A MONTH OF SELFLESSNESS? THAT'S A MONTH I'D GLADLY CELEBRATE!

Courtesy of David Pataconi

I had a friend who had the idea of creating a Christian calendar. It included changing the names of the days of the week and the months, reflecting, if I remember correctly, Christian virtues with at least the days. 

The biggest flaw was his months, in my opinion, is that it completely departed from our Gregorian calendar. Why is that a flaw? Because it separates those who use this calendar from the rest of the world and makes it harder to communicate. 

The Jews have an answer. They number their years the same, except instead of using B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (The year of the Lord), they refer to those designations as B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and C.E. (The Common Era.) They have created an effective alternative that works in the real world.

Those who read my blog know that I have an alternative to Halloween that either coincidentally or providentially  (take your pick; you can guess which one I picked) happens to be the same day of the year as Martin Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the Wittenberg door (otherwise known as Reformation Day).

In our culture, the focus has moved from days to months. We have Black History Month (February). We have Women's History Month (March). I don't know if they expanded Earth Day to the entire month of April, but it wouldn't surprise me. And many know what some designate the month of June as.

Well, my musician friend David Pataconi, member of the band TheoTerran as well as a solo artist, has proposed a wonderful alternative. He has designated June as "Selflessness" month. I think that's an excellent alternative.

The best thing is that it's not confrontational. Rather, it is how I choose to see that month. If someone want to encourage me to celebrate their month, sorry, but I've got other plans. 

When I was a member of an Assembly of God church in the mid-80's, I noticed that the denominational magazine had a designation for each week. For example, one week was to recognize their version of the Scouts. I've thought for years of doing the same, especially in this blog. Maybe I should just simplify and make it a month. 

And celebrating June as the month of Selflessness a great start.. 

"PENTECOST AND OTHER FORGOTTEN HOLIDAYS," OR "ANOTHER BLOG ON THE FESTIVAL OBSERVING DEBATE"

"Pentecost" by Emil Nolde

 

My goal is to have blogs prepared in advance so they can be automatically be posted at 6am ET  on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. For about a month, any blog was few and far between. The last week, including today, I am writing the blog on the scheduled days and immediately posting it. (Tuesday, I'll have a blog prepared to post; let's see how long I can keep that going!)

Actually, I did plan on writing it yesterday, but I couldn't think what I wanted to write about! After all, I set aside Sundays usually for something more theological, and my mind went blank. But then I woke up this morning, and realized: IT'S PENTECOST SUNDAY! And I forgot all about it! 😭

Not making excuses, but I have a lot of help in not remembering. It's not on calendars. There's no Pentecost sales. Nobody mentioned it at church. Once, I commented that the church I attended never celebrates Pentecost, and I was answered, "We celebrate Pentecost every Sunday. Uh, sorry, but if you celebrate somehing every week, you're not really celebrating it any week. I can also make the same case for Reformation Day or All Saints Day. 

There is debate on whether Christians should celebrate any days, quoting Galatians 4:10-11 in light of turning back to the bondage of the law: "You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain." (All Scriptures are NKJV) One big difference: Paul is warning against Gentiles feeling obligated to celebrate Jewish holidays. Is there anything condemning Christians choosing to celebrate a holiday to remember something like Pentecost or Reformation Day, or Easter or Lent or Advent or Christmas for that matter? Allow me to give you a pair of Scripture passages, and decide if us having freedom in that area is consistent with the teachings of the New Testament: 

1. "To the pure all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but even their mind and conscience are defiled." Titus 1:15
2. "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lorde he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks." Romans 14:4-6

In case you haven't figured it out, the best way to remember something is to do it. In his book "24/6: A Prescription for a Healthier, Happier Life," he mentions that the fourth commandment starts with the word "Remember." We're commanded to observe a weekly Sabbath, and Sleeth points out that we forgot. Now, he's not focused on whether we observe it on the first or seventh day, but rather that we set apart (i.e. sanctify) one day to rest. 

So if somebody wants to help me remember Pentecost or Reformation Day or All Saints Day (and for me, I'd interpret All Saints to include all Christians, not just the ones canonized by the Catholic Church), please do! I'd like company.

And happy Pentecost!

HOLY DAYS, HOLIDAYS, AND HOLLOW DAYS , AND HOW DO WE FOCUS ON THE FORMER?

