Theocentric Musings

  We have long benefited from freedom of religion, in fact freedom of many things as Christians in this country.   When the church then goes above and beyond to take away, or oppress freedoms from other peoples they are really treading on a slippery slope from being sons to being dictators.   From Christlikeness to darkness.   Christ provides freedom. Even freedom to make foolish choices, as well as a freedom from foolish choices.   Darkness provides oppression. Darkness forces it's way into your choices, and imprisons you to them.   We cannot take attributes of darkness and cover them in sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, and then call it good.   That's not the gospel, it is not the way of Jesus, and it never was.

I look at the happenings in this country with groups rising up and them and the government pointing guns at each other, and specifically the Christians that support these happenings and raising of said guns, and I see the Israelites in Jesus' time all over. Trying to overthrow the government, wanting to fight and go to war, wanting a Savior that gets all Rambo or medieval on someone's butt. It's like they aren't wise enough to have learned from what happened in AD70. Is it hard to imagine something like that happening all over again in this country? Jesus didn't come to overthrow the government, He came to change hearts. Drop your guns, and share the gospel, or pray for your government officials, and maybe you'd see real hope and change. I hate when people don't learn from history, or the bible for that matter.

It's funny the way some preach the gospel is like it's some Holy Diversion program. For those that don't know, in the legal system if you get convicted of a crime, or in the pre-trial phase they will sometimes offer a "diversion" program for an offender, where they go to some classes, do community service, or a variety of other things in lieu of going to jail or prison. People jump at the chance  simply because they don't want to go to jail, not because they necessarily want a change in their life or have it in their heart to help others, and definitely not for relationship building. I see not only preachers, but many Christians, preaching the gospel as a "get out of hell free" card or a Holy Diversion program. What a shame. It's insulting to what Jesus accomplished on the cross. I don't preach the gospel in this way. I preach the gospel as a powerful event that left not one stone unturned. I preach Father, Son, and Spirit. I don't spe...

I think the number 1 thing that affected evangelism for the worse and created all this drama that now happens when people think they are sharing the Gospel is that the church has taken a term from the bible and given it a new meaning. That word is repentance. The twisting and redefining of that word has changed the gospel from a "come as you are" to a "clean yourself up first". It took a comment from Jesus of hope and guidance and twisted it into an order or demand. Your definition of this word completely changes scripture, thoughts, words, and interpretation.

I've found that I don't have to engage in a battle with those in the world, yet I seem to be in a battle with those that claim the Gospel but preach anything but good news. I don't debate many unbelievers. What for? Would a Medical Doctor debate a patient when it comes to treatment of their life threatening cardiac arrest or would a Medical Doctor simply treat the patient? Instead of debating with someone who doesn't believe, I share Christ with them in word and, most importantly, deed. But I am happy to discuss theology with those that are going out there leading people to their version of Christ with a flawed, slanderous, hate-filled, works centered, sacrifice in the temple daily, sin focused, calling good evil and evil good, un-restful, powerless, exclusionary, judgmental, us against them, un-healing sickness keeping message.