Cultural discipleship is a lifestyle under attack
by Dr. Pat Briney: A culture is defined by the lifestyle of its members. And that lifestyle is manifested by the way a group of people choose to think and behave. [There are] many attributes that distinguish one culture from another from clothing to food to entertainment. Churches produce a culture. They instruct their members how to think and to live. Values, doctrines, and practices are spelled out; and there is expectation for members to conform. The result: a culture.
God gave the nation of Israel instruction on how to build their culture. He gave them detailed instructions of what to teach and how to teach. Deut 6:1—12, “. . . Hear therefore, . . . The LORD our God is one LORD (how to think): And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (what to do). And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house (how to do it), and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers . . . to give thee great and goodly cities (promise and expectation), which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. "
We see here instruction to teach and practice. It is very intense. But the influence and example all around them by other nations was very intense. Israel was counter culture. And if they were going to succeed in sustaining and even more so increase their culture, it was imperative that they, at the very least, match the intensity if not exceed the intensity of the surrounding influences.
Likewise, Hebrews 10:24-25 exhorts us as churches to continue the intensity of preserving our culture by saying, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Romans 1:25-32 elaborates on describing cultures that reject God saying that those who reject God "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, that, "their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature," that the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another," and that "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." Further description of this passage written 2,ooo years ago sounds like a description of so many in today's American culture.
I sum this passage in a paragraph to describe our ‘new’ American culture, which is not really a new culture: The new American culture of America is dominated by self absorbed tree huggers wanting to save the planet from the human plaque, control its evolution because there is no God to do it for us, and extolling a culture of unbridled lust, sodomy, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, envy, murder, debate, backbiting, hate for God, arrogance, disobedience to authority, and unfaithfulness.
In contrast, the church culture is described in Titus 2:11-14, which says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. "
Our national culture is predictably moving away from its Christian roots. Humanity is depraved and is offended by Christ. It is a miracle that the spiritual revolution and awakening continued this long. Barna reports that, the percentage of Americans claiming no religion has increased to 15%. That is an additional 4.7 million "Nones." Vermont has 34% claiming no religion. The percentage of Christians in America has declined 76%. This trend is and will accelerate exponentially resulting in an intensifying culture that is contrary and hostile to Christianity.
Recently, Joseph Farrah’s Worldnetdaily announced that the online Webster dictionary has broadened the definition of marriage to include same sex unions.
And . . . Jamie Ensley, president of the Georgia "Log Cabin Republicans" contacted Steele's office to call a Christian group, the Illinois-based Americans for Truth, "terrorists" and liken them to Germany's Nazi party. Further they urged Steele to endorse "civil unions" or homosexual marriage. He wrote Mr. Steele saying, "Most Americans and people of medical science believe that people do not choose their sexual orientation. Groups like Americans for Truth simply want to divide Americans, and truthfully their group would be more welcome as a mainstream Nazi Germany organization, than an organization which provides any value at all in 21st Century America. . . . I hope you will continue to support the Log Cabin Republicans, and not listen to the radical Christian extremist domestic terrorist groups such as Americans for Truth."
To his credit, Michael Steele responded emphatically, "No, no no. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country? I mean this isn’t something that you just kind of like, 'Oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on marriage.'" He continued saying, "I mean this is a foundational principle of this country. This is a foundational principle of organized society.
Shockingly, the current President of the United States of America is publishing on Whitehouse.gov, the following:
- President Obama and Vice President Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
- They proudly declare that in 2004, ... President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of … sexual orientation, and gender identity.
- Further, the web site states that President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples, and believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Adding insult to injury, Obama declared that America is not a Christian nation and then resorted to smug blasphemy and mockery of the Bible and Christians. [See YouTube clip] With the smirk of an arrogant fool, shaking his head in unbelief that anyone could possibly believe the Bible if only they would read it, Mr. Obama serves us notice that he is no friend to Christianity. His ridicule of Christianity is a declaration that he despises it and holds no regard for those who follow Christ’s teachings. So much for promoting unity and good will among all groups in a pluralistic society. His personal attack on Christianity is a declaration of hostility toward Christ and His followers. He has revealed his antagonistic attitude toward the American-Christian population, and he is using his position as commander in chief to single out and attack this significant and noble segment of the American population; a significant population that represents America’s heritage and to whom America owes its foundation and greatness. Mr. Obama is using his position to intensify division in the American population by poisoning the minds of others against Christian-Americans and against Christ. He is attempting to discredit its contribution to society and its relevance to public policy.
