Are you a Fast Food Christian?
Recently I took to the Facebook realm of Christianity. There are about a thousand pages put up to spread the word about Jesus, God and Christianity in some form or another. Most of them pretty pictures with a scripture, or a very short motivational message. Very few put anything up of substance. Some write long articles that no one reads, including myself as I could never live long enough to read the thoughts of every Christian or professed Christian out there and wouldn’t want to take the time either.
So, I decided to limit my Facebook page to smaller messages to provoke thought and perhaps questions and I shared them with many of the other Christian pages, where the owners claimed to love Jesus, love God and they were all about God. That was my goal, but what I got was fights.
The first of my confrontations was because a person looked at my website where you will find my strong beliefs. I have had other websites, but this one was to be different. While I think respectful, I do have my views on some controversial doctrines. In keeping with the faithful Reformers like Wycliffe, Huss, Bunyan, Waldo and Luther, my goal is to speak out about “orthodox” errors. And if need be, am willing to be burned at the stake (with God’s strength) like Ridley and Lattimer and if only I could sing praises like Huss did.
I was called a hater by this person as we went back and forth with e-mails. But that is nothing, I learned something from the experience. This person was not a pastor, but he was a seminarian. He told me about five times that you cannot have the Bible alone, or Sola Scriptura, because if you only used the Bible, you could come up with Jesus isn’t God. That is why you need past church councils to tell you Christian doctrine and you must believe what they say.
That reminds me of the Christian comedian, Mark Lowry, who makes the comment that he learned a lot of things in Seminary that he never read in the Bible.
This really isn’t on my subject, so I will get back to it, but it does have a bearing on how some Christians believe.
My Facebook page is relatively new and I got so excited that I have now passed thirty likes and I will start getting updates! I got these likes by visiting all these other Christian pages. By visiting these pages, I got an idea of how the majority of people who call themselves Christians think.
The page owner will post a scripture, any scripture, any scripture at all and the thousands of Christians who liked their page will post “Amen”. There is no comment about the scripture, there are no questions asked about the scripture nor none made by others. Just “Amen”
Some of these scriptures clearly did not apply to the Christian and of course I thought I needed to point that out, but the “Amens” just kept coming. I know that if the owner put up the scripture: “Jesus Wept.” They would get a thousand “Amens”.
Pretty pictures will always get a thousand likes and “amens”.
I don’t understand. To me it all sounds fake and meaningless.
What I hate more than that is, when they tell you to type “Amen” or to “like and share” their photo. I hate, absolutely hate any posting that tells me what to do with it. To me it is like the chain e-mails that would tell you that you were a loser if you didn’t send this e-mail to at least ten of your friends, or that bad things will happen to you if you don’t.
If I truly appreciate something, I will pass it on. So I absolutely refuse on principle to forward or like any post or e-mail that tries to make be obey nonsense.
I recently posted a scripture with a short explanation on my page and a few others. I didn’t know it was so controversial.
Here is the first comment that I got that sparked the all-day back and forth.
Some of this is true, what you wrote because it is the word of God; however, it is also biblical that "no one can take you out of My hand; not even you" so your mouth CANNOT condemn you IF you are saved. That statement you made is not accurate.
This is the post that I put up:
“By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:37.
ALL our words are taken by the Lord as an index of our hearts. If our words are rebellious, or disloyal, or frivolous, or flippant, or unkind, unthankful, unholy or impure, the heart is judged accordingly, on the principle that, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”…That as imperfect beings we may always be perfect in word and deed is not possible. Despite our best endeavors we will sometimes err in word as well as in deed, yet the perfect mastery of our words and ways is the thing to be sought by vigilant and faithful effort.
I am not sure on how we got into a “once in grace” argument from this post, but that is where we went.
After a few posts, I listed a bunch of scriptures that show that we can fall from grace. Never once did this person or the other one attempt to acknowledge they even existed never mind look at them.
Then the other person wrote me this:
"You are so wrapped up in scripture that you don't know what true salvation is. Friend please I think you need to get on your knees and pray. Call out to God. Feel him. Ask Him to show you. That is the only way you will ever truly know is to let God lead you Himself."
