A Way Forward – Staff & Stones

A WAY FOWARD

…It matters not what man is doing, has done, or will do, but that God has ordained all things to come in His time…
…and it was in the fullness of time that God revealed His Son…

The world in which we currently find ourselves is in a precarious (or uncertain) season. If you are like the majority of Americans (meaning you have a TV, a computer, a smart phone, or access thereto) you are receiving a plethora of information that comes to you often without due consideration, query, or concern.

In other words, sound byte news, 3 minute downloads, and headlines are an acceptable means by which attitudes, opinions, decisions, and lifestyles can and will be made and shaped. Consider—for instance—the fashion portal, the political portal, the news portal, or the sports portal—each utilizing strategic, researched, and masterfully crafted means and mediums to attract, keep, and conform every and all to their agenda. This, in my opinion, is not a conspiracy, but an outworking and a response to the desires of the culture. In other words, our culture has, in large part, wanted, accepted, allowed, and even demanded this life of inundation.

The effects? In many ways, but not all: busy, distracted, diluted, glutted, desensitized, demoralized, and in a one summarizing word—entertained. The mere thought of elaborated discourses on any given subject causes us to shift in our seats wondering when this so-called exchange will end so we can check the latest feed, Instagram pic, text, or route our uber pickup vehicle.

The result? We are both wildly efficient and effective, but in most cases not at the same time. In other words, we have the opportunity to succeed in more wrong things than ever before!

How is one to think, to speak, to act in this contemporary cultural scenario? Should we despair? Should one become bitter? Should one blame? What should one do—or rather BE?!

It is in this moment among the competing voices that a clarion call must sound forth. It must be more than a whimper; no, it must be more persuasive than the Sirens call, it must be more authoritative than the age of reason, it must be more decisive than the empiricism of science, it must even be more accessible than the smart phone in our pockets, but most importantly it must be unwaveringly and unapologetically consistent with orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice) founded upon an absolute—the Word of God. Without these two building blocks—the message and the life—the speaker will be silenced.

Thus, the message (voice and life) must be loud… it must be clear… and it must be both inexorably and tenaciously effective. Moreover, it must be based on (as previously mentioned) an immovable foundation—the Word of God. There is a tension, however, that this message must maintain—at the same time of having an offended and courageous resolve of David as he approached the Philistine Goliath, it must have the love and grace of Christ… Let’s recount these two examples…

1 Samuel 17 ”10 Again the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together.” 24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. 25 The men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. 26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying…who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” 32 David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 Then Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

Who is the Philistine in our age? The spiritual powers of darkness—Ephesians 6
Who is David in our age? The regenerated Christian—born-again believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ—in whose confidence stands only upon the work of Christ in them.

John 8 “2 Early in the morning He came again into the temple…the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, 4 they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 9 When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. 10 Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Who is the Pharisee in our age? Anyone who puts a legal yoke for salvation on the back of anyone…rejects them and walks by them as though they are laying on road…
Who is Woman in our age? Anyone who needs forgiveness and a Savior…All of us!

We must live in this tension, TRUTH & GRACE! It is impossible—thus, it must be supernatural!

Well, after the Supreme Court’s decision on June 26, 2015 (to allow for equal marriage protection under the Constitution for homosexual couples), we find ourselves in a position (as Al Mohler put it) “where everything has changed, but in many ways everything is still the same.”

So, we will find our way forward by putting forth a proposition: “We (Christians) have veered off the Ancient Paths and the Good way, and we need a clarion call built upon the Word of God (Orthodoxy) and a godly life (Orthopraxy) to guide us back.”

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it…”

We will find the good way by asking THREE basic questions, and then we will seek to answer them biblically and practically. It is at this point also that we are forced to admit a presupposition: an admission that we, as Christians have stepped off the good way, and thus we are lost—the culture will not admit this…it must be the Christian!

How did we get WHERE we are today? In other words, we must make an honest and critical attempt to retrace our steps to our current situation… (establish coordinates)
WHAT are we to do to reestablish direction?
WHY should we engage?

Incidentally, I firmly believe that the HOW and the WHEN will answer themselves as these 3 questions are appropriately addressed.

