Eat the fruit and spit the pit

"The famous, evangelical Anglican, Charles Simeon was asked once whether he was a Calvinist or an Arminian. His reply was, “Calvinist one day and Arminian the next, as the text demands.”

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and I sincerely mean that you are dear to me.   Having said that I have an issue I'd like to take up with you.   It's this little matter of Arminianism vs. Calvinism.   My parents were Methodist, so I can't ever remember a time without the "debate".   Even as an agnostic I'd have been a fair hand at defending the Arminian position.  I couldn't tell you a thing about the teachings of Christ, but Arminianism I knew very well.  

At the age of 19 I kicked God out of my life, and after 7 years gratefully welcomed Him back.  The moment after I received Him back into my life, I could have fought a Calvinist tooth and nail, and still made a very good showing.   After a few years of study, I could stand toe to toe with a Calvinist and quote support texts from the OT and NT.  I debated a learned Calvinist, and was told, "I've never met an Arminian who could debate with me the way you have."   Point for point, reason for reason, verse for verse, I was indefatigable. (Love that word indefatigable).   It was a draw, the Calvinist and the Arminian left the debate more firmly entrenched each in his own position.   

I did undergo a fairly substantial shift in my beliefs, but not due to any arguments.   I was reading the Bible and what I read convicted me that there were some things in the Arminian position which are wrong.  I won't digress into the nature of the change here .   I want to talk about an even greater change, which brought me a wholly new perspective on differing theological perspectives.  

For three and a half years I attended a church pastored by a man who believed and taught Word of Faith theology.   You may know it by another name, "health and wealth gospel," or by a more derogatory nickname, "Name it claim it, blab it grab it" theology.  It was a nightmare.   In the interest of brevity, there were very good reasons God wanted me in that church, none of which became apparent during my time there.   

Every time someone taught the Bible with a Word of Faith twist, it was like dragging fingernails across a chalk board.  I pleaded with God to let me leave, or at least to give me some reason why He insisted I stay there.   There was one thing that happened there that was one of Gods greatest blessings to me.  

I'd been attending for about a year.   It was early October, and pastor had just closed the Sunday service.  I was near the front, and as I gathered my possessions I looked at the back of the sanctuary.  There was huge woman standing at the back of the room.  "Woman?"   That's no woman its a MAN!   He was a 6'3", 300 pound wall of mostly muscle, wearing a cornflower blue dress, covered in quarter sized white polka dots!   He wore white stocking stretched over tree trunk legs.  He'd pulled little white cotton gloves over his massive mitts.  Topping it off was a blond wig, a wide brimmed, white, straw hat, and make-up applied by paint roller!   Lord what a mess!!  I wasn't bothered a bit, but prayed he'd escape before someone chased him out the door swinging a Bible.   

Pastor knew of my past in homosexuality, so he openly discussed the matter with me.   I told him I'd prayed the man would escape unmolested.  Pastor said, "That's exactly what I'd planned to do, let the guy get out without saying much to him."  "The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart not to let the guy get away," he said with a chuckle.  Pastor invited him into his office and closed the door behind them.  Pastor is about 5'7" and the transvestite outweighed him by nearly 150 lbs.   You have never seen so many nervous and shaking deacons and elders in your life!!   The transvestite could easily have harmed pastor, or worse, before anyone got to them.  And more people would have been badly hurt once they got to the guy.   What no one else, but me, knew was that this wasn't just a big tranny, this was a big, PISSED OFF, tranny!   When a man shows up wearing a dress, at a very conservative Pentecostal church, he's scrapping for a fight.   At first there was silence outside pastor's office, but suddenly the surrounding walls, windows, and doors shook from the loud, furious shout of a man bellowing from the tips of his toes.  People outside the building heard.  

