Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bible. Show all posts

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Christian and Fiction

September 08, 2016 bible , books 0 Comments

     It is of no surprise that in the Christian realm, many debates have occurred and erupted over the topic of fiction, fantasy, and science fiction! Should a Christian participate in such things? Should a Christian watch these movies? Read these books? Play these games? Many are against a Christian being engaged in such! However, why? Is it wrong from a Christian to be enjoy these things?

      Before I start discussing this topic in length I’d like to take a moment to give my background on this issue. Growing up I loved many different fictional pieces of literary and cinematic art. Star Wars was my absolute favorite! I loved the story, the characters, the designs, the battles etc. (What can I say? I was a boy after all) Also growing up, I loved the 1990’s Batman show, The Amazing Spider-Man, Beast Wars, and of course the X-Men! I loved them all for different reasons, but I would ask my mom to wake me up early on Saturday mornings so I could binge watch these shows!

      Later on we moved to the greater Lansing area and started attending a church in that area. This is where these things got hairy. My family never had problem with Star Wars or such things. However, as franchises such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Poke’mon, and Chronicles of Narnia started getting some major attention by the populace, people started speaking against it in the church and our extended family. The family would often hear many different statements in protest to these things such as “Bible says to stay away from witchcraft” or “that stuff has demonic undertones and should be avoided, lest it corrupt the minds of your children.” This caused my parents to jump on the same band wagon as everyone else at the church and we were forbidden to watch any of those things. With the exception of the things we loved growing up (not the case for most kids my age) and Chronicles of Narnia (because its obvious symbolism of Christianity) this seemed to be the case a lot in Christian circles. Everything in the sci-fi/fantasy realm was condemned besides the writing of C.S. Lewis which I always found curious…

      So obviously, if such things are sinful then Christians need to stay away from them! For we shouldn’t dishonor the Lord, nor break His commandments. However, if there’s nothing there but empty or ignorant accusations then Christians can enjoy their liberty to enjoy such things. So let’s talk Bible shall we?
Textual and Cultural Clarification.

 One of the many reasons Christians preach against such fiction is due to verses like this.

Galatians 5:20-21 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
(See also, Isaiah 47:9, Exodus 7:22, Exodus 8:18, Revelation 9:21)
     I strongly believe when studying anything in the Bible in depth it’s important to check the Greek and cultural context of what’s being spoken lest leading to possible misinterpretation. The Greek word used here for “witchcraft” is “pharmakeia.” (far-mak-aya) This is the root word where we get our English words “pharmacy” or “pharmaceuticals”. This is extremely important to recognize because witchcraft back then was never what we think of it today. It was never ugly old ladies running amok, wand in hand, and turning people into toads. Also, it wasn’t even summoning evil spirits to kill enemies or rivals. In fact, no one has ever succeeded in shooting a fireball out of their hand, a bolt of lightning out of a wand, cursing someone with the proper ingredients in a caldron, or sacrificing a virgin to grant magical powers. Witchcraft has always been a large amount of trickery and mind altering drugs.

     Pharmakeia (φαρμακεία) is often defined as “use medicine, drugs, or spells.” This makes perfect sense when you think of cultures that used such things. (including Romans, Canaanites etc.) The most well-known example would be witchdoctors. Witchdoctors, depending on the different situations, would create different concoctions. Most often these mixes would be ignited and then the fumes would be inhaled by the participant, causing a mind-altering state. These “highs” would create different hallucinations amongst other sensory issues. These acts are expressly forbidden by God. This makes sense seeing as the Bible tells us to be “sober-minded.”
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

      Also, these drug induced states were often a form of pagan worship, or in participation of false worship. Which is also forbidden by God. (II Kings 17:12, Hos 4:12) Therefore, this is obviously a sin to participate in this. I don’t believe any Christian would even argue that statement. (for obvious reasons)

      With this in mind it’s important to note that whenever the Bible is talking about witchcraft it's dealing with idol worship, mind alteration, or other pagan/satanic rituals. It’s not referring to parts of fiction. It’s not talking about anything like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or anything else similar to it.

     Also, it’s important to note that mankind has never been able to utilize the power of the supernatural. The only beings that have ever been depicted with supernatural powers are God and the angels. In fact, we see that paganism is completely fake! These spells are complete shams. In I Kings 18 we see Elijah challenging pagan worshipers, and they failed where Jehovah succeeded! Really the only place in the Bible we see anyone succeed at casting spells is when Moses challenged the Pharaoh and his priests mimicked the miracle. There’s much speculation as to how this occurred . Did they perform some sort of sleight of hand? Did a fallen angel/Satan intervene? No one can be sure, but it definitely wasn’t because of any spell the Egyptians cast themselves. Because obviously if such magic were real, we’d see a lot more of it today! Since we don’t, it must be assumed that this was either trickery or an intervention of a fallen angel.


Tales of Fiction
     It’s also important to recognize the fact that fictional works are not prohibited in scripture. Nor are far-fetched tales that never occurred or will occur. Jews had their own stories, legends, proverbs etc. All with different morals in mind. In fact, there are many cases of this in the Bible with parables. Jesus told many fictional stories all with a moral in mind. So clearly telling fictional stories with a moral in mind can’t be wrong. What about stories that can “infect the minds of our young ones with false truths? Talking animals? Super powers?” It just so happens that there’s a Biblical example of a story that serves as a good example:

Judges 9:8-15 The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, Reign over us.’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?’ Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
     In this story the trees represent the men of Schechem and the bramble is Abimelech. The moral of the story is: The useful and productive have better things to do than play at being king. Obviously trees don’t talk, nor vines, or brambles. It’s simply giving a picture. A story to help teach a moral. This isn’t something that’d confuse children or the minds of men. Likewise, much fiction written would be easily understood by the masses. (more information regarding this Here)

      In every people group there has always been stories, legends, parables, short proverbs, and a number of other depictions that though they take place in a fictional world, teach real morals. So often we forget that a number of these fictional stories today teach strong morals and have many themes in them that are good! To see characters, develop and become better than who they were!


Understanding Fiction
      With this in mind it’s important to note that works of fiction aren’t evil. There might be evil in them, but most works of fiction paint evil as simply that: evil. Also, it has been argued that even the “good guys” do evil/wrong things! One man once told me “Everybody Loves Lucy was evil! Especially her because she was disrespectful, a liar, and mischievous." Let me be clear, although doing those things is obviously wrong, that was part of the charm of the show. She was relatable! So many of us could see ourselves in the same situation. We’d watch and laugh as we see her trying to wiggle out of the pickle she found herself in. Plus, at the end of the show she always realized her mistakes and would reconcile. This little tidbit is called: character development.