The guiding principles in this discourse are two-fold—A WILLINGNESS:

NOT TO accept our lostness:

That’s a defeatist mentality
That’s a procrastinator mentality
That’s an apathetic mentality
That’s a turn a blind eye mentality

TO find our way:

That’s biblical
That’s practical
That’s leaving a legacy
That’s our responsibility

Why would it be important that we need A WILLINGNESS in order to find our way?

I remember the first time I was lost in the mall… That sinking feeling children often when they’re lost sit down and cry…
But we can do this as adults as well…can’t we? Survival story of the hunting guide in Africa…

THE FIRST QUESTION: How did we get WHERE we are today?

Let me first address this question by bringing back the phrase that I heard Al Mohler say regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling, “…everything has changed, but in many ways everything is still the same.”

How might these two realities existed together?

As to the first point that everything has changed, we now have a redefinition of marriage as understood in the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. The Civil Right to marry has now been granted to those who practice abominable acts of fornication and sodomy. For the Christian, with a correct biblical hermeneutic regarding the definition of the marriage institution as given by God, this new redefinition as given by Magistrates of the Land (Romans 13)—US Supreme Court, is a gross and unnatural (to put it lightly) modern manipulation of Civil Rights. Therefore, this new definition moving from an understanding of God’s decree for marriage to now being defined by secular man has thus, in a phrase, caused “everything to change.”

However, to demonstrate the second aspect of Mohler’s comment (that everything is still the same, and I would add: perhaps even better than it has ever been before), we will stay briefly in the discussion of Civil Rights, AT THE SAME TIME, ask from whose context are you surveying the history? We’ll look briefly from an african american’s and woman’s perspective. [The point that everything is still the same and even better could also be defended by a simple examination of Church History.]

Thus, taking for example Civil Rights from a small slice of American history—the dawn of the 20th century to today. Any african american born into this country before 1945 (and who is still alive today) would say that we are in the best days of America. They vividly remember drinking from a separate fountain…riding on the public passages in a designated location, they will still recall not being afforded the right to vote, and being segregated in education. Take another example, women—same time period—the United States in the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote at the end of the war. That was approved in 1920.

Now, I realize that anyone supporter of same-sex marriage (this new redefinition of marriage) and its inclusion as a Civil Right would argue that they are heroically fighting to defend their civil rights…

To that statement, I would simple ask the question: what is your right based upon? If you were to say, on my understanding of Scripture, I would simply show you through a correct hermeneutic (interpretation) that you are wrong (The Bible affirms that marriage is between a man and a woman (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:18-25; Malachi 2:15; Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-9) and that homosexual practice is sin (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10; Jude 7), but a sin from which we can be washed clean (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Therefore, their defense must simply be based upon desires defined by an outside moral authority. They must only stand upon a redefined ethic and morality derived from a non-absolute authority. Thus, when one removes the absolute authority (the Christian would say God through His Word), one is only left with the privilege or opportunity to redefine any moral principle based upon the majority of a culture… Therefore, their defense that this is a civil right is only true in the sense that the US Supreme Court abandoned the absolute Authority—the Word—and utilized a moral majority to make their decision.

Roberts’ Dissenting Opinion “this Court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us. Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what the law is, not what it should be. The people who ratified the Constitution authorized courts to exercise “neither force nor will but merely judgment.” The majority (opinion) expressly disclaims judicial “caution” and omits even a pretense of humility, openly relying on its desire to remake society according to its own “new insight” into the “nature of injustice.” Ante, at 11, 23. As a result, the Court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half the States and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia, for the Kalahari Bushmen and the Han Chinese, the Carthaginians and the Aztecs. Just who do we think we are? Petitioners and their amici (advisers) base their arguments on the “right to marry” and the imperative of “marriage equality.” There is no serious dispute that, under our precedents, the Constitution protects a right to marry and requires States to apply their marriage laws equally. The real question in these cases is what constitutes “marriage,” or—more precisely—who decides what constitutes “marriage”? The majority (opinion) largely ignores these questions, relegating ages of human experience with marriage to a paragraph or two. Even if history and precedent are not “the end” of these cases, ante, at 4, I would not “sweep away what has so long been settled” without showing greater respect for all that preceded us.”
It’s interesting to point out that in a recent study, Pew Research has found support that Same-Sex Marriage dramatically increased–while key segments remain opposed. Main point ~ support for same-sex marriage has increased by approximately 35% in 5 years.

