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Tag: Christian

  • The Mirror of Church Hypocrisy – 2

    The Mirror of Church Hypocrisy – 2

    Is Christ’s church not His betrothed, as Israel was chosen of the Lord?

    A word for the Church from Prophets of old:

    Israel Forsakes the Lord

    The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord,

    “I remember the devotion of your youth,
    your love as a bride,
    how you followed me in the wilderness,
    in a land not sown.
    3 Israel was holy to the Lord,
    the first fruits of his harvest…

    “Dearly beloved,” begins our covenant witness for marriage.

    “Dear Lord Jesus,” we praise Christ when first we bow to Him.

    9 “Therefore I still contend with you,
    declares the Lord,
    and with your children’s children I will contend…

    19 Your evil will chastise you,
    and your apostasy will reprove you.

    Know and see that it is evil and bitter
    for you to forsake the Lord your God;
    the fear of me is not in you,
    declares the Lord God of hosts.

    20 “For long ago I broke your yoke
    and burst your bonds;
    but you said, ‘I will not serve.’

    Yes, on every high hill
    and under every green tree
    you bowed down like a whore…

    DIVORCE, by ‘christian’ husbands?

    DIVORCE, by ‘christian’ wives?

    You have long ago forsaken your love for the Lord your God. Your whoredom is against Christ Jesus, your returning Bridegroom!

    Our “Lord,” Christ Jesus warns: “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce … but from the beginning it was not so. – Matthew 19:8

    Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord…

    25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church… that she might be holy and without blemish.

    31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 

    32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

    How dare we (christians) even speak of the sexual sin of the world, when we have not returned to the purity Christ Jesus expects of His betrothed so soiled in sexual sin!

    Jeremiah 2:

    22 Though you wash yourself with lye
    and use much soap,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,
    declares the Lord God…

    29 “Why do you contend with me?
    You have all transgressed against me,
    declares the Lord.
    30 In vain have I struck your children;
    they took no correction…

    Do our christian children witness the love and forgiveness of  Christ even less than their divorced christian parents?

    Do our christian children sell their flesh and souls to the same sexual desires we would hide from the world?

    To be continued…

     

  • Hypocrite ‘christian’ & Hypocrite Unbeliever

    Hypocrite ‘christian’ & Hypocrite Unbeliever

    You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. – Luke 6:42b

    HARSH words from Jesus!

    Would you of the church (who call yourself “christian”) deserve the rebuke of the One we call Lord?

    It so happens that the same thing that unbelievers do not like in ‘christians’ is the same thing that I do not like: hypocrisy.

    True followers of Christ Jesus must be pure in our faith and truthful in our witness.

    (As a reminder to any who have not followed my Lenten series of posts, now (the 40 days prior to Resurrection Sunday) is a time for Christians to put down our mask of hypocrisy and put on the righteousness of repentance – a returning to Christ Jesus, who suffered the penalty for our sins and was crucified as Perfect Sacrifice for those who believe.  We will get to the message of hope and the redemption of the Cross closer to Easter, God willing.)

    hypocriteAn earlier part of this series on Covenant and Truth concluded with an introductory thought on christian hypocrisy.

    covenant definition

    We then proceeded to examine the witness of christian marriage and of christian families (including teens).

    Today we will take on a couple of issues as they relate to hypocrisy by BOTH christians & non-Christians.

    Let’s begin, however, with the entire scripture of Jesus on the ‘log in your own eye.’

    Luke 6:39  He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man?

    christian hypocrite: Can you lead a non-believer to Christ while you remain blind to your own sin?

    Will they not both fall into a pit?

    Are you BOTH not destined to the pit of Hell if you do not repent?

    40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

    Are you “fully trained,” dear brother (sister) in the Lord? Are you like Jesus, whom we call Lord? 

    God knows the truth and others witness the truth of your proclaimed purity.

    41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

    An unbeliever will be the first to ask this question of christian hypocrites. The unbeliever ALSO sees the darkness and sin in others, while failing to acknowledge the sin in their own life.

    No difference (except that their hypocrisy is not also witness against Christ).

    42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?

    A reminder: our responsibility to a Christian brother, member of the family of Christ Jesus, is higher than to an unbeliever. No need to point out the sins to the unbeliever, while failing to bring to light your own.

    You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

    A Tree and Its Fruit

    43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

    What is the fruit of Christian marriage?

    A lasting covenant, witness to Christ’s love for us.

    What is the fruit of Christian parents?

