Disclaimer: Ironic as I hate disclaimers. . . . . .

I felt that this was necessary in light of a previous post that got some folks riled up.

This blog is a blog. Blogs as blogs go are peoples opinions, just as books are the way authors share opinions, and orators share their opinions via vocal communication.

This blog is MY own personal opinion. The opinions expressed in this blog are not necessarily the opinions of anyone I know or associate with but yet at the same time the folks I associate with may agree with them and support them. Nevertheless, these are my opinions.

My opinions expressed herein are based on hours of studying Gods word, and pondering its application to my life.

I tend to write this blog with an authoritative tone, but that is not because I have figured it out, or have the corner on truth, but because I am expressing my opinion as God has revealed His word to me personally. This leaves way for you to have your personal assumptions and me to have mine. That also means that if you and I disagree, on a non-sin issue, I have no room to judge you, and you have no room to judge me either.

Furthermore this lays a large burden on YOU the reader. As with anything you read or hear, you cannot base it solely on the perceived character of the person expressing his view. You must compare what he has to say with God's word and go from there.

My intent of this Blog is not to be the Holy Spirit, but to share how God is moulding me more and more like His Son. As I said before, my opinions won't always be right, but I will always base my opinions on Scripture, and would expect that if you differ from my opinion that your opinions also be based on Scripture not cultural norms, ecclesiastical, or familial expectations.

My only desire is to share with you what God has laid on my heart. There will be times where you don't agree and that is fine. There will be times when we do agree. That's great! But all that said, this blog is my opinion of how God expects me to live. If this Blog can benefit you, I ask you to read it. If you don't care for it, don't waste your time, and I won't waste yours.

The Radical Life is about sharing what God has laid on your heart, not tiptoeing around sensitive issues. As Christians we must be bold, and willing to share what God has shown us, ensuring that we don't play the role of the Holy Spirit. It isn't our job. Allowing God to do what He does, is a critical part of living the Radical Life.

When the Whole World is Against You

WOW It has been a while! It has been just over a month since I last posted.

A lot has happened since then. Life certainly takes you for twists and turns that you don't expect. Its not like it was one thing, rather a conglomeration of garbage that just kept piling up.

Last month Elissa was starting her transition to working with me full time and quitting her job. Her scheduled end date was right around Thanksgiving which was also the busy time of the month for my job. This coupled with Elissa's vehicle that broke down 2 hours from home at 4pm the night before Thanksgiving and the fact that we need two vehicles for work compounded the issues. A week later my car had to get fixed and we weren't planning on that. A few weeks later we ended up having to put winter tires on my car because my others were bald. Around 2 weeks ago we had a dog get sick, and had to send her to the vet to eventually put her down. Put that on top of sickness and various other Christmas activities, and it certainly would seem like the entire world is against you.

All in all, I think we spent around $4000 in unexpected expenses last month, so that bit into the savings and bummed us out quite a bit. Nothing seemed to go right at all. We just couldn't get ahead.

Last night as I was driving back from Michigan from a friends wedding, I had a dawning of realization. "Its not about you."
While the issues did focus around me, for some reason God had a plan and a purpose. The verse that kept coming to my mind was Isaiah 55:8 where it says, ""For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD."

How many times do we think that Gods way should be our way. We complain that God isn't working everything out for our good.

The fact is that God doesn't have to stoop to our whims. It is that simple. Life isn't about us. Its about Him.

I don't know why Elissa and I had such a financially and emotionally draining month, but I know that for some reason it is for God's glory.

Living the radical life is about waiting on God and allowing him to work and orchestrate life, and realizing that even the bad things happen for a purpose. Only when we embrace that thought can we truly live a Radical Life.

Thought of the Day: How often do we take the Lord's name in vain?

This may seem like a silly question but I do not think it is.

Every day, if we are Christians, we are bombarded with worldly people and media who always seem to be taking the Lord's name in vain. I can't think of a sin that hurts me more. But as I said in a previous post, we can't expect the world to conform to Godly principles so we are left with the choice to either put up with it or not expose ourselves to it. Either option is a good option depending on the situation.

Think about this though. How often to YOU take the Lord's name in vain?

Using the Lord's name in vain is not just saying "Oh _____!" when something goes wrong or you get excited. That IS taking the Lords name in vain but you already knew that. Taking the Lords name in vain also means simply being irreverent or not placing the proper regard when saying that name.

I'm not sure about you, but I find that rather heavy. The ramifications of this mean that when we aren't consciously referring to the Lord we should not be saying His name. What do I mean by this?

Take the example of singing. Granted this may not be that most theologically sound but I can almost imagine God sitting in heaven listening to the millions of believers worshiping Him. He's hearing His name called over and over again describing how great He is. As He is intently listening, He hears me saying His name. He acknowledges me addressing him but I'm busy thinking about lunch.

How often do we stand in church singing, when our mind runs amuck and we are all of a sudden thinking about lunch. This song talks about God and mentions Him a few times. The issue is that we did not address Him with the reverence that He deserves. We seemed to think that the ham in the oven was more important than directly addressing God.

The same example can be seen from an earthly standpoint. If a child mindlessly calls out their fathers name but doesn't really want them how does that make him feel? We serve a God who is so much more deserving than our earthly parents.

We cannot just pointlessly utter the name of God. We must be aware every time we say it. We must recognize who we are addressing. Understanding the majesty and the wonder of who God really is, is a priority to living the Radical Life.

I am your Holy Spirit (at least I seem to think I am)

For some reason believers have a burr under their saddle.

Two times this last week I heard Christians chastising non-Christians to act like Christians. You all know what I am talking about.

It all starts off with a non-Christian making a comment that includes a swear or another "bad" word. It may be in the work place or maybe on Facebook. It then commences with the "Christian" flying off the handle and saying that people don't deserve to be friends with them if they use that language.

First off, HOW DARE YOU! What are you trying to prove, Christian? Why are you expecting a non-believer to act like a believer. You seem to think that that "friend" has to earn your friendship by non saying certain things because you don't like them.

The same applies to the music your "friends" listen to, the other "friends" your "friend" has, and the other entertainment that person partakes in.

Scripture says "By their fruits ye shall know them." What do you think will be accomplished by forcing these people to bear fruit? Simply stated you are attempting to cover up your insecurities by forcing them to comply with your man made rules.

When you force non believers into conforming you are making it harder to spot the real believers.

Furthermore, you are also causing believers to rely on being hypocritical. What do I mean by that? You are saying that you put on the fruit and then the heart will follow. That's a ludicrous proposition let alone NON-scriptural. How do you expect to see growth in a person's life when they have always relied on showing a good front?

The Radical life isn't about forcing the people around you to conform. I'll be the first one to become heart broken when I hear someone take my Lords name in vain, but I'll also immediately pray "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." As much as it hurts they don't know what they are doing. You cannot expect a non-believer to understand what they are doing.

The Radical Life is about allowing the Spirit to work not you being someone's Holy Spirit. Stop expecting people to conform. They don't need to. They don't have any accountability. They don't need it. They aren't saved.

That's what it is all about. Use discernment and use grace. Your testimony and your reaction to people is what matters and is what defines living the Radical Life.

When is "Mega" not really "Mega" at all?

A week ago I had the opportunity to travel down to Lynchburg, VA with a church group to the campus of Liberty University. It was a great trip but one of the highlights of the excursion was the opportunity to attend a Sunday morning service at Thomas Road Baptist Church pastored by Jonathan Falwell.

As we pulled into the parking lot I was amazed by the size of the lot. There were probably 1000+ spaces. Many of these places were taken but we were fortunate enough to be able to park in visitor parking.

As we made our way into the building I was struck by the size. Inside were welcome centers, a book store and a coffee shop. This area which they had named Main St. was longer that a football field and probably 50 feet wide was complete with lounge chairs and other places for folks to fellowship.

The sanctuary itself was a sight to behold, having enough capacity to put my house right up on the stage. This room seats 6000 people comfortably in a service.

I must admit going into this service I was quite a skeptic. I had been to "Mega" churches before. One church I attended in SC had nearly 5000 people at it and that was a terrible experience. First I didn't know what to expect at Thomas Road. I figured the service would be as impersonal as it could be seeing as how there were thousands of people seated around me.

First up in the service was the Worship Team leading the first song. It was upbeat praise music, doctrinally sound, and edifying. Plus 1 for that. Next they had a Baptism. Yes that's right. Sunday Morning 11:10am in the middle of a morning service they had a Baptism. The Baptizee(Google couldn't even help me with this one), had gotten saved the week before and was dedicating his life to Christ. Another point for that.  The song service continued with 3 more very doctrinally sound songs presented in a CCM/Praise and Worship style. The whole atmosphere portrayed by the folks on stage were that we were a small group. It felt quite personal allowing for true communion with God.

