I believe there is an all-out war being waged against the body and bride of Christ today, both from without and within, both here in the States and abroad (although, of course, most of my comments here are about my homeland). This is nothing new under the sun; the same thing has been happening since our Lord instituted His Church through His apostles and will continue on until the Final Judgment begins. The seeker-sensitive movement of today is riding the decaying coat tails of Finney's "easy believism and revivalism." The emergent church movement of McLaren and company is nothing more than a repackaging of protestant liberalism and universalism, caring more about "planting a tree for Jesus" than proclaiming the truth that actually saves (which it is impotent to do, for its leaders are Gospel-bankrupt as it is)! The Word-Faith movement is so disgustingly materialistic and so full of "smoke-and-mirrors" that it would make Simon the Sorcerer blush (Acts 8:9-24)! Prominent members (and I would venture to say many non-prominent as well) of mainline pretender churches (i.e. ELCA, et al), in an attempt to be culturally savvy, capitulate to this present evil age (Gal. 1:4) by turning a blind eye to homosexual sin (for instance), being fully satisfied in letting a whole world of professing sinful men and women slip into eternal hell because they are more concerned about not upsetting the applecart. Even a ministry like Focus on the Family, champions for conservative causes, while trying to maintain biblical principles, compromises by walking arm-in-arm with enemies of the Gospel (i.e. Mormons) without so much as a public call to repentance. And sadly, these are only some of the many maladies facing the true Bride of Christ. For instance, many American Christians do not read their Bibles regularly, pray often, or serve the Body they were bought to serve, which is all-too painfully obvious when one just looks across the cultural landscape. Many church-going men (and even women) are even now given over to viewing pornography and engaging in immoral, licentious living (with a good amount of their shepherds leading the way). Our children are being taught to "chill" with their "homeboy" Jesus by unregenerate youth "pastors" who forgot along the way that manhood was designed to be a transition FROM something (immaturity) TO something (biblical manhood). And where are we as church-affiliated parents? Divorcing, commiting adultery, lying, stealing, trying to look cool, and all other manners of wasted time and riotous living that shows just how much we do not know the Gospel of our salvation. We want the world to feel at home in the church while the "church" longs for the fleshpots of the world. My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, this should NOT be what passes for American Evangelical Christianity! And to top it all off, per the Wretched Radio program from last Tuesday, the American "blab-it-and-grab-it" prosperity Gospel, with all of its vile, wicked, evil, putrid, self-exalting, and hellish stupidity is now sliming its way into Africa, India, and Asia.
Although these are all causes for alarm, those who are of the true Bride of Christ (beautiful as she is) will be lead by the Spirit of truth, for our Lord Himself promised that the gates of Hades will never, EVER prevail over her (Matthew 16:13-20). However, the members of this true Church can and are being deceived by the seemingly endless multitude of wolves parading about as if they even had one inlkling who the Lord of Glory was! And because this assault is being executed on all fronts, the true Church must retain its bearings and return fire NOT against flesh and blood, but against rulers and principalities in high places (Satan and his unholy minions--Ephesians 6:12), against every thought, philosophy, and worldview that would seek to exalt itself against the knowledge of Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 10:3-5), and against every motive, inclination, and wicked desire of our corrupted, putrid flesh that would seek to become one with 2 of the members of our three-fold adversary; the world and the devil (1 Peter 5:8-9; 1 John 2:15-17). We do indeed stand on the brink of eternity, whether we are young and (seemingly) full of years or old and nearing the end of the mortal coil. We cannot suffer the enemy of our souls to continue to mock the Captain of our Salvation, Christ Jesus the Lord, by driving us into fear, compromise, and apathy. Rise up, soldiers of the cross! There is far too much at stake! And though these things make those of the Spirit of Christ angry and sick, we must not wage war with the pen of hatred, the sword of force, or the tongue of cruelty. We must never seek the destruction of lost men and women who themselves are dead to spiritual realities (Ephesians 2:1-3). Our mission is to preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), NOT "be green." Our mission is to make disciples of every nation (Matthew 28:18-20), NOT to save the world from famine and poverty. Our mission is to become all things to ALL men that we might save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-23), NOT to make excuses and find ways to justify dressing, talking, and behaving in worldly, unredeemed ways. And in the end, if we, the Church, press on in our mission, these issues that we can mistakenly make primary issues will take care of themselves, NOT because a yoke of legalism at the hands of the wolves will threaten to crush our necks. No, because the redeemed man and woman will respect and care for this world out of the fear of the Lord. They will feed the poor and clothe the sick because of how their Lord exercised the same mercy in clothing them with His robe of righteousness and by providing them the Bread and Water of Life. They will truly do all things to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31) NOT for the cheif end of man and his ego, but to the praise of the One "[who] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45b--ESV). Our mission: to seek and save those who are lost by the will of God the Father, through the Word of Christ Jesus our Lord, and in the power of His Holy Spirit.
Therefore, this is the reason for yet another blog. My thoughts and musings are most certainly not indispensable (quite contrary, actually). I am a filthy, rotten, no-good vile member of fallen humanity who has been washed in the blood of the Lamb by the decree and election of God my Father to the praise of His glorious grace, that He could take a vomitous wretch like me and clothe me in the rightousness of His Son! My desire is not to reinvent the wheel nor steal the fire from my brothers and sisters who have been laboring fervently. My desire is that this blog may be a source of encouragement, challenge, and conviction to the glory of God alone. My hope is that those who do not believe in the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ would come under conviction that only He can bring through the power of His Holy Spirit and that He would save them from the wrath of God they (and let's not forget we) so richly deserve.
But my primary reason in beginning this blog is to help strengthen the true Church of Christ, that she would march forth in her militant stance and poise, and wage war with the weapons of His truth (Hebrews 4:12-13), His love (1 Corinthians 13:13), and His power (2 Timothy 1:7). May we all fall on our faces before our holy God and seek Him for the grace we need to carry out His mission in this world and refuse to trust in our own sinful devices and means. O Lord, grant us the boldness, the zeal, and the compassion to live lives of holy and most fervent devotion, witness to Your glorious Gospel of truth to all men we may come in contact with, and dedicate ourselves to seek Your glory in everything we would put our hands to!
Soli Deo Gloria
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