CHRISTIAN'S NOTIONS - informal Concepts, Whims, Ideas, Viewpoints or Intentions

Naive Christian Notions
Some dangers in overlooking sound theological thought.
[You are invited to follow, comment- on and add to this BLOG ...it is actively under-construction. Started in May 2014 ... Still updating and adding thots...Marc Sr.]
A Preoccupation with the 'novel' in religion.

Sometimes intentionally and even strategically or even sometimes as little more than a whim, novelty has found its way into conservative (even once Fundamentalist) Christianity. Now, of course, there is no "news" here! News to be "news" needs to be something that has not been around for such a lengthy time. Though really quite self-evident, the need for novelty or "entertainment" -- as some prefer calling it -- has taken a prominence that few, in years gone by, would ever have imagined.

The use of the novel or the new (so-called), along with a commitment to being unique or possibly even unusual, has for some time now, become a necessary reality for any church growth strategy. Spoken or unspoken, the need to provide exciting and attention grabbing methods in Christian ministry is an accepted practice in almost all churches. Have you experienced this new "hype" oriented or focused church? If so, did you find that you found it effective and sufficient or did you need more and more of this sort of attention getting methodology? Have you asked yourself "why?

To fail or "fall-short" of this new effectiveness in communication, (it seems clear to most,) is just to hold-on-to anything that seems outdated. Conservatism in Bible-believing Christian congregations may be allowed to exist in regards to doctrine or even Biblical exegesis but now that is where the "line has been drawn."

Assuming that the church is otherwise viewed as a "conservative-evangelical" body of believers the remaining levels or phases of [i.] worship, [ii.] ministry and [iii.] outreach are freed to interact with society without too many restraints or limitations. Not just "anything goes" but certainly "most anything" ... does seem acceptable - at least in most cases.

Christian ministry, in a post-Christian secular society and within a post-modern social philosophy or worldview, requires new and different (novel) approaches if we are to interact and interface with the world around us. Certainly, this "re-think" is the accepted belief of the majority of conservative Christians.

Priorities in Worship. 
The Innovations surrounding individualism.

Popular Styled Ministry. 
The LinkedIn Church.

Proactive views of Heritage. 
'Designer' History? We live in a day when the need to re-examine and revise much that has been called 'church history' is genuinely needed. So much of Christian history was written to promote specific theological ideologies or 'denominational viewpoints" and so very much of our church history was influenced or controlled by national-regional political causes. The level of historical inaccuracies and the degree of subjectiveness is really over-whelming. So much of 'Church History,' is little more than a tool for much that can only be called illegitimate academic distortion.

As we think of "principles of interpretation and the need for an honest assessment of history - we can see this has always been an important issue. Some excerpts from 1 Corinthians Chapter 10 will be helpful for guiding us today. "FOR I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, that our forefathers were all under and protected by the cloud [in which God’s Presence went before them], and every one of them passed safely through the [Red] Sea, [Exod. 13:21; 14:22, 29]. 4  And they all drank the same spiritual (supernaturally given) drink. For they drank from a spiritual Rock which followed them and the Rock was Christ. [Exod. 17:6; Num. 20:11]. 5  Nevertheless, God was not pleased with the great majority of them, for they were overthrown and strewn down along [the ground] in the wilderness. [Num. 14:29, 30]. 7  Do not be worshipers of false gods as some of them were, as it is written --8  We must not gratify evil desire and indulge in immorality as some of them did -- 9  We should not tempt the Lord -- as some of them did—11  Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period). 12  Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands [who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind and is standing firm], take heed lest he fall." From the Amplified New Testament. (1987)

Reader Beware: we live in a day when so much "scholastic re-examination" of existing history (be it church history or general knowledge regarding world history) is taking place - some is honest and some just as dishonest as the material it claims to be correcting. Much of today's historical revision is negative in nature and is being driven by new agendas that are attempting to further confuse history that does not "suit" their particular view of life, theology or religion. This corrupting of history is often called historical revisionism or negationism.

The negative revision of the past, be it ever so illegitimate, amazingly but truly still has an appeal to many pseudo-intellectual causes. For example, post-modernism's desire to keep everything neutral and culturally and idealogically non-interfering feeds this popular but illegitimate style of historical revision. On the other hand, as said earlier there is a legitimate form of historical revision that uses sound techniques of investigation and hermeneutic to re-establish the truth regarding the forces and personages of the passing centuries. The truth about history might undo or upset our long accepted beliefs about the formation of our churches, our own theologies' evolution and some of our 'heroes' of the Christian faith but in all cases the re-emergence of historical reality and the truth on such matters of Christian theological development can only help all sincere believers come to a clearer and more honest understanding of Scripture.

Negative revisionism - craftiness, deceitfulness still (today) corrupts the church from its simplicity in Christ. Consider these Biblical excerpts: 2 Corinthians 11:3 "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! 5 For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. 6 Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. 7 Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted ... 12 But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (nkjv)

Doctrine or Dogma (Systematic, historical or Biblical in form) has long languished under the slavery of mistaken or ideologically driven historical misinterpretation. The objective facts of history can only free us all from preconceived notions when reading our Bible. Terms of reference, definitions and the interpretation of events, once freed from negative ideological revisionism can only lead to a new scholastic freedom and a simpler Christian understanding of the Word of God.  

Principles without guidelines. 
Hermeneutical values. Dispensations overlooked.

