The Musings of Generic Music Group (and friends)

True Faith

2012-06-23T09:41:00.002-07:00

No, not the Anberlin song. No, not the New Order song that Anberlin covered either. I'm talking about Biblical faith.

You know what? Here, let me just post the song for anyone else who's got it stuck in their heads, too. Here it is. No, seriously. Listen away. It's playing in my head even as I type these words.

Okay then. Now we've all sat through Convo, class, or church where the speaker discusses the importance of having faith, walking by faith and not by sight, and so on. However, it is so much harder in practice than on paper. I'm not making myself out to be some kind of expert on this sort of thing. I've just been having some thoughts here and there and some opportunities to learn and practice it.

One such example was walking up to a friend of mine at David's Place and asking him to help me with a song. I had no idea whether or not he'd even agree to do it or if his idea would be good if he did agree to help. Long story short, he agreed to help and so he walked over with me to the piano and helped me out after all. What he made up ended up being pretty good, too, so I'm going to use it as the outro for my song Whispers (which is nowhere near complete).

Another example was when I spoke to one of my teacher's about a song that I wrote and asked him if he wanted to hear it. I was scared as crap to ask, but he agreed and I showed it to him. That teacher was Scott Bulman. In less than a month, I did eventually show him the song in his office at TRBC.

Heck, most of the times over these last few months when I "took a step of faith" so to speak have just been times when God put me in a normal situation and led me to do something abnormal or even scary.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that maybe the whole concept of having faith is (on the one hand) a lot less of a world changing, sun stand still, once in a lifetime, reserved only for giants of the faith kind of thing (thank God). On the other hand, though, true faith can seem like one of the most terrifying things to do in the world simply because of how it works.

......

Hang on. Got that song stuck in my head again.

......

Ah, much better.

Anyway, a couple weeks ago, Dan, Jen and I went to the Devil's Marbleyard for our once-every-now-and-then band hike. I, being an agile little weirdo who loves to climb stuff and push his body to the limits, had a blast navigating the boulders (even though I kept leaving Dan and Jen behind, haha). At one point, though, I climbed up a fairly large sized boulder, looked over the edge, and saw that there was a rock a couple yards away and several feet down. You can probably guess where I'm going with this. I jumped. Glad I did because now I have an awesome analogy.

In Hebrews Ch. 2:8-9, the writer says this, "Now in putting everything in subjection to Him (Jesus), He (God) left nothing outside His (Jesus) control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him. But we see Him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." As my good buddy Daryl pointed out to me about a year ago, one of the things I love about this passage is that the author relates with all of us in stating that though Jesus has subjected everything under Himself, we don't always realize or acknowledge the fact that He has.

Obviously, the author doesn't condone this and neither do I, but we're all still guilty of it. May as well fess up. I'm definitely guilty of doing it many times, but I digress. Sometimes faith can feel like I did on the Marbleyard. You're standing on top of a boulder (which, as you look over the edge, seems more and more comfortable every second) and you're looking down. Maybe you can see where you're supposed to land, maybe not. Either way, it's still pretty terrifying, but the voice of Jesus calls out to you, telling you to jump anyway. Unlike the unforgiving 12+ foot deep drop between the place where I jumped and where I landed, we have nothing to fear because whether we land on both feet, tumble and botch the landing, face plant, slip off the landing point, or miss it completely, Jesus promises to catch us.

However, there's more to it than that, not only are we reassured that He'll catch us if we fall, but He also tells us to look at Him the entire time and avoid looking at where we think we'll end up. Obviously, we'd all prefer to know where we're going and when, but I guess that's what makes faith "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). There are so many ways that fear can grip our hearts and paralyze us when we should be following Him, but God provides so much help and so much Scripture for the times when we face it. If I had to put it in a catchy saying of some kind, I'd probably say it like this, "Perfect love casts out fear. True faith looks to the One who casts it out."

Oh, and if you didn't listen to the song before, here's another link to it.

As always, grace and peace be unto you all from God out Father.

Jason Clarke
~Bassist of Generic Music Group

King of the Hill

2012-02-26T17:12:00.001-08:00

Everyone likes to be acknowledged for what he/she can do well.

It's a natural part of life and a well-known fact. After all the blogs we've posted, this would naturally be the part of the blog where I start to dismantle such a desire, but that's not really the point of what I'm here to say today. I've found that the desire to do well and be acknowledged really isn't that dangerous by itself. However, it can get pretty nasty when it is led by or gives way to a certain issue.

You see, the simple desire to excel and achieve wouldn't be such a problem if it weren't for our flesh. Adam was given a job in the garden of Eden and it's safe to assume that he didn't approach it with a lazy or lackluster attitude. Cain, however, envied the favorable treatment that Abel's offerings were given and instead of doing the right thing, he murdered Abel out of jealousy. Most of you already know that, though, so it's not like I'm saying anything ridiculously new, but his actions foreshadowed a simple problem that has gone throughout churches for centuries.

I believe it was C.S. Lewis who said that pride is the sin that makes many amoral human desires into sin and so it occurs with the simple desire to be acknowledged. Sure, we as humans (and as Christians) want to be acknowledged for the good work we do, but what happens when no one seems to care or when someone else does a better job?

All of a sudden, envy comes up and proverbial shots are eventually fired. This is often why you'll see a church that really emphasizes one form of ministry over everything else. I don't mean churches that are low on resources and can't do things like large music ministries or extensive mission trips. I'm talking the kinds of churches that attract one kind of crowd and nothing else.

