Truth is Subjective

 Is this statement true? Well maybe for others it is. I don't think it is true, but in today's post-modern culture, my truth is mine and is not an objective truth, so me making an objective statement that truth is truth no matter mine or anyone else's opinion is viewed as error and heresy to the post-modern mind. But isn't this an absurdity? Doesn't our mind, when looking at a red stop sign, recognize it as such? Yet, somebody else who comes to look at the same sign and states, "That's a nice yellow sign!", would it not be an error in need of correction? "Sir, that is a red stop sign, it is not yellow". How absurd would it it be for the mistaken one to cry foul and swear it is yellow. (I understand this is a silly example, and that some people are actually color blind and can't help but see a different color, but this is just an example.) I once was in a discussion with a couple friends on the subject of truth related to religion, specifically the Christian religion, and one of my friends used this "sign" example, yet claimed that all three of us can look at that sign at a different angle and see the sign (truth) but in different ways. I was not able to bring my objection to this, but this is exactly the viewpoint I am speaking of. Each of us looking at that sign saw the same thing, a sign. No matter what angle the three of us viewed it, it remained the original sign. This example is much like this culture today, where the truth could be found, even seen, by all, yet most make their own view of truth to their liking or understanding while ignoring any objectivity. "Truth" is relative to the individual. The consequence: There is no real, absolute, objective, truth to be found. Of course, even this statement is not truth, since truth is not real. It is up to everyone's own subjective interpretation. But this is not what I am writing about right now.

I have been plagued with doubt and concern about this issue of relativism in the Church today. Oh yes, the culture has been embraced by much of what America calls Christianity. I have wondered why it is that one can point out false doctrine and be called a liar instead of examining the objective truth of the Bible first. I have wondered why it is that most of American evangelicalism has such a disregard for biblical theology contrary to the Scripture's clarity on the issue of worshipping in truth. I have often pondered why it is that Scripture can speak so clearly on many topics, including soteriology (doctrine of salvation), yet many don't want to hear of it. They don't want to hear that God is so Sovereign over all, including our salvation, that He alone brings salvation to a sinner. That He has predestined them for salvation in Christ. That there are those He has elected to damnation. That we are totally and completely spiritually dead in sin apart from Christ and can do nothing of ourselves to be saved.In short, the lack of belief in the objective truth of Scripture, theology doesn't matter, we can believe God is whoever we want Him to be. Then it hit me: famine. Famine of the Word of God. Judgement from God upon us. He still calls His own, but others think they know Him when they don't and when corrected on theological error, even heresy, "Oh well, that is just your interpretation". "My God would not do that!". There is a famine of the truth, and when unregenerate people already have minds clouded with sin, both end up bringing about in people a relativity, and the logical conclusion is that none of us have true understanding of clear teachings in Scripture. 

What a sad state the Visible Church is in. We wonder why there are so many denominations now, why there is so much confusion and schism and heresy. I believe it is judgement. It is our sin and unbelief.It is our idolatry and whoring with the culture. It's not anything to do with the truth of Scripture. It and it alone is the objective truth directly from God. I pray the Church repent, reform, and conform to the truth the Bible gives us. Else all we have is a professing majority who cling to Ba'al, Mammon, and a golden calf. Cling instead to Christ Jesus.

Overcoming the World

 This is part five of a series on the doctrine of assurance that I am doing in my family worship. I wanted to share this, and might share the rest if I so choose. I pray you are blessed in the reading of this.

Overcoming the World
*Overcoming transient desires
*Overcoming sin by power of the Holy Spirit

1 John 2:15-17; 1 John 5:4-5; Romans 8:5-6, 9


This is our fifth examination concerning true and false faith, and how to biblically know whether we are truly born again or not. This part deals with the regenerate person overcoming the world and the flesh, even the devil, who himself governs these things. Yet, even though Satan indeed has power over the human race and the world, his power is limited as Christ is Sovereign over all, including Satan. This does not mean that for the believer the race will be easy. As discussed in part 2 and 3, there is for the true believer a constant struggle against sin and striving for holiness. John elaborates more on what exactly the person of God faces.

