Freedom

Freedom of Religion, Speech:
Language, Law, Tradition, Culture

I strongly support the idea that any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in the United States, to work and eat in the United States, should consider learning English.  We expect all who dwell in the United States should respect the laws of the United States.  If they prefer other forms of government, other systems of law, and other cultural life styles then, perhaps they should consider living elsewhere.

 

In the same spirit the United States is home to several treaty nations, mostly Native American Indians.  The languages, laws, traditions, and cultures of these several nations are to be equally respected, and deserve the full covenant protection of United States law.

 

Individuals, who have no such treaty protection, or who are not indigenous to the geographic boundaries of the United States have no such covenantal rights under United States law, and must seek access to that law by the usual means: namely, citizenship, lawful appeal, and by voting.

 

By the same token any minority, from anywhere, if it wants to live in any other country, ought to respect the language, law, tradition, and culture of that country.  Specifically, Americans do not have the God given right to force their language, law, tradition, or culture on other countries.  On the other hand, any country that wishes to adopt American language, law, tradition, or culture is certainly free to do so.

 

Contrary to these ideas, Christians belong to a distinct nation, commonly known as The Church.  The boundaries of The Church are not limited by country borders, because God created all of the universe and there is no country that does not belong to Him.  He has given to The Church this mandate, to proclaim to every country, people, and tongue that Jesus Christ is the LORD of God's Kingdom (the entire created universe) and is seated on the throne of David by His Resurrection from the Dead.

 

All, without exception, are welcome to pray and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and other gifts from the LORD Jesus Christ, from God His Father, and become members of Christ's Kingdom.  There are no memberships to join, no proselytism need take place.  The LORD Jesus Christ respects your country, it's laws and culture; in fact He authorized them.  If changes need to take place, they must come freely from within, and not be forced from without: the Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you as you pray.  You do not need to renounce your culture or your people; on the contrary, the LORD Jesus Christ commands that you respect your culture and people: for He has written, "Honor your father and your mother."  Consequently, over time, the Holy Spirit will gently lead you to greater and greater honor and glory for your father and your mother, for your culture and your people, whatever they may be.

 

Christians everywhere make a sincere effort to help all those in need, so you need never feel alone.  Indeed, you will never be alone: for God will always be with you, even if you are the only Christian in your country.  It will be your excellent behavior, your respect for your father, your mother, your culture, and your people that will draw others to want to become Christians too.  You need not say a word; in fact it is better if you do not speak often: for your excellent behavior will speak for you.  If your country tolerates freedom of speech, your friends will ask, and you may answer.  But if your country forbids freedom of speech, and/or proselytism, respect your laws and traditions.  The Holy Spirit will change these laws when your country is ready for your free, unforced change.

 

Yours in Christ,

Augie-Herb

Does Changing Worship Change Theology?

Not that many years ago a fellow named Bill Gothard had arguments about "pop" worship music and "hard rock" in general laid out in technical music terms.  I guess I need to put Why Johnny Can't Sing Hymns on my reading list.  Does it have a sequel, Why Johnny Can't Sing At All? 

About the order of service: It has been changed and is still changing, even in conservative churches.  The altar is now a table and we are free to stand behind it.  It is no longer a representation of the ark of the covenant with the Law inside, covered by the Mercy Seat, which is the throne of Christ and sprinkled by His precious blood, attended by mighty angels.  We no longer fear it, because we no longer fear God. 

The service is no longer always the high and holy service of the Liturgy where we receive the Word and then the body and blood of Christ; it is frequently exchanged with Matins, the 3 AM or sunrise service: we have forgotten that one of the primary purposes of Matins is to prepare the heart for Liturgy.  It is one thing to move Matins to 9 AM on Sunday.  It is quite another to use it as an alternative Liturgy. 

The adoption of the Fisherman's Mass or double service system took place when I was a boy.  Nobody thought that it would do any harm.  It was easier and cheaper way for a church to grow than needing to build a larger building or plant a whole new church.  The outcome is that churches have not grown.  The original idea was to be divided and grow larger, not to have two mostly empty rooms.  The congregation is smaller, even though divided, really two smaller, shrinking churches with one building, one pastor, and an overworked choir. 