I would also make a clear distinction that the previous two aforementioned Civil Rights examples regarding african americans and women were built upon a foundation that was fundamentally made on a correct understanding of Imago Dei. For a human with a different skin color and a women because of gender to be segregated, separated, and stymied by the government is race and gender superiority and directly contradicts the gospel and Imago Dei.

Now, let’s transition outside the political realm, and move into the realm of the Christian’s religious experience—this is a transition we must make…

This very day, if one stepped outside of our country, and placed oneself in the context and sphere of the Christians in Syria or Iraq—one would find themselves in fear for their lives—under constant threat from an ISIS muslim militant mob bent on destruction and domination.

Each of these examples should evoke many questions in the mind of any reasonable person. And thus, how do we find the Ancient Paths and Good Way and therein deliver the Clarion Call of Truth & Grace?

Back to the first question:

How did we get WHERE we are today??? In other words, we must retrace our steps to our current situation…

We answer this question by first asking “HOW WILL ONE EVER TRULY KNOW?”

The only way for one to know where one resides is to have a form of communication that establishes such realities. And the form of communication must be the Archetype and the absolute basis for dissemination, reception, and understanding of communication. And the only qualifying Archetype of all communication is the God Himself. We understand this to be the very Word of God Himself—the 2nd Person in the Trinity, Jesus Christ.

BEGINNING – Life ex nihilo “out of nothing”

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”
Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”
Genesis 1 “Then God said…then God said…then God said…then God said…

MIDDLE

Colossians 1:17 “…in Him all things hold together.”
Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

END

Revelation 19:11-16 “11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. … 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

So, we established that any understanding of location, must begin with coordinates. Establishing our coordinates in this case began by establishing the fact that we will only know true coordinates by going back to the only Coordinate giver—God Himself. Now that this is established—that God created communication, holds it up, and will destroy by it—we can move into understanding our position in light of His supreme allowance for us to know.

Thus, if God is the giver of communication, one is obligated to seek to know where and what He communicated. As to where God communicated, the Christian believes is in the Bible. [I will delay a discourse on why the Bible is where God chose to communicate for another time]. Thus, to answer what God communicated, we move to an examination of the Bible.

It is at this point, that the meta-narrative of the Bible will serve us well. To understand the meta-narrative, we must ask certain questions:

What is thesis of the overarching message God is wanting to communicate to us through the Bible?

The message is GOD’S GLORY…
- What is God’s Glory? This is the praise, worship, and adoration that He has always received, currently receives, and will always receive for eternity.
- How is God’s glory revealed?
It is most evidently revealed through GRACE…
- What is GRACE? This is the granting or giving of underserved favor or blessing….
- The key in this definition is undeserved…
- What about the glory of God requires Grace to be revealed?
This would be called SIN…
- Sin is missing the mark or rebelling/disobeying God’s Word with a high hand…
- How is God GLORIFIED by extending GRACE to those who have SINNED, currently SIN, and will SIN?
This is through REDEMPTION…
- What is redemption? This is the bridge or remedy for reconciling the Holy God and sinful people. It simply means to buy back with a payment (ransom)…Mark 10:45…
- God cannot wink at sin and just over look man’s offense. No, that would be against the character of God [holiness and justice]. So God must intervene and bridge or reconcile man to Himself.

So, the meta-narrative of the Bible is the glory of God revealed through grace given as a result of man’s sin that is realized through redemption.

HOW DID ALL OF THIS BEGIN?

It begins at the beginning of time—Genesis 1…

Creation

There are Adam and Eve–created in the Image of God: favor…
There are the beautiful sights, sounds, and life of the creation…
There is fellowship with God…walking about in the cool of the day…
There is a command—an injunction that must be maintained…
There is a serpent distorting the message and communication of God…
There is Eve considering this alternative message…
There is Adam standing by…
There is a decision, followed by and act—SIN enters the world…
There is shame, isolation, manipulation. God: “…Adam where are you…” Adam: “…the woman—You gave me…”
There is a deceiver desiring evil…there is God taking what was evil and using it for good…
Thus, there is SPECIAL GRACE and redemption—an animal’s blood to cover their nakedness and shame…
There are children—still in the image of God, but now cursed with a heredity and imputation of sin…
There is a sacrifice that is acceptable and one that is not…
There is hate…there is jealously…there is blood and death…
There is sin manifesting itself in its most primitive and honest form—I AM THE RULER OF MY DESTINY—I AM THE CAPTAIN OF MY SHIP, THE MASTER OF MY FATE—I AM…GOD, I CAN TAKE LIFE WHEN I WANT…
There is God…in Genesis 4, calling to account, “what have you done? Listen! THE VOICE OF YOUR BROTHER’S BLOOD IS CRYING TO ME FROM THE GROUND…”
There is a seed, Seth is born to Adam and Eve…then after several generations, Noah…
There is sin increasing and spreading…
There is COMMON GRACE given through the rise of civilization and rulers…
There is a promise in Genesis 7 of grace given to Noah and 7 others…
Then there is destruction…God is glorified—followed by Genesis 9—a promise to not destroy in the same way…
Then there is a repopulation of the earth…

