Starvation in the Church.

One of the current fads within the church is innovation, marketing, simplification.  Now, the Gospel is simple. But applying, it, like many simple things, is incredibly difficult. The teaching elder needs to spend a fair amount of time in exegesis… struggling with his Greek, his Hebrew, and at times his Latin to consider what the text means,

For that does not change. But if he does not preach that, and then apply it to the lives of the congregation, he is not doing his job.

John 5:30-47

30“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.

31“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. 33You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. 34Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent.

39“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Now, one of the things that the congregation will do is stray. To that which is comfortable. No one wants to get out of bed and doe the uncomfortable things… but every parent has done this, repeatedly, to a babe. For we in love do what is needed.

(Note: there is nothing, nothing here which is protestant. The reformers already knew how to preach, because those before them had done so for generations.

But if you just do the simple stuff it is like feeding nothing but cheezo. It will assuage hunger, but without substance, you will still starve.  A good test is reproof — if you are not confronting your own sin and those around you are not doing your job.

This sheep, you see, is starving. He needs to be fed. Fortunately, he can read… but reading theology does not replace solid preaching: we are saved together and we  starve together, and you cannot cure this with a mere reading list.

Mercy trumps regulation

We live in an over regulated world, where best practice limits our ability to do good. Jesus practice was different.

John 5:1-11

1After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

2Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3In these lay many invalids — blind, lame, and paralyzed. 4 5One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath. 10So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, “It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.” 11But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’”

 

Healing someone is more important than the regulation. Mercy is more important than best practice. It is a good principle to ignore the bureau, and simply do our duty.

The boot stamping on our face is progressive

I am noting in the last couple of days a few disturbing trends. The megauploard case is being flogged by the opposition (on the basis of a Virginia grand jury. The people are charged under US law and arrested to face charges there. The site allowed file sharing in the cloud. Like canoncial, apple, microsoft and google do… but their executives don’t have their houses raided. Let’s hit German expats in New Zealand instead).

In other news, Rand Paul, the senator, has been detained by the TSA.

Ron Paul’s presidential campaign released a strongly worded statement Monday afternoon, blistering the TSA for its practices.

“The police state in this country is growing out of control. One of the ultimate embodiments of this is the TSA that gropes and grabs our children, our seniors and our loved ones and neighbors with disabilities. The TSA does all of this while doing nothing to keep us safe,” it said.

The incident was first disclosed by the senator’s spokesperson on Twitter.

“Just got a call from @senrandpaul. He’s currently being detained by TSA in Nashville,” read her tweet just minutes later, at 9:59 A.M.

Like his father, Rand Paul has libertarian leanings and has been a fierce critic of TSA’s pat-downs of passengers at airports, which he views as government overreach. The senator grilled TSA Administrator John Pistole last year after a 6-year-old girl from Paul’s hometown, was patted down by airport security.

Now, I generally get worried when the progressives, who preach personal freedom, or freedom from responsibility, get into power. Because the FBI, TSA, NZ Police and other law enforcement bodies get politicized and impede our freedom to travel, and to think. You now breathe freer in Germany than in the USA
We live in times where the progessives smell like fascists..

Trained violence and Priests

This is an odd time to be male. The traditional rules are disavowed and denied until there is a crisis. Then it is women and children first, and woe betide any man who is rescued. MacDoctor comments...

We do not condemn a civilian from running away from gunfire, but we would certainly condemn a soldier.

Schettino is clearly in the latter category. He is not a lay person thrust into an unexpected situation, he is supposed to be a professional who has been trained to deal with precisely this situation – a sinking ship filled with passengers that he must evacuate. There is no doubt that he has been well trained – he did extremely well initially by swinging the ship round and beaching it in shallow waters. He probably saved many lives doing this. He then promptly abandoned ship leaving 4000 people to mill around in panic. Metaphorically, the doctor took a lunch break.

No one expected Schettino to “go down with the ship”, or some such romantic nonsense. No one expected him to attempt heroic rescue missions for trapped passengers. No one expected him to be a brave person.

We just expected him to do his job.

Now, it would be interesting to see what people would say if (a) Schettino, the captain of a ship with about 4000 on board and where all but 20 were rescued, was a woman and (b) if getting families off together is more orderly than the Birkenhead drill. But the commentators have still a romantic expectation of men… that they will rescue, that they will be heroes… but if a modern man is aggressive they are damned.

But there has always been a need for warriors, for a militia, for trained violence.

Genesis (14:1-7) 8-24

1In the days of King Amraphel of Shinar, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Chedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim, 2these kings made war with King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3All these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead Sea). 4Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6and the Horites in the hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the edge of the wilderness; 7then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who lived in Hazazon-tamar. 8Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim 9with King Chedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Shinar, and King Arioch of Ellasar, four kings against five. 10Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits; and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. 11So the enemy took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way; 12they also took Lot, the son of Abram’s brother, who lived in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.

13Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner; these were allies of Abram. 14When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15He divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and routed them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus. 16Then he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his nephew Lot with his goods, and the women and the people.

