Tag: Christian

Is the Internet the New Frontier of Evangelism?

On December 25, 2022

Well, the title of this blog should tell you its topic, so I’ll ask you a question. Should the internet be a focal point of modern evangelism or is it a cesspool of corruption? Is it an endless fountain of possible Christian conversions or literally “sin in your pocket”? The answer is yes.

The internet is both corruption and possibility. When God created food, sex, material items, and an endless array of other “things”, He created them with a proper human use.

However, when the devil saw these “things” he also saw infinite ways to corrupt and disrupt the proper use of them. When God created food then the devil shifted that good thing into gluttony and lack of contentment. When God created sex the devil shifted it into pornography and the sex trade.

The devil can create nothing – but he can corrupt the wonderful things that God has made for our benefit and enjoyment. Our job is to learn to use the things God gives us in a Biblical way.

I see the internet as a new type of God-given blessing that must be used with responsibility and for the good of mankind. With the power of the internet we can look up Bible verses and commentaries in seconds. We can evangelize in ways we’ve never dreamed of (check out my YouTube channel to see just one of the ways we can reach people).

However, we all know that with the power of the internet we can also look up pornography and horrible photos of death and corruption in seconds. We can communicate with others across the world in sinful and improper ways.

The choice is yours. Will you use the power of the internet for good for for evil? Will you choose the path of light or the path of darkness? Let us all choose the path of light. This is, after all, the new frontier.

Do Demons Exist Today?

By Jay

On December 4, 2022

In Bible & Doctrine

Demons have always been one of the most confusing topics in the Bible. Do they exist today? Did they exist in the past? If they do exist, then how much power do they have in people’s lives today?

Well, the answer to the first two questions is yes. While we don’t know exactly what demons are – they may be fallen angels or they may be the wicked spirits of men – we do know that they exist. The Bible clearly tells us so.

However, the third question, regarding demonic power and its influence in people’s lives today, is a bit more complicated to answer. The Bible tells us that when that which is perfect comes (the completed New Testament) then that which is partial will pass away (1 Cor 13:8-10). In this same section it also tells us that prophecies, tongues, and “knowledge” will pass away.

The casting out of demons was certainly a miracle in the time of Jesus and the apostles. Yet, from reading these verses it seems that miracles have ceased. And if the miraculous ability to cast out demons has ended, then wouldn’t it make sense that God would take away demon possession as well? It doesn’t seem logical that God would leave demons here and take away our ability to counter them.

So, the Bible does indeed tell us that the time of miracles, prophecy, and demons has passed away.

Will Everyone Go To Heaven?

By Jay

On October 25, 2022

In Bible & Doctrine

I find it extremely interesting that some folks see Christianity as a way to solve all of their problems after they live their life any way they please. They do not want to follow the meek and lowly life presented to us by Jesus yet they still want the great reward that Jesus has promised to all who follow after him.

Um, this is clearly a logical contradiction. If someone says that they will pay you for playing professional sports then it is quite obvious that they expect you to…um…actually play. Why is it different with Christianity? Jesus has given us a set of commandments that we need to strive to keep (while staying in a repentant state) and then, and only then, can we reap our reward.

In no way am I saying we earn our salvation – it is a gift from Jesus. However, we must adhere to the prerequisite commands of our Savior in order to receive that gift. You have to sign your check to cash it and the bank has every right to ask you to do that. It is the same with salvation, Jesus has every right to ask you to stay in a repentant state, confess, be baptized, and live faithfully. He is the one giving the gift and he has a right to ask you do do certain things in order to receive that gift.

Universalism, the belief that Jesus will save everyone on earth no matter their belief or religion, is such a doctrine. This video might better help you understand what I’m talking about. If you get a chance subscribe to may channel because I hope to be making more videos soon:

https://youtu.be/k7WRZo6UlCc

What Really Matters in the Lord’s church?

By Jay

On July 9, 2022

In Christianity & Culture

Today’s culture is made up of hierarchies, idols, heroes, and, on the opposite end of the spectrum, those who just aren’t considered that cool. In fact, we are so used to this system of “ranking” that it can even creep into organizations where it most certainly does not belong.

The Lord’s church is not a place for hierarchies. There is no room for human “rankings” in the Lord’s church. In fact, if proof is in order, we need look no further than James:

Jas 2:1 My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

Jas 2:2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,

Jas 2:3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”

Jas 2:4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Jas 2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

Jas 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

So, you may be thinking, what is this guy on about? Since when does this happen regularly in the church? Well, to that I would say that, indeed, the Lord’s church are some of the finest people on earth. Still, I will give two examples of “issues” that might be problematic to the Lord’s church.

Single people. It is indeed true that there is a stigma about single people in the church. I’m not sure why, since Jesus mentions that this is a possible lifestyle (Matt 19:11-12) and since Paul discusses the fact that being single might even have some advantages (1 Cor 7:31-34). There are many job postings for preachers that list marriage (and often kids) as a requirement for the job. I’m not saying this is necessarily wrong (they are paying the person after all) but it is strange that neither Jesus nor Paul (based on those standards) would qualify for that particular preaching job.
Concern for the World. It is understandable that we are concerned for the world we live in, however, a deeper concern for this world than for the one to come can be problematic. I sometimes feel as if the church thinks that they can “perfect” this world with a few more quality politicians or laws passed. The Bible teaches that God is in control of governments and that this world is wearing out like an old garment, that it is ran by the “prince of the air”, and is going to burn with fervent heat at the end of time. I think we should let go of trying to “fix” the world and embrace and strengthen the church (Christ’s Kingdom). Our brothers and sisters should come before political parties and politicians that promise (falsely) to reform this world.

I hope this article has spurred some thought, and I hope that you will comment below if you have any thoughts on these controversial topics. Have a great week and I’ll talk to you soon!

Jay

Conflict of Interest

By Jay

On May 18, 2022

In Christianity & Culture

I believe we all battle something that is seldom mentioned inside our churches (or in life in general). This thing is there…lurking…and it has an effect on us all. This “thing”, which is the subject of today’s article, is our immense interest in the things of the world and our lack on interest in the things of God.

Now, I understand this may not apply to everyone reading this article, but I do think it applies to me more often than it should. Too often we fail to read our Bibles daily, too often we go though slumps in our study, too often we put the things of the world ahead of the things that concern God (and thus our eternal life).

Think about your media viewing habits for a minute (T.V., books, YouTube, etc.). Do you make more time for television or YouTube than you do Bible study? Do you read more worldly books than books concerning God? If you say “yes” to this question I do not think you are alone. In fact I think that we all face this to some extent. We all sometimes let our earthly interests outweigh Godly interests.

So how can we solve this? Well, I think it starts with taking just a small action towards the Godly and away from the worldly. This is a complicated topic, but here are a few steps I think will help:

Set aside time to read and study the Bible each day.
Attend all of the church services that you can.
Learn to “love” theology, and yes, apologetics (the defense of God’s Word). Apologetics is becoming more and more important as we engage with more agnostic/atheistic secular people in our daily lives.
Push worldly things aside whenever possible. Whether it be the television or the internet. Begin to push away the worldly and embrace the things of the Lord.
I also believe that prayer is often overlooked and that we should all pray for God to help us to keep our interests in the correct (and proper) order.

Finally, remember that this is a process. It will take time to develop new habits and interests. Still, I believe if we dedicate ourselves to the development of these new “Godly” interests our lives will be much richer both now and eternally.