I have not intentionally put off the last post in my series against Gaia, but only because I have not had the time to do so. I'd have sure procrastinated given the opportunity. :-) This weekend, I have the time, and I've already written about tennis, so I guess I'm out of excuses.
My key assertion is that Gaia, the earth mother, the meta-being formed of all living stuff on this planet, is forcing her way into the church. She's not displacing Christ there, but she's forcing us to talk about Him using her vocabulary.
It's killing us.
I feel it more than think it, and cannot put it into words yet. I am at a complete loss for a way to express this thought. No matter what you find beneath this point, rest assured I am not happy with it. But, I am going to give this my best shot.
It is scaring me that humanity seems to be finding its voice. More and more, whether you are in Asia, Africa, the Americas or Europe, you hear the same message. Save humankind. Save the earth. Give everyone a fair start in life, and a fair chance. These things are good, and I wish them for everyone too, but when the chorus is the same from every corner of the globe, it catches my ear.
The message itself is the thing I've named, "Gaia." To me Gaia is not a demi-god, but the combined voice of humanity everywhere.
Have you ever been at a European event in which the crowd really got excited, and broke into spontaneous applause? After a short while of wild, enthusiastic clapping, everyone is suddenly clapping to one beat - everyone. It's an odd experience for an American, hearing 10,000 people transition from a wild cacaphony of applause into 20,000 hands striking each other as if controlled by one brain. The crowd is going nuts, and suddenly thousands of people are clapping in perfect time with each other. In the space of mere seconds the people become a thing, one single entity, clapping in one rhythm.
It seems to me that this is what I hear happening around the world. Science, philosophy and art are all converging around the idea of "One planet. One people." And they are doing it at Internet speed.
Gaia is the single worldwide entity, clapping in one rhythm and telling everyone to get on board for the good of everyone. Gaia is the united voice of of every person who believes that the world is divine and worthy of our love and sacrifice.
And the church is struggling to decide how to react.
Gaia keeps whipsawing the church with her questions. When the church draws a line, she asks why we're not compassionate. When the church reaches out to those in need, she asks why we don't just join in her service to humanity. When we fight amongst ourselves she asks whether we are united, and when we unite she asks whether we're just a bunch of mindless robots.
Before long, we are doubting everything we do. We're ashamed to be "exclusionary," and afraid to seem old-fashioned. We're terrified of representing Christ as less than merciful - especially in front of a world that is working so hard to extend a helping hand to everyone. God so loved the world that we had better always show Christ as winsomely as possible.
It's killing us.
Matt 21:5
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
Jesus came once to Israel meekly. She would only accept Him on her own terms, which was the same as rejecting Him.
Jesus did not long pine for her, nor did He turn aside from his path.
John 18:36-38a
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?
His purpose is unchanging, and His goal is all-consuming.
Pilate was wrong. Truth can be known, and He was standing right in front of him.
Matt 13:40-43
As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
This is the age when it is determined what offends and what does not. What is iniquitous and what is righteous is being proven today.
There is that which offends, and no persuasion will be offered to it.
1 Peter 3:22
[Jesus] is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
The kingdom is now. It is only in part, but it is today that Christ is taking all into subjection.
1 Cor 15:23-25
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The kingdom ends with judgement, and utterly without remorse.
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Gaia says there is only, "us." Gaia reminds us that we are all in this together, for better or for worse. There's only one planet, and one people no matter how many tribes, creeds, or borders there may seem to be. She is deceived, and she would deceive us.
There are two "us's." There are those who are His, and those who offend Him. And the latter group He will cast into a furnace without remorse. His kingdom, though, is His. We are His, and we are separate from those who are outside the gates.
But somehow that message is not getting through to even the members of our own churches.
I have met people who attend mainline Christian denominational churches and who were amazed when I told them the gospel. They were amazed to learn that God is holy. They were amazed to learn that Jesus was harsh with seekers ("Sell all you have," "Let the dead bury their dead," "You follow me only because I fed you"). They were amazed to learn that their kindness to others does not change their position with God one whit.
I tell them about Adam's sin, and about how God cannot accept them into His presence due to their dirty rags. I tell them about mighty seraphim covering their faces and their feet before God, and Isaiah collapsing in His presence. I tell them about the wrath of God unleashed against Christ on our behalf. They have never heard of these things.
They have never heard of these things!
They know all about Christ loving His neighbors, but they know nothing of the love it took to save us. They know about the noble sacrifice of Christ at calvary, but they know nothing of the divine wrath of God that Christ swallowed for us.
Why?
Why are people in our congregations ignorant?
I won't kid you. I'm plumbing for a reason here. I'm not declaring the word of God here, nor any revelation or vision that I have received. I'm digging hard to find an answer. I've not yet put my finger on it, but it's out there. There's something wrong.
Whatever it is, the clues are in our vocabulary.
Gaia speaks of "humankind."
Christ speaks of "the living and the dead."
Gaia unites her own around their humanity. Christ divides His children from humanity. His children are divine as He is divine, and the rest of humanity are "the dead."
Gaia speaks of "believing."
Christ speaks of "knowing."
Gaia wants us all to believe, because beliefs stabilize us. That we believe in Christ is no skin off her nose. Christ's brothers are His because they know Him specifically. They believe in Him, but they do more than believe. They know Him.
Gaia speaks of "unity."
Christ speaks of "oneness."
Unity is presented as transcending truth. Oneness is founded within truth.
Gaia speaks of "a personal experience."
Christ speaks of "a new life."
Accepting Christ means that I add Christ to myself. Being born from above means that I quit being who I was, and become someone else completely.
Gaia speaks of "centering."
Christ speaks of "approaching God."
