Feeding the Monster (Radio / Podcast)

And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
(Mark 2:27 – ESV)

Here are some thoughts about institutions, both civil and church, in the light of our fallen humanity and its attendant depravity.

Help those in need, certainly; help everyone become needy, certainly not.

From each according to his ability
To each according to his need
This is not a Christian ideology, this is Marxism

What happens is that needs are created that didn’t exist before as slackers subsist on the welfare of others, while the truly needy are stuck in a queue somewhere.

What happens is that abilities are marginalized not motivated, as people have no reason to do more, or their best, there is no reason to push when everyone is on the wagon.

When the incentive is taken away productivity falls, and creativity dies.

No reason to do extra when good enough gets the same results and poor is equally awarded.

It is not only that doing more doesn’t gain anything; it is that doing less gets the same as doing more, or doing nothing.

In a fallen world, there will always be people who will only invest as much of themselves as is necessary to get the required benefit; we see it in church all the time.

Government can get so big, so intrusive, and so pervasive that it becomes a necessity beyond what it is intended to do, and we must continue to feed it, keep it going, make it bigger, because more are now so connected that if we fail to feed it, everyone else dies. That is when the state becomes the instrument of creative catastrophe.

The government is supposed to be an instrument to service the people, but the people become an instrument to service the government.

It is the same with a church.

The church is supposed to be an instrument to service the people, but the people become an instrument to service the church. We must feed the mega monster in order to keep her alive. That is when the church becomes the instrument of compromise.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Feeding the Monster

And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
(Mark 2:27 – ESV)

Here are some thoughts about institutions, both civil and church, in the light of our fallen humanity and its attendant depravity.

Help those in need, certainly; help everyone become needy, certainly not.

From each according to his ability
To each according to his need
This is not a Christian ideology, this is Marxism

What happens is that needs are created that didn’t exist before as slackers subsist on the welfare of others, while the truly needy are stuck in a queue somewhere.

What happens is that abilities are marginalized not motivated, as people have no reason to do more, or their best, there is no reason to push when everyone is on the wagon.

When the incentive is taken away productivity falls, and creativity dies.

No reason to do extra when good enough gets the same results and poor is equally awarded.

It is not only that doing more doesn’t gain anything; it is that doing less gets the same as doing more, or doing nothing.

In a fallen world, there will always be people who will only invest as much of themselves as is necessary to get the required benefit; we see it in church all the time.

Government can get so big, so intrusive, and so pervasive that it becomes a necessity beyond what it is intended to do, and we must continue to feed it, keep it going, make it bigger, because more are now so connected that if we fail to feed it, everyone else dies. That is when the state becomes the instrument of creative catastrophe.

The government is supposed to be an instrument to service the people, but the people become an instrument to service the government.

It is the same with a church.

The church is supposed to be an instrument to service the people, but the people become an instrument to service the church. We must feed the mega monster in order to keep her alive. That is when the church becomes the instrument of compromise.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Casting Out Demons?

And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons;
(Mark 16:17 – ESV)

You don’t see Paul teaching Timothy or Titus how to cast out demons or how to teach others to do it. You don’t see it taught in the epistles of Paul, Peter, or John. You only see it demonstrated in the narratives of the gospels and the book of Acts. Surely, something of this seemingly important magnitude would be covered in more detail; it would be outlined in Ephesians 6:10-18, or 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, etc., if it were to be our standard operating procedure.

It isn’t.

Paul mentions to Timothy about people who are ensnared by the devil, but he tells Timothy not to go down the rabbit trails but to correct with the truth, hoping that God will give them repentance. He says that Timothy will have to be patient and endure the evil, not cast it out (2 Timothy 2:23-26). He was to engage the enemy behind the behavior by bringing the truth to the encounter. The power and authority of the Word IS the power and authority of the believer, it doesn’t require an exorcism. If this is not the case, and we are supposed to “take our authority” and cast out demons, then why is there such a lack of teaching in the scriptures about it?

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Pictures Lie

I see men as trees, walking
(Mark 8:24)

It has been my experience that in many churches and circles of church folk, conferences, and the like, there seems to be a prevailing notion that needs to be dismissed out of hand. Too many times we are confusing illustrations with good sermonizing, in other words, we feel like a good illustration means the preacher proved his point. Friends, get this and get this good: Illustrations are pictures not proof. And despite popular opinion and cherished cliché, yes indeed, pictures can and do lie, quite often, in fact.