Presuppositions of the 'naive' in Christianity.
The Accessibility of Power. 
Technology over Truth.
The Success Syndromes.
Relationships of Collaboration.
The Effectiveness of Strategy.
Transforming
The Cloud Convergence: 
The OpenStack mindset.

Presumptions of the non-literate or unschooled.
The Influence of History. 
Defending the past.
The Reality of true Truth.
 The New Testament vs. Information.
The Effectiveness of our Options:
Democracy vs Providence.
The Utility of Trends and Innovations:
 Twitter and Facebook
Peering ahead with experimental technology
Disrupting Biblical concepts of Hope.
Individualizing our Hope: Empowerment.
Socializing Hope: Politicization

"UNKNOWN KNOWNS" & BIBLICAL REVELATION

Subject: What you know ...

The following article is created using excerpts and some further developments based around the Historical Documentary Film entitled "UNKNOWN KNOWNS." This film is an interview based documentary regarding the strategic military thoughts and actions of a famous (or infamous --depending on your view) American Department of Defense Chief, Donald Rumsfeld. 

"UNKNOWN KNOWNS" ?

Rumsfeld made the following statement in one of his many controversial State Department news conferences.

"There are:
1. Known Knowns ... The Things we know we know.

There are:
2. Known Unknowns ... The Things we know we don't know.

There are:
3. Unknown Unknowns ... The Things we don't know about what we don't know. These are a failure of our imagination or the failure of an intelligent and imaginative reading of available intelligence.

There are:
4. (a.)Unknown Knowns ... The Things we fail to imagine. That is to say, there are things that you think you know that it turns out you did not. (Less!)

4. (b.) Or, possibly a correction of this definition could include or be a later modification:
"Unknown knowns" ... being (rather) "Things you think that you [possibly may] know that it turns out you do not know that you know." (More!)

------------------------------
Rumsfeld, with all the disrespect I might hold for him, was a most "considered" or careful thinker. He, with all the errors of judgment that are attributed to him, was a student of communication and especially understood the importance of words ... their choice and their meanings!

One of his statements that has stood some test of time was: "The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."   This idea may not be so well known but DR was just saying though some things are "Not well known," or "not fully understood" that - this does not necessarily discredit the idea.

Some, tongue in cheek, queried that maybe DR was possibly gifted with some sort of 'prescience." DR assured everyone that his gift was ... "Not prescient" - rather he was ..."just worried." And he added that: "Everything seems amazing in retrospect. We tend to favor some possibilities over others. Priorities, are nothing more than the privilege of picking and choosing from obvious choices supported by one's educated imagination." DR

Some of "Rumsfeld's Rules" or Rumsfeld's Strategic Thoughts.
From DR's Snowflakes, i.e., his memos .... on white paper. 

[A.] "Belief in the inevitability of conflict can become one of its main causes. In juxtaposition: If you wish for peace you will inevitably preparing for war." DR

[B.]"All generalizations are false." DR

[C.]"You don't control History and you are failing if history controls you." DR

I'll close off these thoughts by explaining that I am providing these select excerpts from the historical film documentary "Unknown knowns" to encourage all of us to engage in a more serious dialogue around our 'sources' of revelation, our growing trust in academia and our now pervasive post-modern pre-occupation with our own personal opinions! 

For discussion or dialogue you might want to consider the true Truth of the Word of God on this subject of "unknown knowns" ....

1 Corinthians 2:7 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  ⁹ But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.  ¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ." (nkjv) 

(Other useful texts: Romans 16:25-26; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26; or, Job 11:7; 38:1 to 42:6)

drMSBsr

A "Family & Life Hacker" speaks on Navigating the Family.

Notes from Marc Sr. -
A Family & Life Hacker
from Cape Town, ZA

"TIME-IN?"

TIME-IN versus 'time-out".... 

With the question of how to NAVIGATE OUR HOMES AND HOMELIFE ... open to so much discussion. With the question of "how to discipline children" in a post-modern society still under the most 'heated discussions' - at least - in some circles - hearing the views of a "Family & Life Hacker" speaking on Navigating the Family... has some value! With most of society now opposed to corporeal punishment: spankings and the such...  I am sure that the problem of establishing character in our children remains a serious issue and worthy of discussion.

The Scriptures are relatively clear (if you actually read them:  Proverbs refers to this controlled correction: 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15; and, to the value of corrective teaching 15:5, 10, 12, 32-33) - clear, that is ....that in terms of NAVIGATION - correction is necessary. Correction is, [at least for many and to some or another degree or in certain occassions,] speaking of finding a way to communicate that in life there is a cost - a physical cost - to mankinds disobedience. Simple 'cause and effect' needs (at least) to be considered - if possible without having to learn the truth by your family facing the shock of dependency-abuse and other harsh or futile life failures!

A divided crew is a serious problem but a disfunctional leadership (i.e., among the ships officers) is in terms of Navigation ... simply and obviously dangerous! But in reality, much of the correction and discipline that seems to be required and called for in a family's life is often far more a matter of family self-discipline versus disorganisation and many of the problems are a result of the parents failing or falling -short of finding or maintaining parental unity. When parents fail to have clear goals and fail to agree on their plans of action - their children suffer with all sorts of insecurities, a sense of inadequacy and they are often led along a pathway of unhappiness that leads to seemingly irrational "attention getting."

