"Christianese" is the jargon of Christians. It is the terms and slang they use when they are talking to each other and it may not make much sense to those who are not Christians. Here I will define a few terms so the next time you hear "Christianese", you can translate it.
Salvation Terms:
"Saved"- Someone who is saved is someone who has trusted in Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross as payment for their sins. To be saved is to be a Christian. Someone who is saved is also called a "believer" or a "saint".
"Unsaved"-Anyone who does not believe in Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross is unsaved. They are also called "lost" and "non-believers".
"Witness"- To witness to someone is to tell them that Jesus is God and He died on the cross to take the penalty for sins. Christians can be a "good witness" or a "bad witness". They could have "missed an opportunity to witness" or just get home from "witnessing to a co-worker". They can also be "scared of witnessing" to their friends and family. Witnessing can also be called "evangelizing".
"Testimony"- Someone's testimony is the story they tell of how they came to be saved. Sometimes it can refer to a way that God did something special in their life. Christians share testimonies in church on occasion to tell of how God worked in their lives.
"Ask Jesus into Your Heart"- The act of becoming a believer in Jesus, or getting saved. Can also be called "accepting Jesus as Savior", "praying the sinner's prayer", or "making a decision for Jesus".
Church Terms:
"Visitor"- A visitor is someone who is just attending the church for the first or second time.
"Member"- A member of a church is someone who has been saved, baptized, and has been put on the membership list.
"Deacon"- A deacon is one of the officers of the church. Most churches have several men who are deacons. They are to help the pastor with the day-to-day needs of the members so the pastor can spend his time studying the Bible and writing sermons to preach.
"Trustee"- Some churches have trustees, whose job is to help with the building maintenance. They do things like fix loose boards on the church steps, mow the lawn, replace light bulbs, and paint when necessary.
"Pew"- Some churches have rows of benches called pews.
"Invitation"- The invitation is the part of the church service near the end when the pastor asks if anyone wants to come down to the front of the church and become a Christian.
"Offering"- Also called the "collection", or "passing the plate",
this is the time during a church service when the offering plates are
passed around and members give money to the church. Visitors are not
expected to give any money.
"Communion"- Communion is
also called "The Lord's Supper", and it is usually celebrated once a
month. Crackers representing Jesus' body and grape juice or wine
representing Jesus' blood are passed out to the church members and they
eat and drink the food and beverage to remind themselves of Jesus'
sacrifice on the cross. Visitors are welcome to join in, but are not
expected to. Unsaved people are expected not to eat or drink, or
"partake of the elements" as it is often called.
Music Terms:
"Hymn"- A hymn is a song, usually written a long time ago, and usually sung from a hymnal, or song book.
"Praise Song"- A praise song is usually a newer, more repetitive song, sung by reading the words on a power point screen.
"Worship Leader"- The worship leader is the man or woman who leads the singing time at a church.
Prayer Terms:
"Prayer Request"- A prayer request is something someone wants prayer for. It might be an upcoming surgery or medical test, or that someone in their family who is sick will heal soon.
"Unspoken"- Someone might ask for prayer for an unspoken prayer request because they can't share the details of the prayer request.
"Prayer Life"- A prayer life is what Christians call their time of private praying to God. Christians can have a "good prayer life" or a "bad prayer life". They can also be "struggling" in their prayer life.
"In Jesus' Name, Amen"- A lot of Christians end their prayers with this phrase. It simply means that they want what God wants. The word "amen" means "let it be true."
Bible Terms:
"Scripture"- Scripture means the Bible.
"Life Verse"- Many Christians have a sentence or two of Scripture that means a lot to them and could be classified as their favorite verse, or life verse.
Christian Living Terms:
"Brother/Sister in Christ"- Christians call other Christians their brothers or sisters. They say things like "How are you feeling today, Brother John?" or "Sister Rose, that was a delicious casserole you made for the church supper!"
"Feel led"- If someone feels led to do something, it means that they think God wants them to do it.
"Disciple"- To disciple someone means helping them grow closer to God in their life and helping them study and understand the Bible.
What other "Christianese" words do you know?
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Do All Christians Believe the Same Thing?
No, they don't.