17After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. 19He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth; 20and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

And Abram gave him one tenth of everything.21Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the LORD, God Most High, maker of heaven and earth, 23that I would not take a thread or a sandal-thong or anything that is yours, so that you might not say, ‘I have made Abram rich.’ 24I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me — Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them take their share.”

Hebrews 8:1-6

1Now the main point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2a minister in the sanctuary and the true tent that the Lord, and not any mortal, has set up. 3For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; hence it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5They offer worship in a sanctuary that is a sketch and shadow of the heavenly one; for Moses, when he was about to erect the tent, was warned, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6But Jesus has now obtained a more excellent ministry, and to that degree he is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted through better promises.

Some notes.

  1. Male violence, like male anger, needs to be channeled. The aggressive impulse needs to be trained. Men are supposed to defend, and the soldierly arts are not sinful per se.  If we require men to be non aggressive we asking them not to be men.
  2. As an expansion of this, the entire anti violence movement relies of the trained violence of police and the armed forces. The only reason that the feminist judiciary can enforce misandrist rules against men being aggressive is because they have police… and the police now use pepper spray, tasers and pistols to enforce this.
  3. And… the priestly role is a role set by God. Not the courts. Not the judiciary. It has qualities akin to kingliness and peace: but acknowledges the warrior. The Priest has to be a military chaplain.

Now, the soldiers I know don’t listen well to women. Male nature. We need to work with this, not legislate against it.

There is no deeper stage of salvation.

This morning I attended kirk with my father, and the (quite young) preacher was going on about the goals of the year: that we should own our circumstances, choose good influences, and build great things this year. He used a poor example: building a great marraige not a good marriage. Now… this can be something you work on but all the leadership and prayer in the world may not keep a woman with you if she chooses to leave….. and in a similar way we cannot at times be great in what we would like to be because we are limited by where we are or who we are.

So his positive message backfired. A bit like the weather: it is snowing, when it supposed to be high summer, in the passes towards home.   Nothing new here: Paul had to defend his ministry and in the same way we have to defend good teaching.

Galatians 2:1-10

1Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain. 3But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4But because of false believers secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us – 5we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you. 6And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) – those leaders contributed nothing to me. 7On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised 8(for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the Gentiles), 9and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.

Now, Paul was arguing against the those who said that certain (Jewish) rituals (such as circumcision) were needed for salvation. He argued, instead, that Jesus did the work, completely and in full, on the cross. What he is doing here is working through his own live and the way he church had dealt with these issues. Now, we cannot call this tradition because the church was brand new — what we can say is that the teaching of multiple stages of salvation, or salvation depending on various acts, is mistaken.

There is no new revelation. The teaching of those who have gone before us in the faith is still relevant to the point that it reflects and illuminates the truth.  And as Paul stood against the fashion of Judiazing in his time, we should stand against the fashions of this time.

For there is a tendency, at least in the “emerging church” to compromise with the feminist ideas of a matriarchal or castrated language that ignores the fatherhood of God or the manhood of Jesus. There is an acceptance of postmodernism, and the associated loss of logic, analysis, and the power to criticize as one descends into a primordial soup of relativism. And there is now a sense that to state something is wrong is to be intolerent at best and a racist, sexist, homophobic caveman at worst.

But there is no new salvation. There is no deeper stage to salvation. We need to preach toe gospel, even though it is deeply unfashionable.

For that may save some, and fashions change.

What about the woman?

Over the next few days I am visiting my parents with my sons… as I live some distance away time for the sons with their grandparents is precious. Last night we were watching some costume drama and this led to a discussion of my grandparents and their generation. My Dad pointed out that there was no welfare, minimal divorce (people who were thinking of divorce waited until the children had grown) and that we need men to again return to the church and to see caring for and raising a family as the highest goal.

Dad spends a fair amount of time teaching in the poorer parts of Auckland, and sees a clear lack of fathering in the children. We then moved onto the stoic qualities of the women of that era… and how no fault divorce has led to fathers being forced away from their parents.

We had no solution.

When I looked at yesterday’s comment about the woman I realised that many people don’t have the gospels in their head and that I had alluded to the previous verses…. about a Samaritan woman who came to draw water in the heat of the day (when no sane woman would). This woman now causes a town to come to Christ.

John 4:27-42

27Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29″Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” 30They left the city and were on their way to him.

31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” 34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

39Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”

Well, the testimony of any person has power. And that of a shamed woman having the confidence to say that Christ had discerned all her secret shame and still talked to her was enough… to get the town out to listen. No one can say that this was not God working in her live, or her actions after meeting Jesus were illegitimate.

Nor can we say that God only works through men.

But we can say… that Jesus used this women, and this situation. to teach those (male) disciples of his that the harvest they were sent to get… their mission field.. included those despised Samaritans, women, and those who had lost any reputation for good.

Christ was preached to our forefathers when our society was profoundly pagan… unless you are Jewish, when your Forefathers had Christ himself preaching to you. Without Christ, our societes regress all to quickly to paganism and to fascism.

Women and men are different. (Thank God). But God uses us both.

