Knowing Our Place In This World

I've neglected my blog for a while now. I partially blame this on Facebook, because I can make instant "posts" to what is affecting me in this world at any particular time. That one thing has severely hindered my will to write blog posts for a couple of years now. It's not that I don't have anything to say, I just say it multiple times a day, through a different outlet.

Saying that - some things require a different outlet, as a small comment window on Facebook, filled with blog post worthy ramblings will often go by unread, even if the content is spot on. People are just too lazy to read. But, that doesn't mean that God will not draw the attention and focus from those who He would have read the post, even if it is only one or two people.

I made such a rambling just now and knew that I had to put it in blog form, as my Facebook feed will go largely unseen. So here is my post, copied and pasted for the whole World Wide Web to possibly see, instead of my current 563 friends on Facebook alone. This is my heart right now, in light of the recent things happening in my world, in our world.

Sinners are going to sin. Period. It's not our "job" to call them out on it, it's our "job" to continue loving them. Period. This is the same as Christ's example of dining with tax collectors and prostitutes, because it was so radical in His day to do so.

I have friends who are sinners. I enjoy their company. I enjoy talking to them and building friendships with them. I may not have the bond with them as I do with a brother or sister in Christ, but there are bonds there.They do not agree with me on everything, and they still love me (like, some may call it because the term "love" is strong for some folks). I do not agree with them on everything and I still love them.

The world is our mission field. Our command is to "go, make disciples", not "go, tell people that they are sinners", although that topic will come up from time to time. God has placed each Christian within their very own, personal mission field no one else has your scope of influence, no one knows everyone in your circle, do not take it for granted.

The recent events in Kentucky have given me new perspectives. I am firm on my definition of marriage, because I know from God's Word what marriage is to Him- It is the earthly picture of Christ's love for His Bride, the Church and anything contrary to husband and wife is a distortion of that picture. But, the world is going to be the world. Those who do not know God are not going to follow God. That does not mean we cave or bend to the world, it means that we continue to stand on God's Word and show the world Christ's example. We do not say "yes, you're correct and we need to re-examine our stance in this time and understanding place in time" - We continue to say "This is what God says and even though I disagree with you I still love you, I still call you my friend, my brother, my sister, my mother, my co-worker, my son, my daughter, my boss, my server at the restaurant, my check out person at the grocery store, my tax collector, my banker, my ........".

We are salt and light to this world. We are to show how God has made us different. I have seen this example in others and have learned (discipled, if you will) into a better understanding of what Christ meant when He said those words. This doesn't mean that I condone any sinful lifestyle, this means I love my friends regardless, even when everyone else turns their back on them. This means that I extend my hand any time they fall and not say "I told you so". It doesn't matter the particular application, we are to simply be Christ to this world. Period. How that looks to each member of the Body will vary, but all will have the same goal - To glorify the Father through Christ.

I always stand on God's Word as authority, even in these dark days, with major issues in opposition to God here in the USA; especially in these days. I will not bend, I will not waver, but I will continue to love my neighbor just as Christ did.

I could go into the implications of standing firm for God, being called a "hater" a "bigot" ,etc. but nothing could be further from the truth. The reaction from the world should not deter or make us waver. Continue to love. Continue to extend your hand. Continue to be Christ, even to death if that is the final outcome, with the words of Jesus ringing true from your mouth, in hopes that some will be saved "Father, forgive them. They do not know what they do".

Should We Seek To Be Discerning?

Part 3 in the “What Is Discernment” series

One of the most common unbiblical biblical statements we hear these days is “Judge not”. Some do go on to say “Lest ye be judged”, which is straight out of the KJV Old English version of scripture. Thing is, this is a biblical statement, but only as long as it is said in context. A simple and blanket statement of “Thou shalt not judge” is neither correct nor biblical.

As we saw in me last post (Types/ Kinds Of Biblical Discernment) we are told to practice discernment. What is discernment? Making an informed decision based on knowledge to provide the correct reaction to a particular issue, action or whatever else we face. This is also the definition of judging something. We look, hear, smell, taste or feel and those senses reach our brain at which time we will use our experience (our knowledge) to make a judgment. What’s the first thing you do when you take the milk carton out of the fridge? Open it, twist off the top, look into the opening and then take a big old sniff. What you’re doing is practicing discernment. You do it every day, all day.

So why is practicing Biblical discernment frowned upon and seen as a hindrance by most church goers? Why are people who are labeled “fundamentalist”, “Bible thumpers”, “Holier than thous” and “Jesus Freaks” because they take seriously the things of God, most specifically God’s Word and instructions for this world.

God’s Word is a mirror of His character, it gives us a glimpse of God, in His chosen manner, to know what He requires, desires and demands of us. It is a sad fact that most Christians (professing, truly converted or false converts alike) have only a cursory understanding of scripture. Most preachers only feed their congregations milk, sometimes chocolate milk when they indulge their message with the sweet, feel good stories, but most of the time, in most of the church buildings attendees are given a baby bottle as they enter the door along with their weekly church bulletin. Why that is is open for discussion, either the preacher desires to be a buddy instead of a leader, denying God’s command for them to preach the Word in truth or the preacher knows that the people will choke from solid food instead of milk and the occasional pureed veggies. Either way, the preacher is wrong.

