When things go well, and life is easy, we tend to develop bad habits based on the false assumption things will continue as they are. This figures prominently in God's prophesies against the sins of His own people. Christians are somewhat aware of this, and eschatology fever is in the air. While we may well be facing the End Times, that is not the point of what follows. The world is on the verge of dramatic changes. With them may well come both natural cataclysm and social-political upheaval. At the very least, we should expect in the next few years serious economic hardship. This is not so much about The Great Tribulation, but tribulation in general. What would we do differently in the face of losing all the things on which we now unconsciously rely?
Were I in agreement with much of the current teaching about such things, there would be no need to write anything. So it is obvious I consider it flawed in one way or another, and would offer what I hope would be a corrective. By no means do I seek to start some movement, some new Christian denomination or megachurch. Such thinking goes to the core of what I believe is wrong. The churches of today, especially in the West, have become too deeply enamoured with human methods and means, struggling in vain to do the work of God by their intellect and their own hands.
This manual is a critique of what now stands, and offers suggestions for making it better. That makes me one of thousands, of course. But because I'm neither starting my own new work, nor even selling books and trying to make a name for myself should help to distinguish me from others. Along with that is the bold challenge I make to Western churches in general, and Evangelicals in particular. My complaint is we do not view the Bible on its own terms, and so are blind to the radical demands Scripture makes of us.
The fundamental argument here is twofold:
What this means will become more apparent as we go along.
(To see all this as a single document, click HERE.)
Two Realms -- We address the failures of evangelical churches as improper implementation via the failure to understand the biblical concept of Two Realms.
Politics in the Church -- Seeking to correct our understanding of the place of politics.
Christians and Government -- We examine the major Bible passages devoted to a New Testament understanding of how Christians deal with government.
Reformed Eschatology -- Dispensationalism is a recent departure from a long history of something much simpler and easier to understand.
Doctrinal Issues -- A number of other contentious issues are covered.
Church from Scratch -- Considerations on how to approach the work of making church what it should be.
Why a House Church? -- In many situations, the best way to do church is to simply be a church.
Failed Assumptions: East vs. West -- For those who have no exposure to cultural studies, this will clarify the differences.
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By Ed Hurst
revised 26 October 2009
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: People of honor need no copyright laws; they are only too happy to give credit where credit is due. Others will ignore copyright laws whenever they please. If you are of the latter, please note what Moses said about dishonorable behavior -- "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23)