     When reading fiction, it’s important to pick up on the elements being presented. Every good story starts with multiple flawed characters, as the story progresses and the characters experience more, they develop and become more mature. They recognize previous mistakes while pushing on to rectify their wrongs. Yes, once in a while a main character will fall to evil and betray the others! But this doesn’t make it anymore evil. If anything it makes the story more relatable because this sort of things happens in real life. There are evil people who do evil things in this world. So if you want to tell a compelling story you must have conflict and realistic character development. Every good story in literature (even the Bible) builds a relatable character, realistic situations, and how people respond to those actions eventually dictate who they become in the future. In fact, many of the stories I hear bashed the most have great themes and morals throughout them.
Lord of the Rings: good vs. evil/the importance of friendship/standing for what’s right/self-sacrifice/having only one spouse/fulfilling your vows/the power of guilt/the power of redemption (and many other biblical themes due to Tolkien being a professing Christian.)
Star Wars: Redemption/selfless sacrifice/not compromising that which is good/resisting temptation/destructive nature of evil/power of friendship/the pain of betrayal/having one spouse. George Lucas was a professing Methodist, but over the years has become more wishy washy on his stance. However, many elements can be found in the films.
Harry Potter: Good vs. Evil/love of family and friends/faith and love can overcome a multitude of evil/murder and evil tears apart at the “soul”/the importance of learning/selflessness/forgiveness/ many biblical morals. JK Rowling is a professing Christian and thus there is a lot of allegorical biblical principles taught throughout.
Chronicles of Narnia: Good vs. Evil/self-sacrifice/resisting temptation/the hurt of betrayal/redemption/standing for righteousness, and an entirely allegorical parallel to the Bible.
Batman: Good vs. Evil/uncompromising with justice/killing is unacceptable/friendship is powerful/the importance of family/discipleship/mentorship/resisting evil/never compromising the truth.


Spiderman: Good vs. Evil/With great power comes great responsibility/don’t just go with the crowd/having power doesn’t mean your life will be perfect/love sometimes means self-sacrifice
X-Men: Good vs. Evil/prejudice is the child of ignorance/even if people wrongfully dislike you doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do the right thing/protect those you can.
     This list could seriously be endless, but I thought I’d park on some of my favorites! See, understanding fiction and story-telling is vital to understanding this topic. Many times people express themselves, political situations, social problems, wars, etc. by telling a story that more easily communicates the message. When I was a child I was never confused by Star Wars. My parents made it very clear to me that these things weren’t real! I understood the difference between reality and fantasy! I always participated in the comics, shows, or movies with an understanding that this was fake. I was grounded enough to recognize the evil that was depicted in the villains, the flaws in the heroes, and the moral that was being taught. I believe if parents are wise on when to expose their children to these things, teach them at an early age the truth of righteousness and God’s Word, then there should never be any confusion with your children and these fictional adventures.
Don’t Be a Hypocrite
     The Bible obviously instructs us to not be hypocrites (Matt. 7:5) so there are a few things that should be addressed here. If a Christian says Chronicles of Narnia is okay, but Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter is not, then that’s hypocritical. Just because Narnia symbolizes biblical events shouldn’t change the fact that the villain is still a witch and Aslan still uses magic. If witchcraft is evil no matter what, then so should Narnia be. (to avoid contradiction) Same concept should even apply to children’s stories such as Dragon Tales, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast etc. If all fictional magical fantasy is evil so should these, right?

      The next is that often times I hear Christian men and women say statements like, “These fantasy/fiction/sci-fi novels/movies give children and young people unrealistic expectations of reality. We shouldn’t feed such lies and fantasy to children.” Yet, often these parents will encourage their children to read “Christian Literature” (which is also fictional) examples such as Love Comes Softly, A Father’s Promise, The Wish, My One Regret, Lady Maybe, Left Behind, or pretty much anything written by Frank Peretti etc. Other big names include Christian media like Fireproof, Facing the Giants, Courageous, or even War Room. These are all works of fiction and the same accusation could be thrown at them. Let me give this a whirl:
“Fireproof gives married couples unrealistic expectations that if they follow a love dare, and do everything God says to do, that they can recover their marriages and win their spouses back no matter what they’ve done in the past.” (this is obviously satire)
      Someone with little to no discernment might make an ignorant statement like the one above. The movie doesn’t mean to convey the whole “love can conquer anything” moral. The point of the movie was to show the power of Christ! I doubt few people watched that movie and said “If I do everything he/she did then I can save my marriage!” No, only a person fully rooted in Christ, with humility, and a willing spouse, can recover a broken marriage (it takes effort on both sides, which the movie does convey briefly)

     Also, I’ve known many Christian women who read Christian soap-operas/romances (Love Comes Softly as an example) and often times they can fall into a trap of desiring that kind of life or desiring the man in the book and not the man she’s married to. However, does this make it the book’s fault that the woman can’t make proper discernment? That she can’t discern from reality to fiction? No. Such arguments seem silly to accuse a piece of fiction/literature/media for being evil/vain due to the lack of discernment and wisdom on the receiving end. Ultimately, this is what this issue comes down to: discernment and being grounded in truth.
Being Grounded in Truth
     Whenever questionable issues come up, or a Christian is worried about some things, it’s important that they are first grounded in the truth. The truth, of course, is Jesus Christ (John 14:6) If you’re grounded in truth then you will not be swayed by a simple work of fiction. If you’ve properly equipped and grounded your children, they too won’t be swayed by a fun story. We are made in the image of God. Christians day dream, have goals and aspirations, and we also learn to have fun! There’s nothing wrong with these things, so it’s wrong to condemn the enjoyment of the work of someone else’s imagination! Unless, of course, the work truly is praising that which is evil. Generally speaking though these works are not evil. They’re simply enjoyable with many great lessons, morals, and experiences that we can all glean from. In fact, one could argue that many of these stories help teach “critical thinking” in children. Because they see the protagonist in these stories confront situations and how their decisions can either reap reward or consequence!

Proverbs 15:21 Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
John 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.
     Christians, be discerning obviously. Don’t let your young children watch something that is inappropriate for their age. Judge/discern righteously for your lives. If a certain thing causes you or someone to stumble, maybe you should consider staying away from it, but you ought to trust your God given discernment to be able to tell the difference of bad entertainment and good entertainment. However, most of these things are quite harmless. Like anything else there are exceptions.

      Music is a good example of this. Most music is fine and harmless. There’s lots of enjoyment in many styles of music, but once in a while you’ll come across a song that is straight vulgarity. Likewise, the same principle applies here. The ultimate point here is that you can be a strong believer, enjoy some base level entertainment, root for a hero, use it as a tool to teach your children morality through them, and still honor the Lord and discern between right and wrong. Many children/young people/adults can discern this.

 For example: my nephew when watching some shows (his favorite is TMNT: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Whenever Shredder (the bad guy) comes on screen. My nephew will say, “He’s the bad guy!” then Shredder will do something sinister and again he repeats, “He lied! He hurt them! That was bad!” and then the turtles will come in, save the day! He then will go on and on about how they save people from the bad guys! How bad guys need to be stopped! How lying hurts people etc. etc.

      Granted, I’m aware that the Bible is the core of the moral teaching and where we should bring our children to see truth…but children (or other people) seeing these morals play out? This could only serve to help ground them even further in some basic moral truths! Some can serve to even push them more toward a lifestyle of faith in God (Preacher from Firefly, or Captain America from Marvel Comics)

     So Christian, don’t be fooled into thinking that the magic in these books is anything more than fictional imagination playing out on a page/screen. This isn’t the type of witchcraft the Bible was talking about. Plus, not all of these things are bad (or the people that enjoy them) in fact there are many great things in these pieces of fiction. Lastly, it’s not something to cause division over. Be grounded in the Lord, be grounded in truth, be grounded in God’s Word, and be grounded in Jesus Christ! Also, learn to enjoy (or let others enjoy) some good, innocent, fun entertainment that doesn’t contradict or compromise the Lord’s teaching. This is my most basic breakdown of this topic. I hope that it may be used to help clarify some thoughts, and serve as a beacon of truth. Thank you all and God bless.
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
By at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Love in the Message

February 16, 2016 bible , genuine 0 Comments


    With all the conflict today there are few points that need to be considered more than this very topic: Keeping love within our messages. With social media as big as it is, and blogs like the one you're reading, people's thoughts and opinions buzz over the feed and we get all these thoughts and opinions dumped on us from all directions. Some of these things are good, some of these are bad, However, when controversial things come up, Christians often times become heated. They grow angry and irrational and start spewing words as fast as they can type. This is even a habit in some churches' pulpits. We frequently see pastors, ministers, deacons, and teachers fail to keep discretion in mind and start launching words out with no thought before hand, and deliver their messages with such little tact that it shuts down its message before it can begin. It is for this very reason I'm writing this reminder to you all. I pray that you'll read this and take it to heart.

