The Apostate Beauty Contest

*Recently I have been a bit floored at how many people I have been running into that have been reading this blog and notes I have written on facebook... I was surprised because only a handful ever respond on the blogs themselves. This worries me, it means that I have likely stepped on FAR MORE "toes" than I ever knew! Huzzah! Recently a relative of mine away at school asked me about a term I use often when describing the sad estate of the American Church, and denominational leaders in America, the term is "The Apostate Beauty Contest". Here is how I described it to him:

The "Apostate Beauty Contest" is the trend within Christendom to surrender the hope in God's not-of-this-world Kingdom for a secular earthbound godless equivalent.

The championing of pastors who are a calculating CEO, more than a good shepherd.

The tendency to lose patience with God's methods and substitute earthly pragmatic business solutions.

The reliance on professional qualifications and "track records of success" (gag reflex goes here!!) rather than spiritual gifting, godly character or ANY evidence that God's hand is on someone for our pastorate. I will listen to the broken man with a track record of humility!

The commitment to supplanting true movements of God with much more "manageable" fabrications and human facsimile's, perfect for tracking and explanation with charts and graphs, and ones that require the worship of denominational officers rather than awe at the power of God.

The tendency to promote a hip looking young pretty faces and plugging our noses to the aroma of Christ in a man.

The supplanting of the profound with the entertaining.

The abandoning of the truth of the sovereignty of God and becoming more "open" to the human "power within".

The replacement of the gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins, and the power of the Holy Spirit for a "yes packet".

Supplanting a suffering Messiah who sheds His blood with a well-healed secular messiah who sheds the blood of the unborn, the oppressed he refused to intervene for, and the hard working. This messiah, won't save you on the porch nor was this the one in the upper room.

The tendency of the local church to try to knock itself out for the applause of this world and nonplussed at the idea of the "well done" of God.

The under-shepherds ego's feasting on the flock, and returning the honor of those who serve with the dishonor of the "professional" replacement.

The mistake of shepherds to think that a job title and a salary = leadership, rather than anyone being shepherded or following them.

The snuffing out of the creative mind, the creative mind is too risky for such carefully calculated mausoleums! "Predictability" is our motto, "inspiration" is the devil.

The Church in America is in dire straights, not because it is not growing, but because it is turning into a well attended, well entertained mausoleum.

Shalom tikkun

My Christendom Nightmare (The Unholy Alliance)

I dreamt the eucharist was passed. But instead of the blood of Christ it was the blood of the most innocent that we refused to rescue (Prov. 24:11-12), excusing it by saying "we didn't know about this", and "its not for US to judge!". For their willful refusal to stop the shedding of innocent blood their willingness and drink their fill Satan paid each member of the congregation 30 pieces of silver, promising them it was okay because the 30 pieces that bought their unholy allegiance was taken from "the rich", and after all these 30 pieces were going to buy things for the less fortunate. The sins of envy and covet were conveniently eliminated from God's Holy Word and in those whited out portions were inserted the words "if you have a 'good feeling' about it, then it must be all right with God". The ten commandments became the new "8 commandments" when "thou shalt not steal" was also whited out. All human maladies were assessed in terms of "social and economic justice" rather than "the depravity of the soul, and its need for redemption in Christ".

I dreamt that there arose a "hero" in this era who made his mark by denying the sovereignty of God Himself, and by denying The Holy Spirit's work in building the Church. The more enlightened mind of the era realized that by clever business methods and emotional tactics we can have a fabricated and much more "manageable", reasonable, and trackable Church growth pattern for use on various pie charts and graph analysis. This "hero" used heavy handed tactics to ensure that anyone that was to get a theological education had to sign a pact in their own blood affirming this new statement of doctrine: "God is not in control, His ways ARE searchable, and His thoughts ARE NOT higher than my thoughts". 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:26 was declared inconvenient and anti-intellectual and thus physically ripped out of every existing Bible.

I dreamt there was a "prophet stoning" contest. Team #1 'The Conservative Crew' lost, they kept throwing one stone at a time hoping the prophet would eventually advocate for their political candidate, but the prophet would not stop speaking against greed and war, so the stoning took about 28 years. Team #2 'The Atheist Rationals' Stoned the prophet very consistently and methodically, showing no real passion about it, yet quite sure of their convictions...They came in second. Team #3 'The Progressive Unifiers'. This group stoned the prophet to death in record time, and kept the stones coming until the body was unrecognizable. The fury and hate of this bunch rivaled nothing I had ever seen before. They were incensed when the prophet told them their political candidate was not the messiah but a great looking deceiver. In seeing their victory they declared "VICTORY IS OURS! NOW WE CAN FINALLY HAVE UNITY!" Thier messiah was decalred the King of The Apostate Beauty Contest and crowned with a crown made from the bones of the unborn.I woke up nauseated.

