I have just acquired the ESV Study Bible! I am SO excited about this. I have been wanting one of these for months and my parents decided to give me one as an early Christmas present. I think that I am going to use this new resource that I have been given to create a new series of blogs that will be listed under the catagory "ESV Study". They will contain all the new information I learn from the new Bible. Now, some of you may be saying, "Isn't that jsut like the new info you would learn from any other Bible." You are saying that because you may not know what a study Bible is. It has extra cultural, contextual, and philosophical information on the different passages that you are reading throughout the Bible. All the new information that I learn from this extra material will be placed on this blog for you guys to learn along with me! And I think I will start with this little tid bit of info:
Luke has the most extensive record of Jesus's prayer life. Eleven different prayers are recorded in this gospel and nine other times Jesus is found teaching on the subject of prayer. This shows that Jesus did put a big emphasis on prayer and sees it as an important topic. If we are looking to follow Christ's example in all things then we must have a vibrant prayer life. Now, I am not giong to lie. I am not too good at this. My prayer life is nothing to be envied, but God has been convicting me more and more lately about the fact that I don't spend much time just talking to Him. I can spend all day talking ABOUT Him, but unless I am spending a good chunk of time talking TO Him I won't truly know His heart.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Scare tactics?
I have recently been confronted with this concept of "Christian Scare Tactics" and it makes me think:
Let me be clear first on what a scare tactic really is. In almost any example of a scare tactic being used in a negative way, the person using this tactic is adding nonsense or excessive threats to the claim. They are taking the fear that the statement may make and enhancing it.
Now, let's look at the NO part of this question first. I do not believe we are using scare tactics inappropriately due to the fact that we are not using them in a negative way. Hear this: I CANNOT SPEAK FOR EVERY PREACHER OUT THERE but from what I have seen of a great majority of preachers, when they are pointed out as using scare tactics in a negative way, they are merely sharing the reality of what the Bible very clearly tells us. How is it a scare tactic to tell people about Hell? The Bible clearly lays out that there is a heaven and hell. No one gets upset when we talk about Heaven....but all of a sudden every goes coo coo for cocoa puffs when we say anything about Hell. These are people who are only comfortable picking a choosing the pieces of the Bible they like and throwing away the rest. If we are to accurately and responsibly teach the Word of God we MUST teach on the reality of Hell and what will be experienced there.
Next there is the YES part of this blog. Yes we are using scare tactics inappropriately because of the content of them. Like I have said, we MUST teach on Hell. However, there is another scary concept in the Bible that holds a lot more weight. It is the subject of persecution. We talked a little about this in the last blog where Peter was telling Jesus He couldn't be so blunt about the suffering that Him and His followers would endure. Jesus says, "Get behind me Satan!" So telling people that they should be hush hush about persecution is of SATAN! Last time I checked, we are NOT supposed to work for him! A lot of pastors, especially recently, seem to believe that God has a PR problem right now. So He is looking for anyone that will just accept Him a little bit. So these pastors will sugar coat the gospel, make Jesus seem like an effeminate fairy, and create the perception that when you accept Christ everything will be blue skies and gum drops. News Flash! Jesus was crucified for this message! Paul was beheaded by a Roman axe. Stephen was stoned. Peter was crucified upside down. The list of people who died for their faith goes on and on and is still growing to this day! We NEED to give people a perception of what they are getting into. I mean, we do need to explain that whatever happens God will use for good. Whatever you go through He will be there to comfort you. But we have to have people count the cost of taking up their cross.
So guys, don't shy away from the scare tactics. Just don't add anything unnecessary in. This message doesn't need help! It's already scarey enough. And DO NOT refrain from telling people that if you're a Christian, your life may NOT get better. In fact, it might get worse! But we receive peace knowing that He is always with us and is drawing us closer to Him and one day we will stand before Him in a real place called Heaven.
Are we really using scare tactics is an inappropriate way to get people to accept Christ?Now, my answer is a little complex...if it wasn't I would not be blogging about it. There is a yes to that question and a no to the question.
Let me be clear first on what a scare tactic really is. In almost any example of a scare tactic being used in a negative way, the person using this tactic is adding nonsense or excessive threats to the claim. They are taking the fear that the statement may make and enhancing it.
If we go to war BILLIONS of people will die.This here is a scare tactic to persuade people not to go to war...obviously. Now, the very objective (and kind of DUH) way to put this would have been, "If we go to war people will die." And that in itself would have been a scare tactic...but not in a negative sense. It was explaining a reality that needed to be faced. To not claim this bit of "scare tactic" would be ignorant and irresponsible. Only the addition of BILLIONS is where it becomes negative. First of all, when have we ever had BILLIONS of people die in a war? Second of all, it is simply an unnecessary addition that is ONLY used for the sake of creating greater fear.
Now, let's look at the NO part of this question first. I do not believe we are using scare tactics inappropriately due to the fact that we are not using them in a negative way. Hear this: I CANNOT SPEAK FOR EVERY PREACHER OUT THERE but from what I have seen of a great majority of preachers, when they are pointed out as using scare tactics in a negative way, they are merely sharing the reality of what the Bible very clearly tells us. How is it a scare tactic to tell people about Hell? The Bible clearly lays out that there is a heaven and hell. No one gets upset when we talk about Heaven....but all of a sudden every goes coo coo for cocoa puffs when we say anything about Hell. These are people who are only comfortable picking a choosing the pieces of the Bible they like and throwing away the rest. If we are to accurately and responsibly teach the Word of God we MUST teach on the reality of Hell and what will be experienced there.