     Throughout my time in ministry I've been to many churches and have seen many pastors stand before a church. I've heard great messages, I've also heard toxic messages. However, with controversial media on the rise, homosexual marriage being legal, and compromising churches around every corner, Christians have started to grow so frustrated and fearful that they've begun to lash out! (and believe me, I understand your concern) However, we must follow the patterns and words of Jesus Christ first.

Matthew 22:36-40 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

     It's obvious to me that Jesus wants us to love one another. So whenever a Christian lashes out, you're doing the exact opposite of what God tells us to do. If you say "Well, I just tell it the way it is! Telling them the truth is loving! I can't think of any better way to love someone that to tell them the truth!" You're missing the point, and you're missing one of the biggest points of Jesus' message and ministry. Let's read this verse:

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

     This statement has resonated in my head for a very long time. Truth and grace are key. If all you're doing is spewing "the facts" at someone, with no grace, no love, and no amount of graciousness, only the blunt "truth" all you're doing is clicking the mute button on yourself. People do not respond well when they are getting beat down by someone verbally. It doesn't matter how true or right you may be. Think about it, have you ever had a boss jump down your throat? Breath down your neck? Ministry leader? Maybe a parent or family member? Of course you have, but how did you respond? How did that make you feel? There's a reason the Bible says "provoke not your children to wrath" why? Because you will create rebellion inside them. As it does each person. It turns most people away from the message. Why? Because they can't even see the message behind that wall of arrogant animosity. It does not work.

Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

     You will never reach your full effectiveness as a Christian if you do not learn how to give the truth with love. This is such a vital truth. I'm not saying I've been perfect concerning this, however, it's something I earnestly and honestly try to do. So should you. Because there are so many Christians out there being toxic. Spouting hateful words and marring the testimony of the Christ they so claim to follow. 

     There are so many examples of this. I've seen pastors lay into church members, I've seen ministry leaders name call political leaders (who are people) and call them "idiots," "morons," and a slew of other words. I've even been cussed out by a pastor and his son due to a theological difference. It's worth noting, this didn't make anyone want to listen to them. It created bitterness in the hearts of these people (including myself.) Now, bitterness is a whole separate topic, but the way you approach topics, whether right or wrong, can create a whole different response. You approach something by speaking the truth through the filter of love, and you will see people respond to you, respect you, and your ministry will flourish because of that. On the flip side, if you start hammering the truth down people's throats, it will do nothing more than damage that person. What does the Bible say? Exhort/encourage each other unto what? Love and good works. Not negativity. Not creative demeaning phrases. Not belittling. Only, love and good works.


An example of someone using the truth to be too harsh and create a diminishing testimony of his church is this video: You're Not Worth 15 Cents

(Watch this video, it'll leave you scratching your head for a few reasons, I promise)

The Bible clearly warns us to be careful with our speech...
James 3:5-6 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.


     We have to be so careful with what and how we speak. For if we don't we'll turn into ranting fools. This is why the church has such a bad name today. Not just because of media. Rebellious young people, or any other excuse. The problem is today, that the church is giving them ammo to supply their fight. That's right, so many Christian's behavior has put us Christians "dead to rights" or "caught red handed" because we've behaved ourselves foolishly and have said/done things that don't reflect Christ. So the world can easily pick us apart. This should never be the case.

     The Bible even tells us when we have a problem with a fellow brother/sister in Christ that we are to go to them privately and speak with them about it (Matthew 18) The Bible also tells us that "iron sharpens iron, so does a man sharpen the countenance of his friend" So we are definitely told to correct one another, but we are also told this:
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
"Christians are the only people that shoot their own wounded" - Andrew Fittis


     This statement, spoken by a good friend while teaching Sunday School, still resonates in my mind. Christians have a bad rep in today's society it seems. So many blame the bias media. However, I say we should blame ourselves. For we have equipped them with enough foolish behavior and have openly and arrogantly waved our dirty laundry for all the world to see. This is disturbing to say the least.

     Within the last year, a church that has always been close to me and my family voted in a new pastor. This pastor turned out to be toxic. He spoke harshly and turned the whole place upside down. Eventually the church voted him out, but not before people were hurt and broken by this behavior. From most the events that transpired, do you know what made them so bad? His words. What he said and how he said it. So often we let our own knowledge of the truth of God's word puff us up and instead of living through the Holy Spirit, we live through our flesh. Our pride sets in. Then we feel it's our place to tell everyone how wrong they are. It's not our place. It's God's place. We are His messengers. As it said in Colossians, we have to have our speech seasoned with salt. With grace and fluidity. We must remain blameless before God and man. To keep the testimony of the Christian, church, and God we have to keep this in mind.

"Christianity is either ignorance on fire or knowledge on ice." - Kyle Shearen

     This meaning that when someone is first saved, they don't know anything yet. They know little about theology, doctrine, hermeneutical principles, eisegesis vs exegesis etc. However, they're on fire! They start telling everyone! Excited about their new found peace. Then it seems the ones with the most knowledge start going down a slippery slope. They start letting their knowledge puff up their pride and it goes down hill. I've fallen prey to that myself. There's nothing wrong with being educated on the Bible, in fact, it's encouraged by the Lord. However, I caution you Christian. Your knowledge can be your greatest asset, or your greatest downfall. Seek knowledge, wisdom, and discretion as we are encouraged to do in Proverbs.

     It's clear to me that God's focus has always been truthful love (love and grace). That His message was loving kindness. To bring enlightenment and joy with the truth. But one can never experience such enlightenment if it's being crammed down their throat with condescending, demeaning, harsh, or rude remarks. This is what the Bible says about love:


1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
1 Corinthians 16:14 If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.
1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

     Now, the next thing I want to focus on is our greatest example; Jesus Christ. Notice His responses to these situations


Woman Caught in the Act of Adultery

His response to the boisterous accusers:
John 8:7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”


His response to the adultering woman:
John 8:10-11 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”


Woman at the Well

The Discussion:
John 4:14-16 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

Her Response:
John 4:17a The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”
His Response:
John 4:7b-18 Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

The Conclusion of this Discussion:
John 4:25-29 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”


     Notice that Jesus never spat angry or hateful words at these people caught in their sin. He only approached them with truth sprinkled with grace. This is vital to correct not only those without Christ, but Christians as well. In fact, the only people we see Christ rebuke intensely are the Pharisees. Calling them "A generation of venemous vipers" among many other things. Why? Because they were spiritual leaders claiming the name of Jehovah who were acting like self-righteous fools. It almost seems as if Jesus was not only disappointed in them, but knew that only speaking with shear blunt force would His message wouldn't be heard or understood. This is speculation however. But why? Why would Jesus respond harsher to the Pharisees than the godless sinners? I mean, at least the Pharisees believed in God. Here's why:
Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

     God makes it very clear that we are to be either hot or cold. Hot meaning we are born again believers on fire for God and His work, where cold suggests that we are not believers at all. So we are "cold to Him". But God cannot stand lukewarm Christians! That's someone who claims the name of Christ, yet lives as if he weren't a born again believer. Usually lukewarm Christians blend right into that of a normal crowd and you can't tell the difference between them and someone who is not saved.

