As you may well know I have been inactive on this blog for a little while now. This was by choice, after writing Rick Warren and Richard Abanes an apology letter, because what I had written about them, was in the wrong spirit. In obedience to my Father I openly admitted my fault to both of them, and to everyone really. I offered no excuse for my actions, or tried to justify them in any way. I felt at the time that the Lord was directing me to let the blog lay fallow. The spiritual rest was needed and the responses to my absence were varied. Generally, it was seen as a cowardly move of compromise, and of a fear of battle. Rick Warren responded to the apology with an invitation to attend, the now past, elitist meeting of like minded Pastors, along with a few of his opponents. My apology was in no way a concession to the Truth of Scripture or of my stance, and so I simply refused the invite. I think Rick extended the invite from a sincere sense of generosity and gratitude for making the apology, but in my case it would have been a clear conflict of interest for me to have accepted. I want no conflict, I have but one allegiance, and that is to the Lord Jesus and the truth of His Gospel, and Rick’s teaching is in clear opposition to that Gospel, and is leading many down the wrong path, and it is at that point that -would be- friends become adversaries. There is a higher calling than the comforts of “friendship,” or even love, as understood by the world, and that calling is to stand in the rapidly flowing currents of error and deception, and hold up the banner of Truth.
Having publicly stated my regrets to Rick Warren and Richard Abanes, for accommodating the flesh in my past battle for truth, I want to now acknowledge my kinship and friendship with a few others who are likewise holding up the Standard, like: Ken Silva, Dave and Deborah Dombrowski, Jewel van der Merwe, Mike Ratliff, Ingrid Schlueter, Sandy Simpson, Bob Deway, and the list goes on…… , and all those who in their homes and in their Churches, are not afraid to speak out against error, and are rejected by men, but accepted by Christ. These people are the legends in the annals of Gods history, and it is with these that I will make my stand, by the grace of God.
These are the days that show whether or not we have understood the Gospel. These are the days that will show the value of the fruit we bear. And, these are the days that will prove our loyalty, and display the material of which we are clothed: a seamless blood soaked robe, or a mixture of many differing materials. We have opened the doors of the Church to the world, and now the world is closing those same doors to Christians. We have opened the doors to the world and now the Church is filled with abortion, divorce, drugs, pornography, teen suicide, and everything else that identifies the world, including the incessant perversions of Hollywood and the entrepreneurial leadership of men . The gates of Hell are prevailing against the church of men, and our Lord is calling His people out, and the true Church is responding. Every foul bird can be found in the church of men, and as Paul says, their “meetings do more harm than good.”
Let this Memorial day be a recognition and remembrance that the Church is alive and that Jesus Christ is still the soon coming King.
And now, it is time to break up the fallow ground.
Steve Blackwell