I'm sure I don't have the highest IQ around, but I've noticed a sad trend just in my lifetime, and looking back over history, I see it has been a trend for a long time: getting our morals and belief system from society, even Christians.
Somehow, somewhere along the line, society has become our moral compass of what is right and normal. Sometimes it is nothing major or damning, and other times it is.
There was a day people would have gotten in trouble for dressing (or undressing) as much as we do today, and sadly Christians have tagged along. The world is doing it, so they do it.
There was a day that people who struggled with same sex attractions hid it. Now they march in parades in major cities, showing their pride in their sin. (And for the record, no one should have to fear confessing that struggle, but it should be met with compassion and encouragement to change, not a blanket accepting that will help send them to hell)
There was a day that killing a baby in the womb was considered wrong, immoral, and murder. Now, is legal, defended, and a "right."
There was a day that women who dressed like men and men who dressed like women were considered an abomination. Now, it is discouraged to get rid of the differences between men and women and for is to all be one gender.
The problem with ignoring the Bible and twisting Scripture to fit society's definitions of what is OK and normal, is that society is always changing, and depending on where and when you live, the norm can be different.
There have been civilizations in the past and even now, where sex between adults and little kids has been encouraged, considered OK and normal......so is it OK and normal? If you're reading this, you're probably feeling revulsion at the very idea....... but what if it becomes legal here? People never thought abortion and homosexuality would become accepted and defended as they are. We are bigoted, hateful, and intolerant for standing against them, for daring to go with what God says about them, instead of what modern America says about them...... and it could happen here, will most likely happen some day if this nation continues to cast God aside and let the immoral dictate to us. I just read an article that said there is already a push on by some people to make pedophilia a protected class, to consider it normal...... I don't think its a matter of IF, but WHEN that will happen.
There have been civilizations in the past, and now, where child sacrifice was encouraged, was OK, normal, and required. We already have that. We call it abortion, but it is child sacrifice. Babies being sacrificed on the altar of "women's rights." The day will come when euthanasia will be normal, OK, and defended..... once a nation starts down the slippery slope, there is no stopping it. We already kill the most innocent of lives, and those who stand against it are hated and ridiculed. The day will come when we euthanize those who are considered useless and a drain on society: the ill, the elderly. Again, it isn't IF, but WHEN.
There are other sinful practices that would make us cringe in revulsion, but have been accepted at different times through the years by different civilizations and society. Why are we repulsed? Because OUR country and society still says they are wrong and not normal.
It is time we take the Bible out and go back to what God says. It is time the Christians get a backbone and stand against what the Bible says is wrong. It is time we quit trying to make our religion and belief system fit with society's definition of what is OK and normal.
It is time we call homosexuality what it is: sin, immoral, and wrong.
It is time we call abortion what it is: murder
It is time we call couples living together and having sex before marriage what it is: sin and immoral
It is time we quit voting for candidates who cheer on and further the causes of sins like abortion and homosexuality
It is time we stop letting society define what we believe, and time we really lived as Christians, not as Christians "lite", just blending in with the world and being a few years behind what they are doing.
It isn't the world's fault we are in the mess we are in. It is ours, the Christians, for being silent, for not standing for what is right, for not standing against godless politicians who further the cause of sin, but voting for and supporting them, and while doing so, helping to further the sinful causes of abortion, homosexuality, and other immorality.
Its time we quit playing at being Christians, and really become Christians who live by the Bible, and instead of ignoring, twisting, and wiggling around verses that are too radical for today's society, become radical. Let's take our country back.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
The ironies of abortion
There are some ironies in abortion that I have noticed. You could even call them hypocritical:
1) The same woman who would scream, curse, and go after the father of her baby if he doesn't do anything to support the baby financially, will give the father no rights if she decides to kill the baby. Its his baby too...... he should have a choice in the matter, but he doesn't. He only matters if she gives birth. Then she wants him involved.
2) If the mother wants the baby dead, and has it killed, its protected and cheered on by the liberals. However.... if someone causes injury so the baby dies, it is murder. If the mother is killed and the baby dies, it is 2 murders.... that "blob of tissue" suddenly becomes a baby if someone else causes its death..... weird how that works......
