I saw this meme that I thought was a Bible verse. It had a nice thought and a Scripture reference after it, but when I turned there in my Bible, the nice thought didn’t say anything close to what the verse actually said. It turns out that someone wrote what the verse meant to her and then put the Scripture reference after it. And there’s a whole Pinterest board dedicated to memes like this! Is it OK to handle God’s word like that? I’ve also included some other memes I found that sound fishy to me. Your thoughts?
Penny Pinterest
Dear Penny,
Jon Acuff’s a fun dude, but this is dissin’ God’s word. Ain’t nobody – NO-O-O-O-O-BODY got the props to bling up the Bible. No addin’ to it. No subtractin’ from it. Bad things’ll go down, ya dig? Jots? Tittles? Keep your mitts off, and swing that sword right. And what up with all this “Inspirational Version”? God’s word is da bomb diggity all by its onliness, got me?
Fo’ relz? Where’s that in the Big Book? Lemme let you in on a little inside info: nowheresville. Jesus said as long as we’re hangin’ on the big blue, there’s gonna be trouble. Lots of it. But check it out- who cares? We don’t throw down our faith on havin’ a good day. We throw down our faith on Jesus, even when it’s a bad scene.
Yeah? Tell that to Jesus. His haters had front row seats to torture Him and watch Him die. Or the eleven out of Jesus’ twelve closest homeboys who were executed by their haters. Put your peeps on a copy of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and quit littering up social media with this mess. Kick that prosperity gospel junk to the curb.
Well, Penny. I’ve laid down the gospel 411 for ya. Keep your specs on Jesus and keep the faith.
Dear Pop Theology-
I’m always seeing memes on social media that sound kind of “Christian-ish,” but I’ve got a funny feeling about them. Enclosed is my latest collection. Can you help me out? What’s your take on these?
Signed,
Facebook Frannie
Dear Frannie-
I’m always down with helping a hermeneutical homie keep it real on the F.B. Here’s the 4-1-1 on the pix you laid down:
Whazzup with that? Might as well do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around, ‘cuz that’s what it’s all about on this one. Jesus Himself says the EXACT OPPOSITE of this, feel me? Check it:
So the last will be first, and the first, last.
Matthew 20:16
And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
Mark 9:35
Anybody who puts God first will be looking for the last spot in line. Word. Read it.
Yo Dawg, how do you know that, hmmm, you anonymous meme-maker, you? You don’t know me, you don’t know whether or not I’m saved, and you don’t know what’s going on in my life. Maybe everything is going great today and it’s all going to go down the toilet tomorrow. (That’s what happened to Job, after all.) Plus, how do you know what God has planned for me? Can you read God’s mind? No? Then step off and stop making blasphemous memes where you pretend like you can.
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?
Romans 11:34
Oh heck to the no. Another poser thinking he knows me and my deets, only this one is psychic to the angels, not God. How do you know the angels say “it’s over”? You must not be tight with any angels because if you were, you’d know that saying anything is “over” ain’t their turf. And since when did angels test anybody? And where does the Bible say that re-posting something on Facebook is a test? And how do you know the angels are going to fix two things? Why not one? Why not 47? How do you know they’re going to be big things? Why not small? Why not venti? Like I said, a poser looking for his 15 minutes.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Job 1:21b
So, if you do the thing, you get the bling, right? Show me the money? Really? Slip me some Scripture, bro. Where’s that at? Christianity ain’t no tit for tat, quid to the pro quo. God doesn’t owe you anything special for going through a battle. You’re a soldier, a slave. That’s your job. Does God bless us? Fo shizzle. But blessings aren’t a payoff for active duty. We got our pay on the front end. God has already blessed us infinitely beyond what we deserve by saving our sorry, sinful carcasses out of hell. He blesses us daily with His love, listening to our prayers, forgiveness, provision for our needs, comfort, strength, mercy, and so much more. Expecting bling for what’s already in your job description? Oh no you di-int.
“Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
Luke 17:9-10
There it is, Frannie. You pick up what I’m layin’ down? Keep your nose in the Book and your eyes on the prize, and remember, Jesus ain’t your homeboy, He’s your King.
I keep seeing Christian pages post this video, but I was wondering, does this bottle prayer thing match up with what the Bible says?
Signed,
Praying for an Answer
Well, what about it, Pop? Could you give us any reasons why this might not be a biblical way to learn about prayer?
Lemme lay it down for ya homies:
1. No one has the right to put words in God’s mouth. When you hear someone say, “God says _____,” the only thing that blank can safely be filled in with is Scripture. Otherwise, you’re turning God into a ventriloquist’s dummy and making Him say what you want Him to say. (Deuteronomy 18:21-22, Ezekiel 22:28, Jeremiah 14:13-16).
The truth is, things DON’T always become clear to us on this side of Heaven. Talk to a woman whose husband has abandoned her, or someone in chronic pain, or a parent who has lost a child in an accident. There are things in this life that are painful, dark, and confusing, and no where in Scripture does it say that God owes us an explanation for them or that things will “become clear.”
Did you notice the gentleman in the video didn’t use a single Bible verse to back up his “God says____,” or “Things will become clear,” statements? That’s because he can’t. Scripture doesn’t teach this. It’s just his opinion.
What Scripture DOES promise Christians is that, even in the darkest times, Christ will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), that God can use even the worst difficulties for the good (Romans 8:28), that even our Master learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8), and that when we trust God (regardless of whether or not we get what we want), He will keep us in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).