Centering ourselves is presented as the highest work of humankind. But those made alive in Christ are pure, and they no longer need to center themselves within themselves. They approach the throne of God boldly.
Gaia speaks of "equality."
Christ speaks of "His kingdom."
Gaia would have every person get a fair chance at life, and get an equal opportunity. Christ would have every man, woman and child submit to Him, and He will have exactly that, one way or another.
These differences are significant, but I'm not sure whether they are the core of the matter. I suppose the core to be humanism in Christian garb, but I'm not sure yet. I'm watching. I'm a strong, strong fan of the humanities, and yet utterly oppose humanism.
When I see church members blithely unaware of what they do not know about the Christ of Christianity, it scares me. It scares me for them, but it scares me for us, too. If we said we were blind, then there would be mercy for us. It terrifies me that we say we see.
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8 comments:
I have been working on a story with a very similar idea for some months. It is very strange to me that on more than one occasion you have given form to an un-named tension in my own heart. To see it through to discovery usually sends me into a tailspin. You are very brave. I'm praying for you, brother.
The world has really made a huge amount of changes in the last little years of my life all 45 of them. I have noticed that ministers are no longer able to preach anything that might bring us down. We wouldn’t want to leave the church thinking that we might need to change our way of living and thinking. Plus we aren’t told to pick up our Bibles and read.
We are so busy in our own world of living that we seldom stop to actually dig into the word so when we do we want to think it’s all good and when we give we want to feel good about ourselves.
God never promised any of us an equal chance in life on this earth. Sure I want to see people treated better I want to see things better but He never said that you and I would live better on this earth. We see that there were poor and those in need of healing but not everyone is going to get better treatment or be healed no where does it say in the Bible that all were healed and all were giving a wonderful life on this earth.
A long time ago I realized that God was in control of this earth and no I don’t toss out my trash on the streets and yes I’m glad that we were able to stop Black Fox from being built here. It’s His earth and when He’s ready it will be in His hand to do what He wants.
Thank you, Missy. Your affirmation is reassuring. I really had doubts about this post. I'm so not sure I'm seeing truly that I feel silly saying anything.
It's nice not to be alone.
I'm with you, Milly. Back in the 60's, when I was born and the 70's when I first became interested in the world, they kept talking about "the convergence." Doggone if it doesn't seem to be here.
May the Lord preserve His people from the beauty of falsehoods. May He work us back to the empty tomb, and to the Life and Lordship only He can offer.
According to astrologers (and I have a friend who is a second generaton astrologer) we are in the Age of Aquarius--which sounds like the convergence.
I think the pendulum has swung away from the hellfire & brimstone sermons of our forefathers. Will it swing back?
Hehehe, Patchouli.
I'm about ***that*** close to starting a long series on the way the world ends. The whole convergence thing is almost a great lead-in, but maybe a hellfire post would be even better.
PS: You don't feel like sharing your thoughts on astrology, do you?
In 199I my company was working on our stand ready for the Ideal Home Exhibition in London. We had seven days of hard work to get ready.
As we worked, there was a stand being built right opposite ours. It was labeled "The Green House", and was an exhibit by The Department Of The Environment (A UK Govt agency)
As I watched it go up, my discernment in the Holy Spirit was working overtime. My spirit grieved all week. Every spare moment, I would walk around the outside of their site praying in tongues, not being sure what it was I was sensing.
Finally the great day came and the show was opened.
We were overwhelmed on our stand so it was later in the day that I was able to join the enthusiastic queue to get in the Green House.
It was built as a typical Victorian townhouse, but was meant to display all the greeny stuff that environmentalists love, and should buy for thier houses. Better insulation, lower consumption, solar heating, waterless toilets.etc.
However as I followed the tour and read the labels and plaques, I could sense something underneath that was dead and rotting. I watched, with the Holy Spirit as my personal guide.
Finally, as I entered the front living room, I knew immediately I was "there". I could sense it in my spirit so clearly. At the far side of the room was a big dining table in the bay window. There was a book on display, standing up and open.
I knew this was it and ignoring all else walked straight over to it. The title was "Environmentalism, and the Gaia Principle"
I had never heard of Gaia until then. I opened the fly leaf and read something like this, "Environmentalism is the highest form of worship that can be made to the Gaia, the Mother Goddess of the whole earth."
I was both shocked and relieved at finding what the Lord had been impressing on me all week. It also gave clarity to all the other things that God had been saying for some time.
The next year, we were there again. So were they, only this time they had a much more ambitious plan.
They had not just one house, but the Exhibition Centre had built a brand new building next door which was now billed as the "Environmental Show"
I waited and watched, a curious week of hard physical work, and prayer, until the show was open and I could sneak in.
Wow! If anyone didn't understand the issues after being in there, they would have to be blind and deaf or dead! There were four or five houses on display. There were any amount of energy saving devices, all things apparently quite innocuous.
However, about fifty percent of all the hundred or so exhibits were occult!
Tarot cards, crystal meditation, fortune telling, divining, you name it, I can't remember the details now. As I walked around the gangways of this exhibition it felt as if bullets were flying around my head. I was in a massive spiritual battlefield, and my presence was certainly not welcomed.
What have all these things got to do with Gaia and the environment?
Everything!
The new age and witchcraft are the biggest driving force behind the environmental issues. The saints MUST wake up to what they worship when they get all worked up about the environment. They must check out their fellow travellers!
A number of years ago I watched a TV magazine programme in England. They were interviewing a witch's coven. All seemed very nice people, from a varied background, lawyers, butchers, mechanics, and housewives.
When asked what made up their membership they said decisively, liberals, environmentalists, left leaning people who loved the earth.
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