There is precious little in much of mainstream Western Christianity today that is cruciform or cross-centered in our theology and practice. Where is the cruciform life among us where self-denial, servanthood, suffering, and sacrifice are shaping our lives? The cross, representing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the soul-shaping substance of the genuine Jesus disciple. How does this tie in with the wisdom of God?
Sometimes there are spiritual deficiencies in the body of Christ that are not so easy to see or detect or articulate. For example, there are many things that sound good in Christendom today, even among so called Spirit filled people that have nothing to do with God. Some of our biggest “Christian” celebrity preachers and popular mainstream voices fool many people with their words. Just because someone has a reputation among men doesn’t mean they are favored by God or even sent by God.
For instance, leadership is always such a hot topic and everyone seems to want to excel in this area. Many will read some of the most popular leadership books by prominent authors and take whatever they write or say as being gospel. Here’s a quote on Twitter I read some time ago from a mega church pastor:
YOU KNOW YOU'RE A HIGH CAPACITY LEADER WHEN:
1. You Create
2. You Take Risks
3. You Live Your Passion
4. You never give up!
This quote was retweeted 100s of times by mainly Christians, many of them leaders and ministers. Honestly, that is a worldly and carnal quote. There is none of God’s wisdom in it. It is not the mind of Christ. It is not cruciform. It is the way of the world. Heck, many entrepreneurs and highly successful business people do that. Anyone that has made a lot of money and obtained status and prestige in the world possess those characteristics.
WE HAVE GREAT NEED OF DISCERNMENT
C’mon saints, we’ve got to have more discernment! So many Christian people and so called ministers don’t even know the heart of the Lord. Whatever happened to cross centered theology and practice? Whatever happened to self denial, obedience, and even suffering so that others can be helped and served? Whatever happened to the real wisdom of God and the soul shaping substance of the cruciform life of the genuine disciple? But as I said, it’s leadership that sells. Once the Church becomes familiar with the true wisdom of God, the wisdom of man will be very distasteful to us. Most of the wisdom of man is filled with man’s agenda to advance and get ahead. (1 Cor. 1:18-29)
Some of the greatest Christians I know do not even have a platform in ministry. You’ll never see them on TV or read books about them. You’ll never hear of them in this life. They suffer and lay down their lives every day so that others might live. Some are just faithful husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, and sons and daughters that go to work every day to provide for their families. Some are praying grandmothers who no one knows. Many of them just live normal regular lives, but they are esteemed in God’s eyes.
Let’s quit being fooled by man’s worldly wisdom and get real close to Jesus and learn His heart and ways.
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Bert Farias' books are forerunners to personal holiness, the move of God and the return of the Lord. They also combat the departure from the faith and the turning away from the truth we are seeing in our day. His recent five-book bundle, written under a fresh anointing, is a forerunner of what the Lord is doing in His church today.
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