Bowing out of the mainstream Christian blog world...

When I first connected with the Bible and doctrine (such as it was) the main battle line was drawn something like this: "Over there is churchianity; but right here is the Word of God (pointing to an open Bible)." And the question: "What does the Word of God say?" Spoken as a rebuke to all things of a churchianity nature. The doctrine itself that was taught was not totally unorthodox, but the teaching incorporated much that is of what I call a 'mesoteric' level (which, if you don't know, is the swampy divide between true exoteric and true esoteric). In the mesoteric realm you will find the various extra-biblical (but also not-so-extra-biblical) doctrine such as identity of certain lost tribes, Satan fathering a line with Eve, the whole Adamite/pre-adamite thing, and more. The mainstream part of the theology was dispensational and generally fuzzy, but with a strong emphasis on a doctrine of election B. B. Warfield wouldn't recognize. Enough of that. The main virtue of this teaching ministry (I'll call it that) is it read the actual Word of God word for word and didn't care if it bored its audience to death (no, not the guy who smoked cigars and wore a hat). So one got a good dose of actual Scripture. That was - and is - its main virtue. That is basically what it does. After learning what they were offering I strolled away (they're not at all cultish either, another virtue; in fact they kind of don't mind if you stroll away because they have more students than they can probably deal with most of the time). It's a successful Bible teaching operation. Give them that.

So then I went back to my main pursuit which was what most all Christians would label cultish. But I'd been 'hooked', by the Word and the Spirit. Still, I went back to what I'll called the pure esoteric teaching and learned and DID that fairly thoroughly. This was on top of a life development that had me involved in everything under the sun regarding influences and activities. Yet I didn't have ONE specific area of study down. A big one. Mainstream, orthodox theology. So I 'went back' and started to 'get the measure' of theology in general.

The reason I zeroed in on Calvinism (almost immediately, but I'd had ALOT of background in all Christian traditions) was (a) because at that point I knew the Bible (my hardcore, unorthodox, intro gave me that, a high valuation and motivation to read the Bible complete several times), and (b) I knew the pure esoteric level of the faith, and Calvinism elucidates it at the foundational, biblical level (unknown to Calvinists and Calvin himself, no doubt...but sometimes I wonder about 'ol Calvin, with his Renaissance education...here and there in his Institutes one can see traces of the higher teaching and get a sense Calvin was intentionally 'not going there' yet perhaps knew of 'there' to some degree; Witsius is similar, but I digress). Because the foundation of the pure esoteric teaching of the faith is the Bible itself. I immediately recognized that the Reformed, Calvinist theologians could be exploited (as in mined) because their main virtue was to say what the Bible says, come hell or high water, uncompromised and unnegotiated down to the demands of man's vanity, worldly pride, and self-will. They spoke the hard truths and made no excuses for God and God's Word. That is valuable once you've crossed the divide where you don't care what man thinks or demands, and also once you've climbed to the summit of influences and are used to the hardcore level and the hard truths and the separation it causes between you and the world, and it's no big deal because you've been beaten down to a bloody pulp and you've managed to arrive at the summit nevertheless and Heil Hitler to all you goats and so on... (That's not pro-nazism, that's a little bit of Clockwork Orange attitude thrown in for humor.)

So it's at that point that I strolled into what, for me, is a very strange place: mainstream Christianity. On the internet that is. I had all this Calvinist theology and understanding, yet obviously I was - am - no Calvinist any mainstream Calvinist ever meets or can 'suffer'. (A side note: when I'm in 'esoteric' environments (I'll put it that way) and I talk about how Calvinism corresponds with this and that teaching that the 'esoteric' types know of I often get interest, because even people who most find Calvinism to be odious nevertheless sense a power somewhere in it. But it never really goes very far from there, because the divide is regeneration and without that of course nobody's interested in what the Bible has to say at, really, most any level. At least not at a serious level like Calvinism.)

[In that above side note I was referring to people I'd meet in very liberal, 'new age', type environments, and not to any of the people who read this blog who know me from TGOOTB and other locales.]

So what I was doing 'here' in mainstream Christian blog/forum land was engaging in the typical internet activity of learning in the midst of having heated exchanges. And also getting the measure of a people I have really almost zero contact with in real life.

I did this on various atheist sites and forums, and various evolutionist sites and forums, and on various liberal Christian sites and forums, and then I got drawn into debates on things like New Perspective on Paul and Federal Vision and found myself in this general neighborhood where bloggers like Phil Johnson and James White, and their foes all kind of reside. Then for some reason I camped out here.