Matthew Henry comments:
We have the dehortation or dissuasion thus prefaced and introduced, a caution fundamental to vital practical religion: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, 1 John 2:15. Be crucified to the world, be mortified to the things, to the affairs and enticements, of it." The several degrees of Christians should unite in this, in being dead to the world. Were they thus united, they would soon unite upon other accounts: their love should be reserved for God; throw it not away upon the world. Now here we see the reasons of this dissuasion and caution. They are several, and had need to be so; it is hard to dispute or dissuade disciples themselves from the love of the world. These reasons are taken,

1. From the inconsistency of this love with the love of God: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 1 John 2:15. The heart of man is narrow, and cannot contain both loves. The world draws down the heart from God; and so the more the love of the world prevails the more the love of God dwindles and decays.

2. From the prohibition of worldly love or lust; it is not ordained of God: It is not of the Father, but is of the world, 1 John 2:16. This love or lust is not appointed of God (he calls us from it), but it intrudes itself from the world; the world is a usurper of our affection. Now here we have the due consideration and notion of the world, according to which it is to be crucified and renounced. The world, physically considered, is good, and is to be admired as the work of God and a glass in which his perfections shine; but it is to be considered in its relation to us now in our corrupted state, and as it works upon our weakness and instigates and inflames our vile affections. There is great affinity and alliance between this world and the flesh, and this world intrudes and encroaches upon the flesh, and thereby makes a party against God. The things of the world therefore are distinguished into three classes, according to the three predominant inclinations of depraved nature; as,

(1.) There is the lust of the flesh. The flesh here, being distinguished from the eyes and the life, imports the body. The lust of the flesh is, subjectively, the humour and appetite of indulging fleshly pleasures; and, objectively, all those things that excite and inflame the pleasures of the flesh. This lust is usually called luxury.

(2.) There is the lust of the eyes. The eyes are delighted with treasures; riches and rich possessions are craved by an extravagant eye; this is the lust of covetousness.

(3.) There is the pride of life. A vain mind craves all the grandeur, equipage, and pomp of a vain-glorious life; this is ambition, and thirst after honour and applause. This is, in part, the disease of the ear; it must be flattered with admiration and praise. The objects of these appetites must be abandoned and renounced; as they engage and engross the affection and desire, they are not of the Father, but of the world, 1 John 2:16. The Father disallows them, and the world should keep them to itself. The lust or appetite to these things must be mortified and subdued; and so the indulging of it is not appointed by the Father, but is insinuated by the ensnaring world.

And Calvin comments:
He had said before that the only rule for living religiously, is to love God; but as, when we are occupied with the vain love of the world, we turn away all our thoughts and affections another way, this vanity must first be torn away from us, in order that the love of God may reign within us. Until our minds are cleansed, the former doctrine (to love God) may be iterated a hundred times, but with no effect: it would be like pouring water on a ball; you can gather, no, not a drop, because there is no empty place to retain water.

By the world understand (John means) everything connected with the present life, apart from the kingdom of God and the hope of eternal life. So he includes in it corruptions of every kind, and the abyss of all evils. In the world are pleasures, delights, and all those allurements by which man is captivated, so as to withdraw himself from God.

Moreover, the love of the world is thus severely condemned, because we must necessarily forget God and ourselves when we regard nothing so much as the earth; and when a corrupt lust of this kind rules in man, and so holds him entangled that he thinks not of the heavenly life, he is possessed by a beastly stupidity.

