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“My soul , wait in stillness, only for God–from Him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress–I will never be moved…My soul, wait in stillness, only for God–from Him comes my expectation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my strong tower– I will not be moved. On God, my salvation and my glory is the rock of my strength. My refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart in His Presence, God is our refuge…Once God has spoken, twice I have I heard this; might belongs to God. Also Yours, O Lord, is lovingkindness, For You reward a man for His work.”

TREE OF LIFE VERSION

How much time is required to pray to make a request to God for Him to answer?

What words are necessary to be said when desperation looms?

Is God more likely to be moved by the prayer of a single individual, or respond to the prayers of a multitude?

This is not the time to discuss the ‘what ifs’ of prayer.

Yesterday, I listened to a podcast on Voice of the Martyrs radio. The gentlemen that was being interviewed is very familiar with the nation of Afghanistan, and knowledgeable of the current conflict and the issues facing the Afghan nationals and the Christian community in that country.

Today at Church, our Pastor led the congregation in prayer for the situation in Afghanistan, and for the safety of our fellow believers in Christ.

The eyes of the world are focused on the nation of Afghanistan. The United States is front and center in the midst of the conflict. As I write these words, there are only two calendar days left before the end of the month, August 30 and August 31.

The end of the month is a deadline for the United States to remove our military personnel, our American citizens trapped in Afghanistan, and as many other people seeking to be removed from harms way by the United States or any other nation dedicated and determined to transport people to safety.

The gentlemen on the VOM podcast said that he believes millions of people are praying for the situation in Afghanistan.

How many people in the world, including the United States are watching with a certitude of hopelessness; a feeling of helplessness; or with a fear of anticipated tragedy.

I am certain that many believers in Christ have been searching the scripture for incidents of God’s miraculous intervention in the most desperate and impossible situations. I have thought about it.

Our responsibility as believers is to intercede and pray, asking God, our Father to be gracious and merciful to the nation of Afghanistan; to protect those in harms way; restrain the evil forces seeking to kill, steal, and destroy; to watch over and protect His people there in this nation; and to provide opportunity for the Gospel to be proclaimed in spite of this conflict.

Can God do the impossible? Absolutely

What will God do? I do not know; but we do know that God’s will, “…will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, ESV)

God is Sovereign and He does what He pleases to do. I know that sounds harsh; but it is Reality. God is working out all things according to the purpose of His will to be be accomplished before the end of this age, and the return of His Son, Jesus Christ to the earth to set up His Kingdom.

We must remember that God’s ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts. We must set aside the grandiose idea that somehow we are superior to God, and that we are more informed than Him, and we are in more control than He is. How Absurd!

The time is short, the hour is almost at hand when the ‘clock strikes’ telling us that it is the ‘end of the month’.

I am asking that you join with the millions of other people who are praying and interceding before the throne of grace, asking God to help in time of need. Our world is at a crossroads. Prayer plays an important part in the destiny of an individual’s life as well as the destiny of a nation.

We must not sit back and wait out the next two days; we need to pray and petition God to intervene; we need to remember Who our God is? His Essence, and His Grace, Mercy, and Justice.

Our God reigns…

Let us boldly pray, asking our God for His mighty intervention and to astound the world with an intervention that the whole world will take notice of and declare, this is the Hand of God. He has made Himself known.

Blessings, deo

Question: If I synthesize the thoughts of my last three blog series using a Venn diagram with three circles, I wonder what conclusion lies in the intersection of the three circles?

Prior to Easter in 2021, the emphasis was on the OLD covenant being set aside and the NEW covenant being inaugurated . The NEW covenant was established by Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The Jewish nation, and even the followers of Jesus, struggled with the implications of what that really meant to leave behind their entire, OLD life of Judaism, and embrace a, NEW life in Christ, unsure of the implications. They heard the words Jesus told them prior to His death on the Cross; then they had to deal with His death; then they are miraculously given new hope with the fulfillment of His words that in three days He would rise from the dead. What was mentally improbable, became reality; and there He was in their midst. Now what?

The ‘now what’ was the fulfillment of His words given to them in the Upper Room prior to His arrest, the night He was betrayed. He had spent considerable time teaching them about the Holy Spirit, His purpose, and His work in their lives. After His resurrection, for 40 days, Jesus instructed His disciples about the Kingdom of God. Prior to His Ascension, He gave them specific instructions regarding the coming of the Holy Spirt. They were to wait for His coming in Jerusalem. The coming of the Holy Spirit was the Promise of the Father. Jesus told them that when the Holy Spirit comes, “…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses for Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NKJV)

Ten days later, after Jesus’ Ascension, the day of Pentecost had fully come. The followers of Christ were in an upper room, and “they were all with one accord in one place.” (Acts 2:1 NKJV). The Spirit of God makes an unquestionable bold entrance; everyone is transfixed in the moment; and things take place that brings amazement and wonder. Some respond positively and others respond negatively. But something NEW has taken place. The person who speaks up is Peter. He takes control and tells them what is transpiring. Where does Peter get this boldness and understanding? Peter was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Peter is experiencing Acts 1:8.

Peter ‘preaches the first sermon’ on the Day of Pentecost. If you read his words carefully, you will understand that what he preached was a message of reconciliation between God and mankind. The substance of the message is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of the NEW covenant has been preached. The person of Jesus Christ has been clearly explained. The work that He came to do has been outlined. The culmination of Peter’s initial words are summarized with this conclusion: (Acts 2:36 NKJV), “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” What was the listeners response to this statement? (Acts 2:37 NKJV), “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” “

Acts 2:38,39 (NKJV), answers that question. “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

The New has come, the message of God’s Reconciliation has been proclaimed, and a statement is being made about Who is in charge. Question: Who is exercising ‘governmental’ control?

Let’s look at the words Jesus taught His disciples to pray.

Matthew 6:9,10 (NKJV), “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

Is there any doubt Who is in charge? God has always been in charge. Mankind may believe that they can be in charge; but the reality is that such a thought is a mirage at best. God is Sovereign. It is impossible for God not to be Sovereign, and therefore not to be in charge.

Consider these verses: (NKJV)

Psalm 135:5,6, “For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deep places.”

Psalm 115:3, “But our God is in heaven; and He does whatever He pleases.”

Isaiah 46:9,10, “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am god and there is none like Me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.”

Ephesians 1:7-12, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth–in HIm. In Him also we obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Hi who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.”

The evidence is there in the Word of God. God is Sovereign. Therefore God is in complete ‘governmental’ control. He does what He pleases. He allows what He pleases. This is confusing to some; but it is Who God is.

Given a Venn diagram with three circles that intersect; each circle representing one of my last three blog series, the intersection of the three blogs would be the Sovereignty of God.

With that conclusion, it is a ‘no brainer’ to say that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body of Christ, is in ‘governmental’ control of the His Church, which is the NEW Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).

I stepped aside from writing this blog and took a nap. When I woke up I was pondering what I had been composing and the redundancy that is prevalent in the three series. One of thoughts that I have had is, Lord why is there is a constant reminder about ‘governmental’ control, and who is in charge? The answer to that question seems to be, you are going to need to remember that so that you can survive what is coming. That is a scary thought. But it is one that I understand based upon what I perceive is going on in our nation and throughout the world.

