It’s a Barbie World

Week 4 in our “Rebel: counter cultural dating revolution.” Last week we looked at what kind of guy Christian girls should look for and this week we will be looking at what kind of girl our boys need to purse.

In the normal use of the word “rebel” there can be a negative sense associated with it. When someone is rebelling against good and healthy values then that is bad. However, when the cultural norm has gone so far away from biblical values and stands in opposition to what God has for us, then we have no choice but to rebel against culture. Each week we have been identifying some lie the culture has been teaching our teens and then looking at what God’s Word says about it.

This week is no exception. When it comes to the agenda against women our culture propagates, nothing stands out to me more then the sexual objectification of women. In the 1997 hit song, “Barbie Girl,” Aqua satirically critiques the cultural message that is even more prevalent today:

“I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic!
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation

I'm a blond bimbo girl, in a fantasy world
Dress me up, make it tight, I'm your dolly
You're my doll, rock'n'roll, feel the glamour in pink,
Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky panky...
You can touch, you can play, if you say: "I'm always yours"”

Aqua describes a fantasy land where girls live fake plastic lives and will get real love. Yet in truth they get a guy who uses them, objectifies them and will leave them empty.

From Barbie Dolls, to Bratz, TV shows, movies, magazines and advertisements our children are bombarded daily with messages about women that are devastatingly unhealthy. The creators of the Barbie Doll say the doll is “not about sexual objectification but about empowering women.” I ask, how do you empower women by creating a standard in which no woman can achieve? With the announcement of the Live Action Barbie Movie coming out, great concerns on how they are going to cast Barbie have arisen (see http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865601793/Controversial-Barbie-to-star-in-new-live-action-comedy.html).  The scale model of a life size Barbie raises these concerns:

"Considering that Barbie, if she were human-sized, would have no room for a whole liver in her petite 16-inch waist — and would be so frail that she’d be unable to walk or lift her head — it’s likely Sony will be taking some creative liberties with the doll when it comes to casting her," Sonia Saraiya wrote for A.V. Club.

Culture is telling our girls that their value is found in their body. Their sexual appeal is their power. It teaches our girls that they need to strive for an airbrushed, fake, manufactured look to “win” a man’s heart. As Aqua states, the end goal is to have a guy say “I’m always yours”…yeah right!

Stop Believing the Lie

Guys I want to challenge you to stop buying the lies. The girls you see on TV and in magazines aren’t real. They are airbrushed and fake. They are propaganda to get you to cater to sinful desires and destroy relationships. They are tearing your sisters down and preventing a healthy understanding of life the way God intended.

Guys hear me that girls are not objects. They are not made to meet your every imagination and cater to your base desires. They are not made of plastic and they cannot attain ridiculous physical attributes. Guys girls are more then a body, they are real persons created in God’s image. You need to look for a girl who understands this. You goal guys, is not to selfishly look for someone to serve you but a girl whom you are willing to serve with your whole life.

So here is a list of qualities I want to challenge you guys to look for in a girl and girls I challenge you to seek to develop in your own life.

1.     She must be a Christian 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Last week we spent plenty of time on this point. I’d encourage you to go back to the last post and reread points one and two because they apply here to. However, there are two points to this that I didn’t spend enough time on last week. What do I mean by saying, “must be a Christian,” and the need for continued spiritual growth or soul care.

a.     What is a Christian?

This is an excellent question and one I pray you carefully consider. Paul challenges us to examine ourselves to be sure that we are in the faith. We should not consider this lightly, but understand that eternity literally is at stake. It is not enough to be born into a Christian home, or to attend a Christian church. It’s not enough to go to church on Christmas and Easter or to be born in America. It’s not a general belief in the existence of a god or a greater force. After all, as one person stated, being in a garage doesn’t make you a car.

