O
online worship
Guest
#1
http://www.online-worship.com/Articles/ ... agame.html
#2
http://www.online-worship.com/Articles/ ... art-2.html
The end times are NOT a game! (Part 1) (Part 2)
Author: Michael G. Mickey
From the moment I read the initial article on the upcoming Left Behind video game, particularly the descriptions given of its content, I knew public reaction was going to be bad - and it was going to hurt those of us who are trying to hold the line on scriptural truth here in these end times. One week later, what I thought was going to take place is taking place, as seen in the title of a SF Gate commentary by Mark Morford dated 6-7-06. Its title and sub-heading?
"Jesus Loves A Machine Gun"
It's the new "Left Behind" video game, where you maim and murder and hate, all in God's name. Praise!
My concerns were well-grounded, as Morford's "Jesus Love A Machine Gun" proves. The commentary states, in part:
Are you a true believer? Do you just know deep down in your black Wal-Mart socks that every word of the Bible is the absolute literal truth and nothing dare be doubted and anyone who thinks that God is merely an ambisexual omniblissful bloom of moist divine nondenominational honeydew melon should be strung up by their small intestine and beaten with sticks sharpened by Mel Gibson's teeth?
Do you feel, furthermore, that human cretins like, say, gays and Jews and Wiccans and all those hippie weirdos with their iPods and low-cut jeans and easy laughter are a plague upon this fine and holy land?
Do you think that contemptible books like "The Da Vinci Code" are not only blasphemy, but that you should probably go out into the street right now and behead a few lambs and perhaps mow down some Taoists with a Gatling gun just to deflect its horrible notions of the sacredness of the feminine divine? You do?
Praise Jesus! Your video game has arrived.
What Morford states "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" represents is the "neo-Christian ideal" - a world wherein nonbelievers are either waiting to be converted or "massacred by nothing less than a Christianized American Taliban, a world of righteousness and judgment and death, all in the name of one very nasty and bloodthirsty God."
Flashback to one week ago today. Remember what I wrote concerning the impact I believed the game would have on nonbelievers opposed to the cause of Christ? If not, here it is:
Not only does trivialization of the Tribulation Period serve no purpose, the imagery of those left behind who accept Christ after the Rapture running through the streets shooting people while saying "Praise the Lord!" likens Christianity to the jihadists the free world is presently in conflict with in the war on terror - people who often kill those opposed to their religious beliefs while yelling, "Allahu Akbar!" Allahu Akbar can be translated as "God is Great."
Left Behind: Eternal Forces, in my opinion, isn't going to do a thing to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. What I believe it will completely succeed in doing, however, is convince more people than are already convinced that the goal of all conservative, Bible-believing Christians is to turn all the governments of the world into theocracies by converting everyone to Christ.....even if it means taking up the sword to do so.
Bottom line: I hit the nail right on the head! Not only did I hit the nail on the head, what Morford writes concerning people playing the game in 'Antichrist mode' is suggestive, not surprisingly, that it's far better for one to don the armor of hell itself, drink, have dirty sex, get tattoos, and listen to Metallica than live a holy life in obedience to the Word of God, which doesn't raise the likelihood that Christians in the Tribulation Period will be toting machine guns while converting the lost to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior but the opposite!
As I noted in the original commentary on the topic of machine gun-toting tribulation saints, the saints of the Tribulation Period are going to, without any doubt whatsoever, be conquered by the Antichrist and his forces, as seen in Revelation 13:7: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." As such, neither the video game nor Morford's words are accurate in any real sense of what's to come.
While I greatly admire Dr. Tim LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind book series, and count him among the very best teachers of Bible prophecy as recorded in the Word of God, Left Behind: Eternal Forces has given the enemy a great opportunity to open fire on the entire prophetic community. As anyone who understands Satan knows, he is quick to come forth with a grand lie whenever it serves his ultimate goal, which is to prevent those seeking to save the lost from spending an eternity in a burning hell from doing so, denying God the honor and glory He deserves!
If you're not a Christian, don't buy into the lies of Satan!
If you're reading this and are not a Christian, I want to give you every assurance that the conservative Christian who adheres to the teachings of Jesus Christ is never - and I mean NEVER - going to take up arms in order to lead anyone to come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, contrary to what the Mark Morfords of the world believe, either now or in the Tribulation Period to come!
The gospel of Jesus Christ isn't a story of hate and physical warfare, but one of love and spiritual warfare! Here's what Jesus said Christians are to be, as recorded in Matthew 5:13-16:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Christians are to be the salt of the earth. In Christ's time, salt was used to prevent the spoilage of foods. The Christian is to prevent the spoilage of the earth in like manner, showing love as Jesus did when He walked the earth.
Once Jesus was asked by a Pharisee, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus responded, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)
Note the last line concerning what Jesus said because it is critical! On two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, both of which explicitly deal with LOVE! Christians, therefore, in order to be the salt of the earth, must show love, both to one another and particularly to those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!