How do we feed a baby? It starts off with milk, then progresses to cereals, then to soft foods, then to semi-solids, then the baby usually starts grabbing everything that it can and shoving it into its mouth. It should also be a natural progression for a follower of Christ. We do not stick a T-Bone into a 6 month old’s mouth, but one day that child will have grown enough and developed the capacity to chew and digest a steak.

Where am I going with this post? I’m attempting to show that a Christian should be seeking growth, should be examining scripture, should be seeking Christ more every day, should be eating the solid food of scripture. This is the way to progress in discernment, as we stated in the last blog post, from an understanding of God’s Word in context.

This is not to say that we are to have a judgmental spirit about us or to be critical of people, but that we are to take all aspects of our lives and apply scripture to them. As I stated before, we do the same thing in “normal” areas of our lives and think it to be good. So how much more then should we be applying scripture to our lives? We are to use our judgment to decide the proper course, the proper path, the proper action to correspond to every choice we have. There is no secular/ sacred divide in the life of a believer. A Christian’s life will all be sacred, as the Spirit of God dwells within us, which is the catalyst and the way we must judge/ discern our actions, words spoken and all choices.

So, as we saw in the last post we have the learned ability to judge things, from the study of God’s Word. Then we have the Spirit within us that gives us the Supernatural discernment in other areas. These work in tandem, as a grace of God to guide us through our life, our walk with Christ.

Our lives are full of choices that require discernment and judgment.  As a follower of Christ make sure that those choices glorify God. Look at each choice with the question of “How will this affect my walk with the Lord?” then make the choice. Then things will become more black and white in your mind. As you practice your discernment you will begin to build on the foundation and grow in your discernment. We should desire to be discerning, we should desire to grow in understanding the Word of God.

Why would someone who has encountered God, who has His Spirit living within them, not have a desire to have a greater understanding and greater application of God’s Word in their life?  It shouldn’t be. This is why it is hard to understand how people who claim to have been changed by God can remain stuck with a baby bottle in their mouth instead of eating steak and potatoes. Is it that they are false converts? Possibly. Is it that they have not been taught the whole counsel of Scripture? Probably. It is also up to them to study scripture, to show themselves approved of God, not to depend on 1 hour sermons each week to be their only sustenance. It just couldn’t be or they would starve.

Allowing The World To Point You To Christ

I woke up with a thought on my mind this morning. I don't know if it is an original thought or if I may have heard it from someone along the way and the dark recesses of my mind only recalled it this day (I will do a search after I am finished writing this post and will let you know at the end of the post if it is an original thought or give credit to the originator).

"Everyone in your life is either pointing you to Christ or trying to discourage your relationship with Christ"

I'm going to have to break that down, because this thought, while often true, doesn't have to be. As Christians we love fellowship with the brothers and sisters that God has put in our lives; our church family, our pastor, our "blood" family, friends on Facebook and even some co-workers. When we think of those that point us to Christ we think of those people and rightfully so, they know Christ as well, our spirits bear witness to one another and we are greatly encouraged with interactions. So, the first part of the quote is a given. But what about the second part?

Along my walk with Christ there has come others that are seemingly there to try and discourage my relationship with my Lord. They, too, could be close friends, professing Christians, family members, co-workers or even the cashier at the grocery store. Sometimes they may call you a "fanatic" or "Jesus Freak" or "Holy Roller", but all in an attempt to try and make you look odd or weird because you actually follow what scripture says; that you love God and love people. This can get you down because we, as humans, still crave acceptance and rejection is not what anyone wants or desires. They offer worldly "fixes" to your problems and do not point to God. What do we do then? Usually lay off a little bit, maybe turn down the volume knob from 11 when around those people. But, I say "Why?". Why would we want to snuff, maybe the only Light these people might ever see? Why allow them to think that a relationship with God should be based on their views or any other view not found in scripture but is rooted in the world view?

I suggest that when these people are placed in our life that it is not coincidental. Instead of allowing them to manipulate our actions, words or deeds when in their presence that we do the same things that we do when we are within the walls of a church building - Praise God. Do not let an attack drive you from Christ, but let it fuel an increased dependency to run TO Christ. Take it as yet another reason to seek His face, to lift this lost person up that they may sing the same praises to God as you.

Remember that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against things in the spiritual realm. Most people are under the influence of this world and their views are based on the morality (or lack of) that is set forth by people. Now, I'm not saying all people are possessed by demons, but I do believe a lot are. I believe those that are not have been lulled into the creed of "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law", or more easily understood as "Let me live my life the way I want, you live your life, whatever feels good for you is perfectly fine", which I translate as "There are no absolutes and everyone makes their own truth about everything". This  of course, is not valid if you actually follow the Bible and God as Scripture reveals how a follower of Christ actually is.