Patriarchs

There is a man called from Ur of Chaldees, not chosen for his righteousness, but by the grace of God for His glory…
There is a promise given to Abraham in Genesis 12, 13, 17, 19—Look to the north, the south, the east, the west… I will give you this land, make you a great people, make you a blessing to all nations…
There are children—12 of them…
There is evil against one of the brothers—Joseph; however, what they meant for evil, God used for good…
There is a sojourn in Egypt—the Israelites grow in blessing and number…
There is a forgetful Pharaoh who persecutes the Israelites and makes them slaves…
There is a child born—of the tribe of Levi—sent down a river to his death…
There is Pharaoh’s daughter drawing Moses out of the water…Grace, redemption–the glory of God…
There is Moses standing by as his people are destroyed…until he too kills a man and flees…
There is Moses in the desert, a shepherd—and God appears to Him in a burning bush…
There is God telling Moses to set His people free…
There is Moses doubting himself, doubting God, but still God using Him…
There is Aaron his brother coming alongside him to lead the captive Israelites out of Egypt…
There are 10 plagues given to make the release final…
There is the last plague—the slaying of the first-born who are not protected by the lamb’s blood over the doorpost…

Exodus

There are the Israelites wandering in the desert…
There is God ordering the tribes…
There is grumbling…
There is a spy expedition that returns in fear—expect for 2 young Israelites…
There is the curse given to that generation—40 more years of wandering…
There is the golden calf—man making for himself an idol—sin of sins…
There are the 10 commandments—God’s law given to man…
There is Moses disobeying God and striking the rock—not being able to enter the land…
There is the tabernacle and God’s providing a way to fellowship with Him…
There is Moses given the instructions to teach God’s truth to their children…

Conquest

There is Joshua taking the promised land…
There are people doing what is right in their own eyes…

Judges

There are judges rising up to maintain the precepts of God—7 cycles of blessing and sinful destruction…
There is a faithful widow Moabite Ruth to her mother-in-law widow Naomi…
There is the line of Judah continued—the promised line of Messiah…
There is Eli and Samuel…Samuel being called by God…
There is the sin of Samuel’s sons and the cry for a King just like the Gentiles…
There is Saul…and the decrees of God…
There is David…a shepherd boy…
There is Saul going into battle (missing the mark) by offering a sacrifice to God without Samuel…
There is the blessing removed from Saul and given to David…
There is Saul spiraling out of control meeting with the witch of Endor—an act he previously outlawed…

Kingdom

There is David uniting the Kingdom…
There is sin…death and adultery—and resulting punishment…
There is the wisest man on earth taking over 700 wives and concubines, not abiding by Deut. 17—laws for kings…
There is the prideful son dividing the Kingdom and Jereboam taking 10 tribes north…
There are two alters for sacrifice placed in Dan and Bethel—a complete rebellion to God’s decree for sacrifice to be only in Jerusalem…
There are lines of evil and good kings (but only a few in the Southern kingdom)…
There is God speaking through the prophets who are writing…return to the ways of God…
There is the Assyrian captivity in 722 BC and the destruction of the northern Kingdom..
There is God again speaking through the prophets who are writing…return to the ways of God…
There is Babylonian captivity beginning with Daniel in 605 BC to Babylon…
There is the faithful Daniel and his 3 companions…
There is the Babylonian destruction of the Southern Kingdom in 586 BC…
There is Daniel faithful in the face of persecution and decrees of kings who oppose God…

