Wednesday 30 July 2008
Tuesday 29 July 2008
Jesus, spit and the blind men
Thinking about Todd Bentley made me think about something.....I think Todd's ministry is false, as is the spirit behind it in the form of the angel (demon/false spirit) Emma, which leads him to operate under the power of demons and to visit violence upin people who are seeking (in the wrong place) "deliverance", "healing", or a "closer walk" or experience with "God".
I know this to be true.
But then I also thought, his behaviour is bad, but what - how could I explain why Jesus used spit to heal the eyes of a blind man? Something that i would find offensive if someone wanted to rub spit in my eyes for whatever reason. Ok, I know the men were blind and probably didn't mind as it would be worth it to get your sight back and be able to see, but I honestly didn't understand why.
But even so, I know that Jesus is holy and that there must have been a good reason.
Anyway, Google man.......Google is your friend! I did a quick search and this came up:
DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying this is the actually explanation as I will have to check and find out for myself. Just because Google is your friend doesn't mean it always tells the truth. But I found this interesting. If it turns out to be tosh I apologise in advance and will try to remedy it by putting up a correct explanation where I can. But best believe I ain't no false prophet tryna lead you astray so dont stone me yet. Ya heard? Aight........
I know this to be true.
But then I also thought, his behaviour is bad, but what - how could I explain why Jesus used spit to heal the eyes of a blind man? Something that i would find offensive if someone wanted to rub spit in my eyes for whatever reason. Ok, I know the men were blind and probably didn't mind as it would be worth it to get your sight back and be able to see, but I honestly didn't understand why.
But even so, I know that Jesus is holy and that there must have been a good reason.
Anyway, Google man.......Google is your friend! I did a quick search and this came up:
DISCLAIMER: I'm not saying this is the actually explanation as I will have to check and find out for myself. Just because Google is your friend doesn't mean it always tells the truth. But I found this interesting. If it turns out to be tosh I apologise in advance and will try to remedy it by putting up a correct explanation where I can. But best believe I ain't no false prophet tryna lead you astray so dont stone me yet. Ya heard? Aight........
http://members.optusnet.com.au/~lakolberg/transcripts/C101B.htmlHC: The question sometimes is raised about this matter of the two miracles of Jesus that are recorded for us in the Bible, where Christ spit on the eyes of the blind man in Mark 8 before He healed him, or He spit on the ground and made mud or clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man in John 9. Now why did God do this? Why did Christ do this? I'd like to speak on this before we take our next call.
We know, first of all, that nothing that Jesus did or that is recorded for us in the Bible is there accidentally, nor was it done coincidentally or incidentally. Everything has a very distinct purpose. Now Christ obviously could have healed these blind men by simply saying the word. He didn't have to go through all of this strategy of spitting, and so on. He didn't have to do that. It is there, however, to teach us something.
Now secondly, we know that Christ was constantly teaching with parables. Every action has to be examined to see if there is a deeper spiritual meaning. A parable, in the easiest way of speaking about it, is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Well, these miracles were true historical events. But they are written to give us a spiritual insight. Now we know that the purpose of Christ's teaching was always to give us insights into the nature of salvation. And therefore we sense that the fact that He spit on the eyes of the blind man has something to do with teaching us about what our salvation is all about.
Now when we go to the Old Testament, we find at least two accounts of the meaning of spitting in somebody's face, and it's really quite bad. It's really quite shocking, in a way. In Deuteronomy 25 we have the account of a widow whose husband has died. And in accordance with the law God had laid down, if a husband died without bearing any children, then if that husband had a brother who was unmarried, he was to marry the widow, in order to provide children to perpetuate the name of his brother. And if the brother would not do this, then he was under the curse of God. We see this very vividly back in Genesis. There was a man by the name of Onan, who was supposed to go in to his brother's wife and bear seed for his brother, and he refused to do it. And so God killed him right on the spot. God killed him to show that he was under the curse of God.
Here in Deuteronomy 25, to show this curse, the Bible says this in verse 8: "If the brother [who is supposed to marry the widow on behalf of his brother, to provide seed] refuses to take her, then his brother's wife shall go up to him, in the presence of the elders, and pull his sandal off his feet and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house." Now this spitting in the face here is to indicate that he was under the curse of God, because he was rebellious against God, in that he would not go in to his brother's widow to provide seed.
Now in Numbers 12 we have a similar account, showing that to spit in one's face is to indicate that they were under the curse of God. We have the account there of Miriam, a sister of Moses, who had rebelled against Moses. And so Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Now to become leprous also indicated that a person was under the curse of God. A leper had to remain outside the camp, and he was to say, "Unclean, unclean, unclean." Leprosy in the Bible is a figure of sin. Well, Miriam became leprous. And then Moses cried to the Lord, "Heal her. O God, I beseech Thee," in verse 13. And then verse 14 of Numbers 12 records that the Lord said to Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut up outside the camp seven days. And after that she may be brought in again." In other words, God is equating leprosy with having someone spit in your face. In other words, both are indicators. Both are literal things, of course. But they are figures of being under the curse of God.