Not focusing on the what is going on in our nation and the world at this time, I would like to think about the implications that face the Church. Is the Church ready for what is coming to our nation and to the world? We know that Jesus Christ is Lord; and that He is the Head of the Body of Christ, which is the Church. Is the Church functioning under the ‘governmental’ control of the Lord, or is it functioning using its own ‘self’ control? Is the Church doing its own thing? Have we left our first love, taken on a likeness of the world, and are worshipping God in a manner that does not bring glory to His name? Stiff questions, but necessary. Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4, “God is Spirit, and seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth.” Is that the focus of the Church?

Who is the Church ‘in Christ’?

In Exodus 19:4-8, (NKJV), “Now therefore, if you indeed obey My voice (submit to My ‘governmental’ control) and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine ( Who is in control?). And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. So Moses came and called for the elders of the people and laid before them all the words which the Lord had commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “all that the Lord has spoken we will do.”, (They acknowledge God’s Sovereignty) so Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.”

In the New Testament, in I Peter 2:9, we encounter a parallel thought that the Apostle Peter wrote to followers of Christ.

Question: Are the words which were spoken to the nation of Israel in the wilderness at the base of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19: 4-8), still the same for the Church today?

Peter declared, You are a community of people, “…a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Israel was a nation, a community of people, chosen by God to be different from the other nations of the world. God would watch over them, provide from them, protect them and bless them. The other nations would see the reality of the one true God living in the midst of His people. How about the Church today?

‘Is the Church conducting itself as Peter proclaimed who we are ‘in Christ’ as the people of God ? If not, then we are not living under God’s ‘governmental’ control. We are living our lives relying on ‘self’ control, and not upon God’s Sovereign ‘governmental’ control.

Strong words, but words, I believe I (we) need to hear, embrace, and evaluate in each of our lives. Why? Because that is the relationship that we called too as believers ‘in Christ’ under the NEW covenant It is that kind of lifestyle that we need to be living, if we are going to be able to walk uprightly with the Lord embracing what lies ahead for the Church in this age.

At this time, I want to ask another question. What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit in the life of the people of God? The Godhead is a Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit.

The person of the Holy Spirit is quietly presented throughout the Old Testament; even though His influence is evident in the lives of individuals and in the nation of Israel. You cannot dismiss the presence of the Holy Spirit from the pages of the Word of God, beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. God, the Holy Spirit, is present, active, and significant. The person of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is an active person in the life of Jesus, the Son of God. When you study the time-line of the life of Christ, there is a constant thread of the Presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was not silent about the Person of the Holy Spirit. He taught about Him and His purpose in the Upper Room to His followers the night He was betrayed. See John 13-17.

After Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, the Person of the Holy Spirit, comes onto the stage of human history in a glorious manner being outpoured by the Lord, as the Promise of the Father, upon His followers on the Day of Pentecost. This is no small matter. It is especially important when considering who is in ‘governmental’ control of the Church.

Which person of the Trinity has been assigned to oversee to functioning of the Church? The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.

Let me recount, again, something that I witnessed on television after the election of Donald Trump as President. I was watching a news broadcast, and saw a young woman, carrying a sign that said, “Be Ungovernable”. I took a ‘double-take’ to make sure what I thought I saw was correct, and it was. I, we, have seen the growth of that lawless ‘spirit’ in our nation since Mr. Trump’s election as President. Its been over 5 years. And now, as a nation, we are combating lawlessness at levels that are destructive, the taking of innocent lives, and witnessing the actions and words of people that are irrational and seek to “kill, steal, and destroy.”

When I woke up from my nap today? I was thinking about our nation and what is going on; I said to myself, we are living in ‘an age of stupidity’. I know I should not think that way; but in reality, I find it hard to believe that people take seriously what our leaders and ‘those in the know’ pontificate on a daily basis. It is all foolishness.

In the face of this, what is the role of the Church? The Church needs to repent and ask the Lord to forgive us of ‘doing our own thing’. What do I mean by that? Consider how Jesus lived His life as the Son of Man. He repeatedly said, (John 5:30, NKJV), “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear I judge; and My judgement is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” Jesus chose not be His own ‘governmental’ control. (See Philippians 2:5-8). Consider how He taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6, emphasizing praying, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Do we as the Church live and pray like that? In the Garden of Gethsemane, the night of His arrest, He prayed, “…not My will, but Thine be done.” Is that the motivation of heart of the Church?

Hebrew 5:7-9 (NKJV), the writer explains the principle Jesus lived by, so that He might be our Great High Priest. “…who in the days of His flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to Him who is able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son yet he learned obedience by the things which He suffered and having been perfected; he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”

Maybe the question that needs to be asked is, whether or not, the Church obeys Him? If we say yes, then we acknowledge His ‘governmental’ control over us by the Holy Spirit. If we say, no, or we hesitate, then we need to repent, and turn and follow Him.

Do you have a sense that things are ‘ratcheting’ up in our nation and the world? The tension is increasing and the drama is growing. The Church will not make it ‘doing its own thing’; we must be living relationally under Christ’s ‘governmental’ control.

Returning our focus to the Upper Room, Jesus outlines to His followers His departure, and assures them of a replacement of His Presence. That assurance is the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is present to guide us, direct us, teach us and to provide for us ‘governmental’ control in our individual lives, and in the community life of the Church.

In the June 2021 edition of the Decision Magazine (published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association) there was an article entitled, The Tragic Mistake of the Modern Church. It was written by Chuck Smith (1927-2013). I want to quote part of this article.

“The tragic mistake of the modern church is it declaration of independence from the Holy Spirit. We have declared that we not longer need the spirit to direct our activities. Instead, we follow respected committees of learned men who have been to seminary and who have made in depth sociological, demographic and ethnographic studies of the world. We have a thousand high-tech programs, but the tragic fact is that the church is failing to reach this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And no wonder. God said, “‘Not by might nor by per, but by My Spirit’, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV). We need a church that will return the Holy Spirit to His rightful place as Director of activities, a church where the Holy Spirit roots out hypocrisy and corruption; a church where the Holy Spirit edifies comforts and exhorts His people; in short, a church where the Holy Spirit is in charge. (in ‘governmental’ control)

‘Let us Go Forth’, submitted to the ‘governmental’ control of the Holy Spirit in our life. Jesus is Lord.

A journeyer yoked to Christ, deo

In the Book of Exodus, God raises up Moses and Aaron to lead the nation of Israel out of Egypt because He heard the cry of their bondage unto Him. In Exodus 5, Moses and Aaron go into the presence of Pharaoh and say to him, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness. ” Pharaoh responds, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.” Two statements, each one identifying ‘governmental’ control over the nation of Israel. Who is in charge?

Assuming that you know the story of the exodus of Israel from Egypt, God reveals His Omnipotence, and Pharaoh lets Israel go. He really had no choice. In the remainder of the book of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy the travails of Israel’s relationship to the Lord are outlined. The nation of Israel had been delivered ‘out of’ Egypt from under the ‘governmental’ control of Pharaoh, and brought ‘into’ the wilderness to learn what it meant to be under the ‘governmental’ control of the Lord. Unfortunately, the adult generation of Israel who came out of Egypt failed to learn how to live under the guidance of the Lord. Israel constantly looked back to what they had in Egypt and did not understand nor appreciate what God was doing for them. Physically, they exited Egypt; but their hearts were filled with the ways of Egypt. In short, they struggled with God’s ‘governmental’ control and did not submit to Him. They wanted their own way.