Exile

There is the 70 years of captivity…

Return

There is God moving Cyrus—King of Persia to let Zerubbabel return to Jerusalem…
There is the building of their own paneled houses and the neglect of God’s temple…Haggai and Zechariah admonishing and exhorting…
There is Esther and Mordecai in the face of Haman and Xerxes…
There is the temple being rebuilt…
There is Ezra reading the law and revival breaking out in the land…
There is Nehemiah rebuilding the wall in 50 something days…

Silence

There is silence and the warring of the Maccabees…
There is the establishment of the Saduccees and Pharisees…

Gospel

There is the Angel appearing Zachariah—then to Mary—then to Joseph…
There is the birth of the Baptist…
There is a virgin conception…
There is a consensus called by Herod…
There is pregnant mother and desperate step-father with no where to birth the Christ-child…
There is a stable next to an inn—the dirt, the grime, the animals…the trough…
There are the shepherds encountered by Angels…singing out–glory to God in the highest and on earth peace—for unto you this day, in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you, and His name is Christ the Lord….
There is the agony of a mother in birth, and then the cry of a baby…THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH…
There is the proud step-father and mother…
There is the star in the East…
There is the Christ-child there fleeing to Egypt and then to Nazareth…
There Christ is growing in wisdom and stature…
There is the Baptist crying out in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord…repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand…
There is Christ the God-man, the 2nd person in the Trinity walking to the Baptist there in the Jordan…an act of utter humiliation…
There is the Baptist shying away from such a task—and Christ assuring him that it is the will of God…
There is Christ receiving baptism in the Jordan…
There is the Spirit falling down and the Father speaking out…”this is My beloved Son…”
There is Christ being led into the wilderness fasting for 40 days…
There is the serpent of old…twisting Scripture and Christ redirecting Scripture…
There are the angels ministering to Christ after the deceiver leaves…
There is Christ preaching repent—believe the Gospel…
There is Nicodemas, the teacher of the law asking about eternal life—Christ saying you must be born again…
There is the woman at the well—Christ offering her the opportunity to never thirst again…
There are the healings, the miracles, the feeding of the 5,000, the sermon on the mount…
There is the raising of the Dead—Lazarath come forth…
There is the upper room discourse—Jesus washing the feet of His disciples…even the one by whom He would be betrayed…
There is the High Priestly prayer—Father, make them one even as We are One…
There is the Passion week…
The most unassuming coronation for the King of the universe…blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord…Hosanna…
There are prophecies after prophecies fulfilled…
There is the prayer in the Garden…
There are the disciples asleep…
There is the kiss of betrayal…
There is the abandonment of his disciples…
There is Christ alone brought to a botched trial, convicted for crimes He didn’t commit….
There is the sinner murder set free while the Creator of the world is sentenced to crucifixion…
There are the Jews crying out… “His blood be on us and our children”…
There is the cross…the agony…the pain…the suffering…the blood…
There are the criminals mocking…scorning along with the rest of the onlookers…
There is the one thief turning to Christ…remember me…Today, you will be with me in Paradise…
There is dereliction…the separation… “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”…
There is silence…then “It is finished…” Colossians 2…
There is the earthquake…the temple veil split in two…
There is the centurion “Surely this was the Son of God…”
There is Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross…
There is his body falling upon them…staining them in His blood…making them ceremonial unclean….
There is the tomb…the seal…the guards…
There is Mary going and seeing…it is empty…
There are Peter and John testifying…
There is Christ appearing to them, Thomas, the walkers toward Emmaus…
There is the forgiveness of Peter…
There is the promise of the Holy Spirit…you will be My witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth…
There is Christ ascending into the Heavens…