Well, what does this have to do then with these miracles? Here's a blind man, he's physically blind. Why would Christ spit in his face? Well, you see, the miracle that Christ did in a physical way was a figure of a great spiritual truth. The blind man, who was blind physically, is a picture of figure of an unsaved man, who is blind spiritually. And when Christ spit on the ground and made mud out of the spittle and put it on his eyes (or in the case of the man from Bethsaida in Mark 8, where Christ spit in his eyes directly), this indicates that this blind man, who was blind spiritually, is under the curse of God. He is like a leper. He is to be . . . he is unclean. He cannot come into the body of Christ. He is a sinner.
So you have the physical situation. You have the physically blind man, whose eyes have been spit upon. You have the spiritual meaning of this. It is a figure of a person who is blind in his sins, he's spiritually blind. He is under the curse of God. He cannot come into the camp of the believers. He is an abomination to God. This idea is strengthened in Mark 8, where it's talking about this blind man there in verse 22: "They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought to Him a blind man and begged Him to touch him. And He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. And when He had spit on his eyes, He laid His hands on him," and so on. And then the healing came. He led him out of the village. That figure also points to the fact that he is unclean. He is led outside of the camp of the believers, if you will. He can't come into the body of Christ because he is cursed by his sin. The spitting is emphasizing that before we are saved we are cursed by sin.
Now notice what happens in John 9, after He had anointed the man's eyes with the clay. He said to him, "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam, which means scent. So he went and washed and came back seeing." Now here stands the sinner. He is spiritually blind. He is under the curse of God. He's like a leper. He's like someone who has been spit upon in the face. He is an abomination. And now God comes with a command: "Go, if you will, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved; you will be cleansed of your sin."
God gives us the command to be obedient to Him, just as He gave the command to this blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam. In Acts 2:38 Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is discussing salvation. And he says, "Repent and be baptized in the Name of Christ for the remission of your sins." The word baptism means to wash or be purified. What Peter was saying was, "Repent and be washed in the Name (that is, on the authority) of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins." And we are washed of our sins when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ and place our trust in Him. He cleanses us from all sins.
And so when we are obedient to the command, no matter how a great a sinner we might be, no matter how much we might be under the curse of sin, when we are obedient to the command to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, then we will have our spiritually blind eyes opened, just as surely as this blind man, who obeyed God in John 9. He went and washed, and he came back seeing.
So you see, when Christ spit on the eyes of these blind men, He did not do this accidentally. He did it in order to teach us that we who are spiritually blind are under the curse of God. We are an abomination to God. We are dead in our sins. But it is these kinds of people that Christ came to seek and to save. He came for sinners. Isn't that wonderful? No matter how great your sins might be, no matter how deeply you have rebelled against God, your salvation can be just as certain and sure as anyone else's. What a wonderful Savior we have!
The Holy Spirit or unholy spirits?
...and how do we tell the difference?
I came upon this Christian bookstore in my lunch break the other day, and had a nice quick little browse, glad to find such a place so close to my office. Believe it or not it's the first Christian bookshop I've been in since I've been here. Anyway.
I found this book called "Charismatic Chaos" by John MacArthur, and thought it would make a good interesting read - and hey - it was £2.99 ch-ching!!
The book apparently covers signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, health and wealth gospel, charismatic televangelism, and whether God still speak today. The blurb on the back asks:
Is experience a valid test of truth? Does God still give revelation? Prophets, fanatics, or heretics? Does God still heal? What should we think of the Signs and Wonders movement? Does the Bible promise health and wealth?
Very interesting and very important topic areas in this age of apostasy. I took the book to the checkout and the girl asked me what I thought about it all. I told her that I do believe the Holy Spirit works today bit that there are also false spirits masquerading as God. She told me that she is was not sure about a few things in today's Christianity, and one of the things she said was that she was not sure about the speaking in tongues thing etc but that so many people do, and that she is trying to understand it all because she is not sure.
I commended her and told her that she should examine and prove all things in God's word, just like the Bible tells us to do, and that she has done well not to follow the crowd in what they might believe. I told her that truth is not about numbers, that just because a lot of people are convinced of a point, does not make it true. I told her that she should ask God and that he would guide her, and that if she is not sure then that is ok, but do not act until you are sure, never mind what anyone else thinks or is telling you, no matter who they are. We kind of talked around a couple of things like the "revival" in Florida with Todd Bentley, and I told her I do not believe this to be a revival or move of God, but a false spirit. I told her that the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God are one and that God's spirit would not behave out of line with God's character.
FYI: Todd's Bentley's "spirit" has instructed him to punch and kick people seeking deliverance from their problems in order to "heal" or drive out demons, and apparently kicked an old woman in the face. The spirit of God I do not believe would tell anyone to do such a thing. What is more, Todd Bentley apparently admits to being visited to by an "angel" he calls Emma, who is apparently the driving force behind his ministry. Bob Jones (another deceived minister) apparently told Bentley that the angel Emma helped birth and start the prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. Bentley apparently says on his website:
When she came, she began to mentor, nurture and opened up a prophetic well. The people in the church began having trances and visions and the pastor began getting words of knowledge and moving in healing.
The girl in the shop said how she wanted to know about tongues etc and the Holy Spirit because she is not sure it is from God. I am not sure if she was taking about the false tongues that come out of the modern day deception etc. or tongues in some other form or context. But I said I'm not sure about a lot of things either.
