KDs are designed/developed/inspired/mused/auto-suggested/indigested to make folks think; an especially uncommon experience among Democrats, Republicans, and jingoistic mainline denominationalists who continue to discourage dissent with their ever-threatening thought police.
"Long may
our land be bright with freedom's holy light; protect us by Thy might, great
God, our King!"
I pray that for
America.
I trust you pray
that for America.
@#$%
America began
with such strength; understanding its strength as a blessing from Him: endowed by our Creator with...
Though it's a
relatively recent articulated addition to our national identity, our
founders understood our strength in/from/for the Founder: one nation under God.
So we sing,
"God bless America! Land that I love! Stand beside her and
guide her through the night with a light from above!"
I pray that for
America.
I trust you pray
that for America.
@#$%
In recent years,
many Americans have added another line to the songs/praises/prayers around this
time of year: "America, bless God!"
Increasing #s of
Americans are increasingly concerned about America's obvious drift from its
Founder.
Increasing #s of
Americans are increasingly concerned about America's leadership not even giving
lip service to Him anymore.
Increasing #s of
Americans are increasingly concerned about a justice system that increasingly
overlooks justice as identified and explained in Holy Scripture.
Increasing #s of
Americans are increasingly concerned about a country that's losing its unity
amid rainbow-colored diversity because it seems to be forgetting or ignoring,
as the Imperials sang, "There will never be any peace until God is seated
at the conference table."
Diagnosis:
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."
Prescription:
"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray
and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven
and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
@#$%
It's easy to get
really, really, really down about where America's not Headed anymore.
That exchange in Genesis
18 comes to mind; or as Billy's wife said long ago, "If God does not bring
judgment upon America soon, He will have to apologize to Sodom and
Gomorrah."
Martin Luther
King, Jr. prophesied about it on 2/4/68 ("The Drum Major Instinct"):
"God has a way of putting nations in their place...He has a way of saying,
'Don't play with Me, Israel! Don't play with Me, Babylon!...And if you
don't stop your reckless course, I'll rise up and break the backbone of your
power.' And that can happen to America. Every now and then, I go
back and read Gibbons' Decline
and Fall of the Roman Empire. And when I come and look at
America, I say to myself, the parallels are frightening."
Now go back to
Solomon's diagnosis.
Now go back to
God's prescription.
@#$%
Paul told
Timothy, "God wants everybody to be saved!"
Praise God!
Now go back to
Solomon's diagnosis.
Now go back to
God's prescription.
Selah.
Now look up, get
up, speak up, and act up for Him before it's too...
I'll never forget
shopping for a cross about 35 years ago in a big mall jewelry store near
Edison, New Jersey.
When I asked the
salesman if he'd let me see the store's stock of crosses, he asked, "Do
you want one with or without the little man on it?"
As time has
passed and I pray and try to be His with increasing passion, that
question keeps coming back to me.
@#$%
I kinda grew up
in days when men didn't wear a lotta jewelry unless, uh, you know, they were
kinda...
It wasn't
considered manly.
While I don't
know who makes up the rules for that kinda stuff, the rules for that kinda
stuff started changing when Bo Jackson showed up in a Royals uniform with a
diamond stud in his ear and Michael Jordan won a bunch of NBA crowns with more
bling than Cher and...
You know what I
mean; and if you don't, you gotta stop hanging out with people who are only
just like you in defiance/rebellion of/against His expectation of unity despite
diversity in, through, and for Him.
Go to a biker
rally sometime and see real
unity amid diversity; and, come to think of it, there's a book about...
@#$%
Conditioning is a
hard thing to overcome.
It's like
denominational pride.
It has nothing to
do with following Jesus and being in communion with people who follow Jesus
representing the rainbow colors of the covenant.
So I've been
resistant to those kinda
changes.
Of course, our
Lord provides apocalyptic moments or Damascus Road experiences to shake us out
of, uh, ourselves and back to...
I think of the
day a few years ago when I walked into the restroom before worship, looked into
the mirror, and blurted, "Dang, you look ridiculous!"