I will not and cannot follow his lead in this blasphemy. I repudiate his leadership as President. This may sound harsh and rebellious, but it is not, and it is not my doing. This is his doing. He is the one who mocks my King, my allegiance to Christ, and my belief in the Holy Bible. In the words of Peter, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). And Romans 13 tells us to obey the higher powers of which none are greater than God, and to none other do I have greater allegiance. I am not angry or hateful about Obama’s insults, and I am not surprised by his malicious attack on me and my fellow Christian-Americans. Christ explained that we should expect hatred and attack warning us in John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” However, I am resolved to oppose, without disrespect to God’s institutional design of authority, law, and social order, Mr. Obama’s 'obamanations’ against Christ and my faith. As president of the United States, Mr. Obama owes the American-Christian community a sincere apology for his crass mockery of Christian-American citizens. He should seek immediate sensitivity/diversity training, and he should meet with both of the Christian-American citizens he singled out by name to offer them a personal apology.
I will not and cannot follow his lead in this blasphemy. I repudiate his leadership as President. This may sound harsh and rebellious, but it is not, and it is not my doing. This is his doing. He is the one who mocks my King, my allegiance to Christ, and my belief in the Holy Bible. In the words of Peter, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). And Romans 13 tells us to obey the higher powers of which none are greater than God, and to none other do I have greater allegiance. I am not angry or hateful about Obama’s insults. Christ explained that we should expect hatred and attack. However, I am resolved to oppose, without disrespect to God’s institutional design of authority, law, and social order, Mr. Obama’s 'obamanations’ against Christ and my faith. As president of the United States, Mr. Obama owes the American-Christian community a sincere apology for his crass mockery of Christian-American citizens. He should seek immediate sensitivity/diversity training.
Mr. Obama needs a Bible study to correct his ignorance of its teachings. What sane and decent person would ridicule a culture that advocates the virtues of Christ’s beatitudes for its citizens? What kind of a person would call the beatitudes of Christ radical? If Mr. Obama is looking for guidance on government beatitudes, he needs to read Romans 13, which will tell him that a public official of government is supposed to be a minister of God for good; is not supposed to be a terror to good works, but to the evil; and that it is government’s responsibility to protect its citizens from evil rather than rely on vigilantism. A good leader would not confuse the personal beatitudes taught in Matthew with the government responsibilities referred to in the book of Romans. Mr. Obama needs to do more than read his Bible. He needs to understand his Bible. I want to reassure Mr. Obama, that I like many of my fellow Christian-Americans, read my Bible every day, and it tells me that living for Christ promotes peace, personal responsibility, compassion, honesty, love, and goodness.
The fact is that our Biblical Christian culture is and will become increasingly odd and offensive to the main-stream antichrist culture. And as it does, the intensity to blend in, compromise, or at least to not offend will increase. Thus, the cultural distinctives of outreach and discipleship will diminish first. As the liberty to publically proclaim Christ becomes less tolerable, exacerbated by a President who mocks Biblical teaching and its believers, most churches will resort to more convenient and less confrontational practices such as sitting in the pews, singing inside the church, and talking among themselves about how the lost need Christ. Taking the message to the public will decrease. This is the future of most churches who are not already engaged in a comfortable church culture.
I leave you with this sobering thought. The culture of Christianity in a hostile land is not for the faint of heart. Unlike today, tomorrow promises to be one of great persecution and sorrow. As churches, we must resolve to counter the main stream liberal culture and accept the consequences or to conform to the mainstream culture to gain its temporary rewards.
------------------
Pat Briney, Ph.D. is the Chaplain for the National Federation of Republican Assemblies and President of the Arkansas Republican Assembly. He is also a pastor and teacher and presented this speech at Mission Blvd. Baptist Church Discipleship Conference in Fayetteville, AR, March 2009. Listen to the message at Cultural Discipleship is a Lifestyle. [Some parts were edited to reduce the length or to transition from the text of a speech to an article.]