If any man love the world He proves by an argument from what is contrary, how necessary it is to cast away the love of the world, if we wish to please God; and this he afterwards confirms by an argument drawn from what is inconsistent; for what belongs to the world is wholly at variance with God. We must bear in mind what I have already said, that a corrupt mode of life is here mentioned, which has nothing in common with the kingdom of God, that is, when men become so degenerated, that they are satisfied with the present life, and think no more of immortal life than mute animals. Whosoever, then, makes himself thus a slave to earthly lusts, cannot be of God.

We get the picture from these men much better than I could explain. This world is full of things to draw us away from God and lead us into sins of idolatry, laziness, envy, simply put, worldliness. We have to fight against this evil and overcome. But how exactly? By the Holy Spirit of God within us! If we are truly saved, we do have the Spirit and the Spirit convicts us of sin and leads us to repentance and change. This is sanctification. God working in us to mold us into His image, to make us holy and righteous. Yes, Christ has already made us holy and righteous , He has given us His perfection in holiness and obedience in exchange for our sins and total disobedience. But because of this we should be changed, different, not like our old selves and not like the world. We still have a remnant of sin in us until Christ comes back or our bodies die, and we must battle that sin. There must be a new desire to fight sin, and to use your life to glorify God in the ways His Word has revealed. And in this fight, the Holy Spirit leads us as our General in command, He gives us true strength to overcome and walk as Christ walked. Our weapons are simply repentance, prayer, and the Word of God.
 Repentance when you feel temptation creeping or when you have sinned;
prayer for daily strength and protection against sin, and desire to glorify God;
the Word of God read daily for more strength and food for our souls, so that we know what is the will of God for us and how we are to live for Gods glory in light of how deeply He has loved us.

The true believer can overcome the world and sin, not perfectly, but they can, and must have in their very being a strong desire to do so our of love for God. Without this, without a care or desire to overcome the world and the flesh, as Calvin said, they cannot truly be of God. Are you of God?

Learning, Always Learning

I have been away for quite some time. Many things going on in my life right now, many of which are experiential lessons.
 
     I am trying to grow as a husband to my dear wife. In this, so far it has proven to be a very difficult thing. Not because I do not love her or cherish her. That is always the best part of a marriage. It is those things of which are contained in the old vow, "for better, for worse". The hard times, the times we get on each others nerves, the times that one of us does not live up to what we expect of each other. In this, speaking from my side in particular, I have been deeply humbled by Scripture in that "loving your wife as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her", ultimatley starts with being a servant to her. I am praying that I become better at this, as the flesh does not like it. Same thing in my role as a father. I am constantly (not perfectly), looking to Christ and His servanthood authority (what a paradox to the worldy mind!) to guide me in the ways I should act in the home. Taking up the other roles a redeemed head of the house should do has become a part of my practice as well.

   Another issue that I have been humbled in is my stand for Gospel truth. Not that is bad to do so, it is actually biblical to stand for what is clearly taught in Scripture and defend it against those who seek to deviate and lead others to falsity. Yet, I am young and have much to learn, and must learn when to speak and when to not, what is rightful for me to teach and what may not be. In Scripture, one who teaches, whether from a pulpit or in the home or even on the internet, is held to a higher responsibility in the sight of God. If any of you have spent time in the Old Testament, specifically the Prophets; or have meditated upon Jesus' own blunt condemnation of teachers not teaching rightly, or the Pastoral Epistles of Paul, then you can see where my concern is coming from. I do have desire to teach and instruct, to rebuke false doctrine and make sure the children of God can know Biblical orthodoxy... but there are just some things I need to understand more before doing so, and also things of which I am not in a position to teach at this time of my life. One of my last blog posts, from a good while ago, was to be the beginning of a lesson on what a true Pastor is supposed to be like according to the Scripture and why the Church is in so much disarray due to false teachers. I soon lost the desire to post more, not because I am scared to do so because of man, but because I am fearful of God and felt in my consience that I was not in the position to teach these things at this point of time. So forgive me, for anyone who does read my thoughts here, for not going on with it.