Say, a really good musician gets kicked out of a church because the leadership doesn't like the way he plays or the style of music he uses. What will he do? Start or attend a church that recognizes and appreciates his abilities (or does so as much as he wants them to). After that, he'll probably surround himself with good musicians who feel the same way about music and about the church that spurned him. Soon enough (if he hasn't repented by this point), he'll be spearheading a church that exists to destroy and rebel against the ones that treated him so unfairly.

Exaggeration? I don't think so. Look around, it's happening all over the place (especially in music, but I'm not gonna touch that subject today). We have highly evangelistic churches that despise the deeply theological churches and vice versa. We've got wars between the administrators and the visionaries, the evangelists and the apologists, the pastors and the theologians, and (of course) there's the philosophers. Everyone seems to hate them.

It's nasty, it's ugly, and it's not solving anything. So often (but not always), the whole thing continues because of a failure to reconcile differences, accept compromise, and acknowledge equal value between believers. For example, the theologian feels like he is being mistreated and devalued (or it is happening), so he goes off to separate himself from the detractors, surrounds himself with those who value his work, and (in the honest attempt to prove his usefulness to the body) ends up doing the same thing to the angry pastors.

Hence, the title of my post: King of the Hill. Each group just ends up pushing the rest of the parties off the summit to feel more important and the battle never ends. I am of the opinion that this is part of the reason why Christ described the whole of the believers on the earth as a body: because we're supposed to work together. Watching different kinds of Christians battle each other like this is like watching your own body try to tear itself apart. Imagine your hands warring against your internal organs (or even your fingers fighting each other), your eyes battling your spleen, or your bones trying to tear your blood vessels.

Not only is it chaotic, but its impossible for the body to actually do anything in coordination when this sort of thing happens. If your hands won't trust your feet or your lungs, how will you be able to do something like climbing a ladder? Likewise, have you ever considered how the world feels as it watches us fight this endless battle against ourselves? I can assure you, it's not giving them a good impression.

As Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians 12, each part of the body is not only important, but each part is also equal. The eye can say that it's not a part of the body all it wants, but it's still an eye and needs to do the job of an eye. The hand can complain that it's not a foot, but it will still remain a hand. I always thought that it was strange for Paul to say that parts that complain about not being something else would NOT cease to be their respective part, but now I've come to see that it's because each part cannot deny or change the way that it has been created. Just like none of us can stop being ourselves, we can't get rid of the gifts, personality traits, and abilities that God has given us. No matter how hard we try (take it from someone who spent 18 years trying).

You can't walk with your face and you can't eat with your feet. Why? Because you're not supposed to. There are already parts of your body that were created for each of those tasks and more. In the same way, there are Christians who are created to do certain tasks in this world. We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do. That verse doesn't just apply to the Jerry Falwell's and John MacArthur's of the world; it's for every single believer on the face of the earth.

Somewhere along the line, we all got it in our heads that the ministries and roles of some people are more important than the roles of others and it screwed everything up (it's still screwing up churches all across the nation and even overseas). However, doesn't it make sense that each of us would bring more glory to God for doing what He created us to do than for attempting to do the work of someone else?

I'm not saying that this will be easy and I'm not about to start suggesting that we invite heretics and wolves into the Body, but it's time for us as believers to end these petty squabbles and battles for supremacy and work together as one body, like we were supposed to do all along.

The only way to do that, however, is to ensure that we're all listening to the Head.

Grace be to you all in Christ Jesus,
~Jason Clarke
Bassist of Generic Music Group

Helpless

2011-12-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

It's another one of those words that no one likes. Another state of being that no one enjoys. It's a phrase with endless euphemisms.

For example, "As helpless as......

a newborn baby
a cat in a trap
a corpse
an infant caterpillar in a nest full of ants
a turtle on its back
a lame beggar
a King of England (rofl)

You get the point, and you don't like being there anymore than I do. Even so, we are forced back into that position time and time again. It happened to me twice in the simple course of today. Therefore, I was forced to ask the question of what to do when I feel totally helpless. In some attempt to answer this question, I found myself in Isaiah 41. Many of you will know this as the "fear not" passage of Isaiah, but I found something interesting in it.

In verses 8-13 (ESV by the way), God gives an awesome encouragement to Israel. He says, "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, 'You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off'; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'"

It's some good stuff. He continues on with similar themes through verse 20, but not without an interesting statement in verse 14, where He says, "Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel." Maybe it's just my short attention span (then again, you probably saw it too), but my eyes stopped and nearly got fixated on "worm". I was like, "Worm? Where the heck did that come from?" In so many other places, when God tells us to trust Him or to not be afraid, He'll say, "My child" or "My beloved" or something else. Worm just sounds so negative; almost derogatory. I kind of felt insulted the first time I read it (even though I don't believe in replacement theology).

Worms are ugly.

Worms are dirty (Literally. They live in the ground.).

Worms are stupid.

Worms are basically blind.

Worms are slow.

Worms are those grimy little things that we don't feel bad about stepping on after it rains because they're so gross and so easy to kill.

So, why on earth would God compare us to such a pitiful, wretched and unlikable creepy crawler?

Because, in comparison to Him, that's what we are. We are all of those things.

Ugly.

Dirty.

Stupid.

Blind.

Gross.

Fragile.