Some baptize babies. Others baptize believers. Some corporately worship on Sunday, some think any day of the week will do. Some believe that the Bible is the final authority while others think the church's traditions should be held in higher esteem. Some wash feet, participate in the Lord's Supper, handle snakes, sing hymns, don't sing at all, sing with an organ, or sing with a rock band on stage.
But, if someone wants to be called a true Christian, they must believe these four things:
1. Jesus lived a sinless life because He was both God and man.
2. You are a sinner that is guilty before God, and your sins must be paid for.
3. Jesus died on the cross to take the full punishment for your sins.
4. Jesus rose from the dead and is alive in Heaven today.
If you truly believe these things, your life will change, your desires will change, and you will want to turn from your sins and embrace the loving God who made the atoning sacrifice for your sinful soul.
Some people call themselves Christians, but they do not believe these four things. They think that they need to do good deeds to get to Heaven because Jesus didn't take the full punishment for their sins. They believe that Jesus was not born of a virgin, therefore He was just a human like everyone else. They believe that Jesus never really rose from the dead. They don't believe there are such places called "Heaven" or "Hell". People who do not believe these four things are not true Christians even though they hijack the name of Christ to label themselves.
Not all Christians believe the same thing, and not all "Christians" are truly believers.
Some baptize babies. Others baptize believers. Some corporately worship on Sunday, some think any day of the week will do. Some believe that the Bible is the final authority while others think the church's traditions should be held in higher esteem. Some wash feet, participate in the Lord's Supper, handle snakes, sing hymns, don't sing at all, sing with an organ, or sing with a rock band on stage.
But, if someone wants to be called a true Christian, they must believe these four things:
1. Jesus lived a sinless life because He was both God and man.
2. You are a sinner that is guilty before God, and your sins must be paid for.
3. Jesus died on the cross to take the full punishment for your sins.
4. Jesus rose from the dead and is alive in Heaven today.
If you truly believe these things, your life will change, your desires will change, and you will want to turn from your sins and embrace the loving God who made the atoning sacrifice for your sinful soul.
Some people call themselves Christians, but they do not believe these four things. They think that they need to do good deeds to get to Heaven because Jesus didn't take the full punishment for their sins. They believe that Jesus was not born of a virgin, therefore He was just a human like everyone else. They believe that Jesus never really rose from the dead. They don't believe there are such places called "Heaven" or "Hell". People who do not believe these four things are not true Christians even though they hijack the name of Christ to label themselves.
Not all Christians believe the same thing, and not all "Christians" are truly believers.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Is it Hateful to Tell Someone They Are Going to Hell?
Let's answer this question with a few more questions:
Is it hateful to tell someone they have cancer?
Is it hateful to tell someone they are standing in the way of an on-coming bus?
Is it hateful to tell someone they are about to drink poison?
Yes, if you didn't believe it was really true.
Yes, if nothing could be done about it.
Yes, if you are secretly happy about it.
Yes, if you are telling them just to insult them and make them feel bad.
But, also, no. No, if it is true and something can be done about it.
In fact, it's actually loving to tell someone who has cancer that they have cancer so they can seek treatment options and get rid of the cancer. It is loving to tell someone standing in the way of an on-coming bus that they are about to get hit so they can move and avoid certain hospitalization. It is loving to tell someone who is about to ingest poison that they are to do so, in order that they stop trying to take a sip.
In the same vein, it is loving to warn someone about the dangers of the Lake of Fire so they can avoid ending up there for all eternity.
If someone truly believes that their friend or family member will be punished in a burning fire forever, and they also believe that they have the only way out of said fire, it would be incredibly hateful for them not to tell about the pending doom and the way of escape.
Christians should never tell people they are going to Hell and leave it at that. That would be hateful.
True Christians, like God Himself, want everyone to go to Heaven.
That is why we need to warn everyone about the very real dangers of an eternal Hell, then tell them how to go to an eternal Heaven instead.
Is it hateful to tell someone they have cancer?
Is it hateful to tell someone they are standing in the way of an on-coming bus?
Is it hateful to tell someone they are about to drink poison?
Yes, if you didn't believe it was really true.
Yes, if nothing could be done about it.
Yes, if you are secretly happy about it.
Yes, if you are telling them just to insult them and make them feel bad.
But, also, no. No, if it is true and something can be done about it.
