One of the more vital elements of Christ and His people that we need a revelation of is what it means for Christians to interact with one another. I don't mean in some general, surfacy communication, but sharing life together on a daily basis.
This is what has been the underlying impetus behind those who are calling for a change in the practices of Christianity, while maintaining the sound doctrines associated with it.
Many have become heretical in their understanding and communication, as they don't have a revelation of changing the practices of Christianity while maintaining the truths about Christ.
Even so, that doesn't mean we should abandon the pursuit of body life outside the institutional church system, as there is still a driving force that comes from the Holy Spirit that pushes us toward being "one to another," as the Holy Scriptures mention many times.
The key thing is we must first see the value of sharing life together outside of the walls of a building. It's not like some people think, where it is assumed it removes any type of responsibility and accountability for and to one another. Rather it is more demanding in practical outworking, as our Christian faith is challenged to become a reality amongst believers.
Anyone can go to a building and hide or get lost among people they no little about or fellowship with seldom, if ever. But to share the life of Christ together consistently is much harder, but also provides the environment where God can do what He wants with His people - both individually and corporately.
If there is no interaction between believers, how do we watch over one another, how do we build up one another, how do we practically love one another, taking it past very limited and potentially deceptive sentimentality, and bringing it into a love that is giving of Christ to one another.
This is a major problem today with those that have seen a glimpse of what Christ is after, but get bogged down in feelings and emotions, rather than the type of love that can cost everything. That's why there is so much heresy among those that have left the institutional church. They build their lives and doctrine around a sentimental acceptance which has nothing to do with the love of Christ, but everything to do with creating God in their own image. Much of the so-called emergent church is built on that shifting foundation, which will eventually crumble, as it isn't a foundation at all, but a humanistic, liberal, progressive infiltration of what God desires.
That is of course the methodology of the god of this world, who always offers an alternative to what it is God is trying to do in order to stop it or confuse those wanting to enter into something deeper in Christ.
God isn't after new, hip doctrine in order to create a new "Christianity," He is after what He has always been after: a people that embrace and show forth who Jesus Christ is to many in the world that long to see and know Him. It is of course also to show invisible powers who Jesus Christ is as well.
The point is in order to participate in the people of God in the way the Scriptures reveal, there must be a sharing of Christ through consistent, daily interaction. It is there we must seek wisdom from God on the best and most efficient way to work that out.
Showing posts with label Emerging Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emerging Church. Show all posts
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Friday, July 29, 2011
The Jesus People movement of the 1960s and early 1970s has some similarities to the Tea Party movement today.
Both had no leaders attached to them when they got started, as they were both spontaneous movements. And both attracted those with ambition, looking for something to take over for their own ends.
Some have commented on the Jesus People movement concerning it being the first move of God initiated without human agency. I think that's accurate.
Not too long after the numbers grew, along with the influence, many men started to woo them, which ultimately resulted in the impact of the movement ending, and the drab old practice of having a pastor preaching to them every Sunday ending it all.
Of course that's not the entire story, as when the movement expanded, reaching out to more and more people, all sorts of representations and variations emerged, causing a lot of confusion, and in some cases - approved of immorality.
But for the core principles of loving Jesus Christ and sharing that love spontaneously with others, and freedom, that didn't change for those God moved on in the beginning. Quickly, who they were was overshadowed and undermined by religious leaders and media, who reported the excesses without mentioning those who had in fact remained true to their revelation of Jesus Christ, and continue to live it out to this day.
In other words, the reports were in relationship to the pretenders that were initially affected by the powerful move of God, and which the casual onlooker couldn't differentiate one from the other. Even those with some knowledge really never understood what was going on.
The Tea Party movement, as mentioned, also started spontaneously. Much quicker than the Jesus People movement, unprincipled men and women are already attempting to hijack it in order to create a base to work from, undermining the basic principles which caused the people to rise up in the first place, attempting to create the movement into their political image.
Some are still hanging on in light of the roaring battle over the budget, putting them in the crucible of conflict to see if who they say they are and what they stand for is real.
Just like the Jesus People, already there is much confusion as to what the Tea Party even stands for any more, as the equivalent of religious denominations is transforming it into their own system to attract the unknowing.