Anyway, I told her I would tell her about the book once I had read it because she said she was interested, and I hope to go back there and talk to her, God willing.
Anyway, last night I read the book of Acts to see when the Holy Spirit manifested, how, through whom, and for what reason, and the outcome. I'm still continuing to study because the Holy Spirit/Ghost has lots of mentions in the Bible, and I'll have to read about it in the relevant contexts.
So far it seems like the Apostles (ie. the selected 12) were the ones God demonstrated His power through initially as they went about their ministry of spreading the gospel. It seems that they would preach the gospel with the signs following, so that the Jews (who disbelieved Jesus) and I think also the Gentiles, could see that Jesus must have been the Son of God because the people who they knew had been chilling with him were now walking around doing the same things that He did even they though he was supposed to be dead and gone and his powers with Him.
Did God demonstrate such signs and wonders through the other disciples and new converts too as opposed to just the 12 apostles is something I will double check - there are many names! Did only the apostles speak in tongues? No! What tongues were they speaking? When? Why? Was it "other tongues" eg. other languages that people from other countries could understand, or was it something unrecognisable? I've often heard the latter in church, but not the former? Why is this? So many questions!!
I will post as a read more, but the Holy Spirit is definitely here with those who believe today, as promised by Jesus. The other books of the Bible will explain further, and God willing we will be able to better discern the true spirit of God and to reject the false.
I came upon this Christian bookstore in my lunch break the other day, and had a nice quick little browse, glad to find such a place so close to my office. Believe it or not it's the first Christian bookshop I've been in since I've been here. Anyway.
I found this book called "Charismatic Chaos" by John MacArthur, and thought it would make a good interesting read - and hey - it was £2.99 ch-ching!!
The book apparently covers signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, health and wealth gospel, charismatic televangelism, and whether God still speak today. The blurb on the back asks:
Is experience a valid test of truth? Does God still give revelation? Prophets, fanatics, or heretics? Does God still heal? What should we think of the Signs and Wonders movement? Does the Bible promise health and wealth?
Very interesting and very important topic areas in this age of apostasy. I took the book to the checkout and the girl asked me what I thought about it all. I told her that I do believe the Holy Spirit works today bit that there are also false spirits masquerading as God. She told me that she is was not sure about a few things in today's Christianity, and one of the things she said was that she was not sure about the speaking in tongues thing etc but that so many people do, and that she is trying to understand it all because she is not sure.
I commended her and told her that she should examine and prove all things in God's word, just like the Bible tells us to do, and that she has done well not to follow the crowd in what they might believe. I told her that truth is not about numbers, that just because a lot of people are convinced of a point, does not make it true. I told her that she should ask God and that he would guide her, and that if she is not sure then that is ok, but do not act until you are sure, never mind what anyone else thinks or is telling you, no matter who they are. We kind of talked around a couple of things like the "revival" in Florida with Todd Bentley, and I told her I do not believe this to be a revival or move of God, but a false spirit. I told her that the Holy Spirit, Jesus and God are one and that God's spirit would not behave out of line with God's character.
FYI: Todd's Bentley's "spirit" has instructed him to punch and kick people seeking deliverance from their problems in order to "heal" or drive out demons, and apparently kicked an old woman in the face. The spirit of God I do not believe would tell anyone to do such a thing. What is more, Todd Bentley apparently admits to being visited to by an "angel" he calls Emma, who is apparently the driving force behind his ministry. Bob Jones (another deceived minister) apparently told Bentley that the angel Emma helped birth and start the prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. Bentley apparently says on his website:
When she came, she began to mentor, nurture and opened up a prophetic well. The people in the church began having trances and visions and the pastor began getting words of knowledge and moving in healing.
The girl in the shop said how she wanted to know about tongues etc and the Holy Spirit because she is not sure it is from God. I am not sure if she was taking about the false tongues that come out of the modern day deception etc. or tongues in some other form or context. But I said I'm not sure about a lot of things either.
Anyway, I told her I would tell her about the book once I had read it because she said she was interested, and I hope to go back there and talk to her, God willing.
Anyway, last night I read the book of Acts to see when the Holy Spirit manifested, how, through whom, and for what reason, and the outcome. I'm still continuing to study because the Holy Spirit/Ghost has lots of mentions in the Bible, and I'll have to read about it in the relevant contexts.
So far it seems like the Apostles (ie. the selected 12) were the ones God demonstrated His power through initially as they went about their ministry of spreading the gospel. It seems that they would preach the gospel with the signs following, so that the Jews (who disbelieved Jesus) and I think also the Gentiles, could see that Jesus must have been the Son of God because the people who they knew had been chilling with him were now walking around doing the same things that He did even they though he was supposed to be dead and gone and his powers with Him.
Did God demonstrate such signs and wonders through the other disciples and new converts too as opposed to just the 12 apostles is something I will double check - there are many names! Did only the apostles speak in tongues? No! What tongues were they speaking? When? Why? Was it "other tongues" eg. other languages that people from other countries could understand, or was it something unrecognisable? I've often heard the latter in church, but not the former? Why is this? So many questions!!
I will post as a read more, but the Holy Spirit is definitely here with those who believe today, as promised by Jesus. The other books of the Bible will explain further, and God willing we will be able to better discern the true spirit of God and to reject the false.