In Numbers 12, Moses’ brother and sister, question Moses’ place of authority overseeing the nation of Israel. They blatantly assert in verse 2, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” What’s the problem? verse 1 says, “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against (‘criticized’, marginal notes) Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.” They are questioning his position of leadership. [Could it be that because he didn’t make a wise decision choosing the woman that he married they use this as leverage assert that he is not fit to rule God’s people?] Problem: verse 2, “and God heard it.” The question is, Who is in charge? Does Moses have ‘governmental’ authority over Israel? The Lord ‘jumped’ on the accusation, and dealt with them immediately. See Numbers 12:4-16.

In Numbers 16, the issue of ‘governmental’ control raises its ugly head again. There was a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. It was led by Korah. He had a following. Numbers 16:2 says, “…and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.” They had a complaint. They, too, questioned Moses and Aaron’s authority, and said to them, (vs.3) “why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?” Moses response was (vs 4) to “…fall on his face.” The Lord intervened and God judged those who participated in the rebellion. (see Numbers 16:5-40). It is hard to imagine that what is recorded next in Numbers took place. Numbers 16:41-50, records that the very next day after the judgement of Korah and his followers, verse 41 says, “On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron saying, You have killed the people of the Lord.” The people did not recognize that God was in ‘governmental’ control. That was one of the primary lessons they were supposed to understand and learn on their journey ‘out of Egypt’ and ‘into the Promised Land’. God is in total control. I know that I have been sharing ugly parts of the story; but let me assure you that if you read the whole account of Israel’s journey, you will see the patience, longsuffering, and goodness of God, along with His justice against their rebellion. I encourage you to read I Corinthians 10:1-13 where Paul uses the history of Israel to instruct and encourage the Corinthian Church.

Israel’s history is one of moments of obedience and moments of disobedience. Unfortunately in the wilderness, the moments of disobedience outweighed the moments of obedience, and the adult generation that was delivered from Egypt died out in the wilderness because their heart attitude did not ‘put off’ the desires of Egypt, and ‘put on’ a change of heart toward God and His ‘governmental’ control. The adult generation brought out of Egypt died in the wilderness because of unbelief. The story of Israel continues throughout the pages of the Old Testament accurately telling Israel’s severe swings from obedience to disobedience, and back to obedience. God loves His people. He is a Jealous God over them. He woos them and draws them back to Himself. However, God is also a Just God. Therefore, He disciplines them [those whom He loves] and brings His judgments against Israel because they did not keep the Mosaic Covenant given to them at Mt. Sinai. The underlying factor of God’s faithfulness for His people is the Covenant He made with Abraham. God keeps His Covenant with His people in spite of their failure to keep the Law of Moses. And so we move forward…

What does forward mean? Moses died in the wilderness; the adult nation of Israel that left Egypt died in the wilderness, except for two, Joshua and Caleb. Joshua became Moses’ replacement to lead God’s people. The next generation of the nation of Israel miraculously crossed the Jordon River; and they were prepared by the Lord to enter and conquer the Promised Land. In their possession of the Land they had their moments of obedience and disobedience. The books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth detail the life of the nation of Israel after their wanderings in the desert, their settlement in the Promise Land, and their strengths and failures following the commands of the Lord.

In short, Israel’s history is a continuation of obedience and disobedience under God’s ‘governmental’ control through the judges that He raises up to oversee His nation.

Judges 21:25 gives us an accurate understanding of Israel’s heart and their attitude toward ‘governmental’ control. “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Enter Samuel….

tbc

The issue of the universe is who is in charge. The devout Christian would clearly declare that God is the Sovereign Being in complete charge of the universe. Why? Because He is the Creator of the universe. I would assume that most of humanity would acknowledge in their own way that there is a higher being or force that controls the world in which they live. They have a belief system that says something greater than themselves must be in charge. Many such people worship other people, idols, or pursue philosophical ideologies that set boundaries around their belief system that make them comfortable in the world in which they live. In most all of these instances, these people do not realize that they have, in essence, set themselves as the center of their own universe and are exercising their own ‘governmental’ control. And then, there are people who ignore God as the Creator of the universe. They believe that their universe is a product of the material world around themselves; and there are others who believe that the universe in which they exist is a product of evolutionary science and development. In each of these broad categories, there are individual pockets of people who have their own agenda that modify their scope of belief. Unfortunately, this has also happened within the Christian community that believes in God as the Sovereign Creator of the universe. The Christian community differs doctrinally regarding how the universe was created, yet holding to the belief that God is the Creator. Christians have their denominations.

The issue for me in this BLOG is to point us in the direction of dealing with ‘governmental’ control of the world in which we live. Who is in charge? Obviously, your personal view of God has a bearing on that answer.

I am concerned with the Church, the Body of Christ, the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16).

The nation of Israel is God’s chosen people. This fact is established in Genesis 12:1-3. It begins with a promise made to a man named Abram. The story of Abram, the changing of his name to Abraham, and the growth of his descendants is told in the rest of the Book of Genesis. The promise made to Abraham becomes a promise that is carried on through his son, Isaac; and Isaac’s son, Jacob. Jacob’s family is comprised foundationally of 12 sons. Jacob’s family grows to 70 and through the providence of God this family becomes inhabitants in the nation of Egypt. In the nation of Egypt, the family of Jacob grows into the nation of Israel. Israel was the name that God had given to Jacob. God had changed his name. But God did not change the covenant that was spoken to Abraham. Israel was said to be the nation of God, whose fathers’ were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was their lineage and their history. They also had a promised destiny.

Israel was in Egypt for many years. Over the course of time, the reason for Israel’s existence in Egypt was forgotten, and the new Pharaoh did not have a clue who these people were that inhabited the land. In fact, he was fearful of them. He saw them as a threat. His response to their presence was to make things more difficult for them. He made their lives more ‘rigorous’, ‘bitter’ and discouraging. He went so far as to order that the Hebrew baby boys were to killed immediately after they were born. He did not want the nation of Israel to populate any more.

The oppression toward the Hebrew people was so intense that they began to cry out to God. I wonder how many years it had been since God had heard anything directed to Him from His people? The fact is that He had not forgotten them; and He was ready to intervene on their behalf. In short, the time had come when Israel found itself in a position of despair because of the ‘governmental’ control of Egypt and cried out to God about it. As I said, God heard their cry. God had prepared a deliverer, named Moses. Through Moses, and his brother Aaron, God miraculously delivered His people from the bondage of Egypt. The nation of Israel left Egypt and became of nation of people watched over and governed by God in a wilderness. It was in this wilderness that the nation of Israel was to learn to function under the ‘governmental’ control of God, through His servant Moses. The tragedy is that they failed in their response to His ‘governmental’ control. A whole generation of people died in the wilderness and did not get to enter into the promises of God that were made to Abraham. It was in the wilderness, that God gave to His people, what is called the Law of Moses. This was the Mosaic Covenant. God did not do away with the Abrahamic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant was given to God’s people to reveal to them what was required to be the Covenant people of God, under His ‘governmental’ control. In the wilderness, Israel’s response to God’s ‘governmental’ oversight was one of disdain. They approved God’s Law with the lips of their mouth but they did not have the heart to carry it out. They wanted to return to Egypt. The issue was their heart. God had taken them physically out of Egypt but Egypt was still in their heart. The love of Egypt (the world) constantly caused them to rebel against God, His Word, and Moses. The generation that had been delivered from Egypt died in the wilderness. Mercifully, God took the next generation into the Land of Promise.