A week or so after the visit, I asked pastor what had happened.  He said, "Almost as soon as I got the door closed he started yelling about Christians being hateful, bigoted, hypocrites."   Pastor continued, "I calmly told him, 'I can see you've been talking to Christians and I'm sorry."   Pastor then said the most amazing thing.  He said, "I can see you are hurting, and I just want to know if you and I could agree on one thing, that we both need Jesus."  Four times the angry transsexual started a verbal beat down on pastor, and four times pastor said, "I am not going to argue with you. Could you and I simply agree on one thing, that we both need Jesus?"   Finally, the man said, "Okay, I agree, we both need Jesus." Pastor replied, "Thank you, and with this understanding I'd like to pray for you, that Jesus will come and touch you."   At this point in his story a big smile broke across pastor's face, and he said, "The power of the Holy Spirit moved this guy, he nearly fell over on top of me."   He went on, "You could see this guy's whole face change, all the anger drained out, and it became peaceful."   "Man, it was powerful!"  By this time I was fighting back tears.  

He'd handled the situation perfectly.   I asked pastor a question, I already knew the answer to, "In Bible College how many classes did you have on how to deal with this kind of situation."  Pastor laughed, and said, "We never had any kind of training to prepare us for that."   I asked, with a sly half grin sliding up my face, "Then how did you know what to do?"   Pastor, still smiling broadly, said, "I trusted the Holy Spirit to lead me."   I responded, "I want you to know you handled the situation just exactly right."   He said, "I know, it was the Holy Spirit."   When I got to my car I broke down weeping. 

So, what's my point?   Eat the fruit, but spit the pit.  Not everything the pastor taught was error.   When the guy wasn't teaching from the beliefs, peculiar to Word of Faith theology, his message was Biblically sound.   Am I now defending Word of Faith theology?   I can't do that,  but I also can't, in good faith, defend all Church of Christ theology, Lutheran theology, Baptist theology, Assemblies of God theology, Episcopalian theology, Catholic theology, Greek Orthodox theology, Arminian theology, or Calvinist theology.  Both Arminius and Calvin were right and both were wrong.   He who throws Calvin or Wesley out the window is foolish, and he who thinks either got it completely right is equally foolhardy. 

God told us all about it centuries before either Arminius or Calvin were even born.  1 Corinthians 13:9-12

For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 

Until we are face to face with Christ all our fruit is going to have pits.  Jesus taught that a tree could be judged by its fruit.  We, His children, judge our fellow Christians not by fruit, but by the pits in their theology.  We expose their pits all the while singing the praises of the fruit of our own theology.  Was Wesley all pits and no fruit?   Was Calvin all fruit and no pits?   Wesley, saw dimly, and Calvin knew in part.   Until we see Christ face to face there will be fruit and there will be pits.   

If you tell me my former pastor's theology is the pits, I'll have to agree, but we need to acknowledge the fruit as well.   We simply can't go on ignoring the 6'3", 300 lb, PISSED OFF, tranny wearing the cornflower blue dress covered with quarter sized white polka dots, in the room!  

Reminds me of a story about Jesus.  Jesus was hangin out with a Samaritan woman by a well,  then His disciples walked up, suddenly, while at the same time the Samaritan woman was walking away.   It looked very suspicious to the disciples, that He, a Jew, and a great holy prophet, to boot, would be talking to a Samaritan woman.   See, according to Jewish theology Samaritans were God forsaken, half breed, low down dogs.  No Jewish man, most especially a great high holy prophet Jew, would ever be alone with, or speak to a Samaritan woman.  Jesus' own disciples were stuck on what they perceived were the pits in Jesus theology!   Jesus says, "LOOK BOYS!"   "Look at this mission field!"   "It's ripe for the picking, and all you have to do is ask Me, and then haul them right into My kingdom!"  Isn't this great!"   All the disciples wanted to know is why Jesus, a great high holy prophet Jew, was talking to a God forsaken, half breed, low down dog,Samaritan woman.  They wanted to dig out Jesus' theological pits, but ignore the fruit.   

