A new reformation.

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To speak or not to speak…

Why should we be surprised when we are persecuted or yelled at for speaking the truth?  Jesus said it would happen.  It happened to basically every real christian in the New Testament.  It has happened throughout the history of the church.  Currently about 200 million Christians globally are being persecuted.“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6:26)

“All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:13)

Jesus did a perfect job of speaking the truth — He spoke with perfect wisdom and love — and they killed Him.  And 11 out of 12 apostles were killed as well.  And what these scriptures are saying is that even when we do it perfectly, there will still be persecution and controversy.  “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

But dude — don’t misunderstand me – I do not think the American church is anywhere close (in general) to doing it perfectly.  It dismays me to see much of the church slowly imploding spiritually before our very eyes.  And besides the hypocrisy in the Church, many have also settled for a powerless, miracle-less Gospel, so that often our words are not backed up by love or power.

But even though mistakes are being made, we cannot allow humanist, atheist and demonic pressure to silence or determine the prophetic voice of the church.  And it is easy to see that the enemy is in the midst of a very powerful, impacting campaign to silence this prophetic voice through cultural intimidation.  I call it cultural fascism.

What I am not saying is that we need to speak and not act.  We need to lay down our lives for the lost.  We need to pray.  We need to walk in holiness and kindness, seeking to serve and bless all those around us (and not scream at strangers on street corners that they are going to hell).  We need to love and forgive.  But we are not just called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  We are also called to share the truth of the whole gospel, which includes a call to holiness and obedience to true Biblical values — and this includes the reality of judgment for those who reject Jesus.

Jesus said that we would know the Truth and that the Truth would set us free — the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth.  And anyone who is a real friend of humanity will be willing to share this whole Truth, even when there is a risk of rejection and persecution.

“Better are the wounds of a friend, than the deceitful kisses of an enemy.”  (Proverbs 27:6)

Do you love America?…

“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30-31)

Are you serious about God?  And do you love America?  Prove it.

PRAY!!!

spiritual entropy! control vs revival!

Astrophysics is a trip.  One of the very interesting things I have discovered is the concept of entropy.  Entropy is the measure of chaos and decay that is evident in any physical system that does not experience new infusions of energy.  For instance, let us consider the universe:  the great majority of scientists agree that this system (the universe as a whole) is slowing down and cooling, as its original energy (from the big bang) dissipates through the vastness of space, over time.  This leads to more and more random, and less ordered systems — and if left to itself, will one day result in the death of the universe.

And as is so often true in creation, the created order is a sort of metaphor or parable pointing to greater realities in the spiritual realm.  It is clear to me that the human race as a whole (and the Church specifically) is constantly struggling against the encroachment of spiritual entropy.  If you look at the history of the Church, you will see a number of explosions or infusions of God’s Glory, Power and Love that have seemed, at least for a season, to jump-start and re-invigorate a very anemic (and increasingly entropic) Church.

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost might (metaphorically) be compared to the big bang.  It was this power-infusion and explosion that made the third member of the Trinity available to humanity as a whole (BOOM!).  And from this explosion, the Church was birthed.  And since that time, there have been many seasons of increasing entropy, interrupted and transformed by glorious infusions of God’s Presence — and these infusions we call revivals.  A few of the great ones are the Reformation, the Great Awakenings, the Welsh Revival and the Azusa Street Revival.

And one of the things that I believe the Holy Spirit pointed out to me regarding this process of entropy and revival, is that one of the reasons the Church in America is so lifeless, is that it has relied more on entropy-management than seeking to be revived.  I see it all the time:  church-growth seminars,  problem-solving seminars, pain-management programs, etc.  Don’t get me wrong — in some ways, for a good number of people, these things have been helpful and effective.  The problem is that such things will never be enough to reverse the relentless march of spiritual entropy in the Church as a whole.  As we continue to meet and strategize, church membership continues to dwindle.  As we continue to meet in 12-step programs and divorce-recovery gatherings, addiction and family brokenness become more and more pandemic.

I am not saying that we should stop all such gatherings and attempts.  What I am saying is that such attempts at entropy management will never be enough.  They were never meant to be enough!  And I believe that God is waiting for enough people to come to an end of themselves and their own abilities and management schemes and entropy-control attempts, and cry out in true desperation for the one and only thing that can turn things around — true, God-inspired, Jesus-centered, Holy Spirit-infused revival.

A new reformation!

(Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to Wittenburg Church door)

Time for a new Reformation!!!

Rise up, O men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
Her strength unequal to her task;
Rise up and make her great!

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A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amidst the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little Word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth!
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth!
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still!
His kingdom is forever!