What's Missing

I am realizing more and more how destructive it was for the larger evangelical church not to investigate objectively a theology of Holy Spirit as the Pentecostals understand it. Of course the larger church might have needed to prune off some "weird" stuff, but they essentially threw away the baby with the dirty bathwater. And what has this resulted in? Here are two recent examples:

1. The Pat Robertson announcement was absolutely weird to unbelievers as it should have been. But the reaction from Christians is very sobering and tragic to me. It is apparent that most Evangelical Christians haven't the slightest clue as to what is happening in the spiritual realm and the effect it has on humans on earth. In fact, many reading this will think I am in some kind of "spiritual voodoo" (sorry for the pun). I assure you that I am reasonably intelligent and not a codependent kool-aid drinker. But I can read my Bible, and what is more shocking!--I actually believe it. What Pat Robertson said wasn't weird at all. Check out the OT and how God dealt with HIS people (much less "other" people) who worshipped occultic idols. But today's God is a nice guy who never makes trouble for anyone. Sadly, this is a false God. And the younger Christians have fallen hook, line and sinker for this God. Why? Because their parents, having been raised by another false god--the fire and brimstone-"gonna getcha" god--have over-reacted with their children to make sure they never get to know that God. In the process, they have created anotehr false god for their children.

2. I read Brian McLaren's blog today. He's in Israel right now and his most recent blog is the usual Rodney King theology of "can't we all get along" by synthesizing our truths?

Here is a quote from his blog post today. He's talking about the constant conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelites.

People aren't the enemy. Rather, it's harmful ideologies and world views and narratives that rule and exert power in and through people's lives. Paul called these forces "principalities and powers," and they really do possess people and cause them to do terrible things they would never do in their right minds. When hateful and dehumanizing ideologies take control, both victimizers and victims are dehumanized.

It's not that this is wrong. It just ignores the spiritual realm and puts all of the onus on the physical realm which rarely really improves situations. But note the sentence that says,

Rather, it's harmful ideologies and world views and narratives that rule and exert power in and through people's lives. Paul called these forces "principalities and powers," and they really do possess people and cause them to do terrible things they would never do in their right minds.

LIke their counterparts, the liberal Protestants, the emergents/progressives have trouble taking the Bible literally in places where it should be taken literally. It is obvious that "principalities and powers" are not "harmful ideologies and world views and narratives that rule and exert power....."

So, getting back to my first point, since in America we've taken a very scientific view of the Scriptures and Christian doctrine in general, the original intent of the first apostolic writings are determined from a very earthly point of view. I wish the Pentecostals would wake up! I would tell them to start communicating these truths in a way that people can understand them (perhaps Robertson didn't do so hot a job in this). I guess I was spoiled, having been in Jack Hayford's church for 8 years a while ago. He was an excellent communicator of WHY their church believed the way they did and how that intersected with the Scriptures. If we don't get the Holy Spirit back into the church (in balance with the Word, not over the Word like many Charismatics and a few Pentecostals do)the evangelical church will continue to go into the wrong direction and accomplish very little (espeically for the poor). And if that happens, and in fact it's happening right now, the country will not fare well at all.