I don’t know, but I think that is kind of funny. Is, “You are so wrapped up in scripture” like saying don’t try to confuse me with the facts?
Both of these people profess to love the Lord. The second one is from a page I put this on and she originally said “amen and thank you for sharing.”
What I have noticed is that people, and not just these two, have their own version of God and Christianity. They get their beliefs from the “Happy Meal” or the “dollar menu”. Facebook Christianity for the most part is Fast Food Christianity. People go wild for it because they can get a quick fix and hopefully it won’t interrupt the rest of their day.
It boggles my mind, though it really shouldn't, that these people who tout their love for God and Jesus, have no desire to know what their Word teaches. They don’t want prime rib or filet mignon, they want those tiny little hamburgers, which when you open them up you say, “Where’s the beef?” They don’t really want the beef, they want the pickles, ketchup and the bun.
Don’t get me wrong, I eat off the dollar menu, but that is not my main diet. It would only be a snack. I like real food, I like the strong meat of the Word, and not the milk.
My exchange with this girl provoked her to put a few posts up. One on the prayer of salvation—someone made it up and threw in a few scripture references—not bad, but not a free ticket to heaven.
Then she really got mad, and wrote something as long as this on how you can’t lose your salvation if you believe in Jesus, but people who think you have to actually do something like Kirk Cameron and someone else (she didn’t name me), are going to burn in hell because of their teachings (but wait—you just got through saying all they had to do was believe.)
So, not only do you want only the “happy meal” and the dollar menu for yourself, but anyone who doesn’t do it your way, gets flame broiled. Nice!
This is part of her montage:
"Perhaps you ask, what groups of religious people today are doing wonderful things in Jesus' name, and are speaking in Jesus' name; but are lost and on their way to Hell? Namely: Lutherans, Catholics, Church of Christ, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Scientology, Muslims, Judaism, Christian Science, Greek Orthodox, United Church of Christ, Russian Orthodox, Unitarian Universalist, Moonies, New Agers, Episcopal, the Lordship Salvation crowd and many more."
I just couldn’t leave it alone.
"If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, you have eternal life. AMEN!" You make this statement, but then say that other people who have accepted Jesus as their savior will burn in hell because they do not see this doctrine as you have laid it out. Am I getting that correct? Also, I could not help but notice you have Jews and Muslims doing great things in Jesus' name--didn't know they did anything in Jesus' name. I am not trying to be confrontational today any more than I was yesterday. But I feel since I am what prompted this montage, I should point out the inconsistencies. Have a blessed day."
Then there is the picture of Jesus ordeal.
"NVBS, foolish men use their own foolish reasoning to justify their idolatry. Remember my warning, any picture of Jesus is an INSULT to Him. Obviously you have no idea whatever of WHO Jesus Christ is!"
We tried to tell him that pictures in and of themselves are not idols, that God’s Word stipulates the bowing down to them makes them an idol and that God used images of Cherubim and oxen in the Tabernacle and Temple, so the images in and of themselves were not the sin. No matter what we said, he kept posting the above.
Christians spread love and grace to all—but only if you agree with them it seems. I am persuaded that I have real Christian brethren out there who have different understandings than I do. Some doctrines are not vital to salvation. We are told to “come let us reason together”, and I love a good Bible discussion, and I love being challenged. I don’t get angry about it, I don’t start name calling and making it personal. That would not be a proper Christian spirit.
No wonder, God says of Laodicea, you are lukewarm. We have painted our relationship with God into a neat little package full of pretty pictures and saying and think we have it all and need nothing more. Wake up, because God says He will vomit you out. The King James says spew, but the thought is puke. It is not meant to sound nice, we should cringe when we read it, because God is cringing at our behavior and our attitude.
We have all the means to truly understand God and His will, why don’t we use the tools He has provided and get over our personality issues and only desire the Truth, all lies be dammed. I don’t want to be vomit. My views on somethings are always growing. Some things will never change as they are cast in stone and those are the foundation doctrines of Christianity, but as the light shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day, we should be following that light and growing in knowledge as well as grace.
