Ingratiating Ourselves With Grace?!

Biblically, for the Christian,
What an eternal life and death difference there is between

Living in Christ’s Grace, Within the Culture
Versus…
Living to Ingratiate oneself, in the name of grace, to the Culture

The Former couldn’t be more life-giving and orthodox
The latter couldn’t be more self-serving and deceptively hellish

Commitments Based On Visceral Intentions vs. Principle and Importance

It Used To Be
That If You Were Sponsoring A Major Event
You Would Advertise and Market 3-6 Months In Advance
And People Would See That Event
Mark The Date and Time
And Commit...

Today, We Still Advertise or Market For 3-6 Months in Advance,
For A Major Event
Some Might Note The Date and Time
And With Sincere (Even Determined) Intentions, Commit...

Until...

Something Better and More Visceral Comes Along...

So That Days Even Hours Before...

They Switch Their Commitment To That Instead...

Commitments Today Are Often Made
Based Not On The Utility and Principle of The Event Itself,
But Rather On The Allure Of Which Activity

Makes Them Feel Most ALIVE...

Which Tells Us...

Maybe We Are All A Bit More Dead
Than What We Might Realize...

Eph 2:1

Unbroken: A Reminder of Human Depravity

The family and I just returned from seeing Angelina Jolie's film: "Unbroken," which is based on a book of the same name, written by Lauren Hillenbrand. This is a film that touches on most of the essential portions of, the epic and amazing life of Olympic Track Star and former Japanese Prisoner of War, Louie Zamperini.

While the film was very good and inspirational, don't settle for just the film if you REALLY want to be amazed by - not only by a man with an indomitable spirit, but also, how an encounter with the living Christ brings about a miracle of deep and comprehensive healing; as well as, an amazing and unsurpassable example of forgiveness (Something the film gives only cursory mention of over all).

As I reflected more on the film and Hillenbrand's book, it reminded me of the immeasurable and unbelievable depths of human depravity, and evil that we humans are capable of exacting upon one another...

Thus, in a related sense, it also reminded me that of the many highlighted-big stories, that emerged out of the History of 20th Century (e.g. Advances in Science/Technology, Capitalism/Globalism), that THE truly big story was really the role that Totalitarian and Socialist forms of government, played in the hundreds and hundreds of millions of lives that not only suffered horribly, but also were lost through Genocide, Democide and War... It is the kind of Evil for which, a lack of education, relational marginalization and limited opportunity, are at a complete loss to explain...

Anytime an individual, and/or a relatively few individuals in government, ask for the kind of power (justified as: "for the good of all"), to fulfill promises that enable them provide, everything that is needed for everyone, then we should receive that request for those promises with great fear and trembling... Why?

Because those same individuals are either being deceitful and nefarious in terms of their true intentions; or utterly naive in their understanding of the dynamic between human depravity and power in human history (this is equally true for those who hopefully and blithely follow them)... In either case, depravity is always a controlling factor... The empirical evidence in the 20th Century for this truth is beyond dispute...

It is also true that many will confidently point to our great achievements as a species (made possible through God's "Common Grace") as proof for unswerving hope and optimism for the future... But these same individual's often ignore, how every single significant and monumental advancement made by us, have also been used unfailingly to prosecute new, creative, efficient and wider forms of human pain and death... The greater the good, a thing has within it, the more it equally possesses the capacity for greater evil as well.

Unfortunately and tragically, this sobering reality has not been a primary message in Secondary and Higher Education... But rather a continued, and pollyannic belief in the inexorable evolution of Humanity; and the "Humanist Spirit." Reason and Logic have always been the bedrock of Humanism, but the success of any exercise in Reason and Logic are predicated on the "Starting Points"... If the starting point is wrong, then the conclusions derived from Reason and Logic, will always be wrong too.