God in the little things
Lately I've really been trying to do things right and to stay on the straight and narrow, and realising how easy it is when you just don't kick against the pricks and just do what's you're supposed to do, and vice versa. It's so easy when you're just obedient.
Seriously, what makes the walk tough sometimes is the fact that we want to act against what we know to be right, and this is what causes some of our struggles and dilemmas.
True, we can have a crisis of conscience when we genuinely don't know which way to turn, but when we actually do know right and wrong, and hesitate in making the right choice for whatever, we can feel in turmoil because it can be a case of our flesh wanting to rebel against the truth of the matter.
Learning to ignore what the flesh has to say and committing to the way of truth and righteousness can be tough, but amazingly once you do actually make up your mind to commit to it, it's actually easier to do the right thing. It becomes like second nature to choose the right thing and to ignore the diversions.
I'm conscious of the fact that maybe I'm having an easy ride right now and I maybe next week there'll be something I'll struggle with - very true. But that's just the way it goes. Whether I struggle for the next month or so, I can wipe my slate clean and try again till I get it right, and as long as I am willing to persevere, it's all good.
Another thing I notice is that not only does it get easier to do the right thing, but also, when your heart is committed to doing the right thing, God steps in and helps you out in the places where you might fall.
For example in the past couple of days, there was a situation where I was supposed to meet an acquaintance at a venue to basically celebrate something or other and socialise (sorry I sound so vague but anyway.....). Anyway, we had both kind of committed to meeting, especially as neither of us knew anybody at the venue. Anyway, this person then has a change of plan whereby we would have to meet later, when the venue actually turned into a club.
Ha!
So there I was thinking oh no!! No I can not be in no club situation, and especially not after I've been writing on here about how Christians should not be in a club. I didnt know what to do - well I did but I felt like I could not cancel on this person and let them down especially as they had really been looking forward to it. And then not only that but to be honest I do find this person attractive in way....and all kinds of thoughts and images started coming to me like how great I would look all dressed up and how he might be impressed etc etc....yes I know stupid airheaded silly thoughts but they did come, but was it even me because actually the overriding thoughts and feelings were that I did not want to go and I did not care what he thought because I was more concerned about doing the right thing and setting a good example of Christian behaviour, conduct and dress for him, and more than anything my heart was grieved! It was a surprising but very welcoming and reassuring feeling because more than anything I did not want to dishonour, disobey and displease God. Even so I found myself saying I would go in jeans and stay for a very short time and then leave so I wouldn't have let him down (what??!!! :-( Yes I know.......)
Now, I'm not saying that usually when I kick against the pricks and sort of do little things I shouldn't to please myself and just kind of wheedle and quickly turn my shoulder to the guilt, that I don't care. I do but sometimes when you're just in your heart wanting to do something you know you shouldn't somehow you just kind of choose to ignore your conscience, or the Holy Spirit's counsel.
But I felt grieved! I felt like there was no way I could, I felt like I was cheating in God's face. Really I felt so awful and even as I was in the shower I was just really really dejected and feeling very sorry and rubbish but still hoping for a way out.
Anyway, I get out of the shower and I'm drying myself in daze and literally about 1 second later the phone rings and it's my friend calling with a change of plan, arranging to meet at somewhere else with friends of his (in my head - "YES!!!", and what's more, no temptation factor with the other friends etc.)
I tell you I was so over the moon it was like night and day, I was so happy! But then I also had a reminder that I had potentially made a wrong decision, and in hindsight (even though it was only looking back to 5 minutes earlier), I knew I could have boldly made another one, an alternative one. But I didn't feel condemned strangely. It was like I had been taught a lesson, and that it was ok. God had bailed me out, and I knew that He is and was there watching over my situation.
Now, someone's gonna go "Yeah whatever that was just a coincidence." Well, whatever coincidences are I certainly gained something from the situation.
Another example, two days later God stepped into another situation. Well, it wasn't a situation or dilemma as such, but basically, it involved a situation whereby a friend of mine was going to give me a free short term gym membership they had in their name, but it would have involved me using their pass which clearly had a name on that wasn't mine because not only am I not male I am not from the Asian sub-continent.
We both knew it was dodgy but my friend was trying to do me a good turn and I like free stuff and cannot be bothered to pay for the gym.
Anyway, I knew it wasn't right and would involve me lying in some kinda way, especially if the gym staff stopped to look in my face and ask me what was up, and decided I wouldn't use the pass.
Anyway, blessing of blessings, wouldn't you know that the very same day circumstances transpire which culminate in me being offered such a pass legitimately. Circumstantial and coincidental? Maybe. But I tell you it just goes to show that you don't have to go the way of the jackal to get what you need, or what you simply wouldn't mind having.
Can I get a amen?
Seriously, what makes the walk tough sometimes is the fact that we want to act against what we know to be right, and this is what causes some of our struggles and dilemmas.
True, we can have a crisis of conscience when we genuinely don't know which way to turn, but when we actually do know right and wrong, and hesitate in making the right choice for whatever, we can feel in turmoil because it can be a case of our flesh wanting to rebel against the truth of the matter.
Learning to ignore what the flesh has to say and committing to the way of truth and righteousness can be tough, but amazingly once you do actually make up your mind to commit to it, it's actually easier to do the right thing. It becomes like second nature to choose the right thing and to ignore the diversions.
