Interesting Stats about this Blog's Readership

Since I have added Technorati tags I have notice more traffic. Not much more but it seems that in the past I was consistently having about 30 visitors a day. Now it seems to be moving up to around 40 or more. As of tonight I am at 50 visitors in just to day and I still have about 3 hour left. The highest day was around Thanksgivings last year as I had over 90 visitors... Mostly they were looking for a thanksgivings turkey game i had linked to. So, so much for think it was all about me! LOL! Truthfully this blog is not meant to be just about me. Yes, it is about my walk and discovering how to walk out my faith in the Postmodern age, but more it is about sharing this experience both good and bad with others who are on a similar track. It is amazing how many of you may not post, yet email me personally to share your experiences and pains and joys in your journey. There is a great blessing to be able to pray with you and encourage one another.

I just wanted to share some of these stats... Just to let you know how this little blog, which I never thought would be anything, (which in comparison to some others is not much at all, and i even confess feeling foolish to even try... So I won't... I have found there is danger in that anyway as we tend to focus on keeping up and trying to impress, and losing sight of what our focus should be. So here they are:

Stats are pretty interesting. As for the last month or the 18th to the 18th in this case I have had about 22 to 50 visitors a day... With these people viewing (and most likely reading) from 30 to over 150 pages on any given day.
This is the view of just a typical week (Wed to Wed) the daily visitor is from 20 to about 45 (or 50 as of today as I started this post late this afternoon and the stats have changed a bit for today). Yet, last Monday, people read over 130 pages... I did not even know I had that many pages to read!
I am not sure as to how to interpret this graph... as best as I can tell it is saying that I have had well over 200 visits per month... with page views no lower than 600 and up to over 2400.

This is today's as of about 3:30 pm... Again the numbers have changed as of 9:00 pm, yet the i am amazed that how the numbers break done during the day. I have a very heavy readership between 8 and 9am. Spiking again at about 4 to 5 pm... I am pretty sure there is a spike around 8pm also. The thing about this is many of my readers are from different countries... Many in the UK and Asia...Even China and India... So if one notices there is a spike at about midnight to 1:30 am. This is most probably because as it is night time here, it is daytime there. (Yeah you were smart enough to figure that out... But it took me a bit to though! LOL!)

Again, none of this is to brag about myself, as I am amazed that this little blog from Montana has such a high international readership. I pray and hope that I am as much a blessing to you as you are to me.

As of midnight tonight I had 63 visitors... not bad... and thanks! Part of the reason I did this post is because I saw I had gone over ther 10,000 page view mark.

The end of today looked like this:

Total visits to date for installing sitemeter: 10,216

Average Per Day 29
Average Visit Length 3:55
Last Hour 5
Today 63
This Week 202

Total Page views: 26,975
Average Per Day 65
Average Per Visit 2.3
Last Hour 8
Today 165
This Week 457

Blessings and thank you,

iggy

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Blogs of Interest and another Maj. Ian Thomas Excerpt…

an Blogs of Interest and another Maj. Ian Thomas Excerpt…

Jason Clark on What’s Right/Wrong with the emerging church

Bob Hyatt is having issues with Yoko

Harleyghost let’s us know of something most of us never learned in school… what to do if a gunman enters the classroom…


Here is some great thoughts on what this Exchanged Life is about by Major W. Ian Thomas.

Blessings,

iggy


EXCHANGED LIFE
By: Major W. Ian Thomas

Christian living is not a method or technique; it is an entirely different, revolutionary principle of life. It is the principle of an exchanged life" not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20).
This is all part of our Gospel - it is not the Gospel plus! We must not get our terminology wrong. To divorce the behavior of the Christian from the Gospel is entirely false and is not true to the Word of God, yet all too often such is the characteristic of gospel preaching.

I would like to explore with you what is the true spiritual content of our Gospel ¬ not just heaven one day, but Christ right now! Christ in you, on the grounds of redemption ¬ this is the Gospel! To preach anything less than this must inevitably produce "Evan-jellyfish" ¬ folk with no spiritual vertebrae, whose faith docs not "behave!"

Do you remember what James says in his epistle? "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead" (chapter 2:26). The "spirit" there means breath, and a body without breath is dead. Stop breathing ¬ and folk will bury you! In other words, a living body breathes, and a living faith breathes, and a living faith breaths with divine action. A living faith breathes with the activity of Jesus Christ. That is why the Lord Jesus, in John 6:29, said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent."
That is the work of God. It is your living faith in the adequacy of the One who is in you, which releases His divine action through you. It is the kind of activity that the Bible calls "good works," as opposed to "dead works."

"Good works" are those works that have their origin in Jesus Christ - - whose activity is released through your body, presented to Him as a living sacrifice by a faith that expresses total dependence, as opposed to the Adamic independence (Romans 12: 1,2).
It is only the life of the Lord Jesus -- His activity, clothed with you and displayed through you, that ultimately will find the approval of God.

From: The Saving Life of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. ©1961.

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My Sex Life Stinks...

My Sex Life Stinks…

Well actually my wife and I are pretty happy in many ways and have been able to work through much that some still struggle and try to deal with.

I get heat at times because I consider gays and lesbians “my neighbors” and believe Jesus’ words to “love your neighbor as yourself”. In this what I am against is unhealthy relationships. Believe it or not I have seen homosexual relationships that are more nurturing and loving than many straight-conservative and supposedly God ordained relationships. Yet, in these straight marriages often abuse, be it physical, mental or in some way of controlling the other is very prevalent. This is not a “God ordained” marriage any more than one is if the couple is same sex… it is sin… plain and simple.

