Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Diversity, mercy, and non-essentials
I found this video this morning and thought it appropriate to share. God has shown us so much in our experiences as we have traveled across the country, and plenty right here at home. Some churches lack diversity of race, while others reject those outside a certain income bracket or preferential acceptance. I was told recently that you cannot build a local church with only poor people, while I have also seen that a church in some areas of our land would welcome those of different skin colors in their midst, yet a black woman would never bring her children to "that white church" who would love to welcome any child of God into their fold. The suppositions and cultural barriers can be broken down, but it will not happen if we remain silent.
We have learned that there is much of God's Word that is very clear, while other portions seem to have a diversity of possible interpretations. While some essential doctrines such as the deity of Christ and the means of salvation are clearly spelled out, still some would pervert God's Word to make salvation a human accomplishment prepared by our works. Some have great convictions before the Lord that they must practice, and then impose these convictions on others without mercy. Sadly, I count myself in that group at times and for that I ask forgiveness. I often fail, and I thank those who have lovingly corrected me seeking restoration rather than wagging the finger back and ruining relationships over misunderstandings. The body of Christ is to be united, yet it seems to be at war so often.
In the course of our experience we have seen white churches, black churches, and socially diverse churches. We have seen poor churches, rich churches, and economically diverse churches. We currently live in a state with almost no racial diversity, and so the churches do not seem on first appearance to be ethnically diverse, yet these would welcome any to come who are called by the name of Jesus Christ. This video may be more appropriate in content with specific cultures and regions, yet it sparked within me a desire to see like Christ sees.
In recent days, we have seen that our culture rejects many Biblical traditions, and even some Biblical commands. Many churches are equally guilty of judging without knowledge and forcing people to take sides in non-essentials. Many churches will argue over the color of the carpet in a meeting hall while others sit around a fireplace in a home that barely fits the occupants in seats at all, with the children spilled out on the floor while they sing and praise the Lord in truth. There are also some that have ornate buildings designated for gatherings of Christians who have the same experience of true worship , while there could be dead tradition even in the home church. The truth will not be found in the surroundings, the background of those gathered, of racial or economical lines, but in the hearts of the worshipers who have been called out from the world for a time in order to worship, pray, have fellowship, to teach and be taught the Word of God. These will reenter the world after a time to reach out with love and mercy, saving others from the fire of God's judgment, in compassion wishing to show the love of Christ rather than the judgment of man.
The traditions of men have no place in the church of God, nor does the fear of following God alone no matter the consequence. Many have been persecuted for their faith and practice of God's Word while others have been cast aside from the fellowship of Christians just for having an opinion. This is not how Christ desires His Bride to be. His heart is hurting when He looks down on His divided Bride, the disjointed body in which the hand says to the foot "I have no need of you" and so the body of Christ is often failing to accomplish all the Father prepared for it to do. Will we walk away from our own ideas and suppositions, preferences and comfort zones, to follow Christ, or will we make our own ways higher than His ways?
Brothers and sisters, pray for us. Pray for wisdom and guidance as we seek to do His will outside denominational boundaries. May we act and speak what we say we believe.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Well Equipped Ambassador- evangelism website
Our new website is designed to bring together resources from all over the world wide web for the purpose of equipping Christians to share the Gospel. It is called "Equipped Ambassador for Christ" and can be viewed at http://www.equippedambassador.com/
Please bookmark this site and check back often for audio, video, and printed Gospel materials along with information on free speech, recommended resources, and encouraging quotes from God's Word and faithful witnesses from ages past. There is plenty to find here, and we hope you will share the site.
We also have an attached Amazon Store to purchase associated resources through our affiliate program. All purchases through ads on our site will help support the ministry. Thank you.
Friday, January 13, 2012
"I hate religion, even though Jesus established religion"
Even the Catholic church has stepped into the fray on the "I hate religion, but love Jesus" video. Though I don't agree with the way Catholics seem to be able to make a tradition out of about anything, you have to agree that they do take seriously the command of Jesus in regard to the Lord's Supper. I qualify this by saying the Bible does not agree with transubstantiation at all, as that was added in much later. Still, the man makes a point with the following article, which is witty and informative.