Society says that all views are valid, until you start speaking in absolutes. This is self refuting because that statement is an absolute statement. This kind of thinking is better known as "post-modernism", which has infiltrated the "church" (lowercase c). I like to say it has infiltrated the perceived church, or what the world sees as the "church". Now that the World sees professing Christians say that we must question everything in the Bible, that the Word of God is invalid in some areas, that "sin" is not really sin and then see other's say that we must still follow the Word of God and actually still do, they are seen as "radical fundamentalists" or fanatics. I'd just say that they are actually Christians that are still seeking to follow Jesus Christ.

Back to the subject at hand, sorry for the rabbit chasing. Christian! Don't let this world discourage you from a true relationship with God. Seek people that can be a mutual edification between you and them, plant yourself in a true Church Body that loves and seeks after God in all things. Ground yourself in the Word of God. Purge yourself of as much of this world as possible. Seek Jesus Christ. Let the World be a constant reminder of how much you need God, in every step you take, every breath you take, every word you say. Let those that could be discouragement instead be another reason to praise God and call upon Him. Use this world as encouragement, to seek God instead of something that will drag you down and cause spiritual decline.

Seek God in all things. Praise God in all things. Speak of God in all things. Live to God in all things. Allow God to use you to further His Kingdom. Do not conform to this World and allow it to mold you. Let go and let God.

(I just did a fast search and did not find anyone else that had said the original quote of this post. This thought has been building in me over the past few weeks as a current trial has been developing. I have seen God greatly encourage me through the Body, I have heard worldly advise and I have seen attacks from people that claim to have the same Spirit residing in them as I do. I have let the latter affect me, but no more. I know my God is faithful and my God is able. I know that God fights for me and I know that all things He allows in my life are for my good. He has placed His yoke upon me and is carrying my weight  He is directing my path and He is ordering my steps. I have His promises that He will do only good for this situation, that I am not being punished for anything because Christ bore ALL of my punishment on Calvary. I need only trust that He is working all things for my good and just follow His lead. He is in control and I rest in that.)

Becoming The Perfect Husband

(This is my latest post at the Treasuring Christ  website. Please take a moment to look over the website. There are many great resources available there.)

If you take a look at my avatar you will see E 5:25. Not that you may have noticed it before, or if you have you may have just thought it was the number on the back of my favorite sports player’s jersey or something similar. The fact is that means Ephesians 5:25, a verse that gripped me a few years ago and refuses to relinquish its grasp.

Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her........

Please continue reading at he Treasuring Christ website

Weighty Matters

Last year, here on my blog,  I chronicled my journey on my way to losing 60+ pounds. Over a 10 month (+/-) time frame I had many people telling me how good I looked, asking me how I was losing the weight and just over all being a cheerleader for me. I appreciated those comments, but when my new “look” had become old news the support dwindled.

It was October or so of last year, while on a business trip, that I decided that I was going to “splurge” for the trip. That set off a chain reaction that had me gaining back a lot of the weight I lost. How much? I have no idea, because I refuse to weigh myself. I’m disgusted that I allowed the weight to come back and I’m disgusted that I lost the will to jump back on the wagon and keep the weight dropping. I succumbed to food again and had dove full force into the old eating habits that I once had.

What was different during the time that I had begun to gain the weight back was that others never mentioned my weight gain, as they had my weight loss. I’m sure it was because they thought I would be embarrassed by the comments or didn’t want to hurt my feelings, so I don’t fault anyone, but I do wonder why I only had a couple of people ever mention my weight gaining.

I do think that it may have made some difference in my perceptions. If I had known that others were noticing, then I may have stepped back and reevaluated what I was doing. During the time I have gained the weight back I was not being held accountable by anyone. I depended on myself to “saddle up” and muster up the will power to stop eating the food that held me captive, but always put it off. “What’s another Swiss Roll going to do?” or “What is one more trip to the Pizza Inn buffet going to add?” Which I determined wouldn’t be a lot. And that is probably true, a single Swiss Roll or a single dinner at Pizza Inn would not have made much of an impact, but it was deeper than that. It was sin.

Reflecting on the roller coaster of weight loss (this time), I have seen how it does parallel sin. I see that I need support, both while I am doing “good” and winning the battle. But, more importantly I need the support when the battle is beating me. I need to be held accountable for the sins in my life. I need people to point out that I treat my wife lousy some times, that I raise my voice to often at the kids, that lust runs rampant, food becomes an idol and laziness just breeds more laziness and excuses. I believe this is part of bearing our brothers sins/ burdens (Galatians 6:1-2, Romans 15:1, Proverbs 27:17, James 5:13-20, Ephesians 4:25)

We are weak creatures. We often times act from the flesh rather than from the spirit. We forget that these bodies are dying and that we are just passing through this world, en route to our true home. We tend to think “now” is time to feed this flesh of our selfish desires, to sin and sin big. We push God to the side and say, “Let me take it from here, I’ve got it under control now”. This is why we need each other. We need to lovingly come beside our brothers and sisters in Christ, our wives and husbands, or children and parents and help carry them, help them see points of sin that they may not even realize is there or may be saying as I did about eating, “I’ll do better tomorrow”. Sad thing is that tomorrow usually does not come and sin is not dealt with and things get worse. The weight piles on and the sin kills.

