I decided to start a new series on stupid memes I see on Facebook, and since Facebook is an inexhaustible source of stupidity, I assume I'll never run out of material. That being said, let us begin.
So, let's see if I understand this, parents-of-girls. You want to raise your daughters to have high standards for men, and zero standards for themselves. Does that about cover it?
No?
Then why do I never see any memes saying; "raise your daughter to be a lady, and your son to accept nothing less"?
Or, even better; "raise your daughter to understand that if she wants a gentleman, then she'd better be a lady".
This is just harmless, cutesy fun, you say?
You're lying to yourself. You're lying to me too, but I'm not gullible enough to believe you. People "like" and "share" what they see on Facebook reflexively, mostly without thinking about it. They do so based on how they feel about it. And most people behave in accordance with their feelings, not their intellect. Therefore, if you've "liked" or "shared" the meme above, chances are that's how you're raising your daughters: high standards for men, zero standards for themselves.
That may seem cute when she's three years old (it isn't, but it may seem cute), but it'll be a nightmare when she's in her teens and twenties, and even worse if she hasn't grown out of it by her thirties.
Besides; are we supposed to start instilling virtues in our children when they're toddlers, or do we wait until they're teenagers? Clearly the meme is meant to encourage parents to instill gentlemanly behavior in boys starting when they're toddlers, so why doesn't that apply to instilling ladylike behavior in girls starting when they're toddlers?
I'd understand if I had daughters, you say?
I have five daughters, and I'm raising them to behave like ladies, and expect gentlemanly behavior from men.
I also have four sons that I'm raising to behave like gentlemen, and expect ladylike behavior from women. So, I'd really appreciate it if fellow parents of daughters got on the task of raising their daughters to be ladylike before my boys start courting.
If you raise your daughters in accordance with the meme above, this is what you'll raise.
Following closely on Josh Harris's heels (see here, here, and here), Marty Sampson, a song writer for Hillsong, announced on Instagram that he too is losing his faith. Mr. Sampson has since deleted his Instagram post, but other sources saved it, so here is the text, with some of my commentary.
Time for some real talk. I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what bothers me now is nothing.
When a 40-year-old man writes or speaks like a valley girl, that always sends up a red flag in my mind.
I am so happy now, so at peace with the world. It’s crazy.
This is a soapbox moment so here I go … How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it.
What? "No one talks about it"? Does this guy not have access to the internet? How does he post on Instagram? I searched for "when pastors fall", and found all kinds of articles and sermons on the subject. More importantly, Jesus talked about it, the Apostles talked about it. What is this guy talking about?
How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it.
Again, does this guy not have access to the internet? I searched for "modern day miracles", and "miracles in the modern era", and found plenty of articles and sermons. Furthermore, few miracles happened in the Bible. There were only a few people in the Bible around whom miracles abounded - Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, and the Apostles. Outside of their ministries, oftentimes hundreds of years passed between miracles.
Besides, if "not many" miracles happen, then that means some miracles do happen. How many miracles does Mr. Sampson need to believe? Does Mr. Sampson think God owes him miracles? The Pharisees demanded miracles from Jesus. He had an answer for them, too.
Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it.
Again, where has this guy been? Here's a link devoted entirely to that subject. Pretty much every time I talk to an unbeliever about the Bible, he/she claims the Bible is "full of contradictions". When I ask them to name one, the answer is almost always, "uhhhh........ ". On the rare occasion that they can actually name one, I've always been able to resolve it for them.
That doesn't mean that I'm capable of resolving every apparent "contradiction" in the Bible, but it does mean that Mr. Sampson hasn't done the work necessary to understand the Bible. I'm not a church elder. Mr. Sampson is. Shouldn't he be better prepared than I am? I'd be embarrassed if Mr. Sampson was more knowledgeable about engineering than I am, because engineering is my profession. Mr. Sampson is a professional church elder. Why am I better prepared than he is?
How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it.
Are you kidding me? Everyone talks about this! It's one of the most common questions unbelievers ask! For crying out loud, man! Use a search engine!
I could give Mr. Sampson a much longer answer, but here's a short one. Yes, God is love (1 John 4:8), but God is also just, and justice means giving people what they've earned, and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Wages are what one earns. We've all earned death. And the second death is eternal separation from God in the one place where God's presence cannot be perceived (Revelation 20:14).
