BACK TO THE BASICS

Good morning...afternoon...evening... whenever you happen to be chewing on this word. I've been thinking a lot about THE BASICS lately. In the world of Christianity...people are always ready to move on to the next BIG THING. We always want the next wave...a new revelation...the next hot topic...the more mature move of the Spirit. In our bid to be culturally relevant...we tend to believe that we can't be associated with some old thought or way of moving in this hip and happening world. After all...think of what Jesus could have done with all of the modern technology and mass communication of this modern age.

It not just the church that has that mindset...it is the world in general. I know that in karate...from the beginning that I started...the goal was the triple sumersault spinning back flip kick. But of course...you don't start out like that. You start out with the BASICS. Lesson # 1 is REI. We learn how to bow. The rei/bow is the way that we start and end all techniques. Rei is simply a sign of respect to the roots of our style, to the person training us, and to each other. But rei is more than just bending over at our waist and leaning forward as a mere formality. Rei is the extension of the respect that we have for ourselves...before we can respect anyone or anything else. It is BASIC. The problem is that it becomes a habit...and we tend to hurry on to the next big kick, punch, move, etc. We then move on to a simple move called Jun-Zuki. This is a moving forward punch. It is one of the BASICS. We then proceed to various BASIC blocks, punches, strikes, katas (a combination of the various BASICS). A common problem with people is that they tend to learn the BASICS...to get them out of the way so we can get to the real stuff...but you cannot do the REAL STUFF without the BASICS. Everything is built on the BASICS and if you neglect the BASICS...you will be sloppy in the ADVANCED.

This is true with Christianity. There are BASICS in Christiantiy that must be learned...taught...discipled from younger to older...before we can move on to the ADVANCED. As with karate...sometimes we want to move to the "DEEP" things of God...but we either learn some basics and then assume that you don't need those things any longer. The book cover that you see is a biography...my favorite biography, about a man named Dawson Trotman. Daws...is about the man who started The Navigators. This was origianally a ministry to men in the Navy during World War II...and now has expanded worldwide as a very strong para-church organization.
They are called along side to church to help instill the basics of Christianity and to help mature the body. They are very focused on the Word of God and the practical application and outworking of the Word in the beliver. They believe that everyone should have a Timothy...and everyone should have a Paul...someone in the faith that they can mentor and/or learn from as the walkout their faith. The watch word is..."Who's your Timothy...Who's your Paul?"

Daws...died an untimely death when he was rescue some kids from drowning....he drowned himself. The legacy he left behind was rooted deep into his love for the Word of God...and the believe that God was real, practical, and available. Billy Graham said of Daws, " I think Dawson Trotman touched more lives than any man I have ever known. Thousands of people of many races and languages and cultures have been influenced by this great man." Daws developed the materials used for Billy Graham's crusades. When Mr. Graham invited people down and told them that the buses would wait....people were being given lit-rah-ture...that Dawson had developed. One of the things that grew out of Daw's ministry was a thing called the TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM. When I dropped out of teaching the Word...because I was burned out...disillusioned...and discourged...years later...it was the TOPICAL MEMORY SYSTEM that was the roots of the RUMINATORS SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS...that became the genesis of the RUMINATOR RAMBLINGS.

One section, out of the five sections that I taught (and also developed a workbook to go along with the program was the WHEEL. We were studying and memorizing 60 verses that dealt with (A) Live The New Life (B) Proclaim Christ (C) Rely on God's Resources (D) Be Christ's Disciple (E) Grow In Christlikeness.

The WHEEL dealt with six BASICS that forms the WHEEL of our Christian life. Much like the REI that we learned about at the beginning of this Rambling...these BASICS are not something that you learn...and then TOSS aside as you go for the next big revelation. They are the foundation for what everything else is rooted in.

It starts of with a hub...that is surrounded by the rim...which is connected by spokes. If anyone of these areas are out of balance...you will have a bumpy ride on your journey. The wheel..."gets it's driving force from the hub."

THE HUB: Christ the Center (a) II Cornthians 5:17 (b) Galatians 2:20
THE RIM: Obedience to Christ (a) Romans 12:1 (b) John 14;21
SPOKE #1 God's Word: (a) II Timothy 3:16 (b) Joshua 1:8
SPOKE #2 Prayer: (a) John 15:7 (b) Philippians 4:6-7
SPOKE #3 Fellowship (a) Matthew 18:20 (b) Hebrews 10:24-25
SPOKE #4 Witnessing (a) Matthew 4:19 (b) Romans 1:16

The goal is to renew your mind with the Word...to meditate upon the Word...to speak God's Word...and to act upon God's Word. Without this type of foundation...everything else crumbles...no matter how good or honorable or spiritual it is...it crumbles.

Other areas of the BASICS are things like servanthood, humbleness, purity, honesty, love, good works, etc. A true disciple will...put Christ first, be steadfast, serve others, give generously, develop world vision... but again it is all rooted in the basics.

In Hebrews chapter 5 verse 12-14...we see that there is what is known as the ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD. People start off with the ELEMENTARY...the BASICS...and are expected to progress to the ADVANCED. The elementary is called the MILK...and the advanced is called SOLID FOOD or MEAT. The writer of Hebrews states that, "SOLID FOOD/MEAT is for the MATURE...". This is in contrast of the MILK for the BABE.

The list of the ELEMENTARY/BASICS (it is progressive) includes:

(1) Repentance from dead works
(2) Faith towards God
(3) Instruction about washings (baptisms)
(4) Laying on of hands
(5) Resurrection of the dead
(6) Eternal judgement

Again...these are the BASICS...and we are to learn these...and press on to maturity...but not at the expense of casting aside the BASICS.

Hebrews 5:14 defines what MATURITY is..."but solid food is for the MATURE, who because of PRACTICE have their senses TRAINED to discern good and evil."

Maturity is not learning the basics...and then discarding them so you can now have some DEEP REVELATION. Maturity is the doing of the BASICS. When Jesus was with the woman at the well in Sycar...his disciples came to Him trying to get him to eat some food/meat. Jesus' answer to them was, "My MEAT/FOOD is to do the will of Him who sent me." It is the practice of the MILK ...that develops the MEAT.

We must learn the basics...like I learn a basic kick...because before I mature up to the spinning back kick...I have to have a foundation of the basic kick...the basic stance...the basic attitude...REI. What's more important to you...the next best thing...or Christ the Center of your life... obedience to Him...The Word of God...Prayer...Fellowship with other believers...Witnessing to a lost and dying world? All of this can be manifested in many forms, fashions, culturally relevant things...but get back to the BASICS.

Wow...I needed to hear this one myself.

Love and Basic Kisses
Rod "Rei" Boyd