More Email, About History

So, I'm listening to Kevin Swanson from the AFHE convention give his talk called,"The Most Serious Problem Facing Families Today." As the talk progressed it was like everything was part of a historical context, for how it use to be as compared, to how it is today.

This history thing is just so huge, because history is part of context, without context statements can be turned upside down. Understanding can be turned inside out. As Kevin went on he just got more and more passionate. It's that important. Without context the modern church has had a model of what the family should be that was in pretty good sync with the world, but it bore false witness against God's order and definition for the family. The fruit was a clue. But when your intentions are good, and you think the Bible is silent about something, because you're used to so many, many, other areas where all the other believers think every one just needs to follow the Spirit, to follow your conscience. This is where the trap is sprung because at this stage our pride kicks in just like it did for the pharasees and we just refuse to believe we could be wrong, that we might actually be opposing God. It's unthinkable. We love the Lord! (see Paul "I acted in ignorance.")

Before leaving for work I had read this portion of Proverbs with my daughters...Proverbs 1:23-33

28 "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil."
The only distinguishing characteristic here is that they didn't listen to God and do it His way. He doesn't mention their heart.

It's that verse 31Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

As a modern evangelical I have worn the garlic around my neck, to ward off evil you know. It's the train of thought that uses the thought and phrase "God looks at the heart, God knows the heart," which he does.

But for the first 7 yrs of my oldest daughters life I didn't institute biblical methods of child raising, I thought I was but I wasn't. The standard isn't my heart it is always God's Word. And it was getting messy even though I had the best of intentions, I wasn't being obedient. I was really full with their own fancies.and I was starting to eat the fruit of their own way,

Christian marriages have the same divorce rate as the pagans....So you have to ask yourself doesn't God see our hearts? It was after Beth and I got some biblical marriage counseling and we moved closer to obedience to God's Word that things changed for us. It wasn't that my heart had better intentions but rather I was now more obedient rather than be filled to the full with their own fancies.

I've mentioned this before that the mega churches and so much of how so many churches are organized has less to do with the Bible and more to do with what is perceived as what people want, what people will accept. I refuse to believe that their intentions are not "good" (ok, maybe some) But I do wonder if this is how God see's it, that...29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord,30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

Our God is a jealous God. Jesus was praised by God for his obedience, because he only said what the Father said and only did what he saw the Father do. And because he was obedient even unto death on the cross Phil 2:8 God then spends 3 verses praising Jesus and at verse 12 we have ... Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Now I know there is an application for how God sees our hearts and he does know our intentions. But I think we now use it like peanut butter and spread it all over everything indiscriminately. I did, mostly it allowed me to live like I wanted to.

If we look around the "church" from the world view that "God looks at the heart, God knows the heart," and we see our divorce rate, and see 80% of the kids leaving the faith, etc, etc. We scratch our heads, cause it doesn't make sense, we know we love the Lord. But if you see all this and think in terms of a world view that asks "are we being obedient? do we fear the Lord?" Hmmm...

29 Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.
31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

We must take every thought captive.