Reminder that amid all the talk about gay marriage, heterosexuals also have rules. And yes, in Ephesians the Bible does say that wives should "be subject" to their husbands, but it also says that husbands must love their wives as Jesus loves the church. Therefore an upright husband will not mistreat his wife or take advantage of the fact that she is subject to him - it is a command from God. They should work together, therefore not contradicting the Bible, but also not even contradicting modern views of gender equality. Marriage is about two people, not one. A husband doesn't take on the role of God, but a follower of Him, as all believers should.
We need to be careful not to make this a straights vs gays issue, as some seem to be doing; all are guilty of sin. Remember also that some people are called not to marry in the first place. Not all, but some.
By the way, I know different translations can be an issue sometimes; I used the NIV in this case because it's easy to read. Other translations add, "and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery."
On an unrelated note, I changed the color to which links change after you've clicked
on them. It used to be very similar to the color of normal text. Now
it's a slightly different shade of purple from links before you've
clicked on them. Hopefully this makes research/investigation easier.
Friday, January 29, 2016
Thursday, January 28, 2016
"Idolatry"
A person is claiming that a brony talking about the Bible in a brony context is "idolatry" and part of "great apostasy". This is not true.
The statement demonstrates misplaced priorities, and by extension, a lack of understanding. The focus in the video is on God's word first and foremost. There's no attempt at distorting God's word, but instead, sharing it. This is the very calling Jesus gave to us, to share God's word. This is what the video accomplishes.
Now I'll concede that the pacing is very, very slow; the video's not perfect in terms of entertainment, but God doesn't look at how entertaining things like this are, but rather what the intent was in the heart of the person who made it. Care should be taken to make sure that the wrong message doesn't get across when sharing the word, but it very clearly appears Shady Oak has already taken this precaution. The message here is Biblically sound. No, I can't vouch for every single video of his, because I've only seen two thus far, but they make a lot of sense.
The problem this person likely has with Shady Oak Ministries is the idea itself: a mix of brony culture and Christianity. And indeed there are times when certain aspects of an idea should not be included in worship. However, that's only in extreme cases where the ideas in question go directly against God's teachings - cases where there is actual sin taking place, and there arises a need for repentance. Not all signs of individuality altogether. As individual people, we are all guilty of sin, and there exists sin within the brony community, just like with any community, but the brony community is not inherently based in sin. The message of the gospel is not being polluted by mixing it with brony culture, therefore it is not wrong to include it.
I once found paintings where Jesus was depicted as being Asian. I've also seen paintings where Jesus was depicted as being Caucasian. Jesus was neither of these, but does that mean the artwork is sinful? No - it helps relate the gospel to certain cultures. This is not wrong, because Jesus did come to earth to save anyone from any culture who chose Him, which I suppose some people find difficult to understand if we just think of Jesus in terms of one culture. Jesus was born in Israel in order to fulfill Old Testament prophecy - it doesn't mean Jesus only came here to save Israel. Jesus spoke Aramaic - it doesn't mean we need to speak Aramaic. God wants to save us no matter if we are in Israel or any other country. God hears our prayers no matter if they are in Aramaic or another language. Likewise, God accepts our worship no matter if it's from an old, traditional culture, or a more modern one, as long as the form of worship doesn't involve sin, which if you think about it, wouldn't even really be "worship" anyway.
Don't let people, who discern based only on misguided personal biases, get to you. Shady Oak Ministries and things like it are not "apostasy". Look at the issue Biblically. Discern based on holy scripture, NOT based on the flawed teachings of humans!
brohoof for all readers /)
God bless you and guide you according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
The statement demonstrates misplaced priorities, and by extension, a lack of understanding. The focus in the video is on God's word first and foremost. There's no attempt at distorting God's word, but instead, sharing it. This is the very calling Jesus gave to us, to share God's word. This is what the video accomplishes.
Now I'll concede that the pacing is very, very slow; the video's not perfect in terms of entertainment, but God doesn't look at how entertaining things like this are, but rather what the intent was in the heart of the person who made it. Care should be taken to make sure that the wrong message doesn't get across when sharing the word, but it very clearly appears Shady Oak has already taken this precaution. The message here is Biblically sound. No, I can't vouch for every single video of his, because I've only seen two thus far, but they make a lot of sense.
The problem this person likely has with Shady Oak Ministries is the idea itself: a mix of brony culture and Christianity. And indeed there are times when certain aspects of an idea should not be included in worship. However, that's only in extreme cases where the ideas in question go directly against God's teachings - cases where there is actual sin taking place, and there arises a need for repentance. Not all signs of individuality altogether. As individual people, we are all guilty of sin, and there exists sin within the brony community, just like with any community, but the brony community is not inherently based in sin. The message of the gospel is not being polluted by mixing it with brony culture, therefore it is not wrong to include it.