The reason we walk through Life in 6 Words (www.lifein6words.com) each week is to present the fundamental message of the Scriptures and to help you understand what it means to be a true believer. A true Christian is one who understands that there is a Creator God who made us to be in a relationship with Him. However we are sinners by nature, dead in our trespasses and sins and separated from the God who made us because He is holy and cannot look upon sin with pleasure. As sinners we deserve death and eternal separation from God. There is nothing you can do to overcome this separation or pay off this huge debt. We are in need of a hero. God loved us so much, that even when we were sinning and rebelling against Him, He showed His great love for us and sent His Son, Jesus Christ to take our place. Jesus paid the price for sin on the cross by shedding His blood, being buried and rose again the third day. He offers us a free gift of salvation, forgiveness and a reconciled relationship to God if we trust in His finished work alone. Trusting Him alone means surrendering your life to Him and following Him, imitating Him and seeking to honor Him with your life. He promises that in following Him we will have abundant life that starts now and lasts forever, giving us hope for the after life.

b.    Soul Care

When Jesus saved you, He didn’t save you to isolation but to a community of believers called the church. It is so necessary that a Christian commits to a local church for spiritual growth and care. Jesus calls the Church His bride and He thinks very highly of her. He is constantly preparing His wife for the day He returns. It is in fellowship with other believers that Christ is preparing you for this life and His return.

Also, a true Christian has a desire to spend time with God in prayer and His Word. She should be growing in her knowledge, understanding and love for Jesus. Personal soul care is the only way she will stay firm on the foundation of Christ. As I say for myself as a pastor, I only have something to offer others when I stay in close fellowship with Jesus.

2.     Godliness is true beauty – Proverbs 31:30

Our culture is not the first to over emphasize physical beauty. In Proverbs 31, King Lemuel’s mom gives him wise advice. Don’t get caught up in the physical beauty and deceitful charm of the day, instead look for a woman who loves and fears God first. Proverbs 31 is an intimidating chapter for any woman, and certainly a bit overwhelming for a teenage girl. Yet verse 30 is the key to the whole chapter. I’m very fond of the phrase “Love Jesus with all your heart and He will work out the rest.” It may seem a little overly simple, but when you understand that love for Jesus produces godliness you will see how it all fits together. Jesus said in John 14, “if you love me you will keep my commandments.” That’s a promise not a condemnation.

3.     Prioritizes inner beauty 1 Peter 3:3-4

In the 1950’s a general reading of young girls journal entries produced a general desire to improve inward beauty and good works. The young ladies at that time sought to be women of inward character and outward service. Journal entries from today lean heavily to the constant improvement of a girls looks, dress, make up and accessories.

Peter challenged wives to not follow the cultural pattern of focus on the superficial outward beauty but on inward beauty that is precious to God. Her aim is not the approval of men but of God. This isn’t saying to not take care of your outward person, but not to allow that to be your obsession.

4.     Followership

Guys you need to seek a girl who knows how to follow. One who isn’t following the crowd, but following in the footsteps of faith and godly women (Titus 2:3-5), who have set an example. This doesn’t mean you are looking for a girl that isn’t as smart as you (good luck with that one haha), or that you are more spiritually mature then.

You are still growing spiritually and are looking for someone who is going to encourage your spiritual growth, however, if we are honest with ourselves guys, we can be cowards. We can sit back an allow someone else to do the work. Well that doesn’t cut it. You want a girl who will allow you to lead, gives you space to lead and encourages that leadership. This type of attitude takes on two different forms:

a.     Submissiveness - Ephesians 5: 22-24

A note to the girls, you are not called to submit to all men, but to your husband. You are not considered inferior to men or to your husband, but God has established an order of responsibility. This is the same idea behind God the Son submitting to God the Father to purchase your salvation. We see that because of Christ’s submission to the Father, the Father has exulted Christ to the highest place (Philippians 2:5-11).

Guys you want a girl who respects you and follows you. She has to trust you and encourage you to take the lead. You need to be able to talk through issues with her and listen to her. Yet God will hold you responsible for the relationship. Will she allow you to take the lead?

b.     Teachable Epheisans 5:25-27

A teachable spirit is hard to come by these days. Guys you need to find a girl who will allow you to encourage her in the Word of God. Your job as a spiritual leader is to help her become more like Christ. This means you have to study and know the Scriptures and have something worth telling her. She may be smarter and more knowledgeable then you, but a teachable spirit means she will listen and apply what you say because she can trust your heart.

