This is in reference to the actions of Gospel recording artist Tonex. His actions might have represented what he was going through, but HIS ACTIONS AREN'T JUSTIFIED. For those of you who don't know what went down, go to youtube.com and watch the video called "Naked Truth" by Tonex.
What Tonex did wasn't good. I'm not judging him because that isn't my place. Only God can judge and He will. I am giving my response based on the scriptures on his actions and revealing the truth behind the matter. Everyone goes through hard and terrible times in life. That's unavoidable, but how you respond to the bad times reflects upon the authenticity of your relationship with God. "A foolish man gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control" (Proverbs 29:11). As far as the full blown cursing Tonex used in his "dis-record", Ephesians 4:29 clearly states, "don't let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
I don't know what Tonex is going through, I can't even imagine. However, being the gospel artist and pastor that he is, he knows that he has a high responsibility that he must always be aware of. The bottom line is, we need to PRAY. We need to pray that God gets him through his situation and pray that he gets re-focused on what's most important: giving God the glory. Now is not the time to point the finger, judge or criticize. Just simply pray.....
30 June 2007
20 June 2007
Justification and the Law
To those of you who believe in just being a good person, this is to give you understanding. I'm not disrespecting you in any way, I'm just trying to help you.
God's law is beautiful, perfectly designed and authored according to His will. Christians are supposed to live according to the laws written in the scriptures, but there is an issue that has to be addressed. We twist the law by transforming its role into a safety net just like what the Galatians did.
Let's clear the air about this right now. The law was never meant to save you. Its original purpose was to show us our flaws. I refer to the law as a mirror. Every time you crack open the Bible, you're unveiling the mirror. What that means is this; when you dive into the law, two reflections should unfold before your eyes. The first reflection is the lawful (Perfection). This image is of one who follows the commandments of God, who walk the narrow path of rightneousness.
The second reflection is of the viewer (you) reading the text in whatever stage you're in. In short, the law shows you your stumbling blocks to help you do one of two things
1). Saved: to realize that you're slipping in an area or areas in your life and that you must continually strive to seek Him. Endure the process because Christ will finish the work He started in us.
2). Unsaved: to get you to realize that you're a sinner. Since you haven't been released from the grip (which comes from giving your life to Christ), you don't have the power; the power to do good (follow the law in the scriptures).
Let's switch gears for a minute.
Justification
The Apostle Paul argued that those who simply rely on the law are under a curse (Galatians 3:10). These people Paul referred to are legalists-those who refuse God's grace and insist on gaining righteousness through works alone. Think about this for a minute. The Galatians had a lot of laws to abide under, but they couldn't. It's almost impossible to keep every law perfectly. They were missing the true ingredient to real righteousness; FAITH. God's blessing of righteousness can't be earned. Why? The answer is it was always freely given. This is where justification comes in.
Justification means God deems us righteous, He acquits us of our guilt on 2 conditions:
1). The grace of Christ that came from His sacrifice
2). The acceptance of Christ by faith.
In other words, because of Christ' sacrifice and our choice to surrender our lives to Christ, God deems us righteous. Therefore validating the fact that righteousness CAN'T BE EARNED, IT'S FREELY GIVEN by what Christ did for us.
The Galatians had good intent (maybe), but their process of righteousness was backwards and ultimately, futile. Don't get it twisted, you do have to work to show that you're righteous (justified), but works are evidence that you have been justified (deemed righteous). Without being justified, your works mean NOTHING.
Well that is the overall view of justification and the law. If that was a lot for you to swallow in one sit, le me make it simple. The law can show you your flaws, but only Christ can save you from your sin. If you have any questions, talk to your pastor, a trusted minister, or your spiritual advisor. If you're amped about studying it, like I was about writing it, do your own research into the book of Galatians. God Bless.
God's law is beautiful, perfectly designed and authored according to His will. Christians are supposed to live according to the laws written in the scriptures, but there is an issue that has to be addressed. We twist the law by transforming its role into a safety net just like what the Galatians did.
Let's clear the air about this right now. The law was never meant to save you. Its original purpose was to show us our flaws. I refer to the law as a mirror. Every time you crack open the Bible, you're unveiling the mirror. What that means is this; when you dive into the law, two reflections should unfold before your eyes. The first reflection is the lawful (Perfection). This image is of one who follows the commandments of God, who walk the narrow path of rightneousness.