The solution? For one thing, at least, a simple decision to hold regular parental "pow wows" - these can make all the difference. Communication is not some secret mysterious, so-called, trick of psychology. Communication , though only a part of the equation, is vital and happily a simple task of talking, of listening and of compromising with each other while also trying to yield to true Truth.

As a "Life-Hacker" I would suggest a:  "Time-In" Meeting with your spouse - once a week to (i.) plan, (ii.) think and (yes, iii.) to pray together ... all this just for your children. This 45+ minutes-a-week "Time-In" meeting ⋆⋆begins by serious goal setting and reviewing. Then "Time-In" should be used to organise or 'block time' and give attention to prioritising your family's "quality and quantity" times together. These "Times-In" can even find unity and action plans to direct their correction in a manner that is mutually acceptable and thus mutually "do-able."

The "Time-In" meetings should allow sufficient opportunities for both spouses to discuss their children's current situation, to give thought to their personal needs and ... to be sure both parents are agreed as to any "action plans." Care needs to be given to insure each child is receiving the personal & family attention they need.

By the way: the more consistent you are about putting "Time-In," the less time will be involved in telling your children to take "time-out." [drMSBsr]  ◀

The Gospel, like Christ, Himself - the Same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

THE GOSPEL... THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST!

In more recent times, the Gospel has come under some interesting modifications. At least, some, in the name of various of the resurgence in Reformed coalitions have made the Good News of Salvation something that seems a bit less than the long accepted explanation of the "Good News." Now, it seems to some observers, the Gospel is being viewed as something more of a lifestyle of faith, rather than a specific decision to humbly worship the Almighty God in ones' life - in the reality of real time or in other words: in any specific point in time or single place in life.  The hope of "justification" and of the special walk of life committed to God - i.e., "of sanctification,"  seem to be somewhat confused or co-mingled and then too, that "worship" - as a concept and act - has somehow taken on some 'added' meanings.

TOO LATE? NOT POSSIBLE? There is still genuine "Good News" from God's Word for all who will believe! Salvation is still available to you! Are you discouraged by the confusion of so many religious ideas and opinions? History and time have added some serious confusion to this timeless message? It should not be so and need not be so! The Gospel is clear - the Scriptures are quite direct, even simple on this subject. The Hope of Good News is not a "I hope so" message but rather a "sure hope" - confident in Jesus Christ.  For those who might be seeking God, allow me to review the simple Biblical Truth - the 'Evangelical Message' ... free to all who are willing to place their faith (trust) in the saving and keeping work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

CHRIST'S WORKS on our behalf! By the use of the term "work" in relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are referring to what Christ did and does to save our souls. Christ's incarnation (coming down from heaven and becoming a man) and His sinless life, along with His Divine message of Truth regarding the Heavenly Father all are a part of His purpose for coming - i.e. His WORK.   In the context of His truly humble example of submission and of His human example of trusting in the Heavenly Father, then, "His work" ... includes his life message. His work of manifesting the truth and the love of God, the Father for you and I ...was central to his task on earth. Yet, His primary work included His 'condecension' i.e, the willingness to become a man, to suffer the humility of rejection and to offer Himself as our substitutes by dying our death for us! All of Christ's Divine acts or works were done out of God's pure Love for His creation. All of this, saving work comes together according to God's Divine plan to accomplish the most gracious "works" of all history, that of Christ being our substitute and representing us as our atoning and reconciling offering!  His work was in-fact focused on being the propitiation (or satisfying 'payment') for the righteous judgment (otherwise) due us and required by God's holiness in regard to our sins.

Then too, His work includes His victorious resurrection! Together with the Saviour's resurrection there is the guarantee of resurrection to eternal life to all who believe in Him. His work includes His own Ascension to Glory where He now sits upon His Throne of Grace and where He daily mediates on behalf of all who come to Him for grace. Of course, His work also includes His sure promise to return for those who believe - to come and take us to be with Him (this is the 'Rapture' or catching-up of the Saints). This wonderful promise is also one of His works and is a most important part of the Eternal Hope of the Gospel message.

Then, His last work (in relation to the earth's societies and peoples) is His promised return to Reign as King on David's Throne - a Reign of True Righteousness and Peace that a repentant and believing Israel will enjoy under their Messiah's Millennial Reign for a literal One Thousand Years! Of course, Peter in 2 Peter and John in his Revelation tell us of the New Heaven and New Earth that follows the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers. These 'New Worlds' are clearly linked to the Biblical concept of a sinless and timeless eternity we know as Heaven.

THE GOSPEL IS REALLY SIMPLE! THE GOSPEL OFFERS TO DO FOR US WHAT WE COULD NEVER DO FOR OURSELVES. The offer to save us is at the center or core of the "Good News" and this offer to save us does not require that we understand every aspect or facet of the "works" of Christ, rather this offer is really quite obvious and relatively simple to understand. The Holy Spirit will use the truth of the Word of God to convict you and all men of three vital issues: (i.) sin, (ii.) righteousness and (iii.) judgment...

SIN! The Bible, by the Spirit, says of sin: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).  As descendants from Adam, we have inherited a sinful nature. As a result, none of us are good enough to enter into the presence of a holy God. We are all lost and without hope in the world. The Spirit of God offers us the "Good News" that Christ has died for our sins! The Bible, God's Holy Word, calls upon all men to turn from their sin and to turn to God by believe-in or trust-in Christ as their replacement, as their Redeemer and as the One who reconciles us from their sin's estrangement from God.