In fact, it's actually loving to tell someone who has cancer that they have cancer so they can seek treatment options and get rid of the cancer. It is loving to tell someone standing in the way of an on-coming bus that they are about to get hit so they can move and avoid certain hospitalization. It is loving to tell someone who is about to ingest poison that they are to do so, in order that they stop trying to take a sip.
In the same vein, it is loving to warn someone about the dangers of the Lake of Fire so they can avoid ending up there for all eternity.
If someone truly believes that their friend or family member will be punished in a burning fire forever, and they also believe that they have the only way out of said fire, it would be incredibly hateful for them not to tell about the pending doom and the way of escape.
Christians should never tell people they are going to Hell and leave it at that. That would be hateful.
True Christians, like God Himself, want everyone to go to Heaven.
That is why we need to warn everyone about the very real dangers of an eternal Hell, then tell them how to go to an eternal Heaven instead.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Does the Bible Advocate Slavery?
There are rules in the Bible about how to treat slaves. Does this mean God is okay with slavery?
There is a "yes" aspect and a "no" aspect to this answer.
No, God is not okay with the kind of slavery Americans usually think about when they hear this word. Americans think about capturing people of another ethnicity, usually African, and bringing them to a foreign land to be sold off and forced into grueling manual labor for the rest of their lives with no rights, no respect, and no dignity.
This modern-day kind of slavery is evil. It is sinful. And God does not approve.
But, yes, there was a kind of "slavery" that was not cruel or harsh or undignified in ancient Hebrew culture.
This type of "slavery" mentioned in the Bible has rules and regulations and is far different than slavery in America before the Civil War.
Here are some of the rules about slaves and masters (both of which could have been Hebrew, by the way- it wasn't a racist thing back then) that the Bible lays out:
1. A Hebrew slave was only to be bought and worked for 6 years, then he was let free the 7th year unless he decided to stay. (Exodus 21:2-6)
2. If someone stole a person and sold him, they would be put to death. (Exodus 20:16). (This is what happened with American slavery, and it is clearly condemned in the Bible).
3. The masters would be punished if they killed their slaves. (Exodus 21:20)
4. If the master injured the slave's eye or tooth, he had to let the slave go free. (Exodus 21:26-27)
5. If a man or woman from a foreign nation sold himself or herself into slavery, they did not have to be released after 7 years and could be passed down as an inheritance to the master's children. (Leviticus 25)
6. Masters had to treat their slaves well. (Ephesians 6:9)
The kind of slave that was the norm in ancient Hebrew culture was more like a voluntary servant who knew what they were getting into. (As opposed to being kidnapped and brought into a foreign country to serve a cruel master day after day). And masters had to treat their servants with respect, not as mere animals (like the African slaves were often treated in America).
See http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-slavery.html for more information on this topic.
There is a "yes" aspect and a "no" aspect to this answer.
No, God is not okay with the kind of slavery Americans usually think about when they hear this word. Americans think about capturing people of another ethnicity, usually African, and bringing them to a foreign land to be sold off and forced into grueling manual labor for the rest of their lives with no rights, no respect, and no dignity.
This modern-day kind of slavery is evil. It is sinful. And God does not approve.
But, yes, there was a kind of "slavery" that was not cruel or harsh or undignified in ancient Hebrew culture.
This type of "slavery" mentioned in the Bible has rules and regulations and is far different than slavery in America before the Civil War.
Here are some of the rules about slaves and masters (both of which could have been Hebrew, by the way- it wasn't a racist thing back then) that the Bible lays out:
1. A Hebrew slave was only to be bought and worked for 6 years, then he was let free the 7th year unless he decided to stay. (Exodus 21:2-6)
2. If someone stole a person and sold him, they would be put to death. (Exodus 20:16). (This is what happened with American slavery, and it is clearly condemned in the Bible).
3. The masters would be punished if they killed their slaves. (Exodus 21:20)
4. If the master injured the slave's eye or tooth, he had to let the slave go free. (Exodus 21:26-27)
5. If a man or woman from a foreign nation sold himself or herself into slavery, they did not have to be released after 7 years and could be passed down as an inheritance to the master's children. (Leviticus 25)
6. Masters had to treat their slaves well. (Ephesians 6:9)
The kind of slave that was the norm in ancient Hebrew culture was more like a voluntary servant who knew what they were getting into. (As opposed to being kidnapped and brought into a foreign country to serve a cruel master day after day). And masters had to treat their servants with respect, not as mere animals (like the African slaves were often treated in America).