In other words, God will not only giving people what they earned, He will give them what they want - an existence without God.
Christians can be the most judgmental people on the planet -
So, Marty Sampson has judged that "Christians can be the most judgmental people on the planet", and Marty Sampson has judged that being judgmental is a very bad thing. Does that about cover it?
- they can also be some of the most beautiful and loving people. But it’s not for me.
I am not in any more. I want genuine truth. Not the “I just believe it” kind of truth.
Oh, you mean the kind of truth that the Apostle Peter referred to when he (really, the Holy Spirit) commanded you to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you"? (1 Peter 3:15) You mean that kind of truth?
Why doesn't Mr. Sampson already have that kind of truth? He's 40 years old, and a professional church elder. How did he ever get there without even knowing what he believes, or why he believes it?
Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion.
Again; where's this guy been? Mr. Sampson is, of course, referring to evolution. If you have time, please watch the following video from a non-religious source.
Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God. Got so much more to say, but for me, I keeping it real. Unfollow if you want, I’ve never been about living my life for others.
That certainly explains a lot.
All I know is what’s true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point. I could go on, but I won’t. Love and forgive absolutely.
Why?
Be kind absolutely.
Why?
Be generous and do good to others absolutely.
Why?
Some things are good no matter what you believe.
Says who? Define "good". How does one measure "good"? By what standard? Why that standard, and not some other standard?
Let the rain fall, the sun will come up tomorrow.
Mr. Sampson's muddled, garbled, self-centered theology is precisely the problem with churches like Hillsong that focus on emotion above solid doctrinal teaching. When Mr. Sampson says over and over again, "no one talks about it", I suspect that he means "Hillsong never talks about it", because as I've demonstrated, plenty of people are talking about the difficult questions of faith.
Second, as I pointed out in my series about Josh Harris, in the books of Titus and 1 Timothy, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, gave us the qualifications for a church elder. Like Josh Harris, Marty Sampson fails miserably to meet those qualifications. Why was he ever made an elder?
Because Hillsong's leadership doesn't actually believe the Bible.
And that leads us to the real problem.
Churches like Hillsong don't preach the Jesus of the Bible. They preach Buddy Christ. Mr. Sampson said that he has "never been about living my life for others". Buddy Christ approves, but the Jesus of the Bible says "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)
Jesus spoke the truth, because He is The Truth, but the truth doesn't fill stadiums with adoring fans. It never has. In John 6, Jesus preached a harsh message that deeply offended the people who followed Him. Please read the whole thing here. Buddy Christ is never offensive. By contrast, this is how Jesus Christ reacted.
John 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
What will you do, Christian, when you read passages in God's Word that offed you? Because, I assure you, there are many.
Will you follow Josh Harris's, and Marty Sampson's examples, and spout nonsense about "my truth"?
Will you follow Hillsong's example and simply avoid those "offensive" passages?
Or, will you follow the Apostle Peter's example, and say to your Lord, "where else will I go? You alone have the words of eternal life."
By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian. Many people tell me that there is a different way to practice faith and I want to remain open to this, but I’m not there now.
I don't know what that means, because it's so vague, probably deliberately so. But, here's what I think. I think Mr. Harris will eventually settle on his own version of Buddy Christ.
Buddy Christ is the counterfeit Jesus most modern Christians believe in, and most modern churches preach.
Buddy Christ is not your Lord. He's your buddy. Buddy Christ demands nothing from you. He gives you no commandments. And he absolutely, positively, never, ever judges you. Buddy Christ is "spiritual, not religious". He doesn't dwell on antiquated concepts like sin, except for racism. Buddy Christ doesn't care if you're sexually promiscuous, practice homosexuality, mutilate your body to make it look like that of the opposite sex, or murder your baby in womb. But, if you're a racist, or a Republican (same thing, right?), you're in big trouble with Buddy Christ.
Wait... didn't I say that Buddy Christ never, ever judges you? Doesn't accusing someone of racism sound judgmental? Isn't that a contradiction?
Well... sure. But reason is a racist, sexist tool of the white patriarchy, and Buddy Christ ain't down with that, man.
Buddy Christ is a Socialist, because Socialism is compassionate. Buddy Christ is basically your dope smoking, hippie, dorm resident adviser from college, who's been in college for eight years because he keeps changing his major, and never studies.
