Thursday, May 10, 2012

President Millstone


Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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Matthew 18:6

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    Since BBPBHO announced he's up/down with gay marriages, the thanatos libidoed polarization of America has accelerated.

    Yeah, what a hope and change bridge-builder kinda guy.

    Not.

    The responses have been fast and frantic.

    Cynical: "It's a calculated political decision to divert attention from how he continues to mismanage America's economy and foreign policy."

    Left: "+++++++"

    Right: "-------"

    Prophetic: 2 Chronicles 7:14.

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    Before my abbreviated/nauseated take on what's going, uh, up/down in BBPBHO's, uh, noodle, two quickies.

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    I'm gonna catch it from the left and right but not Libertarians for saying this; but I don't think God loses much sleep over two chicks makin' out or two guys, uh, geez, uh, whoa, wow...

    I've never been into the gay thing myself - though I've been hit on by a few my-gender-clergy while attending denominational meetings and finishing up graduate work long ago - but I thought about trying to heal lesbians when I was in college.

    That didn't work; and while I've been caring for gays in a Christian kinda way for nearly four decades - invitationally, compassionately, and unconditionally with a welcoming spirit devoid of judgmentalism, homophobia, or anything other than just trying/praying to love like Jesus, I've never felt big enough to say something like this about the issue, "I know that's what God says in the Bible; but I think..."

    I've been as arrogant, condescending, and egotistical as anyone can be; but I've never said I know more than Biblical revelation or that something I/you/we/they think somehow has some kinda parallel authority to what He's revealed.

    So while I've never made it a litmus test or obsessive-compulsive part of my daily/monthly/yearly/decadely routine as an undershepherd, I've always cringed when somebody says it's fine with God when there's nothing in anything that He's revealed to us to confirm such claims.

    I've never been, uh, hard on gays.

    I just think there's more important stuff out there to tackle like mainline denominations that keep making up stuff only coincidental to Biblical Christianity and people in pews/pulpits who hate each other for Christ's sake and...

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    I'm with Paul: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

    I'm with Jesus: 'If you want to be forgiven, you better be forgiving."

    More from Jesus: "If you want some grace, you better give some."

    Or something like that/Him.

    Ted (RIP) put it this way when some jackass on his session/board wanted to crucify a gay or something in his church: "What's that I see in your eye?"

    Jesus stopped 'em dead in their deadly intentions by challenging, "Let the person without sin be the first to cast a stone."

    Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jesus wanted us to be holy to/for Him.

    Buuuuuuut - Hello!  Hello!  Hello! - the biggest reason why He came was to save us from how we're never gonna stop insulting His holiness.

    Which brings me back to President Millstone.

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    I've always liked him; and wish he'd invite me over for a Corona or something.

    I hear he throws really lavish let's-say-we-identify-with-the-poor-more-than-the-other-guys-while-living-like-the-rich-and-famous parties.

    I know he hasn't a clue on how to run a country.  You can't lead America like a rap group on the South Side of Chicago.

    But, geez, gotta admit it, I've always liked him.

    Until now.

    We're done.

    I have no problems with extending agape to anyone because I gotta be that way if I'm gonna talk/walk like I love Jesus.

    My problem is BBPBHO is now advocating something in total defiance of what God has revealed about it.

    He is openly, arrogantly, condescendingly, politically, and in every pejorative way imaginable insulting the holiness of God.

    There's a big difference between advocating what ticks off God and extending agape.

    He doesn't get the difference.

    I hope he doesn't get the difference; 'cause if he does, then it's a lot worse than...

    Help us, Jesus!

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    When someone gets really, really, really mad at a pastor, they address her/him with a profound message: "Mr. ____...Miss _____....Mrs._____"

    You know what I mean.

    They drop the title that ain't deserved anyhow.

    Well, BBPBHO ain't my P anymore.

    It/he just doesn't work for me anymore; and I, sure as heaven, ain't...

    When he starts/returns/tries to respect God, then...

    I can't support him if he openly, arrogantly, condescendingly, politically, and in every pejorative way imaginable insults the holiness of God as revealed in Holy Scripture.