When I shared this with a friend, he showed me a large rock he was holding, and he said "NAUSEA! (as he raised the rock into a throwing stance) I'LL SHOW YOU NAUSEA...

God will preserve a remnant.

Cops, Hippies, Republicans, and Anarchists

My office is in downtown St. Paul. The city this week took on a fascinating, surreal "zoo-like" atmosphere.

Bike cops, motorcycle cops, cops on foot, cops in cars, cops in unmarked mini-vans, cops in boats, cops in helicopters, and cops on horseback... sounds like a Dr. Seuss book...

There were Hippies and Anarchists hurling spit, urine, unknown liquids, and bleach on convention goers, one 82 year old woman ended up in the hospital when a protestor threw bleach on her.

There were Republicans, feminist Republicans, liberal Republicans, conservative evangelical Republicans, fat ones, skinny ones, and as one person noted: there are a lot of great-looking Republicans. Actually, I think they in fact are generally better looking than Democrats... Republicans in expensive suits, Republicans in those silly straw hats, and drunk Republicans weaving all over Kellogg Ave.

On my side of town, the "evolved artsy-liberal" side of town we were flooded with "consciousness raising" liberals (p.s. the reason I am behind you on the track of ideas as you look back is not because you are ahead of me, its because I've lapped you...), a refreshing alternative to the Anarchists... Ironically this version of liberal actually had permits to protest but the "clown-act" jerks who are violent and nihilistic wrecked any chance of these folks to get their message heard by anyone. This "evolved liberal" group at least traffics in a few worthy ideas.

Most of the people protesting were honestly so pathological that NO message could be determined from their protest. Honestly I think most of the protestors this week were nothing more than really deperate actors who are bored and out of work. Luke and I drove slowly by one protest and tried as hard as we could to determine possibly any message of that protest... now, Luke and I are both college educated, and for the life of me we couldn't figure out the slightest clue as to their message...?

There were a bunch of "poor people's" groups protesting that they were poor... uh... forgive me, but... maybe, (I know its a stretch...) but, maybe you are "poor" because you aren't... working... and are taking trips to Minnesota, I work 12 hours a day, and I can't afford that kind of trip? Am I missing something?

I then saw that which cannot even be comprehended! A woman dressed as a red-white and blue raggedy anne doll/street hooker... what!?? I saw another guy in a military suit with a fying saucer head... huh?? I saw a guy in a Hitler suit... just... a Hitler suit... I guess I... just don't get... it?

All in all I say Sarah Palin for president, and its good to have our little river-town back to normal.

Minnesota Nice Hate Speech

It was a peaceful evening beginning to wind down for me I had just come home from a long day at work, had fired up the grill and was looking forward to a cold Harps Lager and a hot grill. I was changing into something more comfortable in my bedroom when I got a call from one of my part-time drivers (I own a courier and delivery company that had 8 drivers on the road that day...) asking me if all "my guys" were accounted for, and he said something that sounded surreal to me... I thought at first it was some sort of cruel way of my driver "messing with me" , but I turned on the TV and saw one of the most surreal, sad things I have ever seen; the 35w bridge I had driven over hundreds of times in my life to cross the Mississippi River that divides the near North side of Minneapolis with the Downtown area had literally collapsed into a part of the river that I wouldn't even dare step into with full body armor! Luckily all of my drivers were done and most home for the day, so that was a load off my chest, but as I prayed for those victims and the countless who I knew were suffering they turned out to not be the only victims that from day. I had this nagging thought in the corner of my mind... I was really, REALLY hoping and praying this wouldn't turn "political" and nasty, simply out of respect for the victims and their families, and the hope that maybe, just maybe Minnesota was better... nicer... nope, we couldn't rise above, it took less than a few days before it got ugly...

I found myself praying that Minnesotans could resist that ugly and ignoble phenomenon that seems to follow anything that goes wrong these days; blaming the other "team" for catastrophe's and the forces of nature. I remember people blaming the forces of nature on George Bush in hurricane Katrina, I remember people blaming "climate change" on their political opponents, and wonder if any of these people remember that they are in company with the ignorant cultures of the past that blamed the forces of nature on other human beings as well and burned them at the stake, sacrificed their children to volcano's, or threw the unfortunate stranger into bogs to die.