The meaning and function of Matins is totally lost.  Praying the Hours?  Nobody even knows what I'm talking about.  The usual response is a shrug of the shoulders, followed by, "We're not Orthodox."  Unfortunately, this is true, "We're not Orthodox."  What has happened in the hearts of many is an attendant loss of the awe and importance of worship.  It doesn't matter when I go to church as long as I can get to my paper and the football game, or get an earlier tee time.  Little-by-little our entertainments become our real god and religion.  Little-by-little we don't care anymore. 

By the way, where did the regular use of the Vespers service go? 

Many used to read the entire book of Psalms through every week.  Now we're content with three Psalms a day.  How can anyone hunger and thirst for God and his righteousness on a starvation diet of three Psalms a day?  Read Psalm 119 through in a single setting?  Are you kidding me?  That's way too long: let's take three days or a week to read it through.  I assure you that Psalm 119 cannot be understood if it is not read through on a regular basis. 

Nothing has changed in the order of service?  I assure you that everything has changed, including the hearts of the faithful.  Over sixty-years later (circa 1950) we are starting to awaken to the question, "Something is wrong, I wonder what it is?"

Conversion Between Baptists and Orthodox; Which is Correct?

Conversion Between Baptists and Orthodox; Which is Correct?

 

“To understand these patterns better, it is important to know that in traditional Orthodox countries there is a large majority of nominal Orthodox.  They come to church services once or twice a year and almost never participate in the Church sacraments.  Most conversions away from the Orthodox Church happen from this class of people.”

“As a Romanian Baptist, I knew that the Orthodox practice a Christian faith “corrupted” by un-biblical human traditions.  I do remember that once a Baptist minister, who was well educated, told me that the Orthodox theology is much more profound and rich than ours.  My own pastor in Bucharest complained that while the Orthodox have a rich theology of the Church, ours was very weak and limited.  Coming in contact with some Orthodox books in 1999, I perceived a paradox: I could not understand why Orthodoxy is so corrupted and at the same time holds such a treasure of profound spirituality.  Trying to resolve this paradox I ended up by converting to Orthodox faith.”

“It is easy to perceive an asymmetry between the two directions of conversion.  In most cases, the Orthodox to Evangelical convert is one who was a nominal Christian and knew very little about the church in which he formally belonged, and through some friend has an encounter with an Evangelical service, where he has an emotional experience.  He discovers friendship and love and a sense of community which were previously lacking in his life.”

“The typical Evangelical to Orthodox convert is a knowledgeable and theologically literate Christian who searches for truth and the right Christian practice.  He discovers the Orthodox faith, but is first stopped by all the accusations which he had heard in his own church.  In Romania, the Evangelicals often define themselves in opposition to the Orthodox.  “Unlike the Orthodox,” they say, “we do not believe in…” After a careful study of the issues, he finds out that the accusations are either false or superficial.  Moreover, he discovers a huge body of tradition, practice and theology, which stands as an answer to his or her many old questions.”

Within the above lies the crux of the problem.

Honest appraisal reveals that there are many nominal or sleeping people among both Protestants (Evangelicals, often specifically Baptists) and Orthodox.  These people should not be deceived into believing that they are Christians.  Christianity is about sincerely trying to follow Jesus, and actually achieving that as the gift of God’s marvelous grace.  Failure to follow Jesus as demonstrated in a lax, nominal lifestyle puts the sincerity of one’s confession in question.  Equally heinous is the fault or replacing Jesus with the idolatry of emotionalism, excitement, and sensationalism.  This idol exists in both Protestants and Orthodox churches as well.

Honest appraisal shows that in both cases, that is in either direction, the individual grew closer to Christ in the conversion.  Baptists showed the nominal, something precious about Jesus.  Orthodoxy showed Baptists, something equally precious about Jesus.

Common sense might indicate that our true brothers and sisters in Christ are those who are sincerely following Jesus by faith in His precious name, whether they are known as Orthodox, Protestants, or Romanists.  See Matthew 12:46-50 and Luke 8:18-21.  Those who are asleep in the pews or are overcome with idolatrous excitement and superstition are not our true brothers and sisters in Christ.