I just ask that we each look at our motives. Look inward and ask yourself why we do not lovingly tell someone that you have noticed sin in their life. It is actually one of the most loving things you can do for a Christian. I am not saying to become a fruit checker and try to be someone’s Holy Spirit, but allow God to use you and work through you for the sanctification of others and also for yourself. Confess to one another, become accountable to one another, be open for rebuke and be open to give rebuke. I do not hold anyone other than myself at fault for my sins or my weight gain, but I do know that if someone would have lovingly told me that they noticed the pounds coming back, or the snack cakes in my lunch or the PB&J’s that I ate on a regular basis, I probably would have heeded their words and snapped out of my self deception. The same goes for my sin. If someone confronts me and says, “ I have noticed ……., let’s pray together about this and allow me to help carry this load with you” it would make me step back and actually see things I have allowed to blind me.

Just a little food for thought….. Pun intended.

The Battle With Porn - It Is An Emergency

Pornography has probably been one of the most besetting sins of the past few decades. Why is that? Is it the proliferation of websites? Porn Shops throughout cities? Text messages containing provocative photos? Sure, those are gateways to filling the desire for illicit images, but they are not the real problem. The real problem, as with any other sin, is a heart issue and must be dealt with firmly and immediately.

While thousand people will have a thousand different "reasons" for indulging in porn, the root cause is still the same, selfishness. Selfishness is the root of all sin. From the Serpents first temptations of "Don't you want to be like God?" to the modern cry of "I'm a strong enough Christian to watch this movie or listen to this CD without it affecting me", it is still all the same - our desire above God's desire.

My dear brother in Christ, Whitt Madden, over at Be The Domino has a program starting this month that deals directly with the sin of pornography. This 40 day "awakening" is completely confidential and open to males and females just by signing up.

Starting October 17th, Be the Domino ministries will be launching a 40 day “awakening” called Emergency. These 40 days will be a time of deep personal reflection and prayer focused on Honesty, Integrity, and True Character.

There is an ugly truth about an addiction to pornography that no one wants to talk about. The effect it has on men is crippling them spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Let’s be honest about this guys. Sexual purity in our world today is a struggle. It’s a topic that no one wants to discuss, because we want to pretend that this problem doesn’t exist. But we all deal with it. Some of us deal with it to a greater extent than others, but as guys, we all deal with this. Our youth are dealing with it, I have talked to several who are struggling right now. I deal with it. I want to be completely honest about a topic nobody wants to touch.

Each day will be focused at getting to the root of this sexual sin that has plagued the lives of so many men. This will be an online study, each day the material will be posted. At the end of each day’s posted will be an anonymous comment box. We understand the importance of confidentiality, and how sensitive this subject matter is. We encourage you to use this feedback box, because God can use your honesty to help someone else. This site offers complete confidentiality.

Each day will focus on Scripture. Studies can be helpful, and accountability can help keep you honest, but the only true freedom comes from Christ. Emergency is Christ centered because any real change requires repentance. Repentance can only come from conviction, and that comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.

We will provide you with all of the materials that you need. Our prayer is that God will use this as a tool to draw you closer to Him, and that He will set you free from the bondage of sexual sin.

Please look into this and begin to slay the sin of sexual impurity in your life - NOW!

The Promises Of Psalm 37

Psalm 37 is one that I have read on numerous occasions, but this week it has really been a blessing to me. Normally one will read it as David wrote it, when you are feeling like everyone that is ungodly seem like they are really living large and just skate by, while the Christian seems to always be under attack. So, in Jeffenese, when you are feeling like unbelievers are having a better life than you are and you are wishing you could just knock them down a few rungs on their ladder.

Admittedly I have read this wonderful Psalm that was a few times or ten, but most of the time I do not dwell on the "evildoers" or the wicked that David is speaking of. Believe me, this week has had some "evildoers" surface in my life and I have really prayed for God to rain fire down from Heaven (in a send these people to jail kind of way, not kill them). While I may have initially been drawn to this Psalm for that reason, to be reminded that God will ultimately judge those that sin against His children, I did not stay in this Psalm for that reason.

When I really began to read Psalm 37 this week I began to focus more on God's promises TO me and to His children, not on what the eventual plight of the lost and "evildoers" is. Just look at verses 3-6 Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.Delight yourself also in the LORD,And He shall give you the desires of your heart.Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday. Those promises alone can be dwelt on for hours, if not days. If we simply delight in the Lord, something that any Christian should be doing anyway, He will give us the desires of our heart. And a resounding NO! not that God will give me a new Dodge Challenger or John Deere tractor, but that God will place into our hearts His desires, namely that we rest in Him and delight in His handiwork and His love for us, which is circular actions, they cannot be separated.

Then skip down to verse 11, which Jesus quoted in His Sermon on the Mount. "The meek shall inherit the Earth". Then on to verse 18, The LORD knows the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be forever which is eternity with God. On down to verses 23-26 , which once again show that God will direct His children's paths, and thereby delighting in us in that path. How awesome is that? The God of the Universe, Creator of all things delighting in our path of obedience that He has set before us. That is good stuff right there. And verse 24 lets us know that when we do fall and sin that He still holds us up and sees us through the times when we even might have doubt for whatever reason. This reminds me of Peter when He walked on water, as he took his eyes off of Christ and started to disbelieve Jesus still reached out to him and pulled him back up, refocusing Peter's gaze on Him.