   I am praying as to what to do with this blog right now. Please pray with me.
Grace and Peace,
tony bradley

Un/Holy

I stand guilty in a court that rules over all humanity in justice. I am an adulterer; I am a lier; I am a thief; I am prideful; I am a glutton; I am a coveter... I am also guilty of enjoying the wrongs I partake in, so much so that I hate what is right and call it evil. I am wretched and filthy in the eyes of the Judge of all the Earth, and I know He shall do what is right and just. I, just like all of humanity lost and in slavery to sin, deserve to slide off this world into the lake of fire and never know what it is like to look upon my Creator with love and joy on His face. Instead I will fall into the hands of a wrathful God who takes no pleasure in destroying the wicked but must do so as He is also perfectly just and perfectly holy; everything I am not.

But, the Judge has done something tremendous. He sent His Son, conceived by His Spirit and born of a virgin, to take my sin and bear the wrath of the Judge that was due me. This Son, Jesus, then resurrected by the power of God, gave me His perfect righteousness and obedience in exchange, and became my perfect lawyer, presenting me before the Judge as acquitted.

Why me? You are righteous, I am not. You are holy, I am filthy. You are loving, I am arrogant. You are mighty, I am weak. You are perfection in totality, I am imperfection in total depravity.

I will never understand, apart from His unconditional love in election, but I stand acquitted and holy before the Judge of all the Earth. I am a sinner, who is covered in innocent blood.

Iron Sharpening Iron

I have been made to realize something by a good friend and brother in the faith, and I must repent.

When Jesus told told the Apostles to go out "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... " (Matt 28:19-20), this involved preaching the Gospel and handing down the sound doctrines Jesus Himself taught the Apostles to the believers. The two go hand in hand, one without the other making both void, or at the least lacking in growth if the person has truly been regenerated. False doctrines and false gospels can lead people to Hell thinking they are going to Heaven, unless God shows grace and opens their eyes to the truth. I spent a long while in that situation after I was regenerated, and was ignorant. Though, I remember many times that I had this feeling some of the things I was being fed was not right, I went along with it because the preacher said it was true. It was not until I seriously dug into the Scriptures and read certain passages in their respective context I started realizing that something was wrong. During this time, I stopped going to church altogether and was really fighting doubt and fear, doubt concerning what I was taught so far, and fear of seperating myself from it. Both left me in a state where i just "hid" for a while, and continued learning the Scriptures. Eventually by Gods grace I pulled out and found a sound church and have been edified since, but what I went through left me with a fire to warn others of the false gospels and doctrines out there. But, in my fire for this very important part of Biblical discipleship and teaching, I have left out the most important thing: the Gospel.

  Now, it is not like I don't ever tell anyone about Jesus, but on social media I have seemed to primarily focus on calling out, rebuking, and warning others of heresies and false gospels, with little Gospel talk. I have forgotton that I have many lost friends and followers on these websites, and in doing so I fear I may be causing more trouble than helping. As a Christian it hurts to see all the confusion in Christ's Body, I can only imagine just how much of a mess it looks to one who is still in their sin and what a complete turn off it would be to them. This is what I am repenting of, for I am truly sorry that in my passion for sound teaching I have neglected the Gospel. I am going to be switching things up alittle here soon, so if you follow me on twitter or are my friend on Facebook, know that if you don't see me constantly talking about heresy, this is why.

Blessings

Someone is Rapping, Rapping at the Door

Falling asleep now. In this prison, all that is for me is brood and sleep.
Eyes are shutting, the dark grows darker.
Falling... falling... the light in the window coming and fading...
Falling...
A sound stirs me in my somnolence.
A knocking. Gentle.

The Awakening- Amnesia

Dark is all I see. Staring at the light coming in through the window on the wall, I am reminded of the life outside this cell. It has been. . . years. As far back as my weary mind will let me remember.
Things were different, yes, things were much different out there.
But how?
These walls surround me, no way out. The only door in the cell is covered in mold, the handle on the outside, as far as I can tell.
The concrete walls are old and grimy, with blood splattered in areas.
I don't remember how I got here, and I can't get out.
When I think about it, I wonder if I am safer here. No one can hurt me here. I won't be hurt anymore...