Thus today, in contemporary culture, the "soup de jour" is The Comprehensive, Federal Pursuit, and Dispensation of (humanely defined) "justice." Predicated merely on redacted or revisionist history, which may well end up being one of the most troubling, even terrifying projects in human history...

Notably, one could add up all of the evil perpetuated in the name of Christ in history... and there is plenty it; and then compare it to all of the evil prosecuted through (Benevolent?) Totalitarian Rulers and Socialist Forms of Government in the 20th Century alone, and there really is no comparison... the evil done in the name of Christ is barely a blip in comparison to the evil done by the aforementioned forms of governments... In like manner, and even more poignantly, you could add up all of the Good that has been done in the name of Christ, and then compare it to the all of the good done through Despots and Socialist Forms of Government in the 20th Century, and it becomes utterly and untenably embarrassing for them...

The problem of humanity will never ultimately be solved by bigger, "better" and more powerful (controlling) government, who's primary goal is to control the mind and thus behavior... but rather through a radical change of the human heart, in Christ...

By the way... See the movie, but even better, read the book!

Film: Unbroken - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1809398/

The Infallibility of Non-Believers

In today’s Culture,
There are remarkably,a sizable number of Christian Believers,
As a means for exercising “grace,”
That have (in de facto fashion) awarded Non-believers
The revered status of Infallibility;
When invited to critique the Church, Christians and even Christ...

Human Actions and Explanations for Them

Don’t let us forget
that the causes of human actions
are usually immeasurably 
more complex and varied
than our subsequent explanations of them.

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot

Sincerity and Consequences

Our most sincere endeavors
Can often lead
To the worst, 
Of possible consequences.

For many in our culture today, the primary requirements for evolving, in our human condition are:

1. De-emphasize, marginalize and suppress any unique ideological claim or distinction about ourselves, that might offend, or risk conflict with others...

2. For those who refuse to surrender in any manner, their unique ideological claims and distinctions, still be fully, and non-judgmentally accepted by everyone else...

Unless of course you are a Christian, that faithfully practices a relatively orthodox expression of your  faith.

Using God To Restore Our Human Image vs. God Using Himself, To Restore Our Image

It Is Not The Purpose Of God
To Enable…
Or To Even Give Tacit Approval
For Mankind To Pursue, And Use God,
To Achieve Some Idealized and Utopian 
Image Of Himself…

But Rather It Was Through
The Sacrificial, And Hell-Bent-Work
Of Jesus Christ,
To Utterly… And Ideally…
Restore Mankind,
Into The Perfect and Idealized Image of Himself

The Danger of Earthy Grace

Biblically, for the Christian,
What an eternal life and death difference there is between

Living in Christ’s Grace, Within the Culture
Versus…

Living to Ingratiate oneself, in the name of grace, to the Culture

The Former couldn’t be more life-giving and orthodox
The latter couldn’t be more self-serving and deceptively hellish

It is a Counter-Intuitive Truth That:

Individualistic Moralistic Relativism 
Can Be The Most Inflexible, 
Uncompromising, and 
Straightest Line In The Universe.

The Problem With: "There Are Extenuating Circumstances..."

In view of how we often use the phrase: 

"There are extenuating circumstances..."

As a panacea, for assessing the destructive behavior of individuals within society...

Behavior destructive to themselves and to others... 

Just exactly where, is the rock-hard bottom, to that particular, all-encompassing, sociological metric?

Answer:  There usually is no bottom, and therefore, no real and lasting solutions...

Individualistic Moralistic Relativism Can Be The Most Inflexible, Uncompromising  and Straightest Line In The Universe.

"Authentic Love" In Opposition To Other Godly Attributes

It can never be a true or authentic Love
IF it undermines or compromises any other godly Virtue...

It certainly is not Christ-likeness

What Could Possibly Be More Diabolical*
Than to Turn The Attributes of God
On And Against Themselves?