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| Read the entire post here, or check this quote below:"It's one thing to ignore Christ's statement to 'eat my body.' It's another to ignore his command to “do this in memory of me.” Christcommanded that we have ritual. The early church followed this ritual, they obeyed his command to “do this in memory of me.” We know this because Paul says: “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?” |
I have to clarify again, that I do not believe in the theology of this author or the article, but appreciate some of his insight into the video. The Roman Catholic church has enough problems of its own, but I have not nearly enough time to deal with all that in this post. Maybe some day!
Behind the message: "I hate religion..."
I found this article, which does a good job sharing the good and bad of the video
Check out the full article here. Here is an excerpt.
"It’s well and good that he’s making claims from the outside, but when he says he’s not here to judge, that’s simply disingenuous. Also, he begins to hedge even these bold claims by saying he still loves the Church, while hating religion. There are even other videos online of him “preaching” in church. So if we’re going to cast stones, let’s decide which side of the wall we’re aiming for.
But all of this doesn’t get at the heart of my biggest issue with his spoken word piece. What bothers me the most is that, despite stretching out toward a post-religious understanding of Christ, he then falls right back into the same old lexicon of substitutionary atonement language...
So my questions is this: though he seems to be bent on tearing at the fabric of at least the evangelical Christian church, if not organized religion as a whole, why does his central message sound pretty much like every evangelical altar call I’ve ever heard?"
I don't hate religion Nope, but I do love Jesus!
A Facebook friend shared this encouraging message with me. I wanted to share it with you all, as I believe I was not wrong to disagree with the video "I hate religion, but love Jesus" See below for my brother's comments.
"Mark, your review is correct and should get more visibility. Don't feel compelled to slack off.
If the poem said "*false* religion" every time he used the word "religion", he would be saying what the Bible says.
But by neglecting this one word, he creates confusion, further propagating the idea that all religion is bad. This is not good, and is certainly not Biblical. Furthermore, whether he intends to or not, he's also catering to the "iGeneration", where people think they can follow a Christ of their own imagination and ideas, and not be bound by the terms, definitions and practices of Scripture (aka, "religion").
Yet this problem is nothing new: people were doing that in Jesus' day! They didn't want the Messiah as revealed in the Scriptures (which is why He constantly said "Have you not read...?"), and therefore they didn't recognize Him as Messiah when He appeared - yet still claimed to be children of God! Jesus exposed all of them (not just the Pharisees!) for their *false* religion and false faith (John 8) while still telling people that they should emulate the correct practices of the Pharisees:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. **These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others**. (Matt 23:23)"
"Mark, your review is correct and should get more visibility. Don't feel compelled to slack off.
If the poem said "*false* religion" every time he used the word "religion", he would be saying what the Bible says.
But by neglecting this one word, he creates confusion, further propagating the idea that all religion is bad. This is not good, and is certainly not Biblical. Furthermore, whether he intends to or not, he's also catering to the "iGeneration", where people think they can follow a Christ of their own imagination and ideas, and not be bound by the terms, definitions and practices of Scripture (aka, "religion").
Yet this problem is nothing new: people were doing that in Jesus' day! They didn't want the Messiah as revealed in the Scriptures (which is why He constantly said "Have you not read...?"), and therefore they didn't recognize Him as Messiah when He appeared - yet still claimed to be children of God! Jesus exposed all of them (not just the Pharisees!) for their *false* religion and false faith (John 8) while still telling people that they should emulate the correct practices of the Pharisees:
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. **These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others**. (Matt 23:23)"
Do you agree with this man, disagree, or are you just tired of talking about this? I appreciate your input, and look forward to sharing some of what the Lord does in our upcoming trip to Tampa area. We will be gone for a week or so, then home for a few days, then moving to Maine. Will try to keep up with blogging in the interim, but I can't promise anything.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
"I hate religion, but love Jesus" video
I watched a few more of this man's videos, and feel that the reason we find error in his "religion hating" is that his definition of grace is also flawed. A friend shared this comment on Facebook, which I believe sums it up well. I have collected a few things here to try to hit on more of the caution necessary before people embrace this video. Some have said Jesus died so we could sin freely. Others have said that this video reminds them that their church is not good enough. While the content is good to view, I cannot stress enough the need to get back to God's Word instead of just regurgitating the vernacular of the world.