So, you see, I can't really say I'm a Reformed Christian. I'm not that. I don't even cotton to confessional types at all, no matter how on-the-mark and cool as a concise work of literature the confession in question is. Confessions are for people who are static in the faith. Because the Bible is living language and the Spirit is not in a confession. (And this shows in areas such as ecclesiology and sacraments, which is enough to make my point. I'm not saying the foundation of the faith, i.e. apostolic, biblical doctrine, changes or can change.)

I can, though, say I'm a Calvinist, because one doesn't have to agree with Calvin 100% to be a Calvinist. I think Calvin elucidated in a bold and profound way the real warrior ethic and Spiritual doctrine of the Way. He just did. He consolidated it. His school was a powerful, world-changing school. And it was because it was on-the-mark biblical doctrine, pure and simple.

Yet I see it all from the perspective of what is really 'order' Christianity and not 'church' Christianity. I see it all from a truly practical, doing perspective. (For anybody who has read this far I'll tell you I'm writing this to 'come clean', not to spill "me, me, me" on a computer screen. I'm bowing out, and I just want to leave an impression of where I came from. It is also a good thing to know there are people like myself around who see more in the Doctrines of Grace than what seminary types see in them, and that there IS more to see in them.)

Regeneration is the main thing. Getting the Word of God into your heart, truly, is the main thing after that. Having a connection with the Savior and being in the Kingdom of God is the main thing overall. There are two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. If you're not in the one you are in the other. No in-between, no exceptions, no opting out for philosophical reasons or differences.

So, anyway, to conclude: getting into all this heated judging of people solely by their current understanding (or non-understanding) of biblical doctrine (or their valuation of biblical doctrine) is really way off-the-mark for me. I got pulled into that because it's a temptation and an indulgence and I succumbed. Partly from the vain high of knowing things or understanding things or seeing things other can't currently see and telling them that, and also partly from just wanting to bully people. (But there IS also an element of defending the faith against the snakes out there, in the camp and outside the camp.) But the main thing is it's not practical to bully people like that at this exoteric level. It's more practical and of more usefulness to do it at the esoteric level (it's actually more needed at the esoteric level), but not at this mainstream, exoteric level. The reason is simply that one needs the Spirit of Truth in one to even be ABLE to see the truth. So, practically speaking, really all you can do is tell people to read the Word of God complete. Just do it. (Obviously that has been my main thing.) By the way: in the Faith 'practical' is a synonym for 'esoteric'. Esoteric simply means the practically-instructive, ground level doing of the faith. The teaching exists. You have to connect with it on your own, but it exists to be connected with. It's not for everyone, but it's available to anyone. [I end this scattered, fragmented whatever-it-is here. I didn't say much, but I said some things.]

Here's an exercise...

Here's an exercise: read this site, then put into words just why you believe in Jesus Christ and in what the Bible says.

It's not immediately easy. I mean to do it honestly and deeply. My way of knowing I believe in Jesus Christ and in what the Bible says is the existence of the Kingdom of Satan, and of his followers, and their false idols (and of the low-level of influences and deadness and violence and chaos and corruption and overall soul-killing garbage of it). This I can see and experience and feel and know exists in a real way. Now, I had to go a negative route to see just why I believe in Jesus and what the Bible says, but atheists do force that at times. They force you to find something tangible you can look to and actually 'know'. The Kingdom of Satan I can actually know and observe.

But it's also faith itself that enables me to 'see' the Kingdom of Satan, and to see through its illusion and false idols, and to see the spiritual bondage and death in it all. Faith also enables me to see the truth in the Word of God and the Kingdom of God and then to sort everything into what's real and what is not real. Faith 'hath a piercing eye' to see into the spiritual realms, as a Puritan once said...

Ah, the psyche ward that is mainstream Christianity...

That's just...all I want to say... Ah, the psyche ward that is mainstream Christianity...

Oh, wait a minute. I'm judging a rather large group of people based on little micro clashes I've had with a handful of them... OK, I take it back.

The important thing is and remains: read the Bible complete once, three times, seven times. That gets to the heart of everything, and gives you the chance and ability to achieve the potential and awakening God has in store for you. Exploit all influences and good teachers, discern the truth, it's there to be discerned; but don't join anything other than the Church of which Christ is King. And don't fear man. Fear only God, it is the beginning of wisdom...

Boldly, yet without a four-letter word...

This was posted at another blog:

CT: (Yes....Christian Library is CT) Are you paying for all this free time cuddling up with the regular Calvinist blogosphere?

When can we ask you about your view that all visible churches and all ordained ministers are apostate?