3) I'm not sure of the age of the baby, but at some point a baby that dies in the womb is required by law to have a burial......yet at whatever age that is, the mother could have it killed and its flushed or thrown a dumpster....... whatever that age, mothers who abort their kids should be subjected to the same laws for burial.
4) Choice. How ironic. The only choice the abortion industry and those who support it want, is death for the baby. They never encourage the mother to have the baby, they want it killed.... if the baby is born, the abortion industry doesn't get money....... and money is what its all about. The woman made her choice when she had sex without birth control. After she made that choice, she shouldn't have one.
5) Its the woman's body.......uh, not its not. Her body is carrying another, an innocent baby she wants rid of because she's selfish and doesn't want responsibility for her actions. Abortion has nothing to do with the woman's body. She walks off unscathed physically... in most cases, though not always emotionally. Its the baby whose body is mutilated and torn apart.
6) The abortion industry began in America because of racism. The leader of the movement wanted less black babies, so she fought to get support for abortion so they could kill of more of the black population...... and those same black people vote for pro-abortion candidates in droves..... how ironic.
1) The same woman who would scream, curse, and go after the father of her baby if he doesn't do anything to support the baby financially, will give the father no rights if she decides to kill the baby. Its his baby too...... he should have a choice in the matter, but he doesn't. He only matters if she gives birth. Then she wants him involved.
2) If the mother wants the baby dead, and has it killed, its protected and cheered on by the liberals. However.... if someone causes injury so the baby dies, it is murder. If the mother is killed and the baby dies, it is 2 murders.... that "blob of tissue" suddenly becomes a baby if someone else causes its death..... weird how that works......
3) I'm not sure of the age of the baby, but at some point a baby that dies in the womb is required by law to have a burial......yet at whatever age that is, the mother could have it killed and its flushed or thrown a dumpster....... whatever that age, mothers who abort their kids should be subjected to the same laws for burial.
4) Choice. How ironic. The only choice the abortion industry and those who support it want, is death for the baby. They never encourage the mother to have the baby, they want it killed.... if the baby is born, the abortion industry doesn't get money....... and money is what its all about. The woman made her choice when she had sex without birth control. After she made that choice, she shouldn't have one.
5) Its the woman's body.......uh, not its not. Her body is carrying another, an innocent baby she wants rid of because she's selfish and doesn't want responsibility for her actions. Abortion has nothing to do with the woman's body. She walks off unscathed physically... in most cases, though not always emotionally. Its the baby whose body is mutilated and torn apart.
6) The abortion industry began in America because of racism. The leader of the movement wanted less black babies, so she fought to get support for abortion so they could kill of more of the black population...... and those same black people vote for pro-abortion candidates in droves..... how ironic.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Songs That Impact Me #5: No Limit to His Love by Jeff & Sheri Easter
The message in this song is something else I need reminded of: there really is no limit to His love.... even for me. The devil has done his best over the years to convince me otherwise, and I feel like I am in Kindergarten in "getting it" about how true this song is, but I am thankful for it. This was the only version of it on YouTube, and the person who uploaded it stuck another song on at the end.
No Limit to His Love by Jeff & Sheri Easter with Karen Peck Gooch
It really doesn’t matter, how unworthy you have been
His forgiveness is forever, and can reach the deepest sin
If you’ll just come believing in God’s redeeming love
You’ll find there is no limit to His Love
His Grace is never-ending, His mercy never fails
Through all the storms you’ll ever face, His Power will prevail
His peace is overflowing, with hope for all who come
And find there is no limit to His love
When friends have turned against you, and you face your darkest night
Remember He is faithful, and can be your guiding light
His strength will be sufficient, when yours is not enough
You’ll find there is no limit to His love
His Grace is never-ending, His mercy never fails
Through all the storms you’ll ever face, His Power will prevail
His peace is overflowing, with hope for all who come
And find there is no limit to His love
No Limit to His Love by Jeff & Sheri Easter with Karen Peck Gooch
It really doesn’t matter, how unworthy you have been
His forgiveness is forever, and can reach the deepest sin
If you’ll just come believing in God’s redeeming love
You’ll find there is no limit to His Love
His Grace is never-ending, His mercy never fails
Through all the storms you’ll ever face, His Power will prevail
His peace is overflowing, with hope for all who come
And find there is no limit to His love
When friends have turned against you, and you face your darkest night
Remember He is faithful, and can be your guiding light
His strength will be sufficient, when yours is not enough
You’ll find there is no limit to His love
His Grace is never-ending, His mercy never fails
Through all the storms you’ll ever face, His Power will prevail
His peace is overflowing, with hope for all who come
And find there is no limit to His love
Blending in, or being separate?