     Jesus holds Christians to a higher standard. He expects us to honor Him and His ways every moment of every day. Jesus didn't get angry or agitated with the worldly unbelievers. Why? Because it's the world acting like the world. Sin rules this world and therefore it rules unbelievers. Jesus didn't get mad about this. He understood this. That's why He was "moved with compassion". This is also why He was so hard on those claiming God's name! (like the Pharisees) Because these people were to be the "salt of the earth" but how could they? Especially if they were too busy looking down on everyone around them? Saying distasteful things!? Treating sinners with disdain? They can't be! So Jesus rebuked them harshly, but only after He tried speaking to them with grace.

     This is the reason, in my own ministry, I sometimes appear "harder" on Christians than that of the people of this world. In fact, recently I was told by a minister "Will, you harbor great hatred for God's people and His leaders." No, I do not. I simply hold Christians to a higher standard. This message was in regard to my post on homosexuality. This same individual called this article "apostasy." All because I emphasize grace within our messages. All I want to see are Christians approach the world with wisdom, discretion, truth, mercy and grace. This is the message Jesus emphasized. Never compromise the truth, turning it into a wishy washy mess, but never make the truth a harsh message that leaves people broken either. Learn the balance. Jesus had the perfect balance. One thing Christians today need to remember is truthful love. For our churches will never grow, our nation will never turn around, we'll never see revival, and the Great Commission will never be fulfilled if this great truth is not learned and applied.

     For even Jesus, as He stood before the people innocent and betrayed, never lashed out. Never insulted the sinners of the world. He simply remained silent. Humbled Himself unto torture and death. I urge you Christian, to humble yourself likewise and find the balance between truth and love. For if you don't, we as Christians will make little headway against the tsunami of sin that our world has become. Worse yet, we won't see nearly as many souls come to Christ. Meaning many more souls will go to hell.

     Love your brother, love the people of this world. No matter who it is. Don't compromise this command of God so you can have a moment of pride. Don't compromise your ministry for the sake of an ego. This is foolish. Instead, do as Jesus did and look upon the multitudes with compassion as sheep having no shepherd.
1 Peter 2:1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

By at No comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Bible College

August 06, 2015 authoritarian , authority 0 Comments

     With so many people in this world, so many paths, and so many choices it can lead people down many different roads in life. Of course one of the biggest decisions someone makes is: Should I go to college? If so, when and where? This question still rings true to those who have been called to preach and serve in the church full time. With hundreds of seminaries and Bible Colleges to choose from it can be a little overwhelming. However, I am not here to discuss the different choices of college, but to hone in a specific class of college: Bible College/Seminaries. Not just to hone in on them but to ask the question: Is Bible College Necessary?

     Before I start to dig into this matter, I first want to mention that I’ve had mixed feelings about such institutions for a long time. On one hand, I’ve met my greatest friends, my closest friend, and my wife at Bible College. I’ve met incredible people as well and I was involved in many great ministries. However, I also see so many glaring problems in the idea of it that the “plank in the eye” has grown out of control.

     In our culture, colleges and institutes are so integrated into our education growing up few ever ask “Why?” Now, I believe college is important especially for those seeking specific highly qualified professions. As far as this cultural norm is concerned though, it has found a way to seep into our New Testament Churches. Now this must beg the question: Is it right? This is a hard question to answer. There is no such place of education ever mentioned in the Bible especially for that of the church. But just because something isn’t mentioned in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s wrong. There are many things not mentioned in the Bible, yet there is nothing wrong with them. So first I’d like to mention good things at Bible Colleges.


Bible College: What Many Get Right

     The ultimate idea of Bible college is to train, teach, and send forth laborers for Christ to fulfill the commission given to us by God. (Matt. 28:16-20) So classes are hosted where a  number of different Bible classes from Bible Doctrine, to Theology of Christian Education, to Greek/Hebrew, and missions classes are taught. They are trying to equip workers for Christ with knowledge through the studying of the holy scriptures


2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

     This here is a great and noble task. Especially with new converts surrendering to go to ministry and to be able to go and be educated in a class environment is good.

     Also, they involve you in the church’s ministries (more on this later) This here, is great. While at Fairhaven Baptist College, I helped in the children’s ministry and music ministry. While at Crown College of the Bible, I primarily helped in the deaf ministry and assisted in others as needed. This created an opportunity for students to get involved in ministries and gain some hands on experience. 
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Also, many of them preach and teach Christ following Acts 5:42.
Acts 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

     Well, I’m obviously speaking about Bible College as a general whole. There are some that are better than others. Some worse. Some only Christian by name. But I ultimately want to focus on the general issues within the vast majority of legitimate Bible Colleges.


Bible College: What it Gets Wrong


 Infringing Upon Individual Soul Liberty:

     This is probably the largest and most frustrating part of Bible College to the masses. Most Bible schools have a large student handbook, guidelines, rules, or regulations that students must follow. Usually the list is long, detailed, and rigid in its design. These rules generally completely overstep the bounds of healthy rules, to infringing upon the right of a Christian to have individual soul liberty.

When I say “Individual Soul Liberty” what do I mean? It’s generally defined as such:

     Individual Soul Liberty: Is the responsibility and liberty of the believer or unbeliever to dictate, with their God given conscience or through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that which is right or wrong. This liberty however does not justify one’s actions against God. The believer must still act and follow the guidance of the Holy Scriptures and is still personally accountable to God.
2 Corinthians 5:10-11 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

     When Bible Colleges demand that students wear ties, dress shirts, jackets, or skirts. Then they dictate where you can work, when to go to bed, what you can watch, what you play, where you can talk on the phone, where you can go, who you can date, who you can be friends with, and micromanage every part of your life, even to the point of giving you demerits (basically infractions) for any number of things. They are overstepping many God given boundaries and are doing their students a great disservice. They are treating adults as if they are children. Also, ironically, this contradicts a very important doctrine. Let me put it to you this way:
      No church or Christian institution has the right to take the liberty from you that Jesus Christ died to give you.

      Think about it for just a moment and you’ll see that it falls apart and caves in on itself. These places are supposed to be training, teaching, and helping our future ministers to reach the lost and dying world. These people are to be leading our families, our children, teenagers, and be our shepherds. These young people are our front lines against the world. So why is it then, that a place would put up a protective bubble to shield them from all things questionable? Why protect them so much from the world? If these are supposed to be our frontline leaders, then how will they ever be able to defend against an enemy they’ve never met? We can’t shelter these people. We have to let them go into the world and reach the lost. It is never beneficial to micromanage adults and treat them as children, for how can the children grow to be adults without that vital first hand experience? Remember, these students are to be our theologians, our Biblical counselors, our front-line of the gospel! Yet, many institutions want to treat them as children and not as grown adults. 
1 Corinthians 13:11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

      I had a friend of mine who was attending Crown in his first year. He then mentioned while knocking on doors he met a homosexual man. My friend started ranting on and on about how disgusting that lifestyle was and how he could hardly stand talking to him. He then continued saying that he didn’t ever want a homosexual to walk into his church in the future. This is the glaring issue. He was homeschooled, only went to church, home, and was around other fundamental Christians his entire life. Now, being an adult, he had no clue how to even live in the world that we live in. At Bible College he was still sheltered from it all, and what happened? First curve ball the world threw at him sent him reeling. These people are to lead our churches, yet he can’t even bare the thought of a homosexual walking into his church or even existing on the same planet for that matter.