But, of course these days where hysteria, tantrum, and blind rage seem to determine who ones political foes and allies are, 3 Minnesotans are at the forefront in creating another victim, and taking "hate speech" to a disgusting level. Before the rescue effort had even concluded Nick Coleman in The Pioneer Press said that Governor Tim Pawlenty should be impeached and held accouintable for the deaths of the victims of this bridge collapse. Alice Hausman and Elwin Tinklenberg representing the Minnesota DFL went on WCCO radio and basically inferred the same thing, but of course also blamed all Republicans based on budget cuts that never actually occurred. These are just creepy people giving in to their most vile partisan instincts. I can think of very few forms of speech that can be more hateful than falsely accusing someone of murder in public! How dare you guys do this! You owe Tim Pawlwnty and the Minnesota Republicans a public apology.

The NTSB findings are conclusive: The collapse of the bridge was due to a design flaw 40 years ago. It was in essence a mathematical mistake made in 1967 that caused some supports to wear down prematurely. But, I'm sure Nick, Alice, and Elwin will get away with it since journalism is no longer about telling the truth, or finding facts, now days the press has a pre determined template in Minnesota: Democrats are good, Republicans are bad, and the truth must fit into that template or its not the "truth". But, beyond all politics, and beyond the publicity game, I think on a human level, there are 3 "folks" who owe some other "folks" an aplogy.

Take The "NAZI Test"

I would venture to guess that those of us who are NOT moral idiots, hate Hitler. But, I would bet (based on polling data and voting patterns in the USA) about half of us probably hold the majority of Hitlers political views in common with him. I am NOT saying that if you hold these view you are "evil like Hitler" since his biggest evil was the acute pathological hatred for Jews and to a lesser extent of hate 'non-Germanic' people groups... but I think you'd be surprised at how the Nazi party thought society should be governed. Among these beliefs (*taken from the NSDAP... ie. 'Nazi Party' platform as expressed by Hitler in Munich in 1920, and the Nuremburg historical documentation of NAZI party activities and propoganda media*) are the following... If many of you are intellectually honest roughly half of you agree with most of these tenets :

1. Free health care paid for by the government
2. Support of abortion
3. A "war against smoking" cigarettes
4. Gun control
5. Confiscation and redistribution of the wealth of those deemed "the wealthiest Germans"
6. The removal of religious voices from public dialogue and policy development
7. Unrestrained spending and focus on government funded education
8. Governmental oversight and control of the views espoused by the press (i.e. a "fairness doctrine"),
9. The declaration of a "health crisis" and a "war on fatty foods"...
10. Unquestioning loyalty to "The State" and a subordination of views based on religious convictions to those views espoused by those the government labeled as "experts".
11. Government price controls and regulation over the profits of previously privately owned businesses,
12. Governmental diffusion of nuclear family life and the declaration that "the children" are now the responsibility of the state... Hitler believed it took a village... jk... but seriously
Just to name a few....

Most of these tenets are also espoused by the Soviet regimes that murdered 20 million humans in Ukraine, and the various Social Darwinist/Marx+Lenin inspired Fascisms/Socialisms. All in all despite spreading misery, oppression and the slaughter of over 100 million innocent lives in the modern century MANY OF US SOMEHOW HAVE UNWITTINGLY embraced the Socialist tenets of these nightmares of civilzation... hell, most college professors espouse them! Its sad, but AFTER ALL OF THIS a large portion of the west still clings to these ideas and somehow thinks we are "immuned" to their previous outcomes. I'm not so optimistic that we'll stop the next Hitler before its too late since this is the type of Governance that makes the ground "ripe" for a sociopathic dictator.

*this is not the exhaustive list, but this list comprises some STUNNING similarities to the platform of modern "progressives". The study of various fascisms leads to a difficulty defining exactly what makes them "tick", but most of these 12 are at the heart of most of the fascisms of the current century.

**NOTE, NOTE NOTE: I am not drawing any inferences beyond the striking nature of the 12 points as to any moral equivalent with any modern group in the USA to Hitler or the Nazi party. I am simply intending for us to beware of the assumption that we are somehow "immune" to the mistakes of the past. I PERSONALLY KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO HOLD SOME OF THESE 12 TENETS THAT I AM GOOD FRIENDS WITH, WOULD WORSHIP AND PRAY WITH, AND WHO ARE GOOD FOLKS IN GENERAL... PLEASE LET US BE CLEAR, THAT WOULD BE TERRIBLY UNFAIR TO MAKE THAT INFERENCE...