Disclaimer: These are some rambling thoughts from concern from what I see, and concern I be all that I should be, something I feel far from being. My statements may seem radical, but I believe are Biblical.... at least for the most part :-)
The Bible commands us to be in the world, but not of the world, to come out and be separate. The same Bible says this is a narrow way, to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
The separation thing can be taken to extremes. The Amish are a good example of that. Too many rules, too much focus on the outward, too much separation. If we are too separate from the world, and are too much of an oddity, how will be reach the world?
My church focuses a lot on outward stuff. Some "stuff" that I don't think is necessary, but I like my church for the most part, and I like my pastor. We may be too extreme on some things, but that doesn't mean I need to do everything the church says...... I'm more concerned with what God wants out of me.
We can get too extreme, have too many rules about outward....... but we can also go to extremes in the other direction..... and go with the idea that we are not under the law, but under grace, so we can do anything....... but can we? Yes, there is a danger of going to extremes in how we look and what we do.....in both ways.
Look at the church today. There is hardly any difference in Christians and non-Christians. We go the same places the world goes, talk like the world, vote like the world, dress - or undress - like the world..... how are we different? Must there be a chapter and verse for everything? Though that doesn't seem to matter. We have become masters of reasoning around Scripture to make it say what we want. It can be in black and white and many Christians go around it...... want an example? I'll give one:
1 Corinthians 11:14 says it is a shame for a man to have long hair, but people will argue til they are blue in the face. My favorite argument: "Well, Jesus had long hair" "How do you know?" "The pictures have Him with long hair".
I'm not going to argue about the verse, but if we believe all Scripture is given and inspired by God, then why not take that verse at face value? A popular argument is that it was a problem in that day and Paul was addressing a group of people.... know who else uses that argument? People trying to get past homosexuality being wrong......
What bothers me, is why do so many of us try to get by with as little as we can? Why do we get as close to the edge, try to live as close to the world as we can? Are we trying to be separate, or trying to blend in?
Here are some areas we all need to be more careful in:
1) Modesty. This can be taken too far, and we can argue about what modesty is and what it isn't. The Bible does say we should not do anything to offend our brother, and that can be taken to extremes, but dressing immodestly is one way to do that. A lot of modesty talk is aimed at women, and though men need to be careful, there is a reason for that: Men are more visually stimulated than women. More men than women are addicted to pornography, and more men than women fall into sexual temptation.
I'm disgusted when I see wedding and prom pictures. Why do Christian women want to wear strapless gowns and show off their breasts? How is that modest? And what man in his right mind wants his wife or daughter to show that much of her body? Why doesn't the groom dress that way? Why isn't he showing off his chest?
I'm not saying we have to have sleeves to our wrist and collars to our chin, but why do we want to undress as much as the world? How would you want a woman dressed that was going to be working around your husband every day.... would you really want her breasts hanging out? The very reason for showing cleavage is to draw attention to the breasts.... whose attention? Men's of course.... The very reason for wearing mini skirts or short shorts is to show off the leg.... to who? Men, unless you're a lesbian......
I don't understand fathers who allow their young daughters to dress like sluts and send them out with hormonal teenage boys...... and then they are surprised when the girls get pregnant? And no... clothes won't always stop that, but come on..... if a girl is dressed scantily with a teenage boy thinking about sex, is it going to help him or stop him?