RIGHTEOUSNESS! The Bible, by the Spirit, says of righteousness: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). God Himself took care of our sin problem by sending His own Son to die on the cross in our place and to pay for our sins with His blood. Christ's substitutionary atoning sacrifice makes His righteousness mercifully available to us! The Word of God explains that: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5a). There is no good thing we ourselves can do to erase our sins.

We are completely dependent upon the mercy of God to rescue us from our lost condition. We come to God with only "His Righteousness" applied to meet our desperate life situation! Paul, the Apostle summarised this truth in Philippians 3:8 "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ  9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith." (nkjv)

JUDGMENT! The Bible, by the Spirit, warns us that though we deserve judgment (and could be judged due to unbelief) it is not God's preference for us! Out of Love the Scriptures teach regarding judgment - the judgment of our sin, that Christ's death on our behalf propitiates - serves to meet the requirement of God's justice! This sacrificial act by Christ is done, as such, to be a substitution or substitutionary offering for our judgment.

By the Divine and merciful decision of God to accept our faith as the only basis for the forgiveness of our sin, God the Father declares us "without sin" and accepts all those who place their faith in His Son's atoning work to be "justified" or exonerated by the applying or substituting Christ's saving work on the Cross on our behalf (Romans 4). The Father then adopts while the Spirit of God re-creates or regenerates (or gives "new birth" to or  makes of us 'new creatures in Christ), all of us who worshipfully call upon him for salvation. God then secures our new spiritual relationship and walk with Him by indwelling and sealing us to eternal life by the Holy Spirit.

NO SORROW?  NO REGRETS?  The Bible rather (strongly) suggests that you reconsider your need for sorrow and regret and that you come to God in humility and honesty! Pride is really not an option - this is true even if you as a post-modern have come to believe that you have certain inalienable 'rights'! The New Testament is clear that, you need to rethink your situation and recognise that "... godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of." (2 Corinthians 7:10). "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). It is necessary for each of us to be honest about our sinfulness and to acknowledge this to God through confession of our sins.

BELIEVING:  If we ... "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" - then, "thou shalt be SAVED" (Acts 16:31). "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead thou shalt be SAVED. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10). It is clear that each of us individually or personally must believe in our heart (i.e., to decide in our inner man) that Jesus Christ is truly the Divine Son of God and that He has done everything that needs to be done to obtain our salvation. Everyone who believes this and then worships God by calling upon His name in humble prayer ... will receive Him as their own personal Saviour!  To believe you can be saved without turning initially to God and humbly asking Him to fogive you is to be arrogant and religiously hypocritical.  forgiven for their sins and be given eternal life. Have you received Jesus Christ as your Saviour? If not, would you receive Him now?

GOD LOVES YOU: Because God loves you, Jesus has come and clearly communicated that He offers to be your Saviour! Christ wants to give you a new life abundant in spiritual freedom, truth and Love. Christ Has died as the substitute (made him to be sin for us) for the judgment of our sin and makes eternal life possible for us - His rebellious creation!  2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, ....  19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ...  20 ... be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

ENCOUNTERING GOD: He wants and expects to be your Lord (rather than having sin, Satan and the flesh ruling) through out your life! If you’ve never accepted Him as your personal Saviour, then it is important that you approach God in personal and genuinely prayerful worship. Such worship includes a personal prayer that communicates - in your own words - your decisive decision and confession! To state the matter in the most simple terms, God expects you to bow before Him as the Lord of Glory and to humbly ask Him as the Eternal God and Lord of all creation to forgive you of your sinfulness and to forgive your rebellion against Him. He is able and willing and desires to save you from the penalty of your lifelong sin.

HIS SAVING WORK:  It is important to pray with an open and honest awareness that your confession of Christ's saving work (on your behalf) includes a decision to 'turn around.' To Worship God is to 'repent' or is to 'turn' -- by God's help or through His Grace -- away from the self-centered and sinful life of the years of your unbelief. To Worship God at this initial point is to 'repent' or to turn toward Christ as your Saviour. By turning to God by faith and accepting His offer of salvation - He promises to save you, that is to justify you before Him and forgive you by exonerating you from your sin and the judgment  related to your sin and to give you eternal life now available in the application of the righteousness of Christ.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: Everyone of us must mentally admit or take responsibility for the fact that they (you personally) have sinned against God. To be saved from your sin, you must believe that Christ died on the cross to pay for your sins and that He rose again from the dead to give and guarantee victory over death and Satan  to all who have placed their faith (their trust) in Christ alone.

COMING TO GOD - IS TO PRAY: Salvation is directly linked to our calling upon the Lord God in humble and worshipful prayer and ask God, the Father, to forgive you and grant your Eternal Life.  To confess Christ as your personal Saviour is to initially worship the Lord and is to thank the Lord for the salvation He has provided you by his death and resurrection. Such a prayer that personally communicates your faith in the promises of God's Word is the starting point of a life of worshipping God. This specific or initial act of worship - this moment of genuine encounter with God is not automatically accomplished by some formal public confession of doctrine about Christ, or by a baptism or membership in the church or any other outward act.  To have by worshipful prayer to have placed your faith in His Word is to believe that 'whosoever may come' and it is to take literally the offer from God that "whoever calls upon the Lord will be saved."