See http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-slavery.html for more information on this topic.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Do Christians Hate Homosexuals?
Well, the short answer is:
No.
The long explanation is as follows:
Real Christians believe two things about this topic.
1. God does not hate homosexuals. God is love and God loves everyone in the world. (Says John 3:16).
2. God says in the Bible that men having sex with men or women having sex with women is a sin.
(Says Leviticus 18 and 20 and Romans 1).
This does not mean that Christians hate homosexuals, think they are better than homosexuals, or are afraid of homosexuals.
The thing a lot of people don't realize is that true Christians believe that they are sinners as well. True Christians believe that they are horrible sinners and that they sin hundreds- if not thousands- of times every day. Just because a Christian calls someone a sinner, it is not logical to assume that the Christian hates the sinner. Otherwise, they would also hate themselves.
Furthermore...true Christians would call the Pope a sinner. True Christians would call their own pastor a sinner. True Christians would call everyone who has ever been born by a man and woman on this earth a sinner. (Romans 3:23- For all have sinned...)
Do Christians hate everyone who commits sin? No.
The Bible says it is a sin to get drunk. Do Christians hate people who get drunk? No.
The Bible says it is a sin to have sex before you are married. Do Christians hate people who sleep with their boyfriend or girlfriend? No.
The Bible also says it is a sin to worry, to fear, to curse, to cheat, to lie, to steal, or to put anything above God in importance. Do Christians hate people who do these things? No, not in the slightest.
So why do people think that Christians hate homosexuals, just because the Bible says homosexuality is a sin?
Probably because some people who call themselves Christians don't treat homosexuals how Jesus treats them.
The perfect God-man, Jesus, loves homosexuals, and died for them.
Jesus died for everyone's sins, and anyone who trusts in his sacrifice on the cross will be forgiven of every sin they have ever committed and be accepted into God's family (no matter who they are or what sins they are guilty of). The offer is open to everyone alive and breathing in the world today.
True Christians don't hate sinners and want them to go to Hell.
True Christians love sinners and want them go to Heaven.
Do Christians hate homosexuals? No. We love them, care about them, and want what's best for them.
That's why we have to tell them that Jesus died for sinners like us.
No.
The long explanation is as follows:
Real Christians believe two things about this topic.
1. God does not hate homosexuals. God is love and God loves everyone in the world. (Says John 3:16).
2. God says in the Bible that men having sex with men or women having sex with women is a sin.
(Says Leviticus 18 and 20 and Romans 1).
This does not mean that Christians hate homosexuals, think they are better than homosexuals, or are afraid of homosexuals.
The thing a lot of people don't realize is that true Christians believe that they are sinners as well. True Christians believe that they are horrible sinners and that they sin hundreds- if not thousands- of times every day. Just because a Christian calls someone a sinner, it is not logical to assume that the Christian hates the sinner. Otherwise, they would also hate themselves.
Furthermore...true Christians would call the Pope a sinner. True Christians would call their own pastor a sinner. True Christians would call everyone who has ever been born by a man and woman on this earth a sinner. (Romans 3:23- For all have sinned...)
Do Christians hate everyone who commits sin? No.
The Bible says it is a sin to get drunk. Do Christians hate people who get drunk? No.
The Bible says it is a sin to have sex before you are married. Do Christians hate people who sleep with their boyfriend or girlfriend? No.
The Bible also says it is a sin to worry, to fear, to curse, to cheat, to lie, to steal, or to put anything above God in importance. Do Christians hate people who do these things? No, not in the slightest.
So why do people think that Christians hate homosexuals, just because the Bible says homosexuality is a sin?
Probably because some people who call themselves Christians don't treat homosexuals how Jesus treats them.
The perfect God-man, Jesus, loves homosexuals, and died for them.
Jesus died for everyone's sins, and anyone who trusts in his sacrifice on the cross will be forgiven of every sin they have ever committed and be accepted into God's family (no matter who they are or what sins they are guilty of). The offer is open to everyone alive and breathing in the world today.
True Christians don't hate sinners and want them to go to Hell.
True Christians love sinners and want them go to Heaven.
Do Christians hate homosexuals? No. We love them, care about them, and want what's best for them.
That's why we have to tell them that Jesus died for sinners like us.
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