Now I'm not
saying that people who continue to wear silly vestments look ridiculous.
Maybe I am.
Ever read Matthew
6:25-34?
I wonder if we'll
be wearing collars and Genevan gowns when we do the Revelation worship thing.
Don't be so defensive.
Ask Him.
BTW, you holy
ones who snicker at colleagues in vestments but still wear ties and suits every
Sunday which, uh, is tantamount to wearing vestments 'cause you wear the same
thing whenever you do holy stuff gotta ask in a KD kinda way if wearing expensive gravy rags on steroids and
stuff like that helps you identify with the poor or even the Suffering Servant
Himself.
I'm just asking.
I'm just
thinking.
You know.
It's a KD thing.
He called us to do
His thing more than anyone else's.
Why do you wear
what you wear?
Is it for Him or
yourself or because somebody else decided that...?
@#$%
Despite
conditioning, I wear jewelry; and really don't care what anybody thinks about
it because every piece symbolizes something about my relationship with Him/His
and causes people to ask which opens doors to talk about Jesus.
It's like my
missionary mule.
I ride because,
uh, I like to ride; yet it also opens doors to talk about Jesus if I don't come off like a...
I wear a wedding
band for obvious reasons.
I wear a ring
that I bought just outside of the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem that has an inlay of
the Decalogue for, uh, obvious reasons.
I just got a
big and, according to my wife, gaudy "Lion of Judah" ring
because, well, uh, He's about to roar back as the...
I wear two
crosses.
One is made of
nails and reminds me of what He did for me/us and what I/we must do for Him to
prove faith's veracity.
The other was
given to me at ordination back on 5/8/77. It's the cross used as the seal
for my old denomination (UPCUSA) prior to merger into the PCUSA in the alphabet
soup of denominational division/pride. Anyway, it's a prominent Celtic
cross surrounded by porcelain inlays of other symbols highlighting God's
sovereignty, Holy Spirit, Biblical revelation, and mission. It's
beautiful; or, uh, was beautiful. The porcelain has chipped over the
years like, uh, me if you
know what I mean.
Strange.
I don't like to
wear jewelry; yet I do.
I do because I
need reminders about really important stuff and because people ask me about it
and it opens doors to talk about Jesus.
Also, it reminds
me of a struggle akin to Romans 7:7ff.
@#$%
I guess what I
wear somehow exposes who I am or want to be or...
Everywhere I, uh,
look, I can't avoid, uh, seeing it.
It can be really
distracting if you know what
I mean.
@#$%
While I've spent
a lotta my life returning to my dad's counsel after rejecting it when first
offered, I heeded this one except when wearing dark sunglasses, "Always
look into the eyes of a woman and don't let your eyes drift
down to her..."
You know...
Something has
happened in the last few years that's made that really, really, really
tough/challenging to pret' near impossible.
Cleavage.
It seems that
everyone in the other gender's got it from the youth with augmented trainers to
geezers with erector sets for...
Couple that with
the increasing # of tattoos with half showing above the cut line and the other
half left to the imagination/inquiry, it's really, really, really
tough/challenging to pret' near impossible to heed my dad's counsel.
@#$%
I would never
even attempt to get into the minds of women who let it all, uh, hang
out/up/down/around; but several thoughts come to mind apart from comfort,
culture, and, uh, pride.
Advertising.
Flirting.
Seducing.
Wantonness.
Temptation.
Uh, modesty does
not come to mind.
@#$%
Getting back to
temptation, guys are very visual.
Psst.
I think some
women who let it all, uh, hang out/up/down/around know that and do that to attract
roving/wandering/carnal eyes.
I may be wrong
but I think some women like being sex objects.
If that's not
true, then why do some women use 'em like eye candy?
See how easily it
is drift from...?
Temptation.
Bad things that
taste good.
If ingested,
indigestion soon follows.
Solomon, who knew
more about women than most of us, wrote about the penalties of succumbing to
'em (e.g., Proverbs 5-7).