I am for healthy marriages. Healthy loving relationships where each person can nurture and build each other up in love. And to the surprise of my critics I believe the very first step toward the union of a man and a woman, who seeking God in their lives first, join together in Holy Matrimony. That is the Biblical definition of marriage. To quote a friend on this topic as we discussed it a few years back, “God will not honor an ungodly marriage so in the eyes of God, there is no marriage between Gays and Lesbians who seek to be married outside of God’s view. They can call it whatever they want, it is not being married in the eyes of God though”. (Some of you would be very surprised who this was BTW.) We both agreed that something must be done about health care, which was another issue, yet has been attached to the “homosexual agenda”. On a side note I find it interesting that often God uses ungodly people to bring into view something that is unjust. Often as in the case of the gentiles, it is to shame the other into seeing that they are not walking in the way Christ Jesus has called us. (Romans 2:14)
So many churches call and claim to teach purity. Yet this often is not the purity Jesus has called us to. It is more in line with the “purity” of the Pharisees in which Jesus called, “White washed tombs that contain dead men’s bones”. It is often a purity based on shame and performance, both which hinder being able to serve God in true Love and godly purity.

Man’s heart is wicked and deceitful (Genesis 8:21). It is easy for man to be tripped up and try to make himself pure. This is impossible! Man cannot purify himself to make oneself acceptable for God, but must be purified by God. There are many verses that speak of God putting a pure heart in us. It is only by the blood of Jesus we are made pure and holy… and not of our own works or doing. People put out verses that speak of “keep yourself pure”, yet often over look that it is in letting Jesus live His life in and through you this is accomplished… in other words it is Christ Himself Who is our purity and Who keeps us and sustains our purity as we walk in the Spirit. This is a hard concept to understand let alone explain. Yet to walk in the Spirit is not some hyper spiritual walk “WE” do rather as in Romans 5:19 it is walking in what Christ Jesus has already done. It is by Grace and not of works, both by fulfilling some legality or in keeping the ceremonial requirements like circumcision to set oneself above someone else.

In Galatians 5, we are told from verse 13 on: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (NIV)

I think we often confuse the list as what people need to be like to be like us, when instead we need to look at the list to see if we are walking in accord with the Spirit ourselves. I see so often that we use this as a list to judge, and justify our “fits of rage”, to spread “discord”, to cover our “selfish ambition” to cause “dissensions, and factions” out of our envy… all because we do not love our neighbor, but in fact one becomes “drunk” in their own “hate” toward our neighbor. These are the very things that make us impure… and as Paul states one who acts like this, will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Yet, like the Pharisees of Jesus day, we would rather justify ourselves than walk in Christ’s justification of us.

I see especially that sex is so often taboo in the church. That to talk about it is often condemned in shame and incites many to call those who seek to teach true purity in marriage and the joys of sex in marriage as immoral or perverted. Be mindful that scripture teaches: Titus 1 15. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

So a sign of unbelief is actually to call that which is pure, corrupt. And sex within marriage is pure.

I have a good friend whose testimony is very sad, yet at the same time, very powerful in that it shows the power of God to reunite a marriage. Dave and Kathy Foreman were torn apart by Dave’s homosexual lifestyle. He was addicted to drugs and pursuing his music career. Yet, the more he followed his desires the more he seem to lose as a person. I will not go much more into the story as you can read it here. Suffice it to say, God is in the business of reconciliation. Their story is sad and their struggles were many. God is good though. They now are doing a counseling ministry that is out to help marriages grow and to help those in the homosexual lifestyle find a way out. They also if I may plug iggyROCKS! my online Christian station, have a show called Life as One which is played nightly.

East Hill Church in Oregon, has started to speak out on sex openly at their church in hopes others will be encouraged to grow in their marriage. This is a great opening link to their website. I do not know much more about their ministry though the article as this is what inspired this posting.

I do recommend though with a bit of clarification xxxchurch.com I totally love what these guys are doing though use discretion in going to their site as it is very frank on the topic of sex. (A little update as to the power of Christ and how Jesus can reach out and change a person is the story of Crissy Moran. I had never heard of her, yet she has been in contact with xxxchurch.com as she has left the porn industry. You can send her some encouragement at her new site http://www.myspace.com/yourfriendcrissy I do not reccommend that someone just look her up, she is in the process of trying to get her many sites taken down. She needs tons of prayer as many depended on her for their own income... remember these are real people who became objects, and are now trying to be New Creations in Christ. You can read more about this awesome work of God on the xxxchurch.com blog.


Sex is and was meant to be a joyous thing in a marriage, and if one studies the Bible they will find that in the Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, which is very erotic, is a story of Christ and His bride. It is a story of how we should progress in our relationship with God…

Hebrews tells us that: Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. So we should emphasize the pure joy that sex in marriage can be.

Blessings,
iggy

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More on the last Post (1 Corinthians 13)

This just seemed appropiate to follow the last post.

1 Corinthians 13

1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10. but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
11. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
12. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(I prefer "Charity" over the translation of love in the last verse as it hs in it "love" yet is in action. Many mouth this without realizing that it is about the change that is real in us when we come to Christ. This is why Jesus summed up the Law withthis statement "`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. 39. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt 22:37-40)

Blessings,
iggy

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What to Do with the gift of Tongues?

What to Do with the Gift of Tongues?

(I want to make this clear, that this is in no way a slam against he AoG as an entity. Many are wonderful churches with wonderful and loving people. Many often show more "grace" than those who claim Grace as their central doctrine. My issue was that I came to believe eternal security in which the AoG does not hold to or teach as they maintain one can "fall from grace and lose their salvation. I simply disagree. The passage that talks of "falling form grace" is in reference to returning to works or the sacrificial system and not about salvation.)

