VAX WARS

KOPP DISCLOSURE

(John 3:19-21)

@#$% 

Vax Wars

The vax wars have begun.

One side is fueled by fear and trust in men that murder babies and don't have an eternal peace by grace through faith in Jesus precipitating existential peace.

The other side is spiritually iconoclastic via the first table of the big ten in Exodus 20 or psychologically rebellious and politically libertarian.

Then there are those somewhere in between.

You know the kind.

They walk down the middle of the road and get whacked by both sides.

While only Jesus can bridge the, uh, separating sociospiritual distance, most people even in pulpits and pews have distanced themselves from Him when it comes to Psalms 20 and 62, Matthew 5:3, 1 John 4 and related Biblical counsel.

upokrisis.

That's the transliteration of a very fascinating Greek word that's sooooooo metaphorical to today's vax wars.

Parenthetically, no, I'm not going to define it.  Look it up!  Part of teaching and preaching and undershepherding to the Good Shepherd  is to elevate not dumb down.  Besides, if you can google some of the...

Getting back to the vax wars with all of the pain and suffering attached to it to which no one has been immune, anyone paying attention knows the CCPC19 is unprecedented, fluid and incrementally unfolding with diametrically opposed experts on its magnitude and duration.

In lay terms, nobody really knows what the anything but heaven is going on.

Psst.

That's why there's been no consistency when it comes to appropriate antidotal deportment.

I keep thinking of the person that told me that she was following the science when it comes to the CCPC19.

I asked, "Which one?"

She said, "The right one!"

Oh, O.K.

Sounds like a Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Missouri Synod Lutheran and Roman Catholic discussing who's more saved with any connection to what Jesus said about it being coincidental with a Methodist playing mediator.

Anyway, while I may be wrong, I am going to stop getting into tinkling contests and focus on evangelism to all and discipling to the willing.

I don't know who's right or wrong on this challenge.

So I'll just stick to what I know for sure in a John 3 and 14 kinda way.

If you want to stand strong, stand with Jesus!

Blessings and Love!

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

Limits to Invitation, Welcome and Inclusion in the Church

KOPP DISCLOSURE

(John 3:19-21)

@#$% 

Limits to Invitation, Welcome and Inclusion in the Church

Believers don't mix well with non-believers.

It's the difference between good and bad leaven.

Good leaven mixes in to make better.

Bad leaven mixes in to make worse.

There's more WORD on that in Matthew 13:33; 16:5-12.

It's the difference between light and darkness with Isaiah 5:20-21 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 in mind.

Opposites aren't complementary in the Church.

Fidelity and infidelity don't share pew and pulpit space.

There's no egalitarianism in the Church when it comes to the Godly and unGodly.

For example, Christian behavior is shaped by belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior by the book as enlightened by the Holy Spirit who never contradicts Jesus by the book with the hallmarks of grace, mercy and forgiveness wrapped in agape which is praying and laboring for the highest good of everyone no matter who, what, where, when or why without the need or expectation for response, regard or reward.

For example, noting the big difference is John 14:1-6, Muslim behavior is shaped by belief in Mohammed as the model and Koran as the manual and does not share the Christian hallmarks of grace, mercy and forgiveness wrapped in agape.  Just ask women and gays!

Just saying.

Anyway, that means there are limits to invitation, welcome and inclusion in the Church.

While we want everyone to be saved - live confidently in the assurance of living forever by grace through faith in Jesus - because that's what Jesus wants with John 3:16-17 as the HEADline, those disrespecting and disbelieving in Jesus as Lord and Savior by the book cause dissonance, distraction, poison and pollution in worship, fellowship and leadership.

Remember, there is a difference between evangelism (inviting, welcoming and including people to a relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior as the prerequisite to salvation and membership in the Church) and worship, fellowship and leadership in/through/for Him.

For example, Jesus-loving-Bible-believing churches tend to distance themselves from the contagiously apostate viruses in universalistic and syncretistic gatherings masquerading as churches - wolves in sheep's clothing a la Matthew 7:15-23 - because they are dedicated to undershepherding to the Good Shepherd who explained in Psalm 23 and John 10 that fidelity requires guiding away from bad leaven and darkness, providing WORD to save and sustain and protecting the sheep from the wolves with rod and staff as necessary.

Practically, that means everybody's invited, welcomed and included into worship, fellowship, membership and maybe leadership according to charismata in a complementarian not egalitarian kinda way pero everyone's opinions are not invited, welcomed, included, enabled or allowed in worship, fellowship, membership and leadership.