      You might say “that’s an extreme case.” However, in Bible college, it’s not. Situations like these happen multiple times a day. People see something in the world that’s sinful and they flip out. Why is this? There could be many reasons for this, but one thing that is not helping is their institution of training, equipping, and preparing them isn't doing any of those things.

     I once had a father of a sixteen-year-old daughter tell me he wanted to send her to Crown because he likes a strict structured atmosphere for his daughter. This bothered me because a strict place to live shouldn’t be the goal of Bible College. It shouldn’t be the goal period. Every father is protective of his little girl. No father wants his daughter to go out, party, drink, and come home pregnant. But here’s the thing...once your child is an adult they have to be able to make decisions on their own. This should also count at Bible college. Yes, you want that rigid lifestyle for her, but does it really help her? Equip her for the future? No, it does not. In fact, I would argue that it harms her more than helps her. She's not equipped to face the world, only delayed to face it.

     This isn’t to say that Bible colleges shouldn’t have rules, and expect their students to behave in a way that honors God. However, the focus should be on Biblical commands, not on personal preferences, opinions, or superficial standards. These students need to learn how to live in the world and not be of the world but that will never happen if Bible College holds their hands. Blurring the lines between what God says and what an administration says.

      If you can’t trust people who have decided to follow God in ministry to make the right decisions, then why even have your institution in the first place? There has to be some amount of personal accountability or your work and effort will be fruitless. When sheltering your students, you’re ultimately prolonging the inevitable. They will meet the world. The only question is: “When?” Then the next question is: “How?” How will they react to it? Equip them to face it and minister to it. Not to run from it.

Concerned About Appearances Not the Hearts:
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

     Another issue is Bible Colleges focus so much on appearances. This causes a lot of problems. There is no individuality. Plus, you make everyone look the part, but what about live the part?When I went to Bible college all I wanted to do was reach, teach, disciple, and learn. But, because I wore a thin tie, fitted suits, bright colors, and had a faux hawk, (don't laugh) I was instantly labeled as “rebellious” or “worldly.” Because I was “walking the line” of the student handbook. I, for one, had no intentions of that; I simply wore what I thought looked nice. However, I was "too trendy" so therefore I was "worldly."

      What's ironic is that our dorm's RA, someone the administration looked upon highly, was a totally different person when he wasn't around those he was trying to impress. He was the VP's personal intern, came from a wealthy family, and he made sure that everyone in the dorm knew that fact. This man, when in the dorm, was a whole other man. He threatened me personally with his fist in my face, told another dorm-mate that he wanted to kick him out of school, and called another a loser due to drugs being in that person's family. The list is endless, but there is one story that sticks out in my mind. 

       Once, I had a teenage girl call me from the youth group I had pastored over at 11pm. She called me because both her parents abandoned her. Her mom for drugs, and her dad for another woman and just left her at her grandparent’s house. She called me sobbing and crying about what happened and looking for some sort of comfort. I remember grabbing my Bible, opening it up, and asking her to do the same. As I started to counsel her, my RA stepped into the room and told me: 

 “Will, get off your phone. You know you’re not supposed to be on the phone after 10:30pm.” 

      I covered the phone’s mic and told him a brief overview of the situation and that I’d be a while because I need to handle this. 

     “I said to get off your phone now. You’re directly disobeying me as your authority."

      He then reached for my phone. I turned away, still trying to talk to her while dealing with his harassment. I finally snapped at him and told him I’ll talk to him about it later. Once I got her calmed down, encouraged her, and got off the phone, I went and talked to my RA. Him and I went back and forth and he told me he was going to give me the maximum demerits he could for disobeying him. I responded with a simple yet direct statement:

  “Go ahead, and keep them coming. I’d rather get kicked out knowing that I was ministering than to stay knowing that I failed my calling.”

     Remember, this guy looked the part. Wore all the right clothes, said all the right things, but it was all artificial. Bible colleges are so concerned with making people look, act, and behave a certain way, that they totally miss the people’s hearts. Many of the highly thought of people at these schools actually have just learned how to play politics. This isn’t me saying this out of jealousy, but in an honest attempt to be candid. Schools would do themselves a favor if instead of focusing on how someone looks like they focus on what their heart is and where its intentions truly lie. This idea that “if you feel a certain way you’ll dress a certain way” is honestly ludicrous. As long as someone is dressing modest and not in a way that dishonors God...why make it a big deal? In fact, what you’re doing is creating a place where people can “slip under the radar” just by dressing and acting a certain way. It encourages two-faced behavior. This should not be the case.

     It’s also worth mentioning that due to the focus on appearances, it has rendered many students hurt and broken because they didn’t “fit the bill.” Some students were put down because their dress shirts were too ratty, their ties were too beat up, their ties were too thin, and even for wearing a scarf (for the men.) The place where we are supposed to be teaching, training, and discipling, is the same place where we’re going to badger students on their wardrobe? They are college students, some of them can hardly afford gas in their cars let alone to buy a wardrobe that’s more fitting to a preference or culture. 

 This is what Bible colleges should desire and look for in their students:
Titus 2:7-8 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

     Not some set of superficial rules or standards. Those things are foolish and there is no way every human being that walks through the doors would be able to follow them. We talk about how God created us all different and He does that for a reason, yet why is it that these schools for God want to take that away? Maybe fear? Paranoia? An ideal they feel needs to be lived up to? It’s hard to say. I heard one preacher say the rules are there because there are so many different people from so many walks of life coming to a single place that they need to set down a blanket for the mass of people with certain regulations as to not cause confusion and keep things running smoothly. I can see the logic in that, but only to a degree. Problem is, by doing that you are still destroying the individuality that God gave us. You’re still protecting the sheltered. How can people ever learn to get along with and minister to the people of the sinful world if they can’t even learn how to get along and minister to brothers and sisters in Christ at Bible college? This makes no sense. When they come to Bible college, it’s time to take the training wheels off. It’s time to lace up your shoes and start learning and ministering for Christ.


Financially Focused and Greed

     Yes, that’s right. So many Christian colleges are all about money and greed. Granted, I understand that it must cost money to attend. You can’t live at a school and be taught for free. Someone has to pay for the facilities and for the faculty’s salary. I get this. Problem is though, many of these schools are making way too much profit and are trying to earn more every year.


1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

     They excuse it with: “you have to be willing to give to your church and after all the college is an extension of our church ministry.” Yes. This is what I heard said many times as I saw faculty pull in their Mercedes, while we live in dorms that are falling apart and have mushrooms growing in the corners of our bathrooms. (I wish I was kidding.) College students aren’t stupid, we know we have to pay our dues. But if this is a ministry of your church, why are you profiting so much from it? When people were selling sacrifices in the temple, Jesus overthrew them and spoke out against selling things in God’s house and using His name to make a profit. The parallel here seems too obvious. I hope you understand I’m not trying to be ill willed here, but I am trying to bring attention to these areas that these schools need to change some patterns.