I shared a bit about my experience in the Assembly of God in which I was steeped in legalism. A performance based faith is one very deceptive as it deceives one into thinking they can be as perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. In that I found in my life to be content in that I am not perfect, and God is. Once I realized this, and accepted it, I was free to be Who He wanted me to be in Christ Jesus… He is in no way finished with me by any means, yet who I was and who I am now are miles apart. I still have friends in the AoG. I love the people in it dearly.

This is a part of the story of the gift of tongues I received as a young man. This gift came easily as the gift should. My wife side of the story as she went forward was a bit more funny as they had her tilt her head back and encouraged her to “babble” then hit her on the forehead… with that she was supposed to be slain in the Spirit, yet, someone forgot to tell her that and she responded with an “ouch”. She tried for a while to see if she could receive the gift, yet became frustrated in it. Some teach that “all” must receive this gift and that it is the common gift… that has two meanings… First Common as the one most given by God, and second, in some cases it is taught that one must speak in tongues to be saved.

It is a bit like the Church of Christ stand on water baptism only that one must receive the “second blessing” to truly be saved. This is a lie plain and simple and truly if one reads scripture there is no “second blessing”. We receive Christ and are filled with the Holy Spirit and are saved. Though belief may come first… and the Holy Spirit may be held back until one has truly repented… as in the case of Simon the Sorcerer in the book of Act chapter 8. Simon “believed and was baptized” yet, as James 2:19 tells us, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.” So just believing in God is not enough to enter the Kingdom.

Simon held the want of power in his heart, and though he “believed and was baptized” had not received the Holy Spirit. It was not until Peter confronted the love of power over the love of Jesus, that Simon finally truly repented. Peter told Simon that bitterness had him still captive to sin. Simon was jealous of the power of God… and that Peter and the Apostles had this power and he did not.

God gives some gifts and to some others He chooses to not give them. This is not in any way saying God loves one less if they do not have some gifts and loves some more if they receive others.

For me, I have received a few of the gifts though I do not want to actually express some as I do not care to be misunderstood as bragging. For these gifts often can’t operate if one is full of pride. Suffice it to say in the Vineyard Churches John Wimber was said to express that “everyone gets to play”. Meaning that sometimes God pours out His presence and though you may not have a “gift” in some area, God will “gift” you for that moment. The other thing is we often get things a bit out of perspective. Allen our pastor at Billings Vineyard likes to mention that if someone is healed, who received the “gift of healing” the one who prayed for the person to be healed? Or is it the person who was healed? I think the gift was for the one healed.

We would gather together to speak in tongues and at times someone else would receive the gift. These corporate tongues sessions sometimes were powerful with visions and prophecies… words of knowledge… yet sometimes also pride would slip in and twist and cause us to be a bit overly judgmental. Here I will skip forward a bit as tongues were a bit important to me… yet in my heart there were some things a bit out of whack in the practice of this gift in the churches I attended.

After I found Grace, I was a bit out of place. It seemed I was on a more “Calvinist” bent. Though I did not really know much about Calvinism… I was for about a year studying Bible and listening to the teachings of Bob George and People to People ministries. In that I was finding more and more my freedom in Christ. Because most of the people I was spending time with did not speak in tongues (I do not think they were against them… but tongues was that big of a “thing” in comparison to God’s Grace.)

I had been asked to be the worship leader as the AoG church had gotten a new pastor. We sat down and I explained how God had changed me by His Grace and the pastor seemed to become offended and seemed to think I was saying that anyone who did not know Grace was “second class”… I was a bit taken back as he did not grasp that I was truly broken and humbled by God and saw that I was not deserving of mercy or Grace… yet as God humbled me and replace error for His Truth, I began to see things very different.

I expressed to this pastor that I thought that the gift of tongue is abused in many churches and that I had been attending this church for a few years and saw that we leaned that way. I pointed out in scripture as to how we should use the gift properly and again his response was a bit troubling…

“So, you don’t think we should be able to worship how we like?”… I asked him if it was better to worship in a way that if someone came in they would be able to learn about God… or if they walked in and saw us all speaking at once, and thought we were all crazy. He stood up from the table and shouted some agree words. I was in shock…

We attended a “Saddleback” style church that most people there had a Baptist background. At this time I was rediscovering tongues. I was at a bible study and the topic of tongue came around. They seemed to be very much against it. It seemed they saw tongues as sort of having passed. They went on a bit about people who speak in tongues are this and are that… I was a bit ashamed… yet I felt I had to say something.

“I speak in tongues”.

Everyone turned to me at the table. I told them a bit of my story… how I had received the gift… how TES was hit on the head and said, “ouch”. They laughed. I explained that I understood and agreed that this gift was often abused and misused. about how tongues was meant to edify the speaker… to express the inexpressible by letting the Spirit pray through you… it was like coming out of the closet.

Sorry, there was not big tongues revival that night, but they still accepted and loved me.

I still speak, mostly in times when I have no words, or am stressed. In those times I can sense God’s presence.

If you are one who see’s tongue as having passed, I have not problem with you. This is not why I am telling this story. I see that we are in a time when the “gifts” of God will begin to break forth again… and maybe with more understanding… such as with Allan’s observation of who really received the gift of healing.

I think many do have the gift, yet do not realize it. In Romans 8 we read: 19. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21. that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25. But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. 26. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

I think that we all have that inward groaning as we await the New Creation to come to its fullness. And in times when we have no words… in our weakness God, by His Spirit, intercedes on our behalf. It is a matter of trust that soon the hope of our salvation will come. (Hebrews 9:27-28)

Blessings,
iggy

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Visual Thought for the Day

Blessings!
iggy

More of My Story

More of My Story

Part of my "story" is that I was a very legalistic person for the first few years as Christian. I was a youth pastor and would teach how we were to try to keep ourselves pure to keep our holiness.

