DYNAMIC SPIRIT

We must denounce our own radical clerics

2005-08-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

A statement made yesterday by the Reverend Marion G. (Pat) Robertson exemplified the very brand of radical extremism that I have been warning about in previous posts. Robertson, along with Jerry Falwell, is one of the leaders of the Religious Right. Robertson helms a large media empire, and over the past two decades, his vast and generously donating audience have empowered his movement to gain tremendous political influence.

The "Kingdom Now", or "Dominionist" doctrine Robertson espouses admonishes his believers to "take back America" for Christ. He teaches that the United States was intended by the framers to be a "Christian" nation. He wants to convene a "Constitutional Convention" to correct the rulings and ammendments that led the country astray (in his opinion). In his prime, Robertson was folksy and engaging, and served up his propaganda in a way that seemed comforting and convincing to his followers, who were tired of feeling like outcasts and underdogs in a sinful and secular humanist society. I know this because I used to watch, and enjoy, The 700 Club. It was a slick newsmagazine designed to make the viewer feel really good about being a christian. The highlight of each program was at the end, when Robertson would bow his head in prayer and speak a "word of knowledge" about "someone in the audience who has cancer", or what not. With an audience of that size, this "prophecy" was bound to resonate with someone, someone lonely and in pain, who would be convinced that Robertson was speaking just to them. This parlour trick has been adopted and used most effectively by John Edward on his program Crossing Over

The problem with Robertson's brand of religion is that it leaves no room for dissent. Anything that doesn't fit under its tiny umbrella is to be stamped out. Any alternative belief system or lifestyle is discounted as satanic, and therefore unworthy of tolerance, let alone consideration. People who buy into this dogma are the kind of folks who bomb abortion clinics, or picket gay funerals

It has long been my belief that this most un-christian of organizations has been co-opted by our adversary. Corrupt men, bent on power and control, masquerade like wolves in sheep's clothing to lead our good people astray. Robertson has revealed himself to be just that in a statement made yesterday on The 700 Club.

I don't know about that "doctrine of assassination",but if (Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez) thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. … We have the ability to take him out and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability"

Here Robertson has just issued a fatwa on a democtratically-elected foreign leader. After the media firestorm, Robertson tried to back-pedal from his previous statement.

"August is a slow news day but it seems like the whole world is talking about my comments about Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.

"I didn't say assassination, I said our special forces should take him out. Take him out can be a number of things including kidnapping. There are a number of ways to take out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted"

Where he might have "misspoke", I find no room for "misinterpretation". We all have heard the sound bite. And there is one, very large untruth in that last statement. Hugo Chavez is not a dictator in the least. He was DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED. Chavez represents the peasant majority of Venezuela, and is therefore anathema to the monied interests that would like to continue pillaging that nation of it's oil and other natural resources. These interests forced a referendum, which to their chagrin, Chavez also won But here Robertson, from his electronic pulpit, floats the idea to the masses (who wouldn't know Hugo Chavez from Juan Valdez) that Chavez is a DICTATOR. Americans believe that dictators are bad, i.e. Saddam Hussein.

Robertson also claimed that Venezuela was becoming a hotbed of Muslim extremism AND godless communism. Those two camps are mutually exclusive, and that statement is rediculous on it's face. Robertson's followers may think of him as a beloved dad or grampa, or even a holy fool, but in my opinion, there is no moral distinction between his fatwa and those of the radical muslim clerics. There is no moral distinction between "Dominionism" and the wahabbi doctine of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. There is no maral distinction between their lies about the west and Robertson's lies about our supposed enemies.

Religious Fundamentalism is dangerous in any form. Radical Islam wants a muslim theocracy. The Dominionists want a Christian theocracy. The only difference between the two would be the punishments administered, and the clothing the womenfolk would be compelled to wear.

Islam is truly a religion of peace, and muslims who recognize the lies promulgated by the radical sects are condmening the radical clerics who foster hate and create chaos in the world. It is time for us christians to do the same with our own radical clerics. No one who walks with God could make the statements Robertson has made. He has compounded his hypocrisy by lying about what we all -clearly-heard him say. Robertson may be a successful businessman and behind-the-scenes political operative, but he is not a Man of God. All christians who carry in their hears the love, patience, tolerance, and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ must turn away from the false teachers who, in exchange for our donations, feed us ignorance and darkness in return.