Truth is I've
never heard of cleavage enabling cogitations/conversations on ecclesiology,
eschatology, Christology, soteriology, or...
But I know other
thoughts have entered the minds of men upon, uh, sightings.
Let's, uh, face
it.
Cleavage is
tempting to ignoble thoughts and even...
I mean, uh, I
like to, uh, look.
Really, if you're
a guy, you like to look; unless, you know, you're not into chicks.
And if you're a
woman who likes showing cleavage, you know what you're doing; and if you don't,
the problem may be even...
@#$%
Solution.
Correction.
Attempted solution.
A nun once
counseled me about temptation, "When tempted, turn to the
right!"
She meant turn to
Jesus.
I do; or, at
least, I try.
Psst.
Jesus came as our
Savior as well as Lord because do
and try aren't
always on the same page.
Getting back to
Jesus, He knew cleavage and other temptations would be tough/challenging and
often pret' near impossible to avoid/overcome; so He taught us to pray,
"Lead us not into temptation."
In other words,
Jesus knew we often succumb to temptations because we wanna succumb to 'em
because bad things taste good and most of us don't bother to think of the
consequences/indigestion of ingestion - again, that's why we need Him as our
Savior as well as Lord who cuts slack for our inability/unwillingness to be
perfectly His - and so He taught us to implore/beg Him to keep us away from
stuff that ain't good for us.
Cleavage is
always in, uh, sight/grasp; meaning we often need His help to
steer/stay/stare away from it.
Don't miss the
inductive metaphor.
@#$%
So here's how I
do it so I don't do it if
you know what I mean.
I pray,
"Lord, You told me to ask You to not lead me into temptation because You
know me and know my inclinations to ingest what will make me sick. So I'm
calling You on that right now. Lord, do not lead me into this
temptation. Lead me away from it. Do whatever is necessary to keep
me away from it. You told me to pray like this because You know I do/will
fall and fail to stay away from it on my own. So it's up to You,
Lord. If you want me to stay away from it, You're gonna have to..."
Catch the drift?
Psst.
It/He works!
Whenever I pray
like that - like He
taught me/us to pray - the supplication is always satisfied.
Now if I'd only
always pray like that.
@#$%
Uh, point.
Cleavage is
always in our faces.
Whether intended
or ignorant, it's distracting.
Admit it,
gentlemen.
Or as a favorite street
preacher friend of mine likes to say, "You can't fix what you won't
face."
Admitting it,
accept His way out of it.
Turn to the
right.
Turn to Him.
And beg if/when
necessary, "Lead me not into temptation."
Now read Matthew
7:7-8 and James 4:3 in quick succession.
My religious
franchise (PCUSA) holds another of its really big meetings (General
Assembly) in a few weeks (Pittsburgh, 6/30-7/7/12).
Simply, it's when
we get together to make decisions about lots of stuff that usually ticks off
lots of members, causes some to exit for good/bad/ugly, occasionally offends
God by contradicting His will as enfleshed in Jesus and explained in the Bible,
usually offends posers in pulpits/pews whose "Christianity" is
only coincidental to His will as enfleshed in Jesus and explained in the Bible,
and has about as much of an impact upon global/national culture as the next #1
pick in the NBA draft.
Of course, as
I've written many times, I'm staying put because we don't need more
segregations, separations, and schisms in our world/nation/church in
direct defiance of John 17.
Besides, I just
don't get the logic of leaving one stinking denomination for another stinking
denomination 'cause they all stink in some way and I'm so used to the smell of
mine that I don't feel like making the effort to get used to another's smell
and...
Or something like
that.
Really,
leaving one denomination for another denomination reminds me of that silly
kids' song, "The bear went over the mountain to see what he could
see...And what do you think he saw?...The
other side of the mountain, the other side of the..."
I'm reminded of
advice given to me about staying put in marriage that I give to anybody who
doesn't wanna do that: "Your greener pasture was someone else's brown
field."
Moretheless, I know I'm
gonna spend most of July-December (at least) convincing folks about the
preceding after the realities cited in the second paragraph.
@#$%
Enough.