Secondly, Christians are to be the light of the world. Light dispels darkness! Christians are to be so loving in nature that the light of their holiness will find its way into the darkest of hearts, perhaps even into the heart of a guy like Mark Morford who refers to born-again Christians as "hatemongering homophobes." Hatemongering homophobes? Hardly!
True Christians neither hate nor fear homosexuality. While Christians are to oppose sin and rebellion against God, while acting in the role of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, faithful Christians understand the difference between the sin of homosexuality and the people God loves who are practicing it.
To be sure, Christians must, as loyal followers of Christ, condemn homosexuality as a sin. Even so, those who practice homosexuality were made in the image of Almighty God and it is the absolute responsibility of every Christian to love them and teach them of Christ's love that they might be saved and, subsequently, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, leave homosexuality behind in obedience to the will of God. And, yes, it can be done, as Exodus International has demonstrated time and time again, a link to which I provide on my site at all times. I do that out of love, by the way.
While Mr. Morford's goal, assuredly, was to make conservative Christianity look monstrous, I sincerely hope his hardened heart will be opened to the truth contained in the Word of God and he, along with everyone else who chooses to live outside the will of God, will come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior before it is eternally too late.
Has Dr. Tim LaHaye gone mad?
One final thought. While I don't personally know Dr. Tim LaHaye, I want to state, for the record, that I do not believe for one second that he is endorsing violence as a means of spreading the Word of God, either in the world we're presently living in or in the horrific Tribulation Period to come after the Rapture of the Church has taken place. Anyone who has ever read even one of his non-fictional books on the Word of God or heard him speak of Jesus Christ knows he is a gentle and loving man.
Like many, both Christians and nonbelievers, I have concerns where the product "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" is concerned, but I am quite sure Dr. LaHaye isn't trying to turn evangelical Christianty into the Taliban, as Morford implied. While I wish Dr. LaHaye hadn't chosen to get involved in the project in question, giving God's enemies an opportunity to blast away at those of us seeking to reach the lost at this critical juncture, there is no doubt that the Bible-believing Church can and will overcome all obstacles set before it as the Word of God, which we stand upon in faith, is the most powerful weapon on the face of the earth - one that not even a million ugly commentaries or video games can defeat!
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Part 1) (Part 2)
http://www.online-worship.com/Articles/ ... agame.html
#2
http://www.online-worship.com/Articles/ ... art-2.html
The end times are NOT a game! (Part 1) (Part 2)
Author: Michael G. Mickey
From the moment I read the initial article on the upcoming Left Behind video game, particularly the descriptions given of its content, I knew public reaction was going to be bad - and it was going to hurt those of us who are trying to hold the line on scriptural truth here in these end times. One week later, what I thought was going to take place is taking place, as seen in the title of a SF Gate commentary by Mark Morford dated 6-7-06. Its title and sub-heading?
"Jesus Loves A Machine Gun"
It's the new "Left Behind" video game, where you maim and murder and hate, all in God's name. Praise!
My concerns were well-grounded, as Morford's "Jesus Love A Machine Gun" proves. The commentary states, in part:
Are you a true believer? Do you just know deep down in your black Wal-Mart socks that every word of the Bible is the absolute literal truth and nothing dare be doubted and anyone who thinks that God is merely an ambisexual omniblissful bloom of moist divine nondenominational honeydew melon should be strung up by their small intestine and beaten with sticks sharpened by Mel Gibson's teeth?
Do you feel, furthermore, that human cretins like, say, gays and Jews and Wiccans and all those hippie weirdos with their iPods and low-cut jeans and easy laughter are a plague upon this fine and holy land?
Do you think that contemptible books like "The Da Vinci Code" are not only blasphemy, but that you should probably go out into the street right now and behead a few lambs and perhaps mow down some Taoists with a Gatling gun just to deflect its horrible notions of the sacredness of the feminine divine? You do?
Praise Jesus! Your video game has arrived.
What Morford states "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" represents is the "neo-Christian ideal" - a world wherein nonbelievers are either waiting to be converted or "massacred by nothing less than a Christianized American Taliban, a world of righteousness and judgment and death, all in the name of one very nasty and bloodthirsty God."
Flashback to one week ago today. Remember what I wrote concerning the impact I believed the game would have on nonbelievers opposed to the cause of Christ? If not, here it is:
Not only does trivialization of the Tribulation Period serve no purpose, the imagery of those left behind who accept Christ after the Rapture running through the streets shooting people while saying "Praise the Lord!" likens Christianity to the jihadists the free world is presently in conflict with in the war on terror - people who often kill those opposed to their religious beliefs while yelling, "Allahu Akbar!" Allahu Akbar can be translated as "God is Great."