Doing The Lord's Work

2005-08-14T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Lord must have factored human nature into his equation, knowing that flawed human frailty would create a fork in the road every time. God has the perfect plan for our lives, but rather than go with the flow, our human vanity kicks in. We try to "help" God get the job done.
"Oh, God couldn't have meant we that would actually die!" Said Eve, taking a bite of the apple. Adam, to be expected, went along with her. He, too, must have been curious about that strange fruit. Well, out of the garden they went, and the rest is history; a long, bloody, miserable, painful, contentious history.

"God promised you many children", said Sarah to Abraham, alas, but I am barren! Use my maid Hagar as a surrogate".
Once again, we have a prime example of someone trying to help out The Lord, as though He wasn't divinely capable of causing Sarah to be impregnated by Abraham, once the "time was right".
Abraham, of course, went along with her. He must have been just as frustrated with God's timetable as Sarah. And the rest is history. The rejected son, Ishmael, became the patriach of the arab nations, who have been at war with the Israelites ever since.

And now our leaders, god-fearing christians that they are, are trying to help
God out once again. They want to hasten the rapture, tribulation, and the return of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Perhaps this sounds to them like a good thing. Perhaps they believe they
are doing the Lord's work. But God has his own timetable. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus with a kiss; his action fulfilled prophecy, and paved the way for Christ's sacrfice in our behalf, but even so, what Judas did was evil.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death". (KJV)

Men are flawed. Try as we might, we have limited vision, and limited points of view and reference. The more we understand our limitiations, the better off we are, espescially when in positions of power. Do we really believe that the Almighty needs our help? Do we really believe that our meddling is doing The Lord's Work? How do we discern the difference between a summons from God and the strivings of one's flawed human vanity? The answer, in my opinion, is how does it square with Christ's own teachings? Think it through. Will your actions harm others or edify them? Would Jesus do it? If anthing -anything at all- seems questionable, then don't do it. Don't go there. Don't be fooled by our adversary. He knows our spiritual pride. Don't let him trick you!

If you really feel burdened to "help The Lord", then volunteer at a soup kitchen. Feed the homeless. Help out the widows and orphans. Teach a child how to read. Be a Mentor. Adopt a needy family. Think good thoughts. Let the Holy Spirit within you shine so you may to be an inspiration to everyone with whom you come into contact. Do any of these things with a genuine heart and you will not fail to be a blessing to The Lord.

Towards a More Righteous Society

2005-07-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

Our nation doesn't need any more laws; what we do need is more Love. We don't need any stiffer or "zero tolerance" sentences; what we do need is more understanding. We don't need a death penalty; what we do need is more compassion.

As Christians, Love is to be our foundation. In 1 Corinthians 13 the Apostle Paul describes how being born again re-orients our hearts:

Cor 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Cor 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
1 Cor 13:3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
1 Cor 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
1 Cor 13:5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
1 Cor 13:6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
1 Cor 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Cor 13:8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
1 Cor 13:9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part;
1 Cor 13:10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
1 Cor 13:13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Without this divine "moral compass" everything we do falls shart of the mark. For what kind of "righteous" is a man who follows the letter of the law when his heart is filled with resentment, jealousy, prejudice, and fear? The ability to adhere to the letter of the law is no evidence of a righteous heart. How many times have we heard the friends and family of a serial killer say "we had no idea! He seemed like such a normal guy." Dennis Rader, the infamous BTK Killer, was an elder in his church. How many years did he serve his chuch community while carrying his awful secret?

"Born Again" isn't a club where you can purchase a membership, to look down your nose at the wayward and sinful, nor is some secret society with it's passwords and arcane handhakes. "Born Again" is a state of being. Our human hearts may be flawed, but through Christ we can love one another more perfectly. Our human minds have limitations, but through Christ we we may comprehend more fully.

Even with the Ten Commandments displayed in every courthouse, our legal system would never lead the way to a godly society. Oughts and shoulds and even threats will never promote a genuine righteousness. The heart filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't require an external law to impose it's will upon itself. As the Apostle Paul said in Galtians 5,

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those [who are] Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

When we walk in the Spirit, as brothers and sisters, in love and in truth, then and only then will we move towards the righteous society the R³ seek; but bear in mind, this cannot be imposed from without; true change must come from within, through the grace of God and with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Apostate Nation!