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| Did Jesus come to abolish Religion? The Bible doesn't say that! |
God's Word holds the truth, not any video or even blog post.
Please read Romans 6-8, 1 John 1,and James 1 & 2 to see more of what God's Word says about religion, grace, and how one should live as a Christian.
Dont' cheapen grace, and don't defy the holiness of the true and living God.
See comments below
The good, bad, and ugly from Facebook regarding this video
So, yes, I do not want what is sold as American Christianity, but am I going to complain about how it is wrong, or pick up my cross and do what Christ instructs?
This video drastically misrepresents religion. I hear a man telling me that I shouldn't develop the mindset of the New Testament Pharisees. I agree. God commands me not to. But please don't say that all religion is vile because Christianity IS religion. Yes, it's a relationship, but it is also a religion. It has a concrete law, clear-cut guidelines, and very important standards. Follow the Bible that God was gracious enough to provide us with. Not whatever makes your heart feel good.
I totally agree with Brenna...This guy does have it wrong. So here's another viewpoint on this video...
I disagree with his choice of a couple words but I couldn't agree with his message more. Please just give it a listen.
This video reminded me of a verse from Jason Gray's song: "Cause all religion ever made of me was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet. It never set me free. It's gotta be more like falling in love than something to believe in. More like losing my heart than giving my allegiance."
Mark I read your blog and while I do agree from your perspective, as I think so myself. However, what you've gotta realize is that many people that are seeing this video have shrugged off God because of "religious hypocrites". Yes, the term "religion" is defining denominations and not the James/Biblical terminology of it. Frankly, I don't think people who have watched "religious hypocrites" are gonna bother in fact-checking the Bible. I know you may you not like it this way, but this video may show some bitter and jaded viewers that it wasn't all about repetition, rituals and rules. That Jesus is the ONLY way. I'd like to recommend a book called "Hiding God: The Ambition Of World Religion" by Warren Henderson, published by Gospel Folio Press. I think Warren's idea is where the video author was getting at. As sad as it is, this word says: Religion=Denominations=Bible Thumping Hypocrites. I wouldn't be surprized if some viewers open a Bible for the first time because of this...and isn't that what we as a collective church of believers, truly want?
I have read Warren's book, and it does a great job at this. I do suggest watching the video, but caution Christians not to embrace a hatred for religion. It is important when speaking for Christians (as this man seems to) that we are accurately portraying Jesus's own words, which the very first line is contrary to Jesus's message. He pulls a Rob Bell and speaks with authority while asking a question. Neat trick, but deceptive. Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the heart of the thing, and that is why I am also promoting it... with caution attached.
Amen to that Mark, and sharp pickup on the "Rob Bell-type" spot, I didn't quite catch that.
I noticed a lot of my friends are posting this as such a great video, and I know their intentions are right but there's just something wrong with his view that needs to be clarified.
In this video, I think he is using the word "religion" as synonymous with "legalism." So I guess it is all in how you define your terms. :)
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27
And I do agree with your point about how he does not emphasize post-conversion works for Christians (which is incredibly important), but I do believe that he is trying to reach a different audience: those people who are putting their faith in their works as opposed to Jesus Christ. These are excellent points, Maggie, and I am not trying to just explain them away. This video is not perfect at all just as the man in it is not perfect. Thanks for posting. ;)
Defining terms is not something we can just do. The Bible uses the word and so we ought to be careful to not redefine it with common vernacular. Thanks for the insight, ladies! Legalism= bad. Pure and undefiled religion= good!
I liked the video a lot! However, a red flag popped into my mind about hating religion so much.