My Obama Hangover

Even though I'm not a big fan of the Democratic party I was just LOOKING for any excuse to vote for Obama. Why?...simply put, he just seemed to be a "really nice guy". I had this silly little daydream featuring Barack and I sipping a glass of Merlot (he doesn't seem like a "beer guy") and having a few good common laughs with myself going away thinking; "dude, you're pretty cool for a politician"...something I couldn't envision with McCain (even though I've personally met and liked...). But, mostly I thought if the majority of this country would elect a *black man (*I never know what the most gracious term to use is so I'll use the term Obama uses for himself in his autobiography when his ethnicity is pertinent...) it would go a long way toward healing the underlying racial wounds in America that are still very real.

...the Reverend Wright "headache":

So, I was sadly disappointed when I learned that Obama has a "spiritual mentor" who I have heard endless, sermon excerpts (context filled btw...) that I would consider bigoted if not racist, anti-semitic, and falsely and venomously anti-American. Obama has not only attended this church for 20 years, he supported this Church to the tune of $27.500 last year. He said part of him wanted to "punch his (white) friend" (from Obama's own autobiography) for nothing more than empathizing with him about being surrounded by white folks all the time. Sheez, I would kiss anyone who would ever empathize with me for just 1 second of my life! In his Autobiography he called his grandmother a "typical white woman"... uh... seriously!? ATTENTION: let it hereby be publicly stated, if I ever start ANY sentence with the words "typical black ____" you have the full right (if NOT the obligation) to punch me in the throat!

...the "Christian" "nausea":

He had also claimed to be a Christian, and quoted scripture freely, so I thought "awesome, a Christian". But I've found his version of Jesus to have NOTHING to do with the historical one. His Church and his spiritual mentor preaches a "Jesus" sent as "black liberator" seeking economic justice rather than the true Son of God sent seeking the salvation of mankind's fallen soul and declaring peace with God. So, is it idolatry or Christianity? Only God knows, but I fear the latter.

...the "grandchild = punishment" "spins":

The KICKER was (in an interview this past April 1st - not fooling btw...) when he was referring to how he would rather have his own daughter have an abortion rather than face the "punishment" for her pregnancy. SIR, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT YOUR GRANDCHILD! So, now I'm sobbing inside not only at the idea that he considers an unborn human being a "punishment" (God calls a child a blessing from HIM...) BUT HE WOULD RECOMMEND KILLING HIS OWN GRANDCHILD IN THE WOMB!... I look at my 2 week old daughter and I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT FATHOM THE DEPTH OF BRAZEN INHUMANITY A HUMAN CAN HAVE to say something like that! While I sympathize with his view that it is a grave horror that coalition forces have unintentionally caused approx. 33,000 civilian casualties (deriv. Human Rights Watch) in Iraq, but his side ignores the 1.1 million intentionally killed in the womb in those same 5 years in the US. Someones moral compass is not only broken but it is smashed to tiny bits!

...the social spending "dry heaves":

Also, Obama is a huge fan of the gratuitous spending of OTHER PEOPLES MONEY for any and every social program. I say that because if I were to document the social spending he was NOT in favor of, it would yield 0 results... It is COMPASSION, and commanded by Christ to give to the poor, visit the sick, and clothe the naked, BUT it is the SIN OF COVET to force your neighbor to do it! You have no right to your neighbors property even if it is for a "good cause" in your opinion.

So, it comes down to this: I wish I could vote for the guy, but as a Christian I can't. NOT because politics accomplish the purposes of God, but simply this:

I cannot call myself a "Christian" and embrace and support the things God hates. Isaiah said "woe unto those who call good: evil, and evil; good" I'm not crazy about the Republican Party either, and McCain specifically, but Obama has to to be a "NO" for me. *If your political passions trump your passion for God's word please spare me and don't call yourself a Christian; its an insult for you to expect me to take your faith more seriously than you do.

So, the choice this year is the party whose prized value is GREED (Red) or the party whose prized value is killing the unborn (Blue) ... great choice eh? Someone hand me the Alka-Seltzer...

PS: I'd love be "talked off the ledge" here, if you think you can...