In the Land of Promise, under the leadership of Joshua, the nation flourished and floundered. Moses had died prior to Israel’s entry into the Promise Land. He was forbidden by God to enter the Land because he had disobeyed what God had told him to do. He got to see the Land, but he did not get to enter it. God buried him on a mountain overlooking the Land of Promise.

God’s Covenant with Israel was based upon them being obedient. If the people were obedient, then they would experience the blessings of God outlined in the Covenant. If the people were disobedient, then they would experience the curses outlined in the Covenant. As I said previously, the nation of Israel had many moments of victory; but they also had many moments of heartache.

Israel’s history is not a straight line of obedience. Who among us has such a response to the Lord? There are high points and low points, ups and downs, reasons to rejoice and reasons to repent in all of our lives.

Leapfrogging the history of Israel found in the Book of Joshua, the Book of Judges, and the Book of Ruth, we come to the life of Samuel. Samuel was a ‘miraculous’ child born to a woman who despaired that she was childless for so many years. She cried out to God in prayer; God heard her, and gave her a son. She had promised God that if she could give birth to a son, she would give him up ‘all the days of his life ‘ for service to the Lord. God heard, God caused her to conceive, she gave birth to a son, she called his name Samuel, and gave him up to serve the Lord after she had weaned the child.

Samuel became a prophet of the Lord. It was during his tenure as God’s prophet, that the people of Israel, said to Samuel that they wanted a king to rule over them like the other nations. This greatly grieved Samuel. The scripture says in I Samuel 8:6 (NKJV) , “But this thing displeased Samuel, when they said, “Give us a king to judge us”. [All through the history of Israel found in Joshua, Judges and Ruth, God was still the ‘governmental’ control watching over His people through leaders that He raised up. But, Israel said, no more.] So Samuel prayed to the Lord.” I think Samuel knew that this would be their downfall.

What was Israel seeking? a different ‘governmental’ control.

Let’s revisit Israel’s trek in the wilderness and recount some of their experiences involving ‘governmental’ control.

TBC

In Part 1 of these three blogs, I mentioned that I was reading the book entitled, ‘Fault Lines’ by Dr. Voddie Baucham. I have completed reading that book. I recommend that book to you for your consideration. While I was reading this book, Christine was reading a book entitled, ‘The Secular Creeds’, by Rebecca McLaughlin. I have completed reading that book, too. The subtitle of this book is ‘Engaging Five Contemporary Claims’. I recommend this book to you for your consideration.

Both books provided me with back round and contemporary insights into the world in which I am living in 2021. As informative as these two books were to me, there is a singular emphasis that was strongly presented by each author. This emphasis must be embraced by the Church if it is going to be relevant during this time of unrest in our nation. In fact, their admonition is the foundation for the relevance of Church throughout the history of mankind.

That singular emphasis is the word ‘repent’. Both author’s charge the Church with the need to repent. The obvious question is, repent of what? So, we must ask, Father, what does your Ecclesia need to repent of? When we hear or use the word repent, we automatically think of sin, and rightly so. Father, what is the sin of the Church regarding what is being laid at the feet of the people of this nation by those who are proponents of a man’s way of radical reconciliation? This nation has been declared guilty of misdeeds throughout its history. White people have been pronounced guilty of misuse of their ‘whiteness’ taking advantage of other human beings, especially those who are black. And many in our society have been declared ‘too wealthy’ and need to ‘give up’ their wealth; I assume this means, willingly or unwillingly, whatever works for the system to redistribute the wealth from the ‘haves’ to the ‘have nots’. I believe these are the major ‘sins’ that are the driving force behind the agenda of those saying there needs to be ‘Radical Reconciliation’ done man’s way. [ I am aware that many others have been proposed.]

In her book, ‘The Secular Creeds’, Rebecca McLaughlin addresses five cultural issues. Those issues are entitled: “Black Lives Matter”, “Love is Love”, “The Gay-Rights Movement Is the New Civil Rights Movement”, “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”, and “Transgender Women are Women”. For each of these topics she shares back round, opinion, and concern; however, she does not throw Biblical truth ‘under the bus’. She challenges the Church to respond to its error, as she understands it, through repentance which can bring about change. I want to share some of Rebecca McLaughlin thoughts regarding each of these topics.

1. Regarding our response to BLM, “…white Christians like me must recognize the ways in which our tribe has been complicit in the pain of black Americans: from slavery to segregation to racial inequality today.” Please understand, she is not buying into the mission statement of the BLM. What she is saying is that “…what if the failure truly to listen to the voices of black brothers and sisters and to reckon with this history of sin is holding our evangelism back…”. She comments, “to show where progressives are wrong, we must also freely acknowledge where they are right.”

My Question: Does my sin, our sin, the sin of the Church block the testimony of the Gospel?

2. In the chapter, “Love is Love”, she writes, “Whatever our racial back round, we Christians must also repent of the ways we’ve allowed actual homophobia-fear, hatred, and mistrust of gay and lesbian people-to infect our churches…Too often, we left our same-sex-attracted siblings within the church shivering in the dark, believing, they’re unwanted and unloved.”

My Question: Is our failure to reach out to these oppressed, sin, in the Church?

3. Regarding “Women’s Rights are Human Rights”, she would have us look at how we, as the Ecclesia, have treated women. “We must also acknowledge the ways in which we have failed to follow Jesus in His treatment of women.” She says that the Church needs to repent of its failures toward women. “Rather than sidelining women, we must celebrate women’s gospel ministry, cultivate women’s theological growth, and encourage as they serve the Lord, whether in the home or in the workplace. Father, forgive us for marginalizing women.”

My Question: What barriers have we built that marginalize women in the Church?

4. Another area of concern is “Transgender Women are Women”. In this chapter, we are confronted with the reality that we live “In a world where transitioning to the opposite sex or rejecting the gender binary has come to seem for some like salvation, we must affirm the goodness of male and female bodies with clinging to unbiblical gender stereotypes…Christians must repent of the ways in which our embrace of cultural stereotypes has made some people feel as if they don’t belong in their own skin. We must take those who experience gender dysphoria seriously…sit with them in their discomfort…not offering a gender identity that goes against their sex, but listening to each person’s story and seeking to support them however we can.” I have experienced this ‘learning to listen’ working with students in the public school system. It was difficult for me because it was new for me; but the Lord taught me how to listen and love as I worked with them.

My Question: Are we, the Church, willing to embrace those that are struggling with who they are?

5. Finally, she addresses the complex issue of questioning whether or not “The Gay Rights Movement Is the New Civil Rights Movement”? That’s a mouthful. Her contention is that, “But if white Christian had stood against race-based, chattel slavery in the first place, there would have been no need for the abolitionist movement. Christian sin has allowed the gay rights movement to trade on the moral capital of the civil-rights movement.” I will leave this observation to your reading of her book [or your personal study elsewhere ].

I don’t have a question, I have a recommendation: I recommend a lengthy treatise on the slavery issue, its global history, and its history in the United States. It is a book written by Albert Barnes, a New England theologian. His book was written in 1857. It is entitled, The Church and Slavery. I highly recommend it for a detailed understanding of the history of slavery in the world, the Biblical study of slavery, and the affects of slavery on our nation. What is interesting is that he wrote this treatise prior to the actual start of the Civil War; his writing was penned when the dialogues were flourishing in politics and in the Church. [A great read.]

What does all of this mean to the Ecclesia today?

