I’ve opened all posts up to commenting. Have at me, have at each other, have a lot of fun!
OLDER ARTICLES
Do you meet with Christians for worship, fellowship, and instruction outside of your weekend or midweek service? Do you do it regularly? With relatively the same people? If not, you’re missing out on a dynamic that is so incredibly conducive to spiritual growth! I’m talking about the concept of small groups (some churches call them community groups, connect groups etc.) Allow me to show you why meeting regularly in smaller groups of Christians is so important to attaining God’s purpose for you- to be presented to him “perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:18).
- This concept is biblical. Early Christianity was marked by small groups and local churches that met in homes (Romans 16:5).
- Church history has demonstrated its value. Revival movements throughout church history happened as a result of small groups. The emergence of denominationalism–which in this case was good because groups of people broke from a rigid, cold, & empty religiousity–happened largely through small groups/house meetings. Among these movements are pietism, including the Anabaptist, Moravian, & Methodist traditions.
- Allows for a different style of learning. Discussions often lend themselves to a more effective comprehension of God’s word. You can’t ask questions or share your input at an ekklesia of 100+, or often 1000+ people. But you can in the safe environment of a small group.
- Creates better unity. The unity of a church as a whole will only be as strong as the ties between individuals and families. Strong relationships are built when you regularly meet with each other!
- Offers Christians necessary accountability. It’s so easy to get lost in the crowd of a worship service, or slip in and out of a building without being noticed. Not so when you meet with the same 10 or so people every week! If you’re missing, you’ll be missed. Furthermore, as relationships deepen you’ll find people who you’ll feel safer to open up to about your spiritual strengths and weaknesses.
Some Christians value small groups so much that they put a cap on how much they want their church to grow numerically before splitting or planting another church. This is an extreme and doesn’t take into account the fact that in Acts “all the believers” met together at Solomon’s Colonnade (5:12). Large churches are healthy and biblical. But for most Christians, the value of small groups has yet to be realized!
Hear your pastor repeatedly suggest joining an existing small group in your church? Do it at the next opportunity you have!
Are you part of a church that has yet to discover or fully realize the idea? Talk to your pastor about what you can do to help- whether it be hosting, leading, preparing refreshments etc.
Unity; accountability; fellowship; growth; discipleship; worship; you’ll find these and other great things in small groups! Find one, create one…join one somehow.
Among these movements are
It used to be that listening to DC Talk, Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, and Carman could get you shunned by your Christian circle. Remember the days when they were considered edgy? Well, now they’re mainstream, accepted, and some even retired after a successful career. When it comes to music, the church’s ethic has constantly been changing (I recall an acquaintance once telling me they cannot wait until churches “allow screamo bands to lead congregations in worship”). But change can lead us into both good and bad directions; I wouldn’t equate change with progress. Progress is a positively charged word.
So let’s practice exercising some discernment- is this example of Christian music progress?
The song is called “Love Addict” and it’s written/performed by Family Force 5, one of the hottest Christian bands around these days.
Let’s get straight to it. Although I’m not purposely trying to single them out, their music video is an example of what I consider Christian values & the Gospel message being compromised for the sake of likeability. Or maybe they’re just ignorant of God’s word & not really in-tune with God’s Spirit.
It’s not the genre I have a problem with; I’m one that can appreciate a diverse spectrum of music. Their rock/rap-core seems appropriate for the industry. It’s not even their sattirical approach; their humor & choreography is creative (especially for Chrisitans).
But seriously, the hip-swerving, mini-skirt & scanty short-wearing girls are going overboard. Their dress is so far from modest (1 Timothy 2:9). Furthermore, the GIANT LIPS and the general glitz and glamor all suggest a romantic theme of love. What kind of “love addicts” are you guys? This video sure doesn’t seem to profess an agape or philo kind. It’s even beyond ambiguous- it’s quite suggestive. I mean, really.
I’ve written in a previous post that the church needs to be careful not to turn the arbitrary into the absolute. But to Family Force 5, and the world that’s watching, I have to say that your message of God’s love just got drown out by the worldly icons so prevalent in your video. Let’s draw the line here.
I’ll let you be the judge of how relevant a mobile phone review is for The Mourning Dove Caws. Regardless, I want to briefly write about it for two main reasons:
- My particular audience may benefit from learning more about this new gadget
- There are aspects of the phone I have not seen reviewed yet on the more technical sites
Although I may not hit on some of the more technical features and won’t upload pictures/videos to show you what I’m saying, I hope you appreciate the simplistic perspective I have on this gadget. For the most part, I’m a casual user of technology- so if you’re in the same boat, cheers to hopefully gaining something.
I’ve been using it for about a month now, and got it mainly because I’ve had no digital camera. When it was time for a phone upgrade, it seemed like a great choice to kill two birds with one stone. With a new/renewed contract, the Memoir sells for $250 after rebate.
