To all The Doves

Like many, I have been coming to the Five Doves site for a very long time.  I can't remember if it was 1997 or 1998, I don't post often, but I am a frequent visitor.  My guess is that we are all waiting for the return of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and our Saviour.

Whether we are approaching the end times, or are in the end times, there are some common truths. Perhaps someone wiser than me can put in the scriptural references, but it seems there are 5 points that most mainstream Christians can agree upon.

1.  The virgin birth
2.  Recognizing that Jesus Christ is our Lord, God, and Saviour (The Holy Trinity)
3.  The blood atonement of Christ; by his blood we are saved (Saved by grace, not works)
4.  The Resurrection of Christ; his triumph over death
5.  The return of Jesus Christ, and the day of Judgment

Perhaps those five statements could be made with greater eloquence. They certainly can be expanded upon, and there may be some doctrinal nuances. Each person may interpret each point. To debate?  In the past few weeks of letters, there certainly have been some debates, and I really wonder about the underlying spirit. Please do not take that as me judging anyone or any faith.  I'm merely making an observation.

We really are living in some strange times, and when I look around, it sure seems like there is a spirit of division, that is at the least dividing Christians. To the worst; Christians are sometimes bashing other Christians. We are called to strengthen our faith, and to share the faith.  We are called to encourage one another.  And yes, there are scriptures that say we should correct those who error.  However, what is truth?  Is there any one person, or one denomination that has everything correct?  This one scripture always comes to my mind.

"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Matthew 7:5

On YouTube I have seen people proclaiming the King James Bible, and burning other bibles in rebuke.  Of course such an action always receives a response, some of which have been less than Christ-like.  Certainly I have found "civilized" debates around this particular topic, but the "uncivilized" - often personal - seem to be the greater number.  Debates are great when both sides walk away with greater understanding. However when the debates become personal, and egos get involved, things just turn ugly.  God made each of us unique - we are not identical - so perhaps it is OK to disagree on some issues?

It isn't just King James Onlyism. Calvinism, Catholicism, dispensationalism, the Rapture, the timing of the Rapture, The Trinity, and many many other points of view (or thought) often turn ugly.  It doesn't help when closed minds, half-truths, inaccurate information, and human ego's get thrown in to the mix. 

Does every "True Christian" believe the same thing?  Should every Christian believe the same things?  What is a "True Christian"?  I certainly don't know the answers to those questions. However we do have a sure way of knowing who isn't a Christian.

"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."  1  John 2:22

It is a long passage, but 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 offers a discourse regarding divisions in The Church. This passage has certainly given me reason to pause and think about my own faith.

I may be wrong, but I see the True Church as being the people of Christ, not an organized denomination. To clarify my point however, I do not see anything wrong with belonging to an organized church.  It seems more a matter of terminology and capitalization. "Church" is a word that can have different meanings, and it's not alone,  For example "Orthodox" is not the same as "orthodox" - with a capital letter it represents an organized system of belief.  In lower case, orthodox means conforming to what is generally or traditionally accepted as right or true; established and approved. Another example - Catholic and catholic.  With a capital it is referring to the Church of Rome.  Without a capital, catholic simply means universal.  However these words are also charged with political rhetoric, and are often flung like stones.

What I am putting forth is a call for prayer, contemplation, and understanding.  Whether with a capital letter or not, the church and Christianity are under assault, and there are just so many signs.  The bible clearly states that there will be signs warning when the end is near. We are also called to encourage one another; I would have to say that the Five Doves site has encouraged me for many years.

For the Orthodox Churches, other than in Russia, they are in decline.  Many of these oldest of churches are now in Muslim countries, the people are persecuted, and the priests are growing old.  The Roman Catholic Church - once made up of many rites - is being consumed by the Latin Roman Rite.  The new Pope has said some strange things that seem to contradict the actual catechism of the church.  Even sadder is that many Catholics have no solid understanding of their own faith. 

When I see Catholics leaving the church to become Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses, it leaves a certain sadness inside.  Both of these organizations deny the divinity of Christ. Considering 1 John 2:22, there is a sadness for anyone caught in the snare of these two false gospels.

Pope Paul VI is to have said that "the smoke of Satan has entered the Vatican"; there is inherent risk that comes with a hierarchical organization.  The church (organizationally) has become an unwieldy beast.  The irony here is that the early church fathers warned about creating such a structure.  There was an office for "The Bishop of Rome", that office was given the title "First among equals", but somewhere around the time of the Great Schism that wasn't enough.  I don't think any of the early church fathers ever envisioned a man being carried on a throne claiming authority over all. Catholics are Christians, but the Vatican and the papacy are far from Christ-like. I will concede however that there are some questionable Catholic practices, but let the church (or person) without error cast the first stone.

There is no one unified protestant church, so again I ask "what is truth?". Is Calvinism biblical? How about Arminianism?  It could be argued that our differences are our greatest strength.  In diversity we can look back to the cross, and to the great gift that has been given.  Christ died once for our sins, but I see no harm in remembering that on a daily basis. Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, our salvation comes from Jesus Christ our Lord, God, and Saviour.

We can clearly see however that Christian morals and values are under attack.  Marriage is no longer a sacred union between a man and a woman. Thousands of babies are slaughtered in abortion clinics every year.  Perhaps even more telling, is that speaking out against these things is not just "politically incorrect", but may soon be labeled as "hate speech" in the near future.  The time is coming when Christians will be persecuted for their beliefs.

We live in a word where people and governments go out of their way to show respect for Muslim's and the Koran, but rarely is there ever a concern about offending Christians.  Western society isn't going to do it so my suggestion is to reflect upon, and encourage a place where Christians go out of their way to show respect for other Christians. 

We can't agree on everything, but we can pray for each other and those around us.  We probably can't change our society, but we can speak up and pray.  Last, we can encourage one another in perseverance. 

John - Thank you for your many years of effort keeping the Five Doves site going. May God bless you, protect you, and may your rewards be in heaven.

YBIC

Robert G.
http://apostolictradition.org