 

Cedars of Lebanon State Park, Lebanon, TN

A couple of days ago, Becky expressed her sadness about not taking the time to go to a Veteran's Day service.  That got my attention. I had the day off from work, because this year it fell on a Saturday. Maybe part of it is that Becky's father was a veteran. Neither my father nor my paternal grandfather were (I have no idea about my maternal grandfather). 

This blog is being posted on Thanksgiving Day, 2023. You can say the same thing. It seems the day has morphed from Thanksgiving to Turkey Day. It used to be a day when all the stores were closed; now, several are open for pre-Black-Friday deals. :'( I think the day should be a little more, uh, sanctified (set apart), but is my heart focusing on giving thanks any more than any other day? Or am I too excited to turn on the TV for the big sports event of the day: America's Dog Show on NBC?

Allow me to use that introduction to suggest that our special days can fall into three categories: holy days, holidays, and hollow days. And I also want to make it plain that each have their place. Let me take them in reverse order:

1. Hollow Days. Someone I know used that term for what they considered pagan holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter), to reflect the emptiness. Let me look on the concept more positively - there are days we need to be off from work, have a cook-out with friends, and watch a fireworks show after dark. (What I've just described can be how we celebrate Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Labor Day.) Anything wrong with that? Nope. We need time to rest. 
2. Holidays. These days are ones we celebrate via traditions. We wear green on St. Patrick's Day. We eat turkey and watch football (or in my case, the dog show) on Thanksgiving. We dress up for Halloween. We decorate a tree and deck the halls for Christmas. And we wait with apprehension to see if Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow. Each are fun events that occur once a year that make the day stand out from a day off. In the past (not true now) I would have that mentality for the Oscar's, the baseball All-Star game, and the then-annual showing on CBS of "The Wizard of Oz." None of them change the world, but it gives the year a little variety. 
3. Holy Days. Holy means set apart, and a holy day is set apart. There is a solemnity to that day, like the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) in the Bible. We could have that sanctified approach to major holidays we have off (Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day for families where a member made the ultimate sacrifice) or days that are special to us. In my case, this would include Reformation Day, All Saints Day, World CEF Prayer Day, International Day of Prayer For The Persecuted Church, and World Refugee Day. 

Confession time. These days I mentioned usually are just a normal day. I want that to change. Reformation Day and All Saints Day are ones that currently are something I quietly acknowledge, but I really want to celebrate it with others! True, it might be overdoing it to have a Reformation Day party one day and follow it up with an All Saints Day party 24 hours later. But you get the idea.

Can I summarize? We need days to rest. We need days to have fun and break up the routine. And we need days to reflect.

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR AND OTHER POST REFORMATION DAY THOUGHTS

The River Community Church, Cookeville, TN

Hope you've enjoyed my Reformation Day series, where I reviewed five books and an album. Let me close with some thoughts. 

Two of the five books I reviewed focused on the Reformation. Both books had several references to Augustine, Luther, and Calvin. But other reformers didn't get as much love. In one book, Melanchthon was mentioned four times and Zwingli twice; the other didn't list either. But that book did mention Wycliffe and Tyndale more. And is John Knox a Reformer? Neither book mentioned him. 

I looked up "Sola Scriptura" on Spotify, and found several selections listed. At first, I was excited - several albums on the subject I could review and lengthen this series! Alas, most of the selections were either rap (not my cup of tea), singles, in a foreign language, or in one case didn't reflect the subject of the title. 😭

I will mention that Reformation Day starts what I consider "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." No, Christmas isn't part of the time; in fact, my favorite holiday - Thanksgiving - isn't in that period. I could call it "Holy Week," though that name is taken. This time is a week (or less), and includes four days that are special to me. Two are set on the calendar, same date every year; the other two are always on the same day of the week. What are the four?

1. Reformation Day, October 31st. No duh. After all, I did say it started with Reformation Day, didn't I? I want to keep a Semper Reformanda mindset, always reforming.
2. All Saints Day, November 1st. No, I'm not a Catholic, and I don't define a saint as they do - I believe all Christians are saints, and I believe the New Testament backs that up. But I want a time to celebrate those who have been inspirations to me, whether they're currently in heaven or on earth.
3. International Day of Prayer For The Persecuted Church, 1st Sunday of November. (I'm actually writing this on that day.)
4. World Day of Prayer for Child Evangelism Fellowship, 1st Wednesday of November. 