5.     Content not desperate, desperate is ugly 1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain”

This last point really can go without saying, assuming she is pursuing the first four points. However, contentment is a huge sign of a girls (or a guys) dependence on Christ. Paul tells Timothy that, “godliness with contentment is great gain.” I understand the context of 1 Timothy 6 to be on material wealth, but I think there is a huge principle that applies here. Contentment in our relational status is a demonstration of the Kingship of Jesus in our hearts. When she is obsessed with and desperate for a relationship she is in great danger of making you a god in her life.

Desperation is ugly and unattractive. Why does she want the relationship? Is she seeking to glorify god or worship you? Is she seeking to be less lonely? You will only make it worse. She will not find contentment in you because you will let her down, you will fail her and she will be more desperate then ever. Look for a girl who trusts Jesus with her future and is content in Christ.

Now contentment does not mean you are frozen and hard hearted. It does not mean you are closed to relationships or that you cannot desire a relationship. It means that you know that God is in control and that the relationships He gives you is for His glory and not your own selfish desires. It means that no girl or guy will come between you and Jesus. It means that Jesus is enough no matter what.

There are certainly many more things we could talk about, but guys a girl who loves Jesus and is actively seeking to grow closer to Him will be the best girl for you. Don’t settle for what this world calls beauty, for that is only skin deep. Look for a girl who knows she is a daughter of the one true King and you will find a girl who will help you to be the best man you can be for Jesus.

Guys don’t just jump into relationships because of outward appearance, but be watchful. Give her time to demonstrate the inner beauty that God is working in her. You will find this type of girl is far more rewarding then the lies this world has to offer.

Girls seek to be this woman. Love Jesus with all your heart and as you grow closer to Him you will see Proverbs 31 played out in your life. Don’t be discouraged by that list right now, but seek to develop it over a lifetime. Don’t listen to the message of this world, you are so much more then a body, you are a child of God, a princess of the one true King. Live in the confidence that God loves you and has made you.

Man’s Gotta Have Swag

Week 3 in our “Rebel: Counter Cultural Dating Revolution.” In this installment we will be looking at what kind of guy a Christian girl should be looking for. Next week we will be looking at what kind of girl a Christian guy should pursue.

If you were to take a quick listen to the Top 40 music hits this week, you may be surprised at the message today’s lyrics are encouraging our boys to be like. One early philosopher stated that the lyrics of the day impact the direction of society. I believe that is very true. Our current “Rebel” series is looking at what culture says about dating and relationships and how God’s Word reveals a new direction. We are looking at raising up a generation that will go against the flow and stand for God’s way.

Today’s lyrics are encouraging men to be…well, dogs. Aloe Blacc in his trending hit “The Man,” presents masculinity as arrogant, prideful, selfish and sets himself up as a god in his woman’s life. Tiesto’s “Red Lights” shows that a man is willing to be a rebel for his woman. Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty,” yep you guessed it, is all about sex, but not just with his girl, but all her friends as well. And then there is Bruno Mars’ “Locked out of Heaven,” who describes sex with his girl as paradise and not being with her means he is locked out of heaven. Imagine Dragon’s “Demons” shows a man being “saved” by his girl. Just to name a few.

We haven’t even begun to look at the TV and movie messages. However, it continues to promote a very similar message summarized by the lyrics of The Chainsmokers hit song #selfie, “When Jason was at the table I kept on seeing him look at me while he was with that other girl. Do you think he was just doing that to make me jealous? Because he was totally texting me all night last night and I don't know if it's a booty call or not.” The clear message from our society is that a man with swag, is a cool, popular player. This image is so important that girls overlook unfaithfulness, flirtatious and loose living just to be with him.

I want to borrow from a youth pastor friend of mine, Craig Fullerton, he said that “Today girls want a bad boy who will be good just for her and guys want a good girl who will be bad just for him.” I think in my perusal of today’s hit songs, this message was pretty consistent. Our culture today is not producing real men, it is producing boys with “swag.” I’d like to define “swag” not as it is perceived today as a cool guy, but for what it really is: a bunch of godless, lazy, video game playing, irresponsible slobs, who are obsessed with sex and have no goals or ambition for life.