2. Where does Scripture say that “in order for Him to really begin to do the work that YOU want done” you have to “take the limitations off”? It doesn’t. Prayer isn’t about us maneuvering and manipulating God to get Him to do what we want Him to do. Prayer is about US getting on the same page with GOD’S agenda. Us submitting to His will. Us trusting Him regardless of the outcome. It’s not about the work that we have to do (and no matter how holy it might sound, all the “ya gotta…ya gotta…ya gotta” stuff in this video is work) to force God’s hand. The gentleman in the video makes it sound like everything rests on YOU and that if you’ll just pray hard enough, long enough, and with enough faith, everything will work out the way you want it to.
And if things don’t work out, guess whose fault it is? Yours. Because you didn’t have enough faith, or you didn’t pray long enough, or whatever. That’s a Word of Faith false teaching. It is not what the Bible teaches.
The Bible says that God is in the Heavens and does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3), that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, not the same as ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and that when we pray, we don’t have to feel anxious. Prayer is to produce peace (Philippians 4:6-7), not worry over whether we’ve said the right things or said them long enough (Matthew 6:7-8). Even our perfect, sinless, holy Jesus, when He prayed in Gethsemane before going to the cross, said “NOT My will, but Yours, be done.” (Matthew 26:39).
3. Watch this video again, paying attention to HOW the liquid in the bottle becomes clear. Who, in this analogy, initiates the action? You. Who does all the work? You. (You take off the lid, you put the bottle in the sink, you turn on the water, you make sure the bottle is in the right place, you readjust the bottle to make sure you’re getting the result you want, you decide when it’s clear enough.) So who gets the glory if everything works out the way you want it to? You.
God says He will not share His glory with another (Isaiah 48:11), and that HE is the one who wills and works for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
Ladies, if you want to know how to pray, a video like this featuring a guy who dares to speak for God outside of, and in conflict with, Scripture and doesn’t offer a single Bible verse to teach you about one of the most important aspects of the Christian life is not the way to go.
Don’t believe somebody just because what he says makes you feel good and he has a cool visual aid. Instead, if we want to know how to pray, we need to go straight to the horse’s mouth. That’s what the disciples did when they wanted to know how to pray (Luke 11:1-4), and here’s what Jesus told them in Matthew 6:7-13:
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
If that was good enough for Jesus, it should be good enough for us. Ya feel me?
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Sunday I try to get some rest, but, if you’re a blog subscriber, you know I usually post the notes from my Sunday School class. Missed Sunday School that day, or looking for something to study during your quiet time? Check it out!
Monday is Missions Monday. Learn about missions work going on overseas or across the street. Find out how you and your church can get involved and how you can personally share your faith better.
Tuesday, come on over for Good News Tues and get inspired! You’ve heard the old journalism adage, “If it bleeds, it leads,”? Well on Tuesday at MLA, if it blesses, it leads. Believe it or not, there are still good news stories out there in the world. We take a look at as many as we can, plus the best news of all: the gospel!
Wednesday is the day to give us your two cents worth. On What’s Your Take? Wednseday, we could be discussing something as serious as hot button issues in the church or as silly as which fast food chain has the best hamburger. Chime in and give us your “take” on the situation!
Thursday is Theology Thursday. What does “soteriology” mean? What does the Bible say about baptism? Need more information on apologetics? We tackle a different topic every week and take a look at the biblical information and resources that are out there to help you.
Fridays are for fun! Need to blow off a little steam at the end of the week? Come play Family Feud Friday with us! No prizes, just bragging rights :0)
Saturday is a great day to putter around on line and check out some fun and interesting Miscellaneous Stuff for Your Saturday. Interesting articles that don’t really fit any of the week day themes, hilarious videos, and silly pictures. It’s a hodge-podge of goofiness and information.
With all the debate going on out there about Calvinism vs. Arminianism, I thought I’d weigh in with where I stand. So here it is:
I stand on the Bible. I believe all of it. Every word.
The Bible tells us that we are all sinners who abide under the wrath of God, and that the only way to escape the just penalty for our sin –an eternity in hell—is to repent from our sin and place our faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross as payment for that sin, and in His bodily resurrection.
Precisely how God accomplishes salvation at the nanosecond of a human’s repentance and faith, and the minutiae involved in predestination that isn’t revealed in Scripture, along with some of the other fine points of disagreement between Calvinists and Arminians, are, and will remain, a mystery understood only by the mind of God. And no amount of debate will change that.
Scriptures concerning election, predestination, and free will are constantly tossed back and forth in this debate, but I don’t believe I’ve ever heard either side bring out:
Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”
Isaiah 55:8-9: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
I Corinthians 13:9,10,12: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
How are we doing on the things that have been clearly revealed to us in Scripture? Is the entire world evangelized? Is the church a pure and spotless bride ready for Christ’s return? Has false doctrine been eradicated? Is every widow and orphan cared for?
No?
Then we are to be about the business of “the things revealed” and leave “the secret things” to the Lord.
The truth is, when we get to Heaven, no matter where we land on the spectrum of Arminianism vs. Calvinism, we’re probably all going to find out that none of us had every single aspect of this theological construct precisely correct. What is the point of debating to the death something we may eventually find out we were wrong about?
Let us “Be diligent to present [ourselves] approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth,” (II Timothy 2:15) and, “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling,” (Philippians 2:12) as we seek to work together to carry out the Great Commission.