I'm conscious of the fact that maybe I'm having an easy ride right now and I maybe next week there'll be something I'll struggle with - very true. But that's just the way it goes. Whether I struggle for the next month or so, I can wipe my slate clean and try again till I get it right, and as long as I am willing to persevere, it's all good.
Another thing I notice is that not only does it get easier to do the right thing, but also, when your heart is committed to doing the right thing, God steps in and helps you out in the places where you might fall.
For example in the past couple of days, there was a situation where I was supposed to meet an acquaintance at a venue to basically celebrate something or other and socialise (sorry I sound so vague but anyway.....). Anyway, we had both kind of committed to meeting, especially as neither of us knew anybody at the venue. Anyway, this person then has a change of plan whereby we would have to meet later, when the venue actually turned into a club.
Ha!
So there I was thinking oh no!! No I can not be in no club situation, and especially not after I've been writing on here about how Christians should not be in a club. I didnt know what to do - well I did but I felt like I could not cancel on this person and let them down especially as they had really been looking forward to it. And then not only that but to be honest I do find this person attractive in way....and all kinds of thoughts and images started coming to me like how great I would look all dressed up and how he might be impressed etc etc....yes I know stupid airheaded silly thoughts but they did come, but was it even me because actually the overriding thoughts and feelings were that I did not want to go and I did not care what he thought because I was more concerned about doing the right thing and setting a good example of Christian behaviour, conduct and dress for him, and more than anything my heart was grieved! It was a surprising but very welcoming and reassuring feeling because more than anything I did not want to dishonour, disobey and displease God. Even so I found myself saying I would go in jeans and stay for a very short time and then leave so I wouldn't have let him down (what??!!! :-( Yes I know.......)
Now, I'm not saying that usually when I kick against the pricks and sort of do little things I shouldn't to please myself and just kind of wheedle and quickly turn my shoulder to the guilt, that I don't care. I do but sometimes when you're just in your heart wanting to do something you know you shouldn't somehow you just kind of choose to ignore your conscience, or the Holy Spirit's counsel.
But I felt grieved! I felt like there was no way I could, I felt like I was cheating in God's face. Really I felt so awful and even as I was in the shower I was just really really dejected and feeling very sorry and rubbish but still hoping for a way out.
Anyway, I get out of the shower and I'm drying myself in daze and literally about 1 second later the phone rings and it's my friend calling with a change of plan, arranging to meet at somewhere else with friends of his (in my head - "YES!!!", and what's more, no temptation factor with the other friends etc.)
I tell you I was so over the moon it was like night and day, I was so happy! But then I also had a reminder that I had potentially made a wrong decision, and in hindsight (even though it was only looking back to 5 minutes earlier), I knew I could have boldly made another one, an alternative one. But I didn't feel condemned strangely. It was like I had been taught a lesson, and that it was ok. God had bailed me out, and I knew that He is and was there watching over my situation.
Now, someone's gonna go "Yeah whatever that was just a coincidence." Well, whatever coincidences are I certainly gained something from the situation.
Another example, two days later God stepped into another situation. Well, it wasn't a situation or dilemma as such, but basically, it involved a situation whereby a friend of mine was going to give me a free short term gym membership they had in their name, but it would have involved me using their pass which clearly had a name on that wasn't mine because not only am I not male I am not from the Asian sub-continent.
We both knew it was dodgy but my friend was trying to do me a good turn and I like free stuff and cannot be bothered to pay for the gym.
Anyway, I knew it wasn't right and would involve me lying in some kinda way, especially if the gym staff stopped to look in my face and ask me what was up, and decided I wouldn't use the pass.
Anyway, blessing of blessings, wouldn't you know that the very same day circumstances transpire which culminate in me being offered such a pass legitimately. Circumstantial and coincidental? Maybe. But I tell you it just goes to show that you don't have to go the way of the jackal to get what you need, or what you simply wouldn't mind having.
Can I get a amen?
Tuesday 8 July 2008
Sunday 6 July 2008
Christian + Night + Clubs = ?
Are Christians and nightclubs mutually exclusive, even in the nightclubs in question are Christian? Is this a stupid question? In this day and age, certainly not.
I remember back in the day, way back when everyone dressed up to go to church and church went on for hours and the older brethren would keep you quiet with hard boiled sweets, Wotsits and Ribena, there was no such thing as Christians going to clubs. A Christian going to a club back then would mean they were backslidden, unless they were outside the club with a ministry team and a bunch of tracts.
And back in those days there was certainly no such thing as a Christian nightclub. Not as far as I knew anyway.
But nowadays, in the days of modern Christianity which has acknowledged that "times have changed" and that "the 21st century needs a 21st century church", and that "Christianity is not boring, we can have fun too, and we can show the world Christianity is fun, and that you can have life more abundantly", there is no end of holy entertainment and distraction for the Christian who wants it.
What's more, there is a ministry and a purpose for everyone, and it can be whatever you like so long as it is claimed to give glory to God and to the kingdom (not yourself and your mates).