When you look at society and you see that nearly 50% of marriages are ending in divorce and so many homes without a dad it is clear that our culture does not promote true masculinity. Dating today is casual, superficial and boys are bailing at the first sight of trouble. They get what the want and leave. Sex is a casual act developing an attitude that it is “just sex” and not that a sacred, beautiful act of loving commitment the way God designed it to be. No understanding of commitment, of covenant love, or of faithfulness can be gained from this world. It is a world that promotes selfish, destructive behaviors that keeps us from understanding the true life we can have in Christ.

Tonight I will beg and plead with the girls in our youth group to set high standards for the man the will one day pursue. I want to challenge the guys to really set their focus on these characteristics before pursuing a girl. For some it may mean ending a current relationship. For some it may be waiting a long, long time before they find someone who will meet the biblical principles we will talk about. Others may find the only answer is Jesus alone and pursue a life of godly singleness. In truth, pursuing Gospel Living is costly and dangerous, but it is always worth it.

What then must he be? Below I will present a list of qualities I believe the Bible lays out for us men to live in. These are principles I live by and I teach regularly. These are not just suggestions, but directives from God for men.

1.     He must be a Christian. In Matthew 22:37 Jesus says His followers must “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might.” Jesus needs to be the clear focus of his life. Only a man who has surrendered his life to God and is walking with Him will pursue a relationship that honors God.

2.     He MUST be a Christian. Yes, I meant to type it twice and the exaggeration was intended. Paul exhorts strongly in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, that believers should not be “unequally yoked” with unbelievers. This is huge. God’s Word doesn’t just make a quick statement here, but He illustrates very clearly by asking 5 questions:

a.     What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?

b.     What fellowship has light with darkness?

c.      What accord ahs Christ with Belial (Satan)?

d.     What portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

e.     What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

His argument shows that, in Christ, we are the Temple of the living God! When we compromise and disobey we are worshiping something over God, making the unbeliever god of our life. We are committing idolatry when we do it our way.

There are no exceptions to this command. You are not special or ultra holy. Only God can save, but an unbeliever can destroy you and your faith. God is jealous for you and does not want you distracted in life.

These first two are very important, for without these he cannot become what follows. As Christians we are to become imitators of Christ. Jesus Christ is our Prophet, Priest and King. Men of God are to learn to develop these qualities for their current and future relationships.

3.     He must be a Spiritual Leader. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 and Ephesians 5:25-27 call the man to one day lead his wife and children in God’s Word.

a.     He leads by being the priest of his relationship. A priest represents others to God, prays for them and serves them. A man of God begins to pray for his wife before he even meets her. He develops a pattern of praying for others and being a representative of them before God.

b.     He leads by being a prophet in his relationship. A prophet represents God to others by instructing others in the Word of God. This means he has to be in the Word of God, learning from the Word and being challenged by the Word. Sometimes he will be a gentle, encouraging voice. However, a loving prophet will at times firmly call out sin.

c.      He leads by being committed to and attending a local church (Hebrews 10:24-25). A spiritual leader must first learn to follow. Followership is vital. He must be accountable to spiritual leadership in his life. He must develop healthy ministries. Look for a man who is serving others in ministry.

4.     He must be a provider 1 Timothy 5:8; Colossians 3:23

a.     He needs to have a job. Girls you need to look for a guy who has a job. If he doesn’t have a job, he’s either not old enough to date anyway, or he is lazy.

b.     He has to have a work ethic. It’s not about the amount of money he makes it’s about a work ethic. Is he willing to do what it takes to provide for his future wife and kids.

c.      Is he willing to pay for you on a date? Girls it’s ok to let him pay for you. It shows his generous nature, his desire to provide for you.

d.     He needs to have a plan. Proverbs 29:18 says that without vision the people perish. Does he have reasonable, attainable goals.

