I have a question after reading the article. I am supposed to be embarrassed because more 'Christians' are not criticizing Trump?
Since Obama, I have been doing the opposite. There are many scriptures admonishing us to do the exact opposite. We are told to pray for them. Unless we talk to them first, we have no business criticizing them. Where are the scriptures telling us to call out our leaders flaws?
The article talks exclusively about criticizing Trump's flaws (without even mentioning one). I read a lot of these 'Christians' writers writing articles like this. I actually do not read many, if any talking about what Trump HAS done.
My take on the struggle youth are having is there is so much negativity in the U.S. they wonder why they do not hear the same from the Christian community. They shouldn't.
Are these students also embarrassed with Bible studies in the White House, making an executive order saying life begins at conception, getting us out of America killing Paris Accord, exempting Christian organizations from having to pay for abortions, asking for prayer for areas hit with catastrophies, actually giving of his own money to help in disaster relief, actually going down and physically helping in these same areas, encouraging our military instead of gutting it, or surrounding himself with advisors who are Christian? Does he talk to them about vice president Pence who is open about his faith and loyalty to his wife? Or do they even know about these?
I guess I wonder why we always look to criticize? Does not I Corinthians 13 say that a mark of a believer is to always look for the good? Even to the point of ignoring it when something is done wrong?
Is Trump perfect? No. Do I believe he is a believer? None of my business. Is it my job to pray for him? Yes.
Bottom line is that my take on the article is that he missed a great opportunity to teach these youth how to live as a believer in a darker and darker world.
Maybe the best place to start is to challenge the 'embarrassment' question in the first place. Have the youth look up scriptures on authority and how we are supposed to react to it, even if it is bad" How did David react when the king tried to kill him?
A start is Romans 13, I Peter 2 and I Thessalonians 5. There are MANY more.
Maybe I can explain it best by explaining what happened when a volleyball player (I am a coach) asked about the transgender issue. The first question I asked in response was. Why did you ask the question? Was it so you could condemn? That is not our job. Or justify? That is not our job. Or because it is an issue you face with a friend?
The answer to a friend is to not answer but to let them come to their own conclusion. Then I gave her several verses about the clay complaining to the Potter because it did not like the way it was made.
But, here is the real question. I ask if they do the same thing. Do they not like their body, or something about it? When they do that, then they are telling God they do not like the way He made them.
Homework for them was to write down what they APPRECIATED about the way God made them, find a verse about it and put it on their mirror. One actually is putting them one her cell phone so she sees them all the time. Some of her classmates are now doing the same thing.
So by turning this around to get the to look inside, several lives were affected in a positive way.
When asked these kinds of questions, is it not better to get them to look inside themselves and find a way to make them better believers rather than wallow in the mud of criticizing? How would that help them in their walk?
How would I have answered the question?
Write down what 'criticisms' you have of Trump. Let's use one many agree on. He says things he should not say. OK, find scripture verses that deal with what comes out of our mouths:
"from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
"let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth."
"encourage one another, even more as you see the day approaching."
" Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
There are many more. Homework assignment. Write some of these verses in a place where you see them all the time. How many of these verses do YOU violate every day?
Now read Matthew where Jesus says not to judge because in the very thing you judge, you will be judged. You criticize (judge) Trump on words that come out of his mouth. You will be judged on the words that come out of your mouth.
Just in doing the above, you have several great opportunities for Bible studies.
As to many of the responses noting how they 'feel' scripture is clear that we are not to live by our feelings but by the word of God. Jesus said it best in Matthew 6 and John 14, 15 and 16. Do not just say you believe DO WHAT I (Jesus) COMMAND....and the greatest command is to love. How much love is in critisizing?
Posted in: I'm Embarrassed to Be a Christian
I have a question after reading the article. I am supposed to be embarrassed because more 'Christians' are not criticizing Trump?
Since Obama, I have been doing the opposite. There are many scriptures admonishing us to do the exact opposite. We are told to pray for them. Unless we talk to them first, we have no business criticizing them. Where are the scriptures telling us to call out our leaders flaws?
The article talks exclusively about criticizing Trump's flaws (without even mentioning one). I read a lot of these 'Christians' writers writing articles like this. I actually do not read many, if any talking about what Trump HAS done.
My take on the struggle youth are having is there is so much negativity in the U.S. they wonder why they do not hear the same from the Christian community. They shouldn't.
Are these students also embarrassed with Bible studies in the White House, making an executive order saying life begins at conception, getting us out of America killing Paris Accord, exempting Christian organizations from having to pay for abortions, asking for prayer for areas hit with catastrophies, actually giving of his own money to help in disaster relief, actually going down and physically helping in these same areas, encouraging our military instead of gutting it, or surrounding himself with advisors who are Christian? Does he talk to them about vice president Pence who is open about his faith and loyalty to his wife? Or do they even know about these?
I guess I wonder why we always look to criticize? Does not I Corinthians 13 say that a mark of a believer is to always look for the good? Even to the point of ignoring it when something is done wrong?
Is Trump perfect? No. Do I believe he is a believer? None of my business. Is it my job to pray for him? Yes.
Bottom line is that my take on the article is that he missed a great opportunity to teach these youth how to live as a believer in a darker and darker world.
Maybe the best place to start is to challenge the 'embarrassment' question in the first place. Have the youth look up scriptures on authority and how we are supposed to react to it, even if it is bad" How did David react when the king tried to kill him?
A start is Romans 13, I Peter 2 and I Thessalonians 5. There are MANY more.
Maybe I can explain it best by explaining what happened when a volleyball player (I am a coach) asked about the transgender issue. The first question I asked in response was. Why did you ask the question? Was it so you could condemn? That is not our job. Or justify? That is not our job. Or because it is an issue you face with a friend?
The answer to a friend is to not answer but to let them come to their own conclusion. Then I gave her several verses about the clay complaining to the Potter because it did not like the way it was made.
But, here is the real question. I ask if they do the same thing. Do they not like their body, or something about it? When they do that, then they are telling God they do not like the way He made them.
Homework for them was to write down what they APPRECIATED about the way God made them, find a verse about it and put it on their mirror. One actually is putting them one her cell phone so she sees them all the time. Some of her classmates are now doing the same thing.
So by turning this around to get the to look inside, several lives were affected in a positive way.
When asked these kinds of questions, is it not better to get them to look inside themselves and find a way to make them better believers rather than wallow in the mud of criticizing? How would that help them in their walk?
How would I have answered the question?
Write down what 'criticisms' you have of Trump. Let's use one many agree on. He says things he should not say. OK, find scripture verses that deal with what comes out of our mouths:
"from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
"let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth."
"encourage one another, even more as you see the day approaching."
" Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
There are many more. Homework assignment. Write some of these verses in a place where you see them all the time. How many of these verses do YOU violate every day?
Now read Matthew where Jesus says not to judge because in the very thing you judge, you will be judged. You criticize (judge) Trump on words that come out of his mouth. You will be judged on the words that come out of your mouth.
Just in doing the above, you have several great opportunities for Bible studies.
As to many of the responses noting how they 'feel' scripture is clear that we are not to live by our feelings but by the word of God. Jesus said it best in Matthew 6 and John 14, 15 and 16. Do not just say you believe DO WHAT I (Jesus) COMMAND....and the greatest command is to love. How much love is in critisizing?