Why am I worried about it? Why am I here anyway? Who... am I?

I try to move, but feel heavy.

Chains. . . Yes, I am chained to this wall.

I fall to the ground, and lay in fetal. Cold. Hungry. Bitter. Confused.

State of the Church "Ranting"

Oh man, the past few weeks (months really if I want to be technical here) have been filled with interesting things. Mainly from a brother in Christ who hosts a radio show (shout out to Chris Roseborough!) and other things I have come across. What is on my mind is the laughable yet sad state of the visible Church. For a quick definition of what the visible Church is, it is the whole of professing believers in Christ who make up the visible Church. The "invisible" Church is those who actually make up the ones who are truly God's, inumerable in number and unknowable to us who is who. The "wheat and chaff" all mixed together, and at the consummation of the age will be separated by God Himself, who knows who is truly His and who is not. Now, the visible Church is what I am referring to in this post, and my concerns for it.

"There is never a shortage of crazy and weird things going on in the Church these days", infact, the Church has had to deal with crazy and weird things taught in the name of God since... well, the beginning of it. Jesus had to rebuke the religious leaders of His time for false piety and works based theology. Paul had to rebuke the Corinthians and the Galatians for the unbiblical teachings they were making and accepting false teachers and so called apostles. John the Apostle had to warn those in his first epistle about the Gnostic heresy. Even the resurrected and ascended Jesus in His revelation to John spoke about the many different things He was displeased with in the seven churches, including specifically "the works of the Nicolatians", saying He was proud of the church in Ephesus hating the works of the Nicolatians (Rev 2:6) . One quick look into church history after the apostolic age will give another whole slew of ancient heresies and crazy teachings. The visible Church has been plagued with it for many many years, and will continue to have problems until Christ comes to end the age and weds His Bride.

I have been so burnt out here lately listening to "sermons" and "revivals" and other things that my brain is just literally fried from the heresy, eisgesis, and the constant practice of putting biblical texts back into their context to clear up the mass confusion brought on by pulling the Scriptures out and raping the Word of God. I know, strong way to put it, but trust me, The stuff I have been hearing and reading is nothing less than that. This abuse of Gods' word is so rampant among the Church, that it would be probable that 90% of the churches in your town are hosting Bible twisters and ear ticklers. Then you come by a very small church hidden in the cracks, and are astounded by the sound teaching accomodated by love and solid fellowship. I had grace shown on me to find such a church, and have not turned back. Look folks, there is alot of false teaching going on, not alot of being a good Berean going on. The philosophy of post-modern tolerance has crept into the church, quickly eroding it's defenses. Even within itself (The Church), there are attacks on the ones trying to call false teaching for what it is, standing up for the Gospel. It is very sad, talk about a house divided! In the end, I and others like-minded need to stand on what Paul promised at the end of a list of craziness not limited to the world in general, but especially to the Church, that "just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all as was that of those two men."(2 Tim 3:8-9). I pray that their folly will indeed be exposed, as I know sooner or later it will. This poison in the Church is not going unnoticed by God, and I am sure He will rise and silence these people as He has done before.

The Beast

Sometimes I forget that we are all innately wicked and evil. The best of us are just not as bad as the worst, but all are capable of of the ugliest things. Infact, if sin had a form, i imagine it would be the most unimaginable, horrid sight ever. A cancerous parasite that eats us alive for our whole lives, and we can't, by ourselves, make it stop. Slaves. Chained and shackled. Just spending our lives trying to hide from it and make it stop. Drugs (illegal or not) are used to push away or numb the many physical, mental, and emotional symptoms of our innate sinful nature, only making it worse while the monster inside continues to beat us and kill us.