Pastor Falwell then got up and gave announcements. Here it was revealed the secret of how the "Mega" church stayed personal. Falwell went on to describe the numerous small groups and discipleship programs in the church that fosters spiritual growth. What really struck me was the concept that he and other pastors get intimately involved in those groups and classes. It wasn't that they were just overseeing everything. It was that they were a part of it happening. During the message Pastor Falwell described how he spent time praying with a group of guys on a morning the week before and how he happened to be at a restaurant at the same time another group was meeting so he joined them. He mentioned people by name in the message. He prayed specifically for several people going through challenging times.

I was humbled. I was afraid I was going to enter a church that was so "Mega" that it had lost focus on interpersonal relationships. I couldn't have been more wrong. The focus on interpersonal relationships was what had caused the church to blossom into a shining example of Christianity.

That right there is what living the Radical Christian Life is all about. It is not about the nuances of our worship like the styles of music or the Bible versions we use. Living the Radical Life is all about the relationships. First is our relationship with God but then our relationships with others. Only when we develop the proper relationships based on Godly values will we be able to truly live a Radical Christian Life.

Elitist Christianity

I am quite tired of the elitist "Christians" who claim to have the corner on truth. We all know who I am talking about. These are the Christian's who accuse every one else of not having it right. Everyone but THEY are compromising.

What leads to this elitist Christianity you might ask? This attitude comes from having the need to have everything figured out. Somehow having everything figured out leads to a sense of security. I dare say that it is a feigned sense of security yet they offer it to others titled with the word "Gospel." While this isn't necessarily a false Gospel, what happens after salvation is what makes them elitist.

After salvation these elitist Christians come up with lists of do's and don'ts and then gauge other peoples relationship with God based on their own personal standards that have been elevated to an unGodly position. For some reason they think that their personal standards gain favor with God, and encourage others to participate with them by guilting people into a false sense of security.

Why would people join up with these elitists? Two things; Power and a need for security. These folks fall in two categories. I've talked about this in a previous post but it is well worth rehashing it here. Power drives people to do radical(bad radical) things in the name of Christianity. These people in their leadership positions, rule with an iron fist, claiming Scripture is backing their perspective. Scripture does support their perspectives, as long as you don't read the context of the passages they quote.

The second reason is a need for security. They get this list of do's and don'ts, and they gauge their spirituality based on their emotional response to this list. For example, if you do not like this list of rules, you are rebellious. If you do the rules but don't let on that you don't like them, you are a hypocrite. If you do them and have a good heart while you do them, your heart is right with God.

When I hear this diatribe, my head just want to explode! at there is no DO and DON'T do list in scripture. Paul actually addresses this faulty idea (don't worry; I did check the context) in Colossians. Verse 23 is SO important I have to share it here. It says, "²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence."

Rules do NOT keep us from sinning. We always emphasize that when there is a will there is a way. Regardless of there being rules and appearing all perfect and "avoiding all appearance of evil"(totally just miscontexted that one) you can't set up rules that prevent others from sinning. Let alone that you can't raise these requirements up to the level of scripture as we talked about in another blog post.

The irony is that they believe they they are correct in all of their applications of these requirements. What really matters is the heart. Lets focus on allowing God to work on hearts rather than us trying to sculpt the outside. If all we do is mould people the way we envision God to want them, all we have done is created people who appear the way the god we have created in our mind wants them.

I read on another blog this week a phrase a church posted on their marquis. It said, "How many people have you led to Christ?" The obvious goal of the sign is to ultimately guilt people into witnessing. Good goal, bad method, but that's not the point. "How many people have you led to Christ?" None. I have led no one to Christ. The Holy Spirit through the work has wrought in my life has in turn shown people the light of Christ. I didn't do anything. When I bring people to Christ, I am bringing them to a god that I have developed in my own mind, and have explained to them not the true God only the Holy Spirit can bring them to.

When we allow our standards(hems down to the ankles, no "rock" beat) and our goals(bring 50 people to Christ this year) to cloud the true God, we are doing the world a disservice. We have ruined Christianity.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know it all. I know so little in the big scheme of things, but my desire is to allow the Spirit to move me into better service for the God of this universe. If that means the Holy Spirit will lead me to talk to 50 people about the Gospel this year sobeit. If that means that God will convince me of sin in my life that needs to be corrected, I humbly will bow and correct my ways.

I know right now as I sit here in front of this computer monitor, I am not a compromised Christian. Yes I have varied my ways and my standard systems since growing up and attending BJU, but I am completely and unequivocally sold out to Christ. That will never change. What will change are things that the Holy Spirit wants me to change to better serve the One and Only True God. I am uncompromised in my faith, and I am uncompromised in my belief that Elitist Christian's are more of a hindrance than a help.

 Jesus himself said in Matthew that his "yoke is easy" and his "burden is light." This can't happen if guilt and rules take the place of true grace. Scripture also says that there is no condemnation for those of us who have accepted Christ.

It is not up to us to judge other Christians based on their apparent spirituality. I for one never judge someone for an ambiguous rule in scripture. I've said it before in another post, that Peter determined that there were two rules that the gentile believers had to follow to show their salvation. Do not practice idolatry and do not participate in sexual immorality. If a particular "sin" does not fall in these categories, I will not judge. I cannot judge based on what Peter said.

We have to remember that after salvation all of us have been given the Holy Spirit after salvation to guide us and direct us. The irony is how many of us want to be the Holy Spirit for other people. If we truly want to make a difference for Christ, we must follow what scripture says rather than putting our own twists on it. We must share the gospel, without adding to it. We must remember grace. Only then is it possible to live the Radical Life!

This is How It Feels to be Free

On my mind the past few weeks has been the topic of Christian liberty. I am not just talking about the "true freedom we have found in Christ" but also the ability to analyze scripture and apply it to my own life as the Spirit directs.

My intent of this note, is not to give a list or a lengthy diatribe of what is ok and what is not.

Scripture tells us clearly that after we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells within us encouraging us unto righteousness. How does this come into play in regards to Christian liberty?

The spirit works within us in order to refine us into more Christ like beings. As we progress through life, studying scripture and listening to the Spirits prompting, we realize that some things we are doing are wrong. Sometimes the Spirit prompts us that something is NOT wrong that we once considered wrong.

What should our response be to people who have differences from our "standards."

One word: Grace.

Not everyone will agree completely with us but we won't ever completely agree with everyone either, however, we must be gracious. Without getting into much detail in this note, (you can find details in A PersonalExodus and other posts), the way I was raised and brought up, was much more conservative religiously than I am now. The ultimate question though is how to respond to people who take that more conservative stance.

There are two types of people who take more conservative stances than I do. The first are those who believe that what they believe has a scriptural backing and there is no wiggle room.

The second are those who hold conservative standards that they believe have Biblical basis but realize that Scripture can be interpreted different ways.

Certain things are non-negotiable, like the doctrines of the creation of the universe by God, the virgin birth, and the perfection of a Holy God, but when it comes to things like Christian living, other than pursuing the Holiness of God, there is leeway.

With the first group of people, we can only pray that God would soften hardened hearts. This first group is the group who refuses to associate with anyone who is different than they are standard wise. Typically this group places standards on the same level as doctrine, and unfortunately often links standards with your status with God.

The second group is a wonderful group. I find much in common with these people because I was one of them.  These folks realize that is scripture does not clearly specify something, there is flexibility.

This group is a group that I believe have truly found freedom in Christ. They have realized that there is no set list of rules and regulations, but rather the leading of the Spirit influencing us unto righteousness. Is there anything wrong in holding a stricter standard than is biblically necessary? Not one bit. It all comes down to different standards. Perhaps being so different will actually encourage more people to come to Christ.

My only caution is to never elevate a personal conviction to the status of scripture. If we are truly free in Christ, we have also been freed from man's debauchery of scripture.  

As big as being free from the bondage of sin is, finding true freedom in Christ includes more than just that. It includes being free from any type of religious influence, denominational bias, and fanatical religious leaders. True freedom in Christ only achieved by being completely sold out to God and being totally dedicated to the study of Scripture.  Only those who have found true freedom in Christ can truly live the Radical Life.

Boogity, Boogity, Boogity, Amen!