So, let me end by trying to start a discussion. What do these four days I just mentioned mean to you? If you aren't thinking of those days, how can you make them more meaningful?

 

SUNDAY PSALMS PART 43 OF 48 (REFORMATION DAY/ALL SAINTS DAY EDITION) - PSALM 101

 

Arlington Avenue Baptist Church, Indianapolis

1  I will sing of mercy and justice;
    To You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
2  I will behave wisely in a perfect way.
    Oh, when will You come to me?
    I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3  I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
    I hate the work of those who fall away;
    It shall not cling to me.
4  A perverse heart shall depart from me;
    I will not know wickedness.

5  Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor,
    Him I will destroy;
    The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart,
    Him I will not endure.
6  My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land,
    That they may dwell with me;
    He who walks in a perfect way,
    He shall serve me.
7  He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
    He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.
8  Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land,
    That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.
                        Psalm 101:1-8, New King James Version

 Do we mirror the Psalmist (identified as David) in these following aspects covered in this Psalm:

• Godly behavior, including not setting anything evil before our eyes and not letting the work of those who turn from Christ cling to us (verses 2-4)?
• Not tolerating the presence of the proud, the dishonest, and other evildoers (verses 5, 7-8)?
• A desire to be surrounded by those faithful to God (verse 6)?

This is something to think about with Reformation Day (the name of the pagan celebration that shares the October 31st celebration date) and All Saints Day. Do we want a new beginning to our personal lives, our church, our society? Do we want to see reformation, restoration, spiritual awakening and revival? Would the above be a factor?

 

 

REFORMATION DAY SERIES PART 2 - ALBUM REVIEW: MENDELSSOHN IN BIRMINGHAM VOL. 1 (THE HEBRIDES, REFORMATION SYMPHONY, ITALIAN SYMPHONY) CONDUCTED BY

The Reformation Symphony is just part of this collection, but allow me to focus on it with Reformation Day just around the corner This is one of my favorite symphonies.

"Mendelssohn in Birmingham" is a 5 part series. It focuses on the German composer's visits to England, and the art work is a drawing by Mendelssohn of his performance in Birmingham. This first release features the overture "The Hebrides," and symphonies #5 (Reformation) and #4 (Italian).

 You can divide Mendelssohn's symphonies into three groups: The first, the two he composed but went unpublished until decades after his death, and the final two he composed but were the second and third published. While most composer's works are numbered in order of composition, Mendelssohn's are enumerated by publishing. I read that he did edit the Reformation and Italian symphonies but still didn't publish them; the commentator said the symphonies were better as originally written.

Let me move to the Overture "The Hebrides." It is a concert overture, that is, a stand alone composition. It was inspired when Mendelssohn visited Scotland, and was moved by the basalt sea cave on  island of Staffa known as "Fingal's Cave." This composition combines the mysterious with the triumphant.

Mendelssohn started the Reformation Symphony with the goal of it being used to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, written by my favorite Reformer, Philip Melanchthon. Unfortunately, health problems kept it from being performed at the celebration, leading to it not being published until 21 years after the composer's death.

Normally, the symphony's first movement is named after the key it starts in. Beethoven's first symphony was irregular because it started off meandering between the keys of C and F before settling into the former. This symphony was said to be in D major, but after a brief introduction in the stated key, Mendelssohn moved to the main theme in D minor, so this symphony is called in D major/D minor.

In contrast to the opening movement, the second is a joyful minuet in C major, a composition that always puts me in a good mood. One commentator said it didn't fit the theme. I disagree. To me, it captures the joy and freedom we have in Christ, exemplified by the five solas of the Reformation and the recognition of the Priesthood of the believer.

The third movement is slow and short, and without a real break transitions to a flute opening the final movement with the tune of "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."  The meditative beginning transitions to a more upbeat segment.

There are some compositions that, when I hear it, I think I've heard it before but can't name it. This is true of the opening movement of the Italian Symphony. The first movement is lively, followed by a mournful second movement and a cheerful though mostly slow third movement (though it has a couple of rousing fanfares. The finale is one of the most lively conclusions.

One tradition I do for Reformation Day is put on this collection as I'm getting ready to call it a night.