5.     He must be a protector 1 Peter 3:7; Song of Solomon 3:5

a.     He protects her by pursuing personal holiness and obedience to Christ. A man who is in obedience to Christ will not ask girl to compromise her morals.

b.     He creates a safe environment physically, emotionally and spiritually.

c.      He doesn’t ask her to cross physical boundaries but he sets safe ones.

d.     He listens to her and guards what she says. He is trust worthy and he is safe to share with.

e.     He never uses God to manipulate her, but encourages her with the word of God. He provides a safe place for her to work through spiritual questions free of judgment.

These are the Top 5 characteristics that I feel lead to a healthy man who is pursuing healthy relationships because he is exemplifying Christ. Girls look for these qualities developing. He may not be “there” yet, but is he pursuing this? Guys seek these out and develop them in your life. Look for men in your life who are living this out and follow their lead. Look to Jesus Christ continually and learn from Him.

Girls be very watchful and patient. If and when you date, date in the Lord. That means seek to glorify God in your decisions. Notice how the Bible doesn’t list physical descriptions such as, how tall, thin, strong, etc. It doesn’t prescribe styles of dress. You may not be saying “my man’s got swag,” but a much higher and greater boast is “my man has Jesus!”

It’s All About Me

Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking at what the “world” says about dating and relationships and compare them to God’s Word. As we begin to understand what God wants from us we will rebel against culture, rebel against the enemy of our soul and learn to revolutionize our views of dating (Romans 12:2).

What do you look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend? What characteristics stand out? What are your desires? We all have a list, whether it is written out or just mental. Maybe it’s a type of person you are attracted to, or maybe it’s an ideal like “one true soul mate.” If you were to boil all this down into one descriptive phrase, what would it be?

If we are honest with ourselves it probably is best summarized with “it is all about me!” Do you agree? Think about it, if you’re thinking of physical features, i.e. he has to be at least this tall; she has to have this color of hair; he can’t be too fat; and…you get the picture, why are the physical features so important? Because you want someone who pleases you.

If it’s education or career choices, it’s because you want someone to take care of you or make you feel secure. If it’s family choices, it’s because you want someone who has similar values to what you have. If you are a Christian, you should want someone who is a Christian, but do you want this for the right reasons? Is it, she must be a Christian so we agree on values? Or is it, he must be a Christian because I want to be obedient to God?

The truth is we are selfish people who think we are gods of our lives. We may give lip service to God, but we live our lives like Emperor Kuzco.

You already are selfish, but on top of that we have a world system around us that wants to keep you distracted in self-worship. Think of the most popular slogans: “Just Do It,” “Obey your Thirst,” or “Your way right away.” Or philosophies such as “if it feels good do it,” or “it’s ok if it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”

Why do you think pornography, romance novels and romantic movies are so popular? They create a make believe environment where all your fantasies are being met. A make believe world where your “it’s all about me” desires can be “fulfilled,” and yet leave us more empty then ever. Our selfish pursuits only highlight how alone we are in this world.

We need to rebel against these natural desires. We need to lead a revolt against the world system. We need to be a part of a revolution against the enemy of our souls. We become rebels when we follow Christ, the narrow path that leads to life.

We have only just begun our dating series and now are in the middle of Passion Week. I see it only fitting that this week we see how the Passion of Christ impacts our daily lives, even our dating relationships and future marriages.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20:

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

There are three things I want to focus on this week as we consider the life and death of Christ and our dating decisions. Those who are in Christ, have chosen to follow Christ are:

1.     Bought with a costly price

In order to understand this first point we need to remember that we are sinners. We have violated God’s laws and stand condemned before an almighty, just and holy God. The Bible describes us as captives to the slave market of sin, dead in our trespasses and destined to eternal damnation.

God gave the 10 Commandments to reveal to us, not how we can earn God’s favor, but our utter need for help. If left to ourselves, we can only pay for our transgressions by spending an eternity in Hell. That is the bad news. We owe a price we cannot pay and we do not want to pay.