This past week made history with the prayer heard round the world. Perhaps I exaggerate, but this prayer was heard by many people. Fox News covered it. Drudge covered it. Now The Radical Life Blog is covering it.

A week ago Saturday Pastor Joe Nelms prayed an epic prayer at the Nascar Nationwide series race in Tennessee.

I did not have the privilege to hear the prayer as it happened. I happened to hear it on a few radio shows that I listen to. Several responses came to my mind after I heard the prayer.

My first response was what was he thinking. This crazy dude gets up in front of thousands of people and essentially prays a prayer that some would consider mocking. How could God accept that as a prayer?

I was humbled though as I continued thinking about it. This man stood up in front of thousands of people and thanked God for even the trivial things in life, like GM, Goodyear, and yes, HIS smoking hot wife.

Sometimes I think that God forgets even the simple things we find pleasure in. God doesn't just want us to thank Him for working things out in our lives, but for EVERYTHING.

No matter how un-orthodox Pastor Nelms' prayed his prayer, I am sure God was glorified. His prayer humbled me to remember even the little things. Unless we are thankful for the smallest things in life we can never live a Radical Life, boogity, boogity, boogity, amen!

I Am Not Ashamed!

Over the last week I've received chastisement for my blog from several different people. Despite what I have said on the blog about not letting personal attacks bother me, I actually let them get to me.  I assume the people who don't like my blog, or my way of going about things are going to say something to me. I most definitely welcome that.

This week has been quite busy and rather stressful providing Satan with perfect opportunities to buffet me. I've been working on several projects related to the blog, as well as the issues related to the ministry and the good ole' nine to five(I've actually never had one of these).  

These attacks, if you will, may have distracted me a little but once I was able to refocus, numerous passages and even modern stories came to mind about how believers would be rebuked for what they believe. Christians all around the world are persecuted daily for their beliefs. I think of the churches in China and other Communist countries where believers can face death for professing Christ.

In the USA though it's not so bad. Yes, sometimes we get insulted for going to church, sometimes we get kicked off someone's porch for sharing the gospel but is it really that bad in comparison? Unfortunately this is only part of it. The humbling reality is that these attacks won't just come from the world but believers as well.

Believers? Yes, professing Christians. This isn't just a modern day occurrence. People who profess Christ have been attacking other Christians since Christ walked this earth.  Christ Himself was slandered on several occasions when the Pharisee's called him demon possessed and a drunkard. Our own lord was condemned by people claiming to serve God. These were the same people who got ticked because He healed someone on the Sabbath.

Why do people do this though. Why do professing Christians attack other Christians. I think the answer is twofold.

First, some Christians believe that they are more spiritual and following Scripture more accurately so they feel that it is their duty to correct their fellow Christians. This perspective is commendable when the weaker brother is truly the weaker brother, but many times the situation arises where the weaker brother is the one throwing the blame. A lack of Biblical knowledge, or over analysis of Scripture can lead to this. Also a believers who takes their denomination's stance (Or your pastor's stance if you are an IFB) over Scripture fall into this trap. The Bible says to make sure that we have removed the moat from our own eye before going after someone else's sliver. Many believers find comfort in extra-Biblical exhortations and while they are not all bad, a conviction should never be elevated to the place of Scripture(see previous blog post).

The second reason some Christians attack other Christians is that they actually see the truth that the other side is saying, and get convicted so they become defensive. This is a common defense mechanism. It is so easy to bite off someone's head if you disagree with them, but it is even easier to become bitter when you realize the truth that is portrayed by what they say when it goes against everything you have ever heard and been taught.  

Regardless of the responses to our message, our message must remain true to Scripture. We must never allow our personal experiences or feelings determine what Scripture says. I for one am not ashamed of the message the Bible presents. I , for as long as God allows me to use this blog, will continue to post, continue to encourage, and continue to urge unto righteousness.

My prayer goes out for everyone who reads this blog. I pray that Scripture would be your guidepost, not other people's opinions. I pray that God would work in everyone who reads this blog, and that he would transform you into a person who can truly live a radical life.

SHHHHHH We're Talking About Sex!

Rolling around in my head for a while now has been a project about Love, Sex and Marriage. While these three things may be the most complex things we ever encounter, they may in fact be the most enjoyable aspects of life.

My post today has been prompted by another blog. This blog is dedicated to those who are willing to laugh at themselves and those who have left the fundamentalist circles. The topic of choice this week has been sex.

Yes I just said sex three times in the last three paragraphs. This should not be shocking, as this beautiful act is a fact of life(quite literally).

Growing up in the IFB circles, sex was not talked about. In most cases it is looked down upon. It was a taboo subject.

For the most part, parents I talk to say that they don't talk about it due because they want to maintain the innocence of their children.

The unfortunate fact is that innocence does not mean ignorance.

I present to you this example:

If I rob a bank, I am a robber and I am guilty.

If I do not rob a bank, I have done nothing wrong, so I am innocent.

If I do not know what robbery is, I am ignorant.

Innocence is not the idea of NOT knowing. Innocence is knowing about something but maintaining purity.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not suggesting that we be open books and flamboyantly talk about sex all the time with everyone.

If your children ask you questions about sex, answer them. Do not be scared that if you tell them to much, they will become unbridled fornicators. I believe this to be far from the truth.

Repression tends to increase curiosity. I have heard many horror stories of teens who, did not know what sex was because they were never told(to maintain their "innocence"(ignorance)), fall into inappropriate situations because of it.

Many parents believe that it is not prudent to tell their children about sex until the day they are to be married. The day of the wedding is not the appropriate time to discuss this. As if the wedding day is not stressful enough, you drop the bomb about sex.

The irony is that if you wait until the child is in their teens, or even wait until the wedding day, odds are is that you are already too late. Kids are ingenious. They have this strange ability to analyze things. Children also have friends, and if one of those friends talks, the whole guise of innocence will be blown. Once they get curious, they study and they learn more, and unless you are there to guide that curiosity it might not be constructive.

Sex is not something that should be kept quiet. More damage can be done by repressing. For my big project I have read many stories of people who while they were growing up, every time the word sex was brought up, their parents said that it was bad. This is just as erroneous as telling your child that Santa Clause is real. Many people out there reading this would agree that telling your child that Santa Clause is real would be a lie. Saying that sex is bad every time the topic comes up is just as much of a lie.

In addition to this inflation of "truth," many times sex portrayed as a bad thing from the pulpit. Children sit in the pews and they hear messages from preachers they respect, about the wrongness of adultery and fornication, and rightly so. The problem is that the flip side is hidden from them. Sex is not portrayed properly. The effect on this demographic is drastic. They are taught from 1-18 that sex is bad, then get this huge weight dropped on them the night before the wedding or just before, saying "nope, sex is ok now. Go have guilt free sex with your spouse, even though you were told all your life that sex is wrong. " This sounds stupid but this is what many of us do. 
Sex is NOT bad. Sex is good. Sex is fun. Sex is GODLY. Let's be open about sex. Sex is a beautiful act that was intended by God to be enjoyed within marriage. Don't hide it or be ashamed of it. Embrace it. Have a good time! This is yet another instance where unless we are open honest and transparent, it is impossible to live the Radical Life.

Blog Stats

Being a statistics nut, I thought I would take a few moments to share the statistics of this blog. In the last 2 months there have been over 500 visits.

Thank you for reading and I pray these posts are encouraging and provoke you to live the Radical Life. Please feel free to share this blog with your friends and family by using the nifty links down at the bottom.

You shouldn't do that! Jesus said not to.

Over the last few weeks I've been doing much pondering about my own beliefs and checking to make sure that they are in line with what Scripture truly says. My goal behind this is that I have backing for all my actions in life.

This has turned into an arduous task but I am confident that with the help of the Holy Spirit I can complete my goal.

My concern also has to do with my fellow Christians who seem to be adding to what the Bible says. It is certainly one thing to hold a conviction against something and not allow it in our homes. The issue comes when Pastors and even parents take something that is not clear in scripture and say you can't do it because Jesus said you cannot.

Let us consider the example of drinking. Drinking alcohol may be one of the more contentious issues in the modern church. This matter often leads some churches to separation and can lead to excommunication in the worst cases. Last week, in a Talkback session I was able to sit in on, John Cooper said that he didn't know of any modern theologian who could, without a doubt, declare from scripture that Jesus did not drink any alcohol.

He is correct. No theologian can without a doubt could declare that Jesus did not consume any sort of "strong drink," yet it is interesting to hear in many pulpits that drinking any form of alcohol for any reason is a sin(except for Grand Mamma's Nyquil). Rather than declaring something as a sin, perhaps we need to state that it may not be the wisest choice and then leave it up to personal liberty.