I have no desire to see arm pits, legs up to the panty line, or cleavage...... so why do women want to show it? They grumble if a man's butt crack is showing, and would be horrified if his genitals were showing, but yet it is OK for their breasts to be showing, or part of them? Just think of men's butt cracks as our cleavage....... :-)
Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, had these guidelines for his 5 daughters. I think they are excellent for men or women:
1. If you have trouble getting into it or out of it, it is probably not modest.
2. If you have to be careful when you sit down or bend over, it is probably not modest.
3. If people look at any part of your body before looking at your face, it is probably not modest.
4. If you can see your most private body parts or an outline of those parts under the fabric, it is probably not modest.
2) What we listen to. Martin Luther said music is next to theology in importance. I don't know if he is correct, but it is important. What we listen to will affect us. I am amazed at how many Christians don't seem to care what they listen to, or who.
I grew up in a church that preached against secular music.... other than classical. I never got that... but maybe its because I am not a classical music fan. I disagree anyway. Secular music in and of itself is not bad, though I do believe there is a lot of music and artists Christians shouldn't listen to because of content, and what the artist stands for. Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Lady Gaga are good examples...... why would any Christian want to listen to them?
I asked a question once on Facebook that about got me lynched. I had noticed a lot of my Christian friends had secular bands listed as favorites, but hardly any Christian groups. I simply wondered aloud about it, and wow..... good thing lynchings are illegal.
I like country music, but not all. I have exactly 7000 songs on my Ipod/ITunes at the moment. Of those 7000, 271 are secular/Country. Of those 271, I actually listen to about 45 of them. The songs I like are clean, not the cheating and drinking songs. Songs like "Grandpa Tell Me About The Good Old Days", "Live Like You're Dying", etc..... but even at that, I rarely listen to them. As a Christian, I don't want a steady diet of non-Christian music. This may sound like a criticism or judgment, but I don't mean it to be. I don't understand why any Christian wouldn't want to primarily listen to Christian music.... it is encouraging, can draw us to God, help our focus be where it can be....... if you're on your way to a job interview, wanting God's help, which is better to be listening to, "Your cheating heart will tell on you, or Christ-centered music.
When I listen to secular music, there is something missing. It doesn't draw me. Even at my worst times spiritually, Christian music drew me, it was what I wanted to listen to, and I am thankful for that. It is probably one thing that has kept me from wandering too far.
There is such a wide variety of music available on the Christian market, there is no excuse for a Christian not listening to Christian music...... sure, there are some genre's and artists even there I wouldn't let my kids listen to, if I had kids, but whatever you like in the secular market can most likely be found on the Christian market. There should be some songs and artists Christians don't listen to...... just because the world likes it, doesn't mean we should.
3) Voting. Yeah, I have to get political. I am amazed at the amount of Christians who vote for pro-abortion candidates and pro-gay marriage candidates. The Bible clearly states homosexuality is wrong, and it should be obvious what God would think of abortion....... yet they keep voting for them. Oh, they have excuses. "Its a law, we can't do anything now", "it will never get overturned, so why vote for a pro-life candidate"...... and my favorite: "Its better than them getting it down in an alley with a coat hanger".
There is debate and even books about how Jesus would vote..... well, I can guarantee He wouldn't vote for anyone fighting for causes that the Bible says is wrong. He would not vote for a pro-abortion candidate, for all life is precious to Him. He would not vote for a pro-gay marriage candidate, for though he loves gay people too, He ordained marriage as between a man and woman and said homosexuality is a sin.... but Christians ignore all that and vote Democrat....... the party that is all for killing the most innocent of lives - babies in the womb. God should influence how we vote.
4) What we view. I was raised that TV and movies are wrong and should not be viewed. Once I started thinking for myself, I realized that isn't necessarily the case. It isn't the media that is wrong, but what is on it. I think we'd all be better off without TV, unless it is closely monitored and doesn't control our lives and time. But if we are going to view it and/or movies, we should be careful what we view and what we let our kids watch.
It is shocking how many TV shows and movies that are aimed at teenagers, have teens having sex, partying, and drinking...... parents let their kids watch that junk, then are surprised when that is what their kids do. If there is a TV and movies in the home, Christians need to be careful what they view, and how much..... a steady diet of movies and TV isn't healthy, no matter what, especially if it is pushing God out. We can't take junk in and not expect it to influence us spiritually. It will. We can't watch everything the world watches.
