post 24

Today I was going to blog my thoughts on "the situation" happening in my church.

I went to look for a quote from this post to use in my post.

But then I wanted to quote everything.

Maybe I'll blog my thoughts tomorrow.

Because this is what is on my heart today.

"As much as possible live at peace and enjoy the life of grace. 

Focus more on what is good than what is wrong. 

Live with warmth, unity, and respect among fellow-believers, 

even with our many different perspectives and convictions.

Do all this and then, when the grace of God 
or the freedom of God's people are diminished

 - join Paul, who without a blink or a pause saw 
Peter's legalistic attitude and leadership 

and announced, 'I withstood him to his face.'

If you would go to battle, go to battle for the radically free grace of God, 

for the relentless promise of joy, 

and for (in the words of Steve Brown) the scandalous freedom

 that our Savior fully purchased and purposed for His people.

...make a habit of calling folks primarily to faith and hope and joy 

and an insatiable appetite for the treasure that God is and gives. 

Generally, I believe that we are called far more often to 

think and laugh and feast and sing and 
announce the extravagant gift of saving grace

 -  than we are called to arms.

But here I plead for us to battle with tenacity and relentlessness:

Fight for a big, bold, unaltered Gospel 
and for the freedom and joy of God's people. 

Resist legalism in all its forms. 

Oppose authoritarian, controlling, or manipulative leadership. 

Let no one rob you or others of a free conscience, 

nor let them compel your service or collect your cash by guilt-trips or misuse of Scripture.

Truly, we have spiritual enemies that war against our souls; 

[my note: and these enemies aren't leaders, pastors, 

bloggers, document-writers,

 the church, the lost, 

sinners, or people. 

Our enemy is

 "the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places"

and

"the passions of our flesh"

and to these foes we can cry "By grace {we} have been saved!"]

but in that conflict we fight a defeated foe, 

who has already been crushed by Christ, 

and our Lord has also equipped us with Gospel-armor 

so that we need not fear or dread the enemy's fiery darts.
--

"He gives more grace."

james 4:6

--
"fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
our God ever yearns His resources to share;
lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
the Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

1. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
   His power no boundary known unto men;
   for out of His infinite riches in Jesus
   He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again."
   --
   "..straining forward to what lies ahead, 
   I press on toward the goal for the prize 
   of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
   philippians 3:14