Buddy Christ is inclusive. Unless you're a racist. Then he excludes you, which would make him exclusive, if we were using reason, which is a racist, sexist tool of the white patriarchy, which is why Buddy Christ never uses reason.
The Jesus of the Bible says things like;
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6)
There are six absolute statements in that one sentence, and absolute statements always exclude everything that does not fit within the statement.
I am (no one else is)
the way (no other way)
the truth (no other truth)
the life (no other life)
No one comes to the Father (self explanatory)
except through Me (through no one else)
If you want to get to God the Father through anyone but His Son, Jesus Christ (the one in the Bible, not your buddy); tough luck. You won't get there. You'll end up in the one place where God's presence cannot be perceived. In case you didn't know, that place is known as Hell.
Don't believe me? That's probably because you've been listening to Buddy Christ, because Buddy Christ does say things that the Jesus of the Bible says, like;
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Awwwww..... isn't that sweet? Jesus didn't come here to condemn the world! Jesus is all about love.
Well... yeah. But, why do Christians always stop reading at verse 17? In verse 18, Jesus said;
John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Sounds awfully judgmental, and exclusive, doesn't it? In fact, if you'd like to know if your church preaches a version of Buddy Christ, ask yourself; whenever your pastor preaches from John 3, does he read John 3:18, or does he stop at John 3:17?
But wait, it gets better. Because Jesus also told The Parable of the Minas in Luke 19. Please read the whole thing, but I'll summarize it for you here.
Luke 19:11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. 12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
Who is the nobleman who leaves to receive a kingdom, and will return? Obviously, that's Jesus - the Jesus of the Bible, not Buddy Christ. Let's skip ahead.
15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
........
22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.....
.......
27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”
Sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it? Not at all like Buddy Christ, is it? But, that is the Jesus of the Bible. In fact, that's Jesus speaking about Himself, and how He will behave when He returns. Note that He will have those who refuse to be ruled by Him slain before Him.
Jesus is not your buddy. He is your Lord. In fact, He is your Lord whether you recognize that fact, or not.
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
You will bend the knee. It doesn't matter if you're a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Hindu, and atheist, an agnostic... it doesn't matter. You will bend the knee. And you will confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord.
What does it mean to confess? To confess is to admit something that is already true. It's already true that Jesus Christ is your Lord, whether you believe it or not.
You can either bend the knee, and confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord now, voluntarily, or you can bend the knee, and confess that Jesus Christ is your Lord at the judgement, involuntarily, like the enemies in the Parable of the Minas, who were slain before Him. The choice is yours.
Now, back to Josh Harris.
Jesus Christ is Josh Harris's Lord. That has always been true, and it will always be true. It was true back when Josh Harris believed it, it's true now that Josh Harris has repudiated faith in Jesus, and it will still be true no matter what Josh Harris does in the future.
Josh Harris wrote;
By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian. Many people tell me that there is a different way to practice faith and I want to remain open to this, but I’m not there now.
He's "not there now", but he can get there. How? By creating his own version of Buddy Christ.
You see, Jesus Christ is your Lord because He's your Creator, who created you in His image. Buddy Christ, by contrast, is your creation, whom you create in your own image. That's why he doesn't judge you. Josh Harris will likely create his own Buddy Christ, who believes everything that Josh Harris now believes, and changes his beliefs to match Josh Harris's beliefs as Josh Harris's beliefs change.
This is how the Bible describes a man who creates something, then worships it. Again, read the whole thing.
Isaiah 44:9 Those who make an image, all of them are useless,
And their precious things shall not profit;
They are their own witnesses;
They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
10 Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing?
........
14 He cuts down cedars for himself,
And takes the cypress and the oak;
He secures it for himself among the trees of the forest.
He plants a pine, and the rain nourishes it.
.......
16 He burns half of it in the fire;
With this half he eats meat;
He roasts a roast, and is satisfied.
He even warms himself and says,
“Ah! I am warm,
I have seen the fire.”
17 And the rest of it he makes into a god,
His carved image.
He falls down before it and worships it,
Prays to it and says,
“Deliver me, for you are my god!”
Don't be a useless fool who worships a false Christ you created for yourself. Worship Jesus Christ, your Lord, the way, the truth, and the life, the only one who can take you to God the Father. You're going to worship Him eventually, whether you want to or not. You may as well worship Him voluntarily now.