* Cunningly Evil, In A Devilish Manner

The Role of the Pastor and the Church

A Reflection Upon Things That I Am Thankful For, On The Day Of Thanksgiving

Thankfulness...

I am thankful for:

1. My relationship with Jesus Christ... He is my Savior; He is my Lord...

2. My marriage to my life-long friend and companion Ruth

3. The blessing of my two sons Jeremiah and Jordan. They are men of faith and character; and they give us great joy!

4. My daughter-in-law, Becca Grassel. She is the daughter I/we never had, but we could not have asked for a better one than she is to us! She too, brings us great joy!

5. My loving church family. Truth be told, they are all more my friends, than I am their pastor... I am privileged and blessed beyond measure to have been a part of their lives for these almost 9 years! While I could do better, I love serving in so many ways related to my presence here! What a joy!

6. The many deep, honest, life-giving and authentic friendships that I have been blessed with - too many to recount, but you know who you are! Thank you for your unconditional love and investment in my life. Whatever character, faith and impact I have in life, it would be so severely impoverished without you!

7. The ability to be educated, to read, learn, think and write - to engage other minds enabling growth of intellect and wisdom.

8. My house and all of its practical and nostalgic effects... We have been sooo blessed materially, and we get to be a blessing through them as well!

9. My health and all of the things that I can do because if it: Learning, serving, relationships, walking/hiking/hunting/biking etc.

10. My pup, Sophie, she has brought so much joy and personality to our lives these past two years! What a great companion at home, when I walk and hike, when I drive to different places and at work as well!

Finally, for my life in general, for the privilege of life, my life as a husband, father, friend, son, brother, pastor, professor and citizen in the USA; and for the "Call" that God has placed on my life to engage and represent Him through, and live faithfully with, over the course of my life.

Pick Your Fights Carefully...

A Different Way of Looking at

"Unintended Consequences"

Faithfully, Yours Lord... Even In Brokenness...

God's Sovereignty + Our Submissiveness = A Redemptive Life

Creation vs. A Non-Mover Evolution

Brilliance In A Simple Form

"Justice" Outside of God's Standard of JUSTICE

When we pursue "justice" on behalf of others...
But outside of God's absolute standard 
For what "Justice" really is...
Then we may have unwittingly provided for others...
Subjective-Rational permission for our own annihilation...

The State of Mind In Hell

We must picture hell as a state 

Where everyone is perpetually concerned about 

His own dignity and advancement, 

Where everyone has a grievance, 

And where everyone lives with 

The deadly serious passions of envy, self-importance, and resentment.

C.S. Lewis 

[Are we really sure that he was talking about Hell only?] 

The Great Reversal of Truth In Contemporary Society

Truth is considered hate

to those who hate the truth.

-  Anthony Kladitis

The further a society drifts from the truth, 

The more it will hate those who speak it.

- George Orwell

Perhaps Another Way To Look At Hypocrisy?

Most systematizers
Stand in the same relation to their systems
As the man who builds a great castle
And lives in an adjoining shack;
They do not live in their great systematic structure.

But in spiritual matters
This will always be a crucial objection.
Metaphorically speaking,
A person’s ideas
Must be the building he lives in –
Otherwise there is something terribly wrong.

Soren Kierkegaard

Redemptive Suffering...

God's Greatest Act of Creation

God creates out of nothing.
Wonderful you say.
Yes, to be sure,
But He does what is still more wonderful:
He makes saints out of sinners.

Soren Keirkegaard

Solutions vs. Problems

It's not that they cannot see the solution.

It's that they cannot see the problem.

G.k.Chesterton


An impossible thing to solve, unless the starting points are the same... 

Winning the Inward Battle Ensures Faithfulness For Outward Living

Tyrant vs. Martyr

The tyrant dies
and his rule is over,
the martyr dies 
and his rule begins.

Søren Kierkegaard

Bias vs. Racism

It is true that we all live out our lives with bias...
It is equally true that many live out their lives as racists...
But to have bias,
Does not necessarily mean one is a racist...
But to be racist, 
Always implies bias...

