Re-construction

Going to be off for a couple of weeks while my ankle mends. the Ice and snow we had left some black ice and my ankle was not up to my Peggy Flemming immitation.
I’ll continue the posts during my rehab/recovery in the weeks to come.

De-Constructing Church

Deconstructing Church (pt 1)

In my quest to find, “What is Church”, I have found that I have had to de-construct everything I thought I knew about Church. As I have looked to the Biblical blueprint for church and how we are to participate in church function I find the American Church model is woefully off track and has very little resemblance to the Church found in Scripture. (I know, that statement was a little “churchy”.) From the Brick and Mortar edifices that we have constructed, to the services, the lectures, the one man focus, the passive pew occupation, the authoritarian offices that man has imposed on the flock of God… every aspect of ‘church’ we see in America today is more traditionalism than it is biblical.

Let’s begin by looking at the “How we do Church” model. I realize that one of the most effective ways to teach a group is in using the lecture style, “I teach, You listen.” Massive amounts of information can be transmitted to the greatest number of people using this method. And there is a place for such teaching/learning. What has taken place in the American church is this has become the exclusive method for a “pastor” to use. This method has helped create a caste system in the body of Christ where it is no longer a gathering of equals but has become a showcase for the “anointed” (I have heard pastors referred to as “God’s anointed” and called “the man of God.” I will address this a little later) to stand, perform and be over other believers. Total control is placed in the person behind the lectern. There is no place for Hebrews 3:13, or Hebrews 10:23-25, or 1 Peter 4:9-11 in the “service” or the lecture ready congregation. Then somewhere along the way we have held the Epistles of Timothy and Titus apart as though the Scripture in these passages are only for the “anointed” or the “spiritual” or the “called…man of god” as if the teaching of these Epistles somehow created a special office, and a special class of Christian believer who is above all others. Mark 10:42-44, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.”

 At this point many will be ready to hammer me with Ephesians 4: 11, and if Ephesians 4:11 was a stand alone thought I would say, “Okay, you’re right” but it is not the main emphasis of that passage. The emphasis of that passage is not that Jesus Christ gave “some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,” to be offices of the church. No! He gave these as functions of the church in order to equip the body for service; “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Even the King James Version says, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”. The “ministry” is not the functions given, but what each and every believer is to be engaged in and to be equipped to do. The function of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor/teacher is to equip the body of believers to minister the Gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world.     

Will the Real Church please stand up…

What is Church?

I have been struggling with this issue for several months now. Our congregation is currently without a Pastor (or Preaching elder) and one candidate we interviewed asked us, “Why do you exist, or why should the doors remain open at your building and not merge with another Bible-believing church?” That really started me to thinking and the only answer I could come up with, is, “If all we are, and are going to be, is another Independent Baptist Church in a sea already polluted with Independent Baptist Churches then we have no purpose and I cannot find justification for our continued existence.” I have wrestled with that question long and hard which naturally led me to the other question you have to ask, “What then IS Church?”

I know more about what it is ‘not’ right now, than what it is. It is not the bunker where “Christians” gather in order to “be ye separate” nor is it a place where we invite ’sinners’ in so that that they might get under the “sound of the gospel” preached by the “man of God.”

First: The assembly of the saints of God is for their edification, exhortation, and a time to be built up in the faith through the word, fellowship and most of all worship of the one who is worthy, our Lord God Jesus Christ and God the Father thru whom, in whom and by whom all things exist. (a bit preachy but true). The Assembly is not to be made into the primary source of evangelism that it has become in so many American “Churches”.

Second: The “sound of the gospel” is such a cop-out. That is the mantra of lazy so-called Christians who have thrown off their primary roll as priests and ambassadors. Each and every one of us who name the name of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour are called to be witnesses and be ready to give to anyone who asks us, reason for the hope that is within us. To drag a lost person to “Church” so that they get under the “sound of the gospel” is nothing less than Roman Catholicism re-dressed in some other denominational camouflage. Every believer should be able to tell anyone who asks what we believe, why we believe it and tell what Jesus Christ had done for us. (Nowhere in scripture does it say we have to be “deal closers” as if we are part of some divine marketing campaign.)

Third: there is the whole “man of God” issue. Last time I checked everyone who is Born again is a Child of God and that makes us, men and women of God. The very idea of Clergy and Laity came out of Ignatius, Irenaeus, Cyprian, and Augustinian teachings that created the whole “Christian” class/ caste system.

