As Christians, is it ok to make people angry? In short, yes. Allow me to spit-ball here and think out loud with barely any Biblical references or authority for what I am about to write.
Jesus did not compromise the truth. Where He saw sin, He called people out on it. He made quite a number of people furious and, in the end, that cost Him His life. Well, for three days, anyway. From the Samaritan woman to the man whose friends brought him in on a mat, Jesus did not let the issue of sin slide by with a patronising “God understands and accepts your sin” garbage that is so common to these days.
Corpowhore: (noun) (neologism) a person or organisation that acts like a complete, utter and reprehensible douchebag in its treatment of people in pursuit of its own greed for profit.
That about sums up what Spotify has come to embody for me. Now, for the full disclosure. I have known for some time there are far better options out there that Spotify and that the corporation itself is Mammon's slut. One would think that Spotify's new terms for authors uploading their audiobooks to the platform would enrage me enough to quit. Sadly, in some twisted logic, it did not. It has only taken them to cancel my password around ten times or more in order for me to finally break their grip on me. As a wannabe writer myself, this is even a more shameful confession. An intellectual property rights grab like Spotify attempted should have shoved me out of the digital door like a hurricane in a hoe down. You may cast your stones now.
Liberated: The New Sexual Revolution triggered some reasonably vituperative criticisms on different platforms. Very few rated this film highly. These responses raise a few interesting points about our culture and reveal a lot more about the people making the criticisms than might be expected. In this post, I will be exploring one or two of those criticisms.
Journaling is a bit of a cliché. Even in Christian circles, it has been banged on about and flogged like a dead horse that has already gone to the glue factory. What needs to be asked is are the people who rabbit on about prayer journals actually onto something? Does it come with any benefits? Despite initial misgivings and only doing it because someone in YWAM said it was good, there actually might be something of worth in journaling.
I am a thief. I half inched the title from an interesting tome about Gnostic beginnings; one of many that have attempted to establish a point of origin for the movement as a whole. However, this has nothing to do with what you are about to start reading.
The church gets the heretics it deserves. – Unknown
The debate between so-called progressive Christians and conservative Christians is one that, until recently, I had little idea existed. I have not read much about it, as I prefer to spend my reading time divided between the Bible and fiction like Fat Vampire. However, from the little I have read about it, I do have a thought, as unqualified as it is. There is really no debate. It's a false dichotomy in which both sides have missed the mark terribly and both are the heretics we deserve as a church.
A side note: I like the word heretic, despite the bad rap it has received over the centuries.
Prophesy must always uplift people. – Pastor of an Apostolic church
Jesus famously accused Jerusalem of murdering just about every prophet sent by God to that city. If you're like me, when that is talked about in church, we like to exchange knowing looks. We know the truth and would never do such a thing to people who speak the truth. But would we? Would we be any better? Looking at the church these days, I have my doubts.
You might think someone who is over half a century old would have a pretty good handle on who they are as a person. In my case, I have embarked, finally, on an inner journey to find some of that answer. Part of that is journeying through the Bible to see what that has to say about it. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, after all.
I recently had a sudden thought that God might be just a little unhinged.
There was no deep revelation that prompted me to abandon my Gnostic faith and return to orthodoxy (in the general sense of that word). What was the draw of the Gnostic schools and what caused me to drop them?
I am not a Roman Catholic and I have only been to mass once or twice in my life. However, despite my charismatic, Assemblies of God-rooted faith, I use the rosaries for prayer and have found them useful to my walk with Jesus Christ, our Lord and God. That said, a Catholic would not recognise a lot of what I am saying if they were to hear me.
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. – 1 Timothy 2:5-6
The reason a Catholic would not be very familiar with my use of the rosary is that there is no mention of Mary in the prayers I use. I will never pray to anyone except the single and only mediator between people and God, that is Jesus Christ. I cannot pray to another and keep a clear conscience before God. Such prayers are against my faith. Note that I said my faith and not religion. If you are a person who has a clear conscience and is able to pray to Mary, then be blessed in your freedom from the Lord to do so. I do not have that same freedom.
As Christians, is it ok to make people angry? In short, yes. Allow me to spit-ball here and think out loud with barely any Biblical references or authority for what I am about to write.
That about sums up what Spotify has come to embody for me. Now, for the full disclosure. I have known for some time there are far better options out there that Spotify and that the corporation itself is Mammon's slut. One would think that Spotify's new terms for authors uploading their audiobooks to the platform would enrage me enough to quit. Sadly, in some twisted logic, it did not. It has only taken them to cancel my password around ten times or more in order for me to finally break their grip on me. As a wannabe writer myself, this is even a more shameful confession. An intellectual property rights grab like Spotify attempted should have shoved me out of the digital door like a hurricane in a hoe down. You may cast your stones now.
I am a thief. I half inched the title from an interesting tome about Gnostic beginnings; one of many that have attempted to establish a point of origin for the movement as a whole. However, this has nothing to do with what you are about to start reading.
You might think someone who is over half a century old would have a pretty good handle on who they are as a person. In my case, I have embarked, finally, on an inner journey to find some of that answer. Part of that is journeying through the Bible to see what that has to say about it. I am a follower of Jesus Christ, after all.