Being a fun-loving, easily bored 20-something myself, surely I should be happy that I don't have to endure the boredom and monotony of old-time religion, which would have had me sat at home reading, worshipping, venturing out only to go to church, prayer meetings, district conventions, house visits, family visits, for evangelism, prison visits, hospital visits, weddings, christenings, funerals, work, the cinema, the park and maybe the gym. (And by the way, isn't this more than enough to get cracking on with?)
I should be happy, and there is a lot of good stuff gong on, but I'm also a bit concerned.
There seems to be competition with the world - anything thing the secular world can do we can do better. Anything the secular world can have we can have too. Just stamp it with "Christian" and there you go - its certified holy.The Christian night club thing is one of these.
Now, don't get me wrong - anyone who knows me will tell you I love a good party, oh yes I do. But everyone - the whole world - knows Christians do not belong in nightclubs.
I don't go to clubs but I like going to live music, open mic and spoken word events because I'm a bit of a soulful earthy type at heart, and I like the power of words and music, so combined that is my ambrosia. There is a particular monthly event that I have been to maybe once, that turns into a nightclub after all the acts have finished. The second time I went and got into a conversation with a guy sometime after the acts had finished. Then the conversation started to take on "a tone" shall we say, and so I tell the guy I'm a Christian (oh Lord....). So anyway, he was like "so what are you doing here then?" And I protested that I was there for the singing and poetry stuff, and not the nightclub. And he was like "yeah but it's the club though now innit, so why are you still here?" What could I say, eh? What? nothing that's what, 'cause I shouldn't have been there and I was. I should have just gone straight home when the lights turned down.
Christians don't belong in secular nightclubs. Full stop.
People who go to secular clubs may say they go just for the music or just to dance, and that they don't dress provocatively etc. Fair enough, but aside from the temptation factor and the meat market factor, any lust-filled guy or girl who sees you in there is going to think you are fair game. And they'd have every right to, after all you're in Sex Central, the devil's territory. So what are you doing there? What are you looking for?? And don't even let me get into the repercussions if you bump into one of these people on a regular day and try to talk to them about Christ and they recognise you from the club. Your speech is over. Is it worth it?
The Christian nightclub experience though is supposed to be different in that it is supposed to be a nightclub experience specifically for Christians. Now, I've never been to one of these events so I cant say what they're like, but from reading and hearing about some they can range from a bunch of people in a room with a DJ playing Christian music, and people either dancing or not, to a full on dark club serving alcohol with a mixture of Christians and none Christians and a DJ playing a mix of secular and gospel music, or gospel lyrics over secular beats like the Ying Yang Twins, Jay-Z or Snoop. So kind of like the nightclub I shouldn't have been in that time.
Now, obviously the set-ups and the behaviour of the people in those nightclubs probably falls at various points along the scale, from people carrying on like they're in the world and grinding up on the dancefloor, to people behaving themselves and just looking to socialise.
But I would say this, to all organisers and participants: be careful!!!!! Be very careful. If you choose to put on or go to one of these events, remember that just because you have come to let your hair down and have a break, the devil hasn't. He works 24/7 and will be in there shacking out with you all too just looking for an opportunity - I can guarantee it! I'd be very careful about putting on a "nightclub" rather than a social, not least because a night club is a secular institution and can and probably will get at least some people in the mindset for worldly behaviour.
And really, let's ask ourselves why we feel the need for a "Christian" nightclub. Are we trying to share the gospel through the baseline? Are we bored? Did we like raving when we were unsaved and wish we could do it legitimately now that we are no longer in the world? Do we honestly think that our elders and betters are too old fashioned and that times have changed?
Bretheren we are told to love not the world! So why are we using the world as the blueprint for the "21st century kingdom of God"? Yes the times have changed, but God does not change, neither do his words. The instruction manual God provided us with a few thousand years ago is more than enough to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We should not tweak it to meet our carnal desires. The world is just going to keep on getting worse, so if we seek to out-do the world how far will this oneupmanship have us stray from the program?
This is why some aspects of the Christian entertainment industry or "ministry" concern me. A lot of Christian entertainment in general appears to be sensory driven. It's about pleasing our own flesh while claiming to deliver a message.
I'm seeing Christian entertainers striving to be "someone" in the Kingdom, and equating that with having the Christian community knowing their name, and thus attracting glory to themselves. If it's really only about doing God's work, does it matter who knows your name and what the Christian youth think about your beats? If it's really only about doing God's work, do you need and award or accolade because everyone thinks you could be the Christian Jay-Z? Everybody wants to be somebody, but when our names are already known by God.
It concerns me when people unconsciously use these things as measures of how well they are doing in their "ministry" - who is measuring the real business of educating lost souls?
A lot of energy and a lot of work is being put into "ministries" that cater to the flesh of people who are already professed Christians, rather than to those that cast the net out to those who do not know Christ. A lot of it is about gaining approval from the Christian community while the unsaved have no idea who you are or what your message is supposed to be.
My soapbox is creaking under the strain right now, but before I go I will just say, there's nothing wrong with having fun. There isn't. Aside from the sin we have a wonderful world that God has provided for us to enjoy. But in doing so, let us seek God first, and let's not look to the world, or to our flesh, to tell us what is good for our souls.
And.......if in doubt, leave it out.
