That's odd, I'm sitting here about to write a post that begins with a quote from a conservative radio talk show host and lo and behold he's talking to me through the radio on a commercial about back aches. Well anyway here's the quote about the recent defeat of the Obamacare bait and switch by people with principles..."If that is the case, what we have here is another conservative example of purism and principle damaging another major opportunity to do good." That's the talking point of the past week...purists and purism...are destroying America. Google 'purism' and you can read all about us. This is all carefully crafted rhetoric of course. These people aren't looking for a fair compromise.
I was Pentecostal at the time and just as today a big reader. I was in Christian bookstores all the time....and later owned one by the way. From one to another I would go. I was in a bookstore today and actually didn't buy a book! So anyway I would read a lot of Christian books and eventually came across some that....how do I put it....sobered me....and profoundly affected me. Finally I put two and two together and noticed that the books that affected me had this little robed character on the spine of the book. So being the intellectual giant that I must be, I started looking for books with this little robed character on the spine.
Time passed......Bill and Hillary began their Progressive assault on everything good in America....and I found myself owning a bookstore that sold a lot of books with this little robed guy on the spine. What's more....I found that I had turned into a purist! Well actually the word would be Puritan. I don't like to see anyone having a good time! I am solemn and never tell a joke! I want to force everyone else to believe what I believe! I only wear dark colors...well actually I don't wear anything but dark colors but that's because they make me look thinner. That's how they describe Puritans anyway. They couldn't be further from the truth and if you visit my humor page you will see that I would have been a lousy Puritan as they are perceived to be....a lousy comedian and a lousy Puritan. Let me add a disclaimer here before I go any further. I couldn't carry the buckled boots of the real Puritans. I'm only a cheap knock-off who loves what they gave us.
So who were the real Puritans? They were late 16th and 17th century English Christians who saw the church of their day as pretty-near worthless....Laodicean in nature....and foiling the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So consequently the Laodicean church of the day that was foiling the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ called these dangerous' people...Puritans....which immediately became a dirty word. Oh, did I mention that the Puritans were divisive. Everything....everything in the church had to be according to what the Bible said! How intolerant!
They were political also. The establishment folks of the day were opposed by most of the people but these establishment folks had the fancy uniforms with big plumes in their hats so they naturally became the rulers. Fortunately for England the Puritans had Oliver Cromwell. When the church and government went one way and the Puritans were in charge England did very well but Reagan died....did I say Reagan...I meant Cromwell died and many of these Puritans and others who held too tightly to God's Word left England. They would head to the cold forested land across the sea and gave a start to another terrible country....America....which would become the United States of America....and everyone in school now knows that America has been very bad for the world.
So I read about these Puritans and more importantly I read the books that they wrote. You know I could have had a lot of money today and owned what I've wanted to own my entire life....a sailboat....a big sailboat with a cabin and teak decks and a lot of ropes and heavy metal thingamajigs! Is there a more exciting life then cranking this sail up and moving the boom somewhere or other and gliding across the greatest source of power in God's creation? Maybe you can tell that I don't know the slightest thing about actual sailing but I have enjoyed the thoughts of it most of my life. Which leads me into this wonderful confession....I would not trade a lifetime of pursuit of that which gives the most wonderful happiness for the joy of knowing of the magnificence and righteousness and power and glory of Jesus Christ as the Puritans taught and preached from God's Word. I would not sell my birthright in this nation whose origins were with the Puritans or knowingly soil the memory of those who sacrificed to give us our liberty for all the money in George Soros's bank account. I would not give up my principles in exchange for tax relief or a cushy seat in our once illustrious House of Representatives....and although I will not accept the descriptive of Puritan for I do not deserve it, I will gladly be called a purist by these folks who sit in the seat of judges but rule as from the men's and/or women's room on an elite college campus.
This principle of actually believing in something good and trying your best to promote it for the benefit of your nation is today roundly criticized and ridiculed! The Freedom Caucus is dangerous because it actually has principles. When you own the gavels you rule the people and when you own the media you own their minds. This past election cycle was actually won by those with principles but the establishment has the gavels and the media.
We have something else.....those of us dismissed as religious purists....we have the sure hope of our salvation and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in great power and glory! We'll do our best with governments and justice while we are here, meager as our efforts may be, but there will be a day when righteous rule covers this earth, and He with the gavel will be the purest of the pure purists!
