First real post in a while
Hello.
Still job hunting. If you live in the Montgomery area and know of anything, be sure to pass along anything you hear about. Anyways, I just got my last paycheck from Home Depot and I have some money for now. That will float me till I get a job.
During my free time this summer, I want to do some writing. I know I can write. At the moment I'm considering just what direction I should take it. Being a Bible major, religious topics come to mind of course. However, my perspective on the religious may be too controversial. Why? Because my insight is surpassed by my tendency to be critical. For someone who has been called the nicest guy people have ever met, I sure can be negative about what other people are doing. Fault-finding is one of my weaknesses. Ha ha, even now I'm finding fault with myself. You see now a hint of the extent of my sinful nature.
And yet...I see things, and they bother me. Am I really being too negative, or is it possible that I really am just observing the facts? Perhaps I should give you, the reader, an example of some of my rough thoughts on today's Christianity in our western culture. Be sure to share your responses. I truly want to know if I'm fit to write on things like this or not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A preacher comes to speak for a group of people. Perhaps he introduces himself by saying how much he loves the Bible and perhaps even has the audience stand for the reading of God's Word. So far, so good.
But then...once he's past the reading, he never comes back to it. Within moments, the preacher has blasted off into orbit. He may not touch his Scripture passage again for the rest of the message. He starts off with jokes. He moves on to telling various stories, then proceeds to hammer on some particular moral, social, or cultural issue that he feels the need to address. Next, he offers some illustrations, usually depicting that issue in a way that causes the audience to be disgusted, embarrassed, or shocked. Finally, he then caps it all off with a sad story, and asks if anyone has felt the Lord tug at their heart about making a decision for Christ, whether it be salvation or rededication of one's life, and then commands them to come to the altar or pray in their seat about it. If he is a good speaker, perhaps many come down the aisles, maybe even weeping over something they have done. If he is a really good speaker, people will still talk about the sermon for weeks to come. They will say he is a great preacher.
In my heart, I fear he is a great psychological manipulator. Why? Because he did not preach the Bible. Passion, enthusiasm, charisma, and and alliteration cannot replace content. Jokes and stories have their place, but I am not impressed or amused by preaching pyrotechnics. Your sad story is not God moving me, it is your pathetic attempt to manipulate my emotions.
Furthermore, I can quote plenty of Bible passages to support my argument.
Nehemiah 8:1-9 (I left out verses 4 and 7 for brevity's sake)
(1) And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
(2) And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
(3) And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
(5) And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
(6) And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
(8) So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
(9) And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
When Ezra preached to the people, the purpose was for them to understand what God said. I believe that this is the primary purpose of preaching under which all of the teachings of Christianity are to fall, including the gospel. Notice that though the people stood for half the day, they were not bored. They were greatly moved. Why? Because on that day, they experienced God.
Here's another passage, this time from the New Testament.
2Timothy 4:2-4
(2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
(4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Verse 2 is simple--Preach the Word. I don't think there's anyway you can misunderstand that. Preaching time is not story time or joke time. It is the time that people learn what God has said.
I fear that too many people in our western culture have given up the solid teaching of God's Word in favor of speakers who cater to their opinions on popular issues. Both liberal and conservative churches alike are guilty. Their main focus is on issues like abortion, euthanasia, and gay marriage. I understand that today they are hot button issues, but in the Biblical perspective these and all other issues are NOT the main thing and never have been. We preach Christ crucified and His saving grace.
One more passage.
Ephesians 3:8
(8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
When I go to church, I want to learn about the unsearchable riches of Christ. Apparently that's what Paul's ministry was all about. Why is it that in many of churches today we are not hearing about the unsearchable riches of Christ? Instead, we are repeatedly told where to stand on the issues of our day. In all of the New Testament, I find not one instruction about winning political battles for the sake of Christ or promoting legislation to force all of Rome to adhere to Biblical standards. I do see a condemnation of wickedness and evil, but no solution is offered except for the hope of Jesus Christ.
Again this sword cuts both ways.
I see no reason to force government to dispense welfare for the needy, the uneducated (public school), or the illegal alien. I understand that there are people who do need help, but that's never been the government's job. I believe that role belongs more to individuals, the family unit, and (gasp!) the church. Besides, working on such a personal basis is so much more efficient and effective than a red tape bureaucracy.
I also see no reason to force the government's hand towards a definition of marriage, a stance on the evolution/creation debate, or a defense for or against abortion. This is difficult to say because I am completely against evolution, homosexuality and abortion. However, I see the long term problem with government addressing issues with these. Sure, the conservative base could overturn Roe vs. Wade and get homosexuality outlawed, but in doing that they contribute to a dangerous precedence--that the government has the power to determine some very personal and private things. Who is to say that a different, more liberal group won't someday undo everything the conservative base accomplished? There was a day when evolution was banned from schools, abortion was outlawed, and homosexuality was barely even spoken of. Today, evolution is the norm, abortion is controversial, and even homosexuality is less uncommon. And for those who have worked so hard to create this social change, even now you are seeing some of the fruits of your labor being undone. These issues have not convinced, they have polarized the nation. For that matter, evolution and abortion are increasingly unpopular. What promise have you that America won't return from your ideals in favor of Judeo-Christian values?