I recently read, Jim Petersen’s “Church Without Walls.” there is much I learned in this book about what Church ought to be.  There is so much more that I will have to read, research and pray about but I know for myself I have already jettisoned the normal version of the American church, along with most of the pop-dispensationalism that comes with it. I have come to the conclusion that the pre-mil/pre-trib rapture theory is deadly to the health of a church, because it soon settles for becoming a bunker where everyone is content to merely “occupy” until Jesus comes. And then every disaster and calamity that makes the news is heralded as “you know we are living in the end days” and “it can’t be long now…” and many churches climb in the bunker and close the hatch… then the world around us no longer sees a people of God who have good news… but members of an increasingly irrelevant sub-culture.

The answer is out there…  so on I go…

My Reformation Manifesto

Independent, Fundamental, Baptist …..bunker-ism

For some time now I have been wrestling with several issues that are “Church” related and I have finally come to a few conclusions about where I stand on them.  Not long ago I asked everyone to comment on the words I posted: Independent, Fundamental, Baptist, and some others.  The answers I got back were about what I had expected.  Mostly negative.   My own thoughts on those terms and definitions were about the same.  The original definitions were not what they mean today.  I could mostly agree with R.A.Torrey and those old-timers on how they defined the terms back then, but what the movement has become today is poison to the soul.  The Independent, Fundamental Baptist has become synonymous with spiritual tyranny, and modern Pharisee-ism.  If you don’t look like us, walk like us, talk like us, listen to the same music we do, cut you hair like we do, believe in the end times like we do, and believe that the 1611 King James Bible is the only English version, and the only true version of the Bible… then you cannot be ‘right with God.’  To all this I say, “Horse feathers!” 

     Recently we had a group in at ‘church’ that showed us a glimpse of how “Church” ought to be.  There was praise music and hymns, which truly prepared our hearts for worship.  There was Scripture reading that pointed our minds in the direction of the message to come so that by the time we arrived at the message we were ready for the word of God.  The Exposition of God’s word was like going to Golden Corral after rooting around in Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard!

      The only thing that would have made it better would have been if the Scripture had been ESV, NKJV, or NASB.  The strict adherence to KJV, even if only to say it is the ‘preferred” version is to leave an anchor smack dab in the middle of the IFB harbor.   (Don’t get me wrong; I believe that the KJV is a beautiful English Translation of the Scriptures.  I grew up on the KJV but dogmatic adherence to the KJV is an unnecessary restriction of the Gospel message.)  It is not the KJV version I have issue with, it is the ignorant, militant, arrogance with which the KJV camp declares you cannot be “right with God” unless you only preach out of the KJV. Here is a link to a prime example of ignorant, militant, arrogant, anti-intellectualism:   http://amazinggracebaptistchurchkjv.com/Download99.html

Once you start down that slippery slope of legalism this is where you end up.  So, we need to get over our cultic adherence to the KJV as some, “you can’t be right with God unless you only use this bible,” standard.  Too many are making a Bible version out to be essential doctrine…  Again, to this I say, “Horse feathers!” Get over it.  I do agree with John Piper, make sure the Bible you use has all the words in it… so preach from a word-for-word translation not a thought-for-thought.  (But even then, to say one can’t be saved by reading God’s word as found in the NIV and others is poppycock! “Horse feathers” to that as well.)  God has used his word in many different translations to bring men, women and children from all tribes and tongues to repentance and saving Grace.

     Now most of this note has been to make a stand against the movement known as Independent, Fundamental Baptist. ” Unless I am convinced by proofs from Scriptures or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do anything against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”  Luther said these words as he stood against what he knew to be error in doctrine and practice in the Church of his day.  I feel the same way regarding the way church is practiced in the IFB world.  The IFB model says anyone can preach so long as they “say” they are called to be a preacher; then go on to make  a major emphasis on the difference in the “pew” Christian and the full-time “man of God.”   There is a mystical veneration that is shown toward the “man of God” aka “God’s anointed“(Read Ephesians 4:8-16, the emphasis is not on the ‘gifts’ but on why the gifts were given and what they are to be used for) …and all the congregation is to be in submission to this super saint.  (horse feathers)

      Ok, let’s unpack all that.  For the most part the little Independent Baptist churches have a pastor that is usually, not formally trained in any of the disciplines (literature, language, grammar, leadership, logic or philosophy) that one would associate with the gifts of teaching. If they are trained it is at an IFB college where they are trained in the IFB way.  This model perpetuates an anti-intellectual mindset that is killing Christianity. All they  really require is the calling to “full-time” service.  (“Full-time service” in the IFB model means preaching is one’s chosen or ‘called to’ vocation.  i.e. a full time paycheck.) Last time I checked every believer is called to “full-time” Christian service. 

