tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13493923.post112113508093506456..comments2023-11-02T11:03:48.044-04:00Comments on HandMeDowns: Bono and ChristianityJeff A. Spryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12520991166166572854noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13493923.post-1121697683225905132005-07-18T10:41:00.000-04:002005-07-18T10:41:00.000-04:00Do nothing? Absolutely not. It is the mission of t...Do nothing? Absolutely not. It is the mission of the church to take care of the poor. It is an indictment on the church that Hollywood must do this sort of thing in our place. But the church is not entirely lax. Much is being done by the church that does not get this type of attention, however. <BR/><BR/>In Matthew 6:2-3, Jesus said "When you give to the poor," do it in secret. He did not say, "if" but "when." He expects this of us. <BR/><BR/>In Romans 15:26, Paul praises Macedonia and Achaia for their offering for the poor in Jerusalem.<BR/><BR/>In Galatians 3:10, Paul is before James and John and Peter because of his theology and after the interview, Paul says the only thing they asked of him was to "remember the poor." <BR/><BR/>James gives some words to us regarding the poor in James 2:2-6. <BR/><BR/>It is the job of the church to care for the underprivileged: the widows, the orphans, the destitute. It is easy to rail on celebrities but I (and all of us) should remove the plank in our eyes first - what have we done to help the poor in Statesville and around the world?Jeff A. Spryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12520991166166572854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13493923.post-1121664975219284462005-07-18T01:36:00.000-04:002005-07-18T01:36:00.000-04:00On the povery issue, should we then do nothing, or...On the povery issue, should we then do nothing, or follow the biblical command to take care of the poor (even if it is as part of a "secular" movement)? As for Bono, no offense to Jeff because we do need to defend true biblical ideas and point out false teachers, but we sometimes get too focused on criticizing others and looking for what's wrong with them rather than what may be right. As I read Bono's explanation for why he believed Jesus was the Son of God, I thought of C.S. Lewis' statement (I'm paraphrasing) that Jesus was either a)the Son of God as he claimed to be, b)a liar, or c)a lunatic. In answer to his own question to Peter, "Who do you say I am?", everyone must answer one of the 3 choices. You can't say he was a Prophet because if he wasn't the Son of God, he was lying or crazy and that doesn't make for a good prophet. You can't say he was a good moral teacher because good moral teachers don't lie and they're generally not insane. Either he was who he said he was or he was a liar or he was crazy. I'm sure election has someting to do with what each person chooses as their personal answer. Back to Peter and Jesus, after Peter correctly answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of God," Jesus said that God had revealed this to Peter, it had not been revealed by man. C.S. Lewis worked this idea into the Chronicles of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe when Lucy claims to have been in Narnia and her brothers and sister don't believe her. Peter and Susan talk to the Professor about it and he says there are 3 choices, either she's telling the truth, she's lying, or she's crazy. As with Christ, the correct answer is that she was telling the truth, though the truth seemed unbelievable. The author that interviewed Bono sounds like Lucy and Susan, failing to recognize the truth because the idea that Jesus is the Son of God seems too unbelievable for him. Like the professor, Bono uses a bit of logic to show that it's actually more plausible to believe that Jesus is the Son of God than that he was a prophet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13493923.post-1121546768311721602005-07-16T16:46:00.000-04:002005-07-16T16:46:00.000-04:00Some thoughts on "Making Poverty History":Read thi...Some thoughts on "Making Poverty History":<BR/><BR/>Read this from John 12 - Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at the table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”<BR/><BR/>How can we make poverty history when Jesus said "the poor you will always have with you."Jeff A. Spryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12520991166166572854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13493923.post-1121544217606573192005-07-16T16:03:00.000-04:002005-07-16T16:03:00.000-04:00What do you think about the ONE campaign?What do you think about the ONE campaign?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13493923.post-1121171556431881022005-07-12T08:32:00.000-04:002005-07-12T08:32:00.000-04:00One other note. I went to see U2 at the Smith Cen...One other note. I went to see U2 at the Smith Center in either 89 or 90, can't remember. At the time the Baptist Student Union was attempting to maintain their campus charter to use campus facilities. Liberal groups(go figure)were suing the school for allowing a religous group to have a charter. At the end of "40",<BR/><BR/> "I waited patiently for the Lord He inclined and heard my cry" for those non-U2 listeners<BR/><BR/>Bono said a short prayer for the BSU and then proceeded to chastise the school and those involved in the suit for their "narrow-mindedness and lack of tolerance". The look on some of the faces in that crowd was priceless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13493923.post-1121170734312785862005-07-12T08:18:00.000-04:002005-07-12T08:18:00.000-04:00He seems genuine. I certainly can't see what's in ...He seems genuine. I certainly can't see what's in his heart but he is one "celebrity" that hasn't been bashful about calling Jesus the Messiah. Even since 9/11 when "tolerance" has become all the buzz he's still out their saying it. I wish some "evangelicals" would show such certainty when given the opportunity.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com