Churches are not community buildings.

Churches are consecrated to the glory, laud and honor of the Holy Trinity alone.

Alone!!!!!!!

That's why Matthew 10:16 has been the guiding principle of my undershepherding: "Be as shrewd as a serpent and as innocent as a dove."

Undershepherds have to be as shrewd as serpents or tough-minded because there are predators eager to slaughter the sheep and steal their souls and we must be as innocent as doves because there are women and men that are hungry and thirsty for intimacy with God through Jesus to be empowered by the Holy Spirit for lives of service provoked by gratitude for their existential relief and eternal salvation.

Personally, that means I always have time or make time for people that want me to talk with them about Jesus and pray with them to receive Jesus into their heads, hearts and guts as Lord and Savior.  I always have time or make time to be with people that are hungry and thirsty for intimacy with God.

When it comes to people that aren't really into Jesus by the book or play some religious game of church like a child at Candyland because they can't get into Rotary or Junior League or some other secular sorority or fraternity, I really don't have the time or inclination to hang out with 'em or invite them to lunch or a movie.

I mean, really, there's only so much time.

I'd rather give it to those that are serious about God.

Yes, I want to be cordial and friendly and I will do His best through my sinfulness to love Jesus by loving like Jesus with grace, mercy and forgiveness wrapped in love for all.  That's the difference between a Christian and, let's say, a Muslim.  Go back up to the top for more on that.

I take the existential responsibilities of a Christian in Matthew 25 very seriously within its eschatological context that is most compelling to the existential responsibilities.

No, I won't waste my time with people raising hell.

There are limits to invitation, welcome and inclusion in the Church.

Blessings and Love!

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

The War for America's Soul Reflected Worst in Division/Decline of Nation's Accommodating Churches

KOPP DISCLOSURE

(John 3:19-21)

@#$% 

The War for America's Soul Reflected Worst in Division/Decline of Nation's Accommodating Churches

More than ever before in my life and ministry, I see the war for souls in America as well as around the globe.

Attacks upon the anointed are more frequent, intense and vile.

While the Biblically literate know what happens to people that attack the anointed sooner than later, the unholy trinity's feverish undermining and canceling of so much of our Judeo-Christian heritage rooted in Holy Scripture is more shameless than ever before.

Who would have ever thought that sanctuaries consecrated in the name of Jesus would...?

Who would have ever thought that clergy that vowed to...?

I was stunned to lamentation over comments by Congresswomen/men spewing such hatred for America on July 4 and the "head" of their party not to mention Speaker not pushing back.  Not a word!  How are they going to "circle back" on that?

For longer than I can remember, I often cry myself to sleep over clergy that have distanced themselves from the unique saving Lordship of Jesus by the book as enlightened by the Holy Spirit who never contradicts Jesus by the book for some syncretistic BS making a mockery of ordination vows misunderstood, never really believed in the first place or abandoned.

A friend had a crazed woman greet him after worship on July 4, "I pray every day that you leave and go someplace else."

He is faithful and true.

She is culturally Christian with a religion coincidental to Him rather than a personal relationship with Him as faith and life's foundation, focus and filter.

I am overwhelmed to lamentation by the hypocrisy and duplicity of those that seek cultural favor over WORD in the pathetic need to be liked that means more to them than Matthew 22:34-40.

Of course, why should we expect loyalty to each other in churches when there's no loyalty among "Christian" clergy (competitive rather than complementary) with a Bible not bigger than their favorite parts.

A glaring current example is "clergy" heralding the righteous existential responsibilities of Matthew 25 that are so true to Jesus while stripping Matthew 25 of its soteriological eschatology violating a basic hermeneutic of contextuality.  Matthew 25 is both existential and eternal and it's just illiterate to ignore that.

While we're not experiencing that on the Corner of Lincoln and Main as our Lord has pruned us over the last year and a half (CCPC19) with the parable of the wheat and tares coming to mind concomitant to many new family members that authentically love Jesus by the book as enlightened by the Holy Spirit who never contradicts Jesus by the book - resulting in worship no longer polluted by dissonance, discord, clock-watching and navel-gazing - my prayers and availability have increased for colleagues without such a supporting family of faith.

With that in mind, I urge churches to get into the WORD like never before.

Read those red letters until you breathe them.

Run to the sacrament.

Worship, worship, worship with Psalm 22:3 (KJV) in mind.

We are in a war.

We will win in the end because Savior Jesus is Lord!

Blessings and Love!

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%

@#$%