Psalm 149, Just Sayin’..

I live in California — which on many fronts, is led by certifiably insane political leaders — but, countering that, my small town has more than 40 different Christian churches. I know enough about scripture to entertain a forlorn hope:  that means there are 40 men in this town who consider themselves “shepherds,” the sort of man who cares about his flock so dearly, he would lay down his life for them; he feeds the sheep and shoots the wolves.

Okay, let’s say only five of those men are real shepherds.  The rest are hirelings serving up a little rest, relaxation, and contemporary comedy on Sundays.

If one man and God is a mighty army, five strong men and the families behind them can’t be too bad.

Ponder something:  what if every time some hare-brained social justice warrior at the local school district decided it was time to teach your children how evil they are because they are Christian, or heterosexual, or male, they knew their email would be sent all over Christendom, their cell phone at work would ring off the hook, their deeds would be exposed in social and conventional media?  What if a church member received an email from her son, who said he wanted to kill himself because he had been shamed for his skin color?  What if your church demanded all other true Christians in town show up at the next school board meeting?   What if 5,000 true believers stood in solidarity as humanist, state-funded  hate was exposed?  What if, instead of going on the offensive against the righteous, the identity grievance whores had to spend all their time defending their own intersectional, “woke” version of hatred?  What if the church exposed them for the children of the devil they so obviously are?

What if, in short, your church were a little scary?

Our theology would require a scriptural tune-up.  We would need to remember that Jesus Christ is on His throne right now and that He wants the will of the Father done “ON EARTH as it is in heaven.”  We would need to come out from behind our prophecy clocks and actually get into the battle.  We would stop saying “it’s all got to get worse” and “I pray we have a little persecution,” and start remembering that Jesus told us “greater things will YOU do?”

When was the last time you got a little scary for Christ?  You think Paul, when he demanded his jailers be reminded they had unjustly beaten and jailed a Roman citizen wasn’t preaching “Christ and Christ Crucified?”   You think Jesus wasn’t holy when He was braiding a whip?

Spreading the Good News and occupying the garden are not in conflict, folks.  Anyone who tells you “taking up your cross” means making the “gay believer” feel welcome and approved in your church just doesn’t read God’s Word, or care about His infinite love.  God wants you to love your neighbor so much, you care enough to tell him the truth — and be a little direct about it a times.

This will mean toughening up your congregation, getting them hardened to some work, and to some conflict, but I predict that if such a revival comes in your church, your flock will come to know what they really believe, what they really love, and what they will really defend.

 

Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two edged sword in their hand;

To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

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