I can't really explain why the video didn't sit right. Guess it is time for a Bible study!
In conclusion (for now) I have to agree, it is all how you define your terms. Unfortunately, the English language isn't up for redefining words overnight. As long as major translations of the Bible use the word "religion" in its proper context, it is well to stick to this definition.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Youtube philosophy- UPDATED
I want to give you the happy ending before the whole story. Check this out, say a loving word to help a brother see more clearly, and the Lord will make it work out for His glory. This video was uploaded 2 days ago and has 177,990 hits and counting. I submitted it to Mashable's Viral Video of the Day.
Jefferson Bethke has now taken this post off his wall, presumably as it may be seen as bad publicity.
Mark Sara Cowperthwaite
Jefferson Bethke
This video has been circulating on social media sites, and is popular among my friends. I have a lot to say on this, though I feel many would see my thoughts as skeptical. I am trying to be fair to the writer and also true to the message of God's Word, the Bible. Check it out for yourself.
I like the idea of this video, but feel that it needs clarification. I define religion differently than this man does(by using a dictionary instead of common vernacular), and often you could insert the word "flesh" where he uses "religion". Be cautious in interpreting this video, as James 1:26,27 speaks of pure and undefiled religion as something good. In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses, not abolish it. While the sacrifice is done(It is finished, praise God!), we are exhorted in God's Word that "If you love Me [the Lord Jesus Christ] you will keep my commandments"
Religion as the man in the video defines it, is man searching for God, but that does not agree with the dictionary, which says, " 1. The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.2.Details of belief as taught or discussed." With all these things in mind, let the message stir you, but don't throw out anything that God designed just to sound cool. I was considering also the idea that we are to obey God because we love Him. Again, this is Biblical, not man made or religious. Jesus' major objection with "religious people" was those whose self righteousness made religion a sham.
Jefferson Bethke has now taken this post off his wall, presumably as it may be seen as bad publicity.
Mark Sara Cowperthwaite
Jefferson BethkeThis video has been circulating on social media sites, and is popular among my friends. I have a lot to say on this, though I feel many would see my thoughts as skeptical. I am trying to be fair to the writer and also true to the message of God's Word, the Bible. Check it out for yourself.
The title is "Why I hate religion, but love Jesus"
I like the idea of this video, but feel that it needs clarification. I define religion differently than this man does(by using a dictionary instead of common vernacular), and often you could insert the word "flesh" where he uses "religion". Be cautious in interpreting this video, as James 1:26,27 speaks of pure and undefiled religion as something good. In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses, not abolish it. While the sacrifice is done(It is finished, praise God!), we are exhorted in God's Word that "If you love Me [the Lord Jesus Christ] you will keep my commandments"
Religion as the man in the video defines it, is man searching for God, but that does not agree with the dictionary, which says, " 1. The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.2.Details of belief as taught or discussed." With all these things in mind, let the message stir you, but don't throw out anything that God designed just to sound cool. I was considering also the idea that we are to obey God because we love Him. Again, this is Biblical, not man made or religious. Jesus' major objection with "religious people" was those whose self righteousness made religion a sham.
OK,I need to shut up now. I have now watched the video for the 3rd time and I think terminology is the major issue that needs to be defined. This man claims that Jesus hated religion and spoke against it. Jesus spoke against hypocrites, not religion. The religion was what Jesus Himself practiced, but the Pharisees didn't really know God, they just used God as a means to prop themselves up and feel superior. They devoured the widow's houses, while James 1:26,27 tells us to care for the widows and orphans if we want true and undefiled religion. Overall, I like the video, though I wish it was clearer, containing terminology that was more Biblical.
On a more personal note, I resonate a lot with this message of playing church. This was my life for the first 17 years. I was saved by God's grace at 25 years of age, and now see that no faking it or obeying the rules without the relationship will do. Praise God for grace that made a debtor of me, to love and mercy in Christ Jesus my Lord.