Church

There are the 120 gathered in the upper room praying…
There is the Spirit falling upon them on the day of Pentecost…
There are tongues given speaking in languages that understand the works of God….
There is Peter preaching…5,000 souls saved…
There are Peter and John walking along the temple courts and healing the lame man at the beautiful gate…
There is Peter preaching at Solomon’s portico…
There is the arrest of Peter and John…the release with the command to never preach Christ…the response that they never stopped preaching or proclaiming Christ…
There is sin in the church—racism—Hellenistic or Greek Jewish widows were not being served food…
There is wisdom and delegation…
There is the first Christian martyr…Stephen…there is the young Saul holding the coats for the stoning….
There is Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus to decimate the ‘Way’–Christians…
There is the conversion of Cornelius and the council to confirm Gentiles into the church…
There are 3 missionary journeys and then Paul’s imprisonment…
There are churches being planted, elders appointed, and growth north from Jerusalem, into Antioch, Asia Minor, across Troas, into Macedonia, and through Thessalonica into Greece and Rome…
There are letters written by the Apostles and Prophets inspired by the Holy Spirit being passed around to the various churches…
There are heresies and false Christ’s rising up…
There is martyrdom and witnesses through blood to the message of Jesus Christ…
There are the Apostles and Prophets passing on what they learned to new disciples…
There is Polycarp, Ignatious, Clement of Rome, Papias, and other Patristic fathers…
There is the Didache, the martyrdom of Polycarp, and the witness of countless blood lettings upon the Christians who will not deny their faith in the 100s to 200s AD…
There is Rome changing…persecuting…and the church growing through the blood of her martyrs testifying to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ…
There is Constantine and the Edict of Milan in 313AD…
There is the Arian heresy and the council of Nicaea in 325AD…
There is the council of Constantinople in 381AD repudiating more heresy and confirming Nicene Creed…
There is Augustine writing his Confessions and the City of God in 400s AD…
There is the fall of Rome in 410 and finally in 455AD…
There is the founding of Islam in 622AD…
There is Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire established in 8th century AD…
There is the Filioquy controversy and the E/W schism in 1054AD…
There is rise of Scholasticism and the rise of Monasticism (religious orders)…then Universities…Humanism…
There is the establishment of the Anglican church…under Cramner…in 1500s…
There is the 95 Theses on October 31, 1517 nailed to the Wittenberg door…
There is the reformation—Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Bullinger…
There is the counterreformation and blood letting…
There are the Anabaptists, and many schism breaking forth…
There is the Dutch reformed church…
There are the Pilgrims seeking a new land to practice their religious beliefs…
There is John Wesley and Whitfield…
There is the Revolution of 1776…
There is slavery spreading and its practiced fought for in the Civil War of 1863…
There age of enlightenment invaded the church…science and reason replaced faith…
There is liberalism in the Church…
There are more denominations…
There is the first WW, then the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote…
There is the rise of Hitler…6,000,000 Jews and others killed in the Holocaust…
There is the civil rights movement and the African American is given their rights under the constitution…
There is the Roe vs. Wade ruling that allowed for the innocent children in the womb of a mother to be mutilated and killed based upon a right to choose…
There is the 70s Jesus Movement…
There is DBC launched in ~1976…
There is the Persian Gulf war in the 90’s…
There is the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001…
There is the Afghanistan and Iraq war…
There is escalation and the acceptance of liberalism in the churches…
There is the rise of homosexual marriages across the country and the world…
There is the Supreme Court of the USA voting on June 26, 2015 allowing for the redefinition of marriage and protection granted to such marriages under the 14th amendment…

So one sees that throughout history…what has always been meant for evil, used for evil, intended for evil, God has worked, currently works, and will work for good. It is a message of the Glory of God revealed through the grace of God extended to a sinful people through the redemption of God…

How does He do it?

Through the Word…reaching the minds of men…
Through His Holy Spirit quickening the hearts of men…

So the logical outworking of this promise is that I would invest all of my time all of my life into the understanding meditation and memorization upon that which will not fail… The word of God…

THE SECOND QUESTION: WHAT are we to do to reestablish direction?

The answer to this question simply is the outworking of a mind and heart set on a focal point.

(Story about swimming in the Ironman — fixed upon an immovable object!)

WE GO BACK! Ad Fontes! To the Source! TO THE ANCIENT PATHS—THE GOOD WAY

I will “…stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it” (Jer. 6:16)

It must begin by PRIORITIZING:

God’s Word
1. “…meditating on His Word day and night…finding that He causes [our] leaves to remain and not wither and fruit to be borne in season…” (Ps. 1)
2. “…Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path…” (Ps. 119:105)
Prayer
1. “…communing with Him and seeking His face…” (Ps. 27)
God’s People –
1. “…do not forsake the assembling…” (Hebrews 10:25)

Colossians 1:9-12 “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the [k]knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, [l]to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and [m]increasing in the [n]knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to [o]His glorious might, [p]for the attaining of all steadfastness and [q]patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us [r]to share in the inheritance of the [s]saints in Light.”