Which brings us to the IFB “man of God” myth.  Last time I checked if you are a born again Child of God then you are a “man (or woman) of God.”  The IFB Model creates a Christian Caste system where there are different classes of Christians.  Basically it is the IFB version of Roman Catholicism, only the pope is localized -vs.- the centralized version found in RC.  The Biblical model is that God has, “…gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Ephesians 4:11-14    Nowhere in the Scripture do we find some mystical anointing that creates a special Christian “Priesthood” apart from the general Ambassadorship and Priesthood all redeemed Saints of God are called to.  According to Scripture, all we who believe are Priests and Ambassadors of and for our God and His kingdom.  Some are gifted to be able to preach/teach, and some to sing, and some to help, and some to administrate but all to minister! 

What IFB bunker-ism leaves us with is a “one-man rule” model;  where the “anointed one of God” is not to be questioned (especially not from the congregation, ie.”Touch not god’s self anointed”).  Much like the Charismatics, while the “man of God” is behind the “sacred desk” his words are “God breathed.”  This in turn either leads to the “man of God” becoming a tyrant without accountability to anyone but God… or it leads to a power struggle in the church.  I have seen both.  Usually this leads to a split and more often than not those who leave will toss a rock down the street and wherever it lands… they start a new IFB Church (instead of finding an existing Church family to plug into.)   The biblical model for church rule is in multiple elders who have the gifts to lead, preach/teach (the pastor is required to be gifted to both proclaim and explain) and shepherd the congregation.  No one man should ever have the absolute power in a church… that leads to guys wearing sunglasses preparing you some special kool-aid.  It is the breeding ground for cult like practices that are killing Christianity in America. (Think Jimmy Swaggert, Ted Haggard, Jim Baker, Jack Hyles) 

So, having said all that, “what do I now do?”  I know that I am going to make a stand to purge all IFB practices my family is exposed to, wherever I find them.   I want to see radical Biblical Christianity in practice.  It is not to be found in the experiential form of church that is the mainstay of the IFB movement.  That is, where the people are looking for someone to preach ‘hard‘ to them, and step on their toes.  (In the IFB world this is the manifestation of “good” preaching, having one’s toes stepped on.)  Such experiential “churchanity” allows the hearer to rely solely on the experience and not have to read the Word of God and think about the word of God.  It is the ability to warm the pew, have the message spoon or bottle-fed to you, get burped and have a warm fuzzy about having gone to church that week.  The experiential ‘churchanity’ undermines the “Sufficiency of God’s Word.” 

I want to have to stretch for the message… I want to have to reach up and grasp the fruit of truth, not have it pre-chewed and regurgitated on me.  So, I am drawing a line in the sand and like Luther here I stand.  My family and I choose to follow the path of the Reformed Theology first, and then Baptist if it is available as reformed.  Sola scriptura – Sola fide – Sola gratia – Solo Christo – Soli Deo gloria

Poison in the Church

One of the most deadly issues facing the church today is that of ignorance. In many churches here in the rusted buckle of the Bible belt one’s “godliness” is measured in direct proportion to one’s ignorance. This “doctrine” is taught based on a fallacious interpretation of Acts 4:16, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” An entire subculture has grown-up around the veneration of ignorance. All you have to know is Jesus and you don’t have to have any higher learning… (according to the proponents of Ignorant Christianity {IC} there is no higher learning than Jesus). [aside: I will agree with them there is no higher learning than Jesus... but the first and great commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This means you don’t continue in your ignorance wearing it as a badge of honor.  You cannot love someone you do not know and the more you know about all of God's creation the more the ignorance melts away. ] In fact, to emphasize the unlearned and ignorant part of the passage takes away from the implicit awe that the rulers saw in Peter and John. Knowing that Peter and John were unlearned according to a formal education, the passage implies that they were offering a magnificent apologetic regarding the Christian faith to the academia and intelligentsia of that time. Yet we have men standing in the pulpits of Churches here in America, who declare their ignorance with arrogant pride as if that makes them more godly. When we get to heaven I don’t see these men standing before God, and the Lord saying, “Wow, you were really, really ignorant! Here is a “special” crown for you.” Remember: Ignorance is curable… stupidity is not.
Oh, and contrary to popular belief… education and faith are NOT mutually exclusive issues in the Christian’s life. Education does not kill faith… it kills blind faith, but not Godly, righteous, just, or saving faith. It enhances right faith because it reinforces reason, and in turn we are better able to articulate the reasons for the hope we have within us.

What is the Church? Mark Driscoll

http://theresurgence.com/driscoll_what_is_the_church

 

 

Burnt Offerings: The Cult Practice of Book Burning

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013004574517453919024722.html?mod=wsj

What really disturbed me, was when I visited their web site they were bragging about what a success the event was and how they had prayed for rain to keep the protestor and media turnout low. These folks used Acts 19:19 to justify burning these books, where the Verse talks about those who had used the curious arts were burning their books… this group in NC seemed to be bragging about using curious arts to bring about the burning of books they disapprove of.   What these wahoo’s were doing had nothing to do with what is presented in Acts 19.  Taking text out of context is intellectually dishonest and lends itself to cult type practices.   This is clearly the culmination of  the anti-intellectualism that is so pervasive (especially) in the Independent Fundamental movement here in America. The rusted buckle of the Bible belt is becoming more and more a tragic comedy and less and less about biblical Christianity.

