Divide and conquer.  I am sure you have heard the term.  It is a term for a tactic that is used to defeat an enemy.  The concept is that if you can successfully cause a group of enemies to turn on each other it is easy to sweep in and conquer them.  It is the oldest battle tactic of all.  The enemy used it in the beginning to divide the created from the creator and it has been used ever since.  And very successfully.

One aspect of using this tactic successfully is to deceive your enemy in a way that they do not always see the division.  Until it is too late.  Our adversary has continued to use this tactic since that first epic division with great results.  There are many that have entered into an eternity without God because of it.

I am following a lot of discussions and situations in the body of Christ that are causing dissension, distrust, confusion, and anger between the participants.  It seems most are not even aware or concerned with the harm that is being done or how the arguments over things that are either not essential to the mission or just blatantly wrong are helping to divide us.  When I try to determine essentials as it concerns the Gospel I actually see it as rather simple.

Joh 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Mat 22:37-40  And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Mat 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

These three things are the essentials.  These three are all we really need to know to stay on mission.  The rest of the bible can be seen as instruction on understanding and learning to apply these three.

God loved us so much He was willing to become one of us in the person of Jesus so He could rescue us from the clutches of the enemy that we had allowed to enslave us, then He instructs us to love Him and each other, and finally to go and tell all about this great love of His and to show them how to spread it also.  So the real essential is the mission of spreading love.  And nothing else.

I see more dissension being sown than love being spread as I look at the body of Christ.  One of my main objections to God even existing for most of my life was that I saw very little love, hardly any sacrifice, and only token agreement within Christianity.  This is a historical and a present reality even now.  I am a part of the body now and still see the same things.

Luther, Calvin, Arminius; no agreement there.  Spurgeon, Moody, Wesley, Finney; no agreement there.  Piper, Wright, Pinnock, Conn, Spong; no agreement there.  Baptist, Episcopalian, Catholic, Pentecostal; no agreement there.  COG member and another COG member; no agreement there.  Not only is this sad, not only is this divisive, this is dangerous.  Hatred is being spread, intolerance is being observed and souls are being lost.  The mission is not being done because we are too busy telling the other how wrong they are.  We must wake up to the tactics of enemy that is walking among us.

The arguments and the view of essentials in my own denomination and even my own church are very disconcerting to me.  Tongues as initial evidence, alcohol consumption, missional or Pentecostal, and a misplacement of love are just a few areas where lines are being drawn and the enemy sits back laughing while watching us pound on each other.  I am sorry but I can’t even find the scripture where Jesus spoke in tongues, I can show you where He drank wine, His focus was wholly missional and relational, and He point blank told us who to love.  Take notice where our love is supposed to be applied.  It is to persons and not things.

Instead I am reading declarations of steadfast love for a denomination while those same advance no attitudes of love or outreach for the ones outside the Kingdom.  In fact, some of the things they are arguing against in their unyielding traditional, denominational defenses cause those we should be reaching from even giving us a chance to spread the love we are supposed to be spreading.

The Church of God is an institution, an organization, a denomination; and I do not love it.  I love the people in it.  I also love the people in the Assemblies of God, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Catholics, the Muslims, the Hindus, and the list goes on and on to include even the agnostics and atheists.

We have people that won’t accept anything but the style of preacher that they want, the music that they want to hear, the order and method of service they grew up with, and even the times the services must be done.  When are we going to wake up to the machinations of our enemy?  When are we going to realize the necessity of unity even if it means sacrifice?  When are we going to discern our own self-centeredness?  When are we going to apply our misplaced love appropriately?

If the lost in my community want to sing reggae, country spirituals and this will keep them in church long enough to become disciples, then shouldn’t we be willing to throw out the hymnals and praise choruses?  If the lost in my community want to sit on couches with the lights turned down a notch and have a spiritual discussion instead of a pulpit pounding, corn shucking, belt jerking, spittle spewing preacher yelling at them, then shouldn’t we be willing to give it a try?