SINCERE PRIVATE WORSHIP: By the way, may I mention that though salvation is obtained by inner faith and is communicated by a personal encounter of sincere private worship - the new life in Christ will lead you to a far more public future. The Lord Jesus Christ established the local congregation or church to be an encouragement and help to believers. We are not meant to live and serve the Lord alone or on our own. Just as your new life began through an initial act of humble worship - the on-going need to pray should only grow. Why would you not want to include Him, your Loving Lord, in your daily life?

A NEW RELATIONSHIP: The new relationship of love will draw you closer to the Lord, His will and Word and you will find yourself desiring to pray and read your Bible daily. Personal communion or prayerful fellowship with God, together with thoughtful study of His recorded Word, the Bible opens the door of growth and insight into this new life with its different life styles, values and goals. The church, as a local congregation, with its pastors, deacons and many brothers and sisters in Christ will guarantee that you will never be alone.

SOME NEW THINGS to consider: This new love for your new brothers and sisters in Christ, will open the door to new commitments, such as a new commitment to worship God together and to be encouraged by the brotherhood in Christ and to appreciate the caring love of pastors and the teaching of the truth of God's Word found in Bible-believing churches. Your will want to encourage other believers, yourself and in time you will want to share the Good News to your family and friends. You will find yourself increasingly looking forward to Christ's return, to eternal life and to Heaven. You will see that you are changing ... growing progressively more into the image of Christ... thinking His thoughts rather than your own and doing His will rather than your own... knowing His joy, peace, faith, hope and love... and the new life in Christ with its many exciting and hopeful heart attitudes of life!

This, is but a simple presentation of the GOOD News!
The Gospel, like Christ, Himself - the Same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

drMSBsr

 "Can lives change ?"

Dr. Marc S. Blackwell, Sr

Learning to change and changing to learn 

are both essential features of genuine progress. 

Life-long Learning. Learning to Change, for the individual means a commitment to deal with life’s situations in a framework of increased personal responsibility or accountability.  As a concept, Learning to Change is an approach toward gaining knowledge that develops through identifiable processes. Learning how these processes operate are invaluable lessons, and life-long in nature.

Education: Such life-long learning calls for clear rejection of the idea that an individual would attend  undergraduate or graduate level education as his or her “preparation” toward life or toward a career.  Such “education” is rather accepted as necessary for gaining some of the basic tools needed for a life of learning and changing and hopefully growing.

Change is hard! Dr. Jay Adams responds to the subject of change by pointing out that: “Biblical change is the goal ... but change is hard ... One of the major reasons why Christians founder and fail is because they are either unwilling to make changes or do not know how to make the changes that God requires of them in order to meet the vicissitudes of life. ... Counselors must help the counselee to refocus from the past to its effects upon the present. ... The past can be dealt with only in the present by forgiveness, rectification, reconciliation, and other changes that must be made today. ... to call for repentance, which is a call for change—a change of mind leading to a change of life.

 Natural accountability. For adults this means the individual will learn more effectively when they are responsible for, or at least involved in, setting the goals and planning the process. For this reason learning is usually more effective when that learning takes place in the environment where the applications will be made and within a context of natural accountability. Natural accountability is learning with sincere service in mind and where hope is a real possibility. Adult learning is most effective when it is clear that the learners will face the responsibility of being the future teachers themselves.

One guaranteed feature. In our modern society, the inevitability of change is the one guaranteed feature that is facing us all! Some people attempt to handle these changes by being openly inflexible or just quietly supporting the “status quo.”  Others look to an organisational or behavioral approach that relies on routine to manage or control the forces of change as best as is possible. Others yet, just bend under the slightest amount of pressure and almost seem to “accept change for the sake of change.”  None of these responses are sufficient to provide the guidance needed to carry us through the traumatic convulsions, stresses or the serious changes challenging individuals and Christian ministries today.

Responsible behavior. Dr. Jay Adams points the way when while explaining the cognitive aspects of Biblical counseling he clearly states: “ ... it is obvious that all responsible behavior has a cognitive side...I have not usually distinguished explicitly between changing one’s thinking and altering his actions ( the Bible doesn’t draw sharp lines here either)... Because scriptural counseling is (or should be directive) and most usually counsel consists in large measure of giving information and advice, by the very nature of the case, teaching must be involved.  Instruction in Christian living ... must be conceived of as consisting of more than theoretical learning, acquired by attending courses. Much learning comes only through discipleship, which involves observation, participation, discussion and critique ....

Teaching and Discipleship. Biblical counselors do not always begin with didactic instruction but often let such instruction grow out of that sort of experience that results from obedience to Christ’s commands! Just as Christ  instructed His disciples we can instruct counselees. But be aware that those who narrowly think of instruction purely in Greek academic (and abstract classroom) terms "fail to recognize that in the Bible whole persons teach whole persons, acting as whole persons." They do not merely pack (or repack) heads. Biblical teaching and instruction is done fundamentally in life situation (cf. Deut. 6:4-9; 11:18-21) and discipleship milieus. In life situations, the teaching of truth grows out of the problems of living; in discipleship, truth is incarnated in life.

Extreme types of leadership. Scripture warns and ecclesiastical history reveals that either rigid authoritarian leadership, on the one hand; or, abstract philosophical leadership, on the other hand, has generally dominated the Christian church.  Regretfully, these two extreme types of leadership offer little more than rigidity and a blindly dutiful obedience - on the one hand; or,  ill-discipline and self-centeredness on the other. Leading others to adapt, together with the goal of delegating and possibly including some sharing of decisions have generally been the focus of the church’s goal in teaching.  

