Real Life – Honestly!
The American Church is in a fight for its life. We have media-savvy wolves, sin-supporting suck-ups who promote the gay lifestyle, women preachers who by their very vocation show a deep disdain for scripture and then we have Jim Putman, senior pastor at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho.
Jim did something every pastor in America should be doing but it’s just so hard. He stood up and preached the Word in blunt clarity with love and truth. It was executed with the perfect balance of a Flying Wallenda, except all they had to deal with was gravity and wind speed.
Men who preach the actual gospel have to deal with death by a thousand cuts. I’m certain that after this masterpiece, the slicing will continue.
The lesson was from Jude, the half-sibling of Jesus, who started his life having to live with the perfect brother. Familiarity breeds contempt (except with Jesus) so Jude became a believer and wrote this letter which is the template for contending for the faith.
This is a book, a mere chapter in length, that contains more meat than a Montana beast feast. The book is targeting false teachers, and the point was that there is no new message, no new understanding and if you hear men speak of new revelation, look out. These false teachers are inside the church, who obey their own lusts and flatter people to gain advantage.
“These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you, without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for who is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” ~Jude 12-14
It’s not merely a warning against trendy pastors who believe they have special authority to declare something fresh, we all know the ‘demon-slayers’ who believe they have special gifts to name, rebuke, bind and cast out demons. It’s a fine line we’re treading here, and I’m no Wallenda so my tight rope is starting to wobble, there can be a case made for casting out demons but as your claim to fame and sole vocation, you’re out of balance. What does Jude say?
“Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke you!” ~Jude 9
Throughout the book, perhaps the most salient point, is to watch yourselves. The examples of Cain, Balaam, and Korah are used. There’s a common thread and for a deeper look go to Genesis 4, Numbers 22 – 24 and 16. If you too suffer from wounded pride, material desire, or wanting power, be on guard. Not sure about anyone else, but I scored a trifecta.
Jim isn’t messing around, asking if we really believe what God is saying, asserting it’s serious business and that if you love God you will obey Him. He was clear he’s not ok with sin coming into the church and recruiting. People aren’t going to like it but that’s not the point.
“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace’, they say, when there is no peace.” ~Jeremiah 13 -14
The church of today is assuring people that everything is going to be okay, listen to Joel Osteen and you know it’s all good. He’s telling a world with a fatal wound that they’ll be fine and is setting them up to go to hell.
Jim Putman is pointing the way to heaven.