Ironically, their can even be a bias,
Against those who are merely perceived as being biased...

It is the degree of bias that determines a racist...

Degree matters...
And in matters such as these... (particularly when using the suffix: "ist"),
They matter to a very great degree...

Utter Surrender to Christ

Thinker vs. Professor

Take away paradox from the thinker,

     And you have a professor.

Soren Kierkegaard

Multiple Intelligent Theory

The Christian and the World

God intends us to penetrate the world. 
Christian salt has no business to remain snugly
in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; 
our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, 
as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad. 
And when society does go bad, 
we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror 
and reproach the non-Christian world; 
but should we not rather reproach ourselves? 
One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad. 
It cannot do anything else. 
The real question to ask is: 
Where is the salt?”
― John R.W. Stott

Love, Virtue and Christ-likeness

It can never be a true or authentic Love
IF it undermines or compromises any other Virtue
It certainly is not Christ-like

Three Dynamics of Pan-Unipolarism

Things that I have been thinking... Your thoughts?

Three Dynamics of Pan-Unipolarism:***

Dynamic One:

Focuses on the significant EMPHASIS, AFFIRMATION and MANDATE that is placed on CULTURAL EQUALIZATION AND DIVERSITY, particularly as it relates to religious worldviews and philosophical ideologies - most notably as found prominently within institutions like Higher Education, The Media and Politics...

However, the fact that WE SHOULD ALL BE WILLING to think and act in this manner (I.e. Expected/Must/Mandated) is a primary nonnegotiable of what is Pan Unipolarism...

Dynamic Two:

The pervasive insistence that almost all religious worldviews and ideologies, AT THEIR CORE, ARE REALLY THE SAME EXISTENTIALLY - That STYLE differences between religious faiths, should not be confused or conflated with what is believed to be the truly meaningful and redemptive SUBSTANCE similarities between religious faiths.

Thus, to establish this equivalency will require historical redaction, social engineering through education, strategic coercion and a lot of patience and patronization.

However, it is important to note that at this point, there is not any sort of "centralized command," or collective national conspiracy; but rather a system of sympathetic institutional and ideological tributaries, that are all collectively feeding into a single cultural pond.

This dynamic of comprehensive, macro "sameness" is already very much in play.

Dynamic Three:

The Socio-Political insistence, that the steadfast pursuit of "HUMAN PROGRESS AND ITS ULTIMATE EVOLUTIONARY FULFILLMENT, must be the dominate principle of all human endeavors - confidently correlating it as the highest enlightened pursuit and calling that any culture could possibly practice. Notably, "Human Progress" is defined and it's distinctive particulars are DICTATED BY THE OMNIPRESENCE AND RATIONALIZED POWER OF THE STATE (regional then eventually global).

In effect, this human endeavor is designed (ostensibly) to transcend societal evils like: sexism, racism, tribalism, nationalism, capitalism, socio-economic status, and religious meta-narratives.

Any philosophical and religious expression, or portions thereof, that affirm the above, are summarily amalgamated and syncretized in, as part of the emerging (and eventually what will become the dominate) Pan-Unipolarism narrative; and anything (as well as anyone) that will not affirm all of the above, will eventually, and summarily marginalized, and then edited out...

***Everyone at all times and in all places must think, believe and value the same predetermined things at all times..."

I might add this doesn't necessarily apply to the minutiae in life, but rather broad, but compelling principles...

The Humanist Christian

Regardless of their sincerity,

The most tragic and unwitting

Heretic of them all

Is the humanist*** Christian. 

There is no more subtle, well intended and seemingly innocuous, form of

Self-deification than this...