Honest appraisal realizes that many Baptist churches have a rich heritage of the Liturgy of the Word, but almost no Liturgy of Communion.  Many Orthodox churches have a rich heritage of the Liturgy of Communion, but almost no Liturgy of the Word.  Roman churches have their faults as well.  As a result the bulk of the laity are dying of starvation.  Few of the laity realize that they have a responsibility to awaken the sleeping and suppress the idolatrous among them.

This is not to overlook the fact that we are also failing to address the hateful masses seeking to destroy us both, and need to hear that Jesus died and raised again.  That as hateful as they are, Jesus loves them, He died to give them life, and He raised to give them a home.

When we fully realize the impact of these facts, we will see the need to come together sincerely as One in Christ, not by compromise, but by seeking the Truth together.  Throughout this reply, I have assiduously avoided the use of the word Catholic, simply because we will not be truly Catholic until we (all the sincere Orthodox, Protestants, and Romanists) come together as One in Christ.  Then and only then will we be effective in changing our fallen world to the obedience of Christ.  We must stop taking sides and figure out how to come together.

Which is Correct?  Both and Neither.

How to Face Commitment

How to Face Commitment

 

Know that all truth begins with and comes from God.  With that assurance be committed to being a lifelong learner.  Then, honestly embrace the fact that we see things in "a mirror dimly." and since we never see clearly, be ready to fearlessly say, "I was wrong."

In this context "sin boldly."  "Iron sharpens iron."  Butter doesn't sharpen anything.  Only in the spirit of earnest and sincere peer review is it possible to sharpen convictions.  Yes, we have convictions and hold to them tenaciously; but in honesty we realize that our convictions fall short of God's Truth.  We know that Jesus is that Truth, but our service to Him can always be better.  There is always a new Higgs particle to look for.  There is always room for improvement.

On the other hand, the same things are true of those who hold the opposite opinion.  Much of the time we fail to listen honestly, and we miss being sharpened by another because of spiritual deafness.

In this respect, theologians are often incredible liars: in the heat of conviction and debate they stop listening to what the other fellow is saying, focus on winning rather than learning, and produce schism rather than unity, heresy rather than growth, disaster rather than healing.  The phenomenon known as the “We-They Siege Mentality” lurks everywhere.

Nevertheless, we don’t have to put up with an endless barrage of inane senselessness.  Instead, find and be committed to close friends who think outside of the box; then we will challenge their ideas faithfully, being willing to be challenged in return.  Make friends with the “other side” if it’s open to debate.  We cannot undo the wreckage of the Reformation if we’re unwilling to have and love both Lutheran and Roman brothers-sisters.  We have to respect each other, we have to put away the weapons, and we have to talk.  The same thing is true of Orthodox and Western relations.

Also, we need to focus on key issues.  It’s too easy to get caught up in trivia.  The top two or three issues is where we need to be most active.  When our worthy opponent says, “Who cares?  You’re nit-picking.” Maybe that’s a clue that were off focus.  Hitting the nail on the head makes all the difference.

Finally, this all adds up to one big idea.  We should be listening far more than we should be talking.  The person we should be listening to, most of all, is God.

End Time Signs

Sorry, I rejected Dispensationalism shortly after my graduation from Dallas Theological Seminary, 1976.  This sort of idea must be rejected as unbiblical.  It has been wrong so often, it must be regarded as false prophecy.  Anyone can read Matthew 24, Mark 13, or Luke 21 and not draw these sensationalistic conclusions.  This sensational stuff makes great movies, but sorry theology.

What these texts plainly say is not that these are signs of the times, but the instruments by which Christians will be deceived.  What these texts clearly demand is that we never stop watching in prayer, and that we be careful not to abuse each other.

If there is anything in these verses that indicates that the end is near it would be that people who are so-called Christians, Christians in name only, have ceased to watch in prayer.  We had best be careful that we do not add or subtract from this.  This is our prayer.

