Going to Chuch Against the Dictates of Our Secular Leaders

Going to church, being in a building with fellow worshipers. So many Christians find it okay that we don’t need corporate worship? So here are a few scriptures on why it’s necessary, then some observations. Going back to the earliest times, God planned for us to meet in a building. He said to build a tabernacle, and said, “Make a place where I may dwell among you. There I will meet with you, and I will speak with you.” (Exodus 25:8-22)

 Praise and prayer individually is an important discipline of Christians. That’s only half the equation. The church is the Bride of Christ, and can’t function if people don’t attend, serve, and worship together. Back to Exodus, where the idea of gathering together was God’s idea, not us mere mortals. “From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shat take My offering…And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them...And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat. (Exodus 25:2, 8, 22). As we know and have experienced, lots of people come up for reasons not to go to church in the best of times. Now the Enemy has a built in one, convincing so many that sitting on the couch or recliner is adequate corporate worship.

 We must not only attend as good disciples, but prepare for it. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” [Day approaching is about preparation for the Second Coming] (Hebrews 10:25)

 Lastly and perhaps most importantly, Jesus himself made sure he went to church (in his case tabernacle), and methinks a disciple it’s way important to emulate Him as best we can. Luke 4:16----“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and stood up to read.”

 Then the Apostle Paul says: “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”

 Four reasons to go to church.  1.We will find that grace is released to us, because we make room for that grace through our obedience and acceptance of the discipline of attendance. 2. It gives us a chance to acknowledge with humility, I need the Body of Christ. We need to be with the local body because we are member of a living Body, and the ‘member’ separated from its body will decay. 3. We acknowledge a distinct accountability to the Body of Christ, we show a practical availability to serve, and we allow a place and time for correction. We show up and, by our presence, thereby acknowledge we are righteously submitted to Christ’s rule in, and through, His Church. 4. We manifest a model: ‘In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works’. (Titus 2:7) By worshiping together at an appointed time, we show a pathway for other to observe---not as a self-righteous display but rather as a demonstration of the Lord’s way.

 I suggest to all using this lockdown to keep people out of church is the work of the Enemy. I suggest reading or re-reading CS Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” for clarity on how Satan deceives us. It’s at play on this issue right now. Obey God, reject the Deceiver.

 Politicians don’t have the legal or moral authority to be locking Christians out of their churches, and Jews out of their synagogues. They are doing to work of the Enemy, the great deceiver. This planet has been through many pandemic and epidemics. Believers and knowers of God, of Jesus, always went to church.

Going to church, being in a building with fellow worshipers. So many Christians find it okay that we don’t need corporate worship? So here are a few scriptures on why it’s necessary, then some observations. Going back to the earliest times, God planned for us to meet in a building. He said to build a tabernacle, and said, “Make a place where I may dwell among you. There I will meet with you, and I will speak with you.” (Exodus 25:8-22)

 Praise and prayer individually is an important discipline of Christians. That’s only half the equation. The church is the Bride of Christ, and can’t function if people don’t attend, serve, and worship together. Back to Exodus, where the idea of gathering together was God’s idea, not us mere mortals. “From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shat take My offering…And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them...And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat. (Exodus 25:2, 8, 22). As we know and have experienced, lots of people come up for reasons not to go to church in the best of times. Now the Enemy has a built in one, convincing so many that sitting on the couch or recliner is adequate corporate worship.

 We must not only attend as good disciples, but prepare for it. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” [Day approaching is about preparation for the Second Coming] (Hebrews 10:25)

 Lastly and perhaps most importantly, Jesus himself made sure he went to church (in his case tabernacle), and methinks a disciple it’s way important to emulate Him as best we can. Luke 4:16----“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, and stood up to read.”

 Then the Apostle Paul says: “On the first day of the week let each one of you las something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.” No italics on Facebook, so let’s say ‘on the first day of the week’ is italicized.

 Four reasons to go to church. 1. We will find that grace is released to us, because we make room for that grace through our obedience and acceptance of the discipline of attendance. 2. It gives us a chance to acknowledge with humility, I need the Body of Christ. We need to be with the local body because we are member of a living Body, and the ‘member’ separated from its body will decay. 3. We acknowledge a distinct accountability to the Body of Christ, we show a practical availability to serve, and we allow a place and time for correction. We show up and, by our presence, thereby acknowledge we are righteously submitted to Christ’s rule in, and through, His Church. 4. We manifest a model: ‘In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works’. (Titus 2:7) By worshiping together at an appointed time, we show a pathway for other to observe---not as a self-righteous display but rather as a demonstration of the Lord’s way.

 I recommend to all using this lock-down to keep people out of church is the work of the Enemy. I suggest reading or re-reading CS Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” for clarity on how Satan deceives us. It’s at play on this issue right now. Obey God, reject the Deceiver.

 Politicians don’t have the legal or moral authority to be locking Christians out of their churches, and Jews out of their synagogues. They are doing to work of the Enemy, the great deceiver. This planet has been through many pandemic and epidemics. Believers and knowers of God, of Jesus, always went to church.

 

 

Leftist "Feelings" vs What Works

When I was way young and liked a book or movie, got all excited about it, I was often stunned that someone didn’t like it. I just couldn’t believe how misguided, uninformed, dumb etc. a person was that didn’t have my taste or belief. “What’s wrong with these people”?

Of course I’ve grown up and out of that. When people ask me about a book, movie, restaurant, I’m reluctant to say they’ll like it. I’ll critique, but not think to push the idea that the person asking will like it. The exception is if it’s a good friend of a long time and I know their tastes.