Because of our depravity, God probably has a lower view of us than we ever had of those nasty earthworms and parasites. Let's be honest, God has never EVER been the type to pull punches (it's all over the bible). If anything, this is exactly the kind of reminder that we would need to learn to rely on God's strength.

The saddest part of it all is that we all rely on His strength every single day and don't even realize it. Who provides us with food to eat, clothes on our bodies and places to stay? Who keeps us safe from harm and Satanic attack far beyond what we can bear? Who keeps the blood flowing through our veins, the oxygen in the air breathable, and the DNA in our cells stable even when we ignore His voice and sin against Him?

The same Jesus Christ who died for the despicable worms called human beings that pridefully walk this earth and deny the existence of their creator. The very same Jesus who proclaims that today is the day of salvation and who offers cleansing from unrighteousness when we confess our sins to Him. The very same Jesus who is the centerpiece and cornerstone of the entire Bible. The very same Jesus who promises to finish the work that He started in each of us who believe in Him.

Amazing, isn't it?

In Philippians 4:11-13, Paul talked about how he had gained peace in spite of his ever changing circumstances. Whether he was full or hungry, prospering or poverty stricken, and whatever else came his way. The secret to this was his reliance on the strength of the Lord, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." This, my friends, is the model that has been set for us all to follow. It's never easy to be stuck in a situation where you feel as though your life is totally out of control, but it's times like those that God reminds us that we were never in control to begin with.

-Jason Clarke

Bassist of Generic Music Group

Why I (used to) Hate Being a Bassist

2011-11-14T12:57:00.001-08:00

This, my friends, is a bass guitar. (Rhetorical statement of the century)

Take a good look.

A good, long look.

Now then. This instrument has been my treasure and my curse for the last three and a half years. For the longest time, it was only my curse, though I pretended to enjoy it or reassure myself of its value.

The thing about the bass guitar is that it doesn't exactly have the best reputation among the instruments used in a rock band scenario. In some ways, it almost doesn't fit in.

It's too much of a guitar to be bunched in with the drums, but it doesn't have enough strings to be like the guitars themselves, so it just seems kind of awkward with its four strings, larger body and longer neck.

Often times, the bassist is the loser of the group. Whether that means he's the creepy guy, the shy guy (Mario reference not intended), the fat (or otherwise unsightly) guy, or the least talented guy in the band. That's pretty much how my mind looked at it for a long time; all the while failing to see the flaw in my thought process.

One of the most annoying things about the bass guitar is that it is very hard to hold up the melodic and rhythmic foundation of a song by yourself and simply sing along with that. However, God has used that fact as an endless reminder of the fact that I cannot serve Him (or do anything for that matter) on my own. It's reminded me of my need not only for Him, but also for my brothers in Christ, two of which are fellow posters on this blog.

Just like I need them, they need me.

I remember Dan said once that no one is more grateful for the bassist and drummer than the lead guitarist. If not for them, it would sound like he were simply noodling over a random chord progression in his head or showing off for a crowd of people. A rock band works a lot like the body of Christ. There are people who end up in the foreground and people who spend less time being recognized, but as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12, each part is placed by God in such a manner that they all receive equal value. The sin of pride and a desire to be recognized by people can often obscure this truth entirely, just like it did to me.

It almost shocks me to remember that I once despised having the position of being the musical foundation for the music. However, as Christians, the very foundation of our belief is Jesus Christ, and He has felt no dishonor or shame in being our foundation.

Who am I to complain about how He has orchestrated the details of my life and, yes, even the instruments that I am able to play? Even something as common as the ability to play bass can be a way that God draws me closer to Him and teaches me more about Him. By His grace, I can now say that I no longer hate the instrument that He has assigned to me.

-Jason Clarke
Bassist of Generic Music Group

The Power of a Lie - Part 2

2010-07-21T08:54:00.000-07:00

You know, it never ceases to amaze me how much power lies can have over us as human beings. Earlier today, I was thinking about one lie in particular that has gotten the best of me time and time again.

The lie that says, "You're the only person in the world who deals with ________. You'll never escape it. And no one can help you. In fact, no one would because they've never had to deal with it and no one could possibly understand what you're going through."

It is this very lie that leads many, many Christians into despair. Not only because of the inability to see or find any way out of whatever sin that the Christian is dealing with, but the fear that no one else has ever dealt with it. This fear so often leads to a feeling of inadequacy among other believers and a feeling of inferiority. This feeling of inferiority will often times lead to a need for isolation from other Christians for fear of judgment from them that would lead to an ostracization and rejection by those fellow Christians. Before long, one begins to doubt if even God can help and even if He cares enough to want to help. I can say from personal experience that this is not a fun place to be.

But, just like any other question in life, this too is answered by Scripture. The verse that really helped me out and really hits the nail on the head is this one.

1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

In case you didn't catch it, let me repeat that first part for you - "No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man."

In that statement is a profound and liberating truth. The truth that you and I are not alone in our struggles. Once you begin to understand that, the door opens to so many new possibilities. Gone is the fear of being the only one who struggles with one sin or another. Gone is the need for isolation. Now, there comes a knowledge of the truth that there is freedom from sin in Christ, regardless of what it may be or how often it has been a besetting sin.

However, the fight cannot end there. The next question to ask is "Where does that lie come from?" Let me answer that question for you with Revelation 12:10 - "Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: 'Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down." That's right, just like every other lie, this too comes from Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44).

