Biblical Christianity will offend the masses that embrace cultural christianity (postmodern) or any of today’s blended, American emerging churches. There is a growing hostility toward those who choose to follow Biblical Christianity. God’s way seems too narrow and impossible.

In a world of religious alternatives that offer all God’s blessings and promises without accountability, His absolute truth doesn’t fit. Biblical values become a source of reproof and offense to those (christian post-modernists) who have chosen the wide, popular way.

Do you know what ”cultural christianity/christian post-modernists” looks like?

A Biblical Christian …	A Christian Post-modernist
Believes in the absolute reality of facts, observation and logic	Believes that facts & truth become facts & truth after the observer experiences it.
Trusts absolute truth	Reject absolute truth and points out the assumptions by which truths are based
Is a Biblical monotheist and believes in one absolute truth	Is a spiritual pluralist and believes all religions require assumptive reasoning and are therefore equal
Has a relationship with reality based on attempting to discern the absolutes	Has a relationship with the group whose view of reality benefits him/her the most
Has faith in doctrines of absolutism,bases beliefs, values and hope on a revealed doctrine	Is a moral relativist and bases beliefs, values and hope on an agreed upon doctrine
Seeks objective knowledge (religious, mathematical, historical record, etc.) that supports their absolutist doctrine	Seeks objective knowledge and reworks doctrines to include or ignore said knowledge
Wants society to follow Biblical or cultural standards which are considered inherently correct	Wants to set their own standards and values and believes that society should grant as much right to this as possible
Believes that sexual guidelines and boundaries are fixed by absolutist doctrine	Believes that humans are free to choose their own sexuality and identity.
Judges right and wrong by absolute standards	Judges right and wrong upon agreed standards but recognizes that those standards may change
Favors favors a Newtonian view of the universe	Favors an Einsteinian view of the universe
Emphasizes creed or logical proposition	Emphasizes story, personal discovery, journey…
Desires to see all embrace the absolutist doctrine	Celebrates a diversity of post-modern spirituality/unity.
Sees that Biblical evangelism makes sense	Sees that Biblical truth is relative and dismisses whatever doesn’t feel compatible with personal journey
Believes that contact with “other gods” is forbidden and that promised personal peace and oneness can only come through Christ.	Believes that other gods and cultures can produce ultimate peace and oneness to their believers.

 Thank you to the hardworking ministry of Crossroads.

Biblical Christianity means joined to Jesus Christ through faith in what He did for us at the cross, living His life through us so that others might know Him. This love may include sharing His warnings as well as His promises with friends and family. It is knowing Truth as only revealed through Scripture.

The established (visible) Church, like Old Testament Israel, has always tended to drift away from its devotion to God and resemble the world/culture, subject to the same human deceptions, impulses, conveniences, and cultural distortions of Christianity. 

Consider some of the differences between Biblical faith and today’s cultural deviations. Sometimes we all find ourselves on the cultural side of the chart below. It can be a very real battle to remain single-minded and Christ-centered.

But this is the nature of the battle and the willingness
to fight it must be our obedient response.

Biblical Christianity will offend the masses that embrace cultural christianity or any of today’s blended, American emerging churches. There is a growing hostility toward those who choose to follow Biblical Christianity. God’s way seems too narrow and impossible.

In a world of religious alternatives that offer all God’s blessings and promises without accountability, His absolute truth doesn’t fit. Biblical values become a source of reproof and offense to those who have chosen the wide, popular way.

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ,
and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are saved
and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death
leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.
And who is sufficient for these things?”

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

(Adapted from Crossroads a hardworking ministry dedicated to providing vital facts and Biblical encouragement that will help us prepare for a global society that shows little tolerance for the Christian world view )

Just Give Me Jesus

I don’t want . . .
 centering prayers,  breathing prayers, contemplative prayers
  repetitive words, or  mindless meditation

I don’t want to . . .
walk a labyrinth, sit in a lotus position, or
listen to myself breath

Just Give Me Jesus

I don’t need . . .
a spiritual director, spiritual formation
spiritual healing, or spiritual disciplines 

I don’t want to . . .
watch a candle flicker, smell incense burning
walk ancient paths, listen to tibetan drums
center my living, set the Gospel free
discover the power within me
know the sacred way, or connect with the universe

Just Give Me Jesus

I don’t need a book to . . .
build my self-confidence
provide a “course in miracles”
explain a “new earth”
tell me “what buddah would do at work”
“live in the presence”, or “celebrate discipline”

I don’t need . . .
inner healing, inner peace, or
enlightenment

There are no . . .
“secrets”, hidden mysteries, or
special knowledge

Just Give Me Jesus

I don’t want to . . .
reimagine, rediscover, or rethink Jesus

I don’t want . . .
a new reformation, a purpose driven life
to be a progressive Christian, or
emerge

I am not a . . .
post-modern, post-orthodox, or
post-evangelical

Jesus isn’t  . . .
a ”velvet elvis” or “blue like jazz”, and
He doesn’t live in a “shack”

Jesus is  . . .
the King of my life
the Embodiment of Truth
the Life Everlasting
Relevant Today
the Beginning and the End

Just Give Me Jesus  

 

http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

 September 29, 2008

 ~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

this morning

from my front porch . . .  cornstalks and apples decorate our little town

i am thinking . . .  the APPLE FESTIVAL (this weekend) preparations

i am thankful  . . . living on main street, a front row seat for the festival; and looking forward to enjoying the abundant fellowship with friends and family on our front porch!

from the kitchen . . .  organizing and finding favorite fall recipes, tomatoes for homemade salsa

i am reading . . . 2008 Christmas with Southern Living

i am hoping . . . a rainless week to work in the garden

i am planning . . . to dress the front porch for fall

around the house . . . finding 20 items a day to either sell, give-a-way, or throw away

one of my favorite things . . . order & simplicity in our home

a few plans for the rest of the week . . . creating a simple weekend meal plan, preparing for house guests, and pricing the yard sale items

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you . . .

A day in our lives to be inspired, motivated,
and encouraged to

{live simply} and

{glorify God extravagantly!}

Hosted this week by Lindsay @ Passionate Homemaking  for  Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home.

Many women (including me!) are passionate about simplifying their homes, wardrobes, meals, jobs, and in general — life. With a quick glance we may all look like the world who is striving & straining to achieve this very same goal. 

However there is one subtle, yet powerful difference.

Our passion to {live simply} 
makes room to {Glorify God Extravagantly}

I don’t want to live with less! I want to live with more!

Jouneying on the winding and sometimes perilous, narrow road to the  mountain top {that place of peace, rest, and closeness to the King};

REQUIRES us to . . .

 . . . lighten our burden,

 . . . travel lightly,

 . . . shed the excess, and

. . . . make room {time & space} in our homes 
             and in our lives for the {King to Reign.}

Just these thoughts alone make my heart skip a beat. To have a home that is ordered; a schedule which is lighter; and a mind that is uncluttered and more Holy is the deepest desire of my heart.

LESS stuff
and MORE beauty

LESS “Christian” books, tapes, videos
and MORE of God’s pure & Holy Word

LESS noise of the culture
and MORE quiet space

LESS mindless chatter
and MORE genuine & rich friendships

LESS time-stealing, frantic errands
and MORE peaceful time at home.

LESS work
and MORE family time.

. . . for God is not a God of confusion but of peace,  . . .
{1 Corinthians14:33}
We should reflect His character and nature because He is a God of
peace and harmony, order and clarity, not strife and confusion.

{Simply Gorify God, Extravagantly!}