I don't hold that view because the Bible doesn't say it. The Bible defines 'church' as an assembly and also says wherever two or more meet in His name He is there. The strength of the faith is not in physical, sensual trappings and ritual and men. The Church of which Christ is King is not physical and visible. Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a physical, sensual experience performed by human mediators. And my connection to Christ is not a matter of eating symbolic bread and drinking symbolic wine. As for ordained ministers... I don't care about their credentials. I think if a person is able to teach or preach or evangelize then it's given them by the Holy Spirit. Of course there is the issue of are they on-the-mark, are they Bible-believing, etc., but that is all a matter for the discernment of their audience.

That Calvinists get the greatest rewards in heaven?

I've never stated this. I have stated that, as the Bible itself states, there will be difference in reward in heaven and there is hierarchy of being in heaven. The Bible states this. I once stated that Calvinism (i.e. hardcore biblical doctrine uncompromised and unnegotiated down to the demands of vanity, worldly pride, and self-will) might represent a different order of Christains, but that comment was in a thread where an Arminian was being particularly 'brick wall' in refusing to acknowledge anything - anything - that was being written in response to him. My remark was tongue-in-cheek. If God has me in hell and the Arminian nearest His throne then so be it, it's just.

That the KJV only is necessary to all proper Bible reading?

That the Textus Receptus of which the King James Version is translated from is the pure Word of God and not the corrupt Alexandrian manuscripts. This indeed is a mark of real understanding and discernment. To accept the corrupt manuscripts and the versions based on them shows a lack of valuation for the Word of God and a lack of discernment that one could say it is to the degree of one falling short of regeneration itself. Yes, I believe that.

That reading the Bible seven times is the revealed secret to the Christian life?

'Revealed' and 'secret' are your dishonest words. Reading the Word of God complete once, three times, seven times does indeed cut to the quick of everything. You force the issue. How regeneration occurs (I mean when if ever, because we know how it occurs, it occurs by the Word and the Spirit), how the issue is forced, what happens in terms of time and length of time, are different matters, but the issue will be forced, you'll be hardened or you'll be awakened, either way you'll be convicted and in a very different position than you were in prior to the dedicated complete reading. A dedicated, humble, childlike complete reading of the Word of God - diligent, actually doing it, having a real, concrete goal to do it and then accomplishing that goal with the real necessary effort and time put in - is the foundational effort of a Christian. To deny that is to have no understanding of the faith and what the faith foundationally rests on.

That you can't be wrong because you are the elect?

I never stated this. (The iMonk is prodigiously dishonest, by the way. He engages in demogoguery in a rather easy and fluent manner.) God's elect, once regenerated, have the Spirit of Truth in them and hence have not only the ability to find and discern the truth and to know the truth but also the desire to find and know the truth. This requires effort and happens by degree, yet the discernment for what is false is usually quick and sure.

That all who disagree with you are unbelievers?

My standard and authority is the Word of God. You and others like you can't comprehend authority not being invested in man, one way or another. Sola scriptura period. The Word of God is sole standard and authority for all matters regarding faith and practice. If I'm on-the-mark then I just am. If you think I'm not then challenge it. But just know that the standard and authority is going to be the Word of God and not man. Fear God, it is the beginning of wisdom. Don't fear man.

Your attempt to reinvent yourself as "one of the gang" is sad. Of course, if it contains the "F-word" in your posts, I'm all for it.

# posted by Michael Spencer : 12/18/2005 11:45 AM

As I stated elsewhere I'm not trying to reinvent myself. I will always be a stranger to the crowd that prefers to congregate on the 'not yet entered' side of the Wicket Gate (Pilgrim's Progress reference)...

Once and for all

The Hodge quote now in the description of this blog, above:

What are the conditions of admission into Christ's kingdom? Simply practical recognition of the authority of the sovereign. - A. A. Hodge

is for those who mandate that ritual water baptism is necessary for 'entrance' into the Church of which Christ is King. 'Sacraments' are a stumbling block put in the Bible to trip up those who refuse to accept the authority and sovereignty of God in regeneration. They are also visual parables, or a dumb show for people who need it, but they are not necessary acts or works for entrance into, or staying in, the Church of which Christ is King. You either understand this or you don't, and if you don't you don't understand the faith.

Regeneration is effected, when it is, by the Word and the Spirit, not by ritual, clerics, or physical, sensual trappings. To not accept this (to not even be yet able to see it) means you have to engage the Word of God humbly and in a dedicated manner. Regeneration just happens, but you can move towards God and He will move towards you (James 4), and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans).

Psalms 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Can a regenerate Christian favor Satanicus/Vaticanus?