REFORMATION DAY SERIES PART 1 - REPEAT BOOK REVIEW: CHRIST'S CALL TO REFORM THE CHURCH BY JOHN MACARTHUR

 Today is one week from Reformation Day. Forget the other thing people celebrate on this day. But I'm going to make the theme a focus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus a pair of Reformation themed Sunday blogs. How long? I'm not sure yet. But it will be a while. And maybe I'll save some for next year! 

I'm starting off with a repeat of a book review which was actually the first book review I shared this year.

Does the church need a Reformation? If Jesus was speaking to the church, what would He say? Would it be similar to what He had the Apostle John write to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Revelation 2-3)?

John MacArthur has been a solid voice encouraging believers to return to the sound teaching of Scripture and speaking out against modern trends that do not have Biblical grounding. This book is written to encourage today's church to do what Jesus commanded of the seven churches of Asia Minor: Repent!

This book starts off with how unpopular reforming the church is for the status quo. Chapters 2-9 are basically a commentary on Revelation 1-3, reading like a print version of a sermon series. 

The final chapter is titled "The Need for a New Reformation," and looks at the five solas of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), Sola Fide (Faith Alone), Sola Gratia (Grace Alone), Sola Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone), and Sola Christus (Christ Alone). MacArthur points out most lists end with Sola Deo Gloria, but he chose to end his book with what he focused on: Christ and the Church.

To be honest, I was hoping MacArthur to talk about how today's church mirrors the issues of the seven churches and specific steps the church can take to reform. Maybe I should write a book about that. But this book is Biblically sound and challenges us to be the Chruch God called us to be. I recommend this book. This is a much needed reminder (and for some a rebuke) to a church that needs to regain their first love and to repent.

 

CANONICAL FALSE GOSPELS?

Semper Reformanda - Always Reforming. Courtesy of James Lawson.

AUTHOR'S NOTE - I wrote this a few years ago as a Facebook note. I've decided to make this my Reformation Day post for the year. So, Happy Reformation Day!

 Just when you think you've heard everything.

In an internet group, someone was claiming the Letter of James was a false gospel and that the half-brother of Jesus was the organizer of the Judaizers Paul condemned when writing to the Galatians. The person making that claim was asked if he was implying that James' letter shouldn't be included in Scripture.

No, he insisted James belonged in the Canon of Scripture so we'd know what his false teaching looked like.

If he stopped at James being a Judaizer and his Epistle being a false gospel, I would think he's wrong and outside the mainstream, but he's not the first to have problems with James and the apparent conflict with Paul's grace theology. The church leaders deciding on the canon dealt with the same question. Martin Luther called that book "An epistle of straw" (though he later changed his mind). Les Feldick believes Christian theology should be based on Paul, and that James and the other general epistles were written for Jews, not the Church. Calling James a false gospel is a step further, but I would consider that an error.

The idea that a false gospel could be canonical, however, is what I consider a very dangerous idea that must be defeated. Allow me to give three reasons why.

1. It leads to confusion.

If God wanted James in there as a false gospel so we'd see the error, have we missed others? The Jesus Seminar suggested we should add the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas - maybe that should be to show the error of Gnosticism. Many consider Mormonism, Christian Science, Jehovah's Witnesses, and the Prosperity Gospel to be false teaching - should they be included as well so we can see what the error looks like?

Let's go a step further. Protestants and Jews do not accept the deutero-canonical books (aka the Catholic apocrypha) because they don't feel they pass the test of being canonical. If we allow false gospels in, what right do we have to exclude these writings?

Now, there are false statements in Scripture. For example, the false prophecy of Hananiah in Jeremiah's day, or the errant theology of Job's friends. But in both cases, these errors are in context with the error being refuted. Let me add another refuted false teaching - that of the Judaizers, which Paul deals with in his letter to the Galatians. (Which calls to question the need for a book of Judazing teaching, as James is proposed of being, since the heresy is dealt with already in Scripture.)

This leads to why this view is dangerous. If a book that is strictly false teaching is included in Scripture without refutation, someone might assume its inclusion is an endorsement, and that false gospel is treated as God's truth. And if the person calling James a false gospel is correct, this has happened, because a near-unaminous majority of believers are convinced James is just as much the true word of God as the rest of the Biblical authors.