From there comes the part where we must retaliate. For guidance in this matter, I refer to 1 Peter 5:9 - "Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." As this verse says, resist Satan in the faith, not in your own strength, but in Christ's and with the Word of God (Eph. 6:16-17) and remember that your brothers and sisters in Christ are facing the same kinds of struggles.

It may sound cliche for me to say this, but if you're struggling with something, get help from stronger, more mature Christians. If they can't give advice, they can at least offer prayer support. More importantly, the best way to combat this lie and any other lie is to constantly remind yourself of the Gospel and of the mercy, grace, patience, and love of God (a lesson that a friend of mine taught me not too long ago).

1 John 4:10 - "This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

-Jason Clarke
Bassist of Generic Music Group

Dewi Hughes and I: The Problem of the Social Crisis in Gen. 1-11 (Day 2)

2010-07-10T05:45:00.000-07:00

So...

I spent some time over the past few days and I ran across Dewi Hughes' book entitled Power and Poverty. I read the first few chapters and I figured I would drop some off the thoughts that he and I had at the academic public pool if you will, so you folks can tear them apart if need be.

Gen. 1-11 (The Book of Origins)

-Hughes builds much of his argument on this proposition: "Poverty has to do with the way in which human beings use the power that God gave us when He created us."

Hughes begins with the creation story and its implications for God's economy:

-Humans are the dominant species on earth. (is Hughes implying theistic evolution?)

-Our amazing abilities are used in such a way as to bring about amazing wealth for some and abject poverty for others.

-God's assurance of provision comes through His command to multiply and rule.

-The use of the soil is one aspect of domination (Gen. 3:17b-19).

-Adam was told that he would always work the "dust" (infertile, risky soil) which would always remind him of his eventual end---death. "Dust to dust".

He then shifts to the story of Cain and Abel:

-Cain perhaps did not bring the best of his crop, implying that he saw his own needs as more important than what God desires. (Gen. 4:4)

-Referring Cain's murder of his brother: "Cain's act is typical of all self-centered acts that result in the suffering and death of the innocent, including the oppression of the poor by the powerful..." (22)

-Abel's blood cried up to God for vengeance:

Life is in the blood: Lev. 17:11: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life."

Hebrew word for cry: the desperate cry of men without food (Gen. 41:55), the cry of the Israelites expecting to be killed by the Egyptians (Ex. 14:10), the cry of men being oppressed by their enemies (Judg. 4:3), the scream of a woman being raped (Duet. 22:24, 27)

Passages that also deal with God's hearing the desperate cries of his people in need of help: Isa. 19:20, Ps. 34:18, Ps.107:6, 28, 1 Kings 21

Isa. 19:20: Oracle about Egypt

This passage begins with a judgment against Egypt, but then God shifts to the future blessing of multiple nations, including Egypt: "In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt. When they cry to the LORD because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them." (Isa. 19:19-20) "In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.'" These passages show that God cares for the world as a whole and His desire is for all the peoples of the world, not just Israel or the church. (Amos 9:11, 12; Isa. 65:1; Romans 10)

Psalm 34:18

This passage comes from the old favorite "Taste and See That The Lord is Good" psalm. The psalm begins with a basic outpouring of praise to God and then a verse or two of personal deliverance. He then responds by another outpouring of praise and then a reflection: "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Ps. 34:15-18)

Psalm 107

This psalm could be described as a "Redemption Song". The psalmist splits this psalm into four sections: redemption from physical needs (hunger, thirst, shelter, hopelessness), redemption from spiritual darkness, redemption from the lies of this world, and redemption based in God's physical protection. The psalmist repeats one phrase throughout: "Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress." (v. 6, 14, 19, 28) The conclusion makes the psalmist's teaching clear:

"He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.

When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD."

These verses amaze me. God really does care for the downtrodden, regardless of whether they worship Him or not. That kind of mercy and steadfast love must not only be considered, but it should be praised forever.

1 Kings 21 simply reveals the story of Naboth's Vineyard and how Ahab wickedly pilfered from Naboth and oppressed and killed him out of his wicked need to possess his land.

Are we as Americans like Cain and Ahab? We must consider this...

-Hughes then shifts his focus to the flood: "Animals and men were meant to fill the earth (Gen. 1:22, 28), instead, violence fills it." (24) Violence here is often accompanied by oppression. Exploitation of the weak by the powerful, or the poor by the rich (Amos 6:4-8) or the naive by the clever (Pro. 16:29).

Amos 6:4-8: "'Woe to those who lie on beds of ivoryand stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away.' The Lord GOD has sworn by himself, declares the LORD, the God of hosts: 'I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.'" God was disgusted with the pride and revelry that these wealthy Israelites were participating in: they should have cared for those who were suffering: "the ruin of Joseph".

Proverbs 16:29: "A man of violence entices his neighbor and leads him in a way that is not good." A man of violence is described as a deceiver: is the deception of the impoverished an action of a "man of violence"?

-Another Hebrew word that refers to violence is 'chamas'. "Chamas is cold-blooded and unscrupulous infringement of the personal right of others, motivated by greed and hate and often making use of physical violence and brutality." (25)

-We must consider power and how it relates to the earth itself---we could produce mass poverty for a large proportion of the human population by mistreating the natural resources we have been given.