Mat 28:19  Go therefore to church, sit on the pews, sing only what you like, keep a pastor and stand behind him only if he preaches to you and only if he does it the way you want him to, and do not in any way suffer the person that does not agree with you, in the name of (insert your own name). (Self-centered interpretation)

This is how we read this commandment today for the most part.  Isn’t it time we went to war, got back on mission, and at least tried to do what Jesus said?  It will take sacrifice.  But He sacrificed Himself so you could sit there on that pew and be wrong.

What if that lost person that won’t come to church because of your self-centered requirements is your grandchild?  Will you sacrifice then?

I love you all (and hope you can still love me)

Tags: atheist, Body of Christ, Calvin, catholics, Christianity, Church, Church of God, Creator, dissension, Enemy, eternal life, Eternity, Holy Spirit, Love, muslim, Pentecost, piper, Self

This is the last installment in what I labeled the Combat Readiness series.  It originally started in a post entitled A Tactical Reassessment and was followed by Enemy Tactics.  Then I divided it up into seven entries called Combat Readiness.  All this started with a random thought I wasn’t even sure would fill a page.

I am sorry that this final entry comes so long after the others.  If you need to catch up, they are listed in the archives.

The thought that started it all was about how our enemy has used some things that otherwise might be good for the Kingdom and through his clever ways of deception has caused us to actually corrupt some good ideas.  And I believe it was all to do with the endgame of taking our eyes, us Pentecostals, away from a pursuit of holiness.  This was the beginning of this series.

The last area I defined to a small degree was relevance.  There is a definite need to be relevant to the culture we minister in.  So many in the past have tried to go into a culture and forcefully try to change the very way they live into something we deem more appropriate for Christians.
Paul had some things to say about this:

1Co 9:19-22  For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.  To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.

Paul says to go to them, whoever we have been sent to, and be one among them so we might reach them.  He did not say to go to them and seek to change them first into something more recognizable.  Jesus never asked anyone to change either.  Instead, He simply said, “Follow Me”, and they did change, but it was from the close association with Him.

So we have some taking all of this to heart in the Kingdom today.  They call it being culturally relevant.

We now have ministers that use profanity from the pulpit, some for the shock value like Rod Parsley, and others because they think it is the best way to reach the younger crowd.  We have some ministers who seem to never speak of anything but Jesus as a friend.  They paint such a one-sided view of our King that it is no wonder why no one is serving Him.  Most of the younger generations just hang out with their friends, they sure don’t serve them.

The truth of Gods standards, of His Holiness, are nowhere to be found in the churches that are considered the most culturally relevant.  This is not the case in all churches, but it has spread far enough to be alarming.

This whole concept about relevance seems to miss the mark in one major way.  There seems to be no attempts at winning those some of us are being relevant to.  Paul said he would become all things to all people for one reason, to win them over; to lovingly, persuasively, bring them to the truth of Christ.  Our attempts have mostly only taken some of our own over to the worlds side.

By portraying the idea that profanity is no big deal, for instance, some of us have not brought about a change in those we attempt to reach, but instead has lowered us to their level.  If there is one thing I know for a fact about meeting the risen Lord it is that I change, not Him.

Relevance is about meeting them at their level.  Jesus was the master of this.  But then it is about the slow, steady change to Christlikeness.  Not the other way around.

We must reach out to a lost and dying world, not in condemnation, but in love.  Maybe stooping to their level, getting down in the dirt beside them, but never with them, and letting the light of the truth and the love of God convince them of the need for change.  Holiness is the goal and the proper explanation to a lost soul is that holiness is being set apart.  It means joining the gang.  The Holy, wonderful, life giving and love filled Kingdom gang.

And most of the younger generation would just love to be in a gang.

And that might just be true Kingdom relevance.