     There were even times while at Crown, Pastor Sexton would finish writing a book and say “I want you to have this book I wrote. It'll be a blessing to you, it’s $20 for a copy and I want each and every one of you to go to the bookstore and purchase this book by Monday. We will be having a book check before chapel and anyone who doesn’t have this book will receive 10 demerits.” I remember I was shocked that the administration would do such a thing. It was in the middle of the semester, we already had purchased our books for our classes, most of us were working full time, involved in two ministries of the church, and now we were required to buy a book to help makeup for printing costs. Most of us hardly had money to make it through the week and the administration would require that we buy a book that wasn't remotely connected to any of our classes. This would happen a couple of times a year, where all of a sudden you have to buy a book you’ll never use, and if you don’t buy it, you’ll be punished. This is the pinnacle of a money centric ministry and extorting your student body.

     Also, having such high tuition, raising it regularly, plus fees, and registrations causes a whole other problem: student debt. Students who are going out to serve the Lord shouldn’t have to be worried about thousands and thousands of dollars of debt before working in ministry, which is known for its low pay. The reality is, to be trained to serve God you do not need to spend such money.
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Forcing Students Into Church Ministries

     Please don’t mistake me here. Whenever possible, we should be involved in ministries. However, only willing students and those who can (with work schedules etc.) should be involved.


2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

     There were so many students who didn’t want to be involved in these things. Some because they had poor attitudes, but others because they didn’t have the time between working and being a student. Yet, they’d get in trouble and possibly kicked out if they weren’t involved in these ministries. How does that make sense? Students are there to be students, not an extra labor force. Plus, what good does it do to force students into ministries? Personally, I only want the willing to be in my ministry. I don’t want people there out of duty or out of a requirement. I want people serving God because they want to be there. It’s through willing and able people that ministries will grow successful after all. Some aren’t willing and therefore will be a hinderance, and some are not able (due to schedules etc.) so they shouldn’t be required.

Bible colleges need to re-shift their focus and turn to the Biblical approach.


Biblical Method of Training For Ministry

     You’ll notice in the Bible that none of these issues above (and so many others) didn’t exist in the ministry of the 12 Disciples, the ministry of Paul, or the New Testament as a whole really. If any of these issues came up, they were swiftly taken care of! So what’s the Biblical approach to training people for ministry?
Mark 3:14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach...

     The answer? One on one discipleship training. Paul taught Timothy and Titus personally and got them engaged in the ministry. Not sitting them in a class room asking them to fill our homework assignments. He got them involved! He didn’t blanket them with superficial standards or rules, take money, or hurt them in any way. He simply trained them. The disciples followed Jesus for about 3 years. Just following Him and listening to his teaching. This would seem to be a much more Biblical approach to training ministers. The problem is, today the church has allowed the idea of “college” to seep into the church.

     I find this an interesting irony, in fundamental churches they are so concerned about keeping any connection of the world out of their churches, yet college, is a worldly institution. It’s a worldly method of education. Doesn’t make it wrong, but churches are more concerned about a four year degree than the calling from God.

     A friend of mine applied at a church to be a pastor and was told they wouldn’t hire him on because he didn’t have his bachelor’s degree. (The position only payed 25K a year) This is absurd. You’re telling me, that God called this man to preach. Holy sovereign God anointed this man to preach His gospel and lead His churches and you’re more concerned about a four year degree and a piece of paper, given by man, that says he’s qualified over a calling from God that says he’s qualified? Where’s the reasoning in that? There is none.

     Churches, stop caring about a meaningless degree and start caring about the calling on that man’s life. Paul, Timothy, Titus, Peter, James, John etc., didn’t need a four year degree...neither does anyone else. What they need is a serious calling from God and a heart to serve Him. Without the heart, your degree is meaningless, but with the heart, your degree is still meaningless. Because God works through the hearts of man, not through a piece of paper and hours in a class room. I’d rather spend four years following an experienced pastor than four years at a Bible College.

     It’s unfortunate too that most these schools don’t even teach deep Bible! Instead, most of them teach basics, an overview, and pretty much teach you how to be that denomination. At both Fairhaven and Crown, it felt like it was more of “We’re independent fundamental baptists and these classes show why.” instead of actually digging into scriptures.


A close friend of mine who has been in full-time ministry said,
“Honestly, I learned very little at Bible College, it wasn’t until I went to a church and was their intern and they discipled me, engaged me, and trained me that I started to feel equipped for ministry”

      Why is that? Because discipleship is the true road to ministry. What we need are more qualified preachers to train up the men who say “I’m called to preach” instead of sending them off to a school to sit in a class for four years and learning about ministry instead of doing ministry. Jesus personally trained His disciples for three years. Why do we think we should train someone for four years in a class instead of years on the field actually doing it?


Bible College: Re-Shifting the Focus


     Instead of being concerned about superficial rules and standards and getting caught in politics and thinking about educating, or in many cases indoctrinating, these schools would do themselves massive favors if they re-shifted their focus on mentoring, discipling, and assisting students. This school you claim is your ministry, yet I’ve seen so many people walk out hurt, frustrated, and without a dollar to their name. Those that leave your school should be flourishing and teeming with excitement feeling well equipped and prepared for the road ahead.

     So start discipling! Instead of mind numbing classes all the time, get them out there as part of their class. Have mentors who disciple them and lead them. Instead of classes always covering some of the most basic parts of the Bible, have progressive assignments where you give them resources for their future churches, equip them properly. Let them show their individuality and let it be challenged. Let them grow as well! Stop micro managing and start leading. People will follow if you disciple them. Problem is most Bible Colleges don’t.

     As much as I was told to respect Pastor Sexton, I know he doesn’t even know who I am. He was 'my pastor,' I served in his church, interpreted, played special music, and many other things, but the pastor there didn’t even know who I was. Only a hand full of faculty knew my name, and only two knew me personally. I truly believe this is one of the many reasons why so many of the graduates go nowhere or fall off the deep end. Because Bible College truly lacks the personal discipleship God designed the church and its leaders to have.

     I see the value in Bible College and so do so many other people. Problem is it’s falling flat on itself because it’s not preparing people properly for ministry. Teach your students how to dig into the Bible, interpret it, learn it. The deep part of the Bible, prophecy, Greek, the differences in theologies, methods and strategies to reach the lost. How to build your church ministries (Sunday school, Spanish, Deaf etc.) equip your students. Don’t get hung up on everything else. Bible colleges today could be so much more than what they are. What they need to do though is drop the appearance gimmick, stop trying to create robots, and instead cultivate passionate hearts. This happens when you give someone the freedom God gave them, let them choose the direction of their life, then bring in the disciple to train them.

     Training them isn’t just giving them random assignments either. It’s not making them write a paper or sit in a classroom. It’s guiding them and having them follow you. See how/why/when things are done. Our church leaders must be built up on a foundation that means something! Not completing a list of requirements then sent on their way to lead a church. Have spiritual mentors in their lives.