I know that people try all kinds of different things to curb our guilt and suffering, the results of our root problem sin, but I know personally the drug side of things. Strong hallucinogenics/psychedelics were my escape from reality, of course at that time I did not understand the reality I was trying to run from. I did not understand that I am a helpless sinner, dying in sin since birth, carrying within me the guilt and shame of not only my innate sin but my own sins that came out of that cold hard heart of sin in me. The cause (sinful nature) and the results (my own personal sins). A master beast inside us whipping us into submission, and what is worse, is we <i> enjoy </i> it all. We <i> like </i> our sin. We wouldn't have it any other way. But thankfully, the One who made us in His image as "very good" before the first man, Adam, plunged the whole of humanity into slavery, has worked throughout history freeing many, and nailing the sins of the world on the Cross on which the second Adam, Jesus Christ, was crucified.

Sometimes I need to remind myself of this; that as God has changed my heart and brought me to Him through His Sons' perfect sacrifice by the Holy Spirit, and though I will battle sin for the rest of my earthly life, I hate it and will "be killing it, or it will be killing me".

Calvin on Galatians 1:6 and False Teachings

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7 ESV

6. I wonder. He commences by administering a rebuke, though a somewhat milder one than they deserved; but his greatest severity of language is directed, as we shall see, against the false apostles. He charges them with turning aside, not only from his gospel, but from Christ; for it was impossible for them to retain their attachment to Christ, without acknowledging that he has graciously delivered us from the bondage of the law. But such a belief cannot be reconciled with those notions respecting the obligation of ceremonial observance which the false apostles inculcated. They were removed from Christ; not that they entirely rejected Christianity, but that the corruption of their doctrines was such as to leave them nothing more than an imaginary Christ.

Thus, in our own times, the Papists, choosing to have a divided and mangled Christ, have none, and are therefore “removed from Christ.” They are full of superstitions, which are directly at variance with the nature of Christ. Let it be carefully observed, that we are removed from Christ, when we fall into those views which are inconsistent with his mediatorial office; for light can have no fellowship with darkness.

On the same principle, he calls it another gospel, that is, a gospel different from the true one. And yet the false apostles professed that they preached the gospel of Christ; but, mingling with it their own inventions, 19 by which its principal efficacy was destroyed, they held a false, corrupt, and spurious gospel. By using the present tense, (“ye are removed”) he appears to say that they were only in the act of failing. As if he had said, “I do not yet say that ye have been removed; for then it would be more difficult to return to the right path. But now, at the critical moment, do not advance a single step, but instantly retreat.”

From Christ, who called you by grace. Others read it, “from him who called you by the grace of Christ,” understanding it to refer to the Father; but the reading which we have followed is more simple. When he says that they were called by Christ through grace, this tends to heighten the criminality of their ingratitude. To revolt from the Son of God under any circumstances, is unworthy and disgraceful; but to revolt from him, after being invited to partake salvation by grace, is more eminently base. His goodness to us renders our ingratitude to him more dreadfully heinous.

So soon. When it is considered how soon they had discovered a want of steadfastness, their guilt is still further heightened. A proper season, indeed, for departing from Christ cannot be imagined. But the fact, that no sooner had Paul left them than the Galatians were led away from the truth, inferred still deeper blame. As the consideration of the grace by which they had been called was adduced to aggravate their ingratitude, so the circumstance of the time when they were removed is now adduced to aggravate their levity.

Mirror... See Clearly

Something i'm seeing regarding Biblical orthodoxy being defended, is that those that are determined to hold onto the teaching of our fathers, the teachings of Christ given to the Apostles to be taught for generations, are just Pharisees and need to "let God do His thing". The problem is... God does not contradict His Word nor does He need to add to it. And those that actually take a stand for the truth and get cut down for it have just become enemies (Galatians 4:16).  But it doesn't make them legalistic hypocritical Pharisees. If anything...  adding more to the final revelation of God and neglecting to properly feed your sheep and keeping them in bondage, all while condemning and rejecting any constructive  criticism, is the greater evil.

