Subterfuge

6/29/2014

Subterfuge: Lowering Expectations of Christians in the churches, in order to justify lack of fruit and the lack of Biblical Authenticity

subterfuge (ˈsʌbtəˌfjuːdʒ)

—n
a stratagem employed to conceal something, evade an argument, etc

[C16: from Late Latin subterfugium, from Latin subterfugere to escape by stealth, from subter secretly +fugere to flee]

Synonyms
deception, scheme, trick, dodge, ruse.

I was skimming a book recently while waiting on a construction contractor to complete a job. The book was about “Running” and yet, as most things, told a Parable of Jesus and His Ways, versus the World’s Ways. It was uncanny, actually!

Much of the book was dedicated to “managing expectations” rather than pursuit of excellence. Of course there were sections on how to train and how to cross train :) and such. But, a major part of the book was dedicated to making people FEEL “successful” by showing table after table, and chart after chart about how to adjust a good time mathematically to a time that is just as good “for YOU”—based on your age or some other silly excuses for poor performance. The book was telling me, essentially, all the things I couldn’t do, and I shouldn’t expect to be able to do! The authors have made themselves into popular geniuses by subterfuge, by tricking people into believing that they can be happy with some diminished measurement of “success” in their field, based on their circumstances! “You can’t do this or that, and shouldn’t expect to be able to do it. So, take a little progress and be happy with it!”

As the Running book says, in essence, “Celebrate the relative ‘success’ of what we put in this chart, and then you can feel like you’ve done something special! And, because WE made the chart of lowered expectations (using mathematics to “prove” it), then WE are heroic gurus of ‘feel good’ to you! And you can reciprocate and reward us with your tithes and offerings and book money! Deal? We won’t help you produce AMAZING CHANGE. We’ll help you feel good enough by helping you manage your expectations. Here’s all of the things you CAN’T do, so don’t give it another thought or try to get THERE. That was for someone else in some other generation and some other situation, and is not realistic for YOU.”

If I decide I WON’T do something, so be it.

But, are you really going to allow others to tell you what you CAN’T do? And allow others to use upon us the subterfuge (whether intentional for popularity or pesos, or accidental because we’ve stopped thinking-praying-caring), of unBiblical mumbo-jumbo and entertainment and rationalization to put you into a religiously-induced coma?

REALLY?
EVEN IF THE BIBLE SAYS
THAT YOU CAN GO ALL THE WAY
AND CHANGE THE WORLD IN JESUS,
AND WE MUST,
AND WE WERE BORN FOR THIS,
AND THE PLANET WAS BORN FOR THIS?!

We’re not gonna let others put up a chart telling us what we can’t do. Not me. Not us. Some say I’m a Dreamer, but I’m not the only one. Come on!

Let’s not stop anywhere that JESUS, our Pioneer, didn’t stop at, or intend for us to camp out! “This is HOW all men will know!” LIFE! LOVE! GLORY! REALITY! DAILY TESTIMONY OF ONENESS AND MIRACLES OF 1Cor.12 to 1Cor.14, with no chapter breaks in the Greek!

“For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a Homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a City for them.”

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  Daily TRUE Church