Yet the Good News of Jesus Christ is that He paid for us. He offers us the “free gift of salvation” based on a very steep price He had to pay. We often miss some of the significance as we jump straight to the “God loves you and died for you” versions of the Gospel message. Yes they are true, but we need to slow down and realize what God endured for us.

The Father was willing to send His only begotten Son to this world, to take on flesh and live a human life. Jesus had to face every difficulty in life as we do. He went through the growing pains of life. He had to take naps, do chores, go to school, work, eat, sleep, and all the other mundane details of life. He had friendships. He experienced losing someone close to Him. He understands the daily frustrations of life, yet He never once sinned.

The realization of His innocence makes His death all the more offensive. The perfect and innocent Son of God should not have been hung from a tree. He should not have had to suffer and die. Yet He chose to for you and me. Mel Gibson’s The Passion of The Christ is the closest movie depiction of the graphic nature of the tortured death of our Savior, and yet it falls short of the reality. How can you capture on film the brutality of the scene, the utter aloneness our Savior endured on that cross for us. The sins of the world and the outpouring of the wrath of God were upon His shoulders so that we might find life.

The free gift of salvation is offered to you and me because Jesus paid a very costly life for you.

2.     No longer our own

Quiz yourself for a moment. Who do you want to date? When would you like to get married? What do you want to do with your life? What job do you want to have? How many kids do you want to have? Where do you want to live?

You cannot be a follower of Jesus and still think you are in the drivers seat. To be a follower of Christ means you die to yourself daily, take up your cross and follow Him. Your life begins to look like Jesus (Galatians 2:20).

Yet the “It’s All About Me” mentality creeps into our heart constantly. You need to know that you do not belong to yourself anymore. The choice you make need to be run by your Savior first.

In the questions above, we need to learn to say, “What does Jesus want?” first. Before I can answer these questions, I need to seek the will of God. It’s not about whom do I want to marry, but about whom does God want me to marry. What job does Jesus want me to do? The choice is not yours but the one who paid the great price for you.

3.     To glorify God

Fortunately God has not left us on our own to figure these things out. He teaches us in His Word what it means to glorify Him. We glorify God by enjoying His presence through love and obedience. The commands of God are not simply a list of does or don’ts, but God telling us how we relate to Him better.

Think of it this way, if your special someone gave you a list of things that irritate them like crazy and a list of things that they just loved, wouldn’t that be great? Like I hate it when you chew with your mouth open, but I feel really special when you bring me flowers. That gives you really clear relational guidelines, without the guesswork. God has done this for us in His Word.

When we begin to live our lives like Jesus, then we begin to understand what life was intended to be like. Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve others (Matthew 20:28). When it comes to our dating relationships, it’s not all about you, it’s about Jesus and serving the one you are pursuing.

Learning to be selfless in our lives and serving one another lays the foundation for meaningful relationships. I was talking to a man whom I deeply respect, whose marriage is one that I would hope to emulate one day, and asked him if there was one thing he would do differently what would it be. His response was, “I would give more of myself.” He was saying he would serve her more! From my observations, he is one of the most selfless and serving husbands I have ever seen! That is awesome and that glorifies God.

You don’t just wake up and glorify God. You have to choose daily to submit yourself to the King of kings, ask for His help and seek to do His will. Anything in life worth having takes hard work. Are you willing to work at a life that brings glory to God?

We live in a “me first,” “it’s all about me” society. Living in a way that puts Jesus and others before ourselves will stand in stark contrast to our society. When we seek to glorify God in our relational choices we will really stand out to the world around us. We might even be made fun of or ridiculed because we are not going with the flow. Yet as followers of Christ, we are rebelling against this world and following a higher calling.

Rebel against cutlure

Did you ever ask God for something, or someone, you knew was wrong? One of those requests you really wanted, but later you were so thankful God didn’t answer that request? Time and distance from the request gave you a broader picture and you could then see why God said “NO!” Thinking back you now see that you original request was one of disobedient desire and sobriety brings understanding.

What would happen if God did grant a disobedient request? Your request being in rebellion to His desires for you and He permitted it? What would that look like? I would quickly realize that it wasn’t what I really wanted in the first place and that the consequences of disobedience are not worth it.