Things are bad
enough without me piling on.
So let me say
something positive about my franchise.
The Presbyterian
Church (USA), like just about all other mainline denominations, does a pretty
good job of displaying its sins for everybody to see.
I mean that.
Ain't much hidden
in mainline denominations.
It's as, uh,
exposed and, uh, disclosed as the faith and morality of Charlie Sheen.
We don't hide our
finances or minutes or faith or morality from anybody.
More than less.
For example,
while you've really gotta dig to find out how much those
independent/non-denominational guys/gals are making for talking about Suffering
Servant Jesus - I just found out one of our local stars makes several six
figures without having gone to seminary or being examined by
anybody about anything - the PCUSA publishes "Changes in Terms of
Call" every year for everybody to...
$.
Green with...
I mean I won't
let my mom, wife, children, or Kopper see the list.
I don't look at
it anymore because it's hard not to...
Golly, I can't
believe how much that rookie...!
What's up with
that associate getting...?
That church is,
like, uh, and they pay their...!
Puuuuuuuhlease, how does
he justify making...?
What the...?
It's like I told
the priest who asked if I took a vow of poverty when I was ordained.
"Nah,"
I replied, "Protestant pastors don't need to take a vow of poverty because
their churches impose it on 'em."
It's hard not to
make comparisons and feel a little, uh, well, uh, you know...
That's why I
don't read that report.
I don't need fuel
for that fire.
I've got enough
problems with the 10th.
Can you say
Electra Glide Ultra Limited?
And when 1st AG
gave him one for his 5th after I got a $5 card to Culver's in October...
@#$%
When I was a rich
and famous pastor in KCMO and WSNC and making more money than any follower of
Suffering Servant Jesus should get for talking about/for Suffering Servant
Jesus, I felt so badly about it that I sent monthly checks to Paul, a pastor in
a church that didn't even blush about paying him so poorly and never felt any
guilt about it even after he died, in a penitential kinda way.
While I've sinned
so badly in my life and ministry which causes me to praise and thank God for
cutting me sooooooo much
slack/grace and not holding any of it against me foruhever, I've never been one of those imperial
priests who feel they deserve more than...
Aside from the
reality that I know I'm no better while probably worse than anybody else in
this business and following Suffering Servant Jesus doesn't include living so
much more like a Pharisee than Him that He must barf whenever
considering our "sacrifices" for Him, I've read the first few
chapters of Acts.
I've read James
4.
Matthew 20:1-16
really upsets my jealousies.
Dang.
Psst.
The more I fill
myself with Jesus, the more I'm satisfied with/by, uh, Jesus.
@#$%
I've been
watching myself as well as churches for a long time.
I'm convinced the
preceding has a lot to do with our unabating problems.
Pride and its
buddy control with jealousy as an accomplice devastate lives and ministries.
Let me
illustrate.
I am blessed to
be the undershepherd
of a wonderful family of faith called First Presbyterian Church (Belvidere,
Illinois) in a much better than most presbytery called Blackhawk (big part of
Illinois).
Our particular
church and presbytery have one terrible thing in common.
There are lots of
folks who've exited or exasperated little problems into big ones because they
don't get the idea of being a supportive servant; or ignore it which is even
worse in a Hebrews 10:26ff. kinda way.
Specifically, if they aren't leading, they
can't/won't follow and criticize those who do in unhealthy ways or make up some
BS about why they must separate, segregate, or stir up schism.
I can't tell you
how many pulpiteers/pewsitters exit/exasperate after completing a term of
office or resigning (volitionally or otherwise) from a leadership position.
It's all about
their hellborn lust to control others because of their pride and jealousy.
It's the truth and
they/we know it.
"I'm not being fed by our...I
haven't left the denomination but it has left me...We're just going in
different directions...They're so..."
BS.
Don't it make
their/our blue eyes brown?
@#$%
Dallas Willard:
"Most problems in contemporary churches can be explained by the fact that
members have not yet decided to follow Jesus."
@#$%
We precede the
benediction at First by saying, "The answer to every question is
Jesus!"