There are a lot of good, clean movies out there, Christian and non-Christian. Some Christian movies can be cheesy, but there are still a lot, and we should support them when we can.
The onset of the internet has brought a whole new development to the table.. we cannot be too careful with this wonderful, yet dangerous tool. It has the potential for so much good....... yet so much bad. I've read the statistics on porn searches, and the amount of money made from those places, and its staggering........ yet there is so much good too. Its just another area Christians need to be careful in.
5) What we read: This kind of falls into viewing, but different also. Again, I have been surprised at how many Christians, especially fiction readers, who rarely read Christian fiction. That doesn't make anyone a bad Christian, but there is so many good books available on the Christian market, and all kinds of genre's: suspense, romance, historical, western, science fiction... its all there. When I do read a secular book, its like something is missing. Jesus isn't presented as the solution for anything..... plus the language and sex, though language is creeping into the Christian books. Sad.
6) How we talk. There are few of us who couldn't be more careful in this area. We toss around slang words, that if you looked up are just substitutes for worse words..... yet we use them regularly. Look up "Gee"..... almost any dictionary, maybe all dictionaries, will say it is a euphemism for Jesus....... draw your own conclusions, but I've drawn mine.
Its so easy to let the world rub off on us in how we talk, what we talk about, who we talk about....... but is God pleased? Do we ever talk to Him and seek His will on our talk? The Bible addresses it, so it must be important to Him. We are not the world, we shouldn't talk like them.
This is not meant to be a harsh blog post. I have been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching lately. I have come to the place where I believe no church should tell its people what to wear, what to listen to, etc, yet I see the other extreme where people are no different in the world in how they live as Christians, and I don't want that extreme either.
I don't know the where the verse is, but Paul said something like "all things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable". There may be a ton of things we can't find a chapter and verse for, but are they things that will help, or hinder us as Christians. Are they things they will help our witness, or hurt it. Are they things that will make someone stumble?
Getting to Heaven is the most important thing that there is. Pleasing God should be our ultimate and most important goal in life. If we truly love God, we aren't going to live as close to the world as we can. We won't reason around verses to see how much we can get away with...... we should seek His will in all we do: How we dress, what we view, listen to, read, how we talk........ we should be different than the world. Its Biblical. May God help me to seek His will in all areas of my life, and not live for myself and my desires.
The Bible commands us to be in the world, but not of the world, to come out and be separate. The same Bible says this is a narrow way, to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
The separation thing can be taken to extremes. The Amish are a good example of that. Too many rules, too much focus on the outward, too much separation. If we are too separate from the world, and are too much of an oddity, how will be reach the world?
My church focuses a lot on outward stuff. Some "stuff" that I don't think is necessary, but I like my church for the most part, and I like my pastor. We may be too extreme on some things, but that doesn't mean I need to do everything the church says...... I'm more concerned with what God wants out of me.
We can get too extreme, have too many rules about outward....... but we can also go to extremes in the other direction..... and go with the idea that we are not under the law, but under grace, so we can do anything....... but can we? Yes, there is a danger of going to extremes in how we look and what we do.....in both ways.
Look at the church today. There is hardly any difference in Christians and non-Christians. We go the same places the world goes, talk like the world, vote like the world, dress - or undress - like the world..... how are we different? Must there be a chapter and verse for everything? Though that doesn't seem to matter. We have become masters of reasoning around Scripture to make it say what we want. It can be in black and white and many Christians go around it...... want an example? I'll give one:
1 Corinthians 11:14 says it is a shame for a man to have long hair, but people will argue til they are blue in the face. My favorite argument: "Well, Jesus had long hair" "How do you know?" "The pictures have Him with long hair".
I'm not going to argue about the verse, but if we believe all Scripture is given and inspired by God, then why not take that verse at face value? A popular argument is that it was a problem in that day and Paul was addressing a group of people.... know who else uses that argument? People trying to get past homosexuality being wrong......
What bothers me, is why do so many of us try to get by with as little as we can? Why do we get as close to the edge, try to live as close to the world as we can? Are we trying to be separate, or trying to blend in?