I remember back in the day, way back when everyone dressed up to go to church and church went on for hours and the older brethren would keep you quiet with hard boiled sweets, Wotsits and Ribena, there was no such thing as Christians going to clubs. A Christian going to a club back then would mean they were backslidden, unless they were outside the club with a ministry team and a bunch of tracts.
And back in those days there was certainly no such thing as a Christian nightclub. Not as far as I knew anyway.
But nowadays, in the days of modern Christianity which has acknowledged that "times have changed" and that "the 21st century needs a 21st century church", and that "Christianity is not boring, we can have fun too, and we can show the world Christianity is fun, and that you can have life more abundantly", there is no end of holy entertainment and distraction for the Christian who wants it.
What's more, there is a ministry and a purpose for everyone, and it can be whatever you like so long as it is claimed to give glory to God and to the kingdom (not yourself and your mates).
Being a fun-loving, easily bored 20-something myself, surely I should be happy that I don't have to endure the boredom and monotony of old-time religion, which would have had me sat at home reading, worshipping, venturing out only to go to church, prayer meetings, district conventions, house visits, family visits, for evangelism, prison visits, hospital visits, weddings, christenings, funerals, work, the cinema, the park and maybe the gym. (And by the way, isn't this more than enough to get cracking on with?)
I should be happy, and there is a lot of good stuff gong on, but I'm also a bit concerned.
There seems to be competition with the world - anything thing the secular world can do we can do better. Anything the secular world can have we can have too. Just stamp it with "Christian" and there you go - its certified holy.The Christian night club thing is one of these.
Now, don't get me wrong - anyone who knows me will tell you I love a good party, oh yes I do. But everyone - the whole world - knows Christians do not belong in nightclubs.
I don't go to clubs but I like going to live music, open mic and spoken word events because I'm a bit of a soulful earthy type at heart, and I like the power of words and music, so combined that is my ambrosia. There is a particular monthly event that I have been to maybe once, that turns into a nightclub after all the acts have finished. The second time I went and got into a conversation with a guy sometime after the acts had finished. Then the conversation started to take on "a tone" shall we say, and so I tell the guy I'm a Christian (oh Lord....). So anyway, he was like "so what are you doing here then?" And I protested that I was there for the singing and poetry stuff, and not the nightclub. And he was like "yeah but it's the club though now innit, so why are you still here?" What could I say, eh? What? nothing that's what, 'cause I shouldn't have been there and I was. I should have just gone straight home when the lights turned down.
Christians don't belong in secular nightclubs. Full stop.
People who go to secular clubs may say they go just for the music or just to dance, and that they don't dress provocatively etc. Fair enough, but aside from the temptation factor and the meat market factor, any lust-filled guy or girl who sees you in there is going to think you are fair game. And they'd have every right to, after all you're in Sex Central, the devil's territory. So what are you doing there? What are you looking for?? And don't even let me get into the repercussions if you bump into one of these people on a regular day and try to talk to them about Christ and they recognise you from the club. Your speech is over. Is it worth it?
The Christian nightclub experience though is supposed to be different in that it is supposed to be a nightclub experience specifically for Christians. Now, I've never been to one of these events so I cant say what they're like, but from reading and hearing about some they can range from a bunch of people in a room with a DJ playing Christian music, and people either dancing or not, to a full on dark club serving alcohol with a mixture of Christians and none Christians and a DJ playing a mix of secular and gospel music, or gospel lyrics over secular beats like the Ying Yang Twins, Jay-Z or Snoop. So kind of like the nightclub I shouldn't have been in that time.
Now, obviously the set-ups and the behaviour of the people in those nightclubs probably falls at various points along the scale, from people carrying on like they're in the world and grinding up on the dancefloor, to people behaving themselves and just looking to socialise.
But I would say this, to all organisers and participants: be careful!!!!! Be very careful. If you choose to put on or go to one of these events, remember that just because you have come to let your hair down and have a break, the devil hasn't. He works 24/7 and will be in there shacking out with you all too just looking for an opportunity - I can guarantee it! I'd be very careful about putting on a "nightclub" rather than a social, not least because a night club is a secular institution and can and probably will get at least some people in the mindset for worldly behaviour.
And really, let's ask ourselves why we feel the need for a "Christian" nightclub. Are we trying to share the gospel through the baseline? Are we bored? Did we like raving when we were unsaved and wish we could do it legitimately now that we are no longer in the world? Do we honestly think that our elders and betters are too old fashioned and that times have changed?
Bretheren we are told to love not the world! So why are we using the world as the blueprint for the "21st century kingdom of God"? Yes the times have changed, but God does not change, neither do his words. The instruction manual God provided us with a few thousand years ago is more than enough to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We should not tweak it to meet our carnal desires. The world is just going to keep on getting worse, so if we seek to out-do the world how far will this oneupmanship have us stray from the program?
This is why some aspects of the Christian entertainment industry or "ministry" concern me. A lot of Christian entertainment in general appears to be sensory driven. It's about pleasing our own flesh while claiming to deliver a message.
I'm seeing Christian entertainers striving to be "someone" in the Kingdom, and equating that with having the Christian community knowing their name, and thus attracting glory to themselves. If it's really only about doing God's work, does it matter who knows your name and what the Christian youth think about your beats? If it's really only about doing God's work, do you need and award or accolade because everyone thinks you could be the Christian Jay-Z? Everybody wants to be somebody, but when our names are already known by God.