The second reflection is of the viewer (you) reading the text in whatever stage you're in. In short, the law shows you your stumbling blocks to help you do one of two things
1). Saved: to realize that you're slipping in an area or areas in your life and that you must continually strive to seek Him. Endure the process because Christ will finish the work He started in us.
2). Unsaved: to get you to realize that you're a sinner. Since you haven't been released from the grip (which comes from giving your life to Christ), you don't have the power; the power to do good (follow the law in the scriptures).
Let's switch gears for a minute.
Justification
The Apostle Paul argued that those who simply rely on the law are under a curse (Galatians 3:10). These people Paul referred to are legalists-those who refuse God's grace and insist on gaining righteousness through works alone. Think about this for a minute. The Galatians had a lot of laws to abide under, but they couldn't. It's almost impossible to keep every law perfectly. They were missing the true ingredient to real righteousness; FAITH. God's blessing of righteousness can't be earned. Why? The answer is it was always freely given. This is where justification comes in.
Justification means God deems us righteous, He acquits us of our guilt on 2 conditions:
1). The grace of Christ that came from His sacrifice
2). The acceptance of Christ by faith.
In other words, because of Christ' sacrifice and our choice to surrender our lives to Christ, God deems us righteous. Therefore validating the fact that righteousness CAN'T BE EARNED, IT'S FREELY GIVEN by what Christ did for us.
The Galatians had good intent (maybe), but their process of righteousness was backwards and ultimately, futile. Don't get it twisted, you do have to work to show that you're righteous (justified), but works are evidence that you have been justified (deemed righteous). Without being justified, your works mean NOTHING.
Well that is the overall view of justification and the law. If that was a lot for you to swallow in one sit, le me make it simple. The law can show you your flaws, but only Christ can save you from your sin. If you have any questions, talk to your pastor, a trusted minister, or your spiritual advisor. If you're amped about studying it, like I was about writing it, do your own research into the book of Galatians. God Bless.
15 June 2007
Interesting Topic
Backwards Discipleship
I'm throwing a question out to all believers; if the Bible is the bread of life for the believer and the word never returns empty when sent out, then (here's the question) why is discipleship (as a whole) NOT WORKING? Buckle in, you're going for a ride.
We all know the Great Commission and what we're supposed to do, but the problem lies in how to do it. Here's the key that I think some Churches are missing. The Bible says to start with Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria (Acts 1:8). After that, to head to the outermost parts of the world. If you look study that passage carefully, you will understand that God meant to start AT HOME FIRST. God's plan of discipleship (in theory) was simple. Start at home, in your local community, then branch outward to areas near and far.
Simply put, the Church is supposed to be a center of outreach and a place where it meets the spiritual needs (possible other needs) of its community. Churches will spend around thousands to send missionaries overseas and might overlook the needs of their community. There's nothing wrong with going overseas to perform ministry, we're supposed to go to lands afar and preach the gospel (eventually). I repeat, I'm not knocking sending missionaries overseas, I salute the Churches who are able to do so; however, there's a reason why God said start with Jerusalem first. For those who are a little skeptical, check your neighborhood and see if God's blueprints are being executed accurately.
I'm throwing a question out to all believers; if the Bible is the bread of life for the believer and the word never returns empty when sent out, then (here's the question) why is discipleship (as a whole) NOT WORKING? Buckle in, you're going for a ride.
We all know the Great Commission and what we're supposed to do, but the problem lies in how to do it. Here's the key that I think some Churches are missing. The Bible says to start with Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria (Acts 1:8). After that, to head to the outermost parts of the world. If you look study that passage carefully, you will understand that God meant to start AT HOME FIRST. God's plan of discipleship (in theory) was simple. Start at home, in your local community, then branch outward to areas near and far.
Simply put, the Church is supposed to be a center of outreach and a place where it meets the spiritual needs (possible other needs) of its community. Churches will spend around thousands to send missionaries overseas and might overlook the needs of their community. There's nothing wrong with going overseas to perform ministry, we're supposed to go to lands afar and preach the gospel (eventually). I repeat, I'm not knocking sending missionaries overseas, I salute the Churches who are able to do so; however, there's a reason why God said start with Jerusalem first. For those who are a little skeptical, check your neighborhood and see if God's blueprints are being executed accurately.
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