Interesting that James White got his head handed to him by Douglas D. Stauffer in his 2001 book One Book Stands Alone, yet, there is no reference to Mr. Stauffer on White's website. White usually posts lengthy rebuttals to people who show him up on the King James Version issues. If you read Stauffer's book, though, you'll see why White chose to stay, this time, in the tall grass...

Sola scriptura period.

Sola scriptura is the 'alone' of the Five Solas most hated by enemies of the Faith. They know they expose themselves when they come right out and denounce sola scriptura explicitly, so they take circuitous routes and talk about 'solo' scriptura and 'nuda' scriptura. Definitions of these terms are all over the place, depending on how clued in the user is with Hip Antichristian Propaganda. They're not all on the same page, but basically they want to insert man and man's words in between God's elect and God's Word. Of course they also want to kill any notion that the Word of God is the standard and authority for all matters of faith and practice. The Word of God is the greatest enemy of the devil. He and his followers have done alot to defile the Word of God by inserting the corrupt manuscripts into the mainstream fooling millions of Christians (Christians who think when they are reading the NIV or NASB or NLT or ESV or any of the other modern versions of the Bible being sold they are actually reading the Word of God). This isn't enough for the devil and his followers, though. It's alot, but not enough. There are still these 'elect' types who know better than to read versions of God's Word based on corrupt manuscripts, and who read only the AV1611, King James Version. So these types attack sola scriptura. Don't fall for it. Whether it's some liberal about to become (or already become) a degreed liberal, who calls himself a Calvinist, or it's a conservative Calvinist pastor who talks big but shows his true colors at the critical points where and when it matters. The devils are flying all flags these days. Make your authority the pure Word of God - sola scriptura - with no ifs, ands, buts, caveats, or nuances... Make it your goal to read it complete 7 times. Get the Word of God into your heart. Do it now while you can. The devils at work now who seem so pathetic will be gathering more and more worldly power unto themselves as the return of the King approaches; get the Sword of the Spirit into your heart so you can use it against these types...when it matters.

Fear of failure and fear of succumbing to the devil is not an excuse to avoid necessary battle

J. wrote in a comment:

What I'm wondering is if maybe some of the "Churchianity" folks are so afraid of the misery of spiritual failure and guilt--"I DO believe in Christ; WHY, oh, WHY do I keep doing these miserable things over and over again?"--and are afraid in some sense that they will lose their faith if they "try" to hard, instead of leaving it all in God's hands... I've met people like this, it seems to me--one very nice Lutheran man comes to mind...

Fear and fear of the paralyzing power of guilt...do you think these might play any role in causing these guys to rally round like a bunch of musk oxen in a circle with their horns outward whenever you prod them to remember that Christianity is an active Way?

An interesting observation. I'd have to respond by saying that a Christian who is fearful of their own nature is a Christian who has yet to enter the Way. I.e. if you've yet to give battle to your carnal nature you've yet to enter the way. If you are fearful of taking on your 'old man' or body of sin you are just as fearful of taking on the devil and the world.

This fear is not to be excused in a self-identified Christian.

Once again: it's the fear of man that causes it. When you fear man you don't pursue the influences and activities you have to pursue to get the wisdom and understanding you need to begin to do real battle with your carnal self and the world and the devil.

It is MOST DEFINITELY NOT a virtue in a Christian to avoid battle out of fear of failure (or fear of actually succumbing to the devil).

This is all Village of Morality weakness and fear and ignorance. When a person begins to fear only God the Holy Spirit guides you into influences and understanding you need to do real battle as a Christian must do to actually be on the Way...

Convicted churchianity starts to vainly fight back 3

Example: Fear God, it is the beginning of wisdom. This is doctrine. This is doctrine, though, that is not understood by churchianity. Why? Because you have to actively do the Faith to even get near to where you can understand that doctrine. The prevailing 'doctrine' in churchianity is: Fear man.

When you fear only God you don't fear man. This is what God is telling you. This is the beginning of the potential for getting wisdom because it frees you from the prison of the fear of man which is the devil's prison itself.

The immediate effect of this is the pursuit of influences the devil doesn't want you anywhere near. With the Spirit of Truth in a regenerated Christian you have the ability to discern wheat from chaff and navigate any waters and avoid any dangers, ultimately. Being a Christian means being a man, not being in the nursery your entire life. A man on the Way. The influences the Holy Spirit will guide you towards are the very practical level influences that give you practically-instructive knowledge to guide you in doing the Faith at the very practical level.