I came to a point when I realized that I was teaching one standard and living another... I would teach that God's standard was like a high bar and the higher the bar, the more we pleased God. I am not saying all AoG teach this. The one I had previously attended the pastor was one of the most humble and godly men I have ever know. We still keep in touch and he does not agree with me either...

Yet, in this church there was a lot that was not right... there was the "blab it and grab it bunch" who held the pastor in bondage with their tithes. We were sort of a striped and polka dotted, pink, red, black and blue sort of church. I was influenced and very heavy on the progressive sanctification teaching of John Wesley.

As I said I taught to aim high on the high bar, yet found myself doing all the "right" things, prayer (at least 1 hour more is better), 1 hour Bible reading (more is better, Praying in tongues as much as possible, keep a prayer journal and still not reaching the standard I set for others.

I found though that the one, who spoke in tongues the most, had a dirtiest mouth; the one who "blabbed it and grabbed it" was working her husband to death and was the biggest gossip. I am not saying these things are related, only that where sin was Grace did abound. Somehow these people seemed to think of themselves as "right with God" and when I slipped up I was not. So, one learned to hide their true self n fear of losing position.

I thought my last prayer to God would be, "You better show me what I am missing, cuz I can't live like this anymore. I don't want to be a schizophrenic Christian." That is when I heard this man on the radio preach Grace... and I hated him with a great passion. I can relate to Paul and his zealousness as I wanted to destroy this man and his ministry for lying! The more he taught the more I searched out the scriptures... I read his book and was not fully convinced... then I read through Hebrews. I was very careful to let the arguments build in context... rechecking the context over and over to see if the main verses that I used to teach one could fall away and lose salvation came from Hebrews 6 and 10.

When I finished I was astounded that these verses were actually about people like me, that I was not trusting in the fullness of Christ. I am not saying I was not saved, but I was not walking in the fullness of God' Grace.

This is the hardest part of the story for me to tell... But as I finished Hebrews, I heard God ask, "What is keeping you from accepting what you have just learned?"... I answered with out hesitation with one word... and it startled me... "Pride".

I was and still do struggle with pride. Yet I depend not on myself, but on God's Grace. I see that we are to imitate Jesus' relationship with the Father... Where many call the miracles of Jesus, should be saying the miracles of God, through Jesus. As in John 5: 19. Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

We are to be totally dependant on Jesus for all things. To let He who gave His life for us, give His Life to us, to Live His Life through us. We are a New Creation... behold all things have been made new.

As I walk in this way, I do not battle hatred or anger, unless I let the situation get the better of me, which does happen at times. Yet, the person I was is not the person I am now.

Now you know the rest of the story,

Blessings;
iggy

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We are having some discussion about Calvinism

We are having some discussion on wordofmouthdiscussions about Calvinism

I have read some amazing attempts to nullify "whosoever" (john 3:16)to mean something other than "anyone can be saved". I find it funny that one of the main tenants of TULIP is eternal security... yet If some are created to be saved and some to burn... by definition of Calvinism... how can we know if we are truly elect or not? How can we presume we are "elect"? In that vein, would not then this presumption be in fact a sin or some sort of delusion?

Now the kicker is I do believe in "eternal security", yet I arrived to that belief not through Calvinism. I came to believe in Eternal security through reading Hebrews, of all books. From that point of view which is very "Hebrew" in thought I read Paul and the other books in that context and came to the understanding of the elect are those who turn to God in 'faith' and are part of the Abrahamic covenant. I see that the NT is the fulfillment of the promises of Abraham... What Calvinism did was add to the thought that some are more special than others. Meaning that they rip the context from being around God knowing those who would come to faith and become like Christ... in which we are now to be blessed, to bless others. I also believe in "Free Will" as taught by those who were discipled by the Apostle John... such as Irenaeus. It comes down not about being elect, but in becoming a New Creation... as a New Creation, we may act at times like the Old Creation, but we will never be comfortable like that... we must press on and persevere to the end... as New Creations and in the end find salvation at the return of Christ at the Resurrection.


To make it that God predestined some in His foreknowledge, before creation to be saved and some to not be saved contradicts scripture when Peter tells us "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) For it is God's will that NONE SHOULD PERISH. I think the issue is that some are and will be outside of this will either by choice or by default...

I view Calvinism as "settling" for an easy way to explain a very complex God. In a way, and not meaning to be insulting as each person must work out their faith as best they can... at least to me it is not entering into a deeper walk with Christ. It seems to nullify the very workings of God, and set a substandard "finished works" of Christ Jesus Himself. Again, to me it is letting a system rule over ones relationship...instead of Christ Jesus ruling over all...


OK, now I offended some of you... I do still love you... and do not see that if one is a Calvinist that I would not fellowship with you. Mostly I see that happening the other way around. Yet, I hope that you who do hold to Calvinism realize that we both love Jesus... and that is the point we are to all fellowship...

Blessings,
iggy

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The Tao and Jesus Christ

The Tao and Jesus Christ

Much of my readership is in the Asian continents so I hope that some of you will realize that we are to reach out to people where they are... as Paul did on Mars Hill.


In reading Heretic’s Guide to Eternity, Spencer Burke touches on The Tao. Actually this sort of surprised me as it seems Mr. Burke and I think quite a bit alike. Simply translated Tao means “the way”. In that The Tao is The Source of all and is the all in all… It is a concept that Tao is eternal and without beginning and without end. In a way it is much the same concept of The “Logos” in Christianity.

