Great Lies

It's been a while since my last post, and I need to be studying, so of course I'm writing a blog post...

So I was cruising youtube watching clips of evangelists trying to discern how evangelism should be done and I found some videos by one Monica Dennington and found myself very distressed. The videos I have watched have been about denying fellowship to Calvinists because they are divisive. That alone should raise some eyebrows. Is the Gospel, when dutifully preached, divisive? What about Christ specifically telling us not to worry when we are rejected because the world first rejected him? Are we called to live in peace with the world? Are we called to agree with the world, and everyone of it? NO! Yet Mrs. Dennington preaches (a separate issue unto itself) a half and half Armenian and Calvinistic view all the while twisting the Holy word of God to support her belief that anyone who vocalizes disagreement should be put out of fellowship. Sound Catholic much? Please, if you have heard her on youtube, give no credence to her. She says to "read your bible and do what it says" as if to say that she is doing so, but all the while she denies exegetical teachings and examining context. (until she reaches the part about a woman not being above a man...queue the 'exegesis' and 'context' then...)

I do wish to now address some of the lies I have heard from her unto themselves. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that who-so-ever believes in him shall have eternal life". Many people use this as some kind of justification that anyone whom confesses a belief in Christ is saved. This is one of the greatest lies in Christendom. All those who believe are saved, however not all those who confess Christ are believers in the sense that this verse puts forward. She exhorts her viewers to not listen to Calvinists because we supposedly place trust in the flesh because we read religious books other than the bible, and because we listen to the teachings of Calvinists. She accuses us of placing faith in flesh and refusing to bow at the feet of Christ! Calvanists have done nothing BUT denounce the flesh and bow to Christ! The biggest lie that she has told is this mindset that Calvinists are dividing the body. She (and many others) think that being divisive is bad. (Ignoring the side rant that the gospel IS divisive.) There is this mentality that a person can divide the body of Christ. This is not so! The body of Christ, the true church and communion of true believers cannot be divided because Christ does not lose any that are given to him. Any who are divided away from the body of Christ never were part of the body. In the same fashion, she can't divide Calvinists from the body of Christ, she can (and by this I mean the Holy Spirit working through her) and only separate herself from the body of Christ.

I leave you now with the exhortation to be wary of false teachers and to cling to God, the rock from which you were cut.

Soli Deo Gloria

My Testimony

Everyone is influenced by someone. Everyone that you meet holds the potential to be the tools of the Lord to change you, but only some are used as such. This blog post is being written to acknowledge the people in my life who have been influential to my growth in Christ. Firstly I wish to acknowledge St. Mark's Lutheran Church; my home congregation, and all the people therein. I also wish to acknowledge the 2009 decision in the ELCA which I have blogged on before. That singular event more than any other made me realize that complacency is the greatest evil a man can have.

The Navigators ministry on campus has also been a huge influence to my growth. When I came to campus JP and Alfred came into my dorm room and invited me to come have pizza and a bible study. Naturally I went for pizza, and having some interest in religion, signed up for a bible study. Alfred and Tyler Bennett led the bible study through John of which I was the only student. Still, Tyler met with me once a week for breakfast and a quiet time, and sporadically throughout the week to talk about religion, patiently listen to my questions (sometimes arguments) and share with me the gospel truth, on top of the weekly bible study. Because of that, I would consider Tyler a huge reason of why I am here today. The Lord used him mightily in my life. During this time I realized my need for God and began to force myself to read the bible more and more. As time progressed I realized my need for obedience and began to force myself to uphold the basic laws and expectations Christians should be living up to. The Navigator ministry as a whole was very good to me in the fact that they believe the bible to be the authoritative word of God. I was want to say that 'the bible is written by man and falliable' and the navigators would not tolerate such. Tyler himself was forced to hear this complaint repeatedly and yet never lost his patience in telling me that I was wrong.

The next major step in my journey was that of Joel Iliff. I met him at a Nav event and my first impression was that he was hopelessly weird. I still hold this view (just kidding Joel)...but what really got me about him was that he believed the bible, not just a 'yeah I guess so', but a whole hearted unapologetic belief that bordered on insanity. He specifically defended the doctrine of predestination which at the time I hated with a passion. Don't bother to tell me any arguments against it, I have spoken them all, I have believed them all. Joel was used by the Holy Spirit to subdue me unto the will of God. Joel knows this, that he could have never swayed my mind, as stubborn as I was, yet the Holy Spirit would not tolerate my disbelief, and thus God changed not only my mind, but my heart. Joel did not have the un-anger-able patience of Tyler, but none-the-less he stated the gospel truthfully and refused to give in to my arguments to the contrary, God be praised! Thus I truly began to want to read my bible, I began to want to please God.

So for a couple months I strove with all my might to be good enough for God. I gave 100% of me to being the perfect image of the Christian, to being a good navigator, to attaining my salvation. Then, on the MLK 2010 retreat with the Navigators, a friend (whom shall remain nameless because I don't have their express consent to write about them) confessed a lack of belief, a lack of trust. It hit me right then that I was so guilty of the same thing. In that moment I truly realized that I was saved, not by my works or belief or obedience but by the saving Grace of God alone by faith alone. Thus I laid my disbelief down at God's feet and swore to dwell on it no more. I then truly felt the Grace of God in my life, and since then, great change has occurred in my life.

Not only that the Spirit has been at work, but that I have been blessed to live with Joel this year who is always willing to talk about deep spiritual matters, and like Tyler tolerate my dumbest questions which reveal my ignorance in patience so that I might be ignorant no longer. Joel, knowing how to translate Greek from the original writings into English on his own has been a great help in understanding how to interpret many passages. In addition to this I have been blessed with Joel and Alek's patience with my impatience. The two of them have been listening to what I say and how I say it and have been careful to point out when I'm not being as loving as I should be. Between Tyler, Joel, Alek, and the Holy Spirit of God, I am now set on fire with a desire for Holiness, for Truth, for Grace. I am Matthew Shealy, and that is my testimony.

