Enough…

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way…
[Isaiah 53:6]

The Jewish prophet Isaiah wrote this sometime around 700BC. I think that was also around the time that I made the last post on this blog.

However the drought is over. I am no longer going to keep quiet for the sake of a false peace. Starting tomorrow (November 1st, 2011) I am planning to post something at least six times each week. There is so much to say, and so little time to say it.

I am going to begin this hopefully permanent flurry of activity by explaining why the Bible refers to us as sheep, and what it means to have gone astray.

And then I am going to talk about the wolves that have infiltrated the flock. God’s flock.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
[Acts 20:28-30]

He doesn’t like it when wolves masquerading as shepherds attack His sheep.

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds”, declares the LORD.
[Jeremiah 23:1-2]

“Wail, you shepherds, and cry out, and roll in ashes, you lords of the flock, for the days of your slaughter and dispersion have come, and you shall fall like a choice vessel. No refuge will remain for the shepherds, nor escape for the lords of the flock. A voice–the cry of the shepherds, and the wail of the lords of the flock! For the LORD is laying waste their pasture, and the peaceful folds are devastated because of the fierce anger of the LORD. Like a lion he has left his lair, for their land has become a waste because of the sword of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.”
[Jeremiah 25:34-38]

Of course, much of the trouble with contemporary Christianity cannot be blamed on the leaders of the churches. We are all responsible before God for our own actions, thoughts, speech and attitudes. We have all – with few exceptions – become lazy sheep, lounging around in the swampy pasture beside stagnant water. We think we can cuddle up with the world – join in with its pagan, occultic pastimes such as Halloween, or its twisted ‘holy’ days such as All Saints Day – and avoid any negative consequences.

We can’t.

Enough.

I am subject…

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

[ 1 Peter 5:5, ESV ]

Before I continue this blog, or more specifically before I use it to present things that may be offensive, controversial or even divisive, I need to briefly underline the fact that I do not, and will never, see myself as being some sort of lone voice in the wilderness. I do not for a moment think that I am the only one who has an insight into what is going on in the church and in the world, and I am certainly not wanting to give the impression that I am out to bring anything or anyone ‘down’. As has been lovingly pointed out to me by various people already, Christians are all charged with the task of helping to edify the Body of Christ. We are to be loving, generous, supportive and constructive.

It is easy to look at what I have been saying recently and come to the conclusion that I am anything but focused on those things.

Ultimately, I believe that I have been called to bring some issues to the attention of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to the attention of anyone else who is interested. The very nature of these issues means that a lot of my time is going to be spent talking about error, false teaching, and yes – false teachers. But I have to do that in a way that always gives the ultimate attention to the wonderful truth that I believe.

That truth is Jesus Christ. It is who He is. It is what He has done. It is what he is going to do in the future….

And it is what He is doing now.

Jesus Christ is the head of the Christian church. He is the only Pastor that His church needs. The Biblical description of the church actually tells us that the church is His body. The church is His bride. These may be strange concepts to even some Christians, but I believe that these concepts are Biblical. I also believe in the Biblical form of church leadership that places the responsibility for the health and direction of a local assembly of Christians under a group of elders. And, I believe that I am directly subject to these elders, who in turn are responsible before Christ for the way in which they lead the local Christians.

Therefore I want to make it clear that if anything I write on this blog is determined to be in error, or to be in any way undesirable, by the elders I am subject to –  I will stop or change or otherwise modify what I am doing at their request.

Here is a link to more information about this topic:

Biblical Eldership

It is true that this blog, and my Facebook page for that matter, are not church related ministries as such. But because of the subject matter and possible audience for what I am going to be writing, I willingly place myself and this blog under the authority of my local elders. Those who know me ‘in real life’ will know who to contact if they are in any way concerned about my writing or the tone of what I say. My desire of course is to be directly submissive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but part of that is being subject to the local church leadership.

As a Christian, I am called to lose my life and abide in Christ as the ‘Vine’ from which all real life flows. I am a branch on that vine, and have no life of my own if I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.

I pray that I have no life of my own, and that I am genuinely doing what I am doing for the glory of God and the precious name of Jesus.

He is all that matters.