This is my observation. The Church has a lot to learn about relating to social issues without presenting a social gospel. The Church needs to present itself before the populous of this nation without political strings attached but with a political relevance that voices the truth of God’s Word regarding the issues that the people of this nation face in their daily lives. Christians need to voice their objections lawfully, yet forcibly not allowing those in political office to ignore them. Yes, there is a place, when the Church in its disagreement, may need to take a stand saying ‘no’ to those in government because what is being done, or what they are requiring the Church to do because it is directly against the written Word of God. Are we there yet? I do not believe we are there yet; but we are close. In one major area, abortion, I believe, it is correct to say that the Church has significantly failed in voicing its opposition. Yes, opposition has been voiced, but it needs to increase. May the Lord give us wisdom to persevere in our opposition.

What does this mean for me as a child of God, a citizen of the Kingdom of God, a member of the Bride of Christ, a member of the Holy people of God? We need to repent of our sin and ask God to help us to love those who oppose themselves; not condemning them; but coming along side of them, listening to them, and sharing God’s love with them and for them. Remember, Christ died for them, too. We need to ‘live’ the Gospel.

As I was completing the reading of The Secular Creeds, it dawned upon me, and it was confirmed by the author’s of the two books that when humanity sets aside the God of their Creation, erases God out of their thinking, ignores God’s world of Absolutes, banishes His Person , and rejects His Reality, they create an atmosphere of their own chaos and confusion which results in dissatisfaction, irrationality, and unreality. That is the fruit of man’s way following their own Radical Reconciliation. When we reject God, we leave the realm of Absolute Truth, and humanity becomes its own ‘unknown’ trying to identify itself. That is not new news. That began with the advent of original sin in the Garden of Eden. Humanity, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God’s instruction, sinned and broke their relationship with God. It was God who spoke the words of reconciliation that would reach out to bring His humanity back to Himself.. It was God’s grace that began the process of reconciliation and return to Him. Unfortunately, humanity has always sought to do it, its own way, and consistently failed. Humanity’s wisdom and natural rationality cannot accomplish what it seeks to do. It is futile.

Father, now what? What are You doing in my life, now? Lord, what are You doing in Your Church to take us forward, now? Holy Spirit what are you saying to the Church today? Give us ears to hear!

Please consider these thoughts, the Lord is:

1. making the church more compassionate
2. removing our religious cataracts/astigmatisms
3. disciplining us to listen more, and talk less
4. reminding us that doctrine doesn’t save, it is important, but it only informs; only Jesus saves, listen to another’s story, share your story, share Christ crucified.
5. learn to embrace differences/diversity in the people you meet.
6. Be real, not religious.
7. Keep the need to repent constantly before you. We are not perfect. We are sinners saved by grace.

My final thought; it all begins with repentance; then re-setting; then re-awakening to live as Christ lived (love as Christ loved); and then comes reconciliation with our neighbors and loving them as we love ourselves.

Matthew 22:34-40

May the Lord richly bless you, Let us Go Forth, deo

What could be more radical than the Son of God, “who being in the form God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, And being found in the appearance of man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV)

And why did God do this? 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NKJV ) tells us.

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

What is the definition of ‘reconciliation’? ” Reconciliation is the process by which God and man are brought together again. This is made possible through the blood of Jesus which demonstrates the power and the model for reconciliation.” (New Spirit Filled Life Bible)

Is this what is being offered by our political and educational leaders in our nation? Is this the method by which opposing factions are going to come together as a united people in our nation?

Man’s Way of Radical Reconciliation is not based upon God’s Way of Reconciliation. God’s Way is by the way of the cross in which through death comes life; Man’s way is by way of a change of thinking through which will come a new understanding.

Man’s Radical Reformation is a deadly poison. It is anti-biblical; and, if left unchecked, it will destroy our nation, our culture, and our people. As I alluded too in the previous blog, the fact that I am writing such an analysis is in direct opposition to what is being proposed throughout our nation politically, educationally, and culturally. Such rhetoric will cause me to be labeled by some as a racist, ignorant, and out of touch with the nuances of our progressive culture. So be it. Go back and read the first three paragraphs again. Allow that truth to sink in and be your bedrock of thought as you proceed.

God has completed the work of reconciliation through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. Christ’s death on the cross, and the shedding of His blood is the ‘once and for all’ sacrifice required to reconcile God and the human race. (See Hebrews 9:23-28; Hebrews 10:11-18)

The Apostle Peter in I Peter 3:18,(NKJV) summarizes Christ’s ‘once and for all’ sacrifice with these words, “For Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit.”

Radical Reconciliation, done man’s way, cannot and will not accomplish by the works of man, by man’s intellectual thought, or by man’s means of financial reparations, achieve the goal of bringing mankind together. Why not?

Because reconciliation requires a change of the heart. Now, that is ‘radical’! Mankind cannot change the heart. Only God can change the heart of His creation. That is why man’s attempts to bring about reconciliation is total futility. Should mankind abandon all attempts to bring about understanding, peace, or agreement between nations and peoples? No. God is Sovereign over all the nations of this world and He is directing the affairs of the nations and its leaders. But humanity, attempting reconciliation apart of from their Creator will not work.

In our nation, because reconciliation requires a change of heart, many of our political leaders, many of our educational teachers and professors, and many in our business sector want nothing to do with God; in fact, they are radically opposed to God; and they are jettisoning a philosophy that eliminates God from our nation, culture, and people. This has been in the process for many years; and now we are seeing the fruit of that philosophy on display in our everyday lives. Read the headlines.

Let’s revisit the foundation of our relationship with God based upon His Radical Reconciliation in Christ. Christ paid the complete price. Christ satisfied the wrath of God against sin. The cost of reconciliation was the shedding of His blood. Hebrews 9:22b (NKJV) says, “..without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.” In the Old Testament, this principle was stated in Leviticus 17:11 (NKJV), “For the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to made atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” This is what Christ did for humanity. Christ took on flesh. He was the Lamb of God offered to make atonement for our sin taking away the sin of the world. This was not man’s doing. This was God’s thought before the foundation of the world. The Apostle Paul, eloquently, by the power of the Holy Spirit, outlines this truth in his letter to the Ephesian church. See Ephesians 1:3-14. Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…” In Christ, we are reconciled to God. Coupling this thought with Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV),which reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Combining these two verses, there is no ‘wiggle room’ to bring about reconciliation man’s way. Any reconciliation requires God’s intervention in the natural or the spiritual.

The proponents of Man’s Way of Radical Reconciliation advocate an agenda attested too with cliches that lull us into believing that by adhering to their ways, listening to their rhetoric, and pursuing their works, man’s hearts will be changed positively toward one another, and the nation in which we live will experience peace, equality, and tranquility.

THIS IS A FALSE HOPE

Only the blood of Christ, applied to the sinful hearts of mankind, can bring about forgiveness and reconciliation with God; and then the possibility exists for a true reconciliation to begin and grow between human beings.

Would that be a Radical Reconciliation? Absolutely, but it must be done God’s Way not man’s way.

This is the foundation that must be established, if we are to proceed with an understanding of the role of the Church in the hour in which we are living.

THERE IS HOPE

Only the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sin can bring about the change of heart that is necessary to be first reconciled to God and then to be reconciled to one’s fellow man and woman. Would this make it possible for a radical reconciliation among us in this nation? Absolutely, as long as it is done, God’s Way. This is our basis of HOPE.

Jesus is our Hope, a sojourner in Christ, deo

“A racial ideology that beats people down to skin color does not possess the power to uplift people.” Eli Steele: Interracial Couple Fights Critical Race Theory in One of America’s Most Integrated Towns.”