That’s what I see Leftists as; immature people that don’t understand that others don’t want to live in a Statist world, top down control of economics, class, culture.  They don’t understand or accept there are valid differences of taste and opinion. If one doesn’t think like them there is something wrong with the person that thinks differently.

I get frustrated and sometimes angered when Leftists are presented with cold hard facts and refuse to accept them. Show unemployment stats from the Labor Department that we don’t have 5% unemployment, it’s much higher…well, how can you possibly believe that? Published emails and leaked reports that “global warming” studies were modified to support the idea that we humans are raising the temperature of the planet don’t change their ‘feeling’ that there is global warming. When the false statement that religion is responsible for more deaths than any other entity, and one tallies those slaughtered by governments in just the 20^th century is proof positive of the lie, well, how could one believe that? It just doesn’t feel right.

That slaughter was brought about primarily in Europe. They love Statism there; the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, Napoleonic domination by France, now the European Union. Centralized obedience to self-important knuckleheads that leak out of ivory towers with a lust for power and a rejection of those things that we know work. They reject what works for what makes them and their supporters feel good. So the Left here sees Europe as superior to the US since it ‘feels’ it is enlightened.

What ties that together is conformity. Groupthink. Europe is good despite its bringing us World Wars, Communism, Hitlerism, Nazism, Fascism, Stalinism, Socialism and all the rest of the Statist isms. All these claimed to be for the people, they’ll take care of them with universal health care, family leave, help the poor, and in fact they don’t. Claiming these perverse ideologies are feel good thoughts somehow make them superior to people desiring Liberty of thought and action. It feels good to support, top down, Statist conformity, to have socialized medicine, poverty programs and all the rest. No responsibility there, someone else is legislating that, so nothing personally has to be done.

Part of this is generational too. I came of age in the late 1960’s -1970’s. Marxist ideology ruled the day, along with sex, drugs, rock ‘n’ roll. Protest and speak against cops, corporations, capitalism, religion, and the rest. Most of us still ended up not only working for “the man” but becoming “the man”. That boomer ideology was brought into the institutions, weakening the things that created the most successful civilization in history.

We have ended up crony capitalism as bad as the day when railroads were stretching across America, or JP Morgan essentially bailing out the government…now the government bails out banks and financial institutions. Payoffs and payouts because a rejection of accountability, responsibility, rejection of Christianity and the embracing of Secularism, and the resulting top down Statism. Legislation is being passed, forced upon regular people that actually work and produce something. Legislation now is more about values and attitudes, enforcing intolerance and prejudices that produces conformity, rather than law that keeps people safe, structured and ordered.

Media, entertainment, education, government, business, even Church (both Protestant and Catholic) have devolved and embraced the Leftist “if it feels good do it” uniformity and conformity. Coming back around to my opening, all this conformity lends itself to groupthink, that differences are not to be tolerated, and speech must curtailed to fit the Leftist view of the world, in all human endeavors.

Like the immature young, how can you not like what we like? How can you not believe global warming is real, that Whites are all racist, that White cops are running around killing unarmed black men, that Christianity is evil, that government is good and the solution to the world’s ills? Thus the “safe zones” on university campuses that protect the literally young from any kind of different thought. It doesn’t feel good to have someone express a different idea. It doesn’t feel good to be criticized. It doesn’t feel good take responsibility for a mistake. It doesn’t feel good to be accountable.      

I was once a Marxist that actually read and wrote about Marxism, was a political and cultural Leftist, and believed in my mind of minds, heart of hearts, this was Truth. I was a practicing, church going Christian from childhood through teenage years. I left that, then I thought I was a free thinker. Then I realized that I only knew the world based on what people that thought like I did said. I knew politics only by what fellow Leftists said and wrote. I knew the “news” only by what Leftist journalists wrote. I knew Christianity only by what Leftist/Secularists said and wrote. I returned to Christianity in my 40’s, began to understand what works, and now because of that, I’m a free thinker. It set me free. Set my soul free, my heart and my mind free.

At this point I understand Leftists/contemporary Liberals can’t be convinced of anything, regardless of the realities of our world, with provable evidence and facts. They don’t believe in a free society, a people based republic, free thought, free expression. Liberalism is a secular religion that is being offered and accepted as a replacement for traditions that work, Christianity and the personal discipline, sacrifice and personal responsibility that comes with it.

With Liberalism/Leftists it’s what feels good, not what is real and works, that passes for thought.

My 2013 Year in Review

I haven't posted or written much in 2013. Much of it I think, is that I look at the social, religious, economic, political, cultural, foreign policy morass and have been in despair. How many times and how many ways can it be said that everything that works, that is good, that's beneficial, that benefits the most amount of people with liberty, wealth, goodness, has been rejected for things that demean, steal, hurt, impoverishes, insults, and diminishes liberty, is accepted.

I was talking to a friend at our choir Christmas party, and as often happens, when things are vocalized fresh thoughts, ideas, come to the fore. I think the process had already begun to make some changes in approach to what I think and write about, and that conversation shed some light on the direction.

I had, back before the personal computer age, pretty much ignored newspapers and the nightly news, because it was surface stuff, of the moment, and the stories had to be constantly changed and updated as new information came out.

With the internet, I've found myself reading news sites and news blogs that are like newspapers and news shows. Good for headlines, but nothing of depth. I was an avid magazine reader pre-internet, for awhile getting maybe nine or ten magazines, and reading most of them cover to cover. This year I've gone back to that. On a Kindle though. It's less expensive, more environmentally friendly (printing, paper, shipping all gone), and I don't have stacks of mags piled up behind my recliner. It gives easy access to magazines already read, 'saved' in the "Newsstand" section. I've been reading "National Review" for decades. Even when I was a Marxist. I strived (and still do) to be informed of all points of view. My magazine list, in addition to "National Review" now include "Commentary", "First Things" and "World". I subscribe to those, and get an occasional issue of "Science News", the only science magazine that doesn't have a Leftist political agenda that I could find. A little leaks in, but it's just the zeitgeist now.