The Pharisees were not wrong because they were too concerned with orthodoxy, they were wrong because they invented their own orthodoxy. 

Christianity needs to return to the true Gospel, to the truth of the sufficiency of the Scriptures...

Feed my Sheep P.1

The word of the Lord came to me [Ezekiel]: ²“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God:

Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? ³You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. ⁴The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. ⁵So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. ⁶My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

⁷ “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, ⁹ therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰ Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

¹¹ “For thus says the Lord God:

Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.

Ezekiel 34:1-11 (ESV) (brackets mine)

To whomever this may concern, and whosever is drawn to read my thoughts; Grace and peace to you, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, from whose grace abounds as the ocean and from it flow rivers and streams of mercy and justice, patience and love, truth and forgiveness.

I am struck as to how insane and fooolish we tend to be, humans that is. It is amazing to me how easily led astray most are. I do not understand it, though I have ideas. What I am writing about is not going to be recieved well by many, and will, most likely, grant me hate and persecution. But I am not in this for those who will persecute me. I am writing this for those who have ears to hear, those to whom God has given new hearts. Persecute me! Shoot me down! God is a shield about me, I could care less. I may not be as great as the Apostle Paul was at it, but I surely will join him in enduring all things for the sake of elect. And what a thing for me to be so enraged at! How have we become so gullible!? How have the people of God become so vain and misguided and ignorant! Alas, this is a call. A call for the Church to WAKE UP! Yet behind this, is the more dire and urgent issue. Teacher, preacher, I am calling you out. Not because I am better, or more learned, or anyhting of that nature. I am calling you out because I weep for you, I fear for you, and because I love you enough to say these things. Let us now go to the issues of first importance. May I note, that when you look around at Western Christianity and see it for what it is rapidly becoming, you may cry out as I:

The Church is not in need of rethinking. It is in need of reforming.

This, dear reader, is what my flow will be, and to it I shall stay and speak, but I must apologize before-hand if I seem to steer of course or ramble on. This is indeed an area of deep concern and contemplation for me. What I am to hammer on is:

• The Pastor/Elder/Overseer, what this is and isn't.
  • He is a messenger of Gospel truth; he is a sound teacher of the Word; he is an example of godliness.
  • He is not a prophet; he is a not an self-help superstar; he is not carried about by every wind of doctrine (or lack therof).
• What the Visible Church should be concerned about.
  • Prayer.
  • Biblical study and doctrine.
  • The Sacraments.
  • The Great Commission

I hope as we get into this, much light will be shed on not just the state of the people of God in America, but also a spark of modern day reformation. Not to be brash, but we are in a mess.

Nevertheless,

our God is in the heavens and He does everything He pleases.

He feels indignation everyday toward those who take His name in vain;

and laughs at those who seek to set themselves against Him.

We must let the Scriptures speak, and leave our wicked desires out of them.

As Stephen the Levite puts it:

(Reject!) Anything that I spit you that isn’t biblical/ but don’t assume it isn’t because it convicts or gets to you/

(Accept!) Your responsibility to search the scriptures dude/ it’s written in epistles: the Christian is to be critical/

(Reject!) The misconception that says that you shouldn’t judge/the hypocritical misinterpretation of Matthew seven: one/

(Accept!) Correction comin’ from older brothers and sisters/ consider it with humility please don’t get all defensive kid//

(Reject!) the relativistic philosophy that you can find at "chu’ch"/that says “well, what I got from that was…”/

(Accept!) the fact that what the preacher said is what he said/ whether wrong or right or whatever/don’t try to get all up in his head/

(Reject!) the authority of a popular cliché/ if it isn’t plain in the text then prob’ly doesn’t hold any weight/

(Accept!) the fallibility of any cat that’s preachin’ or rappin’ that isn’t Jesus/ or canonized with His teachin’ please/