It/He is.
Founder.
Focus.
Filter.
For followers.
Jesus.
The answer to
pride and jealousy and, uh, everything/everyone else that ails us.
I think I had
three "God Moments" on Tuesday (6/12/12).
You can/will be
the judge of that/me.
They couldn't
have come at a better time pour moi.
While I'm still
convinced my latest book is gonna sell, the first five months of publication
have been underwhelming.
While I didn't
write it for the $, I was hoping for a few coins to pay off some debts, help
some friends/family, and upgrade my missionary mule as I/we ride with/for
others to Biblical/Christocentric freedom. The truth is, as I told
Blackhawk Presbytery on Tuesday, I talk more about Jesus along the ride than I
do in most ecclesiastical, uh, settings.
That's why I know my missionary mule is about to, uh, evolve if you know what I mean
and, uh, if you do, it's because...
BTW, my mule's
name is Return with
the evolved model to be Return2.
Get it/Him?
Yeah, I'm gonna
put it on the plate upon arrival.
Bait.
Anyway, I had
three "God Moments" and, knowing we share humanity, I'm
guessing/praying mine will encourage you/yours.
Again, you
can/will be the judge of that/me.
@#$%
First one.
I was walking
Kopper around 4:10 a.m. and asked him/Him what the heaven I should talk/write
about in the next...
It/He hit me as
soon as I asked.
Preface.
Since first
reading Kung's On Being a
Christian in 1976, my life and ministry have been challenged by
these sentences: the Church's agenda is "to discover what is
permanent...originally meant, before it was covered with the dust and debris of
two thousand years...This is not another gospel, but the same ancient gospel
rediscovered for today!"
35 years later
(October 2011), I spent a week with three of my covenant brothers and Eugene
Peterson in Montana; and Kung's challenge seemed to be increasingly/exponentially
satisfied as I started catching His Spirit in his spirit and...
I feel like I'm
just scratching the surface of my relationship with Jesus.
I feel like I'm
starting all over again in life and ministry; moving from a religion about
Jesus to a relationship with Him/His.
I feel, uh, born anothen.
I haven't been as
excited about life and ministry since 5/8/77.
Getting back to
my walk with Kopper, it/He hit me as soon as I asked (clue).
I'm gonna begin
talking/writing about Scratching
the Surface: Bible Books and Basics in Sunday morning messages, KDs, and maybe put
it all together for my favorite publisher after my latest book...
I'll start around
September - give or take a few...
@#$%
Second one.
Aurora, Illinois'
Westminster Presbyterian Church hosted the stated meeting of Blackhawk
Presbytery on Tuesday.
The host pastor
is supposed to preach at the worship service before business; which is why I couldn't
understand why Chuck wouldn't take no for an answer when he
told-more-than-asked me to preach about a month before the meeting.
Well, about an
hour before the service, he revealed why he insisted I preach: "I asked
God what I was supposed to preach about; and He told me, 'Kopp is supposed to
preach.'"
Whoa.
I was reminded of
Chuck's humble obedience; which did not come as a shock to me because I've
always felt he's always been far more faithful in every aspect of his life and
ministry than me.
Let's face it.
Most pulpiteers,
like me, can be pretty...
His humility
before God to upset precedent threw
me from head to toe toward, uh, Him.
You can/will be
the judge of what happened because you can hear/experience it by contacting the
church at 630-896-5502 or judyw@wpc10.org
and asking 'em to send a disk to ya.
I wouldn't even
suggest it unless...
Again, you
can/will be the judge.
@#$%
Third one.
I was
participating in the opening exercises of VBS on Tuesday and thinking while
watching our DCE/YD, "Man, I'm really getting hot for her!"
Fortunately,
she's my wife.
She's really
great at doing what God has called/anointed her to do.
God knows I
haven't always been affirming, appreciative, and...
Come to think of
it, using the first letter of those adverbs, I've often acted more like an...
I attended a
"Self-Awareness Workshop" for executives about 25 years ago in
Greensboro, NC.