I was stunned to find out, while searching for a science magazine, that all of them directly, or infer, a political agenda that matches the political Left and tailor not only editorials but even "science" articles to fit the agenda. Part of the view is that science should be the result of "consensus", not facts. The magazines I listed above that I subscribe to now are all conservative and Christian/Jewish essays, editorials, and news. All the other stuff is the meme of what's defined as "news" is Leftist, so we are immersed in it, that no additional reading is needed to know that viewpoint. In my paper magazine reading days, I read the Leftist "New Republic" and "Utne", "Atlantic Monthly", and "Harpers". There may be more, but that's all I can remember right now. The Left "news" outlets have been saying that same things on the same issues in pretty much the same way since I started paying attention to them in the 1970's. I was one of them. Now though, they're all screechy and preachy. Dull, boring, lying, insipid.   

Anyway, all that is to the purpose of changing how I view, think and write of things. Going forward by going back I guess.

Continuing on with reading, read a lot of books this year. List in the right column will stay up a few days. Standouts: A Traveler's Guide to the Kingdom:  Journeying Through the Christian Life by James Emery White, Exposing Myths About Christianity by Jeffrey Burton Russell, Introduction to the Devout Life by St Francis de Sales, Socrates in the City: Conversations on Life, God, and Other Small Topics by Eric Metaxas (Editor),  The Searcher by Joseph Loconte (This book a revelation about what happened on the road to Emmaus, the story of the two men that met Jesus after His crucifixion.) and Rebuilding the Real You by Jack Hayford. For fiction I enjoyed the Great North Road by Peter Hamilton, Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig (Doig one of my all time fav writers for many years), The Corpse Reader by Antonio Garrido, and lastly, I think my fav of the year, In Sunlight and in Shadow by Mark Helprin. Helprin's book got panned by a lot of snobby critics. It was poetic and romantic, not Helprin's usual steady on crafted novel. If you're looking for good fiction these days, look to the Spanish. Great stuff there.

Staying with the culture, movies, despite high sales this year, have pretty much sucked. Cartoons played by actors in front of blue and green screens. Great special effects, some decent story lines. Enjoyable but not challenging or fulfilling. Best movie may have been "Silver Linings Playbook", best cartoon movie "Superman". "Beasts Of The Southern Wild" was really good, but I have no idea why I liked it so much. Lots of worst movies ever this year including "Pain and Gain" with Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, and "The Great Gatsby", arguably the worst movie ever made; ranks way down there with a couple movies in years gone by whose names I've forgotten. "Gatsby" was so bad I walked out, couldn't stand it any more. Bleh.

Television on the other hand is better and better. Cable shows mostly, that I binge view on Netflix. I'll just list a few here; "Burn Notice", "Justified" (my fav), "Glades", "Foyer's War", "Continuum", "Borgia", "Doc Martin", "Heat of the Sun", "Hell on Wheels", "Damages", "Doctor Who", "White Collar", any of the "Mystery Theater" stuff mostly presented by the BBC. Then there's some documentaries and of course the "Ted Talks" series. Of the live series "Blue Bloods" (astonishing it's lasting because it's revolves around a practicing Christian family, with traditional family values, service and sacrifice, and they pray together!). Then there's "Person of Interest", and of course both "NICIS" shows. I was a big fan of "The Voice" and "Singoff", but think these have run the course for me. Not lacking in talented singers, but the song selection is starting to sound the same and the audience instead of actually listening to the music, seem to think these are audience participation shows, and clapping, whistling, screaming and yelling are appropriate. Well, it's not.

Last but certainly not least, Church and Religion. I love my church with all my heart. Just amazing people, with amazing talents. Love and charity abounds. The conversations, the music, are all beyond extraordinary. I'm going to be rude here; if you "dis" Christianity and people that go to church, that serve, love, are charitable, then you're stupid and a bigot. You guys have to go back hundreds of years to find something to bitch about and use that to try and kill Christianity and replace it with the State. I don't have much truck with the anti-Semitism linked to the hatred of Christianity either. Scripture, Old and New Testaments are the most proven and effective guides to good living ever. Churches are the best organizations and institutions to benefit humanity, ever. Period.

There's my year in review. This much longer than intended, and I have more to say. But days, years, months to follow. We wish all a wonderful New Year, full of Faith, Hope, Love, Charity. 

My Year in Review for 2012

This past year has been a good one in a material sense for me, intellectually and spiritually quiet if not diminished; actually static. Instead of resolutions, that I gave up years ago, I select the most influential moments of the past year, then reflect on what was experienced or done, and see what can be built on or needs to be taken away. Then at the macro level, there's the reflection of what's happened socio-economically and politically.

Materially I have new computer\monitor\printer, home theater system, iPhone player\speaker unit, fancy Cusinart coffee maker, Kindle Fire HD, and new luxury car. Things that make my life more enjoyable and comfortable, and for which I'm so grateful. These came about because of a combination of a good job and gifts. A nice combination to be sure.

Spiritually I've not challenged myself. Part of that is my reduced religious prayer and study time. Part of it is I've been on sabbatical from the Elders in my church. What has kept me connected is the Bible study group I attend and choir. I'm back from sabbatical and am ready to re-engage in church. Being an introvert and not so much a social person it's always a bit of a challenge, and I recognize the benefits and growth that come about because of it. I have, over this past year, bought a few religious books, read three or four of them, and recognize it's time to immerse myself in the rest. It's also time to get back to increasing prayer and devotions.