Recently I took to the Facebook realm of Christianity. There are about a thousand pages put up to spread the word about Jesus, God and Christianity in some form or another. Most of them pretty pictures with a scripture, or a very short motivational message. Very few put anything up of substance. Some write long articles that no one reads, including myself as I could never live long enough to read the thoughts of every Christian or professed Christian out there and wouldn’t want to take the time either.
So, I decided to limit my Facebook page to smaller messages to provoke thought and perhaps questions and I shared them with many of the other Christian pages, where the owners claimed to love Jesus, love God and they were all about God. That was my goal, but what I got was fights.
The first of my confrontations was because a person looked at my website where you will find my strong beliefs. I have had other websites, but this one was to be different. While I think respectful, I do have my views on some controversial doctrines. In keeping with the faithful Reformers like Wycliffe, Huss, Bunyan, Waldo and Luther, my goal is to speak out about “orthodox” errors. And if need be, am willing to be burned at the stake (with God’s strength) like Ridley and Lattimer and if only I could sing praises like Huss did.
I was called a hater by this person as we went back and forth with e-mails. But that is nothing, I learned something from the experience. This person was not a pastor, but he was a seminarian. He told me about five times that you cannot have the Bible alone, or Sola Scriptura, because if you only used the Bible, you could come up with Jesus isn’t God. That is why you need past church councils to tell you Christian doctrine and you must believe what they say.
That reminds me of the Christian comedian, Mark Lowry, who makes the comment that he learned a lot of things in Seminary that he never read in the Bible.
This really isn’t on my subject, so I will get back to it, but it does have a bearing on how some Christians believe.
My Facebook page is relatively new and I got so excited that I have now passed thirty likes and I will start getting updates! I got these likes by visiting all these other Christian pages. By visiting these pages, I got an idea of how the majority of people who call themselves Christians think.
The page owner will post a scripture, any scripture, any scripture at all and the thousands of Christians who liked their page will post “Amen”. There is no comment about the scripture, there are no questions asked about the scripture nor none made by others. Just “Amen”
Some of these scriptures clearly did not apply to the Christian and of course I thought I needed to point that out, but the “Amens” just kept coming. I know that if the owner put up the scripture: “Jesus Wept.” They would get a thousand “Amens”.
Pretty pictures will always get a thousand likes and “amens”.
I don’t understand. To me it all sounds fake and meaningless.
What I hate more than that is, when they tell you to type “Amen” or to “like and share” their photo. I hate, absolutely hate any posting that tells me what to do with it. To me it is like the chain e-mails that would tell you that you were a loser if you didn’t send this e-mail to at least ten of your friends, or that bad things will happen to you if you don’t.
If I truly appreciate something, I will pass it on. So I absolutely refuse on principle to forward or like any post or e-mail that tries to make be obey nonsense.
I recently posted a scripture with a short explanation on my page and a few others. I didn’t know it was so controversial.
Here is the first comment that I got that sparked the all-day back and forth.
Some of this is true, what you wrote because it is the word of God; however, it is also biblical that "no one can take you out of My hand; not even you" so your mouth CANNOT condemn you IF you are saved. That statement you made is not accurate.
This is the post that I put up:
“By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:37.
ALL our words are taken by the Lord as an index of our hearts. If our words are rebellious, or disloyal, or frivolous, or flippant, or unkind, unthankful, unholy or impure, the heart is judged accordingly, on the principle that, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”…That as imperfect beings we may always be perfect in word and deed is not possible. Despite our best endeavors we will sometimes err in word as well as in deed, yet the perfect mastery of our words and ways is the thing to be sought by vigilant and faithful effort.
I am not sure on how we got into a “once in grace” argument from this post, but that is where we went.
After a few posts, I listed a bunch of scriptures that show that we can fall from grace. Never once did this person or the other one attempt to acknowledge they even existed never mind look at them.
Then the other person wrote me this:
"You are so wrapped up in scripture that you don't know what true salvation is. Friend please I think you need to get on your knees and pray. Call out to God. Feel him. Ask Him to show you. That is the only way you will ever truly know is to let God lead you Himself."