Not many years back I attended a large gathering of pastors where the two above mentioned extremes were still evident. On the one hand we had the host group, an “evangelical” denomination that is committed to hierarchical leadership structures, and to tradition to the extreme.  Then, on the other hand, we were privileged to listen to a truly gifted speaker and a strong independent church leader seriously committed to an “executive body” leadership style. It was especially interesting to see that both had one thing in common, it was their mutual disrespect or fear of  democratic methods of church organisation and administration.

Although the well-tried hierarchical and the often accepted “executive body” approaches of leadership may present a most persuasive argument for their usefulness, they are far less capable of translating those arguments into practice. The defense of both of these methods of leadership, like that of many corporate styles will be primarily sociological, psychological, or systems theory. In some cases the attempt at defending such leadership styles will be one of eclecticism, i.e. of mixing these various leadership and organisational styles together and then operating from a very broad base of styles.

Changing to Learn:
The Scriptures clearly relate incident after incident where the leader or Christian servant listened to others and worked within a framework of truly democratic transforming cooperative involvement.

The need is to create and sustain a climate or culture of change and useful ministries and lives willing to  learn is imperative! Many call for “accountability” but this notion prefers cooperation and team-work over any concept of accountability with its tendencies toward ‘authoritarianism’ and control. 

Ministry within a team environment is a “notion” designed to encourage this culture of (i.) personal life-long learning and (ii.) shared vision, (iii.) testing through modeling the changes under consideration, and (iv.) cooperative team-supported service that is changed only through sound ‘cause and effect’ and Biblically mandated considerations.  

NAVIGATING THROUGH LIFE'S CHAOS...

Character amidst Chaos

Navigating one's family through the rough seas of modern living is no simple task!  As rough, truly rough, as a storm off of the "Cape of Storms" - can be, it is still nothing like the ten to twenty year-long storm facing parents in raising, educating and caring for their children!

The very thought that today’s families must accept that they have to continually live in and daily experience a life of chaos deeply troubles most people. Our current lifestyle choices, tensions and pressures -- together with the insecurity related to finances, social confusion and violence have brought many families to levels of deep financial and emotional stress.  Of course we all know that chaos and uncertainty have always gone together, but our knowledge of what to expect in itself resolves nothing. 

In fact knowing we must accept uncertainty only adds to our sense of uneasiness. None of us would volunteer to live in a period of anarachy with its’ endemic uncertainty. No one asks for a chaotic set of circumstances. NO ONE WOULD CHOOSE A STORM OVER A GOOD WIND AND CLEAR SAILING! Most anyone would prefer clear direction, stability and order over the stress of uncertainty and confusion.  At least, that’s how we surely imagine we want things to be, and it is how most of us wish things would be. In fact, all of us can picture how life “ought to be” in a “normal” world.

Yet, we must be aware of the danger of having a “smallish” or “provincial” way of thinking or of developing a limited or “short-term” mindset. How we imagine life and how we picture life may be far from reality. Scrounging around for ways to excuse our lack of being proactive toward the problems of our real world simply will not do! Avoiding a commitment to finding real solutions is simply not an acceptable response. The family and church’s only acceptable response (in these times), is a “lightening fast” reaction and spirit of innovative leadership. A practical and applicable Biblical strategy is needed and it alone will work – the world has no reply or answer.

The fact that our world has and is changing at a amazing pace is really not open to argument. The paradox of life is increasing with life itself growing in complexity. Our world is now a totally mobile society. Trying to stop this mobility or resisiting this fact of life will accomplish very little. In its hyperactive state the techno-world is producing change at such a frenzied rate that any response seems outdated. Uncertainty is now the norm and the rising philosophy of Post-modernism[1] only ascerbates the belief that crisis is approaching.  

There is without doubt a type of madness afoot, and further complicating matters is the sense one gets that there is really nothing left that is truly predictable. Most Christians seem troubled by the chaos, confusion and constant change but we must not allow this uncertainty to keep us from NAVIGATING CAREFULLY ... i.e., by“thinking smart” or being truly alert and prepared. In fact, the uncertainty of our current time in history needs to be approached as an exciting - new opportunity.

For genuine Christians - as people of faith - the reality of a “sin-challenged” and constantly fluctuating world are realities that can lead us to greater opportunities for spiritual growth. (2 Cor. 4:7-12) Uncertainty in society is, for us, just another issue of our on-going pilgrimage or journey; an issue that calls for a greater measure of faith. There is far more to Christian living than just setting (and possibly successfully reaching) goals.  Success, i.e. completion with its rewards, is in itself a deceptive concept.  The life of faith is a life of pressing on towards the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus and faith never accepts that it has “arrived.”

The last few generations have been fixed on the ideas of productivity, achievement, efficiency, and – of course- success. We have promoted the idea of “arriving” at a point where we would have finally earned and achieved a deserved rest. For many, the only goal they hold for their five-day workweek is the deserved weekend rest at the beach or the holiday cottage. But rest is at its best the most illusive of dreams and at its worst, for those who’ve determined to achieve it at any cost, it will prove to be the most sick of jokes. The nature of emerging society is its many intangibles but theanswer is nothing less than collective or team involvement, creative responsiveness , and coherent vision. 

