The Pope: I know what the Pope represents to Roman Catholics, and I appreciate what the current Pope brings to the office in terms of an apparent servant attitude, a willingness to talk about Jesus, and to lead local priests and congregations in that direction.

What bothered me about his visit, and what highlights the caution we should exercise in engaging issues, is that Al Gore has had enough influence through his own issue surfing to put words into the mouth of the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Al Gore is not a person we should be listening to about the stewardship over creation that God gave to Adam as his work. There is much to be said by the church on that topic, but none of it comes from someone who stirs the pot for money, and has made a very good living from it. So, in my view, the Pope let us down by not bringing the message of Isaiah 52, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”…and all the way to the end of the chapter…That’s the Pope’s message, as well as our message. Not making dubious environmental statements. We certainly have something to say on matters of the earth; perhaps what God says in Isaiah 65, that He is sovereign and He controls houses and vineyards. He will bring in the New Heavens and the New Earth, where “The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.”

So we ask the question Francis Schaeffer asked, “How should we then live?” And why?

The answer lies, in part, in Colossians (The supremacy of Christ, Freedom from Human Regulations, Rules for Holy Living, Rules for Christian Households, Further Instructions), Philemon, 1 John, James  and Jude. Paul, James, Jude and John are laying down rules for Christian living, to the point that we are tempted to ask, “Are we receiving a new works “economy” in the New Testament world?” Of course not.

So what are these books of instruction for followers of Christ there for? They are showing how people who have been instructed to love the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul and love their neighbors as themselves are to do just that in their daily living. They are telling those same people how to obey the command given by Jesus when He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And, surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  We are to talk about this and live it.

They are preparing people who are saved by grace through faith for the advent of the New Jerusalem through their living testimony. People are dying out there. We have Jesus, and they desperately need to hear about him. From us (and the Pope). Personally.

Diane Langberg: "Culture, Christendom and Christ" [The Video of Dr. Langberg's address is here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGPwBOUqdNs]

I really liked what Diane has to say. A lot of what I would say about the topic would be the same as what I’ve said above.

In terms of culture, and by culture, I’m talking about all culture whether the culture of the Nazi Party in Germany or the secular culture of today; separate from “Christendom”.  It has absolutely nothing to offer us as Christians, and nothing of eternal significance to offer non-Christians, either. We should stop trying to bait our evangelical hooks with points of contact that lie outside of Jesus and inside of past or present culture(s). The Bible tells us how to act and why. Diane rightly points out the problems with culture.

The Pope’s visit was an example of the problems with what she defined as Christendom. He runs a big organization. He gets caught up in the “concerns” of the organization, often concerns that have been raised by the culture. And he gets sucked in. But, culture is irrelevant to Christians. The work of Jesus from the beginning (John 1) to the end (“Amen. Come Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.”) is who we are and what we testify to. Anything else is radio static. We have to guard our thought and our actions so that our daily living is consistent with our commitment to Jesus.

Which brings me to an observation drawn from the world of politics…”All politics is local.” OK, blink your eyes, my one lesson from the culture is over.

All Christian living and testimony is local. As an organization, our task at WRF is to establish, equip and evangelize. Locally.  All over the world. The testimony of Christ happens in the street, in the hardware store, at the grocery, in the hospital…anywhere we come face to face with dying people. It includes words and acts of love in the name of Jesus. It includes praying for your neighbors, praying for the salt and light of individual Christians in your community. And praying for pastors who bring the word of life, and live those words before a watching local village, town or city. Making his work a joy.  And praying as David prayed in Psalm 51 for forgiveness, restoration and the resumption of the work God calls us to.

Those are the things God honors.