Music is another example. If you read my previous post on God Honoring Music on this blog, you probably did not see the numerous comments regarding the subject on my Facebook page.  The conversation was lively, but no definitive "Thou shalt not" could be presented by any of the people who are against my view. The argumentation was a conglomeration of many passages pieced together in order to achieve a known goal.

This is our problem as Christians as a whole. We derive an ideal based upon conviction, and it becomes so ingrained in our lives that we believe it MUST be Biblical. In turn, holding our convictions close to our heart, we consult  Scripture. This approach is totally backward. One should first start with Scripture then base our conclusions upon our findings rather than the other way around.

Example:

Conviction - TV is wrong. What do I do to prove this though. First I find the passage that says that Satan is the prince and power of the air. I declare that passage applicable, add it to a few other passages and voila! I now have a "Biblical" support of my conviction.

Some of you are laughing at me and others of you are saying, "Huh, maybe he's right." NO There is no Biblical support for no TV BUT if you choose not to have a TV in your home more power to you. I bet you will get many more things done than I will.

We must always start with a Biblical proofs and then end up with convictions rather than the other way around.   

Why do we do this though? Why do we have the urge to essentially shove words in God's mouth?

The first thing is confidence. We have a lack of confidence as Christians. We are not as bold as Christ has shown the example for us to be. We make up these rules because we feel the need for security yet for some reason we forget that when Christ left this world He left us with a Comforter . This Comforter can comfort our fears and enables us to be BOLD! We can have confidence that The Holy Spirit is there to enable us to have the confidence we are called to have.  

The second thing is control. When Christians are allowed to have liberty no one is in charge other than God. This idea shoots sand into the faces of people who believe that pastors are in charge of their flock. These people have power complexes and have a drive to be involved in every aspect of their parishioners lives. Yes the Bible does say that the Elders are responsible for the spiritual well being of their churches but that does not mean to hover. Pastors are to teach the people how to use Scripture to assist in daily living. Many pastors view the command in Scripture as an ultimatum to assume a micromanaging role. Sheep may be dumb but they are not stupid. How about rather than being a dictator of your flock, teach the dumb out of them.

It is interesting to note that from growing up in a pastors home and knowing many other pastors that the pastors who micromanage have a whole lot more stress than the pastors who do not. I have heard the argument that some people need the structure and control to grow. How ludicrous can you be? "My sheep need me," is the first sign that it is time to bolt. They do not need YOU they need God! These are the same people who think freedom in Christ is just a description of the spiritual realm that does not transcend to the physical world. I dare say that Freedom in Christ is not just freedom from Satan but from tyrannical overbearing religious leaders as well.

These leaders are the first ones who go to scripture to prove THEIR views. These are also the first leaders who tell people not to copy/paste their Bibles picking and choosing what passages to hold to. I suggest those leaders do the same.

Scripture is black and white. Our frail human minds are what mess us up. We read into things, and we over analyze the words on the page. My suggestion is to take Scripture for what it says. Don't read into it to support your own views. If you have a conviction, stand by it but don't attempt to be Holier by supporting it by butchering what God said. Convictions are wonderful and I have many of them but the ones I cannot back by clear scriptural references are ones that I cannot make someone else hold to.

My encouragement today is that we as a Church have everything we need to live our lives. Our convictions and our inclinations mean nothing compared to Scripture. Depending on the Bible for our sole source of direction in our lives is the ONLY way to live the Radical Life.

You did WHAT!

This past week I had the wonderful privilege of going to Creation Fest Northeast in Shirleysburg, PA. It was an incredible blessing for my youth group and I. The interesting thing was the responses I got from people who knew I was going. For the most part the people who were vocal about our trip had positive responses, but it was the negative responses that concerned me.

Two comments that stood out to me were the following. The first was to a comment I made on Facebook. It said that Creation "Might be better if it wasn't just a big rock concert." The second comment was "Why would you go to such a Godless event?"

You all know my musical background so I will not bore you with rehashing my view. If you do not know it, you can read about it in my former blog post.

I think the issue comes down to definitions. People with opposing views on music define things differently. For this article I ask that we place those differences on the back burner. For right now please don't worry about whether something has a back beat or not. Let us focus on the event.

From June 29 through July 2, nearly 80,000 people mostly Christians gathered in mid Pennsylvania for a Christian music festival. This event was not Godless in the least as every artist/singer gave a testimony for Christ and reminded the Audience that the focus was NOT to be on the person BUT on the Savior. The preaching was absolutely phenomenal by both the singers and the special speakers. Over 6 people preached every day in between the music and just so you know the preachers were on stage longer than the musicians(1.5 hours for the preachers compared to an hour for the musicians). Each message was God focused and clearly presented the gospel of salvation. Despite there being people of diverse backgrounds preaching, not one doctrinal error was spoken. If anything the messages were clearer there than messages I had ever heard my entire life. I will cave and say that in fact this WAS a heathen event. Reformed sinners, still heathen, gathered together to offer the Creator of the universe praise and worship.

To address the other comment, I believe the biggest issue in definition occurs. If you define a rock concert as a thing where people get up on stage and sing loudly, with modern instruments, with lights and even some *GASP* pyrotechnics, then yes, Creation Festival was a rock concert. This rock concert was quite different than what I would define a rock concert as. Typically I imagine Woodstock to define a rock concert. We imagine the nudity, the orgies, and the drugs. At creation there were no drunken orgies, there was no drug consumption, and there was no immorality of any kind so it really depends on your definition. Unless you consider the music a sin, there WAS no sin encouraged/practiced at this event.

Creation 2011 was amazing. On the last night nearly 1000 people accepted Christ as their Savior. There was no pressure or hostile convictions. The Gospel was presented and the Holy Spirit moved. This event showed me that you don't have to put on a monastic lifestyle of self loathing. We are to put off our selves and focus on others and be willing to share the Gospel with the entire world. This calls us to be in the world but not of it. IF sin as defined by scripture is not present in something, the Christian should be allowed to participate. If the activity leads to worship, maybe we need to putting down our own pride and in fact encourage that activity.
We as Christians are destroying ourselves. We fight over the simplest of things. Rather, in order to be Radical in our living, we must cast off vain disputing and focus entirely on Christ.

Hey! The Bible says not to judge me!

I heard a caller call into a christian radio show the other day make that comment. The man was asking for a solution to an apparent problem when the host realized that there was a deaper issue of sin involved. When the host addressed it the man emphatically replied "Hey! The Bible says not to judge me!"

Does the Bible say that at all? Yes it actually does. Matthew 7 says "Do not judge," but is that all it says?  If you clicked on the link and read the entire passage I'm sure you'll realize that this is NOT all it says. The passage goes on to explain that you're not supposed to judge unless you are clean yourself.

We take this to the extreme when we couple it with the verse where Jesus says in John 8:7 that "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

"Why those two verses say that you better be pure before judging someone and since we aren't without sin we can't judge at all."

What we see is typical flawed logic of someone trying to get away with something. Scripture is filled with examples of judging and calling out people for their sin. As Christians it is our duty to prop other believers up and exhort each other.

Paul numerous times exhorted the believers to turn from their sins. Was Paul not judging? He sure was. Was Paul sinning? I believe not.

I believe there are a few steps as Christians we should take in order to judge others.

1. Examine your own heart - Are you guilty of this sin? Are you guilty of any other sins? Do you need to make things right in order to have the proper fellowship with God?

2. Examine your Motives - What is motivating you to call out someone? Are you attempting to do it for personal gain or are you attempting to restore a fellow believer?

3 Examine the implication of your actions - Are you prepared to handle the situation if you bring it up? Are you ready to council your friend? What is your plan?

Living for Christ involves taking stands against evil, and being willing to exhort unto righteousness.Unless we are not willing to call sin sin and call people out on it, we can never live radically for Christ.

Urgent Update!

On Thursday Harold Camping (AKA the CEO of Family Radio and the Prophet of Doom) was rushed to the hospital with an illness. Doctors determined that he had a stroke in which his only lasting ailment would be trouble speaking.

Coincidence or a curse?

Some people have said this was justice delivered by God Himself. God smote the man with this ailment due to his sin. Numerous times in scripture we see where God enacted His holy justice against a person who was doing something contrary to the will of God. I have heard people today who were living Godless lives, that have had a physical ailment that drove them back into the Saviors arms.