Positive aspects:
- First 8 megapixel camera phone released in US market
- Picture quality makes it a nice device to capture life’s moments, and the convenience of having a digital camera everywhere you go is a remarkable feeling
- Includes Xenon flash plus as many settings as you’d find on a regular digital camera
- The video quality is amazing for such a device, and uploads great to sites like youtube and vimeo (facebook’s quality is a litttle less)
- Cool touch screen that lets you pull the applications/widgets that you use often onto the background
- Texting is made simple by your choice of phone-pad, keyboard, or symbol drawing
- Full internet capabilities with applicable data plan (can view full websites, not only mobile), uses fast 3G & Edge networks
- Mini SD card slot for up to 16G of memory storage (pictures, videos, mp3s)
Negative aspects:
- Battery life may be less than a day if you are a heavy internet/media user
- Mass texting, including to Groups you create, is limited to 10 contacts (this absolutely kills me)
- You cannot separate your call settings from your message settings when it comes to silent/vibrate/melody
- Has trouble displaying some websites, including those using Java
- Cannot download an indefinite amount of applications like you can on the iphone
- There is a slight lag (less than 1 second) when accessing the menu and applications; compared to Blackberries this is considerably slow
- Doesn’t offer Hotmail capabilities for email notifications
For me, the convenience of the phone has overshadowed the other features/lack thereof that pain me. The latest thing that I’m very excited about it using its video capturing to communicate to my team at work. I upload the files to vimeo and use it to be an effective leader and communicator. Yes, the quality is that good. Furthermore, I love having near professional grade pictures that I can finally share with the people I care about. For my lifestyle, the memoir is right for me because of its convenience. Your experience may be different!
Though the gap is slightly closing today, there still exists a pretty big divide in Christianity between cessationists (charismatic gifts ceased with the end of the apostolic era) and continuationists (all spiritual gifts are in full operation in today’s church). I say the divide is lessening because many churches are now taking what is referred to as an “open but cautious” view. Also, many in the Reformed tradition, and what has been referred to as the New Calvinism are encouraging the pursuit & operation of charismatic gifts.
But this isn’t about charismatic gifts per se. It’s about the reality of the spiritual dimension that surrounds us. The question at hand is: how much emphasis should be placed on the spiritual battle that occurs in our world? In Christianity, some preach God’s sovereignty teaching that since he is omnipotent we need not worry much about spiritual warfare. We need to be Christ-centered, focus on the positive proclamation of the Gospel, and put our faith in our God who holds the universe. On the other hand, there are many who suggest that much of the church’s battle is won or lost based on its participation in spiritual warfare and intercessory prayer.
The charismatic gifts debate served to introduce the issue because most who preach God’s sovereignty fall on the side of cessationism, while those who emphasize spiritual warfare are usually continuationists. This spectral divide seems to makes sense.
Before further discussing the issue, I’d like to consider a handful of passages that shed light on the issue. Yes, let’s do some systematic theology.
“And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
2 Kings 6:17
“The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.”
Psalm 103:19
“The LORD works out everything for his own ends—even the wicked for a day of disaster.”
Proverbs 16:5
“The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.”
Daniel 4:17
“Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.”
Daniel 10:12-13
“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”
Ephesians 1:11
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”
1 Timothy 4:1
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Hebrews 13:2
“but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.”
James 1:14
Now, I must admit that I have not done proper exegesis on the above passages. Furthermore, these are only a select few that speak on the subject. There are countless others that teach of God’s sovereignty and the reality of spiritual warfare. Finally, all of the above passages are from the NIV; I did not consult the original languages at all. That being said, my commentary on the issue is hardly worth 2 cents- but I’m going to give it to you anyway.
Based on my understanding of the above passages and the entirety of biblical teaching, I believe that most Christians live in a state of relative unawareness when it comes to spiritual realities. The devil and his fiends are lurking all around you, enticing you to sin and maybe even harm you. But there are also God’s angels (whom he often chooses to exercise his will through) who are working for the expansion of his kingdom and the protection of his saints. Intercessory prayer, therefore, reflects a healthier understanding of the spirits who surround us, and petitioning God honors him in that we are admitting his sovereignty over all beings and forces.
But I sometimes hear Christians who believe there is an evil spirit behind every illness, bad teaching, and sin; they “look for demons under every rock.” This is the opposite extreme. The Bible allows for sickness that is a result of our fallen state (John 9:1-3), sin that is a result of our sinful nature (James 1:14), and though all untruth has an evil origin that is demonic, every time it resurfaces or is held as position by someone, it does not mean the person was under demonic influence. Recently I even heard a pastor argue that worship through song is an act of war for Christians.
When I am involved in intercessory prayer, I sense a greater intimacy with God because I am approaching him as my heavenly father. But this kind of prayer is draining- and it is difficult to practice consistently. For the times the church (myself included) has neglected the reality of spiritual forces who are working against us and the kingdom of God, I am thankful that the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”
Romans 8:26-27
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