The book of James says earlier in chapter 1 that we are to be "doers of the Word and not hearers only". He goes on to say that those who hear only "are deluding themselves". See also James chapter 2 with faith and works. Telling someone to be warm and filled, but doing nothing to help them get warm, not feeding them, that is defiled religion. Religion is not bad, empty and vain religion is bad.
We DO encourage folks to watch this video as the message is really challenging. His claim to hate religion and place that hate on Jesus is in error. I believe the desire was right, the terminology was wrong. When using Bible terms, one must be cautious, so as not to be found on the wrong side of God. Pure and undefiled religion is something God seems to promote.
English: Religion
Strong's Reference:G2356
θρησκεία thrēskeia
From a derivative of G2357; ceremonial observance: - religion, worshipping.
This word is used to describe the Pharisees in Acts 23:5 but also is in James 1:26,27 in a positive way. Religion in and of itself is neutral from my understanding. Empty, vain, or say-so religion is useless, as is a faith without works is dead. Still, you cannot say you love Jesus and hate religion without encountering serious interpretive difficulties.
Regarding Jesus's supposed hatred of religion:
Jesus didn't say He hated religion. He chastised hypocrites, but then went to the Temple and never mentioned religion being bad. He scolded them for making the Temple (His Father's house of worship) into a money making place.
Updated- Facebook is blowing up with this video
Some Facebook comments are given below, pardon the choppy nature of the writing here
We DO encourage folks to watch this video as the message is really challenging. His claim to hate religion and place that hate on Jesus is in error. I believe the desire was right, the terminology was wrong. When using Bible terms, one must be cautious, so as not to be found on the wrong side of God. Pure and undefiled religion is something God seems to promote.
English: Religion
Strong's Reference:G2356
θρησκεία thrēskeia
From a derivative of G2357; ceremonial observance: - religion, worshipping.
This word is used to describe the Pharisees in Acts 23:5 but also is in James 1:26,27 in a positive way. Religion in and of itself is neutral from my understanding. Empty, vain, or say-so religion is useless, as is a faith without works is dead. Still, you cannot say you love Jesus and hate religion without encountering serious interpretive difficulties.
Regarding Jesus's supposed hatred of religion:
Jesus didn't say He hated religion. He chastised hypocrites, but then went to the Temple and never mentioned religion being bad. He scolded them for making the Temple (His Father's house of worship) into a money making place.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Evangelism Saturday- 180 movie resources
Friday, December 23, 2011
Custom Tract Friday
I wrote a short tract today using Gotprint.com's "Collector's Card" parameters. This 2.5" x 3.5" card is easy to keep in your pocket, and contains a short message on it. This one is Psalm 100:3 "It is God who has made us, and not we ourselves..." When we consider our lives in the grand scale of things, we can agree with God's Word, to see that it is just a vapor, which quickly vanishes away.
This tract pinpoints the issue of God as Creator and Judge, that His creation will be burned up in judgement. I know this is not the tract some were hoping for, but I believe we ought to balance the whole message. Often, the tendency is to share the grace and mercy of God through Christ, but sometimes that comes at the expense of the truth of God's righteousness, holiness, and the devastation that sin causes.
Print using GotPrint.com and you can get 1,000 for just $14.44 plus shipping. The cost for 500 is nearly the same, so go for the larger order and give some to others to share. We recognize that this type of tract is not everyone's choice, but we will continue to create custom tracts for many occasions, in multiple formats, and targeting varying Scriptures. You can share this post or picture on your social media pages, or email folks the pictures.
This tract pinpoints the issue of God as Creator and Judge, that His creation will be burned up in judgement. I know this is not the tract some were hoping for, but I believe we ought to balance the whole message. Often, the tendency is to share the grace and mercy of God through Christ, but sometimes that comes at the expense of the truth of God's righteousness, holiness, and the devastation that sin causes.
Print using GotPrint.com and you can get 1,000 for just $14.44 plus shipping. The cost for 500 is nearly the same, so go for the larger order and give some to others to share. We recognize that this type of tract is not everyone's choice, but we will continue to create custom tracts for many occasions, in multiple formats, and targeting varying Scriptures. You can share this post or picture on your social media pages, or email folks the pictures.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Flash mob- best ever!