Colossians 3:1-11 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God…

THEN FOCUS THE FOLLOWING THREE ASPECTS OF LIFE:

YOUR Attitude

How many survival stories have you heard where a loss of direction led to distraction that led to discouragement that led to despondency that ultimately led to despair?
The mind must be engaged and must inform the heart of Truth…in the case of direction, it must remind itself of realities not hyperbolic hopeless possibilities…

YOUR Action

Without the right attitude, one may still act, but often the action is in desperation…
There must be discernment based upon Truth (only found in God’s Word) that leads to right action…
What’s the difference between effective and efficient…?
Effective is doing the right things…efficient is doing them well…
What comes first? Effectiveness.
Story of leaning your ladder on the wrong building…you may reach the top only to find you scaled the wrong tower…

YOUR Awareness

As one begins to move down the Ancient Paths and Good Way, one must be aware of his/her surroundings.
There are many traps, trips, travails, and temptations along the path. Many opportunities to step off again.
Back to the story of swimming in the Ironman…how do you stay in a straight line?
Fix your eyes on a point out in the distance…
So too must our eyes, minds, hearts be set upon the immovable external point…
What is that? The Word of God…
Colossians 3…

THE THIRD QUESTION: WHY should we engage?

The answer to this question is taken from the meta-narrative of the Bible…for God’s Glory…
The reality of a heaven and the reality of a hell must lead us to share the good news of the Gospel…
There must be a love that is felt for the lostness of man, a desire to share it, and then a trust in God to bring it to completion…
[Story about running on Saturday, June 27th and running past Grace on Carroll right next to Kroger—sharing about John 4—b/c of thirst—and Ephesians 2]

…THE HOW AND THE WHEN ARE RESOLVED AS ONE ANSWERS THE WHERE, THE WHAT, AND THE WHY…

The GOSPEL:

LOOK at yourself… Listen to your mind, look at your hands, retrace the steps of your feet…do you see the sin stain on your hands–left in your wake? (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12, Isaiah 53:6, Ephesians 2:1-3, Romans 6:23)
LOOK to Christ: see His life-perfection look at the cross to death, the resurrection, the power over the grave—listen to Him saying: “I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the Father but by Me…(John 14:6)” See Him as your Substitute offering His life as a sacrifice that only God would accept to pay for your sin…(1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Romans 5:8, Romans 4:25, 2 Corinthians 5:21). See Him there–believe…believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross–He died for you…(John 3:16, John 3:36, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:4-5).
- Do you believe that? He died to be the Lord of your life…do you know that? There is no other way to God the Father–do you believe in Christ’s work on your behalf to be sufficient? By grace through faith…believe and be saved…!

“…And to the conflict came, He triumphed, He prevailed The Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed…” -Martin Lloyd Jones

“…Glory be to God the Father, Glory be to God the Son, Glory be to God the Spirit, Great Jehovah, Three in One! Glory, glory, glory, glory, While eternal ages run! Glory be to Him who loved us, Washed us from each spot and stain!” – Horatius Bonar

Whereas the culture will congratulate, I will confess…my sins and the sins of my nation.
Whereas the culture will roister, I will recognize and repent of the functional idols that my heart has worshipped besides the Triune God.
Whereas the culture will rejoice, I too will rejoice…albeit only in the Lord—for He is good.
Whereas the culture will rally, I will rethink how to bear out the gospel of Jesus Christ: each of the sin causing, bloody and humiliating, wrath satisfying, death defying aspects of the gospel.
Whereas the culture will praise self expression, I will pray for the spirit of this age to be dispelled by the piercing and powerful message of the promise of eternal life by grace through faith in the the finished, substitutionary, propitiating, and atoning work of Jesus Christ.
Whereas the culture will scoff, I will stand…on the foundation of the inerrancy of the Bible, the sufficiency of the Bible for every facet of life, the relevance of the Bible for every age and season, and the power of the Triune God that inspired the men to write the 66 books of canon for the building up of His body and the saving of His elect.
Whereas the culture will justify their desires, I will preach justification by grace through faith in Christ, as well as sanctification and the conforming work of the Holy Spirit upon each adopted son or daughter in the beloved to the image of Jesus Christ—not this world.
Whereas the culture will gather around baseless morals & ethics, I will gather with the saints in local body of His Church—to edify, encourage, and build one another up from the foundation established upon the Truth of His Word.

— June 29, 2015