Let's say you live in a small town with only two stores. One is owned and run by an upstanding citizen, and the other treats customers just as well and has lower prices, but you discover it's owned by a wife-beating Al-Qaeda supporter. Would you shop only at the store with higher prices? Then why is it that most of you never participate in boycotts?
Most Christians would never do business with Planned Parenthood for obvious reasons--it's the USA's largest abortion provider. But if Christians knew that the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Allstate, DuPont, eBay, Sonic, AARP, Outback, the National Education Association (teachers' union), and Marriot (hotels) all give money to P.P., would Christians shun patronizing those companies? They should. I do.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Praise
My wife is a talented artist. Imagine she completed a painting and showed it to me. What if I were to shout, "I praise you! I love you, Gina! I thank you, Gina!," and then repeat a time or two? She would look at me funny. But if I would say, "Wow! The colors are magnificent, the details so beautiful--it looks like a photo, only better!," then she would be quite pleased.
The Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught that we ought to love and worship God with our minds as well as our hearts (Matt. 22:37, 1 Cor. 14:1-31). The Psalms are full of thoughtful exclamations of God's attributes.
Some of our dear Pentecostal brethren (I consider myself Pentecostal) have been known to chant a few phrases repeatedly, day after day, year after year, in worship. Unfortunately, one of their oft-used expressions of praise is "hallelujah," which of course means "praise the Lord." So we're telling the Lord to praise Himself? You won't find that word in the Bible addressed to God.
There's a tune by Jeremy Camp--who seems to be a wonderful Christian--that's played on the radio and sung in many worship services, and the song only has five phrases in it. Not even five complete sentences--five phrases--for about four minutes. Where is the thoughtfulness in that?
I've noticed that during my church's worship, pretty much the only time people raise their hands is during the chorus of each song. Maybe that's because they have the chorus so well memorized that they don't have to think about it, and they're then free to worship?
Is God more glorified by, "I praise you, I praise you, I love you, I thank you, hallelujah," or, "Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are His wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods!" (Rom. 11:33)?
The Lord Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught that we ought to love and worship God with our minds as well as our hearts (Matt. 22:37, 1 Cor. 14:1-31). The Psalms are full of thoughtful exclamations of God's attributes.
Some of our dear Pentecostal brethren (I consider myself Pentecostal) have been known to chant a few phrases repeatedly, day after day, year after year, in worship. Unfortunately, one of their oft-used expressions of praise is "hallelujah," which of course means "praise the Lord." So we're telling the Lord to praise Himself? You won't find that word in the Bible addressed to God.
There's a tune by Jeremy Camp--who seems to be a wonderful Christian--that's played on the radio and sung in many worship services, and the song only has five phrases in it. Not even five complete sentences--five phrases--for about four minutes. Where is the thoughtfulness in that?
I've noticed that during my church's worship, pretty much the only time people raise their hands is during the chorus of each song. Maybe that's because they have the chorus so well memorized that they don't have to think about it, and they're then free to worship?
Is God more glorified by, "I praise you, I praise you, I love you, I thank you, hallelujah," or, "Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are His wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods!" (Rom. 11:33)?
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Who Is Responsible For Missionaries?
In case you haven't heard (the myopic U.S. media are more interested in the latest pop tart scandal), there are dozens of South Korean missionaries being held hostage by Islamofascists. While much of the rest of the world is moved with sympathy for the captives, in S.K. there is a significant minority that is angry with them. "You put yourselves in harm's way, and now we have to bail you out!" I hope you don't faint when I say that they make a good point. Anyone who wants to follow the Lord's leading into a dangerous place ought to register a statement with the government releasing civil authorities from responsibilty. In effect, "God called me to do this, and He is able to rescue me from any trouble I might get into. My life is in His hands--I am as safe as He wants me to be. Please do not pay any ransom or make any attempt to rescue me."
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Fear or Faith?