Intellectually I've been pretty lazy. I've read only sixteen books this year, mostly fiction, and much of my free time has been watching vids or TV. Having streaming movies and missed TV shows constantly available can be a great time waster (as enjoyable as it is) and mind numbing. It's time to exercise some self discipline and increase my reading and study time. Best non-fiction book of the year was Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics by Ross Gregory Douthat. Best fiction The Road Home by Jim Harrison.

While we're on best of...best movie, well, I can't make up my mind. Looking at my little blurbs I put here in my blog it must have been a pretty good movie year. I saw 26 movies. Six I gave four out of five stars in my little rating system. One I gave five stars, and that was "For Greater Glory" about the Cristero War of 1926 to 1929 in Mexico. The Mexican government declared war on Catholic Church, murdering them wholesale. A history not known by most, and I think a must see movie for all Christians. The movies I gave four stars - "Act of Valor", "Cloud Atlas", "Lincoln", "Skyfall", "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" 3D, "The Hunger Games", “2016: Obama’s America”. 

My blog posts too have fallen off, and writing so much clarifies thinking, organizes it, and puts things in perspective. It also lends itself to learning and expanding how we view things. So more writing.

Out of my sphere of influence,  other than my vote, was the election,. I viewed it as a tipping point; the solidification of a majority of citizens rejecting God, religion, Church, the traditional family, traditional values; the belief system that was the foundation of America. This election was more about how a majority of citizens "felt" than the hard cold reality of a fiscally irresponsible government, that has lead us to a point where our debt and deficient can't be paid off and will negatively impact our children's children's children. I was stunned a majority of citizens think this is a good thing. I read a couple days ago that eleven states have more people on government assistance that there are people working. A portent of things to come.

All I can do is continue with my religious and intellectual life, influence and be influenced by my sphere of family, friends, associates. A line from Gandalf in the latest Hobbit movie, he said the powerful are not so much the difference, but how ordinary people act, especially in difficult or dangerous times. Said many times before, and I pray in these troubled times enough individuals take that idea to heart.

What I take to heart is my love for, and being loved by so many. What I pray for are those that have never heard of Jesus hear of Him and that those that have put Christ out of their lives let Him back in. What I take to heart is love of my church. What I take to heart is love of our military. What I take to heart is love of my country and liberty.

    

Call to Prayer II

Most of us really don’t know how to pray. We have some idea, and mostly our prayers turn into a personal wish list. Here's a teaching about how to pray that may give some structure to help us discipline ourselves and have our prayers emanate into the world and push back the darkness pressing in on us from a world that praises those things that deceive, ruin, damage us.

This teaching I recently received and it comes from Pastor Dick Eastman, the International President of “Every Home for Christ”.

It’s absolutely necessary to set a specific time for daily devotional prayer. Morning is usually best. Our minds are uncluttered, we can focus, and we get ourselves aligned with God for the rest of the day. It’s the setting of the time that’s important, but it’s not necessary to set a time limit except for it to fit into your schedule. You may have to rearrange your schedule, maybe not do something that’s part of your routine. Not watch that TV program, or stay up and watch the eleven o’clock news, or get up a little earlier to make room for what's truly important.  

From Pastor Eastman’s book, Look What God Is Doing!  if you can get up to an hour, understandably tough if this is a new evolution in your life, is something to work toward. He breaks personal prayer hour into twelve five minute segments.

~Praise, recognizing God’s nature

~Waiting, silent soul surrender

~Confession

~Scripture Praying, prayer with your Bible open and read scripture

~Watching, develop holy alertness

~Intercession

~Petition, share personal needs

~Thanksgiving

~Singing, a sure challenge for some

~Meditation, ponder spiritual themes

~Listening, receive spiritual instruction

~Praise, bring it back to where you started

When praying intercession pray for your neighborhood; even take a walk through it, praying for those in each house you pass. Create a personal prayer list for family and friends that need intercession.

He gives us several spheres of influence.

~Monday, Pray for those in the Arts and Entertainment, including Sports. Ask God to use Christians here to touch lives.

~Tuesday, Pray for those in business.

~Wednesday, Pray for those in education, especially teachers.

~Thursday, Pray for families, especially those families facing breakup.

~Friday, Pray for those in Government, local to national, and international. Pick a country each day. Get a prayer map of the world to do this.

~Saturday, pray for those in the Media to become tools for Jesus Christ to change our culture from the baseness it exalts now to reflecting His honor and glory.

~Sunday, pray for the anointing of all churches and ministries. Pray for other religions to see the truth of the Gospel.

Pastor Eastman has three focuses, the first a “Prayer Focus” for our neighborhood and for the nations. For your neighborhood, start a prayer watch over them, walk the neighborhood praying. Declare God’s praises over your neighborhood. Whenever you can, lead your neighbors to Jesus. For the nations open doors to spread the Gospel, open minds to hear the Gospel, open hearts to embrace the Gospel, and open the Heavens to reveal the Gospel.

The second focus he calls the “Care Focus” to show Christ’s Love to a hurting world. For our neighbors bless them, know them (very tough in this time of mistrust), help whenever you can, and tell them the Good News. For Nations, remember to be like Jesus and be compassionate, remember to care for the suffering, and remember Him by sharing the “Bread of Life” (he is the bread).

The last is a “Share Focus” to share Christ’s Love through personal and relations evangelism, where we work, play and live.