I had planned to write on this back in May, but at that time I had some people who seemed bent on showing I was a fraud, liar or worse… because I have a link to Brian McLaren… silly huh? I just decided that I did not want to have my words misrepresented more by these people.

Yet, it kept coming back to my mind and then I read it in Spencer Burke’s book. In that I think Spencer and I might have a very similar understanding of who Christ Jesus is and maybe why some have a hard time understanding where at least I am coming from.

In this I found that I am not alone. Here are a couple of other links to people who have been exploring the idea of Christ Jesus as The Tao.

The Tao of Faith A Reconsideration of Taoist Evangelicalismby Jack Crabtree

Taoism and Christianity Written by Michael Gleghorn

All about Taoism

C.S. Lewis even touched on The Tao in his writings called the Abolition of Man.

Here is another article by Christopher C. McClinch


There is one area that Tao and Christianity do depart… and that the Tao is unknowable. Jesus being the Tao incarnate, (which is not a concept in Taoism though could easily fit into it) has revealed the Tao (The Source/Creator of all Creation). In Christ the Unknown and Unknowable God is now ever being revealed.

Jack Crabtree covers the topic of being “walking n the Spirit” very well. I think as one explores how we are to be “in Christ” and how we are to “walk in Christ” that the realization that the One that Created all wants to some day be "all in all"… recapturing and redeeming the whole universe… not just mankind. God wants it to be “on earth as it is in Heaven” that begins in each of us individually… yet it must go outward and grow… that each thing we do is to bring us one step closer to “The New Heaven and New Earth”.

(In this I am in no way talking of the escapist doctrine of the Rapture… as I see that runs contrary to the very heart of the Gospel and especially Jesus’ own prayer in John 17:15. (For more info read here, and here). For some great article on this thought I recommend NT Wrights writings available here.)

As far as reaching those who believe in Taoism, I think much of the hardest footwork is already done, now all we really have to do is be like Paul and introduce Taoists to Jesus… Who is the Tao Incarnate.

(This is a evangalistic piece to reach out to those who are in the Asain cultures that read my blog. I am not endorsing Taoism, but showing as Paul did on Mars Hill that this unknown and unknowable Force/God/ Creator of all things known as Tao has a Name... the Name above all Names, Jesus. It is my prayer that one will seek to learn and find more out about Jesus through all things were created.)

Blessings,
iggy


part 2
part 3
Related Post

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Billings Vineyard Church

Billings Vineyard Church

I am really excited that Vineyard Billings is growing! Recently we have gotten our website set up… feel free to take a look. Say hi, and tell ‘em “iggy sent you”.

If you are in Billings, or even in Montana and just visiting come and visit.

Blessings,
iggy

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What do I mean by Emerging Thought?

What do I mean by Emerging Thought?


I am often asked to define or summarize or to try to explain what the Emerging Church is… I do prefer Emerging Thought, though I do think I am most likely the only one who uses it. To me the idea of Emerging Thought is more focused on the “information” (ideas/ imagination / inspiration/internalized perspiration or whatever one wants to call it), and not the brand of media that the information is carried on. We can easily get sidetracked with “is it” Emergent or emerging, is it emerging church or postmodern… can one be a postmodern thinker and a Christian? All this seems ore focused on being a marketable brand. This is not a criticism just a personal perspective to the many options we can call ourselves. Again, I use emerging thought to cut through all of this… and get to the point.

We are about ideas, some inspired some not… all ideas contain information. So we use words, through talking, writing, music and any other form of communication to transport those ideas or thought s to others. That is called the conversation in “Emerging” circles.

In that most of the thoughts and conversations revolve around our faith. As part of our faith in Christ Jesus, we are called to reach this world with the Gospel. As the scripture teaches, “faith comes by hearing”… so we express our faith in the form of communications…. I like to point out that the root of communication is communion. Communion is besides another word for the Eucharist, simply in the common use,” association; fellowship” or an “interchange or sharing of thoughts or emotions; intimate communication: communion with nature.” That is why communication is so important to “emerging” folk.


Acording to dictionary .com, communication has a about 7 meanings. Most is not all are around the transference of information. I noticed at least two that relate to what I am trying to express here.

“the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.”

The one I most related to though interestingly is under biology… I think it is the most relevant to what is going on in the “emerging circles”… I see it as we are part of the body of Christ, the church, a living organism.

“activity by one organism that changes or has the potential to change the behavior of other organisms.”

Notably we are not out to just change behavior, rather, we are changed to a “new creation” or as the scripture teaches, that out of the two natures, God has made us “new” with one nature… and one family… where the “walls of division” which literally was between Jew and Gentile has come down. What I am trying to say is that as we interact with each other in Christ and communicate through conversation our faith, we are changed first through our relationship with Christ, then in our relationship with each other. In doing this, we hear the voice of God and respond to Him in our relationship with others.

This is one of the expression of our faith… this is how we share in a relevant way to others. It is not about “us and them” or “sacred and secular”, but the reconciliation of us them with us, and the redemption of the secular to the sacred.

Our faith is not built upon division, though many strive for and in that, it is built upon the thought of reconciliation. Of man being redeemed by God, though he is unworthy of redemption, and of man being reconciled together as one in Christ.

I see in the “emerging” people the potential to move beyond denominational barriers. I already see that many evangelicals are now showing interest in N.T. Wright, Bishop of Durham who is an Anglican… something I don’t think would have ever seen happened. Most of my life I was told how far off track those Episcopalians or Anglicans were. I know from personal experience that though many seem content with tearing down or attacking others as they only can see the point they disagree with… and then deem the other unworthy of fellowship. I hope that we can grow beyond that and look for the common ground in our faith in Christ.