2005-06-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

If I were an Old Testament prophet, I'd be tearing my rainment and going around in sackcloth and ashes as I railed against the sins of my people. For mankind has always been, for lack of a better word, challenged when it comes to maintaining relationship with God, but what we have now is an apostasy of horrific proportions, in many ways (wars and rumors of war, famine, pestilence, pollution, just to name a few) resembling the world of the Book of Revelations.

The Lord, ever merciful, poured out his blessings on Israel whenever they returned to righteousnessness, therefore, if our elected officials were leading us in righteousness, we'd be much better off. Unfortunately, Washington is rife with corruption. Our leaders are beholden to their corporate donors. Because "commerce" is the new mammon, the rights of corporations trump the rights of human beings. Righteousness goes out the window when corporations ignore the admonitions of Mosaic Law, when, rather than meeting our needs, Big Business develops new ways for the consumer to meet their needs, the needs of the shareholder, by continually developing new niches, new products that we lived without just fine before because they add NOTHING to, and actually diminish, our quality of life. Our souls, hungry for any experience of the sacred, struggle constantly against the pervasive, cynical mindset that people are nothing more than potential market share, mechanical consumers of ever more pointless and useless shiny things. When King Solomon dispaired "All is vanity!", he could not have described the iPod any better.

Does it even matter which infant formula is superior when the child would be better off breast-fed? Whom does this product benefit? Neither you, nor I.

Does it even matter which cigarette is sexier, Malboro or Camel, when smoking kills? Whom does this product benefit? Neither you, nor I.

Do we really need diamonds, gaudy, expensive baubles priced out-of-reach for most mortals, when in order to continue mining them De Beers is evicting the gentle Bush people from the Kalihari Desert, their ancestral homeland? Whom does this product benefit? Neither you, nor I.

Does it really matter which tastes better, Coke or Pepsi, when both will rot your teeth? Whom do these products benifit? Neither you, nor I.

Why are these products so popular?

Have we forgotten who we are?

When I understand my body to be a temple, the last thing I want to do is defile it. I want it be be healthy, clean, and strong that I can be a fitting vessel for the Holy Spirit. When I understand the Earth to be the Lord's creation, and our dominion over it to be a sacred trust, the last thing I want to see is it defiled by heinous practices such as mountaintop removal, oil drilling in pristine places places such as the ANWR, or opening further the Pandora's Box of nuclear energy plants with their deadly toxic waste we have no safe place to store.

Yes the apostasy is vast, and pervasive, and it's spin doctors know just how to manipulate the populace to keep us from rising up in revolt. The Radical Religious Right (R³) divides us against ourselves, saying "look at the homosexuals, look at the abortionsists, look at the terrorists who hate America," but God knows the hearts of the R³ because they claim to know HIM. If the R³ were truly born again they would surely look at the world through the loving eyes of Jesus. They would be better stewards of the Earth. They would adjudicate with wisdom and mercy. Their "golden rule" wouldn't be perverted into "he who has the gold, rules." They would minister to the poor, the aged, and the sinful with compassion rather than condemnation. They would deal with their own sin first, rather than pointing fingers, but God will deal with them in time, and surely more mercifully than would you or I.

Woe unto us, America, for true repentance would derail our economy. Woe unto us, if this is the best we can do. I believe that a righteous, christ-centered economy based on sacred interpersonal transactions with quality goods and services would thrive, far outperfoming our sorry system based on unsustainable growth and unmanageable debt. If I were an old testament prophet, this is what I would say.

The R³ (The Radical Religious Right)

2005-06-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

I am just a man, and as a merely a man I recognize that I am far from perfect. I try not to be dogmatic, or judgemental, but as the months and years go by since 9-11 I am worried about what is happening to this nation of ours. I fear for what has happened to our faith, namely, the morals and values that (ideally) are it's very cornerstones. The Religious Right clearly demonstrate tremendous faith in certain institutions,namely, our President, our Congress, and our Troops; This good, in theory, but in their zeal they have taken their eyes off of Jesus. They have been hoodwinked by wolves in sheep's clothing, tricked by fallen men who have co-opted the language of Christianity in order to lead the flock astray.

The Bible admonishes us to "test the spirits". This concept is commonly understood when it comes to competing religions, cults, the occult, and teachings like "A Course in Miracles", but never when it comes to Christian Fundamentalism, which, according to my understanding of The Book, contradicts the fundamentals of Christ's own teachings. When we "test the spirits" against the works and doctrines of the Radical Religious Right (R³) they fall far short of the mark. Countless well-meaning belivers are being led astray in a deception so diabolically clever that, even if you dont believe in Satan, you've got to give him kudos for pulling off.