Here are some areas we all need to be more careful in:
1) Modesty. This can be taken too far, and we can argue about what modesty is and what it isn't. The Bible does say we should not do anything to offend our brother, and that can be taken to extremes, but dressing immodestly is one way to do that. A lot of modesty talk is aimed at women, and though men need to be careful, there is a reason for that: Men are more visually stimulated than women. More men than women are addicted to pornography, and more men than women fall into sexual temptation.
I'm disgusted when I see wedding and prom pictures. Why do Christian women want to wear strapless gowns and show off their breasts? How is that modest? And what man in his right mind wants his wife or daughter to show that much of her body? Why doesn't the groom dress that way? Why isn't he showing off his chest?
I'm not saying we have to have sleeves to our wrist and collars to our chin, but why do we want to undress as much as the world? How would you want a woman dressed that was going to be working around your husband every day.... would you really want her breasts hanging out? The very reason for showing cleavage is to draw attention to the breasts.... whose attention? Men's of course.... The very reason for wearing mini skirts or short shorts is to show off the leg.... to who? Men, unless you're a lesbian......
I don't understand fathers who allow their young daughters to dress like sluts and send them out with hormonal teenage boys...... and then they are surprised when the girls get pregnant? And no... clothes won't always stop that, but come on..... if a girl is dressed scantily with a teenage boy thinking about sex, is it going to help him or stop him?
I have no desire to see arm pits, legs up to the panty line, or cleavage...... so why do women want to show it? They grumble if a man's butt crack is showing, and would be horrified if his genitals were showing, but yet it is OK for their breasts to be showing, or part of them? Just think of men's butt cracks as our cleavage....... :-)
Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, had these guidelines for his 5 daughters. I think they are excellent for men or women:
1. If you have trouble getting into it or out of it, it is probably not modest.
2. If you have to be careful when you sit down or bend over, it is probably not modest.
3. If people look at any part of your body before looking at your face, it is probably not modest.
4. If you can see your most private body parts or an outline of those parts under the fabric, it is probably not modest.
2) What we listen to. Martin Luther said music is next to theology in importance. I don't know if he is correct, but it is important. What we listen to will affect us. I am amazed at how many Christians don't seem to care what they listen to, or who.
I grew up in a church that preached against secular music.... other than classical. I never got that... but maybe its because I am not a classical music fan. I disagree anyway. Secular music in and of itself is not bad, though I do believe there is a lot of music and artists Christians shouldn't listen to because of content, and what the artist stands for. Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Lady Gaga are good examples...... why would any Christian want to listen to them?
I asked a question once on Facebook that about got me lynched. I had noticed a lot of my Christian friends had secular bands listed as favorites, but hardly any Christian groups. I simply wondered aloud about it, and wow..... good thing lynchings are illegal.
I like country music, but not all. I have exactly 7000 songs on my Ipod/ITunes at the moment. Of those 7000, 271 are secular/Country. Of those 271, I actually listen to about 45 of them. The songs I like are clean, not the cheating and drinking songs. Songs like "Grandpa Tell Me About The Good Old Days", "Live Like You're Dying", etc..... but even at that, I rarely listen to them. As a Christian, I don't want a steady diet of non-Christian music. This may sound like a criticism or judgment, but I don't mean it to be. I don't understand why any Christian wouldn't want to primarily listen to Christian music.... it is encouraging, can draw us to God, help our focus be where it can be....... if you're on your way to a job interview, wanting God's help, which is better to be listening to, "Your cheating heart will tell on you, or Christ-centered music.
When I listen to secular music, there is something missing. It doesn't draw me. Even at my worst times spiritually, Christian music drew me, it was what I wanted to listen to, and I am thankful for that. It is probably one thing that has kept me from wandering too far.
There is such a wide variety of music available on the Christian market, there is no excuse for a Christian not listening to Christian music...... sure, there are some genre's and artists even there I wouldn't let my kids listen to, if I had kids, but whatever you like in the secular market can most likely be found on the Christian market. There should be some songs and artists Christians don't listen to...... just because the world likes it, doesn't mean we should.
