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Thursday, January 27th, 2022

ACP — A Crooked Path

Did you know that 56% of Christians feel their spiritual life is entirely private?*

Jesus modeled a powerfully different approach. One where faith is practiced and deepened in community.

Among other things, such as eating and associating with tax collectors [publicans], prostitutes, and the dregs of society, the sick, the lame, the informed, the widows, the poor. He spoke to those He wasn’t supposed to according to cultural norms [the Samaritan woman at the well]. He got close to the lepers and actually touched them. We refuse to even “touch” our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, our relatives with the truth of the gospel let alone begin to vaguely imitate the Lord Jesus Christ as we ought to…

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 — English Standard Version

Are we to imitate Christ? Or the world? Believing erroneously that the latter 20th century and beginning of the 21st is somehow different than any other in world history? What was then no longer applies now? We’re somehow past all that? We can do whatever we want? We can ignore God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Bible and we can make Them into our image, according to our word rather than God’s Word?

Is it any wonder our land, the world is as it is and is growing more lost, clueless, dark, and evil by the hour?

Hey, Mr. Pastor man, get out of that meeting, stop hanging out with your cronies, stop begging for more money, stop giving poor stand up comedy routines, worldly illustrations, and speaking to your congregations as if they are a bunch of grapes and they are people, individuals with spirits and minds and hearts thirsting mightily for the meat of the Word of God!

Hey, Mr., Mrs., Miss Professed Christian begin living as the light of the world not as one enslaved and serving, appeasing the world. Afraid to appear different, afraid to speak the Word to people for fear of “offending” or having people no longer like you. What about being a person after the heart of God? To be one of His children rather than a child of disobedience, which is every other person in the world, the walking dead.

Let’s stop appeasing sin. Refusing to call sin sin. Let’s begin to finally be clear, get clear, and stay clear. No matter what the world is demanding of us. The Word of God will never be cancelled or altered. Never be perverted or corrupted — except by vile, evil within them, darkness their shelter people in the church, in the world. See them as they are for what they are. And let’s stop being so silent, fearful, worried about protecting our backsides, our interests, our little spheres, and while here not only come to know and understand the Word of God — but to actually begin to live it out in our lives daily, shall we?

It ain’t elections, politicians, other people, idols, the slick-talking, the ideologies of the world we’re sucked into that will change matters as things need changing. It begins with us. And the impact each of us can make on our littler spheres while here.

Hey, Mr. Pullen, man, practice what you say!

Okay?

Okay.

*From the Barna Group

Ken Pullen, administrator, contributor of this place — and a man in need of seeking the ways and Word of the Lord daily.