I intended to write more about the Puritans but my fingers wouldn't listen to my brain so instead I'll recommend a wonderful book about the them....A Quest For Godliness, The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J. I. Packer.
The publisher that I described as having a little robed man on the spine is the Banner of Truth Trust.
I was Pentecostal at the time and just as today a big reader. I was in Christian bookstores all the time....and later owned one by the way. From one to another I would go. I was in a bookstore today and actually didn't buy a book! So anyway I would read a lot of Christian books and eventually came across some that....how do I put it....sobered me....and profoundly affected me. Finally I put two and two together and noticed that the books that affected me had this little robed character on the spine of the book. So being the intellectual giant that I must be, I started looking for books with this little robed character on the spine.
Time passed......Bill and Hillary began their Progressive assault on everything good in America....and I found myself owning a bookstore that sold a lot of books with this little robed guy on the spine. What's more....I found that I had turned into a purist! Well actually the word would be Puritan. I don't like to see anyone having a good time! I am solemn and never tell a joke! I want to force everyone else to believe what I believe! I only wear dark colors...well actually I don't wear anything but dark colors but that's because they make me look thinner. That's how they describe Puritans anyway. They couldn't be further from the truth and if you visit my humor page you will see that I would have been a lousy Puritan as they are perceived to be....a lousy comedian and a lousy Puritan. Let me add a disclaimer here before I go any further. I couldn't carry the buckled boots of the real Puritans. I'm only a cheap knock-off who loves what they gave us.
So who were the real Puritans? They were late 16th and 17th century English Christians who saw the church of their day as pretty-near worthless....Laodicean in nature....and foiling the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So consequently the Laodicean church of the day that was foiling the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ called these dangerous' people...Puritans....which immediately became a dirty word. Oh, did I mention that the Puritans were divisive. Everything....everything in the church had to be according to what the Bible said! How intolerant!
They were political also. The establishment folks of the day were opposed by most of the people but these establishment folks had the fancy uniforms with big plumes in their hats so they naturally became the rulers. Fortunately for England the Puritans had Oliver Cromwell. When the church and government went one way and the Puritans were in charge England did very well but Reagan died....did I say Reagan...I meant Cromwell died and many of these Puritans and others who held too tightly to God's Word left England. They would head to the cold forested land across the sea and gave a start to another terrible country....America....which would become the United States of America....and everyone in school now knows that America has been very bad for the world.
So I read about these Puritans and more importantly I read the books that they wrote. You know I could have had a lot of money today and owned what I've wanted to own my entire life....a sailboat....a big sailboat with a cabin and teak decks and a lot of ropes and heavy metal thingamajigs! Is there a more exciting life then cranking this sail up and moving the boom somewhere or other and gliding across the greatest source of power in God's creation? Maybe you can tell that I don't know the slightest thing about actual sailing but I have enjoyed the thoughts of it most of my life. Which leads me into this wonderful confession....I would not trade a lifetime of pursuit of that which gives the most wonderful happiness for the joy of knowing of the magnificence and righteousness and power and glory of Jesus Christ as the Puritans taught and preached from God's Word. I would not sell my birthright in this nation whose origins were with the Puritans or knowingly soil the memory of those who sacrificed to give us our liberty for all the money in George Soros's bank account. I would not give up my principles in exchange for tax relief or a cushy seat in our once illustrious House of Representatives....and although I will not accept the descriptive of Puritan for I do not deserve it, I will gladly be called a purist by these folks who sit in the seat of judges but rule as from the men's and/or women's room on an elite college campus.
This principle of actually believing in something good and trying your best to promote it for the benefit of your nation is today roundly criticized and ridiculed! The Freedom Caucus is dangerous because it actually has principles. When you own the gavels you rule the people and when you own the media you own their minds. This past election cycle was actually won by those with principles but the establishment has the gavels and the media.
We have something else.....those of us dismissed as religious purists....we have the sure hope of our salvation and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in great power and glory! We'll do our best with governments and justice while we are here, meager as our efforts may be, but there will be a day when righteous rule covers this earth, and He with the gavel will be the purest of the pure purists!
I intended to write more about the Puritans but my fingers wouldn't listen to my brain so instead I'll recommend a wonderful book about the them....A Quest For Godliness, The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J. I. Packer.
The publisher that I described as having a little robed man on the spine is the Banner of Truth Trust.