-Man is created in God's image and therefor has a very high value---murder can only be paid for by the blood of the murderer. This agreement between God and man on this judgment is stated in the Noahic covenant of Gen. 9:6. "If poverty is primarily the result of oppression, then those who cause the death of the poor through oppression are guilty of murder. The way we live in luxury in the minority world while millions die in poverty could well make us liable for the blood of the poor before God." (26)

-Hughes then shifts his focus to Babel and the development of nations:

-Babel: They had a fundamental insecurity that caused them to congregate instead of spread out. This line of thinking can be found in Cain's thoughts earlier: he desired safety apart from God and that safety was developed through the sinful means of violence.

-Implication: "The security of the few has to be bought with the oppressive sweat of many."(27)

-Security was achieved by grasping at divinity: "Alienated humankind will always have problems with its God-given abilities as long as those abilities are not submitted to the Creator." (27)

-Here is Hughes' conclusion from his study of Gen. 1-11:

-Consequence: human beings become more focused on themselves than God due to the fall. "To be able to murder with impunity is the limit of this narcissism and absolute proof that fallen humanity is endemically preoccupied with self." (28)

-From our depraved perspective---"to walk with God is to walk away from this pathological human longing for self-centered security." (28)

-We are still social beings, yet "our relationships too often become means either to satisfy our ego or to protect us from our fears." (28)

-Food production became an issue of power and control due to the post-Edenic curse.

-Oftentimes, we use our abilities of domination to oppress, secure, and glorify ourselves instead of bringing them to God.

-"In a world alienated from God, poverty and oppression of the excluded is inevitable." (29)

Reflection:

-Within the Genesis account, we certainly do discover the roots of our sin problem.

-God is the creator, and all of creation belongs to Him because He formed it. (1 Chron. 29:14-15)

-Our resources come from the earth that God has made---our money, goods, lands, cars, and wealth in general eventually find their value derived from the earth that God created. John Locke stated that we as human beings could not even originate ideas. Locke states that all of our concepts are merely reflections upon what we have already sensed. If you draw this concept back far enough, you can see that God is truly the Originator of all that man creates, proposes, and thinks. Even sin, in fact, is merely a misuse of what God has already so graciously provided.

-Light (Gen. 1:3) implies the presence of God: darkness and sin is merely an absence, a meaninglessness. There are not two sides to nature, only one: God. All else is a turning away from Deity. If sin is the absence of God and His desires, then it follows that if God cares for the oppressed and we do not, then we are in sin.

-The earth that God created originally was good and very good. This obviously implies that God never desired injustice in the world, because He would have created it that way.

-He also made the planet absolutely bursting with life and beautiful in all ways. There would obviously have been plenty of resources for all who lived in Eden because it was perfect.

-Why are we treating this glorious, all-powerful God as if He has no claim on the planet He created? Why are we exploiting not only His creatures, but also the crown of His creation---mankind?

-Human logic even follows here: why would we ever be a wicked steward with what He so lovingly created? Do we even know who we're dealing with?

He made light from nothing.
He divided the sky from the ocean. (that's a lot of water)
He moved the oceans by His holy word.
He created, designed, and plotted every ecosystem on earth.
He made every star, every planet, every galaxy, and all the space in between.
He made every animal---their beauty, their adaptations, their purposes, etc.
He made man---with all of his faculties, intelligence, abilities, potential, etc.
And He made you. You are not your own.

What glory! What honor and praise He deserves! What talent! What intelligence! What artistry! His majesty and dominion drive me to verses like these:

-Ps. 8:3-4: "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?"

-Job 40:4-5: "'Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.'"

-Rom. 9:20: "But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, 'Why have you made me like this?'"

-Isa. 6:5: "And I said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!'"

How could we, those He has purchased with His precious blood, oppress and dehumanize those He has so lovingly created? We know there is always forgiveness for our wickedness (I John 1:9) and once we have repented, on of the most glorious promises applies to us: Romans 8:31-39: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." If, however, we continue in our sin, regardless of whether it is in ignorance or not, Luke 12:8-9: ("'And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.'") will apply.

Personally, I feel so small. So insignificant. God is enormous. He's there in the fire, He's there in the thunder. Yet He chose to step down to our level because of His deep love for us. He was slaughtered on our behalf. What more should provoke our love and obedience to Him? Why do we claim to love God...why do I claim to love God...yet I curse, ignore, insult, scoff, mock, and devalue those who are made in His image? Praise be to God for His great mercy, His steadfast love, and His matchless grace.

Lord...forgive me. Forgive the church. Forgive America.

Forgive us all.

-Dan
Guitarist, Generic Music Group

Thoughts on the Social Gospel (Day 1)

2010-07-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

What's up folks.

Jason and I are buried deep in a debate right now on the validity of the social gospel and its usage in the Church for outreach purposes.

So...in preparation and for your edification, I have decided to post our notes from this study of not only the social gospel, but also of dispensationalism, covenant theology, retaliation, hyper-Calvinism and evangelism, human wisdom and Scripture, elder rule, private interpretation, denominationalism, and the regulative principle.

I know this is a lot, and it will probably take a year or so to sort through all of this stuff...but I know that God will be glorified in this extensive use of my brain...although my brain already hurts.

So I begin with our critique of Walter Rauschenbusch's social gospel.

Rauschenbusch took a very negative stance toward previous theologians as he began his theology of the social gospel. He always seems to view himself on the edge of the new beginning in theology, the "revolution" if you will. He also seems to take a pragmatic approach to his theology: if it works, it must be true. If it doesn't work, then it cannot be true. He also bases his concepts off of "religious experience" (that would be his OWN religious experience) rather than the testimony of Scripture. He builds his social gospel from here.

