Blood & Body

Faith isn’t a “private” or “personal” thing.

That statement is wildly offensive to many Christians, but it doesn’t change its validity.

When Paul wrote, “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the Body of Christ,” he dispelled all the “private” and “personal” nonsense.

Participation. It's tough to do community solo.

Participation in the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist, Communion, etc.) is not a religious ritual or ceremony, but a picture. It’s a picture of who God is as eternal Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit. It’s a picture of what God intended for us in creating humanity in Their image and likeness. It’s a picture of what Immanuel came and died for.

The idea that we can have a relationship with Christ that is “private” and “personal” is the antithesis of Gospel-community; It’s completely incongruent with Scripture. It's not Christianity.

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

Reality rushes in when we interpret “love” and “hate,” not through the warped and subjective lenses of our egocentric, self-indulgent, materialistic, prosperity-gospel lives, but rather the sacrificial love of Jesus of Nazareth at Calvary.

Messiah, which means "Anointed One" (referring to His eternal and sovereign authority), didn’t come or die for our “personal” salvation or a “private” faith lived out exclusively in prayer closets, incense-filled sanctuaries or candle-lit cathedrals.

The sin of Eden was in striving for “private” and “personal.” To think Christ died to ensure the same is a farce. To assign His name to a religion that teaches such is truly an abomination.

He shed His blood and gave up His body for His Bride, the Gospel-community know as the Church. “...just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for Her.”

That’s what we celebrate. Together.

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com

PROSPERITY GOSPEL

The "prosperity gospel" is an umbrella term for a particularly twisted worldview. One version of it directly correlates vibrant Christian faith with material blessings, i.e. financial success and vigorous physical health. As Joel Osteen, TB Joshua, and the prosperity gospel wolves would have us believe, our financial and/or physical "poverty" is the direct result of our anemic (or non-existant) faith in "Jesus."

They're not talking about King Jesus of the Bible mind you, but rather the judgment-free, "I just want everyone to be happy because YOU deserve it!" version of "Jesus." Who wants a "Jesus" that judges anyway?

The clear solution to our anemic faith is to send Joel and TB lots and lots of money. Prove your faith is strong in "Jesus" with your lavish "Love Gift" or "Seed Money," and watch all your financial and physical woes evaporate. Not working? Hmmm... Clearly not sacrificing enough. "Give 'til it hurts! Then watch the floodgates burst and abundant blessings pour into your life!"

They'll even (mis)quote Scripture (like Malachi 3:10) to bamboozle the desperate and hurting. Meanwhile, Joel has a new Ferrari. TB has a new jet.

Acts 17:11 sheds some light here. It teaches us how to listen to preachers. It's great to be open-minded or eager to hear "the Word." It's actually encouraged. Closed-mindedness to Christ defined the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law. But here, in Acts 17:11, those referred to as being "more noble" were deemed such as a result of their two-part response to "the Word."

First, they were ready, eager, and open-minded to hear "the Word." Not "a word," but "the Word." Jesus is the Word (see John 1:1). They were eager to hear about King Jesus. But that's only 50%. The second part is "they were continually examining the Scriptures every day" in order to see if what Paul and Silas preached was legit, so, valid, and congruent with Scripture. What makes us noble in God's sight is listening to hear Jesus, then going back into Scripture to see if what we read supports what we heard. If not, the problem is always with the false preaching/teaching- never with inerrant Scripture.

If the prosperity gospel were legit, why did Jesus, God with us, live and die like a pitiful servant? Why wash His disciples' nasty feet? Why eat with tax collectors and sinners? Why allow Himself to be arrested? Why was He flogged and shamed publicly? Why was He crucified on a Roman cross to publicly humiliate and shame Him? Why such a horrible death? None of that sounds very much like prosperity.

Again, if the prosperity gospel were legit, why were the prophets of the Bible continually rejected, threatened, and even killed for speaking, teaching, and preaching "the Word?" Why was Paul persecuted, hated, rejected, betrayed, pursued, imprisoned and put to death for his faith in Jesus? Where's the material wealth, health, security, and happiness?

Why was John the Baptist imprisoned and soon after beheaded? Not merely for his rebuke of Herod (Lk 3:19), but his faithfulness to heralding Christ as Messiah, "the Lamb of God."

For prosperity gospel to float it has to jive with the whole of Scripture. So where does it find its roots in the Bible? Bits and pieces of Scripture ripped out of context... warped... twisted... and perverted for personal gain.

Abel was murdered for his faithfulness to the Lord. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Moses was doomed to wander 40 years in the desert and then disqualified from entering into the Promised Land. David had to run and hide in the wilderness after being anointed King of Israel. Prophets were executed, and disciples too. The early Church was persecuted by the Jews and Romans. Paul suffered horribly until his death.

How does any of that support the notion, "Jesus just wants me to be happy, healthy and loaded!"

Jesus said His followers would be hated, betrayed, rejected, persecuted... even executed. He was on that Cross atop Calvary. He calls disciples to follow. He calls us to vigorously advance His kingdom despite all opposition and resistance.

John was left in a prison cell. Jesus didn't even visit. Then, John was beheaded. What do Joel and TB have to say about that (insert crickets here...)? Whatever God has blessed you with: health, wealth, intellect, opportunity...  legit faith is leveraging all our blessings to vigorously advance Jesus, the Word, the Gospel- Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done.

The legit Gospel is this: Jesus, Anointed One, Immanuel, descendant of David, the Risen King. It's 100% about Him. It's got nothing to do with us, our need, or how we respond to it. It certainly isn't about our material blessings of health, wealth, and happiness.