3) Voting. Yeah, I have to get political. I am amazed at the amount of Christians who vote for pro-abortion candidates and pro-gay marriage candidates. The Bible clearly states homosexuality is wrong, and it should be obvious what God would think of abortion....... yet they keep voting for them. Oh, they have excuses. "Its a law, we can't do anything now", "it will never get overturned, so why vote for a pro-life candidate"...... and my favorite: "Its better than them getting it down in an alley with a coat hanger".
There is debate and even books about how Jesus would vote..... well, I can guarantee He wouldn't vote for anyone fighting for causes that the Bible says is wrong. He would not vote for a pro-abortion candidate, for all life is precious to Him. He would not vote for a pro-gay marriage candidate, for though he loves gay people too, He ordained marriage as between a man and woman and said homosexuality is a sin.... but Christians ignore all that and vote Democrat....... the party that is all for killing the most innocent of lives - babies in the womb. God should influence how we vote.
4) What we view. I was raised that TV and movies are wrong and should not be viewed. Once I started thinking for myself, I realized that isn't necessarily the case. It isn't the media that is wrong, but what is on it. I think we'd all be better off without TV, unless it is closely monitored and doesn't control our lives and time. But if we are going to view it and/or movies, we should be careful what we view and what we let our kids watch.
It is shocking how many TV shows and movies that are aimed at teenagers, have teens having sex, partying, and drinking...... parents let their kids watch that junk, then are surprised when that is what their kids do. If there is a TV and movies in the home, Christians need to be careful what they view, and how much..... a steady diet of movies and TV isn't healthy, no matter what, especially if it is pushing God out. We can't take junk in and not expect it to influence us spiritually. It will. We can't watch everything the world watches.
There are a lot of good, clean movies out there, Christian and non-Christian. Some Christian movies can be cheesy, but there are still a lot, and we should support them when we can.
The onset of the internet has brought a whole new development to the table.. we cannot be too careful with this wonderful, yet dangerous tool. It has the potential for so much good....... yet so much bad. I've read the statistics on porn searches, and the amount of money made from those places, and its staggering........ yet there is so much good too. Its just another area Christians need to be careful in.
5) What we read: This kind of falls into viewing, but different also. Again, I have been surprised at how many Christians, especially fiction readers, who rarely read Christian fiction. That doesn't make anyone a bad Christian, but there is so many good books available on the Christian market, and all kinds of genre's: suspense, romance, historical, western, science fiction... its all there. When I do read a secular book, its like something is missing. Jesus isn't presented as the solution for anything..... plus the language and sex, though language is creeping into the Christian books. Sad.
6) How we talk. There are few of us who couldn't be more careful in this area. We toss around slang words, that if you looked up are just substitutes for worse words..... yet we use them regularly. Look up "Gee"..... almost any dictionary, maybe all dictionaries, will say it is a euphemism for Jesus....... draw your own conclusions, but I've drawn mine.
Its so easy to let the world rub off on us in how we talk, what we talk about, who we talk about....... but is God pleased? Do we ever talk to Him and seek His will on our talk? The Bible addresses it, so it must be important to Him. We are not the world, we shouldn't talk like them.
This is not meant to be a harsh blog post. I have been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching lately. I have come to the place where I believe no church should tell its people what to wear, what to listen to, etc, yet I see the other extreme where people are no different in the world in how they live as Christians, and I don't want that extreme either.
I don't know the where the verse is, but Paul said something like "all things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable". There may be a ton of things we can't find a chapter and verse for, but are they things that will help, or hinder us as Christians. Are they things they will help our witness, or hurt it. Are they things that will make someone stumble?
Getting to Heaven is the most important thing that there is. Pleasing God should be our ultimate and most important goal in life. If we truly love God, we aren't going to live as close to the world as we can. We won't reason around verses to see how much we can get away with...... we should seek His will in all we do: How we dress, what we view, listen to, read, how we talk........ we should be different than the world. Its Biblical. May God help me to seek His will in all areas of my life, and not live for myself and my desires.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Songs That Impact Me #4: Tell Your Heart to Beat Again by Phillips, Craig, and Dean
Maybe I'm the only person who, after messing up or falling, has a hard time believing I'm totally forgiven..... this song addresses that. We are forgiven, we need to live like it, and let our heart beat again. A simple message, but I am one who needs it.