I want to take a time out from the series that I have been sharing about Pentecost. I have become sidetracked, somewhat, by certain buzz words that I am reading in the media: critical race theory, radical reconciliation, systemic racism, etc. The problem is that it has opened up a whole new vocabulary of words and terminology.

I want to begin by looking back to 1970 when I started in Christian Education as a teacher. The atmosphere I stepped into was completely unknown to me. It was a step of faith. I was being introduced to a ministry that culminated in 2020, 50 years later.

A major foundation stone of this ministry was presented to me (us) by the following visualization. Picture me, holding two books. One book is a school textbook; the other is the Bible. I am now going to hold up the textbook and place on top of it, the Bible. The concept is that the subject matter of the textbook is filtered through the lens of the Bible. That does not mean that the Bible teaches everything one needs to know about the subject of the textbook; but it does mean that the content of the textbook is guided and kept within the boundaries of truth as found in the Bible. For example, the answer to a math problem, such as 2 + 2 = 4, is absolute. The truth of God’s Word is absolute. Therefore, the subject matter of a math textbook is to be understood, enlightened, and enhanced by the absolute truth of the Bible. In a math class, a question at the beginning of a class might be asking the students to name things that are absolute truth? Students need to know that the study of mathematics is an absolute science. In general this was the paradigm in which education was originally taught in our nation.

Continuing the presentation, I will now take the two books, the textbook and the Bible, and hold them up side by side. What is the purpose of making this change? It represents the growth, or from the point of view of Christian Education, the decline of education in our nation. What had begun with a Christian world view has become secularized. The subject matter is no longer being analyzed through the lens of the Bible. The Bible was set aside to be studied on its own; and the textbooks were now studied on their own without the aid of Biblical input for the most part. The Bible was used, occasionally, to supplement the textbook’s thoughts; it was used, as more of, an alternative opinion, than absolute truth. ln essence, ‘let’s consider this point of view’. Probably the classic example would be the topic of the origin of species-evolution or creation? Which brings us to a more up to date approach.

I now take the textbook and place it over the Bible. The textbook guides and directs the content of the Bible. The textbook contradicts the Bible’s stories and claims. The textbook repudiates the proposed truth of the Bible. and now, taking it one step further, the Bible is completely set aside as irrelevant, discarded, and not considered at all in the educational process. God is, thereby, removed from our educational system. Has this happen in our nation? Yes.

The process of education has disintegrated from a Biblical world view to a non-Biblical world view. But, the decline in the educational process has plummeted to even a lower level. The focus of our educational system is not upon the basics of ‘reading, writing, and arithmetic’; but about sexuality, and about correcting racism. What will be the outcome of such a radical change in our educational system?

Let me restate the issue.

Unfortunately, the trajectory of our educational history has been the removal of the lens of the Bible through which subjects have been taught. The study of the Bible is separated from the educational subject matter and viewed as irrelevant. This has occurred in our founding colleges and universities. It has has happened in our public school system; and it can even happen in Christian schools, K-12, where there isn’t a conscious effort to incorporate Biblical concepts and truths that enhance the school’s curriculum. How do I know this? I was negligent of this many times as a Christian school teacher. I didn’t always consciously enhance the subjects I was teaching with Biblical truth in my own classroom. That does not mean I taught non-Biblical truth. It means I did not fully take a positive advantage of incorporating the truths of God’s Word. How many colleges and universities that began as bastions of Biblical religious study and sound Biblical doctrine have fallen by the wayside and completely set aside the importance of the Biblical perspective and the presentation of a Biblical world view. They have substituted the philosophies and wisdom of the world for Biblical truth.

These private institutions, and our public school educational system, no longer seek to incorporate the Biblical truths that present the necessary moral and ethical standards for living as individuals or in relationship to one another. Our educational system has reversed the lens of interpretation advancing man’s wisdom and reasoning. A look at the history of mankind, when compared with the historical growth the church, will easily reveal that this ‘battle for the mind’ has always been at the forefront of civilization. Why? One only has to remind one self of the dialogue that took place in the Garden of Eden between Eve and the Serpent. In Genesis 3:1, the Serpent said to Eve, “Has God indeed said…” (NKJV). A question was asked, a dialogue took place, a response was made, an action followed, and the consequences of that interaction has been an ongoing struggle between God and His creation. Mankind is still wrestling with God over the meaning of life, seeking to resolve the issues created because of original sin. A totally depraved mind will reason from its standpoint to put into motion what it believes to be the truth that must guide a nation, a culture, and its people. The Biblical narrative is a recorded history of the dialogue between God, His people, and the nations of this world, in which God is lovingly reaching out to mankind for the purpose of reconciliation to Himself. That is the emphasis of the Gospel.

Our nation, culture, and people stand at a crossroads. This moment has not crept up on us suddenly. It has been in the ‘works’ for many years throughout our short history as a nation. Our soul, as a nation, is at risk. What type of nation will we become? What will be the guiding principles that will dictate our existence? Will this nation lose its foundation of liberty? There are many, in this nation, that believe they have the upper hand; they are in control; and that it is just a matter of time before this nation will be become a completely different nation governed by a political and philosophical ideology that is a reversal of everything we have known as a republic and that this nation will be ‘flip-flopped’ into a progressive-Marxist nation. Strong words, yes; far from the truth, no. How do I know? Matthew 12:33 (NJKV), Jesus said, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.”

We know that God is Sovereign and He is in control of all nations. He is in control of our nation; and our nation is moving toward its destiny in the plan and purpose of God. God is the Husbandman of the garden. Does that mean that we give up in view of what we are witnessing in our nation? No, we do not know what gardening the Lord wants to do with this nation; but we do know that as believers in Christ we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. And He has promised that He would never leave us nor forsake us. So we press into God.

Question: What is the fruit of our tree(nation)? Is our fruit good or bad?

Our nation has been, and is being indoctrinated to believe that we are ‘bad fruit’ as a nation, a culture, and a people. I am not saying that we as a nation have not failed in many ways; however, I refuse to be told that I have been lied too throughout my life by the educational system I grew up in; that because I am ‘white’, I am guilty of being a racist; that I need to live with a guilt complex; and that I must be re-educated by the philosophy and teachings of Critical Race Theory, Critical Social Justice, Intersectionality, and Radical Reformation to turn the tide of systemic racism. Is there something that God’s people need to do? Yes. What is it? Be the Church. How do we begin? with repentance; not a repentance governed by the doctrine of radical reformation; but with repentance that reconciles us to God through the blood of the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

As a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, living through this maze of words and actions that are besetting us as a nation, a culture, and a people, I have come to a personal conclusion that I am not going to allow myself to be offended by another human being’s color; and that I am not going to be offended by another’s biological sex, male or female. Sex and color identify a human being as an individual person who has been created in the image and likeness of God. They may or may not be Christian; however, in Christ, I am told “to love my neighbor as myself”. This may sound simplistic but if I can do that, in Christ, I am not a racist. I am responsible not to be offended by a person’s sex or color.

