Revenge or Repentance?

I realize its been awhile greycoats.  My life has been occupied with full time parenting, seminary, and part-time (if there is such a thing) ministry.

Oh and we just had our second child……David Hawks Ruland.  Even so, with personal matters and apologies aside…I must say that the topics of conversation around this blog have grown a bit stale.  This phenomenon is largely due to my own lackadaisical attitude toward blogging as of late.  But, I and my fellow greycoats are far from throwing in the towel.  There is a range of topics which are begging to be explored here.  I’d like to submit one now.

Do we want revenge or do we want repentance?

I’ve co-moderated this blog for nearly two years.  The fluctuations in my own Christian experience: from Charismatic, to Charismatic-Reformed, to Reformed Charismatic, to Reformed to……….(wait for it) Confessionally Reformed……..are nothing short of amazing to me.  However, I am still working through a much more basic practicum…the matrix of the fallen heart.

Ah, yes, a devotional post…from Mr. Polemical.  I’ve seen the feedback, I have the stats at my fingertips, and I myself have groaned at ‘devotional posts’ on several occasions.  The “Todd Bentley is a Heretic” posts are always so much more popular.  But it is time.

The time for me to probably alienate many of you has come.  And I simply ask: Do we want revenge or repentance from our Charismatic ex-friends, ex-pastors-apostles-prophets-what-have-you?  I know I’ve taken the high-road here before in dealing with matters of intention.  Some would say that intention is one thing though and contention is another.  Yet my contention has sprung from my intention.  This intention has been to destroy my enemies.  Let that sink in.

My enemies have been the Charismatic/prophetic movement/3^rd heaven seeking, neo-Montanist leaders of this century.  I have wanted their destruction.  I have wanted revenge.  I have not wanted their repentance.  If there had been repentance I’m sure that I would have cried to God about it.  Cried in a way similar to Jonah, who was disappointed in his hopes of revenge against the people of Nineveh.

The sign of Jonah.  What was my desired sign?  The destruction of my enemies.

I offer no qualifier, no disclaimer, no apology for my true heart hate.  I was wronged.  I was deserted.  I was let down by men of faith who had formerly made me believe in the certainty of a realm, a flow, a constantly uninterrupted relational-experiential-reality with a radical God.

I pray now that this radical God would root out revenge in our hearts.  Friends, please know that compromise is not the cry of my heart.  But…I am losing my stomach for revenge.  Perhaps it will sicken me to the point of lasting repentance.  I hope that it will.  Whether the former diatribes of my mind have any cut I have no wit. I do know that the edge of the surgeon’s knife is not of my sharpening. Likewise this….new winds are bringing me to realms of repentance formerly unknown.  God make this work in me.  Temper me.  Let me cut with compassion not rampage with revenge.  Peace…………to all of our friends…..and enemies.

WWJD? What would Joyner do?

It just gets better and better. I know this is old news but I can’t let it go with out comment. These guys are living in delusion city. As far as I can tell Todd got tired from revivalin and got so burnt out that he had to divorce his wife and marry his emotional adulteress. No big deal though cause all he needs is some sabbath rest and he can stay in adultery as well as be restored to ministry cause hey we have to restore all fallen ministers who aren’t repentant. The Bible says so.

Emergent Leader Ravished by Ramadan

So Brian McLaren is celebrating Ramadan.  Not only that but he’s recruiting you (indirectly…..far be it from him to proselytize openly, that would be tantamount to spiritual violence) by preying on the white guilt which is common enough in today’s younger Evangelical circles. This is hardly a motivation for any kind of authentic Christian outreach.

According to the names of diversity, tolerance, multi-culturalism, and awareness a new banner ethic has arisen.  And, it is not a Christian one.  It is the propositional content found in the gospel of Christ which spans cultural-religious boundaries, rather than a nebulous sense of common cultural-religiosity being a bridge to the gospel of Christ.  There is a fine line between contexualization and compromise.  Unfortunately, the lines of pluralism become fuzzier when Christian leaders bash down the truth in the name of understanding.