Addendum

***"Humanist." In general, as a derivative of "humanism" (any system or mode of thought or action in which human interests, values, and dignity PREDOMINATE). Thus, this is a person 1. Who is motivated by strong interest in, or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity; and 2. The primary (humanist) lens through which they interpret and leverage scripture (often standing over scripture vs. standing under it); and 3. How they understand (in syncretized fashion) God's primary relationship with humankind. The humanist Christian is a person who has amalgamated two ideological systems (Humanism and Christianity) into a unified whole... 

At the heart of it, they believe in the steady progress of humanity; that the progressive project of humanity supersedes all other worldview claims; and that reason, logic and compassion are the means by which we further mature as a species; finally that anthropomorphizing Jesus/God in their image, with their values is what God would have them do... This is an emerging demographic I believe...

I have had extensive and numerous conversations with quite a few people who fit this description... People who are highly intelligent and articulate, and as such, a very real concern in terms of their influence on numerous, less aware believers... Historically, it has always been hotly contentious on what the essence or core of Christianity is in relationship to God. But in my life-time, from my perspective and experience, never as much as there is now. I see it in the pews, on social media and throughout our culture... Virulent forms of Social Progressivism have finally matured and are present in every major institution in our culture, powerfully influencing every ideological system... We would be wise to pay attention ...

The Problem With Exclusively Practicing "Biblical (Social) Justice

The Contemporary Christian Praxis

Toward the Passionate, Primary and Exclusive Implementation of "Biblical Justice"

Independently From Christ's Mandate 

To Recognize and Live in "Biblical Righteousness."

Reduces the Gospel to a 

Sanctified Variant of Social Progressivism

As such... 

It usually relegates the whole of Biblical Justice into a sphere of good works for the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized, but often ignores the ominous promise of God's Justice for those alienated from Him... 

It pragmatically blemishes Holiness

It conflates Grace with Tolerance

It privileges Love as The Truth, but not rarely affirms Love for The Truth. 

In like manner, it assumes that Love is universally and easily recognizable, but postulates Truth as relative and forever shrouded in unsearchable mystery. 

Given enough time and opportunity, in the end, it will make them (terrifyingly) fallible dispensers of Justice, rather than humble servants of it.

God and a Culture Committed to "Anti-Offensiveness" at Any Cost

The Reality and Problem of a Culture Devoted to “Anti-Offense” at Any Cost

In the end, if it were possible,

The only foolproof way 

For me, to not ever offend anyone

Would be, if I were to become

Exactly like them -

Their thought patterns, values and actions

Assumed Reality:  A Global Utopia 

The only foolproof way

For me, to not ever offend God

Would be, if I were to become

Exactly like Him -

God’s thought patterns, values and actions 

Practical Reality: A Sword Upon The Earth

To the degree that I authentically become like Christ, 

inescapably means (at some time, in some place and in varying degrees),

being offensive to everyone within the world…  

No matter how much as Christians we might want to believe and try... our call to Holiness (set a part for divine use) cannot be reconciled with Humanity's call to "Sameness." And it leads many to the salient question of which entity is truly worthy of "worship?"

34 "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35 For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--

36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'

37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

 Matthew 10:34-39

Societal Flirtations With Extinction

A society known for the distinction, 

That there should be no distinction, 

Unwittingly flirts with extinction.

To establish distinction properly, is not the same as constituting the gradation of value, but rather the essential and vital articulation of complementary roles and responsibility. 

We Need a More a Than Live, We Need Christ!

The Beatles were not only wrong, but also naively heretical in their lyrical mantra "all we need is love." There are few things that shock and betray more devastatingly, and function in a more utterly dark and sinister fashion than when a truly great thing, is wrongly practiced... 

For example, "love" independently implemented apart from Christ and decontextualized from His other important attributes inevitably leads to the idolization of humanity... 

Clearly, the Bible informs us, that what we REALLY need is Christ, but not merely and singularly a scaled back version of Christ.  - often described exclusively as His "love," as humans understand the word "love." 