However, that does not mean, that I cannot be offended by what they say or do. Do they have a ‘right’ to say and do what they want? Yes, but it’s a qualified ‘up to a point’. I think the boundaries of ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘freedom of actions’ have been taken advantage of and loosened too far. There is a difference between speaking and living civilly, and speaking and living without civility. There is a difference between speaking and living rationally, and speaking and living irrationally. Some people do not want to listen; they only want to rant and rave, shout and demonstrate. They have taken what they believe to be ‘freedom of speech and freedom of action’ to the point of lawlessness. In my estimation this is unacceptable. I guess then, I would be labeled as intolerant. And in some circles of thought, I would labeled as a racist. This brings to mind a placard that I saw a student carrying after the election of Mr. Trump as President of the United States. It read, ‘Be Ungovernable’. That was in 2016 or early 2017.. That placard amazed me at the time; but it has certainly set the tone of what we have witnessed and listened too for the past 5 years. It has also escalated, both in its speech and actions throughout our nation at all levels.

I can also be offended by what people write. I am reading words and phrases that are new to me but are not new to the culture, or our educational institutions. I need to be tolerant of their point of view; but I do not need to agree with them. Nevertheless, sometimes what individuals write can be offensive depending on their personal point of view. It will not surprise me that there will be someone or even many who may read this blog and be offended by my point of view. That’s ok, thanks for giving me your time and space to express what I believe. However, even though I may disagree with radical reconciliation, as presented; I need to investigate and read about CRT, CSJ, I, and RR, and systemic racism. Guess what? There is plenty out there to read. I have just finished a book written by Dr. Voodie Baucham Jr, called, ‘fault lines, The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe’. This is an excellent read for understanding the beginnings of the social justice movement; to be given up to date information about what is and has been going on in our nation; and to come to grips with his concern about the influence of social justice in the church and its ramifications. My wife, Christine, has just completed a book entitled, ‘The Secular Creed, Engaging Five Contemporary Claims’, written by Rebecca McLaughlin. This is my next read. My quest to understand more continues. Where all of this is headed personally, I do not know?

At this time, I recognize this. I am seeing the fruit of what I have previously written about in past blog series. And it is not good fruit.

We need to heed the words of Ephesians 6:10-18. Please read and reflect. We are in a spiritual war.

We need to walk according to Ephesians 4:14-21. Please read and reflect. The Church needs to learn how to walk in this hour.

What is Dr. Baucham’s concern? The philosophy and teaching’s of this world is creeping into the church, i.e. being embraced by the church and its leadership. But that is not new news. The Bible, itself, warns us about false teachers coming into the first century churches. The Pauline letters especially deal with false doctrine and heresy in the church. Dr. Baucham is seeing the infiltration of the false narratives that are dominating our educational system beginning to infiltrate the church’s thinking with its false teaching and historical heresies. What has taken place in our public school system, our colleges, and universities is moving into the church. This is not a denominational issue. This is about being faithful to the Word of God.

So, what has all this have to do with Racial Reconciliation? Actually, as Dr. Baugham preached (see You Tube: Radical Reconciliation), according to Ephesians 2:11-18, God has already reconciled us to Himself through Christ at the Cross. Therefore, I am not to proceed in guilt toward other human beings; but I am to go forward living out my reconciliation in Christ with Christ’s love toward one another. The world’s way of reconciliation is to press me down being guilty of racism, teach me how to live as a non-racist, and be willing to do what ever the culture tells me to do to live in harmony with one another. I categorically refuse that option. That is not Biblical. I have already chosen God’s Way, through Christ at the Cross. Christ, the Word, the Cross, the Spirit, and the Church will enable me to walk freely toward other human beings regardless of their color or sex. Amen. Amen. and Amen.

We are living in desperate times. The push for Radical Reconciliation is demanding and inclusive.

We have a choice to make? Be absorbed or Be against! acquiesce or stand!

Paul writes in Colossians 2:6-10 (NKJV), “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat (plunder you or take you captive) you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwell all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him who is the head of all (rule and authority) principality and power. [parentheses from center margin of my Study Bible].

As I said before, we are at a crossroads! Here is our choice, stated another way:

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV), “Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.” Jesus continues in the next verse (15,16a), Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”

Time to be a fruit inspector; Fruit inspection is not judgmental, it’s evaluation and observation, listening and watching.

A fellow sojourner, deo

It is important to remember that the Epistle to the Hebrews was written to a nation of people (God’s People) whose existence was rooted in a covenant with God, Himself. They were chosen by God; they were set apart by God, Himself; and called by God, Himself, to be His witness for Him to all the nations of the world. Sound familiar!

Who are we in Christ? Peter writes, in I Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV), “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who once were not a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

Therefore, what God originally purposed with His people under the first covenant, He has still purposed with His people under the second covenant in Christ. The Epistle to the Hebrews “seeks to explain the nature and history (of God’s people then and now) in the light of Christ, and true spiritual Christianity. It shows that even such a people may make their separation earthy so they have been ‘overthrown and will–even as Christians–be overthrown again, if they repeat what their father’s did in Judaism.” (my insert) [quoting T. Austin Sparks]

Has the Church done the same today? Have we made ourselves ‘earthy’ and ‘worldly’? Have we forsaken what God has originally purposed for His people in Christ?

This is why it was hard for the new Jewish believers to put off the OLD and put on the NEW. They were steeped in the OLD covenant. It programmed their religion and lifestyle. It was who they were. In Christ, a NEW covenant had been instituted and they were embarking on a NEW learning curve. Guess what? This is the same learning curve we have to embrace as NEW believers. The OLD has passed away, and behold all things have become NEW. It can be, and will be a struggle.

This is why the Holy Spirit was sent. What had Jesus instructed His disciples in the Upper Room the night of His betrayal? A lot. As this instruction was winding down, Jesus says, in John 16:12-13 (NKJV), I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” [I suspect that during the 40 day interval between His resurrection and ascension the Upper Room discussion was continued.] “However, When He, the Spirit of truth has come (Pentecost), He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will tell you things to come.” [my insert].

In I Corinthians 15, Paul has been instructing the church about the gospel, the resurrection of Christ, and end times. In I Corinthians 15:46, He states a principle which can be applied to our understanding regarding the whole of Scripture. “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual.”

[Christ, the Son of God, was born in a natural body (Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 10:5-7; Gal. 4:4), after His resurrection He had a spiritual body.(I Cor. 15:35-49).

Applying this thinking to God’s people before the Cross and after the Cross, we understand, read, and reflect upon the nation of Israel, under the first covenant, the OLD, as the natural. Christ is born in a natural body and completely fulfills the Law under the first covenant and He institutes a second covenant, the NEW covenant. He is crucified on the Cross. He dies, and He is entombed in a grave. But, God raises Him from the dead. He has a resurrected body. His OLD body has passed away and He is raised in a NEW body. This is our glorious hope in the gospel of Christ. (I Cor. 15:50-58)

As I have stated before, and reiterate again, natural Israel is struggling to let go completely of the OLD, and embrace completely the NEW. And so do many of us. And unfortunately, it is easy to ‘spiritually relax’ as believers and become ‘earthy’ and ‘worldly’ in our walk with the Lord. This is the essence and purpose of the letters to the Churches in the NEW Testament. How do believers in Christ overcome the temptations of the world, the false teaching coming into the church, and the struggles of being a disciple of the Lord? Answer: it’s the Grace of the NEW covenant. It wasn’t easy for them; and for many of us, it, too, has not been easy; however, just as the Lord answered Paul regarding his own struggle in the flesh, He says to us in 2 Cor. 12:9, “And He said to me, ” My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul’s reply follows, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Whoa, there is something needed to be learned. Paul continues in 2 Cor. 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.” Question: Is what Paul said, the mindset of the Church today? or does the Church avoid these issues, individually and/or collectively? Question: Is this where we are headed in our nation?