This is a call to prayer in a darkening world consenting to live in the shadow of the Adversary. We need to penetrate that every day, for everybody, everywhere, and in every home.

You can get learn more and get involved in “Every Home for Christ” by visiting http://www.ehc.org/index.jsp, or calling 800 423 5054.

A Call to Prayer

The dark times we have entered aren't only socio-economic, it’s mostly spiritual. These dark times are a result of forces pushing back the holy power of God. Pedophilia being more acceptable, massive corruption in politics and business, plummeting wealth internationally, a culture sexualizing children, racial tensions and all the rest that disturb us, are a call to prayer for the Church, the Body of Christ. Prayer will penetrate the Darkness, and from there we can begin breaking it down and pushing it back.

Most of the time we pray, it’s more like a personal wish list, prayers of personal petition. In the prayer Jesus taught us, he has us saying, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done”, calling on us to bridge His kingdom to our life here. We’ve allowed ourselves to lose that relationship, our lives being ruled more by men than by God. That leads to deception and ruin; we see the results daily, experiencing the encroaching Darkness. We let ourselves become spiritually blind. Instead of pushing back the Darkness, we close more in on ourselves as the Church, as Christians.

While we do good works, there must be more prayer, both corporate and personal. When we look at the early Church, following Pentecost, prayer life was number one. The power of His Kingdom into our realm is brought by prayer. It began with Jesus, and his constant praying; he set the example. He would withdraw and pray often. He taught us how to pray. The Apostle Paul admonished us to pray unceasingly. Peter kneeled and prayed until his knees bled. Reading in Acts, the story of the early Church, people prayed and there were healings and miracles, new ministries, there were visions of God, people that lost direction found direction, and in the face of unbelievable persecution, the growth of the Church exploded. Acts 1:14 tells us these tangible results were the result of prayer, “all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication”.

This is a call to prayer, for all of us. It takes time and discipline. We each need to find a time to connect with the Holy Kingdom, and do it daily. Prayer is a spiritual discipline, and much neglected, and often limited to our own needs. The recommended time is morning; all is quiet and our mind uncluttered unlike at the end of our day. When we do this, we present ourselves to Him with praise, we open our hearts to Him, we offer our day to Him, and we expand our prayers, reaching out from ourselves, to family, to our Church family, to community, our nation, and then to other nations.

When we open our hearts to Him, He reviews what’s there, and will cleanse us of those things that deceive and keeps us from living totally in tune with His will. Psalms 139 tells us “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. When presenting our day to Him, Psalms 5 tells us, “Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend.” When we do this we’re asking for His power and anointing to come upon us; this will push back, penetrate the darkness that surrounds us daily. When we reach out, we expand our prayer beyond our immediate circle. We can specifically name those in need of prayer within our immediate circle, and we need to do the same outside the circle. Pick a country everyday and pray for their leaders and people to be delivered from the encroaching Darkness.

There is no predestined fate. Many think God has set in motion events, so just let it be, things will just be taken care of. God has called us to intercede, to bring His Kingdom into our realm. It's on us. God will only act where He is invited; He won’t do things just on His own. It’s more important now than ever, with the force of the Enemy blanketing us in more Darkness that we make the time for daily devotional prayer.

Additionally, as the Body of Christ, the Church must pray, corporate prayer, as if each of our churches is the only church praying. Kingdom power must be that amplified. The order of things has been violated, and we must pray as if our lives depended on it, and it does, to put things right and open His kingdom here on earth. 

The Church, The Unchurched, and Social Decline

There was a time, even within my lifetime, that churches played a central role connecting people, transmitting values, helping others. There was a time when the tallest buildings in towns were church spires; those have been replaced by banks and government buildings.

I’m wondering if there’s going to be, if it’s even possible, to have another “great awakening” like we did in the 18^th and 19^th and 20th centuries, where the church and God was the centerpiece of our activities and thoughts. Governments now keep trying to tax churches, which is the best way to run them out of business or at least control them. Nevermind all the charity work, feeding the poor, taking care of the sick and prisoners, tending the dying and providing comfort to families that have lost loved ones, and burying the dead. All these take time and money. All these are ignored by government and secular cultural elites. They want more money to enrich and empower themselves and their contributors, and put the church out of business. Government cannot be fully in control if people put God first.

A side effect of this breakdown of the church in our culture is the wisdom, teaching of humility, patience, our religious history and its effects on what we consider most important, and generational segregation.

When I was growing up, we knew all the moms and dads, grandpas and grandmas, even great-grandmas and grandpas. We knew their music, their history, and their beliefs. We felt their love. We experienced and watched their actions, and knew to emulate them to become good adults.

Now when I talk to twenty-something’s, even thirty-something’s, they view anything outside their own time cocoon as ancient and not important. They don’t see any value in the values of anyone older than them. They have no sense of history. Nothing is being transmitted, and all cultural, political, and social continuity is being lost. Generational segregation like this can’t be a good thing. It’s even being reflected in the church.

Some churches are getting rid of traditional services and replacing them with youthful praise services. Mostly, older congregants don’t attend these, and vice versa. There is less and less a mix of generations. The irony is in a society of ever increasing ‘social media’ (Facebook, etc.) people are actually communicating less. People only select out people to ‘friend’ only like minded and like aged others.

I think I’m lamenting here the breakdown and even rejection of the spiritual and moral teaching and guidance of the church. It’s disconcerting the unchurched have moved from understanding the importance of the church’s contributions to being hostile; a hostility born out of lies and no understanding of the great teachings of religious leaders. It lends itself to anti-Semitism and anti-Christian bigotry, intolerance and hate.