Now, I will always speak out against the “religionist”, who add to the works of Christ by adding their own rules and doctrines. I see these men as not of those who are out to edify, but rather wolves that are out to destroy the flock. I love them as we are commanded to… to love our enemies, but I will rebuke and stand against them to correct them in their rebellion against the “ministry of reconciliation”. I will not only speak out against them, but I will pray FOR them in that they come to maturity in their faith.

Emerging is many things to many people. As I attempt to express what it is to me, I will emphasize that this is what it means to me… This is what I am getting from being a part of “emerging thought”.

Blessings,
iggy

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My response to Bob Hyatt concerning Heretics Guide to Eternity

My response to Bob Hyatt concerning Heretics Guide to Eternity

Bob Hyatt has been reviewing the book Heretics Guide to Eternity as well as myself… yet it seems we are seeing it a bit differently.

Bob,
I hate to say this, but I seem to agree with Spencer on many things more than what you just wrote... I think often pastors mistake "love" with control... or often lose sight that it is the Holy Spirit in control and not themselves.

I have had a few disagreements with the book, yet, I think I would have hours of conversation with Spencer... There are times as I read the book I think he is reading my mind...

Though I have not finished it... but I keep looking for the outlandish that some have said is there...

To me, I see Spencer as showing Jesus is the door... that we need to go through Him... in that we then lose the institutionalization of church and life in the Life of Christ.

Believe me... there is more to church than we have even begun to know... and most of what we know as church is not...

Really I do not grasp what you are getting at in this statement:

"This is a broken world and we are broken people. The good news, though, is that God Himself has come to rescue and renew all of creation through the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
But telling people that they experience the saving grace of God irrespective of personal faith and trust in God's Savior, in God's provision for forgiveness is a cruel and terrible thing to do."

Doesn't the Bible say that while we were still enemies of God, Jesus died for us? So Grace is ever and always there... for where sin is Grace abounds even more? Grace is not just in the moment of receiving Christ, but in the fact that the God who spoke all things into existence can unspeak all things into non existence... to acknowledge that He is long suffering and merciful...

As far a being literal... I think we need to realize most the time we claim we take the bible literal and really we don't. Be careful to not cast stones... Do you still have two eyes and both hands? Yet, have you looked at a woman lustfully? We tend to pick and choose what we think we want literal and what we do not. I can say that I have both eyes and both hands... I can write it off as a metaphor, or whatever, yet, Jesus said it... and I think he meant it literally... but I think he had another solution... and that was the Cross.

I think the passage was meant a bit tongue in cheek that "no one actually recorded Jesus' words at the time he spoke them, so we have no proof that they are indeed his words, and what he did say, he said in Aramaic, which means that nothing in the Bible as translated into any other language can be taken literally anyway..." Have you ever noticed that the same stories in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, often have the same wordings yet not always the same exact quotes? So which one is right? Which of the Gospels is wrong in what they say Jesus actually said?

Are you going to tell me that “The Message” is a literal quote word for word of Jesus actual words? Personally there is much passing for “True Christianity” that is neither true, nor Christian…

Mostly, I think that maybe you put back that can of Driscoll and maybe approach our brother with a bit more Grace…

Blessings,
iggy

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The Gospel, Theology and Doctrine

The Gospel, Theology and Doctrine…


The Gospel:

Jesus has risen and is alive

Theology:

Man’s attempt to explain the Gospel.

Doctrine:

Man’s attempt to explain theology.


I had this thought this morning as I was in the shower and it gave me a bit of a laugh… I think it contrasts how simple The Gospel is… and then what we mere men then do with it. Simply according to the scripture, the Good News or Gospel was that Jesus had Risen and is alive… and He was the Lord… This had many political nuances in which the main one is that Tiberius Caesar may be emperor… but Jesus is Lord! You see in the days of Caesar as one Roman emperor would die, the announcement or proclamation that new emperor was now in power. They would proclaim, “Tiberius is Lord; get down on your knees!” So for the followers of Jesus to proclaim, “Jesus is Lord”, was a slap in the face to the Roman Empire. It was a challenge… I hope that enriches ones understanding of when the scripture tells us, “Every knee will bow and every voice proclaim, Jesus Christ is Lord” really meant.

Man has ever since tried to explain what the Gospel is… They add doctrines and create new theologies and really add to the noise that already was silenced at the Cross of Jesus. We need to accept that fact that the Gospel is simply, “This Man Jesus was crucified, and now lives!” On that we should carefully build on as our foundation, letting He who all creation was created through, be are chief builder. If there is to be doctrine it must flow like the living water from the throne… and not from our vain philosophies we have created. We need to read Paul and Jesus and listen from the point of view that their contemporaries did… to better understand what they really said. So much of theology “sounds good enough to pass” but really just tickles itching ears.

So as you live you life, which as a Follower of Christ should be as He lives His life through you, what requirements are you placing on those who need to know of Jesus… what doctrine is more powerful than Jesus? Jesus fulfilled the Old Covenant, and gave us the New Covenant… why do so many of us think we must keep people in bondage to the OT and then think we can live ourselves in the NT? That is really hypocritical.

We are to live in Love… in the knowledge of the Grace and Truth that is from Jesus. We must never add to or take away from Jesus has risen… It has enough richness and meaning in itself without our finite and often ill thought out and conceived man made ideas. Jesus is either enough to save… or He is not… and that is our choice.

Blessings,
iggy

What We Wish Had Really Happened on Oprah!

freemyspacedesign.com


LOL!
iggy

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I am international

I am international.

I have found that I have readers in Russia and in China also... At least last month.