Next there is the YES part of this blog. Yes we are using scare tactics inappropriately because of the content of them. Like I have said, we MUST teach on Hell. However, there is another scary concept in the Bible that holds a lot more weight. It is the subject of persecution. We talked a little about this in the last blog where Peter was telling Jesus He couldn't be so blunt about the suffering that Him and His followers would endure. Jesus says, "Get behind me Satan!" So telling people that they should be hush hush about persecution is of SATAN! Last time I checked, we are NOT supposed to work for him! A lot of pastors, especially recently, seem to believe that God has a PR problem right now. So He is looking for anyone that will just accept Him a little bit. So these pastors will sugar coat the gospel, make Jesus seem like an effeminate fairy, and create the perception that when you accept Christ everything will be blue skies and gum drops. News Flash! Jesus was crucified for this message! Paul was beheaded by a Roman axe. Stephen was stoned. Peter was crucified upside down. The list of people who died for their faith goes on and on and is still growing to this day! We NEED to give people a perception of what they are getting into. I mean, we do need to explain that whatever happens God will use for good. Whatever you go through He will be there to comfort you. But we have to have people count the cost of taking up their cross.
So guys, don't shy away from the scare tactics. Just don't add anything unnecessary in. This message doesn't need help! It's already scarey enough. And DO NOT refrain from telling people that if you're a Christian, your life may NOT get better. In fact, it might get worse! But we receive peace knowing that He is always with us and is drawing us closer to Him and one day we will stand before Him in a real place called Heaven.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Get behind me Satan!
Now, you may think that this title comes directly out of the temptation of Jesus...and you would be wrong. Jesus is talking to the man that He decides to build His church on. He is talking to the man who, years later would be considered by some people to be the very first Pope. He is talking to the Apostle Peter.
Let me set the scene here. Jesus is preaching and telling the people straight up that they are going to be receiving persecution if they decide to follow Him. He is being extremely blunt with these people (something that pastors get criticized HEAVILY for doing to this day). Peter doesn't think this is the very best way to "win friends and influence people" so he pulls Jesus aside and the Bible uses the word REBUKE! He REBUKES JESUS! Now, I don't know about you, but if I were standing with JESUS...I think I would just go along with whatever He says. Something of Satan HAD to be working through that boy for him to have the balls to look all mighty God in the face and REBUKE Him! So Jesus says, "Get behind my, Satan!"
Now the point that I am really wanting to make here is that there is a point where we need to be repentant of the wrong that we have done in our lives and then there is the time where we move on to the new day and new life that God offers us. Just here in this instance you see that Jesus had to SERIOUSLY reprimand one of the disciples. We see all throughout the Gospels that they were doubtful, ignorant, and hot headed men. Jesus says to the them multiple times, "Oh you of little faith" and reprimands them in a variety of other ways. When we screw up or have a messed up past, the enemy tries to get us to beat ourselves up about it. He wants us to believe that God would never work through us.
BUT THAT JUST ISN'T TRUE
Jesus chose some of the most uneducated and flawed men of society in order to give the following generations an example. If He could work through them, then He can work through you! Never let your past or a feeling that you have little faith or a felt inferiority stop you from fulfilling all God has planned for you. We do need to constantly be growing in our faith, there does have to be progressive sanctification (a growing closer to God and more in line with His word), and a desire to draw near to Him. But we do not have to be theological giants to accomplish what God has for us. I mean come on! Jesus called the man that He built the church on Satan! God often uses people who are flawed and falling apart to do something astounding just so that people can see how awesome He is.
Let me set the scene here. Jesus is preaching and telling the people straight up that they are going to be receiving persecution if they decide to follow Him. He is being extremely blunt with these people (something that pastors get criticized HEAVILY for doing to this day). Peter doesn't think this is the very best way to "win friends and influence people" so he pulls Jesus aside and the Bible uses the word REBUKE! He REBUKES JESUS! Now, I don't know about you, but if I were standing with JESUS...I think I would just go along with whatever He says. Something of Satan HAD to be working through that boy for him to have the balls to look all mighty God in the face and REBUKE Him! So Jesus says, "Get behind my, Satan!"
Now the point that I am really wanting to make here is that there is a point where we need to be repentant of the wrong that we have done in our lives and then there is the time where we move on to the new day and new life that God offers us. Just here in this instance you see that Jesus had to SERIOUSLY reprimand one of the disciples. We see all throughout the Gospels that they were doubtful, ignorant, and hot headed men. Jesus says to the them multiple times, "Oh you of little faith" and reprimands them in a variety of other ways. When we screw up or have a messed up past, the enemy tries to get us to beat ourselves up about it. He wants us to believe that God would never work through us.
BUT THAT JUST ISN'T TRUE
Jesus chose some of the most uneducated and flawed men of society in order to give the following generations an example. If He could work through them, then He can work through you! Never let your past or a feeling that you have little faith or a felt inferiority stop you from fulfilling all God has planned for you. We do need to constantly be growing in our faith, there does have to be progressive sanctification (a growing closer to God and more in line with His word), and a desire to draw near to Him. But we do not have to be theological giants to accomplish what God has for us. I mean come on! Jesus called the man that He built the church on Satan! God often uses people who are flawed and falling apart to do something astounding just so that people can see how awesome He is.
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