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’  And let him that hears say, ‘Come.’  And let him that is athirst come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.  For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.  He, Who testifies these things says, ‘Surely I come quickly.’  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen.” — Revelation 22:17-21

The other significant indictor that the end is near is that so-called Christians are abusing each other.  However, such abuse has been prevalent in our society for nearly 1,000 years.  So where is the sign?

Faithless, ignorant, abusive, and prayerless societies have been among us since the dawn of creation, since Adam opened his eyes to behold the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

Acts 1:7 resolves the problem with final authority: ‘He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.” ’  Verse 8 points out that we are to focus on being faithful witnesses of what we know; rather than being idle speculators of that which is not our business.

Eschaton

Mystery religions tend to a cyclical eschaton realized in nothingness.  Westerners tend to a linear eschaton culminating in Christ’s return.  This linear view is often perceived to be orthodox.

I believe in a spherical eschaton, a cloud, as it were.

The eschaton is without time (eternal).  Only creation is in time (temporal). Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven/God is at hand.”[1]

In the Incarnation, and previously in the Decalogue, as well as in Eden, Jesus brings the timeless eschaton into tangency with time bound creation.  This tangency is proved by the Transfiguration, empowered by the Crucifixion, verified by Ascension, conducted by His enthronement, and finally sealed by His Return.

Nevertheless, I am already sealed by the Holy Ghost in baptism.  When I take communion, I expect to receive the whole of the eschaton in my mouth in a mystery.  Augustine teaches that the omnipresence of God does not speak of the distribution of God throughout and even beyond the Universe.  Rather, all of God is present in every place: as when the same sound is heard by different hearers in different locations, yet the exact same sound is heard.  Consequently, I receive all of God in baptism and communion: not part of heaven, all of it.  So for a few seconds in time, I have the beatific vision without seeing it.  My feet are on earth, but my head is in the clouds.

These things can only be true if the eschaton, cloudlike, is all around us, all the time.  Wherever Jesus is, the eschaton is there also.  This does play out in linear time, but we have it already.  This is why the Mass is not a new sacrifice, but our entering into an old ageless, eternal sacrifice.  It is true now, true for Adam, and true for the last person born.  This is why we repeatedly sing the refrain, “As it is now, was in the beginning, and ever shall be.  Amen.  Amen.”

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[1] Matthew 3:2; 6:33; 10:7; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43; Mark 1:15; 4:11, 26, 30; 9:1, 47; 10:14, 15, 23-25; 12:34; 14:25; 15:43; Luke 4:43; 6:20; 7:28;8:1, 10; 9:2, 11, 27, 60, 62; and many other such passages.

Christian Faithfulness

We are absolutely forbidden to define.  This does not mean that we have no standard of authority.  God Himself is the Fountain of Truth; He is the sole source of all Light, Life, and Love; everything we are and have stems from His relationship with us.  Because we are neither strong nor wise, He has given us His Word, the Bible, His Apostles, The Church in heaven, which cannot be shaken, together with its obedience here on earth, and a tradition history of faithfulness down through the ages.

Faithfulness to this Divine Standard includes, but is not limited to: Baptism, are you baptised?  Communion, do you receive communion regularly?  Church attendance, do you attend church regularly?  Do you believe in the following: The Fall and Paradise Lost: both cosmic and personal?  Sin and Death: do I accept their consequences?  Heaven and Hell?  Angels and Demons?  God and Satan (the Devil)?  Good and Evil?  The Day of Judgement?  Death and Bodily Resurrection?  Spiritual Warfare: an unseen war for your soul?  (http://www.ancientfaith.com/specials/armatas_transforming_our_lives/when_does_our_christian_life_begin)

Do you embrace the Bible as God’s Word in written form, as your rule for faith and life?

Yes, we are absolutely forbidden to define.  However, the Bible clearly defines and judges.  This we are compelled to proclaim, and not free to deviate from its meaning.  Truth is not something we master or control.  Truth is a person we follow.  His name is Jesus Christ.  And follow we must.  Faithfulness in this following is outwardly observable and measurable.  Christians have a witness to unbelievers, precisely because this faithfulness is tangible.