You can only learn this by actively practicing the Faith. You can only learn this by being on the battlefield of actually doing the Faith. You can only learn this by actively assaulting self and heaven and being actively engaged in the three-front war against your carnal nature, the world, and the devil. This requires real separation. Separation is sanctification, ultimately. Real separation from your carnal nature, from the world, and from the Kingdom of Satan is hardcore and difficult and makes you a real Christian. It is rare. You only effect it by fearing only God and not fearing man.

Churchianity and Village of Morality Christians have no experience with this battle, this war, and preach their no-effort doctrine which is what man and the devil demands they preach and believe.

Time you wake up, boys and girls...

[Note: the sad thing is these churchianity devils are going to take everything they read from me and incorporate it into their poison in the usual manner churchianity and the Village of Morality does to protect itself, but it only fools those able to be fooled, and as long as elect of God are present they can't get away with it.]

Convicted churchianity starts to vainly fight back 2

Doctrine has to do with knowledge. Practice has to do with being. Understanding can only result by effort on both. They are not the same thing. Everything, including practice, is not contained in doctrine. This is a line of the devil to keep Christians tame slaves. God's own can't be fooled, but it is part of God's plan that God's elect do their part in waking God's own up, and this is not being done by 'pastors' who preach the devil's line that practice really is doctrine and doesn't involve effort, or is 'easy'.

Convicted churchianity starts to vainly fight back

Doctrine is the foundation. It can be practical in the sense that it's not merely philosophical or theoretical (though it mostly resides at the philosophical and theoretical levels when theologians and churchianity pastors and writers are discussing doctrine), yet doctrine is most certainly not the practical level doing of the Faith.

Look at this quote from John Owen (17th century Puritan) on the subject of doctrine (which has been in the righthand margin of this blog from the beginning):

"When the heart is cast indeed into the mould of the doctrine that the mind embraceth - when the evidence and necessity of the truth abides in us - when not the sense of the words only is in our heads, but the sense of the thing abides in our hearts - when we have communion with God in the doctrine we contend for - then shall we be garrisoned by the grace of God against all the assaults of men."
- John Owen

Doctrine indeed is more than mere words or theory or philosophy or something insubstantial that can only cause shallow division, etc.

This is not a revelation to a regenerate Christian.

Here is where the deception occurs: to boldly take the above position so as to suppress the practical level of the Faith, or defile the meaning of the practical level of the Faith, or to make light of the degree of real effort needed to do the practical level of the Faith, or to make light of the real struggle involved in the practical level of the Faith. This is how the devil operates at all realms of churchianity, not just the liberal realms.

Christian writer/pastor John MacArthur writes:

True doctrine transforms behavior as it is woven into the fabric of everyday life. But it must be understood if it is to have its impact. The real challenge of the ministry is to dispense the truth clearly and accurately. Practical application comes easily by comparison.

These are the words of a fool or a devil. The trite truisms he writes at the beginning of the paragraph (which passes for great wisdom and boldness in churchianity) aside. Yes, pastor, doctrine must be 'understood'. Well-stated. That it has to be taught by ministers is a vain statement. God's own, regenerated Christians, have both the ability and desire to find and learn and understand true - biblical - doctrine. (In fact it can ONLY be learned when one is motivated to learn it on one's own. If you rely on pastors for learning your doctrine you're not serious.) That is actually the easy part of it. You have it dead backwards. Maybe because you make your living writing trite truisms and packaging them in a thousand different ways. You make your money by laying the foundation of doctrine over and over and preaching that this is what Christianity is all about. Now you want to incorporate practice into your overall definition of doctrine, defiling what actual practical level effort in the Faith actually is and what it demands. God's elect know better. You can fool the fools, but you can't fool God's own.

I will write more on this subject and on this post by Mr. MacArthur in the future...

Sleepers awake...

"You're in the afterlife, making your way to the New Jerusalem. You seem to be in a realm you're not familiar with. It's dark. Hard to see where to go."

What is your scriptural foundation for this description of the afterlife?

Psalm 18.

Ephesians 6:13.

You have a shield of faith and a sword of the Spirit (indeed the whole armour of God) for a reason.

You've been taught the Faith by the world. The devil has been your tutor. Leave that nursery (nursery-prison) and learn the faith that the Word of God delivers to you.

Heaven must be stormed. You will have opposition. Regeneration and conversion mark you. And for a Christian the spiritual world and battles happen in the present tense. You are dead now in Christ. You have all you need to triumph, but you have to use what you've been given; and you have to recognize the battle. The sleeping slave of the devil and the world has no awareness of the battle because he is fast in the devil's prison and not going anywhere.

God's own are God's own because they are able to withstand in the evil day and to stand. Because they give battle; now and in the evil day.