C S Lewis, in his book The Great Divorce, describes Hell as a place where everyone can go anywhere, anytime. There doesn’t have to be getting along with any friends or neighbors or relatives. Don’t like what’s going on, move away. After awhile, everyone one there has moved away from everyone else. Really this is self imposed solitary confinement. In the religious community Hell is viewed simply as being denied, being separated, from God. Lewis points out it’s being separated from each other too. Now we’ve emerged as a society that we can move away by “unfriending”, and segregate others not of our age and belief system. Even in church.  

Thoughts on Pentecostal Sunday

Today is Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. Pentecost is the Jewish Feast of Weeks, and comes fifty days after Passover. Since Christianity was formed out of the Jewish faith, those traditional religious observances were incorporated into the new Christian faith; Passover became Easter, the Feast of Weeks became Pentecost. The event of Pentecost came seven weeks after Christ was crucified and resurrected.

Here’s what happened that day:

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” 

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his native language? We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

This reverses the Tower of Babel, when people built the tower up to be closer to God, when what they were doing was putting themselves before God. God changed their tongues, and when they spoke they couldn’t understand each other.

Now with Pentecost, God changed our tongues again, and we can speak with one voice. On this day there was a wind, the Spirit of God, from the word “ruach” for breath, spirit, wind. The spirit of God was breathed into these people, bringing them back to a spirit filled life. Tongues of fire appear, and this purifies, burns away their sins. They become baptized by the Spirit.

There were about 120 people this started with, and it grew because they began witnessing through the Spirit, making the “Great Commission” possible: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

We’re reminded this day that we speak with one voice; we are to witness and disciple. I’m praying this day that all the divisions of our Faith move closer to one voice. I’m partially thinking here of  Pentecostals, that speak in “tongues”, and how mainstream and non-denominational churches think them a bit odd and out of touch, and are dismissive of them. The Holy Spirit was breathed into all of us.

We all have problems, have our wounds, have our talents and gifts. We all should communicate with God’s Spirit that He gave us. We are the One Holy Church, the Body of Christ. We should witness to that, whether we do it speaking in tongues, singing, writing, or just talking about our faith journey. We all need Love, we all need the Spirit. We have been given it, we need to witness it.

Pastor Jack Hayford, in his book Living the Spirit-Formed Life envisions Christians overcoming our divisions, and unifying with full spirituality:

“…where Jesus Christ is exalted and is central in all, where God’s Word is honored and authoritative in all, where the Holy Spirit is welcome and free to work in every way and where spiritual dynamics and spiritual disciplines are joined by all.” 

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, looking on, encouraging us to do the will of the Lord. Let us stand worthy, and be faithful to God’s  call….We must not grow weary…!

http://youtu.be/RzR0_xU0bUU

Soul Wow!

Cute vid to bring people to church, especially for Easter.

Theolgy, Intellect, Church

I’ve noticed the past couple years that the theology I study is okay, but I’m really not challenging myself. I’ve always noticed, since I was brought back to the Faith, that most people attending church, professing Christianity, don’t pursue gaining knowledge from the great Christian thinkers; that somehow the warm fuzzies we get from the music and message on Sunday morning is sufficient. We’re glad they are in the church and doing good works. We understand not all have my passion for theology. Still, we need to keep religious thought alive by keeping it in our lives.

Are we making this a challenge to our young people to know and comprehend our religious heritage? God brings us, when we are ready, to knowing him though emotions, experience, tradition, intellect, whatever way He needs to. Fr Barron has a good point here, that we must, no matter what way God embraces us, to teach and pursue with our minds, as well as our hearts, his Truth.

I think it’s so important that we all be able to verbalize our beliefs. Actions do speak louder than words, but if God is leading someone to Him, and we are His vessels, some may need to hear the words too. I did. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByC5hbuinb8

Has Church Become Effeminate?

From an article by Doug Giles. Full article here.

Have you ever asked yourself, “Self, why do some churches look more like the bra and panty aisle at Wal-Mart rather than a battalion of men poised to plunder the powers of darkness?”  

Certainly, the lack of men in church is not difficult to see.  Just go to church on any given Sunday and count the number of ladies in the pews versus the number of men.  The result?  Well, you’re suddenly slapped in the face with the cheap whiskey-like reality that men are avoiding church like Pelosi avoids reason.

 So why do most men avoid church? 

Here’s the veneer stripped-away answer: going to church for the majority of men is lame and sports about the same appeal as being asked to go rollerblading with Adam Lambert.  Yep, church, for most men, has not only become irrelevant—it has also become effeminate.  Hanging out in church for most extra-Y chromosomes seems unmanly and most men more than anything wannabe a cowboy. 

The current lack of strong men within the Church, both in the numeric and leadership sense, has crippled our churches and has helped devastate our nation.  

 Some suggestions to bring men back into the church:

Put an end to the Nicer-Than-Christ pastors.

Ditto regarding the worship/music leader.

Lose the Church’s “I’m in therapy for ever” feel.

In Honor of Pentecost, The Birth of the Christian Church

From Acts: When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they we sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear each in our own language in in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene. Visitors from Rome, both Jew and Proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another "Whatever could this mean?"

The story goes on, but this is the beginning of Our Church, marking the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Some Questions for "Brights" (Atheists)

The new militant, proselytizing atheist movement, instead of just saying they don't believe there's a God and stopping there, spend a lot of time insulting us "Dulls". If you haven't been paying attention, that's what Believers are called by them. I really don't care if someone doesn't believe in God, but I do care when lies and insults are thrown about.

As a "Dull" I have some questions for our "Bright" friends. I need to have these explained to me, to us (believers), because we're unintelligent, weak, and believe in fairy tales.