I came home after prayer meeting tonight. Sara had been home with the youngest two children, who are sick. Sara found this awesome video, and we thought we would share it. We have seen some flash mob videos before, but WOW. Don't shut it off, watch through to the end.
Why is this offensive?
Since the death of Jubilee Shalom Duggar at 20 weeks gestation, the internet has been buzzing about how the family would handle the death, how the kids were doing, and whether or not Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar should stop having children. I have some strong opinions on a lot of this, but an article I recently read shed light on something that I had previously missed in the whole scenario. Last week, at the memorial service for the baby who died, there was a post mortem picture of Michelle holding the baby's perfectly developed hand. People freaked out, called for intervention, and spread hateful remarks all over the internet in what is truly a very private issue for most people, but because of celebrity status the Duggar family has been raked over the coals. Here is a quote that woke me up to what was going on:
"Of the hundreds of comments I read, nobody suggested that this was not a full-fledged child. The cause of contention was the issue of whether they had respected their daughter’s dignity, not whether she had dignity in the first place. Her worthiness of respect was taken for granted"
The author of this article feels that the tide has turned, and that people are now thinking of a 20 week gestational baby as a baby rather than a clump of cells. Sadly, I believe that people often keep the mental disconnect intact. That is, when someone wants to have an abortion, it is still a fetus, but when they can sensationalize a family's grieving process and exploit it for money, they call it a baby. Maybe I am too skeptical, but I do hope that people are waking up to the fact that from conception, a human baby is there.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Internet and the Cowperthwaite family
Many have asked us why we are involved in Facebook and other social media. We find that we have been able to use our blogs and Facebook pages for the last 5 years to share the Gospel, teach God's Word, and let people know how to get some great Christian resources for themselves. We also have a chance to offer ourselves for prayer, services such as Gospel material production, and much more due to our web presence. Our blogs (linked at the right) only average a couple hundred or so views per day right now, but we are happy we have the chance to reach out to folks at all. Thank you for opening your lives to our family in so many ways.
Our Facebook page has over 1,100 friends, and the passages of God's Word we post adorn the walls of folks from all over the world, in churches of various denominations and practices. We think this is a good use of our time so long as it does not take too much time. Our Facebook page is the primary source for getting updates on our family, and the blog is becoming a blend of updates and things we think our friends will appreciate learning about. We will do our best to let you know the good and the bad about what we have been reading and watching. Please share your input via the "Comment" section at the end of each post.
The latest addition is the affiliate programs from some of our favorite providers. We buy books, DVDs, and much more from sources like Christian Book Distributors and Vision Forum. We buy diapers and other supplies at a huge discount from Amazon and have our own astore. We recently started reviewing Christian books, Bibles, and homeschool curriculum for a company online. All these have brought new experiences and learning to our family and given us many opportunities for fellowship. As we get more involved in reviews and internet commerce, we don't want folks to lose track of our family.
Our Facebook page has over 1,100 friends, and the passages of God's Word we post adorn the walls of folks from all over the world, in churches of various denominations and practices. We think this is a good use of our time so long as it does not take too much time. Our Facebook page is the primary source for getting updates on our family, and the blog is becoming a blend of updates and things we think our friends will appreciate learning about. We will do our best to let you know the good and the bad about what we have been reading and watching. Please share your input via the "Comment" section at the end of each post.
The latest addition is the affiliate programs from some of our favorite providers. We buy books, DVDs, and much more from sources like Christian Book Distributors and Vision Forum. We buy diapers and other supplies at a huge discount from Amazon and have our own astore. We recently started reviewing Christian books, Bibles, and homeschool curriculum for a company online. All these have brought new experiences and learning to our family and given us many opportunities for fellowship. As we get more involved in reviews and internet commerce, we don't want folks to lose track of our family.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Songs that make you go "hmmm???"
I was recently seeing a lot of posts on Facebook, by a few friends, of pictures with "Positive Insirational Quotes" and I just had to sit and think a while. Now I am ready to deal with the crafty false teaching that these things are portraying as Christian thought.