What are we really trying to accomplish in our churches by emphasizing the issues of our day? Are we really all that concerned with God and His Word and His kingdom? Or are we just concerned with whether or not America is a more comfortable place for our own individual opinions and values? I imagine that if Christians hate government forcing evolution in the public school down their child's throat, I figure Evolutionists would equally hate creation being shoved down their child's throat if the government forced it. I think we fail to realize that these social issues have been and always will be like a pendulum swinging back and forth in the tower of time. Abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality have been around for as long as civilization has, regardless of whether they were illegal or not. Society is not getting more and more evil because these things are more open. They have always been there. Every generation is wicked, perverse, and sinful. Regardless of whether people commit these things only in their heart or if they actually do them. Did not Jesus say this about murder and adultery? The only difference between doing something only in your heart and doing something in real life is that when you actually do it you receive different consequences for what you do, whether it be good or bad.
I conclude...
1. God's Word, Bible doctrine, and the good news of Jesus Christ are the Christian's main priority. Anything that distracts from that is a pursuit of vanity.
2. Forcing ideals upon others creates strife and hypocrisy, neither of which anybody ought to enjoy.
3. If there is anyone who has the right to tell me what to believe, think, and feel, it is ultimately God and His Word. If He were the judge and the standard for all of us, think of the revolution it would be to humanity. If we are going to tell people that something is wrong, let God's Word be our words and move on to what the other 99% of the Bible has to say.
4. A consistent pursuit of God's truth, whether it be in the pages of the Bible or the facts of life, would do us all a world of good. The common pursuit of truth would also give us common ground to communicate.
5. The purpose of preaching is for people to understand what God has said. Preachers who don't preach God's Word don't have anything worth preaching.
6. When we encounter God, people shouldn't be bored. People react in different ways...falling on their face in worship, weeping, revival, excitement, joy, peace...these should be the norm. Certainly not boredom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agree? Disagree? Thoughts? Comments? Complaints? Rants? There's room at the comments button for you.
Still job hunting. If you live in the Montgomery area and know of anything, be sure to pass along anything you hear about. Anyways, I just got my last paycheck from Home Depot and I have some money for now. That will float me till I get a job.
During my free time this summer, I want to do some writing. I know I can write. At the moment I'm considering just what direction I should take it. Being a Bible major, religious topics come to mind of course. However, my perspective on the religious may be too controversial. Why? Because my insight is surpassed by my tendency to be critical. For someone who has been called the nicest guy people have ever met, I sure can be negative about what other people are doing. Fault-finding is one of my weaknesses. Ha ha, even now I'm finding fault with myself. You see now a hint of the extent of my sinful nature.
And yet...I see things, and they bother me. Am I really being too negative, or is it possible that I really am just observing the facts? Perhaps I should give you, the reader, an example of some of my rough thoughts on today's Christianity in our western culture. Be sure to share your responses. I truly want to know if I'm fit to write on things like this or not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A preacher comes to speak for a group of people. Perhaps he introduces himself by saying how much he loves the Bible and perhaps even has the audience stand for the reading of God's Word. So far, so good.
But then...once he's past the reading, he never comes back to it. Within moments, the preacher has blasted off into orbit. He may not touch his Scripture passage again for the rest of the message. He starts off with jokes. He moves on to telling various stories, then proceeds to hammer on some particular moral, social, or cultural issue that he feels the need to address. Next, he offers some illustrations, usually depicting that issue in a way that causes the audience to be disgusted, embarrassed, or shocked. Finally, he then caps it all off with a sad story, and asks if anyone has felt the Lord tug at their heart about making a decision for Christ, whether it be salvation or rededication of one's life, and then commands them to come to the altar or pray in their seat about it. If he is a good speaker, perhaps many come down the aisles, maybe even weeping over something they have done. If he is a really good speaker, people will still talk about the sermon for weeks to come. They will say he is a great preacher.
In my heart, I fear he is a great psychological manipulator. Why? Because he did not preach the Bible. Passion, enthusiasm, charisma, and and alliteration cannot replace content. Jokes and stories have their place, but I am not impressed or amused by preaching pyrotechnics. Your sad story is not God moving me, it is your pathetic attempt to manipulate my emotions.
Furthermore, I can quote plenty of Bible passages to support my argument.
Nehemiah 8:1-9 (I left out verses 4 and 7 for brevity's sake)
(1) And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
(2) And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
(3) And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
(5) And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
(6) And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
(8) So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
(9) And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.