Theological rationalisation

Yesterday we drove down to Cairns, and today this is written in Cairns airport. The Australian today is all about the proposed acknowedgment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders by way of a constitutional anmendment. Now words can mean nothing or everything. But we can be distracted by the highfauliting principles and miss what needs to be done. For instance, jobs have decreased in Australia.

This woman was being confronted, gently, about her sin, Instead she raised the issue of the Samaritains. This is a distraction. Jesus bought her back to the isssues at hand.

But most of the time, in the church, we are chasing chimera such as racism, sexism and ecological stewardship instead of encouraging repentence.

Because preaching repentence is hard and unpopular. But it was Jesus’ practice. And it should be ours.

John 4:16-26
16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” 17The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” 19The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” 26Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

Not positive, this year.

This town is weird. I’m staying in a hotel with the boys (you try using backpackers and motels with two teenagers. Booking from another country. Simply does not work.

In the meantime, the world bank is predicting a downturn, google and wikipedia are protesting the current attempt by the USA to block the internetz and this town has a brothel in the main street next to the shopping centre. Which means I need some mind bleach. Again.

Psalm 36

1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in their hearts;
there is no fear of God
before their eyes.
2 For they flatter themselves in their own eyes
that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;
they have ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 They plot mischief while on their beds;
they are set on a way that is not good;
they do not reject evil.

As this time I am not very confident in our leadership or the elite that are guiding our culture. The only thing I can do to protect myself is ensure that I, personally, amd debt free and not a wage slave, and try to minimize any involvement with authorities.

Cape Tribulation day two

Working on this at an internet cafe concentrates the mind wonderfully. Particularly when twenty minutes costs three dollars. So, as far as News is concerned: kangaroo tastes like a cross between turkey and beef, Will. Had some last night.

And the rain everyone is talking about arrived today. The wet season hath just arrived, and the boys are counting the days until we are out of the tropics.

On the issue of unpopular teaching, I was dismayed to read that Pat Robertson is allowing divorce for those who have a sick spouse. Look, it’s horrible when the person you love disappears into a series of strokes or Alzheimers. Seen both, with three of my grandparents (the other died far too young). But divorce damages you. I am divorced, and at times worry that the ex reads this, but the process is prolonged, painful, and hurts your children, family, and you. Divorce should be limited… And I may be an old male, but we have lost this teaching.

Onto today’s readings: the old law still stands, and principles remain. God expects those who call themselves by his name to act like him.

 Psalm 15

1   O LORD, who may abide in your tent?
          Who may dwell on your holy hill?

2   Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
          and speak the truth from their heart;
3   who do not slander with their tongue,
          and do no evil to their friends,
          nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4   in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
          but who honor those who fear the LORD;
     who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5   who do not lend money at interest,
          and do not take a bribe against the innocent.
     Those who do these things shall never be moved.

As an aside, despising and hating wickedness is not unrighteousness.Telling the truth is not being cruel. When we look at the word, we should not instantly need to justify our lives.  I am not saying this because I am perfect and have it all together. I don’t. Instead I am saying that the way that we show that we are of God is that we become more like him by and through the power of his spirit.

It is not our virtue. It is God’s work in us. And there is no contradiction here with this.

Hebrews 6:1-12

1Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God, 2instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And we will do this, if God permits. 4For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come,6and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt. 7Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over. 9Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. 10For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. 11And we want each one of you to show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, 12so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

 

 Now, how can I say that? Well, it depends on another one of those unpopular teachings: Not all will be saved.  In fact, many in the church are not saved. The way we show we are saved is by our abillity to obey the law.

Not easily, fully, or well. But that we take it seriously and try to live by what we believe.  Now, if we abandon the faith — the reformed position is that we deluded ourselves that we had it in the first place. For it is not something we earn, but something given to one or another, chosen from before creation for salvation.

But let us not pretend this is easy, Or popular. Or will be universal.

 

Cape Tribulation day one.

I am in a part of the world with limited internet accessibility, no cellphone coverages, and a ferry between me and the mainland. And I will be here for the next few days. I am told that the cassowaries are doing well… and to stay 3 metres from any river bank in case the crocodiles decide to make me lunch. And you cannot swim on the beaches because of poisonous jellyfish.

Psalm 123

1   To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2   As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
until he has mercy upon us.

3   Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4   Our soul has had more than its fill
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.

This is one of the psalms of ascent: traditionally sung when you were going to Jerusalem. And one of the things in this is accepting the scorn and contempt of those who are proud and are at ease.   Believers have never been popular. Believers will never be popular. We will not be happy here.

Jesus himself did not get a free ride. He was not proud nor at ease. Instead, he obediently suffered.

Hebrews 5:7-14

7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

11About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; 13for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

Children try to be popular. Grown men and women don’t care. Instead they care about their duty, what they need to do, not what people want them to do. One of the implications here is that we get good at discernment by practice. That righteous living is a skill.

But it is clear that the time for childish things has past. We are no longer at ease. It is not easy.

But, at least so far, I have found that generally anything worthwhile is not easy. It requires effort, practice… from physical training to practicing music to work to raising children to righteous living.  And again, in all these things, there is a correct way to proceed: and that is not open to debate.

The beauty of this place glorifies God. The question I have to consider is if my life does.