Our Secular Society and Music Lyrics

Most of us are painfully aware of the disturbing song lyrics that are popular in our secular society. Many have placed certain CDs off limits to our children because of the graphic language and violence in the songs. You know even the more tame type of music has troublesome lyrics. Take Taylor Swift for example, you must know that I adore her music. When I first heard Shake it Off, I just got up and danced. It made me feel so happy. I quickly bought the song on ITunes, and then I heard it. The line is, “She's like oh my god.” It kind of broke my heart. I don’t take the use of the Lord’s name in vain lightly, which is precisely what was done in this song. The rest of the lyrics are harmless, but that one phrase has found it’s way into popular culture especially in texting and Facebook. It even has its own special abbreviation OMG.

This makes me very sad. Many of the young people who use this phrase see nothing wrong with it, and they mean no harm. But it IS harmful. It’s breaking one of the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord God in vain. That it is taken so lightly just hurts my heart. So here’s the big question, am I going to stop listening to this song? I honestly don’t know. I certainly won’t sing along with it. If you have a young daughter should you prevent her from buying it? At the very least, I would have a talk with her about the casual use of taking the Lord’s name in vain.

But wait, now that we’re thinking of song lyrics, what about another of my favorites. All About That Bass, by Meghan Trainor. I like the fact that she is proudly proclaiming that she’s not a size two and is fine with that. But then there is this line, “Yeah, my momma she told me don't worry about your size She says, boys they like a little more booty to hold at night.” What good Christian mom would tell her daughter that boys want to hang on to them at night?

Again, I am not out to boycott either of these songs. I love listening to them, and so do millions of other people because they are wildly popular. My point is, that our secular society has ungodly influences everywhere we turn. It’s practically impossible to avoid it all. We just have to talk to our kids and each other. We need to keep as much of the harmful influences in our society out of our lives as possible. This is just a small illustration that the evil one is very busy insidiously assaulting our culture at every turn.

I really really like Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor. I have several of  their songs on my IPod.

Big sigh…

Are We Living Our Lives For Christ?

How are we living our lives today? What will we be doing when Christ returns? We all live our lives doing normal daily things like eating, drinking and planning life events. The difference for believers is that they know there will be more, something much better, a permanent fulfillment when Christ returns. Believers will be longing for this ultimate fulfillment and not be satisfied by just the mere physical fulfillment than an earthly life offers. Believers know that there is much more to come.

“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Matthew 24:37. Matthew chapter 24 tells of His return and how important it is that we remain watchful. The prophet Zachariah told of the Messiah sitting on the Mount of Olives when he came to establish His kingdom. When His disciples asked what would be the sign of his coming, Jesus replied, “watch out that no one deceives you.”  He warned them and us that there would be many false prophets with counterfeit signs of spiritual power and authority. We mustn’t look for special signs or other people. We must keep our focus on Christ and His Word.

The Old Testament mentions false prophets several times who claimed they received messages from God. But they offered 'health and wealth on earth' messages instead of the eternal, deeper, spiritual wealth that God promises us.

Popular leaders today tell us what we want to hear, that God wants us to be rich, do whatever makes us happy, that there is no sin or hell.  With the wickedness and loose morals of false teachings comes the devastating loss of true love for God and others. Sin cools our love for God and others by causing us to focus on ourselves. We can’t truly love if we think only of ourselves.

Jesus told us that false teachers would come and warns us not to listen to their dangerous messages. Many nice sounding messages and teachings don’t hold up when examined closely. By reading and knowing God’s Word, we can spot these errors or problems in false teachings.

Christ’s coming will be sudden, unexpected and unmistakable. It will be clear to everyone all at once. If we have to be told he is here, or over there, then it is not truly Jesus. The Messiah’s return will be obvious to everyone. Jesus told us of his return so we would be prepared at all times. He did not tell about his return to stimulate predictions of when he will return. He warned us to be ready, to obey him each day.

While we wait, Jesus told us to spend our time taking care of one another and doing his work inside the Church and outside it to build His kingdom. We are not to live irresponsibly, looking for self-serving pleasure or developing a false security based on precise times and events.

God Wants Us Up Close and Personal

God wants our relationship with him to be close and personal. He wants us to be in close, daily contact with him. In Jeremiah, chapter 13, God used the illustration of a loincloth, or belt, to show his desire for intimacy with us. In the New Living Translation, God said he wanted his people to ‘cling’ to him. The Hebrew word for “cling” is dabaq, which means to cling, stick, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to. Knowing this really helps us understand this passage of scripture at a deeper level. When we make choices in our lives that lead to a closer relationship with God, we are blessed beyond measure. His love envelopes us and he  advises and encourages us. This is his gift of the Holy Spirit, which is available to us if we accept Christ as our Savior. The deeper our relationship with God becomes, the more connected we are to the Holy Spirit and his counsel.

