The CREC and Postmillennialism

In this conversation, Kendall Lankford interviews Uri Brito, a pastor and presiding minister of the CREC (Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches). They discuss the background and purpose of the CREC, the concept of Reformed Catholicity, the importance of confessions and memorials, and the differences between amillennialism and postmillennialism.

They also address the sacred-secular divide and the need for a biblical perspective on history. The conversation challenges pessimistic views and encourages a hopeful vision of the future. In this conversation, Uriesou Brito discusses the importance of understanding the historical context of the Bible and how it applies to our own historical moment. He emphasizes the need to interpret biblical passages in light of the original audience and their specific circumstances.

Brito also highlights the slow and steady growth of the kingdom of God throughout history, starting with the seed and leading to the establishment of happy nations and an everlasting kingdom. He addresses the role of suffering in post-millennialism and the need for a theology of martyrdom. Brito encourages believers to be actively involved in their local churches and to align their homes with the teachings of Scripture. He concludes by emphasizing the importance of a new beginning and consistency in the Christian life.

How to be Happy and Fat as a Christian

Shrove Tuesday is a glorious excuse to feast like the Hebrews, swim in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory guilt-free, and do what hobbits were made to: have a second breakfast. Christians should be notoriously bold about eating, and they should be notoriously known for getting together to eat. As a matter of fact, eating together is the virtue that toppled empires. While the Egyptians ate at elaborate banquets, God sent locusts to consume and eat their banquets. Of course, God will not allow competing parties in his world. If they attempt to compete for Banquet Hosts, God will consume them.

So, how do we enter into God’s banquet? Where do I RSVP? The requirement for entrance to this banquet is not acute taste buds or a culinary degree; it is the badge of love. “Better a dinner of herbs with love, than a fatted calf with hatred and disobedience,” says the Lord.

Fatness as Blessing

In our evangelical attempts to outdo the ascetic movement, we often talk timidly about the extra slice of pizza we had, or we say even apologetically, “I sure ate a lot last night!” But in the Bible, apologies about eating can seem outright tasteless. We don’t have to dig too far in the Bible to see that the idea of “fatness” carefully considered is a good thing. For example, the word “anointing” means to “make fat.” The Hebrew word Dashen means to be fat, grow fat, and become fat.

In fact, Psalm 23, a favorite to many, uses that precise language. In Hebrew, it reads: “You fatten my head with oil and my cup overflows.” Shrove Tuesday is an additional opportunity to criticize our sensitivities, wash away the grammar of cultural pietism, and embrace the fatty bacon like a gift from God.

God is not stingy about butter, and under ordinary conditions, as Elisha asked for a double portion of the Spirit, children of the living God should ask for a double portion of pancakes.

The Abuse of Food

And this leads me to my final point in this brief but fat-filled exhortation, and that is that we only abuse the gift of food when we forget that food is a blessing to a forgiven community. Unrepentant communities don’t know how to eat correctly, and as a result, their food is merely consumed and not celebrated.

On the other hand, the Church’s table is good and right and wholesome and beneficial because it is covered by the blood of God’s Lamb, Jesus Christ. Jesus was food for us, and now we eat the food of the table with the hearts of forgiven saints. Solomon says, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” The mercy of confession is what makes food glorious and delicious.

Tomorrow, we are going full-steam into a 40-day culture of repentance. For many, this will mean fasting and meditating and focusing in greater detail on our lack of gratitude for the gifts of God. We have eaten without understanding, communed without confession, watched without discernment, entertained ourselves without the table, and found refuge in feeble fortresses made by human hands. We have rebuked our children for their lack of love while we have been unloving to our spouses and our own children.

We have 40 days to flesh this out, but tonight, eat well, laugh goodly, and love your neighbor like God loved the fat of the lambs in Israel’s sacrifices. Don’t be shy! Jesus gave his life for the abundant table we share tonight!

Let us pray:

O, Lord, how beautiful these last days have been! Prepare us now on this last day of Epiphany for the gifts of your table. When we forget you, we forget life itself; therefore, give us the fat of Israel’s sacrifices, yay more, give us the fulfillment of Israel’s sacrifices, Jesus himself. For the riches of Solomon’s house and the banquets of Pensacola do not come close to the glory of the marriage Supper of the Lamb. As we stand at the end of Epiphany and the entrance gate to the Lenten Season, may our hearts long for the kneeling bench of forgiveness, the peaceful ethos of a clean conscience, and the benediction of a loving God. Cleanse our hearts that we may eat as unto the Lord and may live as unto the Lord, for we pray unto the Lord of forgiveness who declares our hands clean to eat and drink, amen!

Translation of II John 9-13

Verse 9: Everyone who goes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Verse 10: If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greetings (or: “rejoicing” chairen).

Verse 11: For whoever greets him (shares in; fellowships with; associates in mission) fellowships in his evil works.

Verse 12: Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete.

Verse 13: The children of your elect sister greet you.

Notes: There is a liturgical exchange taking place in the church. They greet one another, which is a way of building orthodoxy among them. Those who do not greet do not understand the life of the Church and are to be chastised. Hospitality is greater than simply providing food.

Uniting Around a Common Time

It wasn’t Bob Dylan who first said the times they are a-changin’! It was a plentiful band of prophets ranging from Samuel to Solomon who saw times changing for God’s people. It was a group of time masters from the line of Issachar who saw the world changing and adapted to the changing world by the power of the unchanging God. When the gods are multiplying, we take more thoughts captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

The times are a-changin,’ but the problems don’t change; there are just methodological adjustments we must make to face the times. Humanity has been plagued by the same liturgical and sociological sins for the last 6,000 years. We are beset by scoundrels within and without who despise God’s laws. But the Church unites around a common time.

The times are changing for all of us. The wicked may have different strategies than in the 1950s; they appear more committed to overthrowing the kingdom of light. Our response is not idle repose but active time-reading exercises, which means the saints must see the design of the wicked and act appropriately to the challenges of our day.

Probably very few of us even contemplated 20 years ago the ethics of attending a gay wedding or how to deal with visitors considering sexual transitions. But the times they are a-changin’! Christians will need to see the times and apply the Word of God to the proliferation of evil in our society, which is much more explicit because of the sociology of evil constantly reinventing its transgressions.

Unsurprisingly, the answer to these changing methods and aggressive strategies of evildoers is worship—and within worship, intimate communities, more singing and food, and more faithfulness to our calling. Of course, this means we need men leading their homes and lives. It means our young men must come out to play more and leave the basement behind. It means children in worship. It means homilies of praise and songs of adoration all around. But any list will crumble if we are not gathering to do the first thing God calls us to do—to worship.

So, let’s not fear the changing times but apply the worship of all ages to the pervasive evil of our day gathering with our communities on the Lord’s Day to adore Father, Son, and Spirit. Come, let us worship the Triune God with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

The Case for the Other Floridian

With DeSantis out of the race and Nikki Haley offering her candidacy as a gift to comedians, only one candidate is left. He is far from ideal, but he is the other Floridian the country needs.

In my latest substack, I make a case for the Donald as the synergist the Republican Party must have to defeat Kamala Harris or her clone, Joe Biden, in the coming elections.

I also offer some notes from David Bahnsen’s upcoming book soon to be published on Work and the Meaning of Life. This is already becoming one of my favorite books of the year. I wish I had read it before I wrote my chapter on labor and leisure in my dissertation.