     I’m tired of seeing Bible college lifted up and praised as if it's the greatest achievement a Christian can achieve. It has its value and could be a massive instrument for God, but because of all the issues at hand it often leaves students frustrated, bitter, and some even completely quit ministry all together. If these Christian schools were truly following the work of the Lord; we wouldn’t see this. Some schools might be fine, but some schools really need to re-evaluate themselves and see how they can improve their structure. Stop sheltering your students. Stop lecturing them. Stop micromanaging them. Start discipling them and encouraging them. I promise you, you will see a difference in your student’s lives, and also, the quality of the churches in which they serve. Because they have a backing of godly relationships supporting them, not a backing of random belligerent classes and broad-brushing of rules.

     I hope you understand that I find college extremely valuable. I think Bible colleges are a huge asset. This is why I’ve said what I said. I hate seeing a tool that could be used so much for God, falling short. All this could be fixed if pride was set aside in the leadership, and they humbled themselves to lead their students on a personal level. Because through personal one-on-one discipleship and training we could actually see our churches and ministers make a huge leap for Christ!


Luke 14:27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

     The following link will serve as a great example of the rigid rule structure at many conservative Bible Colleges. A more performance based Christianity is clearly evident here. These are just the dating rules at Crown College, let alone the whole 43 page handbook.


Crown College Dating Rules






By at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Homosexuality

February 19, 2015 bible , gay 6 Comments




     In pop and western culture today, there are a great many political and social issues that can create blazing arguments between friends, family members, strangers, or basically any human being in the cosmos. Few such issues will cause more hate, more spats, and more broken relationships than the topic of ‘homosexuality.’ This has become a massive religious issue and social issue in today’s society and after much thought and study I thought I would bring my thoughts to the table today. This has been a burden on my heart for a long time and I pray God will give me wisdom as I write these thoughts out and present them to you.

     The first thing I’d like to say is I have a burden about this topic, mainly because I have seen so many struggle with this issue. Also, I’m sick of being called either a “homophobic” by some and a “gay lover” by others. So, let me explain this topic from a Biblical and logical point of view and hopefully help bring this topic away from its toxic roots on both sides of the aisle. 

     Growing up I’ve had many friends come out and say they are gay. My best friend actually in high school and early college even came out and said he struggled with this issue. Growing up in the conservative realm I was in and the views of others I was around, this made it extremely difficult for me to think this through. I had a great friend, who was a Christian, who helped in ministries, but then he told me that he has struggled with homosexual thoughts for years. He sought council for it and it bothered him deeply. I empathized with my friend as well, I was just unsure of how to handle it. Luckily, few at the church knew about his struggle, I could only imagine the outrage that he would’ve received if others knew of this. Luckily, no one knew that he didn’t want to know.

     So, before I speak further on this topic I want to ask, “What does the Bible say? Is homosexuality a sin?”

Romans 1:24-28 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
     There are many other verses I could use, but this passage will be the one I primarily focus on. So the Bible says that homosexual relations is contrary to nature. The Bible makes it clear that homosexuality is against the nature that God made things. I always thought this was very clear in the Bible. God made man and woman and together they can create life (children.) God gave men and women different anatomies and different ways of thinking so that together they can create a balanced family. The Bible is clear that marriage is between husband and wife, so to answer the previous question: yes, homosexuality is a sin before God.

     The problem isn't the spiritual conclusion, but the practical application of this. So many churches, pastors, deacons, Christians, etc., attack homosexuals in some of the worst ways a church can do.  Calling them godless, perverts, sodomites, child molesters, and many other things that are intended to be derogatory or hateful. If someone gay walks into the church either people ignore their existence and avoid them, or jump all over them, putting them down and spewing hateful remarks at them while demanding they turn away from their sinful lifestyle. Some even go as far as kick them out of their families or churches, or forbid anyone in the household to be friends with them. This sort of behavior will never win them to Christ, but in fact hurts the testimony of Christ.
Are Homosexuals Born Gay?
     The answer to this question is: yes. Yes, homosexuals are born this way. Not in the sense liberal media wants you to believe, but we are all born with sin! (Romans 3:23) Each person is born with a sin nature and hence we all struggle with different sins. Satan gets his claws into certain people and just doesn’t let go without a fight! Each person has different sins that they struggle with and homosexuality is no different than that.
"Homosexuals are born gay, because they are born with sin, not a gene."

     My friend growing up understood that it was wrong, but he struggled and struggled with these issues. It was constant for him. I’ve heard many Christians ask, “Why would someone have such desires to go against that which God created to be natural?” Well, the same could be asked to any of us any time we sin! Sin is going against the commands of God; lying, stealing, adultering, coveting: These are all examples of things that go directly against the way God intended them to be. The simple answer is the sin nature.

     Sometimes people have no rhyme or reason to their sins. A habitual liar could never tell you why he feels the need to lie all the time. Well, I’d say it’s applicable to this subject matter as well.


It’s an Abomination to the Lord! (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13)
     This is my personal favorite thing I’ve heard in my life as a miserable excuse to slander and hurt these people. (Yes, they are people. Not demons, not witches, or pedophiles. They are people) Yes, it is true that it is an abomination though! The references above describe it clearly as that. However, there are other things described as this as well.
Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
     That’s right Christians. We are all guilty of committing an abomination against God. We’ve all lied, have had pride, ran to mischief, etc. That means, we’ve all committed a sin of the same magnitude as homosexuality. It's easy to get on our high-horse and condescend someone else's sin, but we must remember that we are all equally guilty of similar sin before God. 

      Just because we’ve committed a crime against God, doesn’t mean God hates us. In fact, we know that God loves every person on this earth. There are dozens of references that show this (e.g. John 3:16) Jesus Christ died for the sin of the liar and the homosexual. He died for each and every sinner here. You know why? Because God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. He loves us despite our flaws, mistakes, failures, and sins. He looks past our faults, and sees our need. 
Sodomy/Sodomites
     This is a phrase I refuse to ever use when referring to this topic and I urge you to forbid this phrase as well because it screams ignorance for a few reasons. Let me explain.

     This phrase “sodomy/sodomite” is used because of the events of Genesis 18-19 when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. For one, a “Sodomite” would technically be a person who was a citizen of Sodom (a city) not a group of people that practice sexual relations with the same sex. A Sodomite is a citizen of Sodom, not a homosexual. Lot wasn’t a homosexual, but he was a Sodomite, because he lived there. This clear enough?

     The term “Sodomy” is a pet term used by many conservatives to describe the act of homosexuality. This drives me crazy for a few reasons. Contrary to popular belief, Sodom was not only destroyed because of homosexuality. This is one of the largest misinterpretations in the Bible. Sodom was destroyed for this reason...

Genesis 18:20 Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave...
Ezekiel 16:49-50 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.
     The Bible, more or less, just generalizes their sin as many different types of sins. It never once just points to homosexuality. I’m sure you can see that not even the Bible uses the term the way many of the church like to. Now we see that this sexual wickedness is one of the many issues in Sodom (Gen. 19) but they must’ve been filled with much more wickedness than this one sin. It was a nation stained with filthiness. There are not many nations we see in the Bible that God just wipes out, and Sodom and Gomorrah got the full wrath of “fire and brimstone” from Heaven. This was God’s judgment on a city filled with sin. In fact, all but Lot’s family were destroyed.

     We need to stop generalizing homosexuals as “Sodomites.” They are not Sodomites, the Bible never even points to the way the phrase is used today. Let’s use proper terminology. I don’t see homosexuals running around raping, pillaging, stealing, molesting, lying, killing, etc. Anymore than the average person. They just have this particular sexual struggle. Instead of condemning them, how about we love them and pray for them that God will help them overcome this issue?