In Jeremiah we learn that the sin of pride rots our heart and we lose our usefulness to God. The people in Jeremiah’s day were not able to enjoy real intimacy with God because of the sin of pride. They focused on tangible things they could touch and smell instead of God. Those tangible things became idols to them. They allowed the sin of pride to rob them of an up close and personal relationship with the Lord. People in today’s world are suffering from this same fate. That’s why the Bible is such a great resource to us, IF we use it. The more we read and learn, the more we grow. The easier it becomes to determine right actions and behaviors. The more fully we develop in our walk with The Lord, the more fulfilling our relationship with him becomes.

Jeremiah 11:9-13

New Living Translation

"The LORD says: This illustrates how I will rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. These wicked people refuse to listen to me. They stubbornly follow their own desires and worship idols. Therefore, they will become like this linen belt -- good for nothing! As a belt clings to a person's waist, so I created Judah and Israel to cling to me," says the LORD. "They were to be my people, my pride, my glory -- an honor to my name. But they would not listen to me."

New International Version

This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt--completely useless! For as a belt is bound around a man's waist, so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.'

Deuteronmy 10:16 says, “Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.” If our hearts are right with God, then our relationships with other people can be made right too. When your heart has been cleansed and you have been restored in your relationship with God, you will begin to see a difference in the way you treat others.

The Christian Church in the World

We had the most extraordinary speakers for Sunday School classes last week. Brian and Kathy Chaplin are missionaries from the United Kingdom who are serving in France. Initially, I thought France was a rather odd place for Christian Missionaires, but I soon learned how small the Church is in France, and in the rest of Europe as well. Compared to the U.S., the Church in Europe is very small. I had no idea! The church they serve in France has only about 25 people in the entire church - and that is considered a good size for a church there!

Brian had been a minister in the United Kingdom and upon retiring they decided to move to France.  Brian shared about his experience with street ministry and  Speakers Corner in Hyde Park. I can't imagine preaching and having people throw things at  you.

As he spoke, Brian echoed my thoughts about how there have been several antichrists: Napoleon, Hitler, Islam etc. He said that even though times are scary, he doesn't worry, he has hope. Then he reminded us to read Matthew 24.

I love how Kathy described their faith, she said their life was blank sheet of paper on which God would write what he would have them do. It was a marvelous treat to have a glimpse into their lives and their outlook on Christianity in today's world. They are exemplary disciples for Christ and their small congregation in France is blessed to have them.

May You Have Enough

May You Have Enough

May your joys be as bright as the morning,

and your sorrows merely be shadows that fade in the sunlight of love.

May you have enough happiness to keep you sweet,

enough trials to keep you strong,

enough sorrow to keep you human,

enough hope to keep you happy,

enough failure to keep you humble,

enough success to keep you eager,

enough friends to give you comfort,

enough faith and courage in yourself to banish sadness,

enough wealth to meet your needs and one thing more;

enough determination to make each day a more wonderful day than the one before.

I was recently reminded of wishing 'enough' for someone by a dear friend. I was charmed by the thought, and of course had to Google it. I found this Irish blessing and am amazed that I'd never come across it before. I mean I am half Irish, and have been to Ireland once, so therefore I think I know all things Irish lol!

'Having enough' really reminded me how similar our society today is with the Israelites of Jeremiah's day. Like the Israelites, we seem to never have enough. We don't worship Baal and other stone carvings, no, our culture has a more subtle relationship with idolatry. Our idols are anything that we spend more time and effort focusing on other than God.  So many things of this world lure us away from God. Because of this, we often tend to forget what is most important. Our relationship with God should be the number one thing, of the utmost importance in our lives. Our world glorifies the thrill that comes from wealth, competition, the persuit of pleasure, and it ignores the sin that is often associated with these thrills.

We never seem to have enough, we always want more. This really became apparent to me when I was able to go to Ireland a few  years ago. It was my first trip abroad and while struck with the beauty of the Emerald Isle, I was also charmed by its people. Their friendly, 'never met a stranger attitude' of course, but what I found remarkable was their happiness with 'enough.' They weren't all out to have bigger and better houses, cars and wardrobes. I loved that feeling I got, realizing that there wasn't this incessant need for more. We can learn a lot from the old Testament and from the Irish, by wishing for enough.

This and That and Stuff and Such

 Lately I have been interested in how the ancient books of the Bible have been translated. The original Hebrew and Greek contained a poetry and beauty of words may be a bit lost. Of course some people prefer the King James Version for that reason, but I have found it to be hard to understand. Maybe because it reminds me of my high school Shakespeare class. That it was difficult for me is a total understatement. I like to read the same verse in the New International Version and the New Living Translation to somehow try and capture more of essence the writers originally put to pen and paper. 
The following is Philippians 1:9
NIV And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.
NLT I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding.  
 This verse reminds that often the best way to infulence someone is not by talking to them, but by praying for them. We would do well to remember this in regards to our children. I know I keep reminding myself of that. As children become adults, we must interact differently with them. Paul's letter to the Philippians reminds me that when we pray for our adult children, we ask that they grow in Christ's love and that their heart and mind grow together.