Left Behind: Eternal Forces, in my opinion, isn't going to do a thing to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. What I believe it will completely succeed in doing, however, is convince more people than are already convinced that the goal of all conservative, Bible-believing Christians is to turn all the governments of the world into theocracies by converting everyone to Christ.....even if it means taking up the sword to do so.
Bottom line: I hit the nail right on the head! Not only did I hit the nail on the head, what Morford writes concerning people playing the game in 'Antichrist mode' is suggestive, not surprisingly, that it's far better for one to don the armor of hell itself, drink, have dirty sex, get tattoos, and listen to Metallica than live a holy life in obedience to the Word of God, which doesn't raise the likelihood that Christians in the Tribulation Period will be toting machine guns while converting the lost to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior but the opposite!
As I noted in the original commentary on the topic of machine gun-toting tribulation saints, the saints of the Tribulation Period are going to, without any doubt whatsoever, be conquered by the Antichrist and his forces, as seen in Revelation 13:7: "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." As such, neither the video game nor Morford's words are accurate in any real sense of what's to come.
While I greatly admire Dr. Tim LaHaye, co-author of the Left Behind book series, and count him among the very best teachers of Bible prophecy as recorded in the Word of God, Left Behind: Eternal Forces has given the enemy a great opportunity to open fire on the entire prophetic community. As anyone who understands Satan knows, he is quick to come forth with a grand lie whenever it serves his ultimate goal, which is to prevent those seeking to save the lost from spending an eternity in a burning hell from doing so, denying God the honor and glory He deserves!
If you're not a Christian, don't buy into the lies of Satan!
If you're reading this and are not a Christian, I want to give you every assurance that the conservative Christian who adheres to the teachings of Jesus Christ is never - and I mean NEVER - going to take up arms in order to lead anyone to come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, contrary to what the Mark Morfords of the world believe, either now or in the Tribulation Period to come!
The gospel of Jesus Christ isn't a story of hate and physical warfare, but one of love and spiritual warfare! Here's what Jesus said Christians are to be, as recorded in Matthew 5:13-16:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Christians are to be the salt of the earth. In Christ's time, salt was used to prevent the spoilage of foods. The Christian is to prevent the spoilage of the earth in like manner, showing love as Jesus did when He walked the earth.
Once Jesus was asked by a Pharisee, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus responded, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)
Note the last line concerning what Jesus said because it is critical! On two commandments hang all the law and the prophets, both of which explicitly deal with LOVE! Christians, therefore, in order to be the salt of the earth, must show love, both to one another and particularly to those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!
Secondly, Christians are to be the light of the world. Light dispels darkness! Christians are to be so loving in nature that the light of their holiness will find its way into the darkest of hearts, perhaps even into the heart of a guy like Mark Morford who refers to born-again Christians as "hatemongering homophobes." Hatemongering homophobes? Hardly!
True Christians neither hate nor fear homosexuality. While Christians are to oppose sin and rebellion against God, while acting in the role of being the salt of the earth and the light of the world, faithful Christians understand the difference between the sin of homosexuality and the people God loves who are practicing it.
To be sure, Christians must, as loyal followers of Christ, condemn homosexuality as a sin. Even so, those who practice homosexuality were made in the image of Almighty God and it is the absolute responsibility of every Christian to love them and teach them of Christ's love that they might be saved and, subsequently, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, leave homosexuality behind in obedience to the will of God. And, yes, it can be done, as Exodus International has demonstrated time and time again, a link to which I provide on my site at all times. I do that out of love, by the way.
While Mr. Morford's goal, assuredly, was to make conservative Christianity look monstrous, I sincerely hope his hardened heart will be opened to the truth contained in the Word of God and he, along with everyone else who chooses to live outside the will of God, will come to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior before it is eternally too late.
Has Dr. Tim LaHaye gone mad?
One final thought. While I don't personally know Dr. Tim LaHaye, I want to state, for the record, that I do not believe for one second that he is endorsing violence as a means of spreading the Word of God, either in the world we're presently living in or in the horrific Tribulation Period to come after the Rapture of the Church has taken place. Anyone who has ever read even one of his non-fictional books on the Word of God or heard him speak of Jesus Christ knows he is a gentle and loving man.
Like many, both Christians and nonbelievers, I have concerns where the product "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" is concerned, but I am quite sure Dr. LaHaye isn't trying to turn evangelical Christianty into the Taliban, as Morford implied. While I wish Dr. LaHaye hadn't chosen to get involved in the project in question, giving God's enemies an opportunity to blast away at those of us seeking to reach the lost at this critical juncture, there is no doubt that the Bible-believing Church can and will overcome all obstacles set before it as the Word of God, which we stand upon in faith, is the most powerful weapon on the face of the earth - one that not even a million ugly commentaries or video games can defeat!
Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. (Part 1) (Part 2)