Author: dalekatz13

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. But resist him, be firm in your faith [against his attack—rooted, established, immovable], knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being experienced by your brothers and sisters throughout the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9, AMP)

Them. Us. Me.

For those of you who do not have a relationship with Jesus, especially those who hate Christians, please know that I believe your thoughts are justified and that you are loved. Do not read this as a devicive personal criticism. Know that I am chief among sinners but striving to discover and exemplify the love of Jesus. A redemptive Jesus who only wants your love in relationship. If you’re here, there’s a reason. Correct my stupidity in the comments. My prayer is that you pause and consider. My hope is to gain understanding and reconciliation, not division.

For Christians. This exhortation is not meant to guilt anyone into anything. It’s meant to call you. Starting with razor-sharp introspection to see blind spots and move towards a greater relationship.

That said, good and evil are black and white. I’m unapologetically standing on truth as being defined by the Word of God. And as seen in the perfect example of Jesus.

I write this as a defense. As a proclamation. Trying to reconcile being made in God’s image, attaining justice, and loving enemies, while never surrendering to evil.

Them.

This is not Left vs Right or Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s time to eliminate the lies of “my truths” and hatred fueled by hollow ideologies. Idiologies with voids quickly filled with evil, unleashing atrocities without constraint. Satan’s army has grown strong while we’ve coasted on inherited blessings.

Us.

“The Church?” It’s become a joke over the last 40 years. Revival is kindling, but praying it’s not too late. Actully nothing’s late in God’s timing. We’ve feasted on feel-good messages, being uplifted with humanistic psychology, aligning with the world’s shifting solutions to hopelessness, anxiety, and depression. Satisfied with just showing up. Hypocritically reeking of holier-than-thou. Worse, we’ve stained the name of Jesus by not calling out evil for what it is, for continually compromising in the name of empathy. We’ve allowed ideologies to claim our Message’s benefits without the accompanying accountability. Turning this world into a debauchery, using unquestioned acceptance and inclusion as our measure of righteousness.

Me.

Who am I? What have I become? What have I done to stem the tide of chaos? What was I doing while the enemy lodged itself in every gatekeeper institution? Attending church and pretending to be a good person. Worse: actually thinking I was a good person. Drowning in the gluttony of studying and worship instead of doing.

The Call.

• Sober up. Crush the rose-colored glasses. See this world as God sees it: even our best is rotten with evil. Be fiercely alert and confront its evils head-on.
• Study this enemy of ours. Destroying not by strength and ambition, but by aligning with Him through immersion in His Word. Seeking out evil, which is often disguised as love and acceptance.
• Seeking the most vulnerable. Starting with myself, improving my disciplines, by God’s grace, to find the eyes to see and the motivation to act. Helping where He directs. Reacting to His leading.
• Resist. Plant us on the immovable rock of Christ. Praying God motivates us towards Him. To be filled to resist the evil one and all opposition. Remembering to love our enemies as we preserve ourselves.
• Seek the suffering. Find and align with those in Christ who are sick of complacency, and join them in regaining the institutions we’ve lost. Find that path to the suffering and most vulnerable. To watch God do His part.

Who am I to speak or act, except, like you, I’m called to it, being made in the image of God. Longing to be nothing but in His presence to see everything that He is. Sharpening eyes to see His splendor and love in action. The eyes to see my part in the fight. The courage to take immediate action to protect those within Satan’s grasp. Starting with myself.

Stoke raging revival fires. Quelch the fires of rebellion. All to the glory of God.

For though we walk in the flesh [as mortal men], we are not carrying on our [spiritual] warfare according to the flesh and using the weapons of man. The weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood]. Our weapons are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:3-6, AMP)

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:11-13, NIV)

Where are the 999?

Who was Bonhoeffer? Who was Wilberforce? Who was Kirk? It’s astonishing how few people have no clue who these men were.

Bonhoeffer, maybe the greatest practical theologian ever. While fighting the worst fascist regime of all time, he found common ground across the world, faiths, and cultures.  Calling the greatness in humanity to action.

Wilberforce, a man erased from, or never put into, our history books. All he did was nearly single-handedly dismantle the most evilly devised worldwide economic trading model ever: humans for spices and crops.

Kirk, until September 10th, was a man you likely never heard of.  At best, thought was some alt-right political hack. Or at worst, a homophobic, sexist, racist.

Get out of your echo chamber. Pick up a book or take a class. Quit wasting your time reading these stupid blogs.

How do we NOT know these men? Because they’re men? Because they’re white? No, because of me.  Because I don’t care enough about you to get you to take a look. Because of you. Who, like me, are wasteful and lazy.  Feeding on information most readily available, most easily digested.  Info that only comes from my circle and the poisonous exclusionary splinter of my social media feeds, giving me what it thinks I’ll stay glued to as a typical white man.  You, who like me, fall into the easy path of hatred, disgust, and worst of all, a hubris of pitying others for their stupidity and ignorance.  With no desire to listen and learn.  No awareness of our own stupidity.

Give me a break. Take 10 minutes to read about Bonhoeffer and Wilberforce.  Then try to understand what Kirk was trying to say in the video above.  Then shut up and do something with your life.  Something of value.  Instead of trying to shock us with your hateful, murderous rhetoric, inciting the demented.  Or possibly worse, complacency in allowing people to be idiots without consequences for their destruction.

Bonhoeffer fought the Nazis for their murderous genocide, while fighting to get us to stand up.  Wilberforce destroyed the universally accepted open market slave trade while trying to get us to stand up. Kirk was simply expressing a message of love, peace, and truth.  Murdered for his method, while trying to get a thousand of us to step up.  Sadly, there’s not a thousand.  Probably not a hundred.

Lord, let me be one of the thousand.  Help me find the other 999.  Grant me the faith, fortitude, and love to also help find common ground with my enemies. More importantly, an ear of grace. A willingness to sacrifice all, knowing that you will provide. Knowing I can do all things in your will and strength.