As a man, I can understand the appeal of teachers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. I can understand why a christian would support political candidates who claim to also be christian. It is human nature to want to support others playing for "the same team". It's human nature to want to be "on top", to gain power and control. By supporting politicians who claim to espose the faith, a believer can vicariously gain power through the their worldly exploits of their "proxies", just as by supporting missionaries a believer can help to spread the gospel throughout the world. But there is a serious problem here, when you "test the spirits". Isn't there a difference between the human spirit and the divine spirit? Between Human Nature and the Nature of the Divine? Did Jesus come to appeal to our base, human instincts or to fill that God-shaped-hole inside of us? That's an easy one to answer when you use Christ as the example, but, as believers, CHRIST SHOULD ALWAYS BE OUR EXAMPLE.

As christians, we have chosen to follow Christ. We have thrown our lot in with Jesus. When we are blessed with the priveledge of selecting our own leaders, we should choose the ones whose works are the most christ-like. We can tell their works by examining their fruit. Do they have Love, compassion, tolerance, wisdom, and understanding? Do they appeal to our divine nature? Do they inspire us to be better human beings? To be better stewards? Or are they fallen, vainglorious, power-hungry men who will say anything to get your vote? Does their fruit, when you take the time to examine it, make the world a better place for all god's children, or do they leave behind a legacy of war, death, hunger, toxic waste, and global warming?

Believers, I admonish you to "test the spirits". The world may have changed since 9-11, but God hasn't. Read the Word, and know in hearts who we are called be. Remember 2 Corinthians chapter 10:

3 For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds."

This is powerful stuff!; with the potential to change the world. But it has never been our charge to kill or destroy in Jesus' name. If you look at his example he was never about political or military gain. Christ is working on a level above the things of this world. We can never do God's work by doing worldly things. We can only achieve worldly ends by doing worldly things. We must do God's work by doing Godly things. Let use be led by the Holy Spirit, rather than our vanity and baser human instincts.

Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

John 7:24 (Phi) "You must not judge by the appearance of things but by the reality!"

Phil 1:9-10 (NIV) "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and be pure and blameless until the day of Christ".

On Miracles

2005-06-16T18:55:00.000-07:00

I don't profess to have the wisdom of Solomon, but if only we had a Faith-based health care network flexible enough to accomodate both the parents of Teri Schiavo, who demanded that their daughter get the health care the sate of Florida denied, and the parents of Katie Warnecke, who want to deny their daughter the heath care the state of Texas demands. What both families have in common is the desire for a miracle. While we gratefully acknowledge that God is great and miracles do occur, we can't make them happen on demand. We cannot conjure up a miracle just on the strength of sheer will; such an event, wondrous though it may be, would not be a miracle per se, but rather the result of Black Magick. Nor can a miracle be forced to come about by manipulation of public opinion; that too is a kind of Black Art. While we love to say "God works in mysterious ways", we have trouble allowing His divine plan to manifest in our lives. We fall into the trap of focusing too intently on one desired outcome, where we "can't see the forest for the trees"; often out of fear, sometimes out of our own ignorance. For who are we to know what God's will should be? When I have trouble picking out which shirt to wear in the morning, or deciding what to order at a restaurant, I know I'm not in a position to dictate to God what should or shouldn't happen. There is always a greater glory behind every seeming setback, once we open up our hearts and allow ourselves to perceive it. This is not to imply that we should all be sheep, unconscious and blindly obedient, but we are called to do the best the can, render unto Ceasar what it Ceasar's, and know that we are loved and there is a Plan; when we hold that state of mind, open to the divine and mysterious fullness of the Holy Spirit, miracles occur all around us.

Mission Statement

2005-06-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

I've started this blog as a venue for public discourse regarding the direction, or rather, misdirection, of the church. It is my fear that the body of christ has been hijacked by a satanic counterfeit. Good, god-fearing people who want to support their country are being profoundly, and sadly, misled. The Jesus I worship is a god of lovingkindness, tolerance, forgiveness, and compassion. To be more Christ-like is the goal we should be striving for, perfecting ourselves rather than harassing others whose lifestyles or circumstances don't measure up to "our standards". "Judge not, lest ye be judged." More to come later...

In Christ,

Dr. Lambkin B. Grace