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Toxic Sermons and Lyrics - Take Care
| Posted on 25 December, 2015 at 5:14 |
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Something important to address, I have been concerned about for sometime, came to my attention today and that is Toxic Sermons and also Toxic Lyrics by Song and Music Artists, even from good preachers sometimes and lots of Music Artists. Yes, both of these were brought to my attention in the same day! For today's experience, I am speaking about words spoken in various sermons on a Christian website I found with some good sound teaching on it, followed by several MP3s I went through later in the day when looking for more Christian music. You can't be too careful. There was damaging content in a handful of short sermons and negative words in most of the songs I heard. I want to tell you something they had in common. Each sermon and song had really nice sounding titles - as impressions go - hence the saying: we can't judge a book by it's cover. I mean to say, the titles were so godly and promising? In contrast, I found them so different. DO BE CAREFUL AS TO WHAT YOU ARE FEEDING YOUR SPIRIT AND YOUR MIND AS WELL - THAT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT'S COUNSEL TO YOU IN THIS POST. WE NEED TO SIFT THE CHAFF FROM THE WHEAT, MY FRIENDS. Do not be frightened to do this with preachers, regardless of who they are. The days are gone where you can just sit and be fed by preachers and neglect having a sound personal knowledge of scripture. With end-times quickly approaching - it will no longer be who is right but what is right. We were never meant to rely on preaching for our spiritual food. Did you know these things? And by the way, bible colleges do not make Pastors and Evangelists. Many Christians have a zeal for bible teachings, attend colleges and then aspire to be "in the ministry"......they take up positions as Pastors often and some in Evangelism. But wait a minute, who makes a real Pastor or Evangelist? If you read Ephesians 4 closely, Jesus does! He calls and He appoints. He does the equipping and the training - through the Holy Spirit. Bible teaching may be involved as part of their training under His leadership, but they will have a personal knowledge of scripture and applying it to situations and an intimate relationship with God's Presence that becomes evident in their hearts and lives. They will also carry the presence and testimony of Jesus. So you see, one is not meant to be self-elected or man-elected. Yet how many well meaning Christians go to college because they "want to be in the ministry". Throughout the churches, these are the people who are preaching mostly. They are taught academically, how to make up sermons, counsel and all the rest of it. This creates a problem in the Body of Christ: we are taught the fear of man instead of the fear of The Lord. Everything they say goes and we must conform. But again, wait a minute_ Jesus said explicitly to His disciples "it should not be so among you" so somethings wrong is'nt it? Yes it is, when men and women get more respect than The Lord does and we are taught to follow them blindly (right or wrong). JESUS WANTS HIS CHURCH BACK! So what is Toxic Content? One of the sermons I heardwas called Embracing the Promises, and for the very first verse he brought up one of the preacher's favorites from Malachi 3:18 "Will a man rob God yet you are robbing Me.........bring the full Tithe into the storehouse and see if I will not open the windows of Heaven and pour out a blessing......" He stated that we have to pay tithes to protect ourselves from the wrath of God and secure His blessings (by paying for them). Misrepresenting God's character and intentions for Christians. I have covered that kind of thing in my post Did Early Christians Tithe? Do Preachers Pressure You? Find The Real Facts! You will discover how those verses are taken out of context to this day, when the early church fathers fought against introducing it as far as the 4th century. Yet so many are intimidated by demands to tithe. They feel threatened and condemned if they don't take on that practice and many believe they have to do this to walk in obedience. While many even experience financial hardship - trying to keep up with another form of taxes, so to speak, instead of giving as they are able etc like the apostle Paul correctly instructed us. Another verse that is used in sermons is "Many are the afflictions of the righteous but The Lord delivers us out of them all". (Ps 34:19) Is that what you want to believe for? Friends, that was in old testament days before Christ came and gave to believers the power to use His name and seated us in heavenly places (spiritually speaking). Have you heard this verse in preaching? "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" (Jer 17:9) That does not apply to a child of God either, who has been Born Anew to a Living Hope - in Jesus we are new creations. We have a new heart that is responsive to the Spirit of God and desires to please Him. IF SOMETHING SAID IN A SERMON MAKES YOU FEEL YUCK, MOST TIMES, IT IS NOT OF GOD ANYWAY (something that is having a negative impact on you) IT IS POSSIBLE TO RESIST THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONVICTION AND CONDEMNATION: ONE WILL MAKE YOU AWARE OF SOMETHING, THEN LEAVE YOU. THE OTHER WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ALONE AND TENDS TO HARASS YOU. What Songs do You Listen to? Most Christian bookstores and website listings for CDs and MP3s presents modern-day christendom whereby music artists are giving out all manner of mixture in the name of God. There is so much negative exposure - just like we find in the secular world. Clearly, Christ did not call or commission them to do the things they do much less fill your mind with the very poor choices of words they use. They even have the nerve to bring metal music into Christian circles and homes that definitely belongs in the world. The Lord said concerning our day that there would be shepherds and hirelings, wheat and tares (those who are from Him and those who are not) neither is the message their music contains or their motivation. Most times, they are lovers of money, they bring in a fortune - profaning the sanctuary of God and exploiting the Church to their end and they have the nerve to take His name in vain. At best, when it comes to music, The Lord did not call us to entertainment but to Praise and Worship.We can enjoy the things of The Lord if we like (Christian Music) just make sure it is the things of The Lord. TAKE CARE WHAT MUSIC INPUT YOU ARE GIVING YOURSELF. DOES IT FEED YOUR SPIRIT? IF IT DOES, YOU CAN SENSE THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. Songs like the popular Amazing Grace so many Christians like contains some heavy depressing words and is not good for us to hear on a regular basis. We even call ourselves wretches in that song that is so unscriptural. The writer was a slave-trader who came to repentance and does not relate with our experience. How many lyrics from song writers stories do not relate to us and we listen to and sing their songs often. Even the well loved It is Well with My Soul contains words like "When sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, You have taught me to say it is well with my soul". No, don't identify with negativity in songs. This one is telling you to accept your lot in life, so to speak (whatever happens). In other words, don't put up a godly resistance to what is not of God in your life......just take everything and bare it. Friends, that is actually unscriptural. I used to love that song until I listened closely to the words one day. I don't play it anymore. YES, CHOOSE WORDS THAT WILL LIFT YOUR SPIRIT BLESS YOU WITH PEACE AND BRING YOU INTO HIS PRESENCE. Take Care! |