Pictures can and do lie because of our interpretation of them, we do not see things clearly, as the man in our text did not. We may not have the whole picture because it was manipulated. Some ministers give us bad pictures because they are using a carnal camera, or we see things out of focus through the lens of licentiousness.

Sometimes we don’t really have the big picture, only a small fraction of what is going on. How many times have we acted on incomplete evidence? Why do you think they tell the people in court to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? How many times have you seen something that looks like it is really what you need or want, but you found out that what you see isn’t always what you get? Paul Harvey has made a career of telling us the “rest of the story” behind events we thought we knew.

Of course, I just used some illustrations, didn’t I? We must remember, and not get carried away by the clever pictures someone paints for us. A scene is not a story, a frame is not a film, and a little information isn’t the whole situation. Proverbs 18:17 (NIV) says, “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.” Just because something sounds good or looks good doesn’t mean it is good. We should be like the Bereans who were examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so (Acts 17:11 – ESV).

Illustration and analogy can be effective tools in helping us understand the richness of what we are hearing or reading, but they cannot replace the simple truth. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). If you cannot understand something without a story, learn to dig deeper. It will take time, but it will yield treasure. Then you can bring others to the deep truths of the bible with illustrations of your own, and lead others to discover for themselves the riches of God’s grace. Don’t let somebody steal your heart with a Kodak moment, get the truth from God’s Word for yourself, after all, pictures lie.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Process and Progress

…first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear
(Mark 4:28 – KJV)

The kingdom of God, His rule and reign in every part of our lives, doesn’t happen all at once, in the subjective sense. To be sure, He reigns, but what we are speaking of is the life of Christ being “completely and permanently formed (molded) within you” (Galatians 4:19 – AMP). It is Christ in us, after all, who is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

The Bible is not to be read just to gain knowledge. It is, indeed, to be obeyed and practically applied in our daily lives. As James says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22). However, the Bible is far more than a simple rulebook. It is primarily the message of God's saving grace through Jesus Christ, with everything in Scripture pointing to God's redemptive work and everything, including our sanctification, flowing from that work. Applying the Gospel to all of life IS sanctification.

Being one with Christ (1 Corinthians 6:17) means the death to the dominion of sin over us, which is known theologically as definitive sanctification. This definitive break with the dominion of sin occurs in the life of everyone who trusts in Christ as Savior (Romans 6). The question becomes why, then, do we still have to struggle with sin?

The answer is that while it is true that there is a moment of definitive sanctification, there is also progressive sanctification. The kingdom of God within you comes slowly but surely, the blade, the ear, and then the full corn in the ear. It is a progression, you see. And this progress is a process, one where we have a part to play. The farmer doesn’t know how the crop of corn grows but he does plant the seed, water it and cultivate the soil itself. Which type of ground are you?

There is a process, a molding of our character and will into the image of God. “Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity” (Romans 12:2 – JBP).

We start the progress in the process by being willing and intentional (Romans 12:1-2). It involves time and commitment (Mark 4:24ff), and it will happen (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). There is also the process and progress of Corporate molding, molding on the building of the Body (Ephesians 4). We are all in process, and hopefully all making progress.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©

Invulnerable Ingestion?

There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.
(Mark 7:15 – ESV)

Is Jesus saying that those things that we think are bad are not actually bad, and that it doesn’t matter what we put into our bodies and our minds? No, what He is saying is that it is the heart that makes us want bad things in the first place. The sin within, the heart is the start. Some of that stuff is bad, but it isn’t as bad as the heart, it is already corrupt, wanting that stuff only shows what is on the inside already.

Jesus is talking about our heart, our spiritual health, not our physical wellness. He is saying not to worry so much about the customs and traditions and all that but to be concerned instead about what is going on inside you. Food and drink are not what spiritually defiles you (Romans 14:17). Yes bad food can defile your health but that isn’t what Jesus is talking about here, He is saying that those physical things have no power to defile you spiritually.

Now Jesus isn’t telling you that you can play with fire and not be burned. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned (Proverbs 6:27-28)? Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33 – ESV). It matters very much what we put into our bodies, and into our spirits. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God (1 Corinthians 6:19 – ESV)?

Watch what you eat, physically and most important, spiritually. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:8 – ESV). What He is telling you is to work on your inside first. First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean (Matthew 23:26 – ESV).