First question is how does insulting people that believe something different add to the discussion of the existence of God? Does being insulting help prove God doesn't exist?

Second question is how to justify the claim that atheists in charge would have better results than "Dulls" have had? (During this questioning I'm focusing on Judaism and Christianity because that's my religious tradition.) The atheist regimes in history brought Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, Communist Soviet Union, and Communist China, to name the big ones. I saw one defense of this observation stating Hitler was a Catholic, so he was (secretly) religious; as if that explained it all. I don't think being a member of a church makes anyone a Christian any more that sitting in the garage makes one a car. David Berlinski: "What Hitler did not believe and what Stalin did not believe and what Mao did not believe and what the SS did not believe and what the Gestapo did not believe and what the NKVD did not believe and what the commissars, functionaries, swaggering executioners, Nazi doctors, Communist Party theoreticians, intellectuals, Brown Shirts, Black Shirts, gauleiteres, and a thousand party hacks did not believe was that God was watching what they were doing." Anything bad we "Dulls" have done doesn't even come close to the results of these "Bright" regimes.

On the flip side of that is good works. Why do "Dulls" give more than "Brights"? I'm thinking of all that charitable work, and charitable organizations that the "Dulls" have founded and support. Hospitals, shelters, feeding the poor, paying attention to prisoners, universities, ending slavery, civil rights ("Dull" Christian Minister Martin Luther King), actually a whole range of things that improve the plight of humanity. I remember a "Bright" say after the worst of cleaning up after Katrina was done, that mostly what he saw were Christians and their organizations helping. (Note that the government wasn't of much help.) He said he had to hand it to them, they were there when needed, and the "Brights" really didn't help out that much, if at all. Christians have given $billions to the suffering and poor all over the world. "Dulls" give far more than "Brights" in charitable donations. Lots of stats from many sources bear this out. "Dulls" volunteer far more than "Brights". The question is, what's to recommend, what evidence is there, that "Brights" care for others? Or don't "Brights" care about others? I know some individuals do, but as a group or movement? Not so much. Side note here. "Brights" are all for governments taking care of people in trouble, just not them personally, and taking money from others to do it, which in turn empowers the Nazi, Fascist, Socialist, Communist expression of "Brights".

God made it quite clear to us "Dulls" that service to others is job one. Question to "Brights", what is your job one?

Next question is about the arts. "Dulls" have some incredible architecture, music so lovely I tear up, literature that takes the breath away with its expressions, paintings and sculptures that's so gorgeous it make one's eyes glow with appreciation, philosophy that really forces us to think about how we relate to life, nature, each other. The question is, what have "Brights" provided us in architecture, painting, literature, music, philosophy, sculpture? What aesthetics have "Brights" provided us that compares?

Back to insults. I've noticed when engaged in dialectic, when an opponent begins loosing ground, insults happen, from them. Another tactic is to point out something singular, and event or person, as if that's of consequence.

Answers to the questions here I'm sure will clear things up, and help us "Dulls" understand better why "Brights" have so much more to offer, and why we should denounce God.

Dark Hearts and Churches

I was saddened to read about a church in Georgia that had between $200,000 and $400,000 stolen over a 10-year period by a church secretary. Victory Fellowship in Bremen, Georgia has about 250 members. That amount of money for a church that size is a beyond a huge loss. Our church experienced the same thing, and I don't think we've ever fully recovered. Both the Georgia church and ours caught and prosecuted the respective church secretaries, but the money will never be recovered.

I think, as Christians, there's an implicit trust of people of the Faith. We also tend to see the good in others first. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it sometimes causes us to lose the Biblical view that we humans have dark hearts. That's part of what the story of the "Fall" is about. We were made in God's likeness, and have a choice to grow in it, or reject God. Mankind rejected God and as a result we have dark hearts. We become self important and God gets diminished.

We have alienated ourselves from God. At the core of all our human problems is this. Not poverty, lack of 'social justice', ignorance, or anything else you want to pin it on. It is that we've rejected the pure Spirit of God. We have rejected pure Love. We have put ourselves before Him. Secularists and atheists, advocating for the separation from God in the first instance, and atheists denial, only take us back to the worst times of human history. Paganism does not value human life at all. At least Judaism and Christianity teach to love, care for, and value others.

The story of the flood, whether you believe it happened or not, is about how Man can become so vile and disgusting we shouldn't really exist. That's sad. People of Faith work away from that the best we can, and tend to trust people that we perceive are trying live more in an imitation of Christ. Sadly, as in these cases of theft, our dark hearts are always there, always an influence. We are all sinners. Sadly, even among people of Faith, we must be aware of our nature, and be constantly vigilant of harm people will do to ourselves and the institutions we cherish.

The Fading Church and the New Generation

"Spiritual not Religious" confounds me (I had written about it earlier here), and now there's a survey of 18- to 29-year-olds, known as "Millennials".

The survey was done by LifeWay Christian Resources, and found that in this age group, 72% say they're 'spiritual, not religious'. Of the 65% of this survey group (1200 people) that identified themselves as Christian, they don't pray much or attend services on a regular basis.

The thing about rejecting centuries of doctrine, creed and religious wisdom, is that one makes up one's own beliefs. Perfect for our egocentric, narcissistic culture. This endangers the Church. Dorothy Sayers published a book, "Creed or Chaos" 'Why Christians Must Choose Either Dogma or Disaster', contending that doctrine is vital to Faith. John 4:22- "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvations is of the Jews." I'm saddened by how many Christians really don't know what they believe. What the Christian Creeds do is provide a point of reference, point out important points of Christian doctrine.