Here are some general thoughts from his two books: A Theology for the Social Gospeland Christianity and the Social Crisis.

-Here lies a clear thesis of Rauschenbusch's gospel: Christianity is "to transform human society into the kingdom of God by regenerating all human relations and reconstituting them in accordance with the will of God." "The social gospel seeks to bring men under repentance for their collective sins and to create a more sensitive and more modern conscience."

I do believe that a couple of fruity diagrams should clarify this.

An optimistic view of the Social Gospel:

In this view, called the "Top Down" view, Christian principles are input into the institutions of humanity and this newly developed "Christian" environment draws men to repentance. This is a hybrid view between collective, national salvation and individual salvation.

An actual view of the Social Gospel:

This view is Rauschenbusch's actual view. This quote will make it clear:

"Instead of being an aid in the development of the social gospel, systematic theology has often been a real clog. When a minister speaks to his people about child labor or the exploitation of the lowly by the strong; when he insists on adequate food, education, recreation, and a really human opportunity for all, there is response. People are moved by plain human feeling and by the instinctive convictions which they have learned from Jesus Christ (hold up...didn't Jesus teach repentance and faith? For individuals? Whatev.) But at once there are doubting and dissenting voices. We are told that environment has no saving power; regeneration is what men need; we cannot have a regenerate society without regenerate individuals; we do not live for this world but for the life to come; it is not the function of the church to deal with economic questions; any effort to change the social order before the coming of the Lord is foredoomed to failure. These objections all issue from the theological consciousness created by traditional church teaching. These half-truths are the proper product of a half-way system of theology in which there is no room for social redemption. Thus, the church is halting between two voices that call it. On the one side is the voice of the living Christ amid living men today; on the other side is the voice of past ages embodied in theology. Who will says that the authority of this voice has never confused our Christian judgment and paralyzed our determination to establish God's kingdom on earth?"

He plainly reveals his hand here. A hatred of biblical theology (especially Calvinism), a Robin Hood gospel of automatic salvation for the poor (that sounds quite a lot like Shane Claiborne) and repentance for the rich, and a desire to produce God's kingdom on earth. This view is full of holes, and Jason and I will rip apart this garment/wineskin later.

Herein lies the correct view of the gospel and society (aside from eschatology):

This view has been self-titled as the "Bottom Up" view. This view states that God's mission is the personal, individual regeneration of persons, not nations. Nations become regenerate as the individuals within that nation are baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost and this presence sanctifies their beliefs. Regenerate individuals should be filled with compassion over injustice and should seek to bring it to an end, but through the only method that can truly end all wrongdoing: the glorious Gospel of Christ.

Here are some other thoughts:

-He addresses the main issue of poverty on the world's terms and in a worldly way. His motivation for action is drawn from circumstances (the absolute poverty of the working class in Hell's Kitchen NY at the turn of the century) rather than from Scripture. His gospel is rooted in compassion (which is NOT INCORRECT) but lacks the backing of truth. His gospel loves the neighbor as self, but does not love God above all else. Rauschenbusch states: "Power in religion comes only through the consciousness of a great elementary need to lay hold of God anew." This is a true statement, but Rauschenbusch misses that great elementary need: the need for a true salvation. Physical salvation is a blessing, but spiritual salvation is truly the deepest need for all of mankind. By replacing this spiritual need with a physical one, most mainline denominations have turned away from the true Gospel of repentance and regeneration to a gospel of humanitarianism and prosperity.

-On the positive side, we did discover a diamond in the rough (the deep rough....where the deer pis---): Rauschenbusch does make a wonderful case for contextualization. "Theology is not superior to the gospel. It exists to aid the preaching of salvation. Its business is to make the essential facts and principles of Christianity so simple and clear, so adequate and mighty, that all who preach or teach the gospel, both ministers and laymen, can draw on its stores and deliver a complete and unclouded Christian message. When the progress of humanity (?) creates new tasks, such as world-wide missions, or new problems, such as the social problem, theology must connect these with the old fundamentals of our faith and make them Christian tasks and problems." Tis good, no? Aside from the fact he didn't begin with Scripture. Yeah.

Tomorrow we will address some Biblical responses to Rauschenbusch, as well as more of his core beliefs and how those beliefs have shaped both the liberals who follow him and the conservatives who abhor him today.

-Dan
Guitarist, Generic Music Group

The Power of a Lie

2010-06-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

I remember I first heard that phrase said during a Paul Washer video. He was discussing the fact that true Christians can come out of the most heretical of church or cult backgrounds and his discussion with a person who was still a part of one. He, however, was specifically addressing the power of a religious lie. Still, the point remains. Lies are a powerful thing.

I can remember several examples of my own life where I believed a lie that I had been told as a child and that lie followed me all the way to college. Part of me knew all along that they were wrong, but they had been so deeply engrained in my mind that I just couldn't bring myself to let them go.

Let me give you an example. Suppose a child regularly hears from his parents that he/she will never succeed in life because of some kind of flaw in the child's life. Now, regardless of how pervasive the flaw is or how much work the child puts into overcoming it, if he/she hears that over and over again, the child will believe it and either spend most of his/her life trying to prove the parents wrong (usually to no avail) or filled with despair because he/she feels like a failure at everything.

As I realized this, a couple verses I had read about telling the truth started to make a lot more sense. I suppose that it's only natural that one such verse happened to be Exodus 20:16, one of the Ten Commandments, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor."Another great example is the six things that God hates and seven that He detests in Proverbs 6. Right there in verse 17 between "haughty eyes" and "hands that shed innocent blood" is "a lying tongue".

