During our mad rush to make the publishing deadline when I worked at the Cherokeean Herald, my managing editor and I were lamenting the Texas Legislature's refusal to continue to fund the Texas State Railroad. Under a new Republican-controlled House and Senate, the legislature was leading the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to cut expenses, even if it meant shutting down some of the top attractions in Texas.
The Texas State Railroad was on the chopping block because it operated at a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. What was unscrupulous about the whole situation was that while the railroad brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars annually just by providing rolling stock for movies, that movie revenue was not credited to the railroad. So, when the annual financial reports came out, the train showed the expense of providing engines and rail cars for the movies, but wasn't allowed to show the income received. That income went straight to the TPWD in Austin.
Surely, I lamented, that the state could continue to fund this park, given the movie revenue and the fact that the transportation department operates some of the best rest areas in the nation. That's when my boss (a life-long Democrat) looked at me and said, "Leland, you are beginning to sound like a Democrat."
I must confess, I had to rethink my position. At the end of the day, however, I came to the same conclusion. The state railroad had to be funded.
Sometimes we can say things that make perfectly good sense to us, but shock us when we find out that our statements are in agreement with our enemies. Now Democrats aren't my enemies (my boss and I were good friends), but I do oppose their platform. Politics aside, when we get into eternity, state parks funding, tax rates, foreign debt and national defense will be forgotten. What won't be forgotten will be the judgment we receive for our actions. For this reason, we must be very careful that we are fighting on the right side of Spiritual warfare.
Satan is the master-deceiver. Confusion is one of his best weapons, and often he uses it to turn the brethren against each other. Often times, Christians who both serve the Lord, who agree on 99% of things, wind up at each other's throats for the 1% of things they disagree upon. Fellowship is broken, fingers are pointed, accusations are made, and cautions to avoid Brother SoAndSo are issued. These things ought not to be true.
1 John 2:11 says "But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."
To hate means to detest. Do you detest your fellow Christians? Are the fundamentalists too stuck in the mud? Are the contemporary worshippers destroying worship? Is the ABA a liberal organization? Or a traditional pharisaical one? If you can not stand other Christians, it's not because you have surpassed them in spirituality. It is because you are blinded and walking in darkness.
Be not deceived. Detesting your brothers and sisters in Christ is indicative of a relationship with God that has grown distant. It is indicative of one who is stumbling around in darkness and not following Christ. Worse yet, satan can use that confusion and darkness to use you as a tool to wreak havoc on the Lord's church. Even worse still, when you spout those anti-Christian opinions, you sound just like satan.
In Zechariah 3, we see Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with satan at his right hand to resist him. Heaven help us if we find ourselves right there next to satan.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering, the state decided to transfer control of the Texas State Railroad to American Heritage Railways, the same company that operates the Silverton-Durango Railroad in Colorado.
4 comments:
Bro. Acker,
I'm not sure that I fully understand the point of your post. Politically speaking, I identify most with the Republican party even though it seems that it is moving away from us. Just look at the 2012 Presidential campaign. The fundamental differences we have with the Democratic Party are far more than "state parks funding, tax rates, foreign debt, and national defense..." Two of the main issues I have with the Democratic Party are Biblical issues: their support for abortion rights and homosexual rights. Spiritually speaking, I'm not sure I understand the point of your questions. Are we supposed to set aside the issue of fundamentalism/mordernism or the encroachment of contemporary worship in our churches. Modernism denies the fundamental teachings of Christianity like verbal,plenary inspiration; the virgin birth; a literal Creation; the miracles of the Bible; etc. Contemporary worship IS destroying our churches because it is not "in spirit and in truth" because worship is not a rock concert. Also, the main divide we have with the SBC is their universal church position and its corollaries alien immersion and open communion. Almost as big an issue is their position on the Convention itself, that it is "sovereign in its own sphere", when the Bible clearly teaches that church auxiliaries (even lesser ones like literature, bookstores, camps, etc.) are to be "messengers (servants) of the churches." Most of the ones that I have come in contact with are very liberal. However, I am willing to have full fellowship with any other Baptist church who believe in salvation by grace, eternal security, and have it right on the church, regardless of the affiliation. My desire is that they will remove themselves from their affiliation with more liberal Baptist groups and "come over and help us." Also, we have a doctor, who is a family friend, who is not even Baptist anymore, who it is clearly evident from the glory he gives to the "Chief Surgeon" and the way God works in his life that he is truly a Christian. I can understand that we should love their souls even though we cannot have full fellowship spiritually, but even Bro. Brooks has said in the Monitor, "...(Love)Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;..." (1 Corinthians 13:6)
I think I understand, and agree with your post.