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    I'm gonna catch everything but heaven for trying/praying to be honest to God about this.

    So be it.

    "I'd rather be a doorkeeper..."

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Blessings and Love!

5 comments:

Dr. Mary Holder Naegeli said...

Though our writing styles are like night and day from each other, it delights me to read your post, and yes, get the one-two punch that comes with it. You make my point exactly, who are we to second-guess God? Perhaps our best energy should be directed at aligning our wills with God's and just see what happens. Thank you for writing; and keep on truckin'! [I know I just dated myself :-)]

Jim said...

What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus Came to Save Sinners, Not to Excuse Sin

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance,
that Christ came into the world to save sinners…
1 Timothy 1:15

On May 8 voters in North Carolina approved, by about a 3-2 margin, an amendment to the state’s constitution limiting marriage between one man and one woman as the only domestic union legally recognized: “Constitutional amendment to provide that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.” There was no little acrimony in the public debate leading up to the referendum, and no lack of anger, disappointment, outrage, cries of hatemongering and intolerance, and predictions of untold suffering with its passage. I must confess that I was not a fan of Amendment One, neither was I an opponent of it. The thing is, marriage is fundamentally a sacred union, established by God as a creation ordinance, and not a civil union. And God’s creation ordinance of marriage is limited to the covenant between one man and one woman, regardless of what state constitutions, or public opinion, have to say about it.

Without getting into the business of what a state chooses to recognize as legal, the bottom line for me is what God has to say about what is acceptable and what is sin. So-called common-law marriage is just a way of trying to legitimize fornication by means of extended cohabitation, be it casual or committed. So-called same-sex marriages are not, nor have they ever been, holy in any biblically sacred sense, whether or not a state recognizes them as legal, or even the overwhelming majority of the public approves of them or says that they are somehow Christian.

Some folks around here, in the aftermath of the Amendment One vote, have said they are now “ashamed” to call North Carolina home. Others have said they don’t want to live here anymore. I read one Facebook post that said the sponsors of Amendment One are not Christians. Whether or not they are is more than I can say. But I do know that proponents of so-called gay marriage, which is in clear and incontrovertible opposition to God’s Word, cannot be Christian in any meaningful sense.

I will also say this, if the intent of Amendment One is to hurt rather than help people, it is an unfortunate piece of legislation, and un-Christian. I say, unfortunate and un-Christian, because I fear many may believe that by punishing someone the kingdom of God is advanced.

Take a look at the Gospels. Did Jesus come for the purpose of punishing sinners, or did he come to overcome sin, and so win the Father’s pardon for guilty sinners? As Paul wrote to his young protégé, Timothy, there’s no disputing that Christ came to save sinners. But salvation in no way involves the excusing, much less the approval of, any sin.

Amendment One having been passed in North Carolina, I believe it is the call of the Church in this state to love those who may be hurt or harmed by it. The tough work of finding ways to be caring and compassionate towards sinners, while still calling sin “sin” and treating it as such, is to take up the cross and follow Christ daily. It is neither easy nor popular, but it is the way of Jesus.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org

Kim said...

I love this. I have always liked him too; now I have way too many reservations...but mostly I love in this is your "don't judge others" message. So hard for most of us to live. Thanks

John said...

"but I thought about trying to heal lesbians when I was in college"
Laughing my ass off on that one - you are so.........human!
Reminds me of a favorite statement I throw out now and then to counter someone spewing hate specifically toward sexual orientation. I say "well I am a lesbian stuck in a mans body".
Been chilling at home after finishing up a project in the Yukon late February - packed on ten pounds. Just renewed registration on the bikes and plan to fire em up in the next day or two.
Hope to see you around.

Dr. Robert R. Kopp said...

Thanks, Mary, for getting it/me and, more importantly Him!

As pour genre, I think of an old CSN&Y song that includes a lyric related to reality: "I left years ago...It quite nearly killed me."

BTW, I am a fan of your faithful epistles.

Keep keepin' on, sister!