In other words, confusion is reining, and in that atmosphere the heart of the Tea Party is being fought for. There are enemies within and enemies without, and that is always going to be the way of life when something that has hope, but little foundation, spontaneously comes forth.
The point is when Jesus Christ moves among His people spontaneously (not referring to the Tea Party), people with ambition need to get out of the way and let Christ take charge as Lord of His people, and not attempt to take it over just because some people have come together in response to a revelation of Jesus Christ.
There is a lot of that in Christian history, and hopefully as we grow in Christ, the body will rise up and reject these hirelings and look to Jesus Christ to head the Church, just as it should be.
As to the Tea Party, hopefully the germination of what will eventually become permanent change will be the rule, and we'll see the country, and possibly many other nations, changed into freedom-loving people who aren't afraid to take some short-term pain for long-term gain.
If not, we'll just continue off from where we left off, and the alternative will be a disaster.
Either way, things won't be able to continue on as it has been, and either willingly or unwillingly, the necessity of shrinking the size of the government and its outrageous entitlement programs will happen. It's only the degree of pain we'll all have to go through. If we're able to do it through the Tea Party, all the better, as the pain would be shorter and somewhat manageable. A forced default from not being able to sustain the ballooning debt would make it far more painful, as most would be clueless and unbelieving right up until the day it happened.
Unfortunately, it'll almost assuredly be the latter, unless Jesus Christ Himself intervenes.
I think the best we can hope for is an embryo of people who have strong principles holding to them, and training, encouraging and helping to build out a long-term Tea Party army, committed to small government and freedom.
As for the Church of Jesus Christ, throughout history we've also experienced movements outside of the mainstream and status quo, which have dramatically affected the times they lived in. The hope there is also for an embryo to be birthed which will this time hold onto their foundations till the return of Jesus, and change the course of history forever.
I'm not talking about the so-called emergent church, which has already gone the way of some of those on the fringes of the Jesus people movement. Many excuse homosexuality, worship the earth through radical environmentalism, and are basically just another subset up political liberals under the guise of Christianity. They're socialists, without foundation, and don't consider the Bible as being authoritative or inerrant, except when they rip some verses out to justify their beliefs.
The emergent church is already dead, and it won't last the generation, other than the occasional exception, like the Jesus people in Chicago, one of the very few remnants of the Jesus people movement. They've pretty much been systematized and denominationalized; now only a weak shadow of their former selves. We need to do better than that.
Both had no leaders attached to them when they got started, as they were both spontaneous movements. And both attracted those with ambition, looking for something to take over for their own ends.
Some have commented on the Jesus People movement concerning it being the first move of God initiated without human agency. I think that's accurate.
Not too long after the numbers grew, along with the influence, many men started to woo them, which ultimately resulted in the impact of the movement ending, and the drab old practice of having a pastor preaching to them every Sunday ending it all.
Of course that's not the entire story, as when the movement expanded, reaching out to more and more people, all sorts of representations and variations emerged, causing a lot of confusion, and in some cases - approved of immorality.
But for the core principles of loving Jesus Christ and sharing that love spontaneously with others, and freedom, that didn't change for those God moved on in the beginning. Quickly, who they were was overshadowed and undermined by religious leaders and media, who reported the excesses without mentioning those who had in fact remained true to their revelation of Jesus Christ, and continue to live it out to this day.
In other words, the reports were in relationship to the pretenders that were initially affected by the powerful move of God, and which the casual onlooker couldn't differentiate one from the other. Even those with some knowledge really never understood what was going on.
The Tea Party movement, as mentioned, also started spontaneously. Much quicker than the Jesus People movement, unprincipled men and women are already attempting to hijack it in order to create a base to work from, undermining the basic principles which caused the people to rise up in the first place, attempting to create the movement into their political image.
Some are still hanging on in light of the roaring battle over the budget, putting them in the crucible of conflict to see if who they say they are and what they stand for is real.
Just like the Jesus People, already there is much confusion as to what the Tea Party even stands for any more, as the equivalent of religious denominations is transforming it into their own system to attract the unknowing.
In other words, confusion is reining, and in that atmosphere the heart of the Tea Party is being fought for. There are enemies within and enemies without, and that is always going to be the way of life when something that has hope, but little foundation, spontaneously comes forth.
