So people are very confused about what I think about music (probably more specifically rock). Here’s what I think. What you listen to is up to your own concience. If you think Christian rock makes you think about God and accomplish more for the kingdom of God, then go right ahead and joyfully listen. I don’t really care. I personally don’t think it’s the best idea, but like I said, it’s personal discretion.
So why do I get so uptight about this debate? This might seem like a silly thing to get upset over, and it is. I think the thing I get upset about is not the music. When I think about music, to me it sort of represents all the things American Christians do that they shouldn’t. It represents the laxity that I see all around me, and all the hypocrisy I see makes me very, very, very sad, because I love people very much, especially my brethren. One of the many things I find changing in me is the capacity to love everyone (and again, not in a wordly or selfish or romantic way… I really have to post about love sometime).
"Well," you ask, "Aren’t you just a kid? Do you have any right to say anything about Christianity?"
Well, yes, I am just a kid. I don’t think at this point I can go around preaching reform yet. I’m not old enough. I have another problem… I’m realizing more and more how much I need to learn. I’m not even sure what salvation is anymore, at least exactly (I know I have it [or will have it], but I’m not sure how or why).
All I know is that there is something missing from the modern American Church. And you must realize, I am generalizing. There are very many exceptions to that statement, but they are exceptions nonetheless. So I have wait it out for now, grow in respect to wisdom and salvation and love, and pray for God to help me in me with my duty to his Kingdom. To him be all the power and glory. Amen.
*UPDATE*
Dan brings a couple of thoughts to mind. First of all, it’s not witnessing that’s wrong with Christians, it’s they don’t live out lives of holiness and purity, dwelling on righteous, good, and noble things. In fact they do the opposite. Before you can talk the talk (witness that is) you must walk the walk, so to speak. We have no right to complain about the state of Christianity unless we’re walking the walk, unless we live lives of holiness and purity, dwelling always on righteous, good, and noble things. Just a thought. So instead of spending our time complaining, at least this is what it seems to me, it seems like time would be much better spent working on our own lives, and working towards perfection in God.
Just a thought.
Yes, there is a big problem with the American Church. To make it short and sweet, they don’t really believe in God. American Christians are a bunch of half-hearted, half-passionate wimps who don’t give a damn for God. I’ll give you some examples… How many people do you know who witness to others every chance they get? When I say every, I literally mean every time you meet someone who isn’t a believer. I’m sad to say that I don’t, because they don’t believe in God. If they did believe in God, they would. They have no excuse. They are even commanded to. And fear isn’t really a viable option either, seeing as how you have an all-powerful God on your side. And don’t give me the Satan talk either, Satan has to ask God’s permission just to do something. I’ll give you another example. When you have an emergency at your house, do you call 911 or do you bow down on your knees and pray to God? Why call for the help of fallible humanity when you have an all-powerful God on your side…it just doesn’t make sense. Again I say, Christians are half-passionate at best. Christians don’t go to church to worship God, they just go their to sing songs. Is standing there and singing the best you can do for an omnipotent God? Get on your knees for God’s sake! This is a bit of a rant, but nevertheless it still holds true. If you read to here, then thanks for sticking with me.
Wow Daniel, I totally agree, but I’m wondering, what is your definition of Christian? Matthew 7, especially verses 16-21, makes it clear that people should be able to tell by our fruits, meaning our actions and most especially our attitudes whether we are Christians or not. So if people who claim to believe in God aren’t doing anything about it, then I just wonder if they are really Christians, because according to Matthew 7, I don’t think so.
However, while it is important for the church to reform, and Christians are most certainly called to hold each other accountable, there is a point at which it is most definitely NOT our business! Read Matthew 7:1-5
Now, since everyone sins, I think we all have planks in our eyes. So lets all take the planks out of our own eyes!Thats pretty much a lifetime job, since no one can be perfect.
There is most definitely a place where God can use you as his tool to help others take out their splinters, but you must remember that YOU are not doing a darn thing, because nothing you can say will make a difference, only God using it will. I think that God for the most part uses people as tools to other people in two ways (and here is where I am branching out into my own opinion, I dont have scriptures to back this part up yet) I think that those two ways are through general speech, like sermons or blog posts, and on an individual basis through relationships. The one way that I believe is not at all right or productive or in any way what God wants is when you try to, on an individual basis, get someone with whom you have very little relationship with to change their ways. That is when it is most certainly and absolutely NONE of your business, and will not do any good anyway.
Again, that was just my opinion, and since I still have several planks in my own eyes,I really have no place to tell anyone ot stop worrying about things that are none of their business…However, I am doing it in a general sense, I am not speaking of or to anyone in particular
I hope that was coherent, sorry it kind of rambled on, but thats my take on the matter
“general speech, like sermons or blog posts”
*TOLD* you the general piece was in there, Caleb!
“I’ll give you another example. When you have an emergency at your house, do you call 911 or do you bow down on your knees and pray to God? Why call for the help of fallible humanity when you have an all-powerful God on your side? it just doesn’t make sense.”
Dan…of course we’re praying, but there’s a difference between demanding and prayer. God has the strength and will, to put the fire etc. out or whatever, but he also chooses for humans to partly work out their own problems. You don’t have the right to demand for God to put out that fire, but you can pray that everything’s alright in the end etc.
And that’s a big statement you’re makin’ there Mister, when you said, “Christians are half-passionate at best. Christians don’t go to church to worship God, they just go their to sing songs.”
I’d watch it, or you’re going to make a lot of enemy’s along the way. There’s a time when you can argue and lay down your piece, but making rash statements like that ain’t gonna get you anywhere.
Jesus made lots of enemies, didn’t he Havie? should we care what the world thinks? Just a thought…
Havilah…I’m not saying you should demand anything from God. I’m simply saying that if it’s God’s will that the house burns down, then it will happen. If it isn’t God’s will that the house will burn down, then it won’t. It’s that simple.
Yes, it is a big statement, but it is true nonetheless. Of course I’m going to make enemies. Jesus himself says in Luke 6:22 – “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.” and then he says in John 15:18 – “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” In eternal matters, you’re either fully for God or you’re not, and you’d better not be playing around with God. There is no middle ground.
As far as the whole house burning down thing, Daniel, I agree with you, and yet I think you are going to extremes. Its like how the Christian Scientist peoples dont give their kids medicine because they say that whether their kids die or not is up to the will of God. I think that there is a point at which God gives you tools, and then he expects you to use them. And since God has given us free-will, he will not reach down and make the world act like a bunch of robots. He is completely in control, but he has given some control to us, so we need to good stewards of it and call 911 if the house is burning down
Did that make sense? i know I’m not the most coherent of writers…
Hmm…I see what you’re saying Darian. I will concede this point, I was wondering if it was a bit too extreme. I agree with what you have to say, and thank you for the explanation.
Yes, Dari, that’s waht I was eventually going to say. Great way of putting it across!