It's more than a little disappointing that the culture we live in makes it so hard to be truthful. We even have a name for lies that we think are harmless -- white lies. Still, God makes it clear that He hates lying as much as he hates pride, adultery, murder, and stealing. And yet so often, we rank lying as not as big a deal because it doesn't cause any immediate damage that we know of.

So, the question must be asked. Why, then, do we lie? There are quite a few reasons, but they really boil down to a few:

To spare people from the truth when we think they can't handle it,
To save ourselves from getting into trouble,
To keep ourselves from believing the truth because we don't want to face it.

But to be honest, it all really boils down to our own sinfulness and depravity. And when we lie, what happens? We get ourselves into trouble that we could have easily avoided, we mislead others (with varying, and sometimes, catastrophic results) or we complicate situations unnecessarily. Like I had said earlier, for years on end, my walk with Christ had been hindered greatly simply because of a few lies that I believed and allowed to get deeply engrained in my mind. And I know that I'm not the only person in the world that this has happened to.

Therefore, I challenge all of you to take seriously the words of Ephesians 4:25 - "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body."

-Jason Clarke
Bassist of Generic Music Group

Fear...

2010-06-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

The word surprisingly has little meaning in our culture despite its presence. By culture I mean the so called Christian culture. We tend to take this truth for granted because it is not a comforting subject. Fear permeates through our every actions without anyone every noticing. For example lets say a child disobeys their parent for not doing their homework resulting in the child's punishment. The next day the parent notices the child completing his assignments with great fervor. What happened here is not some miracle boost resulting in the child's new found work ethic but an attempt to appease wrath. Which leads me to what I've always pondered... is fear justified in the face of wrath or peer pressure? I answer this as a simple no.

Nowhere in Scriptures is it indicated that we should fear one another. I would like to mention a fellow blogger post (Emily Wood: Fear of God vs Fear of Man) summarized what fear of man means, "Who you fear is essentially translates to who you worship". The passage that she provided was from John 12:42-43 which talks about how the Pharisees feared other people's opinions of them, sounds familiar eh? By fearing people you are telling God that they deserve attention rather than Him. Let us not forget that He is a jealous God, who is more than worthy of our praise. So in essence fear actually can be linked to idolatry and who hasn't committed that sin? By placing an individual or group above God you attack and disobey the Creator. What I'm trying to say is that fear of man is a sin.

Those of whom are reading this may say duh yet their actions prove otherwise. You've heard it before "Fear is necessary". In a sense they are right for no one can properly worship and please God without fearing Him, yet they are wrong when it comes to fearing man. The cynic/skeptic then shouts out, "then what about paying bills on time or fear of certain death"? I would simply quote what Scripture points out for paying bills on time, Matthew 22:21 and Matthew 6:25-34. For certain death there is this passage 2 Timothy 4:7 and Phillipians 1:21 which Paul clearly demonstrates the fear of God. Lastly is fear a necessary survival tool as the naturalist claim, I would say yes because the best survivialist is one who pleases God.

Grace be to all of you,

-Samuel Grey
Producer of Generic Music Group

Frailty

2010-06-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those moments where you've wrestled with a question for years and years, and all of a sudden, God gives you the answer so suddenly that you're sent reeling?

Something like that happened to me a few weeks ago.

Ever since I was a child (by the way, when I say child, I mean 5 years old), I have cursed my own weakness. I was allergic to virtually every condiment, any kind of fur or dander, most foods, dust (still have that one), freshly cut grass, and dairy; had terrible eyesight; lungs so weak that I needed an aerochamber to dilute the medicine from my inhaler because it was too strong for them by itself (they're stronger now, though); braces; a weak immune system; and a very small amount of stamina. I also had no idea how to talk to other people. If I remember correctly, when I was a kid, I was downright afraid to talk to girls and thought that there was some kind of secret technique to it. My brothers, on the other hand, were always the athletic, outgoing, and intelligent type and the kind of people that everyone (especially the adults) around me seemed to prefer.

I can still remember the nights that I would lie awake at night and say, "God, why on earth did You make me like this? My parents are shoveling out thousands of dollars every year just to keep me alive. Why plague the earth with my miserable existence? Just save my parents the money and the hassle so that they can have the kids they always wanted since it's obvious I don't fit the mold. I don't even care about the rest of the d*** world since they don't seem to care about me, either. I either get in the way or downright ruin everything. Please, God, if You have any sense of mercy or understanding, just kill me now."

I'd like to say that this question was answered when I got saved, but, well, it wasn't. Throughout almost every part of my life, I used the same false solution in an attempt to get out of the rut I was stuck in: "If I can just be as cool/athletic/smart/funny as (insert name here), then maybe I'll feel better about myself/be of more use to so-and-so." So, I'd hang around people who I considered to be stronger than I was and end up imitating (or sometimes downright copying) them in an attempt to be a "stronger" person. It never worked.

I searched the Bible up and down for some kind of answer, but, for the longest time, I couldn't find a darn thing. It didn't help growing up in a culture where churches exalt and worship the so-called "spiritual giants" of our time (Jerry Falwell, Paul Washer, A.W. Tozer, Billy Graham, Charles Spurgeon, John MacArthur, etc.). I can still remember the days back in high school when I told everyone that God was calling me to be a worship leader.