     Also, due to the liberal use of the term “sodomy” many just figure it means “homosexuality.” However, upon looking at the definition:

Sodomy: (slang) Sexual intercourse involving anal or oral copulation.

     Both straight and gay people regularly exercise oral copulation. Some even participate in anal copulation (although not usually recommended.)  However, this would mean that most people have committed “sodomy.” in one way or another.

      I’ve had discussions with gay people and they tell me that when someone uses the term “Sodomite” usually hate comes right after. I’m not talking about reproof here, I’m talking about hate. Please, Christians, I urge you to use proper terminology and not say such things. This isn’t cowardice or being afraid to “call it what it is.” In fact, it’s the opposite. I’m asking you to actually call it what it really is (homo/bi-sexuality.) Because as explained above, the term “sodomy” is highly inaccurate and has been exhausted by the most hateful speakers. I’m only encouraging wisdom and discretion here.


Gain Knowledge and Wisdom
     You need to get to know a person before you start pointing fingers. You see, many times there is a “method to the madness.” Generally, if someone struggles with this issue it is because they were exposed to it early on in life or some other event. 

 Example: Growing up in my family, we had foster kids in and out of our home. Obviously, this meant we had many sexually abused children come through our doors. I remember hearing things from the kids that to this day disturb me. One of the kids still resonate in my mind. When he was just four years old he was raped, multiple times, by a ten year old neighbor boy. Then, another neighbor girl molested him along with her brother. This happened until he was about six years old. He was eventually taken into foster care. Being exposed to this at such an early age it created a ton of confusion with him. Later, he was caught molesting/raping other boys around him. This caused him to be moved from that foster home and eventually into ours where all of us were much older and not going to be another random victim. I talked to this boy many times about his experiences. He knew it was wrong. He didn’t understand his urges or why he had them. But I knew why; he was abused at an early age and it warped his mind. Something inside him was broken. After being in our home for a long time and us watching him closely we watched him go from a traumatized kid to becoming a normal boy in every way. He accepted Christ as his savior and we saw him as a new child. He was given a chance to change, and he did. 

     What’s my point? Well, if this boy was never brought to our home, introduced to God, and given a bit of grace his story could've ended very differently. However, this child was given a normal life, but due to a traumatizing past incident he could’ve easily been set before a different path. 

     My ultimate point is that you have to get to know people before you just instantly condemn them or label them. The Bible tells us to judge (discern) that which is sin, but not to judge a person’s thoughts, motives, feelings, past, or heart. This is God’s part. Our job is to lead them and anyone else to the Lord.


A Plea

Matthew 9:36-38 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
    
     God moved with compassion when He saw the people lost in sin. Let me ask you: Will you be a shepherd? Will you stop putting down, avoiding, condemning, and being hateful to homosexuals? I understand it’s a sin and so should you. If someone openly lives that lifestyle then they are living in open sin and not in the freedom of Christ. Obviously, we Christians are not bound by sin, let’s show the entire world that! Every person we come into contact with. Gays/lesbians are no exception.

     Also, let me add this. Gays/lesbians/bi’s are not trying to take over the entire USA or the world. They aren’t trying to molest your children. They are not monsters in the night. They are people. Are there some who might fit this description? Sure. But are there straight people doing the same? Yup. So it’s the liberal agenda to be blamed there, not only homosexuals. To blame gays for all the problems in this country/world is ignorant and foolish. Sin filled mankind is to blame for all of that. No one else.

     For all those still doubting everything I’ve said and still want to openly and verbally bash them and excuse it by saying something like “There is no greater love than speaking the truth” Well let me remind you. First off, the Bible says that there is no greater love than he who gives his life for a friend (John 15:13) so that statement is wrong. Also, it’s not bashing the truth all day that shows love. It’s speaking the truth in love.


John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
“Love without truth is compromise, but truth without love is harshness”

      That is the moral I’m ultimately trying to speak here. Why would anyone want to hear man just hating on them all day? Especially if they are not a Christian! Why on earth would anyone open a listening ear to hear about God if all they hear is “God hates you and you going to burn in hell because you’re gay!” I know I wouldn’t listen to a word! Let’s clear the name of our churches today and show that the church is God’s blessed vessel to reach out to the world and teach His Words to everyone and preach the grace of God.

 Let me give you an example real quick then I’ll close:

       When I was in Tennessee going to Crown College of the Bible, I worked at Express. One of my managers there was a gay man. He was a hard worker, he was friendly, and never mistreated anyone. He worked insane hours and went to school to be a chemist. He knew I was a Bible college student but he didn’t act weird around me and I joked with him as I did with all my co-workers. I never acted weird around him and he always respected me and vice versa. Well, when the school year came to an end I had to quit working there. When I put in my notice he called me up and said this to me:

     “Will, I wanted to thank you for your hard work and your attitude while working here. You treated me like a normal person despite going to a Bible college and knowing I was gay. I never told you this but my dad was a Southern Baptist Preacher and when I was 17 I went to him and told him that I had thoughts toward men and didn’t know what to do. Enraged my father scolded me and told me to find a job and kicked me out of the house. I haven’t talked to him for over 8 years now. Ever since that day, I wanted nothing to do with church. I believe in God, but I’m scared of being treated like that again. So I wanted to thank you.”

 “What for?” I asked.

 “For giving me faith in Christians again.”

     I remember hanging up the phone in a daze. I was shocked that I made such an impression on him while I was there: all because I treated him like a person. Now, he had faith in Christians again. He never stopped believing God, he only doubted the people that are supposed be showing the grace of God.

      What happened to us Christians? Since when did we trade the Great Commission and the Grace of God for a hammer and judgment seat? It is not our place to judge them or make sure they “regret” their sin. It’s our place to reach and teach Christ.

     Please understand, I do not condone homosexuality. The Bible says it is sin and against the nature of things. God created things to be a certain way and we are to follow that. However, I am tired of Christians not following the proper commandments of God. To hate on them, bash them, and then excusing it away by saying “It’s an abomination to the Lord.” Meanwhile, they ignore that lying and sowing discord among the brethren is also an abomination. Let me remind you, if there is a Christian who struggles with homosexuality to put them down, yell at them, call them an abomination is doing 1) judging/condemning him for their sin which is only God’s place 2) You are causing discord among the brethren. Instead of doing those things, how about you befriend that person and encourage them to walk right with the Lord. 
1 John 2:11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

     Let’s keep things where they need to be. Hate the sin and love the sinner. No one will ever turn away from sin or even have a desire to transform their mind/heart (Romans 12:2) if we don’t lead first by example. Even now, I am counseling and attempting to help some people who struggle with this sin. They are opening up to me and I’m trying to help them. But they will only listen if you first show grace, love, and discretion. This is not to say “Look how spiritual and good I am!” this is something that is a burden on my heart. It bothers me when I hear what Christians say about homosexuals, yet they ignore the commands of Mark 12:31 (love your neighbor) I want to see a change in Christians and how they interact with the gay/bi/lesbian community. Not saying it’s “okay” and accepting it as normal, but not rejecting them with such harsh demeanor that it’s not even remotely Christian. I will lave you with this verse. I am praying for you all and I hope that my thoughts were clear on this message.


Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works...






By at 6 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,