Now we have a whole generation not aware of doctrine, dogma, creed, or the commonalities of the Faith. Part of the rejection of church and dogma, is a misunderstanding of dogma. It's now viewed as something rigid and inflexible. Originally dogma, from the Greek root, meant something that was fitting and good. Christian Faith is fitting and good.

Something fitting and good, maybe something you haven't read in awhile, The Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son].
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

Rick Warren from "Purpose Driven Life", I like this too: "As believers we share one Lord, one body, one purpose, one Father, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism and one Love."

Being 'not religious', threatens no only Christianity, but the personal sharing of other's experiences. God means us to be unified, and loving and supporting of each other. The church, the religious experience, brings that and much, much more.

Sunday's Coming (vid)

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Ha!

"I'm Spiritual, But Not Religious"

We've heard the phrase a lot, "I'm spiritual, not religious". The SBNR (spiritual but not religious) see religion and church as ridged, inflexible, dogmatic, controlling; not allowing freedom of thought.

I'm surprised to find I'm not capable of thinking for myself. People that don't know I'm a Christian think I'm quite a creative thinker. These people, I guess, change their minds about me after they learn I'm a religious person. Guess I become an unthinking idiot at that point. I guess Dr. Martin Luther King was not capable of thinking freely; or perhaps Maimonides, Augustine, Reinhold Neibuhr, Francis of Assisi, Rumi, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien. Boy, what a bunch of unthinking, stick in the mud idiots that lot is.

Jesus. That unthinking rube from the sticks! Did he get in trouble and crucified by following religious convention? Or did he get in trouble for questioning, thinking and acting outside the accepted conventions?

Of course, if you're an SBNR person, you at least recognize the spiritual aspect of our lives, so that's a bit better than people that believe we are just interacting organisms and nothing more. Being an SBNR is convenient. Just you and God, or 'my god'. I just have a problem with the phrase too, "That's between you and your god", or "that's between me and my god". SBNR's have their own individual little gods going on. You get a high end spiritual smörgåsbord. I'll take a little Buddhism, a little Islam, a little astrology, a little Theosophy, and season the mix with whatever.

That's just about that singular person. It's about self. It's about doing and saying whatever makes you comfortable. It's whatever you can use to rationalize your thoughts and behaviors. I guess one could say that's a religion too, the 'it's all about me' the "I AM" religion. Thinking like that, who's there to challenge, correct, get you out of your comfort zone? That's why God sends prophets, to correct us. (Those of you that aren't religiously educated, prophets don't predict the future, they warn us of the consequences of our bad behavior, what will happen if we continue to turn our backs to God.) If you're an SBNR, then you are alone with God. God wants us to experience Him with each other. Experiencing God is a communal experience, not a singular experience.

In the church, you can be corrected, or be a corrector. You need humility when in a community. I know I've grown as a man, spiritually and religiously since I've joined the church. I've learned to interact with people much better. I've learned to serve much better. I used to be an SBNR, so I know the thinking, the experience.

Has the church made huge mistakes and bad decisions? Absolutely. Has religion always provided the right process, and gotten right results? Of course not. The church is a reflection of ourselves, our humanness, and we recognize that, and constantly correct for it. Over all, the church, religious people, have done more good than ill in the world.

Ultimately, the two, religious and spiritual, matter only when combined.

James Martin, SJ, From his book, "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything":

"Overall, being spiritual and being religious are both part of being in relationship with God. Neither can be fully realized without the other. Religion without spirituality can become a dry list of dogmatic statements divorced from the life of the spirit. This is what Jesus warned against. Spirituality without religion can become a self-centered complacency divorced from the wisdom of community."

Thoughts on Church on Good Friday

"To be connected with the church is to be associated with scoundrels, warmongers, fakes, child-molesters, murderers, adulterers and hypocrites of every description.

It also, at the same time, identifies you with saints and the finest persons of heroic soul of every time, country, race, and gender.

To be a member of the church is to carry the mantle of both the worst sin and the finest heroism of soul because the church always looks exactly as it looked at the original crucifixion, God hung among thieves."

-- Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I., "The Holy Longing"

It tougher, I think, to be Christian, to be a member of the church, than to decide you're a spiritual self only, and not needing the fellowship, or the guidance of others wiser than you. It's easier to reject being a Christian and a member of the Church, and essentially your own god, center of your own universe, and put Self ahead of all.

I heard a woman call into Michael Medved's talk show saying Jesus never existed and religion is nothing but mind control. She said she was a "free thinker". That passed for self identification, all the while everything she said, all her statements, have been said ad infinitum by others. Her sadness and anger grew throughout the call, which is what most of her fellow "free thinkers" express. Intolerance, lack of knowledge, lack of understanding. I was saddened by her intolerance, ignorance and unhappiness. They call themselves freethinkers and 'brights', but don't exhibit either trait.

We in the Church know we are all too human, do all to many bad things, say all too many bad things. We do understand we do many good things, and say many good things. I would say it's harder to admit our humanness, and belong to a self critical, self correcting Church, and be Christian, trying to live up to the expression of that, than only have insults to believers, condemnation, and self congratulations to offer.

It is indeed difficult to be connected to the Church. It creates an environment for Love and growth that secularists miss out on. It's a constant reminder of our shortcomings. It's a constant reminder, with no excuses, of our humanness. There is sacrifice, yet nowhere near the sacrifice of Christ on this day over two thousand years ago.

Out of that sacrifice comes our salvation, our hope.

The Apostles' Creed (Not the Nine O'Clock News) [vid]

Great satire. Truly funny...

Church History in 4 Minutes (vid)

What a blast! What fun!