Tuesday, October 13, 2015

2015 Worship Music For Believers of Jesus Christ

Check out this worship playlist I am putting together.



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

That is so Christian of you

Romans 12:2 - "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

That is so Christian of you. How many times have you heard that through out your life following Jesus? And for what? Doing what is right in the sight of the Lord and not living up to what the world thinks Christians ought to be like. I don't know where this idea came from that followers of Jesus are pushovers, pansies and wimpy. Also, apparently we cant be judgmental. Don't we ask God to give us discernment so that we can judge what is good and evil? Being a follower of Jesus Christ is the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. Think about it for a moment. An imperfect being trying to be perfect before an all powerful, all wise, living God. Denying your very flesh and what you were born into. Living a sinful life is so much easier than living a life of righteousness. Its so much easier to conform to this world and not be transformed in your mind and not prove what is good and acceptable. Personally, I do not want my best life now. I want my best life in eternity.

Ive been thinking about this statement "That is so Christian of you." What is it suppose to mean? Is someone trying to insult us? In my pondering, usually it means that we do not fit into the category or mental image that a Christian is suppose to be. I guess we are suppose to fold over like an old wallet. Ever watched  "The Simpsons" and seen that character Ned Flanders? I really believe that is what the world views Christians as and when we don't follow suite, we insult our non believing friends and family. Here are a few exerts that stood out to me from the Wikipedia page about Ned Flanders. After reading this article myself, I could see where some people get this crazy idea about how Christians should be like.

"A devout Evangelical Christian with an annoyingly perfect family, he is among the friendliest and most compassionate of Springfield's citizens and is generally considered a pillar of the Springfield community."

"Firmly religious, he can be timid and something of a pushover. He is a Republican and  a devout Evangelical Christian who strictly follows the Bible literally and is easily shocked when challenged on any point of dogma."

"Flanders is very honest and sincere in carrying out the Christian doctrines of charity, kindness, and compassion. He is frequently shown doing volunteer work, and is rigorously honest and upright, even going so far as to spend an entire day tracking down a Leftorium customer in order to give him the extra change that he had forgotten to hand over."

"In the later seasons, Flanders has become more of a caricature of the Christian right, and his role as an irritating "perfect neighbor" has been lessened. For example some recent episodes Flanders has appeared to show rather prejudice attitudes against gays and people of religions other than Christianity."

 Some of you might say that some of these attributes are good and Christ like. I would have to agree. But the problem people have with believers is that they take the Bible literally! That's when people want to say "That is so Christian of you". Here is a story about someone I know. Last year this gentleman that I know of, his cousin daughters back in his home town was going through a harsh spot. She wanted to move out to Arizona and she was told that he might be able to help her. After much consideration and prayer, he and his wife accepted. Word got around back in his hometown and one day his mother calls him very angry on the phone. She told him that he was wrong for what he was doing because he hardly knew this girl, that his cousin's kid was bad news and his wife would become jealous because his cousins daughter was an attractive young lady. He was shocked because he saw this young lady as family and would never want to cheat on his wife. He stood his ground and told his mother that  he believed that the Lord opened this opportunity for him to share what he had been blessed with. He saw that this may be a way he could share the gospel with his troubled family member. His mother took it as he was disobeying her and committing a sin. His mother said, "That is so Christian of you! Disobeying your own mother!" Don't worry, since then, my friend and his mom have reconciled and my friend apologized to his mother. The troubled young lady got her own place. She also got a new job in her hometown. My friend made himself available to what the Lord told Him to do and not even his dear mom could change that.

My friends obedience to his parents had a limit. It ended when it would make him disobey God. Acts 5:29 says "We ought to obey God rather than men." Yes the Bible does say to honor your mother and father. But that has limits. Our greatest commandment is to love our Lord and God with all of our heart, soul and mind. Jesus said that if we want to show Him that we love Him, we would obey His commands. When we become immovable and stand firm in the word of God, that's when we show our true colors and it makes others angry. Yes, Christians are suppose to be loving, kind, patient, helpful, joyful, upright, humble, take the Bible literally and honor our parents. This is what the world likes to call being religious. The word Christian means "Christ follower". If those are traits of a devout, evangelical Christian then those have to be traits of our Lord Jesus Christ and we are to follow them.

There are also examples throughout the Bible gospels where God and Jesus displayed some characteristics that non believers and even some Christians would say are not very "Godly/Christ like". In the gospels, on more then one occasion, Jesus called people hypocrites, and vipers right in the peoples face. He cleared out the Jewish temple with a make shift whip and flipped tables because the temple was turned into a market place when it is purpose was a house of prayer. He rebuked people and corrected them sternly. If Jesus were here in the United States and went to your church, you might say His actions were not very "Christ like". Non believers who pick and choose what to read out of the Bible say that the Old Testament God was mean. He killed people, placed plagues and curses on "innocent people". Some would argue that what happened to Job was unnecessary and down right cruel. In Exodus 15:3 it says "The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name." In Isaiah 42:13 the bible says "The Lord goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war He stirs up His zeal; He cries out, He shouts aloud, He shows Himself mighty against His foes." When you can create things by merely speaking them into existence, then maybe you can make the rules. Until then, God rules. God is a spiritual being and if you are not of the spirit, you will never understand Him unless He gives the wisdom. People try to make God equal to man but God is far more wise, powerful and holy than us. Who can we liken unto Him? Who is like the Lord? NO ONE and not even close. 

As persecution towards Christians around the world increases, be of good cheer my brothers and sisters. Jesus warned us about this. 
John 15:18 - "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."
John 16:33 - "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
Lets follow the example of the original apostles. Acts 5:41 - "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." The devil will try to discourage us with our closest friends and loved ones.  When we stand up for our beliefs, he will try to bring us down by making us feel guilty. The feeling of guilt maybe real, but it is a lie straight out of hell because the devil is the father of all lies and there is no truth found in him. In Ephesians 6:10-13, Paul writes, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." The next time someone somebody says "That is so Christian of you", think if what you are doing is Christ like. If it isn't Christ like, be humble and admit to the mistake because that would be so Christian of you. If it is Christ like, be humble and don't say anything because that would be so Christian of you. 

There is a chance somebody might want to use Mathew 7:1 "Judge not lest you be judged" verse. Which is usually used totally out of context. But if they kept reading Matthew 7:1 -5, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Jesus is talking about judging with righteous judgement and to not be a hypocrite. For example, if I told someone that they shouldn't get drunk, but at home I smoke marijuana using the excuse that God made all plants for us to consume, that is being a hypocrite.  Do not let anyone tell you that you cant judge.  We can judge if something or someone is good or evil. We are not to condemn people to hell if they are non believers. You never know down the line that person might get born again. Believers can judge believers. God judges non believers. With that in mind, someone might quote Tupac and say "Only God can judge me." That should scare people because God sees everything, knows everything including our thoughts and the motives we have. But that is why God sent His only Son to the world so that whoever shall believe in Him will have everlasting life and shall not perish.

Okay I am done. God bless!