Frankly, a few
elders funded it because they didn't think I was very, uh, self-aware at the time.
They were right.
Anyway, it was
kinda cool being the only guy paid to be holy in the group; and it
wasn't long before I discovered banks, clothing companies, universities,
medical schools, car lots, and other businesses along with even law firms and
tobacco pushers seem to have higher ethical as well as performance standards
than most, uh, gulp, gasp, geez, uh, churches.
I think it was
the first time that Matthew 23 came alive for me by contrast.
We went through
more psychological testing than I ever recall enduring before ordination; which
could be a clue to why...
While I'm still
scratching the surface of my relationship with Jesus and finding more about
myself with the passing of every day, I gotta admit it was worth their money.
The highlight was
one shrink saying, "You are not responsible for what others say and do;
however, you are completely responsible for what you say and do and how you
respond to what others say and do."
That was the most
liberating gospel that I'd ever heard as a partner, parent, pastor, presbyter,
professor, and just about anything else beginning with the letter...
@#$%
That came to mind
over the weekend when two elders and three others gave a newspaper clipping to
me about a colleague who wrote some pretty outrageous stuff in a
"special" to a local rag.
Parenthetically,
they were especially interested because he used to be co-pastor of one of our
presbytery's flagship churches.
Nobody's really
sure what he is anymore because another franchise hired him and he rarely
attends our meetings unless pushing some left-wing-wacko agenda. How he
gets away with it is beyond me. I didn't know you could belong to two
different denominations at the same time.
While his latest
hobby-horse doesn't interest me, I was impressed by how he approached it:
"My words may surprise some, given that I am a Christian pastor...Surely
the Bible contains several references that...But I believe...The Bible clearly
includes a message against...I
do not believe, however,..."
O.K., I added the
italics and bold print.
Do you find that
as flabbergasting as I do?
Essentially,
"I know that's what the Bible says but
I believe..."
As if what he
thinks/feels/wants/believes is somehow on equal footing with Biblical
revelation!
Of course, he,
obviously, doesn't think Biblical revelation has any more clout than Twain,
Maclaine, or, uh, how he thinks/feels/wants/believes.
And while you've
probably guessed what he's advocating, it doesn't really matter because his
logic could be used to controvert/confuse clear Biblical declaratives on just
about any issue of faith and ethics.
Psst.
History tells me
that's what some of those "Christians" did to put Jews in ovens back
in...
I'll give him
this.
He put his
thoughts/feelings/wants/beliefs in print and in direct contradiction to Holy
Scripture for all to see.
He owns 'em.
I feel no
responsibility for what has come out of his...
Yet, yes, I do
feel compelled to say he does not represent any pastor I know who still
prays/labors to live under the authority of God as personified in Jesus and
prescribed in Holy Scripture.
Go back to the
shrink quote in the first section.
@#$%
Here's the point.
The shrink was
right.
We are not
responsible for the good, bad, or ugly being spewed by other people.
But we are completely responsible for
what we say and do and how we respond to what others say and do.
If we're still
trying to honor God as God has revealed Himself, then we must honor those who
are still trying to honor God as God has revealed Himself.
We must stand up,
speak up, and act up with 'em.
If we're still
trying to honor God as God has revealed Himself, then we must not honor those
who are not trying to honor God as God has revealed Himself.
We must stand up,
speak up, and act up against 'em.
God knows one
Judas was/remains enough.
@#$%
I guess, for
people like me who profess/pretend to be Christians, self-awareness is
confirmed by praying/trying to speak/look/act like it/Him.
Anything other is
not true to self; not to mention Him.
Or maybe it is
true to self; not to mention Him.
Confused?
Some are.
I'm not saying
I've got it/Him all together.
I'm wrong about
lots of stuff.
I'm just saying
He's right as He's revealed Himself in Jesus and the Bible and my arms are just
too short to box with...
I've got some bad
news for people who hate me in
a Christian kinda way.
I just got reamed
out again; celebrating the 10th anniversary of my first colonoscopy with my
second.