Verses 27-31 are rich in promises that when we turn from evil, stay fixed on the Lord, which is the natural thing for a Christian to do, then we will stay fixed in our walk with Him. Right into verse 34 which promises us that when we wait on God's timing that He will take care of everything for our good. Often times we try to persuade God to do things our way, but that is looking internally instead of looking to Him.

Then skipping to the closing of the Psalm in verses 39-40 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them, because they trust in Him. - Again the promise of God's saving grace, not only in saving us from hell, but also Him saving us from persecution from the evildoers.

So, this Psalm is full of promises to us as believers, not only against persecution and the workers if iniquity, but also promises that stand alone, without contrasting them to the plight of the lost. Sure, David had a lot of enemies and he often called out for God to strike them down, but he also knew that God was in control and was always there directing his path. May this be our joy as well, to totally rest in knowing that God is firmly in control and we need to firmly have the faith that no matter how bad things look or how bad circumstances are that God is bigger than them all and He has you in the palm of His hand and all we need to do is look up and fix our gaze upon Him.

Music: Does It Glorify God If It Is Unintelligible?

Please read the following paragraph before proceeding - if you need help please copy and paste it into the decoder at http://www.edjusticeonline.com/scramble/scramble.html - use 777 as the KEY to unlock the message.

s67 BLO m3 1d_u6 zzu wDgcKX R+mB YF 2i(B dfu Yb4Y OB5X51uf 2Rbe LMGX wgQ771gGb rgU74tm0n i3 haU Mlq@j2 rM% X%aa7I3 pZl ySfm AE96Z-Neu5X k@FB

Also watch the following video before or after reading this post for a little insight into the genre I am talking about


Music…… Some say that it is “just music” without any kind of mental or emotional connection. I think they are sadly mistaken and that music actually can cause certain emotions to be felt and certain moods to be enhanced or even produced. This is most easily proven by simply turning on your TV or watching a movie. The whole program or movie will be filled with music in some sort or fashion. Also notice during the commercials, which are laced with music too. These soundtracks are carefully chosen to illicit certain mental, emotional and psychological reaction. This is also very evident in genres of music, which I want to explore in speaking about “screamo”, “black metal”, “death metal”, “white metal”, “punk” or whatever other moniker is given to it.

Let me first say that I am not anti-music. I happen to love music, all types, all genres, even the music that I will be writing about. I am not out to demean or call these bands spiritual standing into question. I happen to have seen several videos of these performers speaking to their audience about some very sound theological matters. I believe that some of the bands I will discuss are true children of God, but I also believe that some are not, which ones is not for me to decide. I will simply do as scripture dictates and judge with righteous judgment what these bands portray in a public manner. I am not out to attack their Christianity at all. While I am what a lot would called ultra-conservative I am perceived as very liberal by others. My musical choices run from bluegrass to rap to heavy metal, but with the same thing in choosing any along the vastness of my tastes - that they glorify God.

What will be the hotbed of this post is, “What actually glorifies God?” - the music or the people. My number one gripe with this particular genre of music is that you cannot decipher the lyrics on 99% of the songs. The instrumentation seems to be the crux and vocals secondary, but within the same vein. Screaming would be putting it mildly as most of these vocalizations are very different from screams. These are more growls than anything else. I have also heard that this genre of music squeal like a pig or hog, which is present in some that I have heard. What is very disturbing is a lot of these vocalizations sound almost animalistic or demonic, or at least what we perceive as demonic because of our cultural references. I’d like to ask the question, “If you can’t understand what the ‘singer’ is singing, if you must look at the liner notes to follow the message of the song, if someone that did not know that the band professes to be Christians, does it truly glorify God?” Not the group themselves, not their “message” between songs, not their love for the brethren, not that they teach Sunday school, but the music itself - does it glorify God?

This brings me to my next point - The original genre of this music, before it was “Christianized” is very violent and geared toward the young, male that is continually looking for outlets to display their dominance in some form or fashion. This is displayed mostly by the posturing and “dancing” that goes on at live shows as guys strut around, arms flailing, slamming into one another, push each other around and many other things too graphic to mention. With the “Christianization” of this genre it also brought along that angst of testosterone and posturing. I know that “Christianizing” everything in the world happens, it is easy to see all around us, in almost every church building across the globe is the influence of the world. We must come to some kind of understanding of verses like Romans 12:2 , 1 Peter 1:14 and 1 John 2:15 that tell us to not be conformed to this world or to love the things of this world. Of course “things of this world” is a broad stroke and people say that we must use these devices to reach this dark world, that we must “become all things to all men”, which is grossly taking 1 Corinthians 9:21-23 out of its context. I will not delve into how it is taken out of context in this posting, but refer you to the wealth of writing across the web.

