Every day this world get’s more wicked and Christianity is a distant relic of what it once was. The further it gets away from the scriptural defining, the more confused I see people become. Is it any wonder that our churches are empty? How can people know what to believe with so many “versions” out there. I’m not talking about Bible versions, I’m talking about Christian versions.
I seen a post the other day on social media where someone was going through a struggle. They confessed to be Christian, and yet their post asked for prayer “to whomever their friends prayed to,” or “good vibes” which is a comment that makes me want to puke. But I almost split a gasket in my brain trying to figure out how one can call themselves a Christian and make room for another god?
I had this conversation with a family member several years ago who told me that when they attended their Masonic lodge meeting, they laid their Bible right next to everyone else’s. Of any faith. He was telling me that his god was equal to the others. Including the Quran. I just about stripped a gear on that one too. You’ll note the little “g”. I cannot be non vocal about such statements. It’s the very thing that is causing good churches to fail. The preacher may be preaching the doctrine of Christ as close to scripture as humanity will allow. But if he’s got a congregation filled with Facebookers and Instagrammers who undermine his teaching with stupidity, then whose going to show up to hear him preach?
This is a late night post, when I’m tired, and cranky and have a house full of children, my last load of laundry for the week is in the machine, the dishwasher is running, my suitcase is packed for a girls trip in the morning and I have stuff on my mind I need to get off. That may not be a good combination. Or maybe it is. No filter isn’t always bad. I assure you this isn’t written in judgment, but observation.
So here’s my rant in my favorite 3 point style.
Don’t be Talking Smack Against God
Daniel 3:29 KJVS
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
I am so thankful that I was brought up with a very healthy fear of God. I knew He was a loving God, but I also knew at the age of nine that God held His people accountable. As I grew older I blocked that fear out, but hallelujah through the preaching of God’s word and the reading of His word I regained my healthy fear.
When a person who professes to be a Christian, they are saying they believe:
- Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for their sins and all of humanity’s.
- He arose from the dead the third day took the keys to death and hell so that Satan had no power of those who believe.
- He is now in Heaven making intercession on our behalf, so that when we sin (and we do) He says to the Father, “That child is mine Father, my blood has covered their sin.”
- A child of God believes. That’s it. No more, no less.
But when a child of God acknowledges any other god, they have opened the door for Satan to whisper in the ear of the unsaved, “see, even they believe in other gods.”
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, went into the fiery furnace, they didn’t ask anyone else to pray to their gods. It doesn’t say that they ask their people to pray, though I’m sure may have. What they said was:
Daniel 3:16-19 KJVS
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. [17] If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. [18] But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. [19] Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
That is the child of God I want to be! (Preferably not in a furnace). Interestingly, it was Nebuchadnezzar who was the one who made the decree in verse 29, after he saw what the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego could do. He warned the people, “Don’t be talking smack about their God. Because if He doesn’t kill you, I will.” That of course is the Bible version according to Shari.
If You’re Going to Say Something, Say it Loud
Mark 12:28-34 KJVS
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? [29] And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: [30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. [31] And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. [32] And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: [33] And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. [34] And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
The scribes were scholars of the Old Testament Law. They figured prominently in the ministry of Jesus; they were persecuting Him and were responsible for bringing Him to trial. Their persecution of Christians continued after His ascension. But in this text we have a scribe speaking with Jesus in a tone of respect, calling Him Master. Even Jesus notes that he is “not far from the Kingdom of God.” Was the scribe changing his mind about Who Jesus was? It didn’t say, but it did say that because of this line of questioning, Jesus stopped their mouths.
As a child of God, I always tell you that I consider myself an utter failure. I know I could be far better than I am and I fail daily. But deed, I try to be a bold witness. It’s not always a comfortable spot to be in because there are many in the world who do not enjoy hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. But I love talking about it. And in order to speak of it, you need to know it! Again, let me emphasize that I don’t know as much as I should, but what I know, and that is some, I speak loud. Because I want people to know the confidence I have in Christ. Not any in myself, but I’ve got all kinds in Him. I have that because for 27 years I have walked and talked on the road with Jesus and gone through trial after trial that He alone has brought me through. Many days that I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it. I have experienced miracles. I have prayed the prayer, “Dear God, I’m stupid, and you know I’m stupid, please get me out of this mess!” And He did. And sometimes He didn’t. And I can stand flat footed and eye to eye with an atheist who doesn’t know he believes and tell Him what I believe and why I believe it.
This is why when I see a child of God wavering on God, I get frustrated for Him and them. If they acknowledge any other god besides Jesus Christ that says to the unsaved, “you don’t believe in Him either.”
Be loud and proud my Christian friends. When someone needs prayer, tell them, “Ima talk to Jesus for ya!” Don’t ever give Satan a foothold into a conversation by telling them you’re going to send them ‘good vibes,’ because that my friend is straight out of the pits of hell.
What You Say Has Got to Be Backed Up by Scripture
Not made up by man
Ephesians 4:1-13 KJVS
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, [2] With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; [3] Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. [4] There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; [5] One Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. [7] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. [8] Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. [9] (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? [10] He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) [11] And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; [12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: [13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
How can a person “keep the unity” and speak matters of separation? I have unsaved friends. But they are not friends who have ever asked me to deny my faith, walk a different path in my faith or accept what they believe as my one. Else, they’d not be someone I shared fellowship with.
I do not argue scripture. I speak what it says, and let God do the arguing if it’s needed. Most of the time people have questions, not debates with me. And I’m always happy to answer because that is the greater depth of my learning is in finding the facts in the matter about what scripture says.
This was indeed a rant, and probably to people in the same boat as me. But there is purpose in it. It’s to encourage myself and you who read this to read the Bible for ourselves and know what it says and what it means. That way, when someone has a question for us, we know how to point them to the answer. And not our answer, but God’s answer.