Will we need to embrace infirmities, reproaches, needs, persecutions, distresses for Christ’s sake? This reminds me of Hebrews 13:13, “Therefore, let go forth to Him, outside the camp (context-established religion), bearing His reproach.” (my insert).

Christ in me is supernatural. Christ in me is spiritual. Christ in me is real not religious. Paul clearly understood this NEWness. Listen to his explanation in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ (that takes care of the OLD); it is no longer I who live (I am dead to the OLD), but Christ lives in me (NEWness); and the life that I live in the flesh (NOW, OLD things have passed away, and behold all things have become NEW) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (my inserts)

This is Paul’s NEW understanding. The is what the Spirit planted (downloaded) in seed form in Paul. Question: Does Paul get it? Absolutely, he understands what he had to put off or have removed from his thinking. He comprehended what the OLD meant to him personally and to the Jewish nation. He understood that life was not going to be the same in Christ.

Paul(Saul) was entrenched in Judaism. He witnessed Stephen’s death by stoning (Acts 7:58). In fact, he consented to Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1). He was obsessed with the arrest and incarceration of Christian believers. (Acts 8:3).

But God! Jesus confronts Saul (Paul), calls him, blinds him with His brilliance, chooses him, and commissions him to Himself for the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, and as a witness to the nations (Acts 9:1-30).

Massaging an OLD phrase, did Paul (Saul) get it? Listen to his testimony found in Philippians3:1-9, NKJV, “Finally , my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For to me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: [Paul says I will put up my credentials and compare them to anyone’s; and I do not think anyone can out do my credentials] (my insert). (bring it on!): circumcised the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things (all associated with the OLD), and count them rubbish, that I may gain Christ (all associated with the NEW) and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law (OLD), but that which is through faith in Christ (NEW), the righteousness which is from God by faith.” (my inserts)

Therefore, what is the goal of the Christian life, according to Paul, NOW. Philippians 3:10-11 says, “…that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” How is that going to happen? To be His disciple we must take up our cross daily and follow Him.

I submit to you that Philippians 3:12-21 addresses the answer to the aforementioned question. Paul understands that the issue is not about going to heaven. He knows that going to heaven is guaranteed to those who are in Christ. Paul is focusing on the life we are to be living NOW, based upon the NEW.

Please give me some ‘space’ regarding my next thought. Question: How do we change the word NEW to the word NOW? Easy, remove the letter E and replace it with the letter O. ‘E’asier said than done. When we embrace the NEW, the letter ‘E’ says that we are ‘eternally’ justified in Christ. Our salvation is secure, and our destination will be with the Lord in His Presence, in Heaven, with the Father. It also says that our NEW life is ‘E’very day.

We replace in the space where the ‘E’ was with the letter ‘O’. ‘O’ is learning how to live ‘obediently’ undergoing the sanctification process of walking and growing in Christ ‘E’very day . This is what we are to be learning and living NOW. Hebrews 5:8 NKJV, “…though He were a Son yet learned He ‘O’bedience by the things that He suffered.” Is this the mindset of the church today? Is this the mindset of every believer? Unfortunately, NO! So…

this means that if we put the E and O together as ‘EO’ we have ‘E’very day ‘Obedience’. This is our goal.

What is Paul’s exhortation? Philippians 3:17;18 (NKJV), “…walk according to the pattern you have in us.” Was Paul’s pattern after the Spirit (NEW) or the OLD (flesh)? Was Paul’s walk ‘carnal’ or ‘soulish’?

Let’s consider Galatians 5:1-26. I submit to you that Paul is correcting the Galatian Church about their struggle in growing in the Lord. The are being told not to put off all the OLD by false teachers. They are being told that they need to retain their ‘identity’ as Jews. Paul is categorically saying that this is wrong. He tells them to put off the OLD in its entirety. He is warning them that retaining their traditions and customs will be disastrous in their walk with the Lord. He exhorts them to put on the NEW, which is Christ, as they had been taught in the gospel. Galatians 5:16 defines the spiritual struggle within all of us, and it summarizes the admonition of Paul to the Galatian Church. “I say then, Walk in the Spirit (NOW), and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (OLD). ”

This is exactly what Paul addresses in his letter to the Colossian church. Read, Colossians 3:1-17.

Let me ask again, is the church walking after the flesh, or after the Spirit? Is the church directed by the soulish desires of mankind or by the Spirit of God? Is the church riddled with carnality, or is it maturing in Christ? Why is the church so anemic in the United States? Is the church for real or is it just a religious exercise? If Jesus sent a letter to the church in the United States as He did to the seven churches of Asia, what would He say? Does the church in the United States resemble any of the churches He wrote too?

Sunday, May 23, 2021, is Pentecost Sunday on the western church calendar. Will it be church as usual? or will there be an honest re-evaluation of the state of the church?

Quoting T. Austin Sparks again, “There is something here much more than typology interpreted and interpretation accepted as to salvation from sin and judgment. It is the essential and indispensable heavenly relatedness and life of the Lord’s people as inwardly detached from the natural life (OLD) even in a religious sense.” In short, is the church real or religious?

To be real, the church must walk after the Spirit (NOW), and not after the flesh (OLD). Walking after the Spirit comes from the preaching of Christ crucified, centered in the gospel of Christ.

To be Christ’s disciple, we are to take up our cross daily, and follow Him. What is our cross for? crucifixion, a reminder that in Christ, the OLD has been crucified and the NEW has been resurrected (remember Gal. 2:20). We are to live as one who embraces ‘death to self’.

In the closing chapter of the letter to the Galatians, (Gal. 6:1-18), Paul puts it all in perspective. Concentrating on Gal. 6:12-18, Paul, in verse 12, says, “As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh (OLD), these would compel you to be circumcised (OLD), only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ (NEW?NOW).” (my inserts) (NKJV)

This is the issue for the individual believer and the community of believers in a local church. Do you, does the church, embrace or avoid the cross of Christ in our daily lives? Do we live for our selves, or for the Lord? Who sits on the throne of my heart, your heart, the heart of the local church?

To grow in the NEW so that it becomes the NOW, the church must center on Christ, and on the cross. Galatians 6:14-17 lays out the answer as Paul closes his letter. “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything (OLD), but a NEW creation (boldness mine). And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. From NOW on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”

Do I, do we, does the church bear the ‘marks of the Lord Jesus’.

Does the church you attend preach the Gospel, centered on Christ, and the Cross?

Maybe the church needs to revisit the words of a hymn that was a foundation in the church. The hymn is entitled, THE OLD RUGGED CROSS. It was written by George Bennard (1873-1958). Here are some of its words:

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame, and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain…so I’ll cherish the old rugged cross…”

Do we still cherish the old rugged cross? Paul did. It was the foundation of his ministry. Christ crucified. Are we out of touch with the gospel in our churches today? The word ‘rugged’ here means “having or requiring toughness and determination”. (googled)

Is the church tough and determined today? Am I willing to be drawn nearer to the cross? Remembering the words to another hymn, the words say:

“Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where Thou hast died, draw me neared, nearer blessed Lord, to Thy precious bleeding side” (Fanny Crosby)

Thank you Father for sending Your Son; Thank you Jesus for Your Gospel and the Cross; Thank you Holy Spirit for Your teaching, guidance, and comfort.

Thank you Trinity for Your love.

As a believer in Christ, I , Deo, am in possession of a NEW covenant ratified by the Blood of Jesus.