The main argument that I have heard in favor of music like this is that it reaches the lost that would otherwise not cross the threshold of a church. Really? So, with that statement I gather that those saying it do not believe n the power of the Holy Spirit to work in someone to draw them and lead them to the gospel. We often times think we must become like something to reach them, which is a false statement. “But those in this subculture will not listen to somebody in a button down, khakis and a tie”. Who says? Also, who says that it must be from someone dressed like that anyway? My normal attire is jeans and a t-shirt and have only worn a tie once in the past 10 years, counting to church. It is this mindset that says that we must “do something” to get someone saved instead of sowing the seed and letting God take care of it. Most people that look at this genre of music from outside of Christianity think of it as a cheap knockoff, just as they do any other genre of music, be it rap, country, bluegrass or rock. They may think that it sounds alright, but they discount it from the get go and if they are duped into attending a concert by one of these bands the first decipherable words they hear that mention God turn them off and they’re out of there.

My final point is another question, “Why does Christianity need this?” Is it because we think that God no longer changes people or pulls them out of these areas? Where is the disconnect between saying that someone who is a thief can be saved but will stop stealing and saying that someone who listens to the secular version of this music will be freed from it as well? Why must there be a transition from indecipherable worldly lyrics to indecipherable “Christian” lyrics? Is God not mighty enough to change the worldly lusts in a person? Why must we (Christians) try to knock off the worlds entertainment with the mindset of it being the only way to reach our dying world? What ever happened to just preaching the Word in season and out of season? Why must we try to make the Gospel, which is offensive, palatable to the world? Must we look like the world to proclaim the Gospel? Do we not want and desire and long for our Home and not for the things of this world?

This goes much deeper than personal tastes in music. My tastes in music changed almost instantly when God saved me. The new heart He gave me did not find joy and happiness in the music I listened to any longer. My old excuse when a false convert of “I only listen to the music, not the lyrics” was burnt up with the fire of God. It is very hard for me to understand how a true child of God can enjoy music that is so blatantly anti-God in lyrical content. My genre choices changed as a result, since my main objective in listening to music is to glorify God, not entertainment, which is secondary. With the indecipherable lyrics, testosterone induced angst and well, indecipherable lyrics I do not see the viability within the Church of this music. Not as entertainment, because you can’t understand it and definitely not as an evangelical tool, because it is an imitation of the worldly music it patterns itself after.

As a side note, God also has dealt with me on lack of lyrical content that glorifies Him with artists and songs within the mainstream of “Contemporary Christian Music”. My blossoming music collection has taken several slices through the years as God prunes certain musicians from my listening. Most of the latest ones are because they are filled with a man centered message, look like the world without God focused lyrics or simply twist the Word for a catchy lyric. Certain groups such as Phillips, Craig and Dean are banned from my ears for good because of their heretical religion of Modalism, even though they sing songs that are sung by other groups. I know their god is not the God of the bible, hence they are very dangerous. I do not actively search out musicians theology, but do take note when I hear them speak and examine their lyrics. After all, shouldn’t we be concerned about what we are putting into our bodies, be it food, entertainment or bad theology? We are concerned more with being physically sick that we are concerned with spiritual sickness. We are too afraid that we will offend someone or be called a Pharisee for questioning something or someone that is blatantly heretical and in need of judging and exposing. If the true followers of Christ would actually stand up for what the Word says then this world might be changed. Instead we try to placate and please everyone else, not step on any toes even when someone says “I’m a Christian” in one breath, but in the next tells of the Mormon god that lives on another planet.

Were you able to read the first paragraph without taking extra steps to decipher? Yeah, I couldn’t either and I know the original text. That is my main point in this posting - even if it is 100% scripture if it is indecipherable does it really glorify God or does it just cause confusion?

Wake up Church! Be different than this lost and dying world! Live boldly for Christ and leave the rest to God. Be Ye Separate and stop trying to be the world to please the world. Be Holy and please God.

Earning Your Way Or Accepting His Gift?

Day 349 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

Winding it down now. My birthday is almost upon me this year, which will finish out this series. What better way to help close it out than by telling a little bit about a place I used to visit when I was younger.

My picture today is of a place that happens to be the same building I used to frequent, but not the same establishment. Back when I would go there to waste time and just hang out it was called "Pete's Place". It was a large pool hall/ game room and I wasted many Saturday nights and many quarters there. I was never good at pool so I mostly played pinball or the newest video games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong or Galaga. I would also play pinball, which I never was good at either, but it was fun as far as I can remember. I'm talking almost 30 years ago and my memory is so shot that I can't even remember what clothes I had on yesterday.

This building now houses "The Pony" with the tag line "The Ultimate Strip Joint". I will not go into much detail, but it is a strip joint. Women take their clothes off and men give them all of their money. It is one of those "wages of sin" things. I have not been to the Pony and never will, unless it is to pass out tracts or pick up someone I know that might need a ride. I wish I could say I never have been in a strip club, but I can't say that.