Israel Rejected God

The Bible tells us the story of Israel’s formation as a nation. God called Abraham out of Ur and his descendants moved to Egypt. The miraculous 10 plagues of Egypt and crossing of the Red Sea gave birth to a nation seeking a land. The period of Judges is like the childhood years of the nation. They were scattered tribes constantly getting caught up in childish things.

Toward the end of this period, under the leadership of the prophet Samuel, they began to mature into adolescence. They saw their need to unite and grow. Unfortunately, instead of crying out to God and waiting on Him, they looked at the cultures around them and decided they “wanted a king like all the other nations.”

Samuel knew this wasn’t what God wanted and went to God with it. God said to Samuel, “they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting Me!” After God sent Samuel to warn them of the consequences of their actions, which they threw off, God “granted their request.”

This is a grave warning for God’s people, that when we seek the wrong way and make disobedient requests for a long time, God may allow it. The people suffered consequences under king Saul, yet God remained faithful and later gave them king David.

Reorient our Perspective

The people of Israel were looking at the other nations and not at God. God’s plan all along was to provide a king for His people, but the people became impatient.

Similarly we look around at our culture and begin to desire what they have. Today our culture pumps a distorted view of relationships and romance across the airways into our minds. We begin to believe we want, need what the culture says is normal.

God created us as relational beings. Way back in the creation story, God said “it is not good for man to be alone,” and so He created a help-meet for him. This is at the very core of who we are, don’t you think it makes sense that the enemy of our souls would attack us here. What does our culture tell us is normal? Don’t you feel the pull to be like everyone else?

Paul urges us in Romans 12:2 to not follow the pattern of this world, but to be renewed in our mind through the Scriptures. The Bible is God’s manual for life and godliness. Everything we need to have healthy relationships is found in the Bible. Yet, we don’t look there, we look at celebrity magazines, internet sites, pornography, TV shows, romance novels, self-help books, friends and family. Most of which are broke and do not reflect Gospel saturated living. We need to get our eyes off of culture and onto the Lord!

Reprioritizes our Values

With our eyes on culture we begin to value what the world does. We make popularity and relationships gods of our lives. We will do anything it takes to fit in and look cool. We won’t stand up for what is right. We will allow our boyfriend to go further physically then we wanted just so he doesn’t break up with me. We will watch movies and videos so we can fit in with our friends at school. We will listen to music that is blatantly anti-biblical so we can be “relevant” with culture.   

The Bible tells us that our bodies are not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:13). It tells us that we are bought with a price, the very blood of Christ and therefore belong to Christ. We are more then animals, we are created in the image of God! In Christ, everything we do we should do for the glory of God.

In order to live this way, we need to dethrone the gods of this world and put Jesus Christ first. As the author Hebrews states, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of our faith!

Revolutionize your view of relationships

A “Rebel” is one who goes against he flow. One who is willing to stand up for what they believe in. Today, so many say they are being “an individual” as they rebel against God’s Law. However, they are following the mainstream worldview. Following Christ is being a true rebel, one who goes against the flow.

Do not conform to the pattern of relationships this world has to offer. When the world says “why get married because 50% of marriages end in divorce.” Say “I don’t buy that! In Christ it is different!” When your friends say it is “just a kiss, or just sex,” say “No it is not! It is a sacred thing meant to bring oneness in marriage.” When the world says you need a relationship to be fulfill say “your right, a relationship with Jesus Christ!”

Only Jesus can truly fulfill the emptiness inside. In the coming weeks we are going to explore these areas and more on how we can redefine what relationships are to be like and learn how to navigate the “dating scene” in a way that brings glory to God.

To Noah or not to Noah? That is the question

This past weekend was the opening weekend of the Darren Aronofsky’s, an atheistic Jew, version of the Noah story in theaters nation wide. I am always amazed at the reactions by many to a Hollywood adaptation of a Biblical story. By and large, the conservative Christian leaders denounced the movie as anti-biblical, heretical and that “no Christians should go see it.” One reviewer said that, “any Christian leader who encouraged people to go see it should be burned at the stake.”