I once found paintings where Jesus was depicted as being Asian. I've also seen paintings where Jesus was depicted as being Caucasian. Jesus was neither of these, but does that mean the artwork is sinful? No - it helps relate the gospel to certain cultures. This is not wrong, because Jesus did come to earth to save anyone from any culture who chose Him, which I suppose some people find difficult to understand if we just think of Jesus in terms of one culture. Jesus was born in Israel in order to fulfill Old Testament prophecy - it doesn't mean Jesus only came here to save Israel. Jesus spoke Aramaic - it doesn't mean we need to speak Aramaic. God wants to save us no matter if we are in Israel or any other country. God hears our prayers no matter if they are in Aramaic or another language. Likewise, God accepts our worship no matter if it's from an old, traditional culture, or a more modern one, as long as the form of worship doesn't involve sin, which if you think about it, wouldn't even really be "worship" anyway.
Don't let people, who discern based only on misguided personal biases, get to you. Shady Oak Ministries and things like it are not "apostasy". Look at the issue Biblically. Discern based on holy scripture, NOT based on the flawed teachings of humans!
brohoof for all readers /)
God bless you and guide you according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Clarification
I've said before (a couple other places - not sure if I ever did on this blog) that I won't listen to music from artists that left Christianity. Not even the music from before they left, which is still often alleged to be "Christian".
The reason I won't listen to that music is the same reason I no longer listen to satanic music or pagan music. I'm not automatically opposed to music just because I disagree with the lyrics - there are a few pop songs and rap songs I like, for instance, that have profanity or overall talk about things I don't support. The problem is when the ideology becomes part of the music. This happens a lot in extreme metal. Especially black metal, but other subgenres too. Even dark ambient. It's not just random beats that people put together on a computer, or the result of studying trends and writing songs based on what people want to hear. It's full of genuine emotion. And it's especially magnified when spiritual/religious subjects come up. And there's always a darkness in music that's satanic or pagan or occult etc. You don't even just hear it - you feel it. I can't even stand to listen to it anymore. It's just so unpleasant. On the other hand, I've found unblack metal to be very refreshing to listen to. It's very "clean", and it doesn't have that inner darkness of secular stuff. That much, people tend to agree with or understand.
But what about artists who begin making Christian music, but then leave Christianity? Well, the answer is simple. That darkness I just talked about with satanic bands? Without exception, every. single. band. that I tried to listen to, that claimed to have been Christian in the past, had the exact same darkness woven into it that the other bands had. I remember when I was considering sharing one on my tumblr page. (Note, that blog page may slow down your computer if you have a slow connection.) The more I listened to the song I was going to share, the more depressed I began to feel. Finally I just said to myself, "Can I really justifiably share this around with people? Do I really want to spread the word of this music?" And I simply decided, no, I didn't. And don't be confused - I'm not talking about genuine Christian music that just sounds sad or has sad lyrics. I've shared several melancholic Christian songs, and enjoy them, and even find them useful when I'm feeling down. I'm talking about a clear, undeniable, unpleasant darkness in bands that changed beliefs later on.
And I did, unknowingly, share a few bands like this on my tumblr in the past. The music seemed strange, but I didn't have proof at the time. When I finally did, I just removed them. Without any hesitation. Because I just don't want to share that. And I don't want to listen to it.
It's only "Christian" in name. The fact that they were facing spiritual struggles at the time becomes so clear. And that atmosphere isn't something I can rightfully post on a Christian blog, or allow into my mind. I want to share music that strengthens, and comes from a position of growing closer to God. Not music that carries the exact same atmosphere as the music I left behind.
This is pretty difficult to put into words, but I hope you get the point.
God bless you all, and guide you according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
PS - I also won't listen to music from before someone became Christian. I can speak from experience there. Even back in the old days, I couldn't take some of the music I made. It was so negative, I couldn't even listen to it. So I ended up deleting it. I deleted one song less than a week after I uploaded it! Only these days, do I feel the music I make is "okay" to listen to.
The reason I won't listen to that music is the same reason I no longer listen to satanic music or pagan music. I'm not automatically opposed to music just because I disagree with the lyrics - there are a few pop songs and rap songs I like, for instance, that have profanity or overall talk about things I don't support. The problem is when the ideology becomes part of the music. This happens a lot in extreme metal. Especially black metal, but other subgenres too. Even dark ambient. It's not just random beats that people put together on a computer, or the result of studying trends and writing songs based on what people want to hear. It's full of genuine emotion. And it's especially magnified when spiritual/religious subjects come up. And there's always a darkness in music that's satanic or pagan or occult etc. You don't even just hear it - you feel it. I can't even stand to listen to it anymore. It's just so unpleasant. On the other hand, I've found unblack metal to be very refreshing to listen to. It's very "clean", and it doesn't have that inner darkness of secular stuff. That much, people tend to agree with or understand.