The majority response: study for a career that'll make you a lot of money. There's no money in ministry.

Sure, some of them actually meant that, but I realized very quickly that there was an underlying issue at hand. Most of the people who said to do otherwise didn't think I could succeed in ministry. There was that implication that in order for someone to be successful at ministry, he/she would have to have some dynamic/explosive personality, be successful at absolutely everything, and be the kind of person that everyone would want to be around and every parent would be proud of.

It frustrated me to no end and led me to feel even worse. I not only doubted myself, but I doubted God and convinced myself that I was too weak, uncool, and frail to be used by God at all.

What I came to learn during my time at Liberty was the immense misunderstanding that many people in the church had made about people that God calls.

It goes like this: Before or during the time that someone is called to ministry, a vast number of people doubt that he/she can do it because that person isn't strong enough, made too many mistakes, isn't good looking enough, etc. After the person has served God in a huge way, that person is absolutely worshiped by other people and raised up as a massive standard that every other person must live up to. A perfect example of this is Moses. After he killed the Egyptian, a Hebrew accused him of being a murderer. As the plagues were brought upon Egypt, the Israelites blamed him for making their lives worse while they were still enslaved by Pharaoh. As they were going through the wilderness, they complained day after day and said it would have been better for them to remain in Egypt. However, when the blind man in John 9 tried to tell the Pharisees that Jesus restored his sight, this happened (vs. 28-29), "Then they hurled insults at him and said, 'You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where He comes from.'" Obviously, I am not comparing myself to Moses by any stretch of the imagination, but the point still stands.

A few weeks ago, though, God finally gave me the answer I needed and, just my luck, it was in a verse that I had read millions of times before. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 - "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him."

Looking through the Bible, example after example is shown of people who were weak by the world's standards, but used in incredible ways by God. People like Moses, Gideon, Timothy, Peter, John Mark (who wrote the Gospel of Mark), Joseph (Old Testament), or even Jesus. The list goes on and on.

Regardless, people continue to look at the outward appearance and make all judgments based on that. Just like 1 Samuel 16:7 predicted. What so people forget is that God chooses weak things to shame the strong so that He can be more glorified and so that no one can boast before Him (1 Cor.1:29). Sometimes, it seems as though people who are more attractive in the world's eyes tend to distract the eyes of those around them by their own attractiveness, whether on purpose or unwillingly, and end up stealing some of God's glory.

Even so, there was still the question of why I was still so weak after all this time. The answer for that came in another well known scripture. 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

This part was a little bit harder for me to grasp since I used to think that because I wasn't as spiritually strong as other people, the things I did while filled with the Holy Spirit weren't as important to God as things that stronger Christians had done. I guess that's the great thing about the body of Christ. God has placed each part exactly where He wanted it to be and made it so that all of them are made equal under Christ (1 Cor. 12). In this chapter, Paul actually described the weaker parts as indispensable (something that caught me completely by surprise).

To be honest, I had a very wrong perspective on myself the whole time. More than that, because my focus was so geared toward how I viewed myself, I failed to believe in God's ability to use me and, of course, heaped more and more sin upon myself. It's never been about me at all, but it's always been about God and about Him getting glory in everything. After all, it was only through Christ's weakness that any of us, strong or weak, are able to be saved and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Therefore, it shouldn't matter at all how weak or strong someone appears to be to the world or to ourselves, but only how great God is. Especially since all of us are powerless and less than nothing compared to His immeasurable power and greatness.

-Jason Clarke
Bassist of Generic Music Group

Our Motivation = The Love of God

2010-06-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

In a world where despair, hatred, and shame have become commonplace, one light shines through.

One Glorious Light.

This truth is so profound, so tremendous, so overwhelming, that it could honestly change everything. It could change the way you live. It could change your priorities. It could change the way you feel about those you encounter. It could change your view of the poor. It could change the way you view your past, present and future. It could change the way you deal with your sorrows and joys. It could change your view of yourself. It could change your lifestyle. It could change your goals. It could change your purpose. It could change everything.

In a world where people so often turn to others for meaning, purpose, validity, clarity, and self-worth, this one truth shatters every presupposition.

The God of all time, who dwells not in temples made by human hands, nor needs anything of his creation, this independent, all-powerful, all-knowing Savior dwells in all holiness above this wretched and depraved planet. He is right in judging it, and, at the end of time, will burn the elements of this earth with an ultimate eternal fire that will bring to end man's rebellion for eternity.

The truth about this God, this terrible, majestic, tremendous God, is that He loves us.

He loves us. He loves you. He loves me. He loved us when we were in sin. He loved us when He rescued us from our sin. He loves those he chose and those that are outside of His fold. He loves us despite our rebellion, despite our ignorance of Him, despite our fallenness and our wicked hatred of Him.

He desires now that we would lay aside all that distracts us and pushes us far from Him.

This truth naturally begs the question...what is holding you back?

For me, a desire for a good, comfortable, loving relationship with a beautiful woman did me in. I became obsessed with the idea from childhoood, and my Hollywood fantasy often leaves me despondent and absolutely numb towards life. Often I find myself unable to live another day without the fulfillment of this desire. "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Eph. 2:4-10)

This God saved me. He saved me from His wrath, and now He is continually showing me that life with Him is far better than anything (including a healthy marriage) this world could offer.

So...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Grace and peace be with you all through the might and power of God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever. Amen.

-Dan
(Guitarist, Generic Music Group)