The need for a growing desire to view today’s challenges as exciting opportunities is essential. A world full of intangibles demands a detailed and differentiated response. Returning to tried, tested and traditional responses will only bog us down. The instability, unpredictability and frustration call out for new responses of increased innovation, flexibility and attention. Should we make the decision to become proactive in a truly Biblical way toward our modern society’s increasingly chaotic pace, we can expect, among other blessings, hope as a result. Genuine hope in God’s love, leading, guiding and control can remotivates the believer’s focus on others. This focus on others in turn leads us to seize the opportunities God is Providentially placing in front of us. This faith in action is absolutely necessary for the Christian who wants to go forward amidst a society going in every sort of direction.

If we are to do the will of God in these amazing and bewildering times we must consciously, and daily, if not passionately rededicate our lives to see uncertainty as a learning opportunity and not a threat! By using the term, rededicate - I should explain that I am refering to actual performance, not just empty or idle promises. By “dedication” I am refering to personally being extended, consistent, trusting, inspiring, and balanced. Such strengths are the renewing and fruit producing work of the Spirit. Sheer will power is not sufficient for these things.

To face the many intangibles of our post-modern world, sound Biblical principles need our unending attention AND FOCUS. We need to achieve a most extraordinary level of personal, family and local church responsiveness and learning. If we are to encourage spiritual champions instead of spiritual victims we must expand our commitment to learning how to change but to do so without yielding the truths, principles and values God has revealed to us through His Holy Word.

Some good individual and family NAVIGATION essentials should include: Submitting ourselves to the control of the Spirit of God through a thorough study of and obedience to the Word of God. Giving a greater commitment to listening to our family and others so we .can be more innovative in our responses to their needs. Appreciating the value of our family as a uniques and compact team that can quickly adjust and meet today’s fast-paced challenges. Learning how to work with our own family and families and groups within our church as types of “self-managed” and strategic learning partnerships. Allowing the Word of God to direct us, and guide our prayer lives in a more day to day and realistic basis..Viewing attention to others – especially to individuals - as of paramount importance! By weekly planning how our family could serve others more effectively. By giving individual ‘quality time’ for training our family members for greater service to others. By expecting and respecting the need for individuals to take spontaneous initiative in serving others and in witnessing to lost friends. By maintaining a sense of urgency about our Christian home life – yet doing so with a real commitment to maintaining our family’s order and integrity.By constantly improving and enhancing our partnership relationships in our marriage and family (and within our church friendships). By loving God, His Word and others more- this includes the lovely and unlovely, the cooperative and the difficult types as well !

Using Christlike character amidst a chaotic world is not an option but a necessity for those who follow Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. By applying the truths of Christianity in an uncertain society the tension necessary for building God glorifying character traits results. Our lives and acts, together with our thoughts depend on the strengths or grace we call Christian character. The development of this Christlike character is essential for every individual believer, every Christian family and every member serving with others in a local church.

---

[1] Blackwell, Marc S., Snr., “Dialogue Motivators,” Cape Town, 1999, The Church Ministiries Institute. The central tenants of Post-modernism state that (1.) Nothing is absolutely sure. (2.) Nothing is absolutely wrong or evil. (3.) Every individual’s lifestyle deserves acceptance. (4.) One’s lifestyle choices are personal and should be interpreted on the basis of the individual’s own subjective standards. (5.) The ethical and moral aspects of our lives is simply fatalistically controlled or a matter of pure chance, thus no one must be understood as personally “guilty” or responsible by others. (6.) Our various individual, family and national cultures are ethically and morally neutral. In fact, culture needs to be understood as “free” from any real liability or accountability. 

Volvo and Creativity?

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Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity...

Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity ... Allow me to share some thoughts on God's Sovereignty and Man's responsibility ... From the Word of God ... Its references to Paul's Shipwreck experince and thoughts shared by Dr. Harry A. Ironside ... One of my personal heroes of faith... "I can see Paul and Luke and Aristarchus pitching in with the sailors and the rest of the men, to help cast off the tackling of the ship. They were not afraid to do their part.
“And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away” (20).
Here we find a people who have come to the very end of their own ability. There they are in their ship, the cargo tossed overboard, the tackling gone, and absolutely hopeless of the salvation of the ship or of their own lives. But it has been said, “Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity,” and so here God intervenes. Beginning with verse 21 and reading on to verse 29, we have something that brings before us in a very striking way the divine sovereignty of God. This is the third section.

“But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.”

Think of that! Here is a prisoner, and he talks to the centurion and to his guard and to the master of the ship and to the sailors, and says, “You should have listened to me and let me run this ship. If you had listened to me, everything would have been all right.” He had told them that they ought not to leave a certain harbor, but they did not believe him. People do not believe God’s messengers; yet some day they are going to find out that as the servants of God tell of a fearful storm coming upon this poor world, they speak according to the Word of God. Following his rebuke, Paul says: “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer.” I like that. He does not turn to them and exclaim, “Well, it serves you right. You are getting what is coming to you.” He says, “I have been praying and, when I prayed, God answered, and now I have something to tell you that will encourage you.

‘I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you but of the ship.’
You are going to lose the ship, but you are not going to lose your lives. I can tell you beforehand that every one of you is going to be saved.” How did he know that? Because he had to do with God about it. He says,

“For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve” (23).