I really enjoy reading Christian Blogs and there are a few that just touch me right there. You know that spot in your soul where someone else just 'gets you'? I connect with these blog authors so I thought I'd share them with you. I'm a member of the United Methodist Church, and I do read about authors to see where their religious points of view are coming from. For the most part, if they are Christian, I'm good with that. I learn from many other denominations protestants and Catholics alike. However, I do stop reading if the writer's beliefs are too far from mine for my comfort. For example, as a Methodist, I am not a Calvinist, nor do I identify with any self purported Christian group that has altered or added to scripture. Now that the disclaimer is made, here are some great blogs that I would like to share with you:

Living On Tilt by Katherine Harms http://livingontilt.com/ 
Thorns And Gold by Tanya Marlow http://tanyamarlow.com/
A Potter's View by Tim McClendon https://wtmcclendon.wordpress.com
Fueled by Grace, Caffeine, and Laughter by Bronwyn Lea http://bronlea.com/
1-Minute Bible Love Notes by Gail Burton Purath http://biblelovenotes.blogspot.com/
Author Chris Tiegreen's blog https://www.chris-tiegreen.com/blog

A Christian Call To Arms

The WWII era generation had an enemy that was easy to identify. The Japanese attacked us and the Nazis were just plain evil, trying to take over the world and killing millions in the process. Everyone in America pulled together, even kids led recycling efforts. Everyone rationed for the war effort, even bacon grease! Factories were retrofitted to support the war effort - from refrigerators to aircraft. The enemy was defeated, we won. But you know, the Nazis and the Japanese weren’t the only enemies. The biggest enemy was unseen, crafty and insipid. Satan. After it all ended, he launched an even larger attack on us all. A slower, more diabolical attack, one that is completely insidious. Think about the word insidious for a minute. Its definition is; intended to entrap or beguile: stealthy treacherous or deceitful: operation or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect.

Who did Satan bring about as our new enemy? The Russians? The Chinese? No, the new enemy is US. The qualities within us, that are as old as mankind: greed, envy, lust, gluttony, wrath, sloth, and pride. This attack began right here at home in the good ole’ U S of A., right alongside Mom and apple pie. Along with our success in WWII came great prosperity and that is right where the enemy launched his newest attack. Oh he has been patient and insidious, ever so sltealthly creeping into our culture. Look back through the ages at all the civilizations that rose to great heights only to crumble and fall into dust. This story, this attack from within, is not new, just look at ancient Rome.

Look at our society within the context of the seven deadly sins. The insidiousness of the enemy's attack, has caused much of this moral decay to go unnoticed. Why? Because our society has become masterful at justifying our actions. A sin? No, we say, times are just changing. Many people, myself included, have been saying it is political correctness, but it is more than that. The term for it is called ‘social engineering.’  I recently learned of this discipline in social science that refers to efforts to influence popular attitudes and social behaviors on a large scale by governments, media or even private groups. Basically it is psychological manipulation. I truly believe many progressive minded people sincerely feel that their right-mindedness is driving their behaviors for the good of us all. However the result is, I’m okay, you’re okay, everybody and everything is okay. But we know it's not. God long ago marked out a path of right-living for us to follow, and it is not a wide path of acceptance for anything and everything.

We must stand up and speak up for our Christian beliefs and not allow ourselves to become victims of social engineering. Christians are being persecuted around the world, as we've all heard, but I thought persecution meant something more serious like torment, torture, tyranny, physical maltreatment, being jailed, or fed to the lions. I thought Christians were truly persecuted in other places, not here. However, I looked up the definition and was surprised that it is more regular, more everyday, like a boy’s persecution at the hands of bullies at school.

Persecution: 1) hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race, political or religious beliefs. 2) a program or campaign to exterminate, drive away, or subjugate people based on their membership in a religious, ethnic, social, or racial group.

Persecute: 1) to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically:  to cause to suffer because of belief.  2)  to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (as attacks or pleas):  pester agonize, anguish.

Some synonyms are: persistent annoyance or harassment, oppression, victimization, ill-treatment, mistreatment, abuse, ill-usage, discrimination, harassment, hounding, intimidation, and bullying.

We must break out of our comfort zone and stand up against the insidious attack on our culture. We need not follow the PC edict and be silent about what we know the Bible teaches us. We can treat all other people with kindness and respect without agreeing with their actions. Jesus calls us to love one another, but he does not want us to ignore his teachings. The more we read and study scripture, the more we see just how far we are moving away from living the way Christ taught us. We need to fight the enemy, but not with guns and tanks as the WWII generation did. We need to fight a war of wills against the depravity and sin in our culture.

2 Corinthians says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”