Biblical Papacy?

Today was an exciting day for the Catholic Church. All who have been following the news should know that there is a new pope, a new leader for the Catholic church. I, not being Catholic, am not overtly excited by this man since there is no Biblical text for having a pope and since the papacy in itself is idolatry, but I am optimistic none the less about the possibility of Benedict the Sixteenth to bring about a more conservative, more Biblical approach to the Catholic faith. Here are some political reasons why I like this man so far.
1. He claims Jesus as THE ONLY way to Heaven. See John 14:6 as a Biblical basis.
2. He claims abortion is a sin. See Exodus 20 as a Biblical basis.
3. He claims euthanasia as sin. Also see Exodus 20 as a Biblical basis.
4. He claims that pastors should be men only. See 1 Timothy Ch. 2 and 3 for Biblical basis
My stance should be obvious. If there is teaching on a subject from the Bible, the Bible has the ultimate, authoritative, and final say on the subject. The only thing I wish is for the people who represent Christ to be loyal to His teachings and not man's, to be persuaded by the Scriptures and not mere fallible opinion, and to be sold-out for the Gospel. I thank God for a more Biblical papacy, but I long to see Catholicism flee even further from its traditional false teachings and idolatry. Purely Biblical papacy...absolutely not! Getting closer...hopefully so!

The Christ Driven Life

Last Sunday evening was a very powerful moment in my life. My brother in Christ, Justin, preached a sermon entitled "The Christ Driven Life," playing on the verbiage of Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life." The message was simple: a call to die. Not that I hadn't heard such messages preached before, but this message brough forth a simple reality that as Christians we truly are called to "come and die." What made this so powerful was the fact that God is calling me to places this summer where my life may be asked of me. Where I go, I may never come back if I preach the name of Jesus. Where I go, the glorious name of Jesus Christ is outlawed. Where I go, the name of Jesus Christ brings condemnation and possible death to those who proclaim it. Should this surprise me? I mean, isn't this the very call Christ asks of His children in Luke 9:23-27? Christ tells us to take up our cross daily, to look daily to an instrument whose only purpose was to kill people. Not only that, Matthew 5:11-12 states that in the same way the prophets of old were persecuted, so will we be persecuted. How Biblical then it is to say that the Christ driven life is truly a call to denial, suffering, and yes, even death. Oh how the thoughts of mine were perked when these words were preached, because they speak to remind me of the devotion I am to have to my Lord and my Savior. They remind me that whether by life or by death Christ is to be exalted in me. Yet, in all honesty, that isn't so in my life. I realize the call to death is of Christ, yet my faith is often so weak. I so often find myself in positions to share the wonderful gospel of Christ with lost friends, yet I become ashamed and back away. I often find myself needing to tell the campus of UK about the grace and mercy of Jesus, but I shy away. I find myself acting in disobedience to the one who died and rose again for me. How can I even come close to being prepared to physically die for Christ when I can barely die to my own pride and image? How can I wish to be faithful enough to live and die for the big things when I barely have enough faith for simple things? How can I strive for goals of maturity when I haven't finished those of infancy? How truly wretched I am.
This biblical view of faith, this view of death, this Christ Driven life should make us all think of our commitment to Christ. He bids us to come and die. He bids us be unashamed of Him. He asks nothing less than every fiber of our being for His worship, yet we too often give way too little. Today, it is my prayer to be able to truly say with Paul that to die is gain. It is my prayer to have faith in Christ to the extent that He may be glorified in my life so that I will glorify Him in my death. How I long for that faith. To God be the glory.