Despite their warnings, the movie trailer intrigued me, featuring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and amazing computer generated images. How would they depict this epic story from the Bible? Yet, another Christian reviewer said that the only thing this story had in common with the Bible was that his name was “Noah.”

Much like the phrase, “don’t look” only causes us to look, I decided to go see the movie. Honestly, I was thrilled that there was a movie that was a major production about a biblically themed movie. However, I considered that the movie was made by Hollywood and an atheist director. My expectations were pretty low concerning the Biblical content, but curious of how they would depict the event.

Do You Know Your Bible?

Today’s blog is not an actual review of the movie, but an argument for why we need to be Biblically literate people. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” And “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” The truth of the Scriptures should lead to a freedom and a confidence, not to fear. As Paul told young Timothy, “God has not given you the spirit of fear, but of power and a sound mind.”

To many reviews seemed to be fearfully driven. Some claimed that because of Aronofsky’s movie an entire generation will be raised with a distorted view of Noah. Wow, that left me speechless. How many movies change an entire generation?

Watching the movie did not cause me to fear that it would overtake the truth. Actually the movie contained a lot of truth and a lot of non-truth and a lot of poetic license. The question is, fellow Christian, can you watch the movie and discern what is biblical and unbiblical? Can you point out the error and validate the truth?

So many jump to conclusions about Noah, and yet never employ a critical, theological discussion to any of the other movies they watch. Yet we should constantly be asking ourselves about the media we ingest. What does this say about God? What does this say about sin? What does it approve of that the Bible disapproves of? What is the redeeming value of this (if any)?

The Core Story

A quick read of Genesis 6-9 will give you the Biblical account of the story of Noah. What you will find is that the sin of mankind had become so pervasive that God wanted to destroy the entire human race. However, one man, Noah, caught the favor of God because of his faithfulness to God. God told Noah to build a big boat that would be used to rescue and redeem the human race through Noah’s family and all the animals. God was going to send judgment on sin and start fresh.

Aronofsky’s film had the elements that the Creator was disgusted with the evil of the mankind and was sending a flood to wipe out the world. The Creator told Noah to build a boat for all the animals and Noah’s family. A universal flood covered the earth and wiped out all of the human race except Noah and his family. There was a fresh start on the earth.

I found it interesting that Noah, while on the ark, told his family the story that they were entrusted with protecting, that is, the story of the Creator. Noah tells a very detailed account of the 6 days of Creation, the Fall and the first murder. His story shows the depravity of man and why mankind deserved to die.

The Extras

 Unfortunately I can’t say that the rest of the story was accurate. There was a very strong environmentalist theme of “animals good…humans bad.” Industrialization and eating animals seemed to be the biggest sins the Creator punished. Two key Biblical teachings were only mentioned by Tubal-Cain, the evil king: the first that man was created in the image of the Creator, and secondly that man was to have dominion over the animals. Having Tubal-Cain as the source leaves a negative view on these teachings.

I don’t have time to go into the rock people, the Watchers, and their beginnings and redemption. Or why Aronofsky tried to weave the Abraham and Isaac story into Noah, or why Noah went a little mad and tried to kill his family. Nor do I have time to dialogue about Adam and Eve being people made of light, or why the righteous line wrapped the skin of the serpent around their arms to pass on the truth. There is a lot that could be said, but I won’t.

The Takeaway

Whether you go and see the movie or you don’t, I think you should be ready to talk about Noah. Read Genesis 6-9 and thank God for redemption, for second chances, for provision and life. Be ready to give an answer for the hope that you have with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). I am excited for movies like this because I have opportunities to talk about the Bible with people who otherwise may not be interested in it.

In many of my conversations with fellow Christians I heard a few times “oh, that is in the Bible?” or “I really need to read my Bible.” When those who claim to be followers of Christ don’t even know what the words of Christ say, we have far bigger problems then Hollywood producing erroneous movies about Bible stories. If you claim to be a follower of Christ, spend time in His Word, learn from Him and trust Him to be the one who delivers people, not Hollywood.