Category: Life (Page 5 of 8)

Katy Perry Isn’t a Christian!

katy_perryAmid the glitz and glamour of the most recent Hollywood gathering, musicians and stars strut the red carpet showing off the latest fashion of the designer that paid them the most. There are speeches made and jokes told and performances… performed, all for the purpose of sucking us into a world that “everybody” dreams about being a part of. And, somewhere in all that, awards are handed out. It’s The Grammy’s!

To be honest, I didn’t watch them. I was busy enjoying my birthday dinner at The Melting Pot (go there!) and watching the mid-season premier of The Walking Dead (watch that!).

 

But, even though I didn’t watch it, without looking for it, I know two things that happened.

1. LaCrae won a grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for the song Messenger. Bravo for that!

2. Katy Perry isn’t a Christian.

Well, I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know there are plenty of Christians that made sure to make that known after her remarks to Ryan Seacrest during her Grammy interview.  I won’t call anyone out in particular, but just check the google, the Facebook or the twitter and you’ll find it. Here’s what she said:

“It’s funny, I was praying and I got a word from God and He says, ‘You got this and I got you.’ And then I was on top of the lion and a guy, a random guy, just looked on me with a headset that I’ve never communicated with before and he just looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘You got this.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, this is God confirming I can do this.”

(Article link HERE)

Because people are entitled to their opinions, they can say whatever they want, but as Christians, we ought to be careful who we say isn’t “in”. This isn’t about calling out sin, which is important, as long as it starts with yours (HERE is a blog on that). This is about making a definitive statement about the condition of a person’s heart and what Jesus might be doing in it. We simply aren’t allowed to do that.

Most of the comments revolve around the fact that Katy said she heard from God before her Super Bowl Half Time performance and how that does’t make her a follower of Jesus. While I agree that giving God “props” for a touchdown or winning an award doesn’t make you a Jesus follower, I would caution you to be careful when making a statement that excludes the work that God may be doing in them.

As Christians, when we say things that excludes someone from our “club” it does nothing but alienate them and ignores the might and majesty of God. Just because He may not be speaking to others in the perfect way He spoke to you, doesn’t make it less perfect. It makes it grace. When we do this, we trample grace. In that case, if grace is our business, it looks like we’re headed for bankruptcy.

In Katy’s case, she grew up in the church, as a Christian, singing christian music. I assume (and this is only my assumption) that at some point during that time she spoke to God and He spoke to her. So her saying she heard from God isn’t so far-fetched. I’m not saying she’s following Christ well, or even at all, just that she’s been exposed to the truth and knows the difference. And in that, Christ can work.

My friend Tori Karr said this on the article I posted on FB:

I believe we all fall away at some point in our lives, just not to this degree. Being lazy, living for ourselves, talking about others, etc. Katy Perry’s is just magnified because she is in the spotlight and she merely sings about what MANY Christians think on a daily basis, so struggle alone in your head or tell everyone all about it, we’re very similar. I’ve met several Christian artists who were less than pleasant to be around and I could argue they were not Christ-like at all (fame and fortune gets to them just like Katy Perry). I know that she doesn’t use her stance well but when she one day realizes she needs Christ fully, think of all the people who are following her that she may help lead to Christ one day. I’m on her team. We can judge her or we can hope for the best that she will one day “return.”

She’s smart. I have a lot of smart friends.

All that to say, God’s work in others is a mystery to us and we ought to view it as that… something that we know little or nothing about, but that amazes us.

Keep talking to God, Katy!

Dear Women, It’s All Your Fault. (An Open Letter)

Chivalry is dead

Used from www.sodahead.com

Dear Women,

I feel like it’s time that we address the real reason why “chivalry is dead,” why it seems to be okay to speak harshly about and to women, why men feel like they can say and do anything they want to women and why there’s a gross lack in our society of guys actually being men.

The truth is, it’s your fault. You’re responsible for all of it.

Over the last few weeks I’ve read a number of articles and blogs and listened to a number of speakers, not just men, on the topic and the collective opinion is that men act the way they do because you accept it and you’ve lowered the bar for how men should act. There is also the “boys will be boys” camp. And most recently the “it’s just locker room banter” camp.

Some of these writers and speakers may not have intend for that to be the message and some even tell men that they have a responsibility to behave a certain way regardless of what the culture deems acceptable. Others blatantly dismiss these obviously offensive and hurtful, sometimes criminal, comments and actions. All in all, the shared view seems to be that 1) either women are too sensitive or 2) if they were to set the bar higher and expected better of men, men would rise to the occasion.

What a Relief

As a guy I’m relieved, because that takes a ton of pressure off of me. I mean, if you women set the standard and tell me what I should be doing and than all I have to do is follow those rules, primarily while I’m around you, then sweet!

I guess what I’m saying is that it’s your fault and your responsibility to change it.

Your Issues

  • We don’t open the car door, because you stopped expecting it.
  • We don’t pay for dinner, because you stopped expecting it.
  • We don’t hold doors, because you stopped expecting it.
  • We would rather “hook up” than date you, because you stopped expecting it.
  • Pornography isn’t a big deal, because you started accepting it.
  • Sleeping around is cool, because you started accepting it.
  • We act like your body is ours, because you let us.
  • The way you dress reveals your level of invitation for us to “be boys.”
  • Referring to you as “bitches” is cool, because you started accepting it.
  • Guys knocking you up and then stepping out and making you a single mom is “just the way it is”, because you accept it.
  • Us refusing to take responsibility for our relationships, kids or our bills is acceptable, because you let it be.
  • Refusal to be monogamous and even adultery is commonplace because you let it be.
  • Refusing to grow up and sitting in our mother’s basement playing video games all day, until we’re 30 (which is really just prolonged adolescence) is the new “thing”, because you let it be.