The Sword

I have been thinking on the hippie problem of this country for some time now, and not just the political ones. As a very good friend pointed out, tolerance has replaced truth in this post-modern age, as what we hold in value, as what we desire. We now place tolerance in such a position that intolerance is intolerable. Even 'Christians' in today's society are so concerned with tolerance that they cannot function as Christians should. A friend of mine, whom I do love dearly once told me in no uncertain terms that there would be no discussion of theology at the dinner table because it divided people. She approached the entire subject with reproach because of her need for 'tolerance'. She viewed (correctly) theology as divisive and came to the conclusion (incorrectly) that we should avoid it. Instead we should talk about temporal things of this world or offer encouragement and love.

Love...when did we, the Holy Church of God's elect people, allow the world to tell us what love is? When did we change from thirsting after the truth and for all men to know it to not wanting to rock the boat? When did we become so concerned with tolerating other peoples' view points and opinions? WHY?!? Where in the scripture does it say that we should hold our tongues against the teaching of the truth in favor of peace amongst ourselves? What happened to Christ not sending peace on earth but a sword? Are we so deluded with the ways of this world that we will deliberately ignore this teaching? Will we re-interpret it to be more palatable to the world? Why did we boil down the gospel to a few questions, and salvation to no more than asking God into our hearts?

More importantly, why do we tolerate such un-Godliness? Why do we allow people to think that they are right when we know that they are wrong? Why do we allow them to think that they are saved when they are not, why do we let people go on perverting scripture when we know that they abuse it? This is what Christ was preaching about when he said "Those who deny me in this world I will deny before my father". He wasn't just talking about atheists! He was talking about a vast majority of modern American Christians!

Wake up people! It's high time to get a move on! It's time for a revival, a return to God! It's time to conform society to the word, not the word of God to society! Don't go out and hate people in your hearts, but do not tolerate tolerance for the sake of unity and peace any longer!

A Lesson in Love

I don't know why I suddenly feel the need to share this, but I do feel now necessary to relate this story to those few who read my blogs, I guess to show that I do actually have a frail, broken human side in spite of my many blogs on 'deeper' theology.

It was my first semester at USC, fall 2008. It was an overcast day, much as it is right now, and I had just gotten out of my first Chemistry exam here at the University. I had done poorly and was worried about my grade. This was of course back before I stopped caring... Anyway, I was heading toward my next class in the Engineering building, feeling really down in the dump. I wasn't paying attention to anything but my own failings and shortcomings, preferring to look at my feet as I walked to avoid thinking about anything but my foul up. Just then, a hand belonging to someone walking up the hill against me, reached out and touched my shoulder so as to get my attention. Startled out of my reprieve I looked up to see a poorly kept man with a scraggly beard, tattered clothes and the odor of garbage. Immediately I forgot my own problems, and thought 'Damnit! It's another hobo wanting my money'. Far from it, the man, who appeared to be in excellent spirit said "Hey! Don't look so sad, it always turns out okay" and walked away.

That poor hobo who didn't own much of anything in this world, who had to beg to get anything and suffer the contempt of everyone, including myself, was selfless in a way that I am not. He looked past his own situation to see someone else who was in pain, and did what he could to comfort them...to comfort me. And I, who am being sent to college by scholarships and my parents' money, who has been given everything I have ever needed and so many things that I didn't, I judged him, and I found him guilty. I found him guilty and condemned him to suffer my contempt, the hatred and resentment of my heart, and yet he showed me love.

I can say that no great change came over me that day, sure I felt a little gratitude, and was in a little better mood afterward, but no great change came over me. I kept on with my life as always, ungrateful, and uncaring. Am I saying that I am now changed and live only to serve? Hardly. I am still frail and broken human in need of Grace, but I can say that thanks to that poor hobo, I have learned a valuable lesson in how to love my neighbor. It took me two years to realize the profoundness of the situation and fully appreciate it, but now that the tree has grown, I think its time to see some fruit.

You're right Mr. Hobo man, it does turn out alright, and I thank you.

Soli Deo Gloria

New Realizations

Recently, I have been working on how to say what I want to be said, not just saying the thoughts that cross my mind. In the process of doing so I have learned something about myself that I never realized before; I give the appearance of being a very apathetic person. Specifically in the way I say things, and in the way I speak to people. When I say something, I find that it's usually right, but said in the wrong way, as a friend of mine helped me to see. It's not just that you're right, it's that you deliver what you say in an impeccable manner so that none can dispute it.

Also, I have noticed that I often forget about other people's problems. Its not that I don't care about them, it's just that I forget to care. EG - I was eating with said friend at lunch on Friday and a mutual friend came by and spoke. I knew it was his birthday, but said nothing about it since it wasn't germane to the topic at hand. I didn't even realize my feaux paux (which is head-up-my-butt for Foe Pah) until the friend I was eating with wished him a happy birthday as he walked away. It was then that I realized how inconsiderate I can be. This is not even the only time that I have done this recently. This is why it is now my goal to be more conscientious of the people around me.

For Lent, I gave up anger with decent success and now I must move on to bigger and greater goals or risk stagnation. So, for the Easter season, I am going to work on bearing the burdens of my brothers above those of myself. I am going to ask people how they are doing with renewed sincerity and keep their burdens in mind as much as possible. In this I hope that God shall humble me and make me more compassionate to things which I have been ignoring for so long.