[Note: notice I didn't waste time pointing out that my scenario was hardly meant to be derived from Scripture proper, and my challenger knew this (or else he has some experience to acquire regarding discerning meaning in various kinds of writing); yet still, without having to defend each detail of the scenario the general situation is indeed biblical.]

Chapman's Homer and higher, visual language

The Homeric epics depict kings in action on the Way...

I'd resolved to read through the George Chapman Elizabethan era translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey, then I began to seek reasons not to make that effort (the verse is somewhat slow-going), then I said I'll read another translation because I really just want to download the Homeric epics to get that language and ethic reinfused in me (like I do at certain stages of time and development), so I scanned through several other translations I have, but then I realized none of them are what Chapman gives, and I need to read the most inspired translation at this point. Chapman may seem overrated (everything can once you begin to actually spend time with it and engage it), but even if just for his unique renderings like 'his mind's seat' for his intellect or forehead, that type of thing, it's worth going through Chapman and picking up that language, especially when you already know the poems well enough to follow the more difficult Elizabethan verse.

So I am reading Chapman's Homer complete.

I made a list of things I have to do. Reading Chapman's Homer is at the top of it. Because Homer is higher, visual language, and is so powerful and complete a language (which, once you have it inside you to ever greater clarity and degree, you can see new things in yourself and in the world around you and above you that you couldn't see without having the higher, visual language inside you to begin with to be able to see it and translate it, so to speak) it is really of course more than just merely reading another book. It's like reading the Bible complete. In that category, if not that ultimate level.

Homer, as complete language, also consolidates knowledge and understanding you have taken in and developed since the last reading. It gathers and draws all 'parts' into the whole that the complete language of the two poems is; and it puts all those parts into an order.

Just as the four cardinal virtues represent complete virtue in all parts of the being (fortitude = body; temperance = emotion; prudence = intellect) and then the fourth - justice - tempers them all into a unity and balance while keeing each part contained. That kind of consolidating and tempering role is played by a complete higher, visual language which the Homeric epics represent at the highest, most inspired level (the Bible being in a totally different category, of course, the very saving Word of God, though similar in effect in this limited aspect).

ps- If you're new to the Homeric epics Chapman wouldn't be a good choice. You really have to know the poems well to follow them in Chapman. Stanley Lombardo has made the best, I think, simple translations of the Iliad and Odyssey in recent years. They are street level yet at the same time real, complete, faithful translations. It's hard to over-praise them for what they attempt to do. They are very successful.

Being a child king is dangerous...

>"God has a cure for this, if you just follow it: read the Bible complete, in a humble, dedicated way. Actually read it complete. Once, three times, seven times."

Does this qualify as laying the foundation over and over? You say it every post.

Absolutely not. You have to get the living Word of God into your heart, and you can only do this via dedicated, humble, complete readings. It's very much in the realm of 'building the house'. The foundation is regeneration by the Word and the Spirit (it's assumed a person has read or heard the Word of God enough to be effectually called) and then seeking and finding basic, on-the-mark biblical doctrine. The foundation is also delineated in Hebrews 6:1,2. Reading of the Bible though is part of the active role in sanctification. Yes, you want to put it into the parameters of a goal, but that is just needed so that you actually do it. John 17:17.

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

I use the fundamental metaphors of mining, fishing, and planting for the practice part of the Faith, and having a goal and carrying it out to read the Bible once, three times, seven times is 'mining'. Getting the Bible into your heart, engaging it, absorbing it, understanding it, is mining. This happens by degree, unlike justification (justification being more the foundation). Getting the Word of God into your heart and understanding is very much part of the practice of the faith, part of the 'building the house' on the foundation of the Faith.

The fishing and planting metaphors are more difficult to see regarding the practice of the faith, but suffice to say they correspond to the two great commandments of Jesus to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. The first is conscious labor, the second is intentional suffering. Conscious labor to be filled with the Holy Spirit (this is 'fishing' using the three metaphors above). Intentional suffering to not indulge resentment or self-absorbed depression when that Spirit wars with your carnal nature. Resentment always gets directed, one way or another, at other human beings, so the command is to love your neighbor as yourself. You have to sacrifice your pleasure in feeling 'wronged' and in indulging all-purpose, ever-present resentment (this is 'planting'; basically you absorb friction like planting it within you and you let it grow; what it manifests as in time you can only know by doing it; and remember the friction is not common 'stress' or common sexual energy being used in emotions or physical violence; the friction in question has to be the result of labor to be filled with the Holy Spirit; if it isn't you won't be doing anything but being a pressure cooker waiting to eventually explode). The great formula of sanctification is this: gratitude in place of resentment when the Spirit wars with the carnal nature. However you have to get there. It requires new thinking in the moment. Active reasoning.

