An Award

Now being humble and rather shy I am not one for awards, but on this occasion I will accept because it comes froma nice young lass. Obviously had I received an award from an ugly old man, (yes I mean you), I would have had no option but to refuse. It appears this award has been started by these chaps who wish to enlarge their collection of ‘Christian’ blogs and in this manner enhance their site. Some might say a bit of a cheek really but having had a wee look I think this one is OK. These lads are found at http://www.hwy777.com/

Their blurb is as follows.

Congratulations!

Your site has been selected to receive the “Awesome Site” award from Hwy777.com.

Please link it to:

http://www.hwy777.com/

When you have placed the award on your site, please let us know the URL of the

page it’s on and we will add your site to the winners list.

Thanks and God bless!

Nothing wrong with someone admiring your ‘work’ and wishing it to be acknowledged in my view, especially when they are right! There are many, too many, ‘Christian’ blogs on the web these days and not all of them are what I feel they ought to be. However I must pass this on to my friend ‘Mulled Vine.’ One aspect of such blogs is ‘honesty’ and this blog has it. Always worth a read, always in danger of touching a nerve, and always with a twinkle in his eye. Read it if you have missed it before.

I claim there are ‘too many Christian blogs,’ and I am right. The trouble with the web is that it allows anybody to set up a blog and spout of their ideas, good and bad. Yes I realise this means you and me, and for that reason we ought to be more thoughtful when we post. I will start that tomorrow! There are indeed too many Christian blogs and in my view far too many are poor. Most of these it must be said turn out to be American and give the impression that to be a Christian one has to be a Republican gun loving, anti abortion, Muslim hating, supporter of the troops in Iraq! This is a lie!

Now I am all in favour of being concerned for ‘our boys’ out there, but in no way can the armies in Iraq or Afghanistan be regarded as fighting a ‘Christian’ war. In fact the opposite. This is an American war for oil and to break up Iraq for Israel’s sake. There is no Christian side to it. This must be stated clearly as in some USA posts politics comes before God. It is notable that for many of these a particular view of the ‘End Times’ is being pushed forward, and we all know that while the signs tend to indicate that the end is indeed near we should not be looking for that but looking to the Lord where we are now. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Fear of the end time is not an incentive to Christian living, that comes from Love for Jesus, nothing else!

Another bone of contention lies between what I will call ‘Reformed’ and Charismatic folks. There are too many divisions to mention all the variety of names found here so we will keep it simple. On the one hand there are those who stick to the ‘Word of God’ and are not willing to allow ‘Gifts’ to operate in their churches. The word alone, discerning and preaching it are the only gifts allowed. While this is great it also fails to satisfy. For one thing this limits God to our understanding, and we know how bad that is, and even refuses to allow him by his Holy Spirit to touch his people either individually or together. We must not limit God. Fear often limits God in reformed churches. The fear that the gifts are not from God, and we have all got reason to fear this, and the fear that they are from him! The Holy Spirit exposes sin, pride is revealed and those comfortable with things as they are can be scared of the challenge that arises. Who is not afraid of such a movement of God?

The fear of the enemy is understandable and proper study must be made to recognise the difference. However, for me it is hard to accept that the devil can work miracles and wonders, which he can, while Jesus has not got this power! The Jesus Christ is Lord, not the enemy, therefore he has given gifts and we must use them.

One objection to Charismatics is the enthusiasm often seen at such meetings. Feelings and emotions can run riot and often laughter or tears flow loudly. Many object to this forgetting that the hymns written by Wesley brought the same objections. Although if I had to sing all twenty verses of ‘And Can it Be’ three times or more, as they frequently did, I would object also! We must not regard emotion as false, it is created by God then it ought to be used. For many we have hidden our emotions under a ‘stiff upper lip’ for too long. God has emotion, look them up, and ask why you cannot be emotional when the God who loves you sends his Son to die for you? If you have no emotion are you walking with God? James and John, Paul and Peter all showed emotion, why is it not allowed in church? If football fans can cry over a goal being scored why can the reformed not respond when aware of their sin or noting their forgiveness? David danced before the Lord, why don’t you? To be honest we are in danger in the UK of becoming too falsely emotional, and this does annoy me. However it is right that we should be more open about such things. God made them, lets use them!

What do we do with those blogs or churches that we disagree with? We need to check their basis of faith. Do they hold to the basic biblical doctrines? Are they seeing him and looking to follow his teaching, however badly they do this? Is it your business to deal with them? God is in charge and we need to be careful how we approach those who differ. I mean is it a cultural difference or a biblical one? If these people are ‘biblical’ in their approach then they can be regarded as brothers even if they have differences from you and I. I find most folk have differences from me by the way. If they teach non biblical doctrines we can ask ourselves if it is right to mention this. We of course may be rebutted but that’s fine.

From the beginning there have been divisions, between Jewish and Hellenic Christians, a wide variety of disputes arose in the early church and many false churches and dogmas arose. This is not new. The only answer is to search the scriptures for ourselves, much prayer, and discussion with others, and looking for the Holy Spirits leading. Sometimes I get very confused by the things I read on the web. Good people putting forward good biblical truths which on examination have a political, social, or other slant which is not truly biblical. Or maybe not to me! Some things are obviously wrong, others well worth a read, but the point of this ramble is to encourage folks to accept those who differ, yet seek biblical truth, and study the book for yourselves. Let’s face it, in the end it is your understanding that Jesus will be judging, not mine or his, but our own. Read the book, study the book, do what the book says and Love one Another, even if they are wrong.

Jesus does.