Well, it turns out they didn’t “burn” the books after all… they just ripped them up and threw them in a garbage can.  This is Orwellian in the worst way.  God was not honored in this display of self-righteous hypocrisy.  In fact, just the opposite took place, God was dishonored and His word was desecrated.  Behaviour such as this makes a mockery of Christianity, but these self appointed Pharisees have taken it upon themselves to be the wielders of the Law for everyone. 

Here is a quote from the video they made of the event, “… (here’s)the Living New testament.. ( begins tearing the book apart) it’s not living it’s dead, it’s all a lie… there’s only one book living… the King James Version.”

(found on the video at 10:00 minutes to 11:00 minutes… You can download it from this link:)

http://amazinggracebaptistchurchkjv.com/downloads/Book%20Burning/Book%20Burning%202009%20Destroying%20Garbage.wmv

It’s all a lie..”??? Then when the living NT talks about Jesus dying on the cross and the resurrection it is a lie?  Do these people know what they are saying!!?? I just read the NLT account of the trial, crucifixion, burial and Resurrection… if that account is a lie as these people declare… then all similiar accounts are equally a lie. Grrrrrrrr! what intellectual suicide these people practice! 

Burnt Offerings – WSJ.com
online.wsj.com
A church throws copies of Scripture into the flames.

John Piper – Why I abominate the prosperity gospel

Amen…

more about “John Piper – Why I abominate the pros…“, posted with vodpod

 

I went to see the Doctor a few years back, thought I’d repost the results…

Momma called the doctor and the Doctor said…

“No, OZ never did give nothin’ to the Tin Man, that he didn’t, didn’t already have.”

Much like the Tin Man they found today that I do actually have a heart.  It’s right where it is supposed to be and is doing all the things it is supposed to do.  So I’m wondering if maybe I’m actually the Scarecrow, “If I only had a brain?”  Cause the thoughts that I’d be thinkin’ while-a drivin’ in ma’ Lincoln if I only had a brain… or the winning Power Ball lottery ticket from this week.

They “STILL” don’t know why my legs look like Charlie Brown’s Macy’s Day Parade balloon legs.  At this point I would consider taking a stick pin to them but what happens if they take off like a balloon.  I can see me bouncing off the walls, ceiling, taking a few laps around the ceiling fan and sputtering to a halt on the piano.  I can hear my daughter Elizabeth now, “Do it again Daddy, do it again!” 

 

          Technology is wonderful; I got to watch my heart in action today, amazing.  Well, I mean, I didn’t actually see my heart (that would have been messy) but I saw an image of my heart.  You know, a sonogram, just like they do with babies.  And yes, I did have her check and no, I am not pregnant… (it just looks like I am) thank you very much.  I tried to get her to make me an audio recording of that rhythm, it sounded just like conga line music… bum bum   bum bum   bum   ba!  bum bum   bum bum   bum   ba!  Wait, scratch that, I can’t dance, I’m Baptist. (And possibly a little too nerdy)

 

So why did you email me?  What do you want?  Come on chop, chop I haven’t got all morning.  Hummm?  What’s that?  Oh!  Yea, I’m emailing you aren’t I?   

 

Ok, one more thing and I’ll be done. (yep, I’m Baptist alright) When they were taking all my information they have one of those talking scales and all it said was “Uncle! Uncle!”  But my weight was normal… for someone 7’ 1” tall.  Then came the questions: 

 

“Do you smoke?”

          “No”

“Do you drink?”

         “Is this a trick question?

“I mean do you drink alcoholic beverages?”

        “No”

“Do you take drugs, illegal drugs?

       “No”

“Do you exercise?”

       “No, I kicked the habit years ago.”

“And it shows.”

       “Thank you for noticing.”

“Hard not to, twins?

       “Why yes, a boy and a girl.”

“How far along?

       “Thirteen years, almost fourteen.”

“That long?  I wouldn’t have guessed more than the second trimester.”

       “Oh you mean that!”

“Yea! that!”

       “I’m rather attached to that, it may not be fly but it is phat!” 

(I think I impressed her with my knowledge of pop culture terms and Ebonics.  But then again I also left an impression on the chair in which I was sitting.”uncle! uncle!”)

 

Say Goodnight Gracie,

“Goodnight Mrs. Calabash where ever you are!”

NATIONAL APOLOGETICS CONFERENCE

http://www.nationalapologeticsconference.com/Home.html