But what about artists who begin making Christian music, but then leave Christianity? Well, the answer is simple. That darkness I just talked about with satanic bands? Without exception, every. single. band. that I tried to listen to, that claimed to have been Christian in the past, had the exact same darkness woven into it that the other bands had. I remember when I was considering sharing one on my tumblr page. (Note, that blog page may slow down your computer if you have a slow connection.) The more I listened to the song I was going to share, the more depressed I began to feel. Finally I just said to myself, "Can I really justifiably share this around with people? Do I really want to spread the word of this music?" And I simply decided, no, I didn't. And don't be confused - I'm not talking about genuine Christian music that just sounds sad or has sad lyrics. I've shared several melancholic Christian songs, and enjoy them, and even find them useful when I'm feeling down. I'm talking about a clear, undeniable, unpleasant darkness in bands that changed beliefs later on.
And I did, unknowingly, share a few bands like this on my tumblr in the past. The music seemed strange, but I didn't have proof at the time. When I finally did, I just removed them. Without any hesitation. Because I just don't want to share that. And I don't want to listen to it.
It's only "Christian" in name. The fact that they were facing spiritual struggles at the time becomes so clear. And that atmosphere isn't something I can rightfully post on a Christian blog, or allow into my mind. I want to share music that strengthens, and comes from a position of growing closer to God. Not music that carries the exact same atmosphere as the music I left behind.
This is pretty difficult to put into words, but I hope you get the point.
God bless you all, and guide you according to His perfect will! In Jesus' name. Amen.
PS - I also won't listen to music from before someone became Christian. I can speak from experience there. Even back in the old days, I couldn't take some of the music I made. It was so negative, I couldn't even listen to it. So I ended up deleting it. I deleted one song less than a week after I uploaded it! Only these days, do I feel the music I make is "okay" to listen to.
Sunday, January 10, 2016
2 Kings and Today
I found some interesting parallels in 2 Kings. People often think that Biblical times were extremely different than today. In reality, society at that time was more similar to ours than you may think!
In 2 Kings 9:20, we find someone complaining about Jehu's driving skills, saying he "drives like a maniac". Does that sound familiar? The lookout reported, "He has reached them, but he isn't coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi--he drives like a maniac."
In 2 Kings 9:11, a prophet was sent to tell Jehu something. Jehu was with some other people at the time, so he and the prophet went somewhere else to talk, and when Jehu got back, he tried to hide what was said from the others. Unbelievers today often seem to think that if there were real prophets speaking to them, as there were in Israel, they would believe. But keeping that in mind, it's interesting how Jehu, living during that time, tries to dismiss the talk they had. When Jehu came out to his master's servants, they asked, "Is everything all right? Why did this crazy person come to you?" Then he said to them, "You know the sort and their ranting."
in 2 Kings 5:10-14, Naathan was sent to a prophet, Elisha, to be cured of leprosy... We find him being lazy, and complaining that simply washing a few times in a river was too much, and that the water in the Jordan wasn't good enough for him! He expected Elisha to just cure him on the spot, and since that didn't happen, he stormed off, and only changed his mind after someone else encouraged him. Does that sound like anything we see today?
in 2 Kings 5:20-22, we find Gehazi lying about the words of a prophet in order to get things out of people! Despite clearly being taught not to!... Does that sound like something we might see today?
I just found these interesting. Pretty disappointing that we still do this stuff today, but also pretty funny, in a way, to look back and see how similar things really were, right down to people driving recklessly, "like maniacs". ... Things haven't changed as much as we think!
God bless you all and guide you according to His perfect will! in Jesus' name. Amen.
In 2 Kings 9:20, we find someone complaining about Jehu's driving skills, saying he "drives like a maniac". Does that sound familiar? The lookout reported, "He has reached them, but he isn't coming back either. The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi--he drives like a maniac."
In 2 Kings 9:11, a prophet was sent to tell Jehu something. Jehu was with some other people at the time, so he and the prophet went somewhere else to talk, and when Jehu got back, he tried to hide what was said from the others. Unbelievers today often seem to think that if there were real prophets speaking to them, as there were in Israel, they would believe. But keeping that in mind, it's interesting how Jehu, living during that time, tries to dismiss the talk they had. When Jehu came out to his master's servants, they asked, "Is everything all right? Why did this crazy person come to you?" Then he said to them, "You know the sort and their ranting."
in 2 Kings 5:10-14, Naathan was sent to a prophet, Elisha, to be cured of leprosy... We find him being lazy, and complaining that simply washing a few times in a river was too much, and that the water in the Jordan wasn't good enough for him! He expected Elisha to just cure him on the spot, and since that didn't happen, he stormed off, and only changed his mind after someone else encouraged him. Does that sound like anything we see today?
in 2 Kings 5:20-22, we find Gehazi lying about the words of a prophet in order to get things out of people! Despite clearly being taught not to!... Does that sound like something we might see today?
I just found these interesting. Pretty disappointing that we still do this stuff today, but also pretty funny, in a way, to look back and see how similar things really were, right down to people driving recklessly, "like maniacs". ... Things haven't changed as much as we think!
God bless you all and guide you according to His perfect will! in Jesus' name. Amen.
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