The two great commandments also correspond to prayer and fasting. (Fasting as defined by God in Isaiah 58:6

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Think: fearing God only and not fearing man.

All of this can be described and explained in more practically-instructive language, but a person has to find that on his own. It means nothing if you don't connect by your own motivation and need.

The practical goal is stated well and directly in Ephesians 6:13...

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The 'evil day' is either the end of this current era of the history of redemption or it's your physical death (or both of course). Building yourself up in the faith, developing real inner command, becoming a king by real, maturing and developing and growth rather than merely by being born again as a king and heir of the Living God. Growing from a child to a man in the faith. A child king to a complete, mature king in God's Creation. This is how you 'stand' in that evil day. If you say: "But even as a child king I will be able to stand!" then you don't understand God's plan and how God awakens and develops His own...

Getting Serious with the Faith - Doctrine and Practice

One thing that confuses people regarding my approach is the fact that I seem to be in such league with Calvinist and Reformed types, yet I also call them death at the same time. This is because doctrinally I'm on the same page with any Christian who recognizes and accepts sound biblical doctrine, which is Calvinism, or Reformed Theology. Doctrine is important. It's the necessary foundation. I defend biblical doctrine against the forces of confusion and antichrist just as sound Calvinist apologists do. The folks who can't 'see' biblical doctrine, or who can see it but refuse to accept it (or any number of mixture of those two things) are the enemy of the Kingdom of God. They are teachers and pushers of vanity and death. So I'm on the same page with anyone who can see and who accepts and who defends sound biblical doctrine, which is Calvinism.

Yet doctrine is not all of the Faith.

Practice is also part of the Faith. Doctrine has to do with knowledge, practice has to do with being.

You can be intellectually on-the-mark regarding biblical doctrine without practicing the Faith at the practical level, though you won't remain on-the-mark forever, because without practicing the Faith at the practical level you will get warped in your doctrinal beliefs and understanding eventually. This is because you keep laying the foundation, over and over. You refuse to start to build the house. No matter how sound the foundation you first put down is if you keep laying the foundation over and over because you refuse to build the actual house your foundation will not remain sound. It may have been sound at first, or in your past, but you relaid that foundation and it accumulates elements that are not as sound as before. Now you lay that foundation once again, and again, and the soundness is further warped and diluted and weakened.

Doctrine without practice is death. Practice without sound doctrine is death. You need both. And when you come to be able to 'see' and accept on-the-mark, real, hard-truth biblical doctrine you have to realize that the match for that on the practice side is nothing less than the practical level doing of the Faith. Not ritual. Not 'family time at the church'. Not smug, self-satisfied moralizing within a snug community of similar smug, self-satisfied moralisers.

The foundation of sound biblical doctrine gives you discernment and a standard to navigate your way on the open sea of the practcial level doing of the faith. You'll now be able to discern the wheat that exists amid the chaff in all influences available -- made available by God's common grace and General Revelation and the guidance of the Holy Spirit Himself. You won't have to avoid anything that has degrees of chaff in it in fear that you'll be contaminated by the chaff. You'll no longer avoid the vein of gold because you fear the darkness and dirt of the mine. You'll know longer hug the shore because you fear the uncertainty of the open sea.

My advice - the advice of one who is very thoroughly on the Way - for those who are able to see and to accept sound biblical doctrine (five solas, doctrines of grace, covenant of redemption, Calvinism, Reformed Theology) is to now realize you have the foundation and to now pursue wisdom in all influences available to man in all of God's Creation. If you still fear 'getting fooled' or being tempted to become 'a Hindu prophetess of the New Age of Kabala' then you simply don't have the foundation. Part of having the foundation is having been regenerated by the Word and the Spirit. Without the Spirit of Truth in you you can't even recognize the Truth. But if you can recognize sound biblical doctrine, and you can accept it on its terms, then you have the Spirit of Truth in you (and you know who you are - or you should - and you can see who isn't there currently - or you should be able to).

When you have the foundation you fear only God. It's very difficult to 'see' the fear of man in yourself, especially when you are very much in the midst of the world (which is sex and family ties and the everyday demands of making money to survive). They tend to blanket you with their influence and control you, and you find yourself dead asleep in their domain fearing man in the extreme and not even having a working definition of what it means to fear God only.