When Ezra preached to the people, the purpose was for them to understand what God said. I believe that this is the primary purpose of preaching under which all of the teachings of Christianity are to fall, including the gospel. Notice that though the people stood for half the day, they were not bored. They were greatly moved. Why? Because on that day, they experienced God.
Here's another passage, this time from the New Testament.
2Timothy 4:2-4
(2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
(3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
(4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
Verse 2 is simple--Preach the Word. I don't think there's anyway you can misunderstand that. Preaching time is not story time or joke time. It is the time that people learn what God has said.
I fear that too many people in our western culture have given up the solid teaching of God's Word in favor of speakers who cater to their opinions on popular issues. Both liberal and conservative churches alike are guilty. Their main focus is on issues like abortion, euthanasia, and gay marriage. I understand that today they are hot button issues, but in the Biblical perspective these and all other issues are NOT the main thing and never have been. We preach Christ crucified and His saving grace.
One more passage.
Ephesians 3:8
(8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
When I go to church, I want to learn about the unsearchable riches of Christ. Apparently that's what Paul's ministry was all about. Why is it that in many of churches today we are not hearing about the unsearchable riches of Christ? Instead, we are repeatedly told where to stand on the issues of our day. In all of the New Testament, I find not one instruction about winning political battles for the sake of Christ or promoting legislation to force all of Rome to adhere to Biblical standards. I do see a condemnation of wickedness and evil, but no solution is offered except for the hope of Jesus Christ.
Again this sword cuts both ways.
I see no reason to force government to dispense welfare for the needy, the uneducated (public school), or the illegal alien. I understand that there are people who do need help, but that's never been the government's job. I believe that role belongs more to individuals, the family unit, and (gasp!) the church. Besides, working on such a personal basis is so much more efficient and effective than a red tape bureaucracy.
I also see no reason to force the government's hand towards a definition of marriage, a stance on the evolution/creation debate, or a defense for or against abortion. This is difficult to say because I am completely against evolution, homosexuality and abortion. However, I see the long term problem with government addressing issues with these. Sure, the conservative base could overturn Roe vs. Wade and get homosexuality outlawed, but in doing that they contribute to a dangerous precedence--that the government has the power to determine some very personal and private things. Who is to say that a different, more liberal group won't someday undo everything the conservative base accomplished? There was a day when evolution was banned from schools, abortion was outlawed, and homosexuality was barely even spoken of. Today, evolution is the norm, abortion is controversial, and even homosexuality is less uncommon. And for those who have worked so hard to create this social change, even now you are seeing some of the fruits of your labor being undone. These issues have not convinced, they have polarized the nation. For that matter, evolution and abortion are increasingly unpopular. What promise have you that America won't return from your ideals in favor of Judeo-Christian values?
What are we really trying to accomplish in our churches by emphasizing the issues of our day? Are we really all that concerned with God and His Word and His kingdom? Or are we just concerned with whether or not America is a more comfortable place for our own individual opinions and values? I imagine that if Christians hate government forcing evolution in the public school down their child's throat, I figure Evolutionists would equally hate creation being shoved down their child's throat if the government forced it. I think we fail to realize that these social issues have been and always will be like a pendulum swinging back and forth in the tower of time. Abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality have been around for as long as civilization has, regardless of whether they were illegal or not. Society is not getting more and more evil because these things are more open. They have always been there. Every generation is wicked, perverse, and sinful. Regardless of whether people commit these things only in their heart or if they actually do them. Did not Jesus say this about murder and adultery? The only difference between doing something only in your heart and doing something in real life is that when you actually do it you receive different consequences for what you do, whether it be good or bad.
I conclude...
1. God's Word, Bible doctrine, and the good news of Jesus Christ are the Christian's main priority. Anything that distracts from that is a pursuit of vanity.
2. Forcing ideals upon others creates strife and hypocrisy, neither of which anybody ought to enjoy.
3. If there is anyone who has the right to tell me what to believe, think, and feel, it is ultimately God and His Word. If He were the judge and the standard for all of us, think of the revolution it would be to humanity. If we are going to tell people that something is wrong, let God's Word be our words and move on to what the other 99% of the Bible has to say.
4. A consistent pursuit of God's truth, whether it be in the pages of the Bible or the facts of life, would do us all a world of good. The common pursuit of truth would also give us common ground to communicate.
5. The purpose of preaching is for people to understand what God has said. Preachers who don't preach God's Word don't have anything worth preaching.
6. When we encounter God, people shouldn't be bored. People react in different ways...falling on their face in worship, weeping, revival, excitement, joy, peace...these should be the norm. Certainly not boredom.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Agree? Disagree? Thoughts? Comments? Complaints? Rants? There's room at the comments button for you.