(Reject!) the tradition of applaudin’ for all performers/ regardless of what he taught us or how doctrinally off it is/

(Accept!) that you might actually be a whack emcee or a Christian/ too young to be spittin’ gifted but lackin’ in wisdom/

(Reject!) any promotion prior to proper preparation/ in light of the fact your facin’ a greater condemnation/

(Accept!) Cats who communicate the gospel completely/ a Savior still in the grave is confusing news it would seem to me/

(Reject!) the ideology that truth should be followed by an apology/ that doesn’t make any sense to me logically/

(Accept!) the persecution with happiness and humility/praising God that your able to partake in His identity/

(Reject!) the seeker-friendly mentality and delivery/ pickin’ apart the gospel and removing the offensive piece/

(Accept!) the fact that the Father draws ‘em and not your methods/ but methods can turn ‘em off and be flawed and cause a rejection so/

(Reject!) the ways of men when engagin’ a slave to sin/ for the sake of relatin’ the gospel is forsakin’ or way too thin/

(Accept!) the great commission as more than evangelism/ the multiplication of Christians bent for missional livin’ and/

(Reject!) the hypocrisy that says that a woman shouldn’t wear pants but/ the church is full of women “wearing the pants” bruh/

(Accept!) that Jesus though He was equal was still submissive/ and such is the role of a Christian but specifically women and/

(Reject!) the femininity of men whether they’re homosexual or not/ the stumblin’ block has gotta be stopped/ my friend

(Accept!) the roles and responsibilities of a godly man/ and stop the trend of spiritual fatherless-ness we got us in/

(Reject!) the rebellion of the youth and the stubbornness of the older/we’ve gotta learn from each other to reach the culture/

(Accept!) this as the end but if needed there’ll be a sequel/ so read and obey your word to discern between good and evil//

-this is the lyrics to his song, RnA (Reject and Accept) from his "... To Die is Gain" album. 

Almighty... Who?

I am struggling to grasp an issue I see very rampant among the Church. It is cumbersome and something that is more and more crushing me. I see so many brothers and sisters falling into it's grasp and not knowing it. I have seen and experienced it myself. I was once there, among the many. I was once blinded in one eye. The Evil One truly is cunning and 'wise', in his own twisted way.

I am speaking of a tradition. It was the tradition that resulted in the first human sin. It was the traditon that resulted in the Roman Catholic church to fall into apostasy, as they still suffer that blight willingly. The tradition of "The Almighty Man". Women and men masquerading as holy and wise teaching man is over or equal to God Himself. If it is not this then it is twisting historic orthodox doctine. If it is not this it is completely changing Written Word into self help classes, or bringing in heretical teachings and practices that are none to be found or taught in Scripture and slapping an Evangelistic tone on it and then making others feel guilty if not practiced.

What I speak of is everywhere in the Church now and spreading quickly. And the more I see the more I am infinitely disgusted by it. It is leading many astray and keeping them from a sure foundation. It is blinding eyes to clear truth and turning the salvific work of God from His glory alone to our own glory. It is turning the Gospel of Grace into the gospels of wealth, relationships, health, mysticism, and downright selfishness. Sometimes it is all of the above. What saddens me more is the people who are entrapped in this tradition and have had ample opportunity to see the truth as it is, and then turn from it because they value their traditions more than the truth of God. What a shame. What a pity. A sad thing indeed.

Oh Lord, Majestic and Sovereign in all ways, none are Your equal. None have any claim over You. You don't owe us anything. If it were not for your mercy we would all die off and forever be lost, and we would deserve it. For we are unholy while You are Holiness perfected. We hate Your truth and run from it. We want to be our masters, our own gods, rather than bow the knee to the Sovereign King of all things visible and invisible. Humble us Lord God. Shake us up. Let us cry out as Nebuchadnezzar, "His dominion is an everlasting Dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, "What have You done? "" Oh God, in Christs' Name, amen.