We Should Absolutely Ignore This Stuff

Never mind that throughout history women have been viewed and treated as second-class citizens. Even if they were free, that often just meant they didn’t have to sleep in the slave or servant quarters and no one but their husband could punish them. It also doesn’t matter that in many countries women are still treated this way; not allowed to go to school, or drive, or be treated as human.

Never mind that for generations men have been applauded for their sexual exploits and prowess, meeting together to pat each other’s backs in recognition of their successful sexual conquests. Eventually we even titled them “studs”. All the while women were deemed whores and sluts and publicly ridiculed for something most “men” are held in esteem for.

Never mind men have always made the rules and they were rules that ensured women weren’t afforded even the most basic of rights.

Never mind that some priests and pastors misinterpret scripture like, “Wives submit to your husbands.” Then take it out of context and translate “submission” to mean “subservient.” Then give men the “permission,” for centuries, to use it to abuse and manipulate their wives.

Never mind that the absent father epidemic in our society have left boys to figure out manhood on their own and that the responsibility for that has been placed squarely of the shoulders of the gender that for generations have been told they aren’t in the same class as the men they’re supposed to be teaching.

Never mind any of that, somehow it is probably still your fault.

If This Were a Letter to Guys

If I was writing this letter to guys, I might say something like, being a man is your responsibility regardless of where women set the bar. The way that men have historically treated women is absolute garbage, completely unacceptable and our fault, because past men have propagated that behavior and we have accepted it. Guys, we ought to set the expectations for what it means to be a man and that only happens through real conversations between men and men AND women and men. Then we can start to hold each other, as men, accountable to those standards. We should not be okay with or accepting of any guy “just being a boy” or “locker room banter” because those “jokes” encourage and reinforce behavior that hurts, disrespects and violates women. Personally I believe that our example of manhood is Jesus (Click HERE for a number of blogs I’ve written on that topic), but if you don’t, at least maybe we can agree that we are failing to produce real men; men that respect and protect others. Maybe it is time that we raise the bar, because society, the women in our lives, and the next generation deserves that from us.

That is what I would say if I were writing this to men, but I’m not, so women, it falls to you.

But It’s Not a Letter to Guys

So, it seems like your failure to set the standard for us has devolved men into boys and caused men to act they way they do. There’s probably no other reasons, right?

Well, that’s it. I hope this was helpful and you are all more willing to change the way you’ve been acting. I wish you all the luck in the world, because no doubt you’ll need it… it is sure to be a heavy task.

Sincerely,
Men?

All the women need to know what they did, so please click one of those buttons below and share with them.

Sorrow Comes. Jesus Overcomes.

HopeThe last few weeks have been difficult for so many of my friends. From the loss of loved ones to scary medical news, it’s been rough. The thing that pulled me into reality is the fact that each piece of news came out of nowhere. I’ve always known this is the case with tragedy, most times. Tragedy doesn’t typically call and say that it’s coming to visit. Instead, it kicks in the door and ravages everything in it’s path.

Sorrow comes.

It’s inevitable. No one is immune. Tragedy will come violently crashing into your’s or a loved one’s life. In that moment there is little that can be said to comfort or make sense of it. In those moments, sometimes the best possible answer is to simply be with the one that is hurting.

Jesus said “For wherever two or three are gathered in My name, there I Am in the midst of them.” Let me first point out that the “I Am” Jesus used is the same one that God used with Moses and the same one He routinely used to identify Him and The Father as one. He was telling us that HE, the presence and power of God, would be in the midst of them. Secondly, let me clarify that Him saying this doesn’t mean that He isn’t present when we’re by ourself, He is. He meant that He honors the gathering. I’ve said this a number of times before and I’ll continue to say it; we can experience Jesus in all His glory and completeness when we’re alone, but there is something different that happens when we gather. As the saints gather together, there’s a fullness in Christ, through that community, that cannot be experienced any other way. Because Jesus loves His church, because He honors the gathering, He shows up in a different way bringing with Him a fullness that is nearly undefinable. The gathering is important, but not just for Sunday morning service. The part that we rarely talk about is that this promise isn’t reserved solely for celebration. Jesus’ promise isn’t relegated to happy moments of singing while we gather in a building for an hour every week.

I would offer that as much as Jesus’ promise is for celebrating together, it’s more for when we gather to mourn together. When we gather in two or three to grieve and mourn, Jesus is in the midst of that; present with all the power and presence of God. In those times He brings a fullness that is translated through His people into His peace and comfort. In that we are encouraged and reminded to hope in Him; to cling to His completeness and enoughness.

Corporate grieving is just as important as corporate celebration. We see it throughout the bible. There are so many times in the Old Testament that it says Israel gathered and mourned as a nation. After Jesus was crucified many of the disciples were together, mourning, when Mary told them the tomb was empty. Gathering together to mourn will look different for different people, but it’s still an element of Gospel-centered community that can’t be dismissed. We gather to encourage and remember Jesus’ promises. Promises like, He has overcome the world, He will wipe our tears, He is with us, and He will return. In Him there is all hope.

Jesus Overcomes.

If what you read was helpful, please use one of the social media buttons to share it.

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2024 BrucePagano.com

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