Speaking of "wages of sin"... Romans 6 tells us about those wages that we earned in our sins. We actually earned our place in hell by our sinfulness. To put that into a better understanding, look at your job, you work and you expect to earn a wage for your labors. Now put that on your sins, laboring in sin to earn death and hell. But that's only the bad news. The Good News is that God has a gift for us, which means it is something that we cannot earn, we cannot deserve it and it is not owed to us for any reason at all on our part. It is a gift, which means something that is given freely regardless of anything we may have done. If it was given to us out of obligation then it would be a payment, which would mean we worked to get that as well, but Paul's language here is wonderful.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

One of those well known verses that people gloss over, but yet so rich in the love of God. Even though I earned my place in hell through my working for damnation, in an ever constant state of rebellion to the God of the universe, He loved me. He gave me the gift of His love, His Son shed His blood for me and granted me the gift of eternal life. Good news indeed.

You know what is sad? That even though I have this free gift, I still try to buy my destruction by sinning against my God. Do you know what else? The gift is unconditional. God gave me something I did not deserve and because He gave it to me, He will never take it back. If He did it would no longer be a gift and instead would become a payment for as long as I was "good". A lot of people call that "once saved always saved" and others call it "perseverance of the saints" I call it amazing.

Have A Drink On Me?

Day 286 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

One of the biggest questions that resounds through out Christendom is, "Is it okay for a Christian to drink alcohol?" Even though it doesn't matter what I say, I'm going to say it anyway. I believe it does align with scripture though, so that's my qualifier.

The first miracle of Jesus that's recorded? Yep, turning water into wine. This is where the questions arise. "Was the wine Jesus produced alcoholic in nature or was it just grape juice?" I have no idea and since I do not have the original text in front of me, nor would I know how to rad and interpret it anyway, I'll just say that it doesn't really matter. I don't think that Jesus turning water into wine is there for us to dissect and try to form some religious dogma around. So many people want to throw this into your face and say, "See! That's the ultimate proof that Jesus said it was ok to drink alcohol". Is that so? I don't read that.

I do, however, believe that drinking alcoholic beverages is perfectly fine for a Christian. Now, I will be called a heretic by some, but wait just a minute. Jesus always addressed the heart issue with everything, so where is your heart in this? Just because the Bible doesn't say "Thou shalt not drink beer" does not give you free reign to get sauced every day. It is one of those "gray areas" of scripture that really is a heart issue to the core.

What is your reason for drinking? Is it to loosen up, to give you a little more freedom with your words, to help you sleep better? If yes to any of those then you are probably sinning. Why? Because you getting drunk, even if it's what you call "a buzz". This is spoken of in scripture in a few places. Ephesians 5:18 tells us point blank to not be drunk. Acts 2:13 when the Holy Spirit descended and signs wee given of that event some said they were drunk, which was derogatory in that they were babbling. Proverbs 20:1 says whoever gets drunk isn't wise. Proverbs 21:17 says wine is a mocker and strong drink a brawler and if you go astray by them you're not wise (you're dumb). Bishops in 1 Timothy 3 are disqualified if they are "given" to wine and deacons "not given to much wine". Titus 1:7 speaks also of overseers of the body and are disqualified if they are drunkards. Continuing in Titus 2 older men are told to be sober and older woman to not be "given to much wine". Rev. 14:8, 10; 16:19; 17:2; 18:3 are all used as analogies about God's wrath, immorality, etc. Luke 7:33-34 records that John the Baptist didn't drink wine, presumably to not taint his image and therefore disqualify him a a speaker for God.

I think, however, that this is actually a Romans 14 issue. Some Christians are perfectly within their right to drink a little wine here and there, it doesn't violate their conscience and therefore is not sin. Others may be heavily burdened by alcohol and therefore it would be sin to them if they drank wine, they would violate their conscience. Where this gets to be the bigger issue is when some flaunt their "freedom" to drink wine and cause strife between "weaker" brothers. Some like to actually say to those that area against drinking that they are sinning for not drinking wine, that it is a "gift" from God and that to not partake of this "gift" is sin. It is almost a bade of honor, "Look, I have total freedom to drink all of this wine and I am not sinning. You are just weak in your faith, weaker than I and this proves it". Now, that is sin. That type of attitude springs forth from the heart as pride, which is sin through and through.

But I only mentioned wine in my comments here. What about the "strong drink"? I gather that whiskey and such were not made at the time scripture was penned, so it is not even mentioned, but the spirit of the message is there. Also, "strong drink" is mentioned almost (if not every time) in a negative tone. Through a little research I found that the "strong drink" mentioned in scripture was probably beer or ale that had a higher alcohol content than wine did.

It all comes back to the heart. What is your motivation for drinking? Why do you desire alcoholic beverages? Can you function without alcohol? Are you defined by your alcoholic beverage? This is not to even mention where you drink alcohol. Do you go to bars or nightclubs? If so, then you have other issues that you might need to self examine about. Do you think yourself more spiritual because you feel free to drink wine or beer? Do you trust your heart to tell you that it's alright to drink beer or wine? Do you or have you scour(ed) scripture to justify the drinking of alcohol? If a "weaker" brother comes over will you flaunt your drink in front of him or will you put it away so it is not even an issue? Wold you drink in front of non-believers and not be convicted that it might hurt their path to salvation as John the Baptist showed?