It concerns me when people unconsciously use these things as measures of how well they are doing in their "ministry" - who is measuring the real business of educating lost souls?
A lot of energy and a lot of work is being put into "ministries" that cater to the flesh of people who are already professed Christians, rather than to those that cast the net out to those who do not know Christ. A lot of it is about gaining approval from the Christian community while the unsaved have no idea who you are or what your message is supposed to be.
My soapbox is creaking under the strain right now, but before I go I will just say, there's nothing wrong with having fun. There isn't. Aside from the sin we have a wonderful world that God has provided for us to enjoy. But in doing so, let us seek God first, and let's not look to the world, or to our flesh, to tell us what is good for our souls.
And.......if in doubt, leave it out.
Only God can judge me?
I've been thinking about some things after having a conversation with a friend of mine which raised some important issues. I wont go over everything that was said, but it basically brought home to me how important the way you live is in terms of providing a living testimony to others.
As Christians, a lot of us allow ourselves little indulgences that we think are "no biggie" as long as we confess and seek forgiveness later on, or because our transgressions are not as bad as that person in the choir or that musician at such and such a church, or because maybe noone knows about it.
But whether noone knows about it or not, my question is why do we set ourselves standards of holiness that are lower than the standards unsaved people in the world would set for us? If someone who is unsaved can identify our behaviour as below par, why can we not see. Or do we choose not to see because in reality we have compromised our Christianity in some way?
I have a friend who does not think much of Christians or Christianity partly because he sees a difference in the behaviours family members exhibit in the home and when out in Christian circles.
I know someone whose Christian family members have condoned. encouraged and even assisted another family member in finding another - an additional - wife, and thereby entering into a polygamous relationship - because of the perceived shortcomings of the first wife.
I know people whose Christian family members have issues about them entering a relationship/marriage with someone who is from a different race or culture, when we are all supposed to be equal in God's sight.
It goes on, and if we look at our lives there are probably values and prejudices and behaviours that we have allowed to remain part of us because it is comfortable, or because we care too much what our communities think, or because.....we just don't want to let go.
And without realising it we probably turn off the non-Christians who are closest to us, because they know our deeds better than most.
I'm not excluding myself from this examination either, because it made me think about myself and my shortcomings too. And about how maybe if I had been living uprightly in the eyes of those around me my life could have been a living testimony, and that living testimony is a most powerful one.
The bible says in Matthew 5 verse 14:
And if something about us is getting in the way of non-Christians identifying us as children of God, should we be letting that thing go? This is a broader question in itself, and I will probably address it in another post.
But as far as our values and priorities are concerned, we must be Christians first, and black, white, brown, Asian, Nigerian, Caribbean, wealthy, poor, dreadlocked, university-educated, popular, unpopular last.
There are people out there who claim that they have no interest in Christ and in Christianity who really just have a problem with the "Christians" and "Christianity" that they see. In this dark age we can ill afford to put extra stumbling blocks in the way of their potential salvation.
As Christians, a lot of us allow ourselves little indulgences that we think are "no biggie" as long as we confess and seek forgiveness later on, or because our transgressions are not as bad as that person in the choir or that musician at such and such a church, or because maybe noone knows about it.
But whether noone knows about it or not, my question is why do we set ourselves standards of holiness that are lower than the standards unsaved people in the world would set for us? If someone who is unsaved can identify our behaviour as below par, why can we not see. Or do we choose not to see because in reality we have compromised our Christianity in some way?
I have a friend who does not think much of Christians or Christianity partly because he sees a difference in the behaviours family members exhibit in the home and when out in Christian circles.
I know someone whose Christian family members have condoned. encouraged and even assisted another family member in finding another - an additional - wife, and thereby entering into a polygamous relationship - because of the perceived shortcomings of the first wife.
I know people whose Christian family members have issues about them entering a relationship/marriage with someone who is from a different race or culture, when we are all supposed to be equal in God's sight.
It goes on, and if we look at our lives there are probably values and prejudices and behaviours that we have allowed to remain part of us because it is comfortable, or because we care too much what our communities think, or because.....we just don't want to let go.
And without realising it we probably turn off the non-Christians who are closest to us, because they know our deeds better than most.
I'm not excluding myself from this examination either, because it made me think about myself and my shortcomings too. And about how maybe if I had been living uprightly in the eyes of those around me my life could have been a living testimony, and that living testimony is a most powerful one.
The bible says in Matthew 5 verse 14:
"Ye are the light of the world. A city on that is set on an hill cannot be hid."So then why is it so hard for non-Christians to identify a person that they would call a true Christian? If they, not knowing Christ, can identify in us that which is unholy, while we continue to profess blindness, what does that say about our Christianity?
And if something about us is getting in the way of non-Christians identifying us as children of God, should we be letting that thing go? This is a broader question in itself, and I will probably address it in another post.
But as far as our values and priorities are concerned, we must be Christians first, and black, white, brown, Asian, Nigerian, Caribbean, wealthy, poor, dreadlocked, university-educated, popular, unpopular last.
There are people out there who claim that they have no interest in Christ and in Christianity who really just have a problem with the "Christians" and "Christianity" that they see. In this dark age we can ill afford to put extra stumbling blocks in the way of their potential salvation.
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