Other people have said it was just old age combined with stress. These people may have a point. Being the Prophet of Doom is no easy task and it could be rather stressful if(when) you're wrong. It has been shown that stress can lead to strokes so this is certainly a plausible cause.

One view that I have not seen but would like to suggest is that perhaps God used the fact that Mr. Camping was old and was going to have a stroke to teach him a lesson. Sometimes we forget that despite man having free will, God orchestrates everything we see around us. While being a paradox in the extreme, it would show that this situation was not a coincidence, but rather a showing of what God had originally planned. God in his foreknowledge knew that Harold would attempt to speak for God Himself, so God enacted His justice.

I do not claim to know God's intention but based upon my study of Scripture and my feeble understanding of the way things work, I know that God somehow had a hand in this, as He does in all our lives. When we are late for work, there is a reason; when we forget to get milk at the grocery store, there is a reason. God has designed everything that happens in this world for His own honor and glory. We can never fully understand the ways of God. But as Francis Chan said in a recent message, maybe that's the point. If we could fit God into a box and we could fully understand Him, He would be no different than we are.

My God is so much bigger than that. My God is a God that can't be contained. He can't be persuaded by my craziness.

My God is Radical! 

SERVE ALREADY!

I was provoked this morning when I read a post on Facebook from Mark Hall, lead singer for Casting Crowns, in which he said "Could it be that the area of your church that you're the most critical of could just be the area you should be serving?"

Two things came to mind as I pondered this quote.

The first was perhaps the reason we are complaining is because we could truly do the job better our selves. We always assume that someone working in a specific program has a specific gift but most times that is not the case. It has been said, that 10% of the people in a church do 90% of the work. Sadly this is true but it also means that 90% of the people sitting in the pews have gifts that they are not using. They are squandering their talents. The most common thing I hear is "It's not my calling." To that I ask, "What is your calling?" and inevitably, the answer always is, "I'm waiting for God to let me know." Perhaps you are gifted in a certain area. Rather than waiting around for some flash of lightning, or some other unexplainable sign from God how about getting up and getting involved other than complaining.

The second is that maybe we complain because we are so discontented when we see the joy of the person serving and we just can't stand it. It sounds dumb and it is rather hard to explain but you know exactly what I am talking about. It is hard to accept the fact that someone may actually be finding joy in something that we are not doing. We realize that we probably ought to be serving but we do not so we delegate ourselves to a position of driving everyone else down. This is the most bizarre thing we could do. Why would we bum someone else out because we have an attitude. Instead, how about serving.

If you are reading this and you are involved and you are serving, I commend you. It takes much time and effort, but is not giving up everything worth it for the Kingdom? If you aren't involved SHAME ON YOU! I just reminded you that giving up your time and energy is worth it. Stop sitting there complaining and get something done. Even if it is not your calling, you can still make a difference and maybe by serving God will open the door to your gift. Please don't be like the Church Paul addressed, who were just sitting around waiting for the return of Christ and not getting things done. Get up and live the Radical Life!

Forgive and Forget?

Forgiveness is such a complicated issue. Over the last few weeks I've been thinking a lot about it. Forgive and forget is what we've been taught since we were little kids. While this is a valuable life lesson, the phrase itself is not found in Scripture.

Forgiveness is the act of letting go of a resentment you have against someone. When someone wrongs us we tend to get bitter but Scripture tells us to forgive just like the Father forgave us. It is nearly incomprehensible that the Father in heaven was gracious and merciful enough to forgive us of our transgressions. That in and of itself is humbling, but we are also called to offer forgiveness for the transgressions of others.

But are we called to forget? Scripture says in Hebrews 8:12 that God does not remember our sins. That doesn't seem to make sense on the surface as God who is all knowing can forget them. The neat thing is He chooses not to remember them. Our God makes a conscious effort to not see our former sins.

So does this same concept apply to us? I think the application applies where we are to treat those transgressors as if they never had sinned.

Does that mean that there are no consequences to what we do wrong as people should just forgive and forget what we have done? No there are earthly consequences to our actions. If someone steals something from our church we will forgive him, but he still has to pay his debt to society. He committed a crime. Regardless whether this was a teacher stealing innocence from a student, or a robber stealing a gold crucifix, there is a punishment to pay. Our job as Christians is to forgive them for their sin.

How does this apply to public officials? Are we to just forgive and forget their sins as well? Yet again there are consequences. While someone may be forgiven, confidence and trust will be lost in that individual. It is a consequence.

Our justice and our mercy will never be perfect like our Father in heaven, but we are still called to forgive and to not harbor bitterness. The only way to live the Radical Christian Life is to live a life of forgiveness.

You've heard of the "95 Theses" but what about the "105 these?"

The post today is not original but something I stumbled across.

This was written by Steve Camp in 1997 after he saw the degradation of Contemporary Christian Music. He sent this out to 1500 CCM leaders in an effort to refocus the movement on correct priorities. This is why we have the value, quality, and God focused music we have today.

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INTRODUCTION:

Those of us who are privileged to represent our Lord Jesus Christ in the arts should be galvanized by mission, not by ambition; by mandate, not by accolades; by love for the Master, not by the allurements of this world.

A call for REFORMATION in the contemporary Christian MUSIC INDUSTRY: BY STEVEN JOHN CAMP

Out of love and zeal for Biblical truth and the desire to bring it to light, I come to you, brethren, burdened and broken over the current state of Christian music. I come--not out of a heart of condemnation, but out of convictions immersed in tears as one in desperate need daily of our Lord's grace to be conformed to His image. I come aware of the depravity from which I have been saved and that my heart, apart from the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, is desperately wicked and eternally sick. Early in my own musical journey I wrote songs that neither represented good music or precise theology. My motives were vitiated; my actions were not godly; and my lips were unclean. The thirst for prominence and position made my heart prideful, judgmental and callused. But the Lord, out of His infinite grace and otherworldly love, broke me with His chastening hand to bring true repentance in my own life--and it's that life of repentance, which is my greatest desire and my greatest failing. It is out of the crucible of those experiences that I am driven to speak with conviction on these issues.

This document is a call to Reformation-a clarion call to recover Biblical Christianity in the arts. Music is a powerful tool from the Lord Jesus to His church intended for worship, praise, encouragement, edification, evangelism, teaching, admonishing. And exhorting God's people to holiness--with always our chief aim "to glorify God and worship Him forever." But beloved, the serpentine foe of compromise has invaded the camp through years of specious living, skewed doctrine and most recently secular ownership of Christian music ministries. While I assert this, I recognize that there are godly men and women who love the Lord that work for these companies and record for these companies, but that's not the issue here. The crux of the matter is that the overall nature of our industry has dramatically shifted. The Apostle Paul warns... "It takes only a little leaven to leaven the whole lump." (1 Corinthians 5:6) When sin is tolerated it ultimately permeates and corrupts the entire church. What is pure today will inevitably be polluted tomorrow if we do not "purge out the old leaven..." (Ibid. 5:7) In the past several years there has been a non-so-subtle drifting away from Christocentric music to an anthropocentric music. Sadly this has resulted in various visible manifestations of spiritual sedition-- where currently, the CCMI finds itself on a slippery slope sliding away at accelerated speeds from the Savior, the Scriptures and the church.

Contemporary Christian music originally began unashamedly declaring Jesus Christ as Lord. Within a few years His name was replaced by several generic titles filtering out the name of God ultimately to the non-specific cognomen, "Love." This led to a multitude of synonyms: "The Man Upstairs"; "My Higher Power"; "Our Family Values Expert"; ad nauseam...ad infinitum. This Biblical illiteracy I've coined as theological ebonics - Biblical language diminished to cultural unintelligible chatter affirmed as profound, acceptable spiritual truth. Os Guinness is "spot on" when saying "[we have seen a change] from the emphasis on 'serving God', to an emphasis on 'serving the self' in serving God." The object of faith is no longer Christ, but our self-esteem; the goal of faith is no longer holiness, but our happiness; and the source of our faith is no longer the Scriptures, but our experience. Christian music currently reflects this. We are producing a generation of people that "feel" their God, but do not know their God.

When Martin Luther stood at Wittenberg's Door in the year 1517, he called for reformation from the recalcitrant Roman Church. Now is our turn, almost five centuries later, to sound the alarm in our generation. This time, to call the Christian Music Industry to reformation--back to the supremacy, sufficiency and Lordship of Jesus Christ. Genuine revival--a fresh return to obedience in Christ--is surely needed today, but that would be almost impossible given the current environment of our industry. Why? True revival is marked by repentance; true repentance brings restitution; true restitution demands that Christian music be owned and operated only by believers whose aim is the glory of God consistent with Biblical truth. This means that the current CCMI labels music return all the money they have received to their respective secular counterparts that purchased them and divorce alliances with them. The CCMI has gone too far down the wide road of worldliness and there is not the tenacity of character and the Biblical courage of heart and mind to do the right thing no matter what the cost.