    Godly children; godly teens; godly sons to marry and godly daughters to be given in marriage.

    HOW ARE WE DOING?

    • As a church?
    • As a husband or wife claiming Christ?
    • As a child or teen under the roof and authority of a Christian household?

    Truth is (as you can see from our previous articles and statistics) christians are failing miserably in our witness of Christ.

    The fruit is rotting.

    To be continued…

  • Godly christian teens?

    Godly christian teens?

    (Almost) Everyone’s Doing It

    A SURPRISING NEW STUDY SHOWS CHRISTIANS ARE HAVING PREMARITAL SEX AND ABORTIONS
    AS MUCH (OR MORE) THAN NON-CHRISTIANS.
    Eighty percent of young, unmarried Christians have had sex.
    Two-thirds have been sexually active in the last year. Even though, according to a recent Gallup poll, 76 percent of evangelicals believe sex outside of marriage is morally wrong. source
    .

    “What used to be happening in high school is now happening in eighth grade,” DiMarco said.

    Even Christian teens are not immune to the rampant sexual temptations bombarding their generation.

    “I found no difference between Christian girls and non-Christian girls,” DiMarco said. “No difference, except that they talked a good show and acted really nice in front of me.”

    When she probed deeper she found that Christian teens were engaging in the same sexual behaviors as their non-Christian friends. source

    The problem that she has found with abstinence pledges is that teens have misconceptions about what it means to be a virgin. “Teen girls don’t understand what virginity is,” DiMarco says, “so everything except intercourse is considered okay even by Christian girls.”

    “…parents do not fully understand how commonplace these sexual behaviors have become in their children’s generation.

    The teens have been desensitized by the sexual messages on television, in movies, in magazines, and from their friends. But parents would never imagine that these things are taking place.

    Quick facts regarding STDs and adolescent pregnancy

    • Approximately 18.9 million new cases of STDs occur each year.
    • Forty-eight percent of new STD cases in 2000 were among 15- to 24-year-olds.
    • There are currently more than 25 types of STDs; some are curable, others are not.
    • In 2000, approximately 822,000 pregnancies occurred among 15- to 19-year-olds.
    • Seven out of ten adolescent mothers drop out of high school.

    Quick ideas about setting boundaries

    Children and teens need boundaries for their safety. Children should understand the consequences of breaking family rules and boundaries. Consequences should fit the severity of the rule. The following are a few boundaries to discuss with your teen:

    • Curfew
    • Transporting other teens: who or how many people ride in one car together
    • Drinking alcohol or using drugs
    • Drinking alcohol or using drugs and driving
    • Lying to parents or adults in authority
    • Allowing opposite-sex company in bedrooms
    • Having friends over while parents are absent
    • Age at which dating can begin
    • Dating vs. courting: discuss family values and guidelines

    source

    CHRISTIAN PARENTS:
    Do you need HELP!?
    –
    Many fine organizations provide help, books, materials, counseling, prayer and the love of Christ in getting parents through TRYING to raise godly Christian children. It is NOT an easy job, but the Lord calls on Christian parents to take responsibility for the children we raise – that INCLUDES our teens.
    .
    Start early. As you can see by the startling statistics, you had better think about SEX in your children’s lives BEFORE they do.
    • IF you didn’t start early, it’s still NOT too late.
    Don’t give up.
    Your son (yes, don’t forget them, even though they don’t get pregnant) or your daughter will bless you for your Biblical guidance in later life when they discover how much damage the sex life of theirs or their friends has caused.
    –
    One of the fine organizations I can recommend for marriage or various family challenges is Family Life Today.
    Here is just one article on this topic:

    Establishing Dating Guidelines for Your Teen

    Full Article

    In light of our reformatted definition of dating, we have the following very general age guidelines for spending time with a friend of the opposite sex (these are for our children still living at home).

    • Doing things together with an approved mixed group of teens away from our home: We have allowed this to begin sometime after age 15.
    • Double dates or group dates: Usually at age 17, maybe earlier.
    • Single dates: These are generally discouraged but allowed in certain circumstances.

    More Beautiful You – Jonny Diaz

    [Song with lyrics]

    What is YOUR witness for Jesus Christ, beloved Christian young woman?
    +
    What is YOUR witness for Jesus Christ, beloved young man of the Lord’s witness?
    +
    What is YOUR witness for Jesus Christ as a PARENT of a TEEN in your ‘christian’ household?
    +

    Proverbs 30

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    11 There are those [There is a generation] who curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers.
    12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes
    but are not washed of their filth.