Oh, the dignity of that! Paul could look at these representatives of the Roman Empire who had put him in bonds, and say, “I am the servant of the most high God. I belong to Him, and I serve Him, and I am in His service even now. He sent His angel to me. You couldn’t see him. You had eyes only for the storm and the creaking timbers and the treacherous rock ahead, but I have seen the angel of the Lord.” The man of God can see things that the man of the world can never see. He can behold what the man of the world cannot behold. He says, “I saw this angel, and he said to me:

‘Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cæsar’ (therefore you can’t get drowned): ‘and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.’ ”

So he says, “Now I know it is all right. God has told me that I am going to get to Rome and everybody that sails with me is going to get safely ..."

May I add ...of course this sovereign act of God was a matter of physical safety... But the issue is clear... If you are needed and committed to delivering the message of salvation to others... Your life is assured until your mission is complete. Too simple? Maybe, but then, how would you imagine purposelessness, chaos and selfishness to provide a sailor more assurance or security. It was good to be travelling with a man ... like Paul!

NAVIGATING THE "ACADEMIC SEAS."

THE NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS along with the related mathematical and astronomical capabilities of the Fourth and Third millenia B.C. has been rarely understood or appreciated. The simplistic views of Nineteenth Century Evolution and the intimidation it gathered and arrayed against Christianity ... In the name of scientific, logical and academic argument, is shocking and so very regrettable. Average Christian leaders accepted the inevitable message of philosophic evolution ... That early Old Testament records Genesis, Job and other accounts were reporting on an undeveloped tribal and nomadic society such as is found in yesterday's Camel Caravan and today's illiterate nomadic groups of Arabia. The accepted "conventional view" is that theology - the understanding and revelation regarding God was progressive. The facts of archeolocal research, investigations into historic 'Seafaring Trade' and the collective knowledge of 3500 to 1500 B.C. surely support any thinking person to have a 're-think' ... to say the least!

THE "CONVENTION OF HISTORY" and its view of the simplicity of the "Bronze Age" has blinded the average history student and most Bible students (as well) to the scientificly advanced nature of societies of the 3rd and 4th Millenniums B.C.. The generally accepted "Higher Critical" assessments by Liberal and Lower Critical views of (neo) Evangelical Academics regarding Mesopotamia's and Israel's own pre-history and early intellectual, sociological, navigation and inter-continental trade competencies is now being challenged by secular historans. The new research into the pre-Abrahamic periods focused on Genesis 5-10 unlocks that Canaan's neighbours {Africa, Uruk-Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Sumeria, Egypt, Assyria, Syria, China, India, Kerala, Spain, Crete's Minoans, plus Britain and the Americas] were not the 'rather non-evolved simplistic' societies accepted by most previous academics.

The need of our day might be that of "FINDING OUR BEARINGS" and coming to our senses regarding philosophic, cosmological, sociological and biological evolution and its claims and infurences ... I.e. 'That our world's recent surgence in intellectual development implies "evolution," rather than a devolution and only a re-surgence such as the Renaissance or the Reformation.'

In any case, THE QUESTION FOR CHRISTIANS TODAY is personal and spiritually crucial: "Are we growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ" or out of intimidation or attempts at self-defense are we submitting to the pathway of least resistance yielding to the mentally "lazy man's" temptation to reject those things that seem -- to us -- to be just too difficult or too unpopular to accept? (1Peter 3). Return to reading and prioritizing the Word of God rather than "dumbing-down" and blindly accepting the post-modern self-oriented rationalizations of our "techno age!"

Just a dingy?

The Navigation of life includes anchoring in various harbours and taking the little dingies to shore for all the small trips and details of life. I wonder if we appreciate all those that support us - back on land: those that provision us; those that care for us and those that wait for us while we are at sea?

I wonder if we can truly understand the Providence of God active in some many ways, so many acts of quiet love ... active but not always obvious - in patience, kindness goodness ! Then really, there are all the 'Fruit of the Spirit' working through our family, our church family, our co-workers, and our brothers to encourage and edify our lives! How many are found in sister and supporting churches and how very many are quietly involved in prayer .. for our well-being! So many are concerned and praying - for the blessings of grace on our families, life work and personal needs - so many that we may not even know personally?

How much of the Spirit's providential working do we ever understand. How much of His convicting work and power - that is "busy" convincing us of the truth of God's Divine Revelation, the Scriptures! This 'wind" - revealing the truth - through the workings of grace in His Word - do we really understand. How much do we see and hear of our daily lives that we truly understand? How much of what we hear, feel, see and sense do we really understand?

His Spirit so operates and so influences our inner selves, by: His comfort, His guidance, and His illumination of Scriptural Truth -- how much can we understand? Then, too, regarding our Faith, Hope and Love for Him and others - how deep is that love? May we realyy want to make the choice to understand? Can we trust Him? Do we trust Him with ourselves? His sovereign will and providential ways ... all working with and within the freedom and free-will of our lives -in Christ!

Now, how much do we understand? If you decide you have most of it figured out ... would you possibly look around again? There are the political, social and cultural influences of God in and over our world! There are God's order or control over the physical world, the world of nature and the universe!

Who can say what would be enough but maybe just a little short ride from the ship to the shore will give you enough time to reflect on the meanings of 'navigation' as a term, as a goal and as a reality?

We surely do have real and genuine responsibility in life - but how much do we really understand? God's nature, character and wisdom amaze the heart! His divine sovereignty and merciful and gracious providence founded in the work of Christ bring us to worship Him

Life's "navigation" has much to do with currents, winds and storms that we hardly recognize! "The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." John 3:8