Do you ever think that we might be looking at the "Jesus is cool" thing wrong?I know what you guys are seeing and saying, this generation of kids hate parents, they hate authority and they hate God.To say that Jesus is cool is giving them a chance to see God for He really is. Yeah, we say that following Jesus is tough, most of these kids are rebellious to begin with, and they don't see life as a bed of roses. When they give their lives to the LORD, they will become so radical in their evangelism, that it will scare us fuddie duddies. I don't want to judge this work, for if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest haply you be found even to fight against God. Acts5:39
... and you're there because...?
The main thing that is wrong with the "Jesus is Cool thing" is that it creates a lack of Fear of God and hate of sin which produces carnal christianity which sends people to Hell. (sorry to be so blunt)
Jesus is cool? I believe if we're truly following Jesus we'll be rejected, not accepted.If your a Christian, and all your unsaved buddies think you're cool... then you arent living for Jesus. Something is wrong.I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man than a fool in the eyes of God.
_________________holly
Your post is so right on compliment I agree with you wholeheartedly.And Jesus is totally cool,Absolutely,The life of wickedness and bondage to sin was so much harder than a life of repentence and Joy of the Lord.Just give these kids Jesus and a Bible and let them decide.That's what somebody did for me,And I'm happy they did.And glad there's guys out there in the streets reachin out to messed up,fouled up lives.And besides It's Jesus alone who saves.All we need do is "Speak the truth in Love"
_________________brian
and for the record when i say, fun i mean fun in a pure sense... by hanging out with the right crowds, by spending time at the beach/park throwing the ball around/ having a coffee... going camping and just general day to day things... its already known that we've sinned several times before we've eaten brekky in the morning. but if we spent all our time having to worry about that we wouldnt have a measure of what God's grace is all about. i wasnt referring to the going to parties and getting drunk-doing drugs at rave parties and sleeping with a bajillion people out of wedlock. we live in a fallen world amongst people with free will... God wants to reach them despite how far people try to run from him. sometimes the light burns our eyes a bit too much. thats what 139 paints well... where can we go to escape from God? we dont have to go anywhere, we only need to refuse him. would you portray God as 'cool' as you act out of love for people... because loving people despite everything they say and do is very cool of you. or would you rather preach ulti-matems' at them?
people find it easier to relate to a God who is down to earth and cool
if God is cool, then people these days want to get to know what's doing, so to speak
When I read this thread, I immediately thought about this piece of satire:http://www.larknews.com/december_2003/secondary_deaf.php?page=3Kids don't want the church to try and be cool (worldly).
I know what you mean guys. I revere God. and i'm a 19 year old(going on 20) born again who has been serving God going on 6 or 7 years now. I love God, he's seen me out of so much torment. he's brought me out of the bounds of sexual abuse, mistrust of all authority in an extreme sense... i've recently been really hurt again by another authority over my life and am suffering for it now. i revere God more than just asking him to help me when im stuck. he's my dad. he loves me so much. he's always there. and his spirit, the comforter helps me get to know him more each and every day. when i sing the praise and worship i dont just lift my hands for show. thats an attitude of self-gratification. i was bawling in the last service. and i wanted to recoil. but despite that i lifed my hands to surrender to him and sang the song from the depths of my heart. God is meeting me in my circumstances and he is bringing me up... not me bringing him down to my level. that's an impossible approach that will land you on your face in no time. but he's been holding me in the palm of his hand for 6 years. without a personal relationship with God, i have to tell you-i'd have never have 'lasted' this long. and the reason being is because i was initially brought into an atmosphere where i was free to love God, it was condoned, accepted and people let you cry out to him when you were compelled to, because God hears us through our heartache. Kripy do you have quiet times? where you just seek after him... you must. and you must realise that he hears you and wants to see you grow as a person and he must long to see you strive for the potential you still havent reached. Thats the God i know. and i met him in an atmosphere where he was cool. where he understands people like me. and he actually gives a rip. if he isnt cool, without being an idol apart from all he is then i'll be damned anyway. because i've been living out of the leadership and the care that he has over my life, the provision he has for me every day and the people he has put in my life to impart Godly wisdom into my life. without this 'cool idol' i would never be all i am today. i would still be a hard emotionless case locked inside a gigantic fortress, that i made by pushing people away instinctively. if you want to know more about that ask me. now i revere him with all my heart. and i love him just as dearly. i also call him cool because despite what anyone else thinks i'm down with all he's about. the word cool is open to an individual's interpretation. don't condemn a person for their choice of words!the way i see it isin this quote by a man named Dr. Johnson: God himself sir, does not propose to judge man until the end of his days."so why should you and i?
