Our Lazarus’ Tomb Moment

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4 responses to “Our Lazarus’ Tomb Moment”

1. 

   arnoldfishman

   July 21, 2022

   Steve, I think the answer is the church of Christ needs to get back in touch with the word of God from the old testament and the way God works both then and today–pastors and systematic theologians used to call it “knowing the ways of God”.

   Heard a truncated preaching message by a pastor today who claims that there is only 3 kinds of God’s responses towards Christians when they have wrong behaviour: 1) forgiveness;2) (sorry forgot the second one); and 3) consequences to your actions. He specifically indicated that a Christian cannot be “punished” for their actions because Christ took their sins away once for all time. There is no such thing as legitimate “guilt” for a Christian. No mention of personal judgment if a person decides to ignore the Word…no mention of national judgment. This is a distorted view of God’s grace for New Testament times that says our world fundamentally changed at the Cross and that the old testament is basically done away with and that only the New Testament provides insight and revealing the Ways of God. I think thats just bunkem and why I believe that America is heading towards an absolute unparalleled disaster because we dont believe God can be angry with us. And when it happens, Christians like on 911 are going to look up and ask where is God and why did this happen. My 2 cents Steve.

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   1. 

      stevekerp

      July 21, 2022

      Hi, Arnie –

      I always appreciate your insights. I’d guess #2 above would be that God would, by His Spirit, re-direct the Christian. Not sure if that’s what the pastor said, but I think it’s consistent with scripture.

      One problem, that Tozer pointed out, is that the church is making theologians instead of disciples. Not exactly how he phrased it, but along those lines. I’ve observed something similar, reflected in my oft-repeated comment that the Bema Seat is not a written test. But Christians seem focused on head knowledge of the Bible instead of heart knowledge of the Savior. Hence the Matthew 7:23 crowd. Busy with “Christian” works and they know a lot ABOUT Jesus, but they don’t know Him and He does not know them. Or the Laodiceans, who were “rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing” and don’t realize their pathetic poverty.

      The question, of course, is “what can we do about it?” I don’t know, and I don’t know anybody who DOES know. I try to impact the folks around me, but this is not an “accept Jesus” message for the sake of the sinner. Jesus Christ is Lord – and if folks aren’t interested in His Lordship, that’s between them and Jesus. But He is not a means to an end. And I doubt that most of the self-identified “Christians” I know have thought this through, or are even interested in doing so. “Too much good stuff on TV now; that Bible stuff can wait.” But it really can’t.

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      1. 

         arnoldfishman

         July 21, 2022

         Steve, on a side-bar regards to theologians. Dietrich Bohnhoeffer might argue we need both theologians and of course disciples and disciplemakers. of course a disciple does not need to understand systematic theology to be an effective disciple–just hearing and obeying. Bohnhoeffer’s writings are complex as a theologian and challenged the status quo of his day, but as a man committed to discipleship, he greatly affected the church forever. And his sacrificial life and laying down his life for the Lord and for Church and Jewish people shines a great testimony on the value of good theology when its applied by faith. He was able to translate his theology into clear action. Many questions about Bohnhoeffer and how much he “knew” the Lord vs good head knowledge and doctrine–ie “what would Jesus do…”. But it seems like in his sufferings and writings, the “knowing” the Lord seems like it verifies his living faith.

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2. 

   stevekerp

   July 21, 2022

   I don’t think it’s either/or between theology and discipleship. What I AM saying is that true discipleship – the cultivation of the fruit of the Spirit – has been generally shunted aside in the American church because our “church leaders” are seminary grads and are primarily theologians, so they bring to the church experience all that they have, which is theology. Not a broad brush, but let’s face it: the church is supposed to inform the conscience of the culture. Our way of “doing church” has not retarded the decay of America. It’s been downhill all the way since the early 60s. We have to ask: WHY?? Why do we have self-identified “Christians” voting for people like Biden and Obama, who have made no secret of their love of the “woman’s right” to kill their children. The Democrats have made no secret of their support for child killing, and you can see the bumper stickers on the cars of their supporters in church parking lots all across the country.

   As a matter of theology, most of these Dem-Christians reject murder, but as a matter of discipline, they don’t want to get involved. Hence the sodomites are out of the closets and the Christians are being pushed in. Hence Tranny Story Hour in churches. Hence sodomites in pulpits. Stan wonders – and we do – if these folks are sleeping and need to be awakened … or if they’re spiritually dead.

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