Anyway, I don't
have to get, uh, hosed again for another decade; meaning former members of
First who have hated me for everything but Christ's sake can stop hoping I'm
gonna have to quit for health reasons so they can look/search for another
victim for their darkly transferred pathologies.
I just may
outlive 'em to quote the former P of Princeton who said to a friend who
followed him in a parish, "You'll outlive most of your enemies.
I did."
Read the last KD for more on that (viz., "God Told Me").
Of course,
there's still hope for 'em.
They could assassinate
me (always a possibility) or I could die from another unnatural cause (always
within my heavenly thanatos
libido) or the Libertarian in me that gives the Billy salute to
those with insatiable control needs to convince/cajole/chastise me about the
helmet thing that they don't get because they're so
ignorant/inexperienced/gullible/deluded/lemminged could keep them pridefully
separated/segregated/schismatic (aka sinful) as they hope for a, uh, header.
Be that as it is or will be, I've
been reamed out again and I'm ready to resume...
@#$%
I've also been
reamed out in ministry over the years - rightly and wrongly - and left two
churches before the inevitable minority who hated me convinced the majority to
get rid of me for everything but Christ's sake.
Stop.
Did Jesus come to
separate and segregate Christians from each other?
Think about it.
Read John 17
slowly within the context of the corpus.
Is there anything
about following Jesus that includes "Christians" separating and
segregating themselves from each other because of the inane things that often
separate and segregate "Christians" from...?
I say
"Christians" because I am convinced authentic followers of Jesus -
uh, Christians
- don't separate and segregate themselves from each other over anything or
anyone and pray and work out their differences through and for Him.
He is eternally
more about restoration than removal/rejection.
Real deals for
Jesus know He ain't about divorce and division. He is all about mutual
confession and repentance on the way to the forgiveness that enables
real/Biblical/Christocentric peace, unity, and purity (aka redemption).
Posers run out
pastors and other people from pulpits and pews because of their deep dark
impulses that, frankly, point to a terrible reality about 'em: Matthew
12:31-32.
Or as I told a
"friend" who left the PCUSA for the EPC in another pridefully posing
example of me-so-much-better-than-you
BS, "You have no credibility for telling people that they can
get along through Jesus 'cause you don't get along with anyone through
Jesus."
Come to think of
it, that's the last time that...
Now everybody
together, "We are one in the...And they'll know we are...Blest be the tie that..."
upokrisis to the max.
BTW, though most
of you ain't gonna be there and really don't wanna be there, I'm gonna talk
about that during worship at next week's stated meeting of Blackhawk
Presbytery.
Come to think of
it, that may be the last time that...
@#$%
Three elders who
taught me more about authentic discipleship when I was a rookie than any
professor or presbyter did have all gone home to Jesus.
Eddie just joined
Fred and Frank last week.
Frank taught me
about hanging in for Him who hung it all up for us even when you lose votes and
can't convince people to...
Fred was the
illustrator for my dissertation and taught me about hanging in for Him who hung
it all up for us even when you lose votes and can't convince people to...
Eddie taught me
about loyalty to the Yankees, Giants, and Jesus even when the rest of the
world...
And so much more.
But I'll also
never forget how they often disagreed with my rookie instincts/intentions yet protected me from the kinda
blasphemers - yeah, I really mean that for reasons cited as well as
understood by saints who understand the will of God for the authentic Church
- that wanted to run me out
for everything but Christ's sake.
If it weren't for
Eddie, Fred, and Frank, I'd probably be a lawyer or Harley tech.
@#$%
Maybe now that
they ain't around I've gotta pick up their...
Maybe that's why
I just wrote to my ecclesiastical superiors and told 'em that I'm going after
the bastard children of Satan who have slipped/slithered into our presbytery's
churches and raise everything but heaven for...
Maybe that's why
I know and will pray/work to live/enflesh the truth of the old salt:
"Revival sometimes don't mean bringin' people in but gettin' the people out who don't
love Jesus and all His children!"
Maybe that's why
I may still become a...
Doesn't matter
anymore...in one sense.
It really,
really, really matters in another sense.