Furthermore, who decides which books are God's Word and which are false Gospels? My friend seems to consider himself that sort of authority, since most people don't agree with him. But someone else might differ. I had one friend who didn't think Esther needed to be in Scripture, and another who thought there were missing books that needed to be added to the Bible's 66 but when his Bible came out, he left out Song of Solomon.

2. It undermines the authority of Scripture.

A common myth is that the Catholic Church picked the books that fit its political view and omitted other equally worthy books. Not so. The process of Canonization determined on a basis of certain qualifications which books were included and which weren't. There were books that missed one of the qualificatons that were discussed before being included. For example, the question about who wrote Hebrews. Or Esther not mentioning the name of God. Or Jude including quotes from apocryphal books.

By the way, where did the word "canon" come from? One view is that it is taken from the Hebrew word qaneh, which means a cane or measuring stick. Thus, Scripture is a guide if something is consistent with God's Wrod or if it isn't. This was one of the tests - does a book contradict with other Scripture? Case in point is whether James' "Faith Without Works Is Dead" is countering Paul's emphasis on justification by faith. With careful study, though, there is no contradiction between James and Paul.

Furthermore, Scripture talks about itself as being true and having come directly from God, such as Psalm 12:6, Psalm 119:160, Isaiah 8:20, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and 2 Peter 1:21. Including a false gospel as Canon would invalidate these verses, and if we take the next step, we'll see the biggest danger of canonical false gospels.

3. It attacks the character of God.

I will state that I sincerely doubt the person claiming James is a canonical false gospel would imagine he's doing this, but this argument unknowingly does so. Let me explain why I feel so strongly.

As stated before, the Bible is God's Word, spoken by God. Scripture also says God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18). A false gospel is a lie. If a false gospel is canonical, then God is inspiring the author to write a lie. Thus, there are only three conclusions:

1) James is a false gospel and also canonical, which means God isnpired a lie and the Bible, which states He cannot lie, is worthless and not to be trusted;

2) James is a false gospel, and since God cannot lie, it cannot be canonical, or

3) James is canonical, and since God cannot lie, it cannot be a false gospel.

What is the reason for this theory of canonical false gospels? I consider it similar to those who say the Bible is corrupted, who claim the Bible is not sufficient, or that passages that have a clear literal meaning don't really mean what they say. The reason is that the person has a belief that is inconsistent with the rest of Scripture.

Let's look at those who think the Bible is corrupted. None ever produce proof of an uncorrupted Bible (at least until they show up to revive the uncorrupted Scripture, they claim). New Agers claim it's corrupted because the original Bible (they claim) agrees with them on reincarnation. Muslims say the uncorrupted Scripture contains prophecies of Mohammed. The House of Yahweh claims Catholics corrupted Scripture by adding in verses about the Trinity and Sunday Worship. In other words, it's always subjective. Of course, those making the claim cannot be wrong, and they don't have the guts to say the Bible's wrong, so they all blame those evil Catholics - even though they don't agree with each other's reasons for the Bible being corrupted.

The bottom line is we need to trust the Bible to be right 100% of the time, to trust the Word of God and not of men. There is no false gospel in the Canon.

SUNDAY HYMNS, PART 13 OF 22: STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS

At Faith Family Church, Cookeville, TN

Stand up! Stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the Cross!

Lift high His royal banner, It must not suffer loss. 

From victory unto victory, His army shall He lead

Till every foe is vanquished And Christ is Lord indeed.

 

Stand up! Stand up for Jesus, The trumpet call obey.

Forth to the mighty conflict In this His glorious day.

Ye that are men, now serve Him Against unnumbered foes;

Let courage rise with danger And strength to strength oppose.

 

Stand up! Stand up for Jesus, Stand in His strength alone;

The arm of flesh will fail you, Ye dare not trust your own.

Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;

Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.

  

Stand up! Stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long:

This day the noise of battle, The next the Victor's song.  

To him that overcometh, A crown of life shall be;

He with the King of Glory Shall reign eternally. 

 

NOTES ON THIS HYMN

• For those paying attention: Yes, I did deviate from my original format of going in alphabetic order for the first 16 installments. Why? Well, those who know me know two of my favorite holidays are Reformation Day (Oct. 31) and All Saints Day (Nov. 1). (You probably know some other holiday I won't name that shares the date with Reformation Day is one of my least.) Out of the songs on my list, I thought this was most fitting for Reformation Day and All Saints Day. I'll resume in alphabetic order where I left off next week.
  