God has a cure for this, if you just follow it: read the Bible complete, in a humble, dedicated way. Actually read it complete. Once, three times, seven times. You have to make it a concrete goal or you drift in desultory non-activity regarding it. All the ways the simple act and effort to read the Bible complete and humbly takes care of the above problem you currently find yourself in can't be enumerated. Just do it. It's a simple act. A simple, doable goal. You fear it because of the very fact that it does have power to effect you and separate you from the world. You need this. Don't justify not doing it because of your family or your job or your intimate relationship(s). (And I'm talking about reading the Word of God complete and not about 'reading your Bible' in the usual way Christians do. I mean approaching it as something that is above you. Not as something you are weighing and measuring and putting into its place, the way you read when you are finding doctrinal documentation or fishing around for something 'inspirational', and so forth. I mean, humble, dedicated, complete readings as if you are engaging the Word of God for the first time. And complete readings. It makes all the difference. Complete readings require a level of time and effort and dedication that are absolutely needed.)

The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom. Once you are able to pursue Wisdom you then have to actually pursue Her. Pursue Her in higher influences and in activities that are currently beyond you. Mostly though pursue Her by finding the line of ideas that lead more and more to actual practical level doing. You find this in any and all influences. Even - and usually most especially - the 'scary' influences. You are on the open sea so everything will be 'scary' anyway. 'Scary' means what is residing behind things that you are supposed to recoil from. This tests your independence from man-fearing and tempers your fear of God. Remember, you have the foundation of the Word of God, and of regeneration. You can navigate unknown waters and not crash on the rocks. You can hear the music of the Sirens and not be a victim of the Sirens. (Knowing the higher visual language of the Homeric epics is an example of knowing a higher influence; it is a powerful language to have in you. It is the kind of influence that enables you to eventually find and 'see' the practical level knowledge.)

And amid this effort with higher and new influences you find the practical level of the Faith. It takes you right back to the teaching of the Word of God, yet you're able to now see the practical level in that teaching. It exists. It's there. You have to stop hugging the shore and being fearful of man to find it though.

Practically speaking I'm talking about getting out there in the world of influences (which is mostly contained in the written word at this point, in our time, but finding the influence will involve more than book-reading, but you just have to start) and find the practical level ideas, practices, and goals. Search everything. Find the wheat amidst the chaff of any and every influence.

The choice is: are you serious about the Faith or are you not? Doctrinally you can see people who aren't serious about the Faith. Now, regarding practice, make yourself one who is serious about the Faith. Seriousness regarding doctrine and seriousness regarding practice is what makes a real Christian who is on the Way. Find what the practical level of the Faith is. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. You have to leave the shore and fear only God for that to happen.

The Way doesn't exist within the Kingdom of Death

I'm really sorry you're so frustrated.

I'm not frustrated. I'm on the Way. I'm not in the cockroach motels of the City of Destruction or the Village of Morality. Being shunned by those communities is like being shunned by the Kingdom of Satan.

What can be disappointing is the difference in scale and value of ideas and insights and practices associated with the Way and the quickness and easiness the Village of Morality and City of Destruction Christians can bring anything down to the level of emptiness and death.

If one isn't careful this is how they effect you and warp you and warp the Faith within you and warp what you've come to know in your own efforts and experience and illumination by the Word and the Spirit. They really are poison as long as they are in those 'not on the Way' communities...

But you evangelize to reach the few within the many, so...

My Rick Warren post

Rick Warren, an oft-invoked name in the churchianity blogosphere, was on CNN tonight looking more and more like the iMonk. I fear this will launch the iMonk into perhaps even a deeper funk about past decisions and the course of his life.

Warren, a strict, fire-breathing Calvinist, blundered when saying "Jesus wasn't a prophet." A rare misstep in an interview filled with a jovial mix of authoritative man-fearing and fame and shmoozing. The interviewer, an atheist Jew check-forger, boldly challenged God's legitimacy by bringing up the little known, seldom-mentioned historical event of "6,000,000" Jews being killed by a pagan tyrant. Warren countered by praising God's gift of free will to humans. The interviewer countered by saying God could have cancelled the murderous tyrant's free will. Warren countered by pointing out that Jews don't get a pass on original sin and deserved to die like goats to the slaughter. He also mentioned that alot of other people were victims of mass genocide in the last century and they deserved to die too.

The theological discussion ended in a gift of a Hawaiian shirt from Warren to the interviewer, with a mutual back-scratching plug of a charitable act performed by the religion man in the name of the interviewer's foundation. A joyous ending.

Hmm...

Hmm. I'll leave this as an inside remark, but... hmm...

The Village of Morality Christians fear man so much they can't even talk. I won't call you a fake Christian, that's between you and God, but when your Christianity makes you so fearful you can't even engage in the slightest degree of an exchange with somebody you consider to be outside your smug and correct environment you are not on the Way...

What you fear is the Way itself. And Christians who fear only God...