Blessings,
-Kevin M. Kelley
aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com

IN DENIAL

A little servant girl blurted, "This man was with him!" Peter's immediate response was soiled loins. Then denial. It happened twice more (the denial part) in rapid succession. That was before King Jesus emerged from Joseph’s tomb.

Peter went to Galilee, just as Jesus instructed. Atop the mountain, The Resurrected King gave His disciples a direct imperative, "Disciple all nations." Immanuel, God with us, simultaneously clarified and solidified life for every would-be follower: Disciples disciple.

Soon after that “Great Commission,” King Jesus ascended.

50 days later, Pentecost arrived. The Holy Spirit descended in a ridiculous flurry of wind and fire. Things got crazy. As is His M.O., God’s timing was perfecto! There were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. God-fearers were people who followed almost every custom of the Jews. When folks started talking about cutting stuff "south-of-the-border," they drew the line.

Christ’s Disciples, all from the immediate area, began speaking foreign languages. The celestial display, rushing wind and fire, along with the ensuing phonetic fandango, apparently had the God-fearers perplexed. Others in the group joked, "They're drunk!" Peter cleared up the nonsensical confusion pointing out, "It's only 9:00 a.m." Apparently, Beer:30 was still a few minutes away.

Then things got real.

In his speech (Acts 2:16-36), Peter pointed out some stuff to these “God-fearers from every nation under heaven:”

-Peter revealed Scripture is always 100% trustworthy. What they'd just witnessed was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit prophesied in the book of Joel as "The Day of the Lord."

-Peter revealed, present or not, everyone is guilty of crucifying Christ. Jesus' crucifixion and death were at their hands. That includes you too.

-Peter revealed everything happens within the scope of God’s perfect plan. God is never caught off guard or surprised. God allowed Jesus’ death to happen according to His plan and foreknowledge.

-Peter revealed Jesus died a literal physical death. Even death has nothing on or over Him. Jesus was raised from death because He’s the King.

-Peter revealed Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of all Hebrew Scripture and theological history. Jesus is the prophesied and everlasting Davidic King.

Peter wraps up his opus with, "Therefore, let all Israel know with certainty God has established this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!” Peter preached the undiluted, uncomplicated Gospel: Jesus, Anointed One, descendant of David, the Risen King.

The result? The droves of God-fearers were cut to the heart.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul confirms the content, power, and effect of the Gospel, “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel (Jesus, Anointed One, descendant of David, the Risen King.) for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone believing…”

The undiluted unadulterated euangelion positively pierces our petrified and putrid hearts. Its power should cause us to query, “What shall we do?” Peter’s answer, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the Holy Spirit’s gift.”

Peter did NOT tell God-fearers from every nation under heaven to ask Jesus into their hearts. He didn’t ask them to repeat a magical prayer of salvation or to participate in some mystical, magical water ceremony of salvation. Throughout Scripture, the Apostles never mention “personal salvation.” In stark contrast to what is preached and taught today, Peter’s response to “What shall we do?” was simply this: “Repent and be baptized…”

After being “cut to the heart,” realizing we are personally responsible for rejecting Jesus and His crucifixion, we learn forgiveness of sins comes only in repenting (literally turning) from our independence, autonomy, ego, and our selfish personal/private lives to Jesus to be baptized (literally immersed) into the abundant life of the Risen King’s Gospel-community, i.e. His Body, His Bride, His Church. That’s what happened to the God-fearers from every nation under heaven:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” There’s nothing “personal” or “private” about it. “All the believers were together and had everything in common… Selling possessions… sharing with anyone who was in need. With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

But that doesn’t sound anything like what we preach or the way we do “church” today.

Personal salvation jibberish doesn’t drive Gospel-community. It drives us deeper into sin under the guise of religious activity. Personal salvation doesn’t foster devotion to anything but the sin of ego. Personal salvation can’t create Gospel-community any more than a desert wind can create water.

Sometimes “church” today evokes momentary flashes of “charity” when adequately promoted, marketed, advertised, and sufficiently convenient or popular. Even then, this version of “church” never fosters “favor” with anyone. The only numbers added are more fickle, fair-weather “personal salvation,” fans flocking from the old to the new in a selfish attempt to upgrade “personal” experience with better music, better programs, funnier topical preaching, more convenience, and easy… because ultimately, everything is all about me. It's all about me and my "personal salvation."

Paul saw things very differently.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body/flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

-Galatians 2:20

Paul points out the selfish “life” is a death sentence; it's not living. God’s definition of death is alienation from His perfect will, original design, and life-giving Presence.

Paul was cut to the heart on the road to Damascus. He allowed his selfish desires to be “crucified with Crist,” and to become truly alive in “the Body, by faith in the Son of God” as an evangelist, missionary, church planter, teacher, preacher, and discipler. That was true even to the point of prison, beatings, starvation, and death. Paul understood Jesus gave Himself for us to the extent we realize His salvation is from the sin of autonomy. Life only ever exists within Gospel-community, the Body, the Bride, His Church.

It’s only in our repentance from self to complete immersion into Gospel-community that we receive the Holy Spirit’s gift: the Risen King’s Gospel-community. That’s where Immanuel said He would dwell forever.

The false-gospel of “personal salvation” preached today is tragically all about me, mine, my, and I. This “end-user” pseudo-gospel results in cataclysmic consumer cultures of parasitic preference. It spawns communities of personal prosperity and convenience whose hope and faith reside in a mythical “personal savior” found nowhere in Scripture.

The Gospel: Jesus, Anointed One, descendent of David, the Risen King.

The Gospel cuts to the heart. It causes us to ask in humility, “What shall we do.” The answer has been, is now, and will ever be: “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit’s gift,” Risen King Jesus’ Gospel-community.

Now that you’ve heard the Gospel, what will it produce in you? Life in Christ or death in self? Gospel-community or something “personal?”

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com