These are serious times, brethren, that call for real answers. This is not a time for duplicitous people, proclaiming a diluted message, from disingenuous ministries. It is a time for those whose lives are tempered with the steel of righteousness, girded with the belt of truth, standing firm in the gospel of peace, raising high their shield of faith, guarded with the helmet of salvation, to wield the sword of the Spirit with a surgeon's exactitude, praying always with all prayer and supplication, with all perseverance for all the saints in the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:10-20)

Will we champion again the manifesto of the Reformers: Sola Fide (by faith alone); Sola Gratia (by grace alone); Sola Scriptura (on the Word alone); Solus Christus (because of Christ alone); and Soli Deo Gloria (to the Glory of God alone)? Do we have the conviction of heart and courage of mind to do what's just? Do we have the boldness to shout above the roar of the marketplace that the Emperor has no clothes? Will we leave our careers, our contracts, our carefully cultivated plans and press releases, our unequally yoked record companies to serve the Lord again with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? There is no gray in this--it's a matter of obedience.

Oh brethren, "we have a name to be alive, but we are dead." (Revelation 3:1) There is no greater love song to proclaim than the once for all sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord at Calvary, but yet others feel content to sing about the chaff of this world. What the New Testament church wrestled with the least is what our industry craves the most--money. How dare we think we can play politics with God, with His truth and with His church. We can't negotiate with sin no matter what kind of capital is at stake--and that really is the issue here.

Let us "press on, that [we] which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of [us]." (Philippians 3:12) Let us "lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1) Let us fall on our faces before our Holy Lord, repent of our sin and return to our First Love. With lives bathed in His grace, let us provoke one another to love and good works. With undivided hearts may we leave the prodigal's pigpen and come back to the Father's house. Let us commit to prayer and fasting, seeking the Lord's will with a broken, contrite and obedient heart. Let us return to our churches and to the faithful pastors/elders that shepherd us-submitting ourselves to their godly leadership. May we be students of His Word being filled daily with His Spirit. Let us come away from an industry that has all but abandoned Christ and forge, by God's grace, what it was always meant to be ... a ministry. Doing His work, His way, according to His Word, by His Holy Spirit.

Pray on this, Pounding on "Wittenberg's Door", let us come together to make history- to make Contemporary Christian Music...Christian again.

Yours for the Master's use,

Signed: Steve Camp 2 Corinthians 4:5

PART ONE: TO DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD

1. All our works, both musical and written, must produce a high view of God-with our chief aim being to glorify God and worship Him forever. (Job 40:6-41:34; Psalm 29:1-2; Jeremiah 9:23-24)

2. This means we are to represent God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in fullness of Trinitarian character and attributes revealed through the scriptures. (Romans 11:33-36; 2Thessalonians 2:13-14; Revelation 5:12)

3. This is paramount-for it brings glory to God to reverence Him in the totality of His worth and works. It elicits holiness and obedience in the life of the believer. (Psalm 96:9; 103)

4. Even in God's redemptive plan for man.…salvation never begins with man and his need but with God and His glory. And no one ever lives greater than his or her view of God. (Ephesians 1:3-14; Hebrews 11:6; 1John 1:7)

5. "Whether, then, [we] eat or drink, or whatever [we] do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

6. We fail to glorify Him when we praise the servant through awards and accolades rather than exalt the Master. "I was but a pen in God's hand and what praise is due a pen?" (Baxter) God will not share His glory with another. (Psalm 115:1; Isaiah 42:8)

7. We fail to glorify Him when we speak of God out of our own vain imaginings or recreate Him in our own image; instead of honoring Him by how He revealed Himself through His holy Word. (Psalm 50:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13-16)

8. We fail to glorify Him when we make money a prerequisite for ministry; some, to their own destruction, teach that godliness is a means to financial gain. "Freely you have received; freely give." (Matthew 6:24-34, 10:8-10; Acts 3:6, 20:33; 1 Timothy 6:5)

9. We fail to glorify Him when we publicly honor with Him with our lips, but privately have hearts that are far from Him. (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:7-9) 10. God cannot be glorified where sin is pacified; and He cannot be extolled where sin is entertained. To live in and tolerate unrepentant sin is to write Ichabod across the doorpost of our lives and industry- "the glory of God has departed." ( 1 Samuel 4:21-22; 1 Corinthians 5:1-8)

11. We fail to glorify Him when pride struts like Nebuchadnezzar across the Babylonian palace of our accomplishments thinking our own hand has made us, our own hand has delivered us, our own hand has provided for us, our own hand has promoted us and our own hand has saved us. (Daniel 4:28-37; James 4:6)

12. We fail to glorify Him when we strive to please man rather than to please God. (Galatians 10: 1-10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4)

13. We fail to glorify Him when we speak and sing of the benefits of the gospel, but fail to proclaim the Gospel itself. (Matthew 4:17, 7:13-27, 9:13, 16:24-26; Luke 14:26-33; John 1:12-13; Acts 20:27; Romans 3-5, 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 2:2, 9:16; 2 Corinthians 4:5, 7:10; Galatians 1:6-8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 2:9-18; 1 John 2:22-23, 4:1-4, 5:1-3)

PART TWO: The authority and sufficiency of scripture-the hymnbook of Heaven

14. The highest worship of God is the preaching of His Word. (Luther) We cannot honor God more than listening to his Word with an obedient life. Music that is saturated accurately with the truth of God's Word is worthy of worship to the Lord. (Romans 10:14-17)

15. There is only one inspired, infallible rule and authority for all matters of life and godliness and it is the sufficient, pure, perfect, inerrant Word of God. (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16)

16. For God has even "exalted His Word above His name." (Psalm 138:2)

17. God's Word is His ultimate revelation and is thoroughly accurate, comprehensive and exhaustive in all its parts, even as it speaks to theology proper (the doctrine of God), doctrine, ethics, religious practice, science, geography, history (redemptive and actual), or any other topic. (Psalm 12:6; 119:160; John 17:17)

18. All Scripture must harmonize (agree) with itself and thus interpret itself. Therefore, the greatest commentary and interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself. ( 2 Peter 3:15-16)

19. Theology (the Word of God) and doxology ( a word of glory, a note of praise, or a saying ascribing worth) are inseparable. As David says, "Thy statutes are my songs, in the house of my pilgrimage." His Word is our music, His lawbook is our songbook, and His statutes are our songs. (Psalm 119: 54, 172)

20. Scripture speaks to all of life-therefore, our music may speak to every aspect of living. However, it must be based upon and not contrary to God's Word in principle, ethic, content and conduct. ( 2 Timothy 3: 16-17; 2 Peter 1:3-4)

21. For instance, Esther and Song Of Solomon are the only books in the Bible that never mention the name of God. Yet, they speak with absolute clarity about the sovereignty of God in the political arena and of the beautiful expression of physical intimacy between a man and a woman in the context of a faithful, committed marriage.

22. In this Biblical world-view where are those like St. Paul, engaging the unsaved on Mars Hill, explaining "The Unknown God" in the midst of worldly philosophy and beliefs? That requires wisdom, integrity, cognitive reasoning, and a profound understanding of God's Word and unwavering courage to communicate the truth in love. (Acts 17: 16-34)

23. As artists we have a tremendous responsibility to exegete the times. We are teachers of God's truth, through the arts, that are deserving of a more strict judgement. (Colossians 3:16; James 3:1)

24. Paul soberly proclaims, "we are not like, as so many, peddling the Word of God for profit…." ( 2 Corinthians 2:17a) To peddle means to make retail of, to huckster or to pawn something off as merchandise.

25. Isaiah 1:22 uses the same Greek word in the LXX as Paul uses for "peddling" when saying, "Your silver has become dross and your wine mixed with water." Those who mix wine and water did so to cheat the buyer. It resembled real wine and had the aroma of real wine, but in actuality was nothing more than a watered-down substitute- a cheap imitation.