Now some of you will accuse me of imposing a meaning on the Biblical text which it can't have.  You'll tell me it is impossible for me to know what the disciples were thinking.  It's impossible to know whether they were focused on the perceived pits, or the fruit Christ is indicating.   Oh, but you're wrong.  I know with 100% certainty that Jesus' disciples are digging out pits, and ignoring fruit.   Would you like to know how I know this?   It's simple...Two thousand years later Jesus disciples are still doing it!  See, this is the tradition for all of Christ's disciples going all the way back to the first!   God in the flesh had to deal with pit pickers!   How else would anyone ever know we were Jesus' disciples if we weren't a bunch of pit picking nincompoops?!   Ignore the fruit, focus on the pit, that's the way to do it.   

If you've got a room of 500 people and you want to know who in it is Christian, and their denominational affiliations, all you need is one staunch Calvinist.  You put the staunch Calvinist in the room, and before long there will be a heated debate.   As the fight gets hotter and hotter you'll be able to walk around the people who will have clustered themselves according to belief, level of education in religion, denomination, and etc.  You'll be able to find the Arminians, the other Calvinists, the Catholics, Baptists, and etc.   All of the people who don't hold very strong denominational convictions, aren't Christians, or who are more mature Christians, will have left the room in disgust.  

Eat the fruit, and spit the pits.  If we're ever going learn how to deal with the 6'3", 300 lbs., PISSED OFF, tranny, wearing a cornflower blue dress, covered in quarter sized white polka dots, we're going to have learn to focus on the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and learn not to focus on the theological pits.   I didn't say ignore the pits completely.   Sometimes it really is all pits and no fruit. 

Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are full of 6'3", 300 lbs., PISSED OFF, trannies, wearing cornflower blue dresses, covered in quarter sized white polka dots." John 4:35

Okay, I might have taken a little bit of liberty with John 4:35.   But you get the point.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

Lonnie

When I teach, this is what I teach...

I thought I'd follow up with some frequently asked questions, and common areas of concern, people often have.   

