CULTURALLY INCORRECT by ROD PARSLEY

[nChrist]

Another Amen!

I'm convinced that we as Christians have to do things in a balanced way with Christ at the center of everything. This balance is going to be different for each person, and one of the objectives is to keep from getting discouraged. This was mentioned in the book. If we start getting down or discouraged, we will become less effective in all areas of our lives. Many lost battles are going to be the result of caring, but we must not stop caring. We might win a battle every now and then, and this can serve as encouragement. Remaining in the battle can be viewed as a win because we know that the devil wants us to lay down and give up. God can help us stay in the battle and He wants us to stay in the battle because He does have a purpose for our actions. God still wants to work in and through us until He comes to take us home. Our actions of love and care do have an effect whether we see those effects or not. This is much like God's Word never returning void, especially when we use God's Word in our efforts.

I firmly believe that the time is near when most of this world will hate Jesus Christ, God's Word, and Christians. This type of hate will harden in the Tribulation Period to the extent that Christians will be hunted and killed. I personally think that the start of the Tribulation Period is drawing near. Just being a Christian will mean a death sentence, and it won't have anything to do with race, color, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, etc.

I love the beautiful Truth and Fact that we are one in Christ. I understand and appreciate what Pastor Roger said about race. Many of us have served in dangerous occupations where our lives depended on people of various races. However, it would be naive of me to say that there are no longer any race problems. I'm one of those who served 25 years in a dangerous occupation where race meant "human race". The most important service is Service to God, and race issues should not be allowed to hinder our fellowship and love of Brothers and Sisters in Christ. If it does - it's a human failure - not a God failure. Each Christian should search his or her heart for prejudice and bias. If present, we should pray for God to help us get rid of it. These things are present problems only in this short life. We will spend eternity together with Christ and there won't be any divisions in Heaven. For this short life - we should love, encourage, and strengthen each other in Christ.

Here is the common denominator of Joy that we can have with Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

1 John 1:1-4 KJV  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;  2  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)  3  That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.  4  And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[islandboy]

Pastor Roger, I agree completely with what you wrote. As I was typing the writer's words I thought it should have included all peoples, not just black or white. But when copying his words from his book I could not add my own. I think for the good of all men and for the good of our country we must break down the race issues and just be American.

Tom, Thanks for your words of wisdom. This is a really good book.

[nChrist]

I understand and I think that Rod Parsley understands also. Maybe he was thinking about the worst historical friction between races of Christians. After thinking about this, we still do have predominantly black and white churches, and I really don't understand why. We love the Lord in the same way and we don't dislike each other in any way that I'm aware of. I'm thinking about my own city in making these statements. We also have quite a few predominantly Native American Churches near my home. So, for whatever reasons, we still have racial divisions in our churches. I'll speak for my church and say that we do have some mix in the congregation and we try to make everyone feel welcome, but most of the congregation is white. Our city is heavily military, both active duty and retired. So, my first thought is that we should have less problems like that here. Maybe it still has something to do with prejudice and bias, so we have work left to do.

Love In Christ,
Tom

[Soldier4Christ]

Yes, we do still have racial divisions in the church which is a sad thing to happen. There are some churches that do put such a thing aside and preach the word to all just as Jesus tells us to do. Much of this division is because people put their trust in certain men instead of placing it with Jesus.

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (The word nations here also means 'race'.)

Psa 118:8  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

[Brother Jerry]

We still have the divisions here as well...however I think some of the divisions come down to a couple of things.  Style of worship is the first one..I do not attend say an Episcopal church (not only because of doctrine) because I do not like their style of worship.  Other churches that have their minister in robes and such does not appeal to me...I do not think it wrong in any real sense...just not appealing.  The other thing that divides I think is more demographics.  In communities where the populous is diverse...the churches tend to be more diverse, but in neighborhoods that are predominatly one group or another...the churches are as well.  Most of us are lazy and not willing to drive across town to go to a church that may be better suited for us...we would rather go to the one down the street

I also see this in the Korean churches and such as well...they are in predominately Korean neighborhoods...but that makes sense...A church is supposed to be a community thing, so it first serves the community it is located in.  This gets difficult if all of your members are from communities that are not where the church is.

[islandboy]

Chapters of this book include:
Part One: When Worlds  Collide
1. Surveying the Battlefield
2. Why Worldviews Matter
3. Pretenders To The Throne
4. The Real Thing
5. The Fathers of Falsehood: The Roots of the Current Conflict
6. The Battleground of Science
7. The Battleground of the Arts
8. The Battleground of the Public Square

Part Two: A Strategy For Winning
9. Toward a New Great Awakening
10. A Call to Compassion and Action
11. Fighting for the Life of a Dying Culture
12. A Seed, a Generation

[islandboy]

Page 36
More and more Christian leaders and thinkers now recognize that worldview is the hinge on which our battle for America will turn.
Charles Colson has written of his belief in the power of worldview to impact society:
"This is the challenge for the church today. There has never been a time when the transformation brought about by Christian faith has been so greatly needed....Unfortunately, too many Christians have disregarded Christ's command to occupy and transform the culture, and the absence of a Christian voice in the public square has only compounded our problems.
Before we can make a real and lasting difference in the culture, we must understand how the biblical worldview connects us with every aspect of the creation."