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OF and ABOUT

My blog for this month could be much longer and wordier. Yet so much verbiage is just wasted words. In fact, only one Word needs to be spoken: God’s. In his powerful hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, Martin Luther wrote:

That Word above all earthly powers No thanks to them, abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours Through him who with us sideth; Let goods and kindred go, This mortal life also; The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; His kingdom is forever.

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God", Martin Luther
I have finally come to realize that in American Christianity we have two competing perspectives.  One is the religion of Jesus; The other, the religion about Jesus.  There’s a yawning gap between the “of” and the “about”.  To begin with, we must state that the fullest, most reliable witness we have to the earthly Jesus is the four Gospels:  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Any contestants beyond these four initial literary works have less credibility and historical reliability.

That being said, the religion of Jesus endeavors to return to the actual teachings and instructions of our Lord.  What did He actually say?  What did He mean? What observations did He make?  What did he command his followers to say and do?

Most of us will say that we love and cherish the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7).  Sometime we should look and see what’s in it.  Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”  (Matt. 7:21-23 NIV)
 
Again, Jesus said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I say?”  (Luke 6:46 NIV)  The religion of Jesus is all about talking His talk, walking His walk, and living His life.   After all, that’s what disciples do.
In contrast, the religion  Jesus projects upon Him what we want Him to say and do.  It’s not about receiving  agenda but obliging  to fulfill  agenda.  It’s the source of a counterfeit faith.  I am watching the development of a Christian Nationalism.  We have superimposed the image of Christ on the American flag, making the false assumption that wherever the flag goes, Jesus goes.  In short, we have reconstructed our own messiah.
 
There’s one old militant hymn that seems to typify this Christian triumphalism:

The Son of God goes forth to war, A kingly crown to gain; His blood-red banner streams afar; Who follows in his train?

"A Mighty Fortress is Our God", Martin Luther

Just those few opening lines paint the picture of a Christian Crusader, whose lifestyle was antithetical to the Sermon on the Mount.
In the days of His flesh, Jesus preached a faith that transcended politics and ignored lofty national goals. The various competing factions — Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Herodians, Zealots, and partisans of every type —- failed to budge Him. He would not take their side; He steadfastly refused to commit to their cause. He foresaw where their power plays would lead: to the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. Instead, Jesus emphatically stated,

My kingdom is not of this world

John 19:36

Our faith must likewise transcend man-made agendas (be they right-wing or left-wing). We must rise above partisanship.

Perhaps you find yourself drowning in social media’s propaganda. Instead, may you hear, above all the cacophony, the crystal-clear clarion call of the Christ.

Amen

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Shine Like the Stars

Available for Pre-Order.  Each of us has been given a gift: our life. Someday we must return it to its rightful owner. We are free to use this gift in any way we choose: to glorify God or to glorify ourself. St. Paul used his to glorify God and, in so doing, found the secret of joy. decided to write a devotional commentary on his letter to the fledgling Christian community in Philippi. They too were discovering the secret of genuine joy. I am hoping that the same faith which dazzled them will do the same for you, and that the same joy which filled their hearts will fill yours. Get ready to shine like stars.

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