• In the hymnal I grew up with, the lyrics were included to two different tunes. Hymn #459 is to the tune Geibel, which had the words to verses 1, 2, and 4, and included a chorus (which lyrically consisted of the first two lines); this was the newer tune. #460 is to the tune Webb, which I hear more often and is the tune I normally see in hymnals, which included all four verses, but no chorus.
• You can call the meter of this hymn either 7, 6, 7, 6 doubled or 13, 13, 13, 13. 
• I know I have no role in planning my funeral, but if you asked me what songs I'd like sung at my funeral, this would be one.   

DO WE NEED A NEW REFORMATION?

 

 

I remember a few years ago a Catholic friend who first asked why Protestants thought Catholics really were that bad, and then questioning why the church doesn't unite (as Catholics, of course). 

This was a good example of what a book on logic I read in college called "The Fallacy of False Alternatives." Either Catholics are evil or Catholics are the true church. No in between to choose from.

I firmly disagree. I believe there are two other alternatives. And while my two alternatives don't fit with either of the two extremes listed above, they are compatible with each other and can both be true. Those alternatives?

1. Every generation and every movement has both wheat and tares, both sheep and goats.
2.  Every movement will start strong in the faith but will drift from the truth and will eventually need reformation, with the reformer and the reformation being resisted by the status quo.

We have several strong leaders to be thankful for, who stood for the Word of God in spite of opposition. Most would think of Martin Luther, John Calvin, William Tyndale, and Ulrich Zwingli, and many would include forerunners like Jon Wycliffe and Jan Hus or successors like Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and the Wesleys. Too often, we forget Luther's teammate Philip Melanchthon, who composed the Augsburg  Confession realizing his life was in the balance while writing it or underestimate the role of hymn writer Isaac Watts. And many would hesitate to include Jacob Arminius, who was studying under Theodore Beza when his village declared itself Protestant and its residents - including his family - were raped and murdered by Catholic mercenaries, dealing with the question of whether those atrocities were predestined by God or done by the free will of wicked men. Agree with him or not, Arminius took a stand based on his conscience not unlike Luther's.

Do we need a Reformation today? Glance back at the second of the two alternatives for the answer. Evangelicals may not give the Church ultimate loyalty as was the case in the 1500s, but do we have such trust in the government (or, more accurately, the political party we associate with)? Are we attempting to live our lives by Sola Scriptura, or are we trusting science, psychology, the media, etc. and adjusting our view of Scripture to fit our worldview?

To be honest, I believe there is an attempted Reformation going on, but this reformation is a departure from truth instead of a return to it. So called Progressive Christianity is an example. Our woke culture is another. A Libertarian friend of mine, Jared Hall, wrote, "Compromises rely on multiple parties coming together to workshop. If a compromise is one sided, it’s not really a compromise." There are theological and political winds that some want a one-sided compromise.

Some who hold to Critical Race Theory believe that to be white or to be Christian or to be male is to be an oppressor. The reality is to be human is to be a potential oppressor. There have been instances when the oppressed gain power and they at best match the level of oppressiveness as those they overthrew - at worst, they become worse. 

Don't forget the massacre of Jacob Arminius' hometown of Oudewater. Realize that Tyndale was burned at the stake with a chain around his neck. Remember that many wanted to execute Luther and that Zwingli was killed in battle. And then, commit to memory the often quoted (not) Scripture, "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)

Finally, recall the five solas of the Reformation. Most importantly, are we living them? Do we believe we're saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone? Is our source of spiritual authority solely Scripture? And of the utmost importance, are we living only for the glory of God?

 I know. I said "Finally" a paragraph above. This time, I mean it as I add two more thoughts: 

1. We need to pray for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth (meaning in you) as it is in heaven. This is asking for a reformation, and declaring a revolution against the god of this age. And there's a cost to that prayer.
2. We need to ask if God has called you to be a Luther nailing thesis on the door, a Melanchthon writing a statement knowing it could be exhibit A in a capital case against him, a Tyndale willing to die so others have God's Word where they can understand it.

What's your role in the next reformation?

HAPPY REFORMATION DAY!!!