Most of these are though images that I have used. I really don't want to get too specific as some countries ban "religious" websites.

It is good to know God can get the Gospel into countries to spread the news Jesus has risen to all...

Blessings,

iggy

I just read an article written by someone who is leading a study on how to study scripture...

I just read the article in the local paper here… by Jim Hearing. I never have met him nor do I know him… I am not writing this “against” him. I like his name though, it reminds me of the scripture that says, “faith comes from hearing” (Rom 10:17).

Rather I am writing because I observed something I have seen over and over… about proof-texting using certain scriptures to “prove” scripture is “truth”. Now I agree that scripture teaches us truth… I agree that God reveals truth in the scripture, yet rarely is a scripture that uses the phrase “God’s word” or even uses the word “word” in the NT about scripture. It is most often used concerning Jesus Christ.

John 17: 17. Sanctify them by the truth; your word (logos) is truth.

This is often used to prove the bible is God’s word and it is truth…

Really it is that the Logos (Word) is truth…


Meaning that Jesus (John1:1) being the Logos is the incarnate Word, or rather the Living Word… and is TRUTH. So with this verse we are sanctified (set apart) in Christ.

Logos has the connotation that it is spoken… it is behind the thought that God spoke in Genesis 1 and in the thought that all things were created through Jesus… who is the spoken word of God… made flesh.

(Those of you, who know Greek, check this out and tell me if I am wrong.)

Jim also uses Psalms 117:2 which has nothing to do in context with the scripture, but of God’s faithfulness that… “endures forever”… again way out of context. The same with Psalms 100:5

If one is in need to find a scripture to show that God’s written word is truth, I would try first going to Romans 15: 4. For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (NIV)

2 Tim 3: 16. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17. so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (NIV)

Yet, to stay true to the context in which Paul was teaching from, Paul is referring to the OT… not the NT as it was not complete. This does not mean that I do not see the NT as scripture equal to the OT… in fact I see the NT as the revealing of the OT, or rather, that Jesus is the mystery in the OT concealed, and the NT is Jesus, the mystery revealed.

I see the NT as the greater of the two.

I am sure Mr. Hearing is a fine person… and I know he loves Jesus… I think that he may want to bone up on how to interpret scripture properly in context before he teaches others though.

Blessings,
iggy

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My Values and Beliefs

My Values and Beliefs

I believe... in one God, Creator of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that these three are co-eternal and are equal. Colossians 1:16

I believe... Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That He is the Creator and that all things were created through Him. He is coequal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; l Corinthians 15:3,4; Roman 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13

I believe... that the Bible is the verbally inspired Word of God and without mistakes as originally written. It is the complete revelation of His will for salvation and the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian life. It is God’s revelation of Who He is. ll Timothy 3:16; ll Peter 1:20,21; ll Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160

I believe... that man was created by and for God; that by man's disobeying God, every person incurred spiritual death, which is separation from God, and physical death as a consequence; and that all people are sinners by nature and practice. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a, Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2

I believe... in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit indwelling all believers and thus enabling and empowering the life and ministry of the believer. II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 4:16,17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1

I believe... in the Old Testament it was understood that the way to God was through a priest. People went to the temple to give their sacrifice and had access to God through the priest. In the New Testament we are taught that Jesus Christ is our access to the Father and none of us needs to go through anyone - not a priest, a rabbi or a pastor - to reach God. John 14:6; I Timothy 2:5

I believe... Because God gives man eternal life through, Jesus Christ; the believer is secure in salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security. John 10:29; II Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25, 10:10, 14; I Peter 1:3-5

I believe... God is sovereign ruler of the universe, and He is owner of all things. He has made us stewards of His possessions, and therefore man is accountable to God for that which God has entrusted to him. We are called to give ourselves as believers living sacrifices. That means all our resources are to go to God's glory. Giving can be in many forms, from ones time to money. Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:10; Exodus 34:26; I Corinthians 16:2 Romans 12:1

I believe... God has redeemed and is giving man dominion through Jesus Christ over the earth making all things on earth as it is in heaven. John 17:4; Matthew 6:10

My Values are…

To be Missional… (from Friends of Missional one of the best sites I have seen on being missional)

Description of a Missional Church

A missional church is one where people are exploring and rediscovering what it means to be Jesus' sent people as their identity and vocation.

A missional church will be made up of individuals willing and ready to be Christ's people in their own situation and place.

A missional church knows that they must be a cross-cultural missionary (contextual) people in their own community.

A missional church will be engaged with the culture (in the world) without being absorbed by the culture (not of the world). They will become intentionally indigenous.

A missional church understands that God is already present in the culture where it finds itself. Therefore, a missional church doesn't view its purpose as bringing God into the culture or taking individuals out of the culture to a sacred space.

A missional church is about more than just being contextual; it is also about the nature of the church and how it relates to God.

A missional church will seek to plant all types of missional communities to extend the Kingdom of God.

A missional church faithfully proclaims the gospel through word and deed; how the gospel is embodied in our community and service is as important as what we say.

A missional church will align all their activities around the missio dei -- the mission of God.

A missional church seeks to put the good of their neighbor over their own.

A missional church will give integrity, morality, good character and conduct, compassion, love and a resurrection life filled with hope preeminence to give credence to their reasoned verbal witness.

A missional church practices hospitality by welcoming the stranger into the midst of the community.

A missional church will see themselves as a community or family on a mission together. There are no "Lone Ranger" Christians in a missional church.

A missional church will see themselves as representatives of Jesus and will do nothing to dishonor his name.

A missional church will be totally reliant on God in all it does. It will move beyond superficial faith to a life of supernatural living.

A missional church will be desperately dependent on prayer.