The point is when Jesus Christ moves among His people spontaneously (not referring to the Tea Party), people with ambition need to get out of the way and let Christ take charge as Lord of His people, and not attempt to take it over just because some people have come together in response to a revelation of Jesus Christ.
There is a lot of that in Christian history, and hopefully as we grow in Christ, the body will rise up and reject these hirelings and look to Jesus Christ to head the Church, just as it should be.
As to the Tea Party, hopefully the germination of what will eventually become permanent change will be the rule, and we'll see the country, and possibly many other nations, changed into freedom-loving people who aren't afraid to take some short-term pain for long-term gain.
If not, we'll just continue off from where we left off, and the alternative will be a disaster.
Either way, things won't be able to continue on as it has been, and either willingly or unwillingly, the necessity of shrinking the size of the government and its outrageous entitlement programs will happen. It's only the degree of pain we'll all have to go through. If we're able to do it through the Tea Party, all the better, as the pain would be shorter and somewhat manageable. A forced default from not being able to sustain the ballooning debt would make it far more painful, as most would be clueless and unbelieving right up until the day it happened.
Unfortunately, it'll almost assuredly be the latter, unless Jesus Christ Himself intervenes.
I think the best we can hope for is an embryo of people who have strong principles holding to them, and training, encouraging and helping to build out a long-term Tea Party army, committed to small government and freedom.
As for the Church of Jesus Christ, throughout history we've also experienced movements outside of the mainstream and status quo, which have dramatically affected the times they lived in. The hope there is also for an embryo to be birthed which will this time hold onto their foundations till the return of Jesus, and change the course of history forever.
I'm not talking about the so-called emergent church, which has already gone the way of some of those on the fringes of the Jesus people movement. Many excuse homosexuality, worship the earth through radical environmentalism, and are basically just another subset up political liberals under the guise of Christianity. They're socialists, without foundation, and don't consider the Bible as being authoritative or inerrant, except when they rip some verses out to justify their beliefs.
The emergent church is already dead, and it won't last the generation, other than the occasional exception, like the Jesus people in Chicago, one of the very few remnants of the Jesus people movement. They've pretty much been systematized and denominationalized; now only a weak shadow of their former selves. We need to do better than that.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
I am officially announcing the death of the so-called "emerging" church.
When you have people so influenced and embedded in the world, it's impossible for them to do anything that Jesus Christ could partake in with them.
That's the case with Tony Jones, alleged "church" leader amongst this nebulous confederation of dunces.
Just so those reading don't misunderstand where I'm coming from, I've been outside the institutional church system since 1976, and I've pursued an organic expression of Christ within His people since that time.
So this isn't a rant based upon a secret agenda trying to bring down those outside the particular forms of organized, institutional Christianity.
Rather, it's a rant on those infiltrating those of us who have worked for decades - and many before our time - and pretending to be part of something new that Christ is doing in His people.
There is no honest lover of Christ who could say He doesn't condemn homosexuality explicitly. There's no unsurety in the Old or New Testament concerning these actions.
But according to Jones, "... I now believe that GLBTQ ("gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer") can live lives in accord with biblical Christianity (at least as much as any of us can!) and that their monogamy can and should be sanctioned and blessed by church and state."
While I, and many others outside the organized church have never identified themselves with what is called the "emerging" church, those that do now have an obligation to censure and challenge this nut job for his attack upon Christ.
To say that the church should bless homosexuals in any way is a break with Christ and His people, and needs to be responded to in that way. To allow this type of wicked comment to go unchallenged and this guy to be embraced in the name of "tolerance" is unacceptable.
This is nothing other than what are called politically: "progressives," who are attempting to infiltrate our society and turn it into their own image, which is completely secular. One of the targets of their attacks is the unfounded young people who are always seeking for something different at a young age, and so are susceptible to this type of silly, idiotic rhetoric.
Wrapping the name of Christ around such a hideous assertion is to totally misrepresent who Christ is and what He's said.
Jesus Christ is after a bride, not a groom, and the idea that those of us who are the counterpart of Christ as His bride, should now "bless" this abhorrent lifestyle and opposite of what God wants, is an abomination to even present as viable.
If this man isn't disciplined, those who are in that position are sanctioning his assertions and so are sinning with him.