So, it comes down to more than just being not weak or having "liberty". It always comes back to your motives, which flow from your heart. That is Jesus' point in everything, to point us to how depraved we are and how much we need Him for everything, even our choice of beverages. I'll not condemn someone for drinking a beer every now and then or having a glass of wine with their dinner, but I do think it is not one of those things to be flaunted or bragged about. Do it in your home so it doesn't hinder a brother, your testimony or the Gospel.

This does remind me of joke though:
Q: What's the difference between a Baptist and a Presbyterian?
A: The Presbyterian will say hi to you in the liquor store.
You are now free to laugh.

Just Say No

Day 285 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

I have a sweet tooth. Just wanted to get that out there. So, what does a sweet tooth not agree with? My diet. This makes it very difficult when one of my favorite sweets is in the house, Little Debbie Nutty Bars. This is a test to my flesh, if I give in for a momentary satisfaction or to "just say no". I have determined that just saying no is the way to go. This also is affected by my "big why" in that my "why" for losing weight is much larger than my "why" for wanting to eat a Nutty Bar. Well, a whole box of Nutty Bars.

This is also a struggle in the spiritual realm often for me. Should I really commit that sin of the flesh instead of remaining true to my Lord? Do I really want to defile my Savior for a few moments of fleshly pleasures? Of course the answer is a firm no, so why do we choose to sin anyway? Is it that our flesh is so depraved, even if we are children of God? Is our flesh that in control that we can't say no? Not at all, we say no all the time to sin. In fact if not by the grace of God in any of our lives, saved or not, we would be so heinous that no one would want to be around anyone else. We couldn't have friends, because we would always be trying to steal from them, lie to them and probably kill them. The grace of God that keeps us from doing that is an amazing thing to ponder on for a while.

Just how bad would we be? Would we be bank robber bad? How about murderer bad? How about Hitler bad? I'd say even worse than any of those, because even Hitler had a type of universal grace from God that still withheld his full potential of evil, even though he is often considered the most evil man to have ever lived. Even Satan is restrained to a degree by God's grace. After all in Job we are told that Satan must obtain permission still from God to do anything.

So next time you are set between deciding to sin and deciding to not sin, think of God's grace in your life. Think on Him and His love a perseverance and tolerance of our sins, but not in a way to justify sinning, but in order to show just how much He loves us. That thought would make any true child of God really have to fight to say "yes" to sinning.

Hi - Ho Silver

Day 284 in my "Year In My Life Through Pictures" blog series

I'm sure this coin is worth a few dollars and increasing daily. After all, everything seems to be going up right now, but especially gold and silver. This is due to inflation and the continued decline of the "worth" of the dollar. Many people are turning to precious metals to have something tangible "just in case" in the future.

I was talking this over with a friend at work yesterday and I mentioned that if I had some extra money I would definitely be investing it in gold or silver. He made a very good point that I hope comes out right, because it was great. He said that even gold and silver will not be worth much if and when a financial collapse happens in this country. He gave an example that he would much rather have a chicken than a bar of gold, because no one will really want a bar of gold, but everyone would want a chicken because it is usable. Very good point and put things into a little better perspective for me on the "value" placed on certain things by us humans.

I do for-see a very big financial meltdown, soon. I do have money invested in a 401K that will probably be wiped out and the little bit I earn at work will be worthless then as well. It is a scary thought if you think about how you will learn to survive without relying on money as your means of obtaining goods and services. If/ when our currency collapses what will we use? Gold? Silver? Gas? Anything else that someone puts a value on? All I've got to say is, "I'm not really worried about it".

Not being worried about something as serious as a total change of life for everyone does sound kind of flippant and arrogant, but I know my Source. I know that my Father will supply my needs as He sees fit for what condition He wants to place me in. I may have a totally different lifestyle then, but I will still be resting in the knowledge that God is in full control and nothing is taking Him by surprise.

Too many people want to place their hope and life in the money that is in their bank account. The more money they make the happier they are, or seemingly happy they are. I'm sure someone that strives for more money is really feeling down about now. They are putting their hope in an inanimate object that scripture calls the love of as the root of all kinds of evil. The large bank account they have worked so hard for, given up valuable time with their family for will be wiped out and they will be devastated. Their reason for living will be lost, to amass as much money as possible. Where will they turn then? Maybe a some will see the error in their ways and repent and turn to God as their supply, but I would chance to say that most will be shaking their fist at God and telling Him that He allowed them to go broke. Some may even resort to suicide because their whole reason for living will be gone.

We have to watch in our lives for the idols that seem to sneak in. This can be any number of things from people, jobs, a hobby, TV, the internet, your children or anything else that is elevated above God. We must be constantly aware of how depraved we are and how easily we turn our gaze from Christ. We have the greatest Treasure and we often times want to trade Him for temporal things that hold no eternal value and will be gone one day. We must cling to our Savior and resist our flesh to build idols in our life that distracts us. Focus is the key. Focus on Christ. Gaze upon Him every waking moment and commune with Him constantly. Do not give room for anything to wedge in between you and Him even a little. Call out to God to strengthen you for this and to burden your conscience if something does creep in unnoticed,

God alone is worthy of our praise.