Music is almost essential to life as a human being. God created us to enjoy music, for it to lift our spirits, to comfort us, and to provide a means of praising Him from the heart.
But when it comes to Christians, the music can often be a stumbling block to us. Usually we either allow any type of it into our ears, or we try to listen to a select genre that we feel comfortable with. Sometimes we don’t really know what we’re allowed to listen to as Christians, so we simply listen to nothing. All of these approaches have their benefits and dangers, and I’m not here to push my own view on anyone, but I believe that there are three major questions you should ask before listening to any type of music.
Does it glorify God?
The Bible has a lot to say about music. …
My Sunday school class is doing a series on the book of Exodus. As we follow the story of the life of Moses, I’m continually struck by the ways in which God showed Himself to be supreme over other gods, specifically the gods of the Egyptians. We serve a truly powerful God. As John 1:3 says, Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. Through Him everything in both the physical and spiritual realm has being.
The Footstool
Nature is truly awesome (in the older, non-anemic meaning of the word). It’s easy to see why we sinful humans turn to forces of creation as gods when we are fleeing the one True God. Wind rips things apart, water rages in torrents, earth falls and crushes, and fire consumes and burns. We both fear and love the world in which …
One of the all-time great movies in my opinion is Fiddler on the Roof. It not only has a good storyline and music, but it has a great message. One of the biggest things I remember about the main character, an older man who struggled with his daughter’s decisions, is that he was always talking to God. All throughout the day, he would hold an on-going “conversation” with the creator of the universe, as though He was his best friend.
After watching this movie, I tried to imitate that man and have my own conversations with God. It was great! If I was alone, afraid, or just depressed, I could tell my troubles to God, and know that He was listening to my every word. It felt good to know that God was in control of everything in my life, and that He cared about my …
I think that many of us are, by now, facing the summer. For students this is a time free from the responsibilities of projects and papers. But those of us who agree with The Rebelution want something more than just freedom for our summer: we want to be productive in our summer. But what does that mean?
The Myth of “Great Exploits”
The Rebelution blog is all about combating the Myth of Adolescence by setting higher standards for teens. But I think that in some ways it can be misleading. The Twins (as we Rebelutionaries affectionately call Alex and Brett) focus of political exploits and public life as methods of fighting the Myth of Adolescence.
This focus in the literature surrounding the Rebelution has resulted (at least for me) in the misconception that that sort of stereotypical “great exploits” is the only sort. I slowly shifted …
As a young kid, I always used to play superheroes. I would get a little blanket, tie it around my neck like a cape, and “fly” across the yard vanquishing any foe that stood in my way. This may seem a bit childish to you, but I’m sure that many of us, deep down inside, would love to have a superpower. We imagine what it would be like to fly, turn invisible, or pick up whole buildings, but then we come back to reality and think how impossible these things are. And they are impossible.
However, most of us don’t realize that God has given each and every one of us an amazing superpower. It is so powerful that it can break down the barriers that Satan and his demons set up in front of you and other people. It melts the ice that holds hearts …