A missional church gathered will be for the purpose of worship, encouragement, supplemental teaching, training, and to seek God's presence and to be realigned with God's missionary purpose.

A missional church is orthodox in its view of the gospel and scripture, but culturally relevant in its methods and practice so that it can engage the worldview of the hearers.

A missional church will feed deeply on the scriptures throughout the week.

A missional church will be a community where all members are involved in learning to be disciples of Jesus. Growth is an expectation.

A missional church will help people discover and develop their spiritual gifts and will rely on gifted people for ministry instead of talented people.

A missional church is a healing community where people carry each other's burdens and help restore gently.


Blessings,
iggy

Heretic's Guide to Eternity (part 4)

Heretic’s Guide to Eternity (Part 4)

I will confess that I have been very busy… and that this book is not that hard of a read. In fact it reads very easy. I find it very interesting to read Spencer's joureny as my journey has been somewhat the same for the last few years has been about discovering, or rather at times rediscovering my faith in the context of the Postmodern age.

This may also be more of a rant than a “book review”… or maybe a bit of both.

To read Spencer’s thoughts on institutionalization of the church… which is to me the core of the issue concerning moving from religion to the “beyond” he is attempting to describe, I hear what has been in my own heart for about 2 years now. In many ways this is a tough road to try to explain to others, and I have often gotten into some heavy discussions over the topic of whether the church is and institution, organism or something else altogether. I have attempted in my own way to express that Jesus never intended us to create a new “institution”, rather He intended us to be grafted to His Body… to become One in Christ as He is One with the Father (John 17).


Though as I have explored this thought I realize there is an aspect to the “church” being an “institution”, or rather that the institutional aspect is a more tool to help get the job done… We were never to replace the fact we are an organism… the literal Body of Christ… with being an institution. To reduce the church to a mere institution is to separate it from its purpose and intent on earth… and that is to be Christ’s ambassadors until His return.


I have in the process of working through this been attacked and accused of being an apostate. I have had my character assassinated and have had people create “hate iggy” blogs in their attempt to “rebuke me in love”. None of this surprises me, as the Pharisees held to their view of religion even in the very presence of Christ Jesus Himself. I see those who hold to religion and their dogma will always replace “doctrine of men” and their own view of “religion” over the TRUTH who is Christ for that is their very nature, to protect their own personal “world view” and not allow anything to even attempt to change it. This is a very un-teachable spirit and very much lacking humility. Both of those are only changed by learning mercy and grace from our Creator. It will never be gained through trying to understand God by “propositional truth” alone.


With all that said, I will fully acknowledge that people of faith have for centuries worked out their faith in the context of the “institutionalized” church. Even in the attempt to change from the Roman Catholic hierarchy, Reformers recreated hierarchical systems of their own. The end result is that nothing really changed… just the names and the focus of the particular reformer group… It was the replacing of Priests with TULIP or some other “system” of theology.


(TULIP was not created by Calvin. The ideas developed from Calvinism were created later by the students of John Calvin.)

I am very grateful for many of the Reformers in their attempt to express a purer faith, I see that really we have become lazy and too dependant on the teaching passed on. (These teachings are not to be confused with the teachings express in 1 Corinthians 11:2 or 2 Thessalonians 2:15 rather this is related to Mark 7:7 and 1 Timothy 4:2 and also Hebrews 13:9) So if one is confused as to what I mean by “man made doctrine” I hope that clears it up. Spencer’s “Concerns are often the point of discussion amongst the emerging church.

• I’m concerned when Jesus’ death is brokered by Christianity simply as a business transaction.

• I ‘m concerned when institutional Christianity is so married to a particular political ideology that is supports policies and actions counter to the message of Jesus

• I’m concerned when institutions demand their biblical interpretation to be the ultimate source of absolute truth and then use this truth to condemn and judge.

• I’m concerned when Christianity is presented as the only way to God

• I’m concerned when institutions use the name of Jesus to maintain a patriarchal system that basically perpetuate women’s status as second–class citizens

• I’m concerned when the church says that a certain person or a particular group of people have no access to the grace of God because of their sexual orientation or because they grew up in some other part of the world under the influence of a different view of religion. *

Though I admit that I may come at these a bit different from Spencer, I too see these as “concerns”. Be careful to read what the “concern” is and not place your presupposed ideas in the “concerns”. For instance I see that I am concerned when “Christianity is presented as the only way to God”, I do see Jesus as the only one to salvation… not the religion of Christianity… I am hoping that Spencer will expound on this a bit more as I read more. I also see one of the most dangerous concerns that is happening is that Christianity has aligned itself with the right-wing politics. That is not to say all in the right-wing view is wrong or evil, yet to marry one’s relationship with Jesus to any political movement… is not biblical nor keeping our faith pure. These are the issues that we must face in the Postmodern age. Again, this is not just about "changing the answers to make non followers of Christ feel comfortable"... on the contrary, we must wrestle with these issues and concerns. We must always strive to keep our faith pure and holy (authentic) before our pure and holy (real) God as we walk in His Grace and not pollute it with our own ideas and presumptuousness. Again, this is not just a critic of modern versus postmodern, but of "sound doctrine" versus "doctrines of man".

Though I am not sure that I at this time can go as far as Spencer in his view of Grace… we are totally on the same track concerning moving beyond “institutionalized” religion.


Now, I do want to clear up one big and very glaring mistake in the book…

Mathew Shepard was attacked in Wyoming, not Montana. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard)

As a Montanan I have to ask you to fix this mistake LOL!…

(Though the main point in which this was brought up I agree with you entirely!

Blessings,
iggy


* Page 100 Heretic's Guide to Eternity Spencer Burke