Priesthood of the Believer and the Church Dynamic (a cautionary note to leaders)
Every time you step into Sunday School Class, meet another believer for lunch, attend a committee meeting or have other interaction with believers you are hanging out among the Priesthood. Each of you is saved by grace with Christ dwelling in you (Gal 2:20). Each is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16f). Each is adopted by God and are part of the family of God (Ep 1:5). Each is gifted by God so that you can help to build the Kingdom (1 Cor 12). Each has a personal intercessor in Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God. Every destiny is in Heaven, a place is prepared(1 Pt 1:3f). This Priesthood establishes a basic fundamental dynamic of equality and belonging among Christians. To be sure, gifts vary, commitment varies, but spiritual growth and insights are available to all. Therefore, leaders must be careful to listen intently, to beware of prideful superiority, to avoid condescension, and be prepared to learn from the old and the young, from the cantankerous and the sweet, from the educated and the ill-spoken. All are saints in the Priesthood of Believers. Reborn into unity with one another, not by earthly invitation, but rather by an Act of God. (The whole nine yards is in progress)
Three Pillars and a Pile of Stones
The Bible’s content is determined by our Sovereign God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16-17) All too often His people nefariously determine that the content is inadequate. One such area of discontent is about church governance. Lacking a clear prescriptive instruction on church governance some would read a little of their own thoughts into the scripture in order to assemble a “pile of stones” and tout the result as if it were a Pillar of Scripture. To read more click The Whole Nine Yards.
Reformation and Revival, The Hope and Fear of Islam
Christianity’s reformation, beginning back in 1517, coincided with a Christian revival characterized by a “going back to the Bible” seeking truth and guidance. Revival has always been about going back to the Bible from Nehemiah and Josiah to the awakenings of Edwards, Wesley and Havner. Now in the 21st century a new call for reformation is building, not in Christianity, rather in Islam. Notably this reformation lacks revival. It is a moral call from various leaders for reformation based on rational political and cultural norms. Can this succeed?
This sounds good for world peace and prosperity. However, what will happen when the inevitable comes? A genuine Islamic revival. Maybe in a particular mosque or in the person of a few 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation Muslims. Just as in Christianity such a revival will be marked by a turning back to the source, for Islam “back to the Quran” to seek truth and guidance. However, for Islam this does not mean a turn to peace, hope and charity as it would in Christianity. Unfortunately under Islamic theology revival is a call back to Jihad, Sharia law and destruction of the infidel. (The whole nine yards is in progress)
100% Human, How Can It Be?
Jesus’ humanity was no act. He laid aside all his Godly attributes (Php 2:5) in order to live as a man. He did not routinely read minds, or see the future by His own choice. Even His works and teaching were not from His own power but were from the Father (Jn 14:10 ) He was able to lead a perfect life, to discern what others were thinking and perform miracles because even in His humanity, He always remained in the Father, empowered by the Father. Joseph and Daniel give us a glimpse of what a man can discern and achieve in the Father. How much more so Jesus! He maintained a perfect relationship with the Father through prayer, meditation and obedience. By reaching His full potential while staying within His humanity Jesus showed each of us our own potential. His example is clear. Live, as Christ did, in the grace of God and the power of the Spirit, with a passion for obedience to God’s will. (The whole nine yards is in progress)
LOVE IS VOLITIONAL (Rap c.1993)
- Love is vo li tion al it comes from the Lord
- He gives it to all of us all we will afford
- We can spread it around to all we see
- Friends bothers Hus bands wifes even en(o)mies
- Love is vo li tion al it comes from the Lord
For more click The Whole Nine Yards.
War Babies and the Second Family
. In this era of retiring baby-boomers and a stretching social safety net we are well aware of the large number of new families that sprang up post WWII. It reminds me of another phenomenon, the blended family that came with the blending of war-babies and baby-boomers. The war baby became an emotional mainstay of the war effort. As husbands went off to (or returned to) war the mother and child left behind would likely become the rallying point for others. The extended family doting, play, caring for and embracing the child. The child being the focus of letters, good night kiss to the family as well as probably kissing the father’s picture good night. Simultaneously the father writing his letters with inquiries regarding the child and giving a good night kiss to the picture of wife and child. All good things. All creating a good healthy family bond.
With the wars end the family is reunited. Now the baby is a young toddler and becomes not only the central focus of the family but also part of the motivation for the pursuit of prosperity, new careers and materialism that became prevalent in the post war era. Along with the new job, the new car, the new clothes, renewed availability to tires, hosiery, beauty shop visits and fishing rods came, in all likelihood, some more babies creating a blended family of war-babies and baby-boomers. The baby-boomer, rather than being part of the war effort was part of the new prosperity and 2-5 years younger than their older sibling. While the war-baby was always part of the family, part of the conversation and confident in their position the baby-boomer, if in a “blended family” was more likely to be at least a bit objectified. As part of the new prosperity the baby-boomer may have enjoyed more and better material goods while being part of a “be seen and not heard” environment.
. Long story short the war-baby was likely to be more confident, socially comfortable and skilled in social competencies, while a baby boomer raised in a blended family tends to have limited social skills and therefore less socially comfortable, more likely to be a partial-bloomer or at best late-bloomer, and a bit more materialistic than it’s sibling war-baby. According to Richard Pells in “War Babies, The Generation That Changed America” the war babies confidence is illustrated by the significant contribution of war-babies to cultural and political attitudes in America.
Musings on Religion, Politics and Following Christ 