Frustrations of a Ministry Student pt. 1

Why is it that people get all upset in the Church of Christ about whether instrumental music is wrong or right while there are people all around us dying spiritually and physically while we sit around and do nothing about it? It extremely frustrates me that people can't get past petty issues and get to the doing of the word of God instead of debating about it.

You might ask what has prompted this post. Well Richland Hills Church of Christ (the largest and most influential Church of Christ) is now adding an instrumental service on Saturday night and it is causing great division and animosity towards that church and to anyone who disagrees with people who don't want instruments incorporated into worship. I for one think that Richland has prayerfully decided and studied this subject and have decided that it is a great opportunity for outreach and ministry.

Mike Cope (a prominent minister in the COfC) recently posted about this issue. And within a matter of a day there were 124 comments on his post. More than the previous post on what if Texas were a town and the dire poverty situation that Texas is in (8 comments).

This is deeply troubling to me. People are more concerned with the debate over instrumental music than that people are living in poverty, sickness and without Christ. This is a MAJOR problem.

If we are to truly be the hands and feet of Christ I don't think we should be debating over whether to use a piano or to use a praise team. These things are irrelevant to a world in need of Christ. People need to hear the good news, but instead people are hearing us bicker and fight with one another. I'm sure God is just beaming every time we win arguments with each other over issues.

People it's time to get over ourselves and our traditions and our preferences and start living out the Gospel message. Let's start living like Christ, and spread his message instead of spreading a message of division, hate and issues.

Lament # 1

Constant sin
The trap I’m in
Un-forgiven in my mind
The way is dark
I feel no remorse
My sin is moving in
The way out seems barred
Barred by my own self serving heart

I feel as if God isn’t there
Like he is as distant as the sun
The sun is setting in my life
The warmth of love from God is gone
I feel only shame
My sin has bound me
I feel locked in

Constant sin
This web I’m in
I am stuck within this maze
My soul can’t seem to find its way out

I look up
Through the haze
I search for someone there to help
Cause I cannot help myself

But no one’s there
I’ve searched in vain
For some help to guide me out
And lead me from this shroud of doubt

I look down
And walk ahead
And find the bodies of the dead
Who never made it out again

I cry out
For God to save
My wretched soul that wallows in
This mud and dirt that is my sin

Will help come
Will God save me
From this maze of sin I’ve made
The only way out
Is through the gates my heart has made
I must break through
I realize now that only through
The Son can my sinful bonds be broken
God give me strength to rely on you
Only by you and your grace will
My soul be saved

God save me
I am yours!

Nothing to say (or maybe Something)

You know how sometimes you want to say something so badly to someone but you just can't say it. Or the times when you know what you need to say but you can't bring yourself to say it. Or the times when you get told something you don't want to hear even though you knew that at one point someone was going to talk to you about the thing you didn't want to hear about. Or how about the times when you just don't know what to say. Or the times when sometimes saying something just won't cut it. Or the times when you just can't shut up even though you are the only one who is listening to what you are saying. Or what about the times when all you say is nothing and that is good enough. Or the times in your life when nothing is too much to listen to so all you listen to is simply something.

Life is too simple to listen all the time to nothing and to short to listen to something. So if in all this nothing you have gotten something then I am glad and if in all this nothing you got nothing then I am also glad for it is not what we get out of nothing it's what we get out of something.

(There's one to rival Paul's Sin Talk.)

Have a blessed day of somethings and nothings.

Ky

Revolutionary Beliefs (And Some Not So Revolutionary)

1. There is only one God creator of the entire universe.
2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world who died was buried and raised to life again on behalf of all men and women.
3. The Holy Spirit is alive, living, and active in all Christ Followers today.
4. God is the triune God one in three. (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
5. The Word of God is truth and there is no other word inspired by God.
6. Jesus Christ was and still is in the life changing, soul saving business.
7. Jesus Christ was a Revolutionary. One that would not let anything stand in the way of God’s perfect will. He would even die for what he knew was right.
8. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit carrying the same passion for Revolution that Jesus himself carried on this earth and therefore all who are possessed by the Holy Spirit are called to be Revolutionaries.
9. Revolutionaries carry on what their leader (Jesus Christ) started. A faith (Christianity) where the poor were made rich, where the humble were exalted, where the needy were filled and where the sad and lonely were accepted and loved. Revolutionaries are not afraid to do the unpopular thing. Being a Revolutionary is not always popular (as you might recall Jesus wasn’t very popular and was even killed because public opinion turned against him.)
10. Being a Revolutionary means fighting, fighting for what you know scripturally is right.
11. We believe in the Restoration creed “We speak where scripture speaks and is silent where scripture is silent.”
12. We believe that all who call on the name of Jesus Christ will be saved. (Romans 10:13). We also believe that one must believe, repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). We believe we are not to read the bible as a menu picking and choosing which verses to obey and which ones not to obey but obeying the entirety of the bible for Jesus said “If you love me obey what I command.” (John 14:15).
13. We believe that Presbyterians, Lutherans, Independent Christians, Charismatic’s, Non-denominationls, Catholics, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and Free Will Baptists, Churches of Christ, Pentecostals, and anyone else who believes in God as the creator of all the Universe and inspirer of the Holy Bible, who believe that Jesus Christ is His only Son who died on behalf of all of the world so that our sins may be forgiven so that we may be once again reunited with God and that the only way to become united with Him is by believing in Him, being baptized into Him and living for Him and that the Holy Spirit becomes a part of us once this happens are our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord who unites us all.
14. We believe and rejoice in the Mercy (Phew!) and Grace (WOW!) of our wonderful, mighty, awesome and righteous God.
15. We believe strongly that Jesus’ prayer in the Garden the night before his death is still for believers today “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21).
16. We believe that we (all who profess Christ) should look past our petty differences and unite under our belief that Jesus is the Son of the true God.
17. We denounce our unscriptural denominations and look to Christ as our leader and look to the scriptures as our guide.
18. We do not think it wise to leave our denominations though, for to do so would be utter chaos. But we do think it wise to look past our denominational barriers and reach across the aisle and reach for our neighbors hand to work together to further the Kingdom of God.
19. We believe that a Christian cannot be on his or her own but must be part of a church unit. For one cannot grow without being a part of the body of Christ or a part of the branches that Christ is the vine of. There is no such thing as a lone Christian. A lone Christian is a dead Christian.
20. There is no leader of this revolution but Christ Jesus himself.
21. We believe in and will follow the teachings of Christ Jesus and his disciples in the New Testament and they will be our inspiration for charging the harvest fields of this world. We will follow only the pillar of light that is Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
22. We are not ashamed to proclaim boldly the good news of the Gospel for it is the good news that saved us and will also save the world.

Only when we're One will all be Won!

First Post

This is my first post. I have nothing to say but... This is my first post.

Ky