26. Paul sternly warns that there are many con men who by slick eloquence and deceptive speech huckster or corrupt the true Word of God as retail merchandise; they dilute its truth to suit itching ears, while representing it as genuine, to purposely deceive and cheat the recipient for the sake of financial gain.( 2 Corinthians 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:3-5)

27. As Paul admonishes he also affirms, "but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ." (2 Corinthians 2:17b)

28. We have been given a sacred trust and holy privilege to be a steward of the mysteries of God in music ministry. If our music does not square with the truth of God's Word, it must be rejected and cannot be embraced as profitable for godliness, beneficial exhortation to the church or as an effectual proclamation of the gospel. Dare we take it flippantly? ( 1 Corinthians 4:1f; 2 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)

29. Artistic license may be enjoyed when describing personal testimonies or life experiences, but our music must conform precisely to Biblical truth when addressing the person of God and His character, the gospel of Jesus Christ or the working of the Holy Spirit. (Psalm 50:16-23; 1 Timothy 6:3-5)

30. We need artists who will balance their zeal with knowledge to invest their lives in the daily discipline of Bible study, and then, to write with the fire, passion and enthusiasm which that study has illumined to communicate the glorious language of the church-the holy Word of God. (Psalm 1, 119)

31. For if in our worship we pervert His Word, we pervert the truth about God. If in our music we distort His doctrine, we distort a right view of Him. If in our song we misrepresent the Scriptures, we misrepresent the Savior. And if in our ministries we twist His truth, we dishonor His character. (2 Timothy 2:15)

32. Failure here is costly-for it is tantamount to breaking the third commandment: "do not take the name of the Lord God in vain." (Exodus 20:7)

33. We are to crave the Word (1 Peter 2:2); have a delight in, a longing for and love of it (Ibid.); preach, admonish, exhort, and teach its truth (2 Timothy 4:2); take it as our song (Psalm 119:54); hide it deep in our hearts (Ibid. 119:11); meditate upon it (Ibid. 1:2); obey it (John 14:15); proclaim it (Matthew 4:23); guard it (1 Timothy 6:20); hope it (Romans 15:4); be sanctified by it (John 17:17); desire it more than all the world's delicacies and treasure it more than all the world's riches (Psalm 19:10); to be hearers and doers of it (James 1:22); contend for it (Jude 3); rightly divide it (2 Timothy 2:15); never add to it or take away from it (Revelation 22:18-19); for it is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true (Psalm 19:7-9).

PART THREE: The Character of Christian Music

34. Our Creator God has given us music-psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to use for praise and worship, the proclamation of His name and attributes, to teach and admonish one another unto holy living and to provide thanksgiving for His worth and works ( 1 Chr. 16:7-36)

35. Genuine Christian music has as its ultimate aim the glory of God. Anything less than this will at the end bear the fruit of self-glory and is music not honoring to the Lord. "Blessed is he who sings when no one is in the auditorium"-for that checks motive (Miller) (Psalms 18:1-6; 105:3)

36. Music is used according to the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:16 to encourage council, warn, correct, comfort and teach the Biblical truth. According to David in Chronicles 25:1-5 the Levites used music to prophesy, give thanks and praise to the Lord. It was music rendered in the house of the Lord for the service of the house of God.

37. The first song ever recorded in Scripture is in Exodus 15 as a song of deliverance written by Moses after God had delivered them out of Egypt and destroyed Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea. It describes God's glorious deeds, His inscrutable ways, His attributes and character, His preeminence as the only true God and His eternal reign as Sovereign Lord and King. (compare, 1 Chronicles 16:8-36)

38. Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs flow from a life where His Word richly dwells and out of the life that is filled, or controlled, by the Holy Spirit. (Col. 3:16-17; Eph. 5:17-20) 39. Life in the Spirit and life in the Word are identical bearing the fruit of godly music honoring to the Lord. ( 1 Tim. 1:18-19)

40. Authentically Christian music was never intended for casual use or purely for entertainment. ( 1 Chronicles. 23:5)

41. Christian music, originally called Jesus Music, once fearlessly sang clearly about the gospel. Now it yodels of a Christ-less, watered down, pabulum-based, positive alternative, aura-fluff, cream of wheat, mush-kind-of-syrupy, God-as-my-girlfriend kind of thing.

42. Christian music today lacks the power and authority that it once enjoyed for it has lost its identification with the Lord Jesus Christ. As Moses has said, " The Lord is my strength and my song" (Exodus 15:2)

43. We are to sing a new song to the Lord. It is a song of the redeemed people of God. This new song is a different and distinctive song, a more glorious song, a purer, truer and more beautiful song than the world can ever sing. (Psalms 33:3; 96:1; 149:1; Rev. 5:9-10)

44. "In scripture, the word new is used more frequently in relation to song than to any other feature of salvation." (MacArthur) New is not used to mean new in time, but new in character or of a different nature compared to what was old. (Isaiah 42:10)

45. Christian music stands separate from the world's music for by definition it is Christ-centered music. Even the style is not neutral and music in and of itself is not amoral, but it is "the incarnation of the message." (Horton) Both must honor and bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Chronicles 15:16)

46. Therefore, when Christian artists today take the old song of the world, dress it up, modify it and say it now represents the person of Jesus Christ, a Christian message or describes the character of God, they fortuitously assault the gospel and diminish the gift that has been entrusted to them. This is inappropriate at best and sacrilegious at worst. We cannot pour new wine into old wineskins. (Psalm 137; Mark 2:22)

47. Music can be appreciated and used in two wonderful, yet unique ways: creatively and redemptive. (Psalms 150:96:9)

48. Creatively, it is enjoyed as part of God's creation, celebrated and shared by Christians and non-Christians alike under God's common benevolence- "the rain falls on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)

49. Redemptively, it is used in the church corporately and individually as part of the totality of worship and praise to the One Triune God. (1Chronicles 25:1-8)

50. While God has created many expressions to communicate His truths, music is unique. It is the only art that has a place in heaven and will endure for eternity. The angels sing, the elect saints sing and someday, we will hear the Lord Jesus Christ Himself "sing praise in the midst of the assembly." (Hebrews 2:12; Revelation 15:3-4)

51. Christian music is unlike the music of Babylon, the world, which near the end of the age will cease: "The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters, shall not be heard in you anymore." (Revelation 18:22)

52. God promises to silence the song of the ungodly. "I will silence the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more." (Ezekiel 26:13)

53. Beloved, as Christian artists, may we sing of that which endures for eternity.

PART FOUR: The Character of the Christian Musician- Personal Integrity and Holiness

54. The Biblical model of the musician originated from the Levitical priesthood, as musicians were appointed by the Levites under King David's command, to proceed in worship, with the priests, before the ark of God. It's nature was prophetic to Israel and ecclesiastical in role, i.e., used in temple worship. (1Chronicles 15; 16; 23:5; 25:5-6)

55. They were able to teach and were skillful in craft. "The chief of the Levites was Chenaniah, the master musician, who gave instruction to the singers because he was skillful". (1 Chronicles 15:22)

56. They served in the context of temple worship. "Of the thirty-eight thousand Levites who ministered in the Temple, four thousand were appointed to lead in worship, thanksgiving, and praise of the Lord." The model is clear. Pastoral charge over the arts is essential. (1 Chronicles 23:5)

57. Those calling themselves Christians are characterized by new life in Jesus Christ-old things pass away, all things become new.(2 Corinthians 5:17)

58. The Christian singer has a triumvirate charge of service to the Lord Jesus: Sound doctrine, Christ-centered worship and holy living. These three pillars elucidate the foundation of true Christian music and ministry and godly character. (Psalm 119:54, 172)

59. Take away any one of theses pillars and the structure topples. For example, an obedient life given in worship to Christ absent of sound doctrine will be empty praise and on the path to error. (Colossians 3:16)

60. Secondly, the sound theology sung out of the beauty of holiness but lacking in heartfelt worship to Christ leads to pride or self-glory and the chastisement of the Father. (Hebrews 12:5-11)

61. Lastly, a powerful doctrine sung in glory to Christ with an impure life is noise to the ears of our holy God. Submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the obedience to the Word of God are marks of the worthy walk of faith. However, when Biblical standard are dishonored and unrepentant sin persists we must adhere to the instruction of the Word-stop the music until life is right. (Amos 5:23-24)

62. Godly character exhibited in response to sound doctrine is paramount in serving the Lord. To live privately what we proclaim publicly is the manifestation of genuine faith. That is why from the stockroom to the stage Christ-likeness should evidence our behavior. God has not called us to be successful but faithful. (2 Corinthians 6:3-10)

PART FIVE: Guarding The Trust- Accountability to The local Church

63. Music, by Biblical definition, is a ministry. (1 Chronicles 16:37,42)

64. Ministry is defined as service to God and His creatures as we employ our Spirit-given giftedness, according to the instruction of Scripture as good stewards of the manifold grace of God for the advancement of His Kingdom; that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4: 10-12)