Tags: Barack Obama, Bible, Christians, culture, discipleship, Patrick Briney To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
God gave the nation of Israel instruction on how to build their culture. He gave them detailed instructions of what to teach and how to teach. Deut 6:1—12, “. . . Hear therefore, . . . The LORD our God is one LORD (how to think): And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (what to do). And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house (how to do it), and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers . . . to give thee great and goodly cities (promise and expectation), which thou buildedst not, And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. "
We see here instruction to teach and practice. It is very intense. But the influence and example all around them by other nations was very intense. Israel was counter culture. And if they were going to succeed in sustaining and even more so increase their culture, it was imperative that they, at the very least, match the intensity if not exceed the intensity of the surrounding influences.
Likewise, Hebrews 10:24-25 exhorts us as churches to continue the intensity of preserving our culture by saying, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Romans 1:25-32 elaborates on describing cultures that reject God saying that those who reject God "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, that, "their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature," that the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another," and that "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." Further description of this passage written 2,ooo years ago sounds like a description of so many in today's American culture.
I sum this passage in a paragraph to describe our ‘new’ American culture, which is not really a new culture: The new American culture of America is dominated by self absorbed tree huggers wanting to save the planet from the human plaque, control its evolution because there is no God to do it for us, and extolling a culture of unbridled lust, sodomy, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, envy, murder, debate, backbiting, hate for God, arrogance, disobedience to authority, and unfaithfulness.
In contrast, the church culture is described in Titus 2:11-14, which says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. "
Our national culture is predictably moving away from its Christian roots. Humanity is depraved and is offended by Christ. It is a miracle that the spiritual revolution and awakening continued this long. Barna reports that, the percentage of Americans claiming no religion has increased to 15%. That is an additional 4.7 million "Nones." Vermont has 34% claiming no religion. The percentage of Christians in America has declined 76%. This trend is and will accelerate exponentially resulting in an intensifying culture that is contrary and hostile to Christianity.
Recently, Joseph Farrah’s Worldnetdaily announced that the online Webster dictionary has broadened the definition of marriage to include same sex unions.
And . . . Jamie Ensley, president of the Georgia "Log Cabin Republicans" contacted Steele's office to call a Christian group, the Illinois-based Americans for Truth, "terrorists" and liken them to Germany's Nazi party. Further they urged Steele to endorse "civil unions" or homosexual marriage. He wrote Mr. Steele saying, "Most Americans and people of medical science believe that people do not choose their sexual orientation. Groups like Americans for Truth simply want to divide Americans, and truthfully their group would be more welcome as a mainstream Nazi Germany organization, than an organization which provides any value at all in 21st Century America. . . . I hope you will continue to support the Log Cabin Republicans, and not listen to the radical Christian extremist domestic terrorist groups such as Americans for Truth."
To his credit, Michael Steele responded emphatically, "No, no no. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country? I mean this isn’t something that you just kind of like, 'Oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on marriage.'" He continued saying, "I mean this is a foundational principle of this country. This is a foundational principle of organized society.
Shockingly, the current President of the United States of America is publishing on Whitehouse.gov, the following:
- President Obama and Vice President Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal Section.
- They proudly declare that in 2004, ... President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of … sexual orientation, and gender identity.
- Further, the web site states that President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples, and believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
Adding insult to injury, Obama declared that America is not a Christian nation and then resorted to smug blasphemy and mockery of the Bible and Christians. [See YouTube clip] With the smirk of an arrogant fool, shaking his head in unbelief that anyone could possibly believe the Bible if only they would read it, Mr. Obama serves us notice that he is no friend to Christianity. His ridicule of Christianity is a declaration that he despises it and holds no regard for those who follow Christ’s teachings. So much for promoting unity and good will among all groups in a pluralistic society. His personal attack on Christianity is a declaration of hostility toward Christ and His followers. He has revealed his antagonistic attitude toward the American-Christian population, and he is using his position as commander in chief to single out and attack this significant and noble segment of the American population; a significant population that represents America’s heritage and to whom America owes its foundation and greatness. Mr. Obama is using his position to intensify division in the American population by poisoning the minds of others against Christian-Americans and against Christ. He is attempting to discredit its contribution to society and its relevance to public policy.