One quote from a recent song on the radio "Free to be me" by Francesca Battistelli: "Perfection is my enemy. On my own I'm so clumsy, but on your shoulders I can see... I'm free to be me... you're free to be you." While we could never earn forgiveness of sin or salvation on our own, when one becomes a child of God (by spiritual birth, not natural birth John 1:12) we become in fact slaves to righteousness. We are not our own, but we have been bought with a price. If we have in deed been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, then we should not be satisfied with our own sin or even the best we can do, but rather "be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Another recent song says that we are "Something worth dying for", but truly we are not anything worth dying for. We are wicked, awful, wretched sinners who deserve judgement, eternal damnation, and God's wrath. Because of God's mercy and grace, He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die in our place. This was not to purchase us due to our worth, but to make us something that shows God's glory. In Heaven, we will not be singing this song, but rather praising the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This man centered gospel is no true gospel at all, but one where we justify our sin and say that God owes us something because we are so special.
Back to the pictures and "inspiration", one said this: "I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection" While I agree that we ought not hold others to a standard of perfection in regards to human judgement, we are not to condone sin or accept addictions or such things, but rather plead with God to "create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" and "cast me not away from your presence, Lord, take not your Holy Spirit from me" as David said in Psalm 51.
The one that really got me going was this one, which is stark contrast to Jesus' own words: "love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't." One might head over to Jesus' words in Matthew 5 on this topic. Jesus said to love your enemies, do good to those who mistreat you, and that by this behavior we would show His love and maybe even win for Christ the hearts of those who would persecute and hate us.
Don't get me wrong, some of these little posters are actually good. Some are biblical and inspiring. We just need to be careful to discern the truth from a lie, to get our counsel from God's Word rather than the songs on the radio. It is sad that so many of the songs out nowadays are just people singing about themselves, their desires, and their right to sin. We should examine the music that comes into our homes, to guard our children's hearts and our own, and to seek God in all things so that He gets all the glory He is due.
One quote from a recent song on the radio "Free to be me" by Francesca Battistelli: "Perfection is my enemy. On my own I'm so clumsy, but on your shoulders I can see... I'm free to be me... you're free to be you." While we could never earn forgiveness of sin or salvation on our own, when one becomes a child of God (by spiritual birth, not natural birth John 1:12) we become in fact slaves to righteousness. We are not our own, but we have been bought with a price. If we have in deed been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ, then we should not be satisfied with our own sin or even the best we can do, but rather "be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Another recent song says that we are "Something worth dying for", but truly we are not anything worth dying for. We are wicked, awful, wretched sinners who deserve judgement, eternal damnation, and God's wrath. Because of God's mercy and grace, He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die in our place. This was not to purchase us due to our worth, but to make us something that shows God's glory. In Heaven, we will not be singing this song, but rather praising the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This man centered gospel is no true gospel at all, but one where we justify our sin and say that God owes us something because we are so special.
Back to the pictures and "inspiration", one said this: "I will hold myself to a standard of grace, not perfection" While I agree that we ought not hold others to a standard of perfection in regards to human judgement, we are not to condone sin or accept addictions or such things, but rather plead with God to "create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" and "cast me not away from your presence, Lord, take not your Holy Spirit from me" as David said in Psalm 51.
The one that really got me going was this one, which is stark contrast to Jesus' own words: "love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't." One might head over to Jesus' words in Matthew 5 on this topic. Jesus said to love your enemies, do good to those who mistreat you, and that by this behavior we would show His love and maybe even win for Christ the hearts of those who would persecute and hate us.
Don't get me wrong, some of these little posters are actually good. Some are biblical and inspiring. We just need to be careful to discern the truth from a lie, to get our counsel from God's Word rather than the songs on the radio. It is sad that so many of the songs out nowadays are just people singing about themselves, their desires, and their right to sin. We should examine the music that comes into our homes, to guard our children's hearts and our own, and to seek God in all things so that He gets all the glory He is due.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
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