It had been many years since I saw a horror flick. They all seemed to have immature language (commonly called mature language) and/or gratuitous sexual situations and imagery, and I don't watch those kind of films. But The Grudge came out a couple of years ago, and after consulting http://www.pluggedinonline.com/ for their take on the movie's cleanness, I took the family to see it. S-c-a-r-y. I think it affected me more than the average guy because I hadn't seen a fear flick for so long. I found myself fairly apprehensive during showers or in the dark for some days afterward. Since then, I've developed some thoughts about the horror genre, and about entertainment in general.
I was inspired to record these thoughts after listening to a Christian radio show which had as its topic: "How have TV or movies affected your thinking irrationally?" All of the callers recounted how horror films had haunted them for years or even decades--no one called about comedies or documentaries. No one regretted seeing the scary films; they were willing to live with their silly trepidations. I became somewhat angry when not one but two callers wished that God hadn't removed much of their capacity to be afraid at these movies. Publicly complaining that God shouldn't have done something is just wrong, especially when the whiner is a professing Christian.
One of the most common phrases in the Bible is "Fear not." God says that "perfect love casts out fear," and that He "has not given us a spirit of fear." Is it wise, is it God's will, to seek to be frightened by images of saw-weilding madmen as a form of entertainment?
For thrills and adventure, I think it's better to go on a mission trip, give more than you can afford, or preach the Gospel in public than to partake of the fake Hollywood stuff or roller coasters or bungee jumping. The Lord designed each of us with an appetite for adrenaline rushes, and some crave it more often than others. But God wants each of us to get a regular "fix" by stepping out by faith in whatever adventure or risk He leads us into. That way, we'll be building our faith and accomplishing some good along with getting a buzz.
I was inspired to record these thoughts after listening to a Christian radio show which had as its topic: "How have TV or movies affected your thinking irrationally?" All of the callers recounted how horror films had haunted them for years or even decades--no one called about comedies or documentaries. No one regretted seeing the scary films; they were willing to live with their silly trepidations. I became somewhat angry when not one but two callers wished that God hadn't removed much of their capacity to be afraid at these movies. Publicly complaining that God shouldn't have done something is just wrong, especially when the whiner is a professing Christian.
One of the most common phrases in the Bible is "Fear not." God says that "perfect love casts out fear," and that He "has not given us a spirit of fear." Is it wise, is it God's will, to seek to be frightened by images of saw-weilding madmen as a form of entertainment?
For thrills and adventure, I think it's better to go on a mission trip, give more than you can afford, or preach the Gospel in public than to partake of the fake Hollywood stuff or roller coasters or bungee jumping. The Lord designed each of us with an appetite for adrenaline rushes, and some crave it more often than others. But God wants each of us to get a regular "fix" by stepping out by faith in whatever adventure or risk He leads us into. That way, we'll be building our faith and accomplishing some good along with getting a buzz.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Theology Works
Why call a blog theologyworks? Theology because I passionately want Christians to pursue truth, and works because what you believe will be expressed in your lifestyle. Jesus repeatedly taught that people's hearts are revealed by their deeds and words.
This blog is for Christians, so please consider carefully before you send a post to a lost sinner. Jesus said it's not prudent to cast our pearls before swine.
So today, instead of watching that mind-numbing, perverted, far-from-reality reality show on TV, and instead of joining 20,000 fanatics as they scream at a bunch of multi-millionaire steroid junkees in funny clothes hitting a ball with a stick, why not use your God-given time by obtaining, living, and disseminating truth?
My blog for everybody is http://www.jgapinoy.blogspot.com
This blog is for Christians, so please consider carefully before you send a post to a lost sinner. Jesus said it's not prudent to cast our pearls before swine.
So today, instead of watching that mind-numbing, perverted, far-from-reality reality show on TV, and instead of joining 20,000 fanatics as they scream at a bunch of multi-millionaire steroid junkees in funny clothes hitting a ball with a stick, why not use your God-given time by obtaining, living, and disseminating truth?
My blog for everybody is http://www.jgapinoy.blogspot.com
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