65. God has designed genuine ministry to be inseparable from the life and leadership of the local church. Any ministry that does not strengthen one's commitment to the local church is inconsistent with the purpose of Christ. (Acts 2: 42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25)

66. There are five reasons why we should love and serve the church: Firstly, Jesus Christ promised to build the Church- therefore, my commitment should be to it. (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:39-47)

67. Secondly, He purchased the Church with His own precious blood-therefore, I love those for whom He died. (1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 3: 14-16)

68. Thirdly, the church is the predominate agency through which God's will is manifested on earth-therefore, it is the community with whom I labor. (Ephesians 1:9-10; Colossians 1:28-29)

69. Fourthly, the Church is the only earthly expression of heaven-therefore, we must daily grow together in conformity to the fullness of Christ.(2 Peter 3:10-14; Revelation 4:4-11; Ephesians 4:12-13)

70. Fifthly, the gates of Hades will not prevail against the Church-therefore, in light of the assured victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, our worship and toil is not in vain. (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58)

71. In response to these truths and to insure a life of godliness and holiness and to guard against blind spots in personal issues, vocation and theology-submission to the plurality of godly leaders within the church is essential. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

72. We are to obey, honor, and pray for the faithful pastors in the church who have been given this sacred trust. They are those who are instructed by the Lord to keep watch over souls as ones who will give an account. Woe to the shepherds who do not take their responsibility to shepherd the flock of God seriously. They dishonor the Savior. They disobey the Scriptures. They diminish their office and defame their calling. (Hebrews 13:7, 1 Peter 5:1-4)

73. In the case of a Christian being overtaken in sin, proper discipline must be exercised within the church to bring restoration and reconciliation (as prescribed in Matthew 18:15-20; Galatians 6:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). This is to confirm repentance and to guard the purity of one's life personally as well as the entire body of Christ corporately.

PART SIX: TO NOT BE UNEQUALLY YOKED WITH AN UNBELIEVING WORLD

74. The CCMI has committed spiritual adultery in joining itself with the wayward world in trying to forward the message of the gospel. This has and will prove to be fatal for Gospel music, as we know it today. (Deuteronomy 32:22-24; Psalm 1; Jeremiah 17:5-8)

75. We cannot partner with the believing world in common spiritual enterprise or ministry. To harness unbelievers and believers in a Christ-centered endeavor is to be unequally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

76. We must be separate from non-Christians in positions of ownership, authority or influence in the advancement of the gospel. (Ibid.)

77. The kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness are two mutually exclusive worlds; two opposing societies; two converse communities that are incompatible and incongruous with each other in regards to the faith. (Ibid.)

78. One is characterized by righteousness. Light, Christ, believers and the temple of God. Lawlessness, darkness, Belial, unbelievers and the temple of idols distinguish the other. One is based on God's truth-the other on Lucifer's lies. In matters of Christian faith and belief no partnership does or really can exist between these two realms. (Ibid.)

79. "To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being detestable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work." (Titus 1:15-16)

80. God is our Father and we, as His children, must disavow all praetorian religious and spiritual alliances with sin and Satan or we will forfeit the joy and blessing that flow from obedient fellowship in the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 4:17-18)

81. Satan's number one assault on the church is to infiltrate with error. He doesn't want to fight the church-he wants to join it. (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:12-15; 1 Timothy 4:1)

82. Undiscerning believers think it a profound ministry strategy to join forces with unregenerate people in forwarding the gospel. Unwittingly, they harness Jesus Christ, the Worthy One, with Belial or Satan, the worthless one, in an unholy alliance-the very essence of being unequally yoked. (2 Corinthians 6:15)

83. "Ephraim is joined to idols. Let him alone" (Hosea 4:17)

84. We are not, however, called to isolationism. We are called to be salt and light in the world. We are to be faithful witnesses of God's mercy, love, and grace to the lost and dying. We are to cultivate personal relationships with unbelievers, love our neighbor and our enemy, serve them and share our faith with them. (Matthew 5:13-16; 40-44)

85. We are to be in the world but not of it-and this is our greatest challenge. Separation is not being divorced from our contact with the world, but from complicity and conformity to it. (1 John 2:15-17)

86. For instance, it is not unBiblical to consult non-Christian experts in matters of business, craft or trade (though whenever possible, Christian experts respected in these fields are preferable because of shared integrity), but we can never engage in intimate binding-indissoluble relationships, alliances, or partnerships that result in shared responsibility or authority for ministry purposes. (Deuteronomy 22:9-11; Philippians 2:14-15)

87. The promise of increased financial resources, wider distribution and a larger audience is not justification for the surrender or our spiritual autonomy. (Luke 4:4-12; Ephesians 5:8-12) 88. It is impossible for God to fully bless and use His children who are in compromise with non-believers. (Romans 8:7-8)

89. "Adulterers and adulteresses. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

PART SEVEN: TO BE ABOVE REPRAOCH IN ALL BUSINESS ACTIVITY

90. If true reformation in CCMI occurs, it will mean that every facet of music ministry will ultimately be affected and undergo godly transformation. The need to recapture "the economy of God" in our daily business activities is not optional, but essential.

91. Honesty in business dealings, practice, relationships and all activities pursuant in our service to the church, the world and to the Lord Jesus is indispensable to effectively carrying out the calling and mission of Record Company Executives, Promoters, Agents, Managers, Artists, Publishers, etc. ( 1Peter 2:12-18)

92. To have a good name in the community-at-large is vital in handling of the lesser things: business, money, trade, etc., in order to be entrusted with the superior things: His word, the church and the souls of men. (Psalm 15:2-5)

93. To that end, we must purpose to have our yes mean yes and our no mean no. (Matthew 5:37)

94. To never sue a fellow Christian to resolve disputes, or risk damaging a witness or testimony to an unbeliever through civil litigation for requital. We will reserve the right to be wronged rather than wrong someone by demanding our rights. ( 1 Corinthians 6:1-7)

95. Exhaustive means to settle conflicts should be pursued through Christian arbitration as overseen in the context of the local church under duly recognized pastoral authority. (Ibid.)

96. We will purpose to keep personal relationships more important than business deals; family more valuable than commodities; and faith more precious than fortune. The struggle is maintaining an eternal perspective in the transitory moments. May our light so shine before men. (Psalm 90:12; Matthew 5:16; Ephesians 5:22-33; Philippians 2:1-5; 1 Peter 3:7)

PART EIGHT: Reclaiming Christian Music for Christ

97. To bring reformation to Christian music we must purpose, by God's grace, to do several things. (2 Corinthians 13:7; 2 Timothy 2:1; Titus 2:12-13)

98. Fast, mourn, weep, and pray over the sins of our industry, the church and our personal lives. (Nehemiah 1:5-11; Isaiah 6:4-39; Daniel 9:4-9; Ezra 9:6-15)

99. Return to our First Love. (Matthew 22:37; Romans 5:5; 1Peter 1:8; 1John 5:3; Revelation 2:4) 100. Remember how far we have fallen. (Luke 15:11-32; Revelation 2:5)

101. Repent of our sins. This is a complete, decisive change of mind and action. (Jeremiah 51:45; Luke 16:11; Revelation 2:5,16,22; 3:3,19)

102. Repeat the deeds we did at first. "It is a reversal of the status quo, a deliberate repudiation of former sins and a complete return to the standards and will of God" (Thomas) (Ephesians 2:10; James: 2:14-26; Revelation 2:5)

103. Reform or be removed. The Lord promises to remove the lampstand from its place -unless [we] repent. God's judgement always follows habitual, unrepentant sin. (2 Timothy 2:19;Hebrews 12:5-11; Revelation 2:6)

104. Renew your obedience to walk by, be-filled with, pray in, to not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:18; Jude 20; Ephesians 4:30; 1Thessalonians 5:19) 105. Reconcile yourself to the local church. Place yourself, your family and your vocation under faithful pastoral instruction. (Hebrews 13:7, 17)

106. Pray for the leaders of every facet of our industry that they will honor the Lord Jesus with obedient lives in doing the right thing, consistent with Scripture, no matter what the cost personally or corporately. (Ephesians 6:18-20; 1Timothy 2:1-3)

107. Take a step of faith. Come away from the current industry model like Abraham venturing out into the wilderness with only the promise of God as his surety. Begin to build authentic Christian Music Ministry again. (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38, 11:1, 6)

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Thank you Mr. Camp for taking a stand for truth and revamping the movement!