I don’t know, but I think that is kind of funny. Is, “You are so wrapped up in scripture” like saying don’t try to confuse me with the facts?
Both of these people profess to love the Lord. The second one is from a page I put this on and she originally said “amen and thank you for sharing.”
What I have noticed is that people, and not just these two, have their own version of God and Christianity. They get their beliefs from the “Happy Meal” or the “dollar menu”. Facebook Christianity for the most part is Fast Food Christianity. People go wild for it because they can get a quick fix and hopefully it won’t interrupt the rest of their day.
It boggles my mind, though it really shouldn't, that these people who tout their love for God and Jesus, have no desire to know what their Word teaches. They don’t want prime rib or filet mignon, they want those tiny little hamburgers, which when you open them up you say, “Where’s the beef?” They don’t really want the beef, they want the pickles, ketchup and the bun.
Don’t get me wrong, I eat off the dollar menu, but that is not my main diet. It would only be a snack. I like real food, I like the strong meat of the Word, and not the milk.
My exchange with this girl provoked her to put a few posts up. One on the prayer of salvation—someone made it up and threw in a few scripture references—not bad, but not a free ticket to heaven.
Then she really got mad, and wrote something as long as this on how you can’t lose your salvation if you believe in Jesus, but people who think you have to actually do something like Kirk Cameron and someone else (she didn’t name me), are going to burn in hell because of their teachings (but wait—you just got through saying all they had to do was believe.)
So, not only do you want only the “happy meal” and the dollar menu for yourself, but anyone who doesn’t do it your way, gets flame broiled. Nice!
This is part of her montage:
"Perhaps you ask, what groups of religious people today are doing wonderful things in Jesus' name, and are speaking in Jesus' name; but are lost and on their way to Hell? Namely: Lutherans, Catholics, Church of Christ, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Scientology, Muslims, Judaism, Christian Science, Greek Orthodox, United Church of Christ, Russian Orthodox, Unitarian Universalist, Moonies, New Agers, Episcopal, the Lordship Salvation crowd and many more."
I just couldn’t leave it alone.
"If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, you have eternal life. AMEN!" You make this statement, but then say that other people who have accepted Jesus as their savior will burn in hell because they do not see this doctrine as you have laid it out. Am I getting that correct? Also, I could not help but notice you have Jews and Muslims doing great things in Jesus' name--didn't know they did anything in Jesus' name. I am not trying to be confrontational today any more than I was yesterday. But I feel since I am what prompted this montage, I should point out the inconsistencies. Have a blessed day."
Then there is the picture of Jesus ordeal.
"NVBS, foolish men use their own foolish reasoning to justify their idolatry. Remember my warning, any picture of Jesus is an INSULT to Him. Obviously you have no idea whatever of WHO Jesus Christ is!"
We tried to tell him that pictures in and of themselves are not idols, that God’s Word stipulates the bowing down to them makes them an idol and that God used images of Cherubim and oxen in the Tabernacle and Temple, so the images in and of themselves were not the sin. No matter what we said, he kept posting the above.
Christians spread love and grace to all—but only if you agree with them it seems. I am persuaded that I have real Christian brethren out there who have different understandings than I do. Some doctrines are not vital to salvation. We are told to “come let us reason together”, and I love a good Bible discussion, and I love being challenged. I don’t get angry about it, I don’t start name calling and making it personal. That would not be a proper Christian spirit.
No wonder, God says of Laodicea, you are lukewarm. We have painted our relationship with God into a neat little package full of pretty pictures and saying and think we have it all and need nothing more. Wake up, because God says He will vomit you out. The King James says spew, but the thought is puke. It is not meant to sound nice, we should cringe when we read it, because God is cringing at our behavior and our attitude.
We have all the means to truly understand God and His will, why don’t we use the tools He has provided and get over our personality issues and only desire the Truth, all lies be dammed. I don’t want to be vomit. My views on somethings are always growing. Some things will never change as they are cast in stone and those are the foundation doctrines of Christianity, but as the light shines brighter and brighter unto the perfect day, we should be following that light and growing in knowledge as well as grace.
RSS Feed
