Christian Living

THE POLARIZING BLOG

by paul hoffmaster
03/12/17
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Writing Simplyrhetorical has been a journey of polarizing extremes.  The joy of expressing the benefits of obedience through the uplifting of the Scriptures has been a fulfilling experience.  To share the benefits of the Believers’ “Spiritual Life Insurance Policy” has been one of the highlights of my writing experience.  To be able to help the reader become more familiar with the Bible has been such a joy.  I wish all of the articles had been accentuated with the positive aspects of the Gospel, but there were many blogs that dealt with the challenges to our faith.  I am sure many people were turned off by some of these “negative articles.”  I understand that sentiment, for I too want to hear the positive in these negative times.  But, the reality is that the Church is drifting farther and farther away from God’s intended purpose.  The Church is becoming self-serving instead of God serving.  The Church is moving more and more from Faith to feelings.  Instead of spreading out into the community, it has bordered itself around indebted buildings.  Instead of being a Theocracy, it has become a democracy.  Instead of being directed by the Holy Spirit, it is motivated by human initiatives.  Instead of defending the Word, it has expanded the Word by misinterpretation.  To write about the negative aspects of the Church has been a challenge, not only to my sleep ritual, but to my daily routine.  I would rather write of achieving the positive results of Biblical exploration, but to say nothing about the challenges that the Church is facing is to deny the truth.  I am not ignorant of the fact that some will challenge some of these articles as nothing more than the writings of a disgruntled Believer.   I guess the only way to substantiate that claim is to look at the Church in an objective way and see if there is any validity to what I am saying.  The diversification of the Church is so wide spread that people face a smorgasbord of church choices.  This ought not to be.  There is only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, and one God. (Ephesians 4:4-6)

 There are many great churches that are truly Biblical in their beliefs and actions, but they are the exception.  If what I have written has failed to meet the criteria of the populist church, I am sure the delete button has been worn out on their computer.  For those who have taken notice of the reality of these “negative” articles, I am hopeful they will take decisive actions to correct their church’s flaws.  For those who have taken steps to shore up their churches priorities, I rejoice.  For those who recognize Satan’s role against their church, I am encouraged.  I am hoping the day will come when all the saints will recognize the urgency of responding to the attacks on the Church.  I am hoping that people will bury their differences and will bring about the fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer for unity. (John 17:20, 21)  I am hoping that, once again, the purified Truth will ring from the pulpits.

 More and more, the counterfeit truth has replaced the real Truth.  When Christians cannot recognize the true from the false, there will be little chance for a changed world.  One of the most startling verses in the Bible is Luke 18:8, in which Jesus asks that when He returns, will the “Son of man … find faith on the earth?”  If that does not cause concern with every Believer, than we have lost our way.  What is being shared through Simplyrhetorical is a call to arms, a challenge to rise up and serve our living God.  For the Church to fail to recognize its purpose is to recuse ourselves from being the physical exemplification of Jesus Christ.  In about two months, Simplyrhetorical will have completed five years.  Almost 300 articles have gone out.  How much longer it will continue, only God knows.  Thank you to those who understand what Simplyrhetorical is all about, and for your on-going prayers and encouragement.  Together, we can make a difference!