Thursday, December 30, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
How should a Christian respond to the modern day Grinch who is trying to steal the true meaning of Christmas?
A church out in Dallas as decided to put their town on the naughty list. If they chose to not exhibit Christian principals in this holiday season, then they are marked as being naughty, and put on a dedicated website for all to see. The result is that Christians in a sense boycott the business until they get it right. You can read the article here: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/12/09/dallas-church-rats-out-stores-that-say-happy-holidays-but-who/
I wrote this response on anther blog that offers another response that will be worth reading:http://www.baptisttwentyone.com/?p=5005
Please read my response below:
Is this the proper response to the modern day Grinch?
The question then is how should we respond? How do we fight the evil in society? I think the scriptures give clear examples to the way we are to fight. First, we need to properly understand what our attitude should be like. In 1 Peter 3:8-17, it says that we should not return evil for evil, keep our lips from speaking evil, etc. The believer should know and understand that we live in an evil world and should expect this kind of treatment. Secondly, the Christian should use the attack from the world as a platform to preach the gospel. In verse 15, we are to sanctify the Lord in our hearts and be ready to give an answer of the hope that we have. So if the believer is responding to the evil contrary to the way the world would respond, the world wonders why and hopefully asks why are we not returning evil for evil. This will give as a platform to speak the gospel. Thirdly, in Eph. 6:10-20, it tells us that believers ought to know who they are fighting against, and how to fight. Our fight is not against people, it is against Satan. Our fight is not physical, therefore we don't use physical weapons. Our fight is spiritual, so we are to use spiritual weapons, namely speaking the truth, instead of lying, living righteously instead of unrighteous, etc...
So I agree that we need to respond but I don't agree that FBC in Dallas is responding in a Biblical way. They are also hurting the cause of the gospel, and not providing a platform to speak the gospel into peoples lives. It also comes across as a holier than thou approach, which does not glorify God, but glorifies self. Our response should be one that glorifies God, and not one that just tries to just score a point by putting down the ways of the world. A spiritual response, which is one that is done in the Spirit and not the flesh is one that glorifies God. I pray that we will seek the wisdom from above in the way we respond to the modern day Grinch's who try to steal the true meaning of Christmas.
I wrote this response on anther blog that offers another response that will be worth reading:http://www.baptisttwentyone.com/?p=5005
Please read my response below:
Is this the proper response to the modern day Grinch?
The question then is how should we respond? How do we fight the evil in society? I think the scriptures give clear examples to the way we are to fight. First, we need to properly understand what our attitude should be like. In 1 Peter 3:8-17, it says that we should not return evil for evil, keep our lips from speaking evil, etc. The believer should know and understand that we live in an evil world and should expect this kind of treatment. Secondly, the Christian should use the attack from the world as a platform to preach the gospel. In verse 15, we are to sanctify the Lord in our hearts and be ready to give an answer of the hope that we have. So if the believer is responding to the evil contrary to the way the world would respond, the world wonders why and hopefully asks why are we not returning evil for evil. This will give as a platform to speak the gospel. Thirdly, in Eph. 6:10-20, it tells us that believers ought to know who they are fighting against, and how to fight. Our fight is not against people, it is against Satan. Our fight is not physical, therefore we don't use physical weapons. Our fight is spiritual, so we are to use spiritual weapons, namely speaking the truth, instead of lying, living righteously instead of unrighteous, etc...
So I agree that we need to respond but I don't agree that FBC in Dallas is responding in a Biblical way. They are also hurting the cause of the gospel, and not providing a platform to speak the gospel into peoples lives. It also comes across as a holier than thou approach, which does not glorify God, but glorifies self. Our response should be one that glorifies God, and not one that just tries to just score a point by putting down the ways of the world. A spiritual response, which is one that is done in the Spirit and not the flesh is one that glorifies God. I pray that we will seek the wisdom from above in the way we respond to the modern day Grinch's who try to steal the true meaning of Christmas.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Don't ask Don't tell
Here is my problem with this vote: I have two reasons for objecting to it.
I don't agree with the lifestyle of homosexuality based on what the Scriptures teach regarding it, which doesn't mean that those who live this way should not be respected, and loved; because God loves all sinners, even homosexuals. At the same time He does not leave people in their sin but calls them out of it and makes them like His Son.
The vote lacks common sense, because our soldiers are fighting an enemy and need to be unified in order to win. Once a person starts to exercise his or her freedom regarding their sexual preferences on such a broader spectrum, there will be distractions. Therefore, our soldiers will not only be fighting our enemies but will start to fight each other.
I don't agree with the lifestyle of homosexuality based on what the Scriptures teach regarding it, which doesn't mean that those who live this way should not be respected, and loved; because God loves all sinners, even homosexuals. At the same time He does not leave people in their sin but calls them out of it and makes them like His Son.
The vote lacks common sense, because our soldiers are fighting an enemy and need to be unified in order to win. Once a person starts to exercise his or her freedom regarding their sexual preferences on such a broader spectrum, there will be distractions. Therefore, our soldiers will not only be fighting our enemies but will start to fight each other.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)