5)

Jesus words it like this: I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit…By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (John 15: 1-2, 8)

It doesn’t seem pleasant to be pruned, does it? Neither does it seem pleasant to be put constantly under trial, but the completion of this process (and it is a process) is fruit-bearing. As Paul would say “stand firm”. Now here is great news: The trials are FREE!! We don’t have to seek them out, we don’t have to pay for them, and they are abundant. That’s not too terrible, awful bad, huh? We are a blessed people. Again, we are not a religion; we are people belonging to a great King Who is preparing us for participation in that kingdom forever and forever. Consider it all joy!!

Monday, February 4, 2008

Spiritual Morphine

Just ran over an article by Kristina Robb Dover entitled Spiritual Morphine while link-surfing. While lamenting the vacuous teachings of a certain well-known preacher, the author alludes to the fact that his style and preaching tends to substitute the gospel as painkilling in nature as opposed to its true nature as that two-edged sword designed to penetrate one’s very most inner being. What disturbs the author is the impact of such teachings that offer to a public- in- pain religion as pain relief.

The author is a hospice chaplain. The object of such an environment is to relieve the pain of terminally ill clients. Here are some of her thoughts: This is insightful.

Yet the highest, governing value presumed in these meetings was the necessity of freeing the patient from pain, physical, emotional, or spiritual. It is this presumption that gives cause for concern. In my experience as a hospice chaplain…this value has become an implicit, guiding principle that directs chaplains in their ministry of ‘pain relief.’

Concerning what she calls two unspoken common assumptions, the author says this:

The first is that the terminally ill patient is always right. Because he is on the threshold of death, he is presumed to enjoy greater access to virtue and judgment than is attainable by those who dwell in the land of the living. He attains a kind of sanctified status…It may be true that while pain relief is a large part of hospice care, it is not an end in itself, but a means of helping patients resolve various emotional and spiritual end-of-life conflicts. Even so, the use of palliative medicine as a way to encourage the pursuit of emotional and spiritual wholeness is still about helping the patient achieve his best death on his own terms …The second assumption is that death, embodying a ‘natural’ transition to a carefree afterlife, is a good in itself. After reportedly studying some 20,000 cases of ‘near-death experiences’, Kubler-Ross concludes that life after death is universally a ‘glorious experience’ and a ‘pleasant reunion’ of sorts: ‘There will be a total absence of panic, fear, or anxiety’; ‘you will be very beautiful, much more beautiful than you see your self now’ ; and you ‘will always experience a physical wholeness.’…For the chaplain who is a ‘mere Christian,’ this underlying principle of pain relief contains some disturbing theological implications. The first is that God is a God of grace only, not of judgment, with the implication that an orthodox Christian understanding of human sin and our need for divine pardon is outmoded and inadmissible. Guilt, regret, or a conviction of divine wrath only fosters unnecessary discomfort, and must therefore be eliminated….

My unease is with a Christianity that in a highly therapeutic, health-obsessed Western Culture genuflects before the idols of comfort and happiness. A religion that assigns greater value to pain relief in the here and now than to the lordship of Jesus Christ has only succeeded in erecting another golden calf, with the damaging result that health and comfort and a pain-free death are falsely proclaimed as the answer to the riddle of human existence….Is my role to administer a spiritual morphine drip?
(bold added)

Hopefully, I can extrapolate her thoughts without saying more than she had intended. As a typology it seems reasonable to assume the world to be in a hospice condition with the entire population (outside of Christ) to be terminal patients within. The Church would take the place of the hospice nurse. What are we to do with such a stewardship? Shall we comfort these people with religious niceness, or shall we tell them that apart from Christ, death is not really a ‘glorious experience”? THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER! So much of our efforts are geared toward strengthening comfort zones for a people who are in essence “under the ban”. At what price are we being seeker friendly? It seems to me that many in the Church are substituting a “therapeutic God” for the real God who is going to return in wrath, and in response to a community that is in apostasy. We need to reflect: It seems more than reasonable for those of us who proclaim His great salvation to consider the possibility that we are feeding terminal patients with a drip-line of religious pain relief - a drip line of spiritual morphine.

The same God who is forgiving and full of agape love is also a God who is going to bring us all into an accounting when His enemies have been dealt with. Let’s proclaim the full gospel. Eternal lives are our patients.