• Following a prayer outline is not "canned" prayer.   The outline doesn't dictate what you pray, it simply guides you to what is important in prayer.  If you are praying and God desires for you to change something then He will lead you to make that change.   Prayer is intimacy with God, and He has His way of turning how you pray.  
• One of the most common concerns is "missing" God, "What if I pray wrong?"   Again, if you are praying, and you are being as sincere with God and yourself, as you know how, then you don't have to worry about missing God.  Read the Bible, pray, do what you know is right, and you will not miss God, His will, or His purpose for your life.  He is God, and He will make sure you don't miss Him, if you are indeed interested in having what God wants.
• I still don't know how to pray for people during intercession?   There are some wonderful prayers in the Bible.  Praying the Bible is an incredible source of prayer.  Ephesians 3: 16-19 is one of the most wonderful prayers of all.   "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."   When I don't know what to pray this is one I pull out.  If you ever want to know what and how to pray for me; pray Ephesians 3:16-19.  You will never go wrong praying this prayer, when praying for fellow Christians is very powerful.   Look especially in Paul's letters for some wonderful prayers.  Remember God honors His own word, so you can never go wrong praying from the Bible
• It's always difficult to learn a new practice and habit.   Simply becoming a Christian doesn't guarantee you're supposed to receive a super download from heaven into your brain, which makes you a super theologian who understands and knows all things Christian.   God knows this already, and isn't mad at you when you screw up.   No parent ever gets angry with a child who tries to walk but falls trying.  What would worry a parent is a child who never attempted to walk at all.  Too many Christians, from fear of disappointing or angering God, never attempt to take the first steps.   If God were going to be disappointed or angry it would be at those who don't try to walk with Him.  
• As my mentor, Pastor Lynn Reves taught, "There is a protocol for approaching God."   Just as there is protocol you would follow if you approached Queen Elizabeth II, there is one for approaching God.   Yes God is our Father, but He is also holy, and He is the most powerful sovereign in the Universe.   It's another reason to approach God with thanks and praise.   There are times for "emergency" prayers.  Sometimes all you get is time to say the name, "Jesus".  God knows we have to send up emergency flares to Him.  But when we approach Him, in our prayer time, then approach God according to how He says you are to approach Him.   It will teach you to always humbly respect and show honor to God.  Remember the old saw, "Familiarity breeds contempt"?   God wants to build intimacy with you, but contempt is something He will never abide.
• God will never, ever, never, tell you to do something which contradicts His written word.  One of the great things I've learned from prayer is how very true the Bible is.  It works, and for me that's the proof.  Look, if the instructions don't work then I throw them in the garbage.  The Bible has always worked.  Don't ask me to explain it, because I can't.  When I have obeyed God from a willing heart, His word works.   Jesus taught that if we do what He teaches, it makes us His disciple, and as we grow as His disciple we come to know the truth, and the truth sets us free.   Try it, according to God's instructions, with a willing heart, and you will be set free, just as He promises.  
• Repentance is not a time for you to beat yourself up, before God's throne.  The point of repentance is to free you, not so you can grovel at God's feet.  God hung Jesus on a Cross to take your sin away.  So sitting around kicking yourself doesn't honor or please God.  When you sit around beating yourself up, you dishonor Christ, and nullify His perfect work on the cross.  Confess, repent (turn completely from the sin, and toward God), thank Him, and get over it.   Recently, God has begun to change my time of repentance.  Lately, once I've confessed, and repented, passages of Scripture flow into my mind.  Each sin I confess and repent of, is followed by a Scripture coming to mind which deals with that particular sin.  God is giving me His truth to overcome my "truth".   God is giving me His "very great and precious promises" which do overcome my sin, in my life.  God gives you the weapon of His powerful word to renew your mind.  Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
• Feel free to walk around, sit, stand, kneel, whatever you find that works.  I've always liked to walk around when I pray.  Sometimes I feel compelled to lay flat on the floor with my face in the carpet.  Find out what works for your relationship with God.   Don't pray with the television on, don't work, don't clean house.  If you were my friend, and did those things every time we talked, you'd start hurting my feelings.  If you have to pray while driving from time to time, okay.  If you've got a hectic day, and need to pray while driving to or for work, and that's the only time you're going to have today, okay, at least you're praying.   Just don't make a habit of praying while doing something else.  Remember, there is a protocol when approaching God.  If you were going to meet the President of the United States, or the Queen of England, would you be trying to solve a problem at work on your cell phone?   If you wouldn't do it to the Queen of England then don't do it to God.  
• You can ask God for anything, but asking doesn't mean you'll get.  Asking God for money to go out Friday night, get drunk, and hire a hooker, will not receive a positive response.  God isn't going to give you something so you can go out and sin.   Some of you are thinking, "NO DUH!"  But you'd be surprised how many people honestly don't understand this.   God isn't going to give you something which will hurt you.  I know people who pray for lottery numbers.  Have you ever seen what happens to people who win the lottery?   The lottery becomes a curse upon those who win it.   There are some good things God won't give you, because you aren't ready for them yet.  Still you should pray for those things anyway.  If God doesn't give you something because you aren't ready for it yet, what do you think your prayer will effect?   Well, it's very possible, God begins to get you ready for what you're not ready for yet, so you can have it.   Don't worry about praying prideful vain prayers.  I know the prayer of Jabez is getting a bad rap, because people have twisted it, but Jabez really did pray what the majority of us would call a vain, prideful prayer.  God answered that prayer, and tradition is that Jabez didn't abuse or misuse what God gave him.  Jabez used what God gave him to serve God, and God's people.   Even if you think it might be a vain, prideful prayer, start praying it.   Believe me, when you have an open heart to God, and desire to serve His purposes, if He doesn't like your prayer He'll lead you to change it.   I can't tell you the number of times God has lead me to change how I was praying, and/or for what I was praying.
• A great benefit of a daily time of repentance is it helps keep you humble.  When we're aware of our own weaknesses, and sinfulness, we are less likely to be legalistic and self-righteous , harshly judging our brothers and sisters, or the world around us.  Its always a lot easier to judge others, but when you continually have to confess and deal with your own sinfulness before God, it does tend to open you up to being more empathetic toward others.  

If there are any concerns or questions I haven't covered here, let me know.  I'll try to help, or get you to resources which can.

Lonnie