There are a lot of things those of us outside the institutional church want changed. Turning against Christ and saying the sin of homosexuality should be literally "blessed" in the words of Jones, isn't one of them.
It does make you wonder if he's a closet homosexual operating under the guise of neutrality.
This is so opposite of who Christ is, the Scriptures, and the practice of believers since the beginning of the revelation of God to man, that it can't even be taken seriously by true believers in Christ.
What people like this Jones do is ride the newest idol of "tolerance," and use it to offer up their bizarre and ungodly doctrines in the name of that tolerance, in order to push their ideas into the minds of those silly and unlearned people.
Of course, as we've seen over and over again, once the tolerant gain what they think of as the upper hand, all tolerance is thrown out the window, and those that disagree with them are warned that they better not contradict what they say and how they live.
It's an old game, and Jones is playing it all out again. If those in the so-called emerging church want to have a chance to really make a difference for Christ, they need to stop these screwballs from using their platforms to spew their poison.
Even at this time the chances of these types of churches surviving as something for Christ is just about nill. To add this type of garbage to it will only hasten their demise. If this is the way they're choosing to go, may it happen quickly.
When you have people so influenced and embedded in the world, it's impossible for them to do anything that Jesus Christ could partake in with them.
That's the case with Tony Jones, alleged "church" leader amongst this nebulous confederation of dunces.
Just so those reading don't misunderstand where I'm coming from, I've been outside the institutional church system since 1976, and I've pursued an organic expression of Christ within His people since that time.
So this isn't a rant based upon a secret agenda trying to bring down those outside the particular forms of organized, institutional Christianity.
Rather, it's a rant on those infiltrating those of us who have worked for decades - and many before our time - and pretending to be part of something new that Christ is doing in His people.
There is no honest lover of Christ who could say He doesn't condemn homosexuality explicitly. There's no unsurety in the Old or New Testament concerning these actions.
But according to Jones, "... I now believe that GLBTQ ("gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and queer") can live lives in accord with biblical Christianity (at least as much as any of us can!) and that their monogamy can and should be sanctioned and blessed by church and state."
While I, and many others outside the organized church have never identified themselves with what is called the "emerging" church, those that do now have an obligation to censure and challenge this nut job for his attack upon Christ.
To say that the church should bless homosexuals in any way is a break with Christ and His people, and needs to be responded to in that way. To allow this type of wicked comment to go unchallenged and this guy to be embraced in the name of "tolerance" is unacceptable.
This is nothing other than what are called politically: "progressives," who are attempting to infiltrate our society and turn it into their own image, which is completely secular. One of the targets of their attacks is the unfounded young people who are always seeking for something different at a young age, and so are susceptible to this type of silly, idiotic rhetoric.
Wrapping the name of Christ around such a hideous assertion is to totally misrepresent who Christ is and what He's said.
Jesus Christ is after a bride, not a groom, and the idea that those of us who are the counterpart of Christ as His bride, should now "bless" this abhorrent lifestyle and opposite of what God wants, is an abomination to even present as viable.
If this man isn't disciplined, those who are in that position are sanctioning his assertions and so are sinning with him.
There are a lot of things those of us outside the institutional church want changed. Turning against Christ and saying the sin of homosexuality should be literally "blessed" in the words of Jones, isn't one of them.
It does make you wonder if he's a closet homosexual operating under the guise of neutrality.
This is so opposite of who Christ is, the Scriptures, and the practice of believers since the beginning of the revelation of God to man, that it can't even be taken seriously by true believers in Christ.
What people like this Jones do is ride the newest idol of "tolerance," and use it to offer up their bizarre and ungodly doctrines in the name of that tolerance, in order to push their ideas into the minds of those silly and unlearned people.
Of course, as we've seen over and over again, once the tolerant gain what they think of as the upper hand, all tolerance is thrown out the window, and those that disagree with them are warned that they better not contradict what they say and how they live.
It's an old game, and Jones is playing it all out again. If those in the so-called emerging church want to have a chance to really make a difference for Christ, they need to stop these screwballs from using their platforms to spew their poison.
Even at this time the chances of these types of churches surviving as something for Christ is just about nill. To add this type of garbage to it will only hasten their demise. If this is the way they're choosing to go, may it happen quickly.
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