Love you all

Tags: Christ, Christians, Christlike, Church, Combat Readiness, Enemy, Holiness, Kingdom, Love, Pentecost, Pentecostal, profanity, Relevance, Relevant, Truth

I read a post by Jason today about the need for holiness to again be championed by the church.  It seems to be an essential element of our ability to help the light of Christ shine in this world.  My comment took on a life of its own so I am asking you to read Jason’s article but I am modifying my comment to post here. 

I am in total agreement with Jason that there is a serious need in the church in America to come back to holiness.  Since the light of Christ can never be overcome by the darkness of the enemy, the dimming we ascertain is due to the position we have “between” the light of Christ and the darkness of a lost world.  If we were all transparent enough to allow Christ’s light to shine through us as He intended, we would see the darkness fleeing the light.  Instead we obfuscate when we should be helping to illuminate. 

I believe holiness is the key to our transparency.  Jason asked the following…

“With this said, what do some of you think about the lack of holiness being preached and expressed in the church today? (note: I am not talking about dresses and make-up”

I believe this is a very real factor in the equation. Holiness is mostly omitted or confused with legalistic ideas.  And we certainly don’t live as separated from the world, soldiers in the army of God.  Look at Dees post over at Hope Aflame.  We are so tied into the world it is no wonder the skeptics see no difference between us and them. 

Our constant need for “stuff”, for “entertainment”, for “acceptance”, for “influence”, ad infinitum, is diametrically positioned in relation to our mission to reflect the light of Christ.  When are we going to get it through our thick, titanium clad skulls that this is not about us.  It is about our neighbor and our enemy over us and about Jesus over even them. 

But serving Christ cannot be done if we never serve the others first.  And we can only do that by allowing the light to shine through us and that takes the transparency that is only achieved by holy living.

Jason also asked…

Also, do you feel that Pentecostal churches are feeling pressure to abandon the gifts of the Spirit in our services with the fear of people being uncomfortable?

I have to say that it may be that God Himself might be tired of some of the things we have been calling gifts and manifestations for so long.  Before going any further let me assure all that I am a FIRM believer in the supernatural gifting and moving of God in this time and place.  The very way God brought me to my knees in repentance and to salvation is all the evidence of this that I need.   

But what I mean about God being tired of our “antics” is this. 

Just look at what the vast majority of Pentecostals are seeking and being thrilled at in any given revival.  Slain in the Spirit, speaking in tongues, shouting, jumping, running the isles and I have even heard many boast of people jumping on the back of pews and running them.  Not sure what they call that. 

My question is simply, how do these things truly glorify God.  My falling down on the floor at the altar, which has happened by the way, did what for any lost soul?  Speaking in tongues has been elevated to the level of being worthy of worship itself.  Aren’t we to worship the gifter and not the gift?  Shouting, running, jumping does exactly what to help fulfill the great commission?  And I won’t even say anything about pew back running or picking up hot coals with bare hands or gold dust or gold teeth or…

What saddens me, and I wonder if it saddens God also, is our acceptance that this is all there is and we go away thrilled with the great service or revival.  Where are the miracles that really have the potential to impact lives?  Where are true, verifiable healings?  Where are all the truly changed people?  Where are the lasting deliverances from the activity of the adversary? 

I have experienced many, and am not bothered by any, of these things.  And even on occasion felt closer to God because of it.  As I said, I am saddened, but only because I know there could be so much more.  Are we just settling for what makes us happy at the moment?  And as far as it goes, if God is willing to allow us to have this level of gifting even though we are not very holy, what would we be able to do if we really did come back to holiness?

Some of the new, more postmodern Christians are probably not willing to accept or be comfortable with some of what we call Pentecostal gifting and manifestations.  But I would like to know if they could handle a paraplegic getting out of a wheelchair or a blind man gaining his sight in one of their altars.  I believe they would find this to be cause to sit up and take a fresh look.  I know I anxiously await it in my church. 

I just wonder if we might need to get rid of some of the excess first.

And I don’t have to wonder at all about the necessity to live a holy life before and for our God and King.  There just is no question about this.