The comment, however, that "contemporary worship IS destroying our churches" is a bit reaching, in my opinion. I know it's out there (the rock concert atmosphere), but I don't think that one or two "praise songs" or using a projector is indicative of a church on the verge of destruction.
All probably know this, but pianos were resisted in churches as an intrument of Satan in the 1800's. Why? Because they were played in bars and saloons.
I guess my point is that some components of contemporary worship DOES NOT NECESSARILY mean that the Spirit is not in it. For most ABA churches (esp. rural ones), their manner of worship can be traced to the mid to late 1800's, which is about when many of the hymns that we sing were being written. In the 1800's, they were "contemporary" compared to singing the Psalms, worshipping in homes, having part-time and quarter-time pastors, etc.
In my comment, of course, I am not promoting liberalism nor modernism in doctrine.
God bless everyone.
The point of my post is that if you detest your brethren in Christ, you have the same attitude toward them that Satan does. If you hate your brother, you are i darkness. I used the "sounding like a Democrat" to illustrate how sometimes we say things that agree with our adversaries. I am truly troubled because we are spending way too much of our time attacking our brethren and trying to stomp out that which we don't agree with.
As for contemporary worship, not all contemporary worship is a rock concert. The rock n' rollers have hijacked the label of contemporary worship, but there are a number of churches that utilize acoustic guitars, sing new songs or praise songs, and do it reverently and in Spirit and Truth.
As for the Democrats and Biblical issues, I oppose their unGodly agenda (homosexual marriage and abortion rights), but you tell me which is worse. (1) A party that supports these things and acts on the promise to support these things, or (2) A party that claims they oppose these things, then does nothing to stop them. Even with the Tea Party movement and the American Public rising up against the party in power, the GOP doesn't even have the moral fortitude to stop some of the things going through Congress.
The Elena Kagan confirmation is one good example. So long as ALL the minority party members in the judicial committee refuse to bring the nomination up for a vote, the nomination stays in committee. It's called filibustering, and was done for 8 years while Republicans were in control. Yet Republicans won't stand up for America even if it means stopping a liberal activist with NO judicial experience from being named to the Supreme Court. If we elect Republicans in 2010, all we'll get is the same ineptitude we got after 2004.
Brother Leland seems to be (correct me if I'm wrong Brother) just stating in his own words the following verses:
"2 Thessalonians 3:14-15
(14) And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
(15) Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."
Also, concerning your comment Brother younglandmarker, I must say you make the line much finer than it is. For example:
Our church uses a projector to show prayer requests (only) during the prayer requests portion. A white screen with black words. This is part of "modernism" as you call it. Everything else is EXACTLY the same as you are used to. Hymns only, piano only. So we take part in a little bit of "modernism". How are we denying fundamental teachings of Christ like verbal, plenary inspiration; the virgin birth; a literal Creation; the miracles of the Bible? At Calvary, during Wednesday night worship, the youth had a full band playing songs (about half hymns and half contemporary songs I read and approved). I still taught all these things (as did the songs chosen). So how did we violate any of these things or deny these teachings?
The problem you are running into is that you assume a church is either modern or fundamental. Instead, you ought to assume it is either modern in some aspects, modern in all aspects, or traditional in all aspects. You should also note none of these things have anything to do with doctrine or belief.
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