I will not and cannot follow his lead in this blasphemy. I repudiate his leadership as President. This may sound harsh and rebellious, but it is not, and it is not my doing. This is his doing. He is the one who mocks my King, my allegiance to Christ, and my belief in the Holy Bible. In the words of Peter, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). And Romans 13 tells us to obey the higher powers of which none are greater than God, and to none other do I have greater allegiance. I am not angry or hateful about Obama’s insults, and I am not surprised by his malicious attack on me and my fellow Christian-Americans. Christ explained that we should expect hatred and attack warning us in John 15:18, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.” However, I am resolved to oppose, without disrespect to God’s institutional design of authority, law, and social order, Mr. Obama’s 'obamanations’ against Christ and my faith. As president of the United States, Mr. Obama owes the American-Christian community a sincere apology for his crass mockery of Christian-American citizens. He should seek immediate sensitivity/diversity training, and he should meet with both of the Christian-American citizens he singled out by name to offer them a personal apology.
I will not and cannot follow his lead in this blasphemy. I repudiate his leadership as President. This may sound harsh and rebellious, but it is not, and it is not my doing. This is his doing. He is the one who mocks my King, my allegiance to Christ, and my belief in the Holy Bible. In the words of Peter, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). And Romans 13 tells us to obey the higher powers of which none are greater than God, and to none other do I have greater allegiance. I am not angry or hateful about Obama’s insults. Christ explained that we should expect hatred and attack. However, I am resolved to oppose, without disrespect to God’s institutional design of authority, law, and social order, Mr. Obama’s 'obamanations’ against Christ and my faith. As president of the United States, Mr. Obama owes the American-Christian community a sincere apology for his crass mockery of Christian-American citizens. He should seek immediate sensitivity/diversity training.
Mr. Obama needs a Bible study to correct his ignorance of its teachings. What sane and decent person would ridicule a culture that advocates the virtues of Christ’s beatitudes for its citizens? What kind of a person would call the beatitudes of Christ radical? If Mr. Obama is looking for guidance on government beatitudes, he needs to read Romans 13, which will tell him that a public official of government is supposed to be a minister of God for good; is not supposed to be a terror to good works, but to the evil; and that it is government’s responsibility to protect its citizens from evil rather than rely on vigilantism. A good leader would not confuse the personal beatitudes taught in Matthew with the government responsibilities referred to in the book of Romans. Mr. Obama needs to do more than read his Bible. He needs to understand his Bible. I want to reassure Mr. Obama, that I like many of my fellow Christian-Americans, read my Bible every day, and it tells me that living for Christ promotes peace, personal responsibility, compassion, honesty, love, and goodness.
The fact is that our Biblical Christian culture is and will become increasingly odd and offensive to the main-stream antichrist culture. And as it does, the intensity to blend in, compromise, or at least to not offend will increase. Thus, the cultural distinctives of outreach and discipleship will diminish first. As the liberty to publically proclaim Christ becomes less tolerable, exacerbated by a President who mocks Biblical teaching and its believers, most churches will resort to more convenient and less confrontational practices such as sitting in the pews, singing inside the church, and talking among themselves about how the lost need Christ. Taking the message to the public will decrease. This is the future of most churches who are not already engaged in a comfortable church culture.
I leave you with this sobering thought. The culture of Christianity in a hostile land is not for the faint of heart. Unlike today, tomorrow promises to be one of great persecution and sorrow. As churches, we must resolve to counter the main stream liberal culture and accept the consequences or to conform to the mainstream culture to gain its temporary rewards.
------------------
Pat Briney, Ph.D. is the Chaplain for the National Federation of Republican Assemblies and President of the Arkansas Republican Assembly. He is also a pastor and teacher and presented this speech at Mission Blvd. Baptist Church Discipleship Conference in Fayetteville, AR, March 2009. Listen to the message at Cultural Discipleship is a Lifestyle. [Some parts were edited to reduce the length or to transition from the text of a speech to an article.]
Tags: Barack Obama, Bible, Christians, culture, discipleship, Patrick Briney To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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