Tell Your Heart to Beat Again by Phillips, Craig, and Dean
Forgiven
If only you’d forgive yourself
You’ve been made new
But you’re standing where you fell
Because when you look in the mirror
It seems like all you ever see
Are the scars of every failure
And the you that you used to be
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Forgiven
Just let that word wash over you
It’s all right now
Love’s healing hands have pulled you through
So, get back up and take step one
And now you’re new life has begun
And know that if the Son has set you free
Then you are free indeed!
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Hope is reaching from a rugged cross
Where a perfect love recaptured all the innocence that’s lost
And mercy’s calling from an empty grave
So lift your eyes to heaven
And hear your Savior say
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Tell Your Heart to Beat Again by Phillips, Craig, and Dean
Forgiven
If only you’d forgive yourself
You’ve been made new
But you’re standing where you fell
Because when you look in the mirror
It seems like all you ever see
Are the scars of every failure
And the you that you used to be
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Forgiven
Just let that word wash over you
It’s all right now
Love’s healing hands have pulled you through
So, get back up and take step one
And now you’re new life has begun
And know that if the Son has set you free
Then you are free indeed!
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Hope is reaching from a rugged cross
Where a perfect love recaptured all the innocence that’s lost
And mercy’s calling from an empty grave
So lift your eyes to heaven
And hear your Savior say
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
You’ll live to love another day
Yesterday’s a closing door
And you don’t live there anymore
So say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Monday, July 22, 2013
Songs That Impact me #3: When He Saved Me by the Booth Brothers
My favorite group is the Booth Brothers, a southern gospel trio comprised of two brothers, Michael and Ronnie Booth, tenor and lead, respectfully, and Jim Brady who rounds out the group as baritone. I like about anything they do, but this is one of my favorite songs. Overall, it is a great song, but what grabs me is the first verse, and specifically the third line: "I see Him excited to forgive us." It may seem like an elementary thing, but the idea of God being excited to forgive me was a foreign idea to me. I always felt I had to beg, plead, and convince God to forgive..... yet, isn't that the very message of the prodigal son story? God running to meet us when we come back to Him?
When He Saved Me by the Booth Brothers
I don’t believe He’s sitting up in Heaven
Evaluating sinners by their scars
But I see Him excited to forgive us
And it’s not at all in spite of who we are
Chorus:
When He saved me He knew
What I had done, what I would do
He looked beyond the worst in me
And saw not what I was, He saw what I could be
He looked at all the broken scattered pieces
And made a brand new vessel of my life
Every day possibility increases
‘Cause he placed me in a dream that never dies
Bridge:
And though I was a sinner, the Savior heard my cry
His mercy came and rescued me, He did not pass me by
When He Saved Me by the Booth Brothers
I don’t believe He’s sitting up in Heaven
Evaluating sinners by their scars
But I see Him excited to forgive us
And it’s not at all in spite of who we are
Chorus:
When He saved me He knew
What I had done, what I would do
He looked beyond the worst in me
And saw not what I was, He saw what I could be
He looked at all the broken scattered pieces
And made a brand new vessel of my life
Every day possibility increases
‘Cause he placed me in a dream that never dies
Bridge:
And though I was a sinner, the Savior heard my cry
His mercy came and rescued me, He did not pass me by
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Songs that impact me #2: Your Grace Is Enough by Chris Tomlin
My first love musically is Southern Gospel. I have far more SG CDs and songs on my Ipod than any other genre', but I do listen to other kinds of music. This is one of my favorite non-SG songs. It is just a message I need to hear often. For more than one reason, I have struggled for years to grasp this concept. A song is a great way to be reminded that His grace is enough for even me.
Your Grace Is Enough
Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Great is Your love and justice God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me [x2]
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God I see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough for me
For me
Your Grace Is Enough
Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Great is Your love and justice God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me [x2]
So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise
Oh God
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me
Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God I see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough for me
For me
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