If all we need is Christ (and we do!), then it necessarily means needing ALL of Christ - everything that can be known and therefore, intentionally accommodated into our own human nature as well...  Indispensable things like: Christ's  Truth, His Servant-Nature, Grace, Holiness, Justice, Wisdom, Reason and Passion. In escapably, these other attributes, inform and shape the quality of Christ's Love.

When it comes to the whole nature of Christ, His love is but one of many interdependent facets (that He usually leads with), a balanced prism of attributes that make up the whole, pure and vibrant Light of Christ. 

If we seek to imitate those facets of Christ, then His Light , becomes our Light, His attributes become our attributes, and through His nature, ours becomes healed and restored... 

However, to delude ourselves by leading ONLY with our own relative perception of Christ 's Love, no matter how Noble the cause and Just the effort, we the servants, inexorably end up making ourselves little god's, and God becomes our servant.

The Beginning of Anarchy

We unwittingly flirt 

With imperceptible visages of anarchy

When voyeuristic fascination for personal Angst

Becomes more compelling 

Than the passion and pursuit

For the whole of Truth 

Or when the meta-narrative is always suspect

But the micro-narrative is regarded as infallible

When subjectivism is affirmed as Reality

And Objective Truth lauded as Myth

The Dognatist

There are two kinds of people in the world, 
the conscious dogmatists 
and the unconscious dogmatists. 
I have always found myself 
that the unconscious dogmatists 
were by far the most dogmatic.

G.K. Chesterton

Silence In The Face of Evil

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: 
God will not hold us guiltless. 
Not to speak is to speak. 
Not to act is to act."


Dietrich Bonhoeffer

If you falter in times of trouble,

how small is your strength!

Rescue those being led away to death;

Hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"

Does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not He who guards your life know it?

Will He not repay each person according to what He has done?

Proverbs 24:10-12 (NIV)

The Media, Racism and Law Enforcement

When it comes to law enforcement, EVERY death associated with it is tragic...

Almost equally tragic is the manner by which many in the Media shape the perception of those deaths...

Having had an uncle, a brother and a son; as well as numerous friends and acquaintances involved in law enforcement, allow me to offer the following stats (on behalf of those in law enforcement) provided by the DOJ. 

There are on average 12,000,000 arrests made annually in our country.

Last year, of those arrests, there were 420 people/perpetrators who were killed by police officers.

The DOJ, however, does not provide what percentage of those deaths were done by police officers, who were later indicted for murder etc.. Arguably, a relatively (albeit still tragic) small percentage...

Interestingly, if you take those 420 deaths attributed to police officers (for whatever reason - justified or unjustified), divided by 12,000,000 arrests annually, demonstrates that just 0.000035% (of one percent), of all arrests result in some kind of alleged perpetrator fatality.

Moreover, if you were to take just one quarter of the 420 fatalities attributed to law enforcement officers, say 105 of them (the number could be much smaller), who were eventually indicted and found guilty for first, second or third degree murder, the percentage from among all of those arrests would be 0.000000875% (of one percent). Notably, and importantly, the percentage of the minority and racially motivated fatalities (e.g. African American, Hispanic, Muslim, Oriental etc.) by law enforcement officers would be smaller yet...

Now consider how the Media habitually portrays much of the Law Enforcement culture, as well as the image of police officers in our country today... Entire industries have emerged on this phenomena... And other people, innocent ones, who have died unnecessarily, and just as tragic; because of the Media's drive and desire in their oft misrepresentation...

One other irony? Many of the good cops are leaving law enforcement in droves...

Prosecute dirty cops to the full extent of the law... But keep it all in proper perspective...

Check the stats out for yourself, then draw your own conclusions

The Media is the single most powerful institution in our society with the least amount of accountability... And no other institution in this country shapes perception, through the use of image, words and insinuation; and thereby creating emerging and corrupt forms of various realities, goaded by their preferred narrative and ideology, more than they do...