Friday, December 7, 2007

The Other Side of Heresy

An interesting and quite revolutionary concept has come into my mind. You see, a colleague of mine has presented the idea the true Christians are heretics. It is an oxymoron that very well may change the face of Christianity. The definition of a heretic, in part, is to be a nonconformist. So, in a way, to be a Christian is to be a heretic. There a two different ways this is so.
Number One: We are viewed as heretics by the World. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Every time we refuse to live by the standards of the evil and corrupt World System (which is fundamentally anti-Christ), we are heretics. We go against unrighteous living, which is glorified by society. That is why Jesus said we would be hated (Matt. 24:9). The Christian lifestyle goes against anything and everything accepted by the world, even the accepted church. When we refuse to indulge in debauchery, such as drunkenness and fornication, the World deems us heretics. When we reject the weak principles of humanistic philosophy, we are heretics. And when we rebel against worldly influences in the Body of Christ, we become heretics even to the church. This brings me to my next point.
Number Two: We are viewed as heretics when we rebuke and rebel against the religious establishment created by the worldly infection of the Church. By this, I do not mean to undermine the authority of the Church, but rather to resist its “religious traditions.” Much of the American Body of Christ has been infected with the diseases of conformity, tradition, disunity, and Biblical Illiteracy. When we decide to act on the true Word of God and rebuke the traditions of Man, the “Church” labels us as heretics.
So that means that every educated, World hating, free worshipping, unified Christian is a heretic. Do you know what you are? If you are these things, then you just might be a true Christian. I will write about the “Religious Sickness” in essays to come.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Continuing in Patience

I always find myself wondering what where to begin when I write. Yet I have come to realize more and more that writing can be much like speaking. The Lord said never to worry about what to say(Jer. 1:5-10). So, writing is the same as speaking, only with no audible voice to hear. I speak the way I write: I just start. I actually never write with any particular subject agenda. Everytime my pen touches the paper and my fingers hit the keys, I never really know what I'm going to write. However, now that I've warmed up, I believe the subject is, again, patience. I feel like I have more to say about it, as I do not think I have covered this subject thoroughly. You see, my life has been nothing but a test of patience. Come to think of it, seventeen years is not a long time, so I am expecting more tests of patience. I am already in the midst of a few tests already. God teaches in very mysterious, yet approptriate ways. Having said that, here's an example. You never really know what God is doing until it is done. When I was a freshman in high school, God called my family away from my home church of fourteen years to help my former youth pastor start his own. I won't tell the complete story now, but God had us on that task for nine months. when God moved us back to our home church, we saw that while we were away the church had taken a sort of spiritual backslide. Had we been in attendence, my family and I, as well as the families who came with us, would have stopped in our advancement down the straight and narrow. The church wasn't "dead," per se, but the presence of the Lord was not as prevalent in that place as He was nine months prior. So, upon our return, we reasoned that God had pulled us away not to start a new movement, but to protect and grow us so that we may one day be a major part of the forward movement of that church. Yet none of this would have been possoble without patience. In this fast-paced and hurried age, we forget what real patience. Patience is not waiting in line at a fast-food resturant for ten minutes without getting angry, or tolerating a yonger sibling who does not know how to complete a simple task. In fact, true patience is not just waiting. True enough, the Word tells us to wait on the Lord (Psalms 46:10, Isaiah 40:31). Yet, it does not tell us to be completely inactive. We must continue in dilligent prayer, fasting, and seeking. Otherwise,we will fulfil Jesus' end-time prophecy. Our love for Him will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). Most people do ddecide to sit around and wait. It'sas if to say, "Ok God, I'm gonna sit here and wait for you to do something!" We wait for Him to slap us in the face. While we wait for Him to do this, we ourselves fall asleep! It is then that God may decide to give us a slap in the face, in order to wake us. Then, we realize our wrong we were and how we fell asleep in the first place! Patience is active waiting. When the Word tells us to "Be still," it is not saying to literally be still. While to many this is obvious, to most it is not. "Being still" means waiting o the Lord while still trying to "press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:14). In short, Chrisianity is a verb, and patience is an element of its action.

From Reason to Patience

Many thoughts run through my mind. I cannot begin to lay hold of them in order to separate them. That, my friends, is why I must write. My mind is slowly but comprehensively turning to thoughts of theology and philosophy. One of my role models, C.S. Lewis, has greatly inspired me to write and study theology. I do hope that the mindless rantings of my childhood will soon cease and begin to concern itself with higher thoughts and meaning. I desire not only to be a propetic evangelist of the Lord, but also my generation's foremost apologist. I hope to one day defend the name of my Lord against the World's thinkers amd writers. I would love nothing more than to challenge those who curse, blaspheme, and ignore my God. Yet, in all my wants and desires, I know that such is capable only through the will of the Lord and the strength he has given me.
Before I came here, I wrote of revival and revolution, both of which I still firmly believe in. However, I think have finally come into the learning of Psalms 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." Patience is a virtue that takes time to learn. In learning patience, you also experiance and operate in patience, and little is more rewarding. God is looking for those who will be revivalist, reformists, and revolutionaries. Patience is their common trait. Revival, reform, and revolution are all things born of patience. Now, for most, I have found that even though patience is a beginning lession, it is one of the hardest pills to swallow. Yet, even still, it is one of the most rewarding lessions you can learn; to feel the satisfaction of your wait, your reward at the end. On that note, what is a Christian's life?? Revelation 2:10 says, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." Patience and endurance, which go hand in hand, are key to the survival of a Christian. The subject matter of this has come from reason, to patience. Who knows what I will write next??
God does.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

An Opening Thought

So, I have decided to blog here. Hopefully, you who are reading will stay thouroughly interested in my writings. This is just a little introduction to my world. I love to write. However, with my busy schedule, this grand hobby of mine is a bit difficult to actually partake in. I have many screen names floating around, but al contain my "pen name" so to speak: Xavier. I am nothing special. I am just one who aspires to do great things for the Lord. Yet with the Lord, I am a defender of the faith, a zealot for the cause, a proclamer of the word, and a teacher for those who wish to learn. But as you can see, I am nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ. This is my First Fundamental Truth. I hope to bring you more of these at a later date.


Grace and Peace to You