Transparency is the need in this moment of darkness.  Then, and only then, can the Light shine through.

Love you all   

Tags: America, army of god, christ shine, darkness, Entertainment, Healing, Holiness, Love, Miracles, neighbor, Pentecost, Pentecostal, Salvation, Self, Supernatural, transparency

I served this nation for five years in the US Army.  Thankfully, it was during a time of peace.  The mission of a peacetime army was to be properly equipped, trained, and ready to defend this nation.  This is what combat readiness meant. 

As a soldier you got used to inspections.  They happened quite frequently in artillery units, which is what I was stationed in.  Inspections were sometimes announced, so we could prepare.  Most of the time they were not.  We really hated surprise inspections.  No matter how many there were, the hatred of them never dissipated. 

But these inspections were designed and executed, to teach discipline, and to determine our state of combat readiness.  If a soldier had a torn gas mask, worn out socks, and only one pair of boots; he was not combat ready.  A torn gas mask would not only allow you to get killed, but it could put a whole platoon at risk because everyone depended on each other. 

Another aspect of combat readiness was training.  This training consisted of the proper use and maintenance of our weaponry, our military tactics and strategy, and the tactics and strategy of our enemy.  As these things changed on the enemy’s side we had to respond with effective change ourselves. 

I have written about the spiritual warfare we are all in and the tactics of our enemy here and here.  In this post I want to take up the task of putting forth some ideas for change, in the area of our own tactical response.  As I have been discussing, our enemy is constantly changing tactics, and I have used as examples seven areas I believe he is currently working in.  Here is the first of them again, but with my thoughts as to how we may be able to defeat him.  

Acceptance.  As I said, we all want to be accepted.  Pentecostals were not accepted in the beginning but now we go out of our way to explain away some of our gifting to the world.  Just so we will not be looked at as too weird.  Other denominations attempt to be accepted in their own ways also.  Just look at what we sometimes call seeker sensitive churches.

These churches proclaim themselves to be beacons of light for the lost.  Safe havens where no one will ever be judged.  Cool, and in touch with the culture.  Jesus loved the sinner and we have to also.  And all of this would be fine, if it was about the sinner. 

Jesus did reach out and go out of His way to reach that lost soul.  And He did it for them.   So, while I sympathize with the thought behind these types of churches, I have to ask, is it about the lost being accepted into our Kingdom, or is it about the church wanting to be accepted into the ungodly kingdom of this earth.

Just ask yourself who we want to be accepted by.  The world would seem to be the answer.  When a nationally recognized pastor gets on a TV interview and says he does not preach about abortion because it is a “political issue”, I have to ask, when did that happen?  Since man is so divided on the issue, is God confused also.  It seems, according to His word, at one time He was against the murder of innocent children.   

Do we really want to do as God says, or man?

This brings me to a couple of questions I have about about this concept of acceptance. Do you think the Pentecostals are concerned with Baptists accepting them?  What about Methodists and Catholics? How many times have you heard a Calvinist call an Armenian a brother?  We want acceptance from the world but not our own family.   Within the family of God the names called are usually heretic, apostate, miscreant, unbeliever.

Where is the concern we have for what the other denominational brothers think of us?

Jesus said the world hates us because we are like Him (Joh 17:14) and for His names sake.  (Luk 21:17)  Yet He said that we owe each other, those other adopted family members we have, love.  (Rom 13:8)

The world will never really accept us.  They may pretend, but if we are who we are supposed to be, they have, I repeat, they have, to hate us. 

So our new strategy has to be, to do everything possible to become who we are supposed to be, to start accepting our adopted brothers and sisters of faith instead of the world, and to once again declare our allegiance to our King and His kingdom only.

So I ask…Who loves ya baby?  For Christ’s sake and our own, it better be Jesus and the other denomination down the street.

Who loves ya baby?  I do.

Love you all

Tags: Acceptance, Combat Readiness, Enemy, Love, Pentecost, Spiritual Warfare, Strategy and Tactics