familiar tune coming from the T.V. in the living room, one I had not heard in decades, it was a hymn. Curious, I peaked around the corner only to see it was being played during a Guinness beer commercial. Wha.......really? I must confess, that kinda got my dander up. What unholy business does a beer company have in using a Christian hymn called "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms (of Jesus)" in its salute to the soldiers who are not yet home?
Does this make any logical sense? It makes about as much sense as using Neil Diamond's iconic tribute to the Jews who were "Coming To America*," right? I mean, was there NO OTHER song that could be found to fit Guinness' sentiment? Were they oblivious as to the backlash they would start? Of course not, they knew exactly what they were doing. So ....what's a good Christian to do?
*[Please save any and all comments calling me anti-Semitic, or a hater for what I have stated about Neil Diamond's song, it is simply fact. If you don't believe me, then do your own research. You might want to start with the first line in the song referring to the immigrants being without a home, but not being without 'a star' [note their flag] and the twice repeated lyrics declaring how they are traveling light today "in the eye of the storm", which is a Jewish reference to their persecution.]
Please! Did Jesus demand a public apology from the Pharisees for making God's name stink among the other nations and for ruining the simple faith of Abraham in favor of their false man made faith of Judaism? Jesus will exercise his vengeance on his (and therefore our) enemies when he is good and ready.
That is such none sense, as if Christians buy enough of their beer to hurt their sales, well, at least I HOPE that's not the case (no pun intended).
A good Christian should just know that this sort of thing is only going to get worse the closer we get to the end of the age, so we should admonish each other to keep the faith and not accept the lukewarm milquetoast sheep's excuses for mixing worldliness with God's holiness as a means of "witnessing" to the lost. By making friends with the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
A Lot of Hymns Are Recycled Bar Songs
For the love of God, NO! No! The Scriptures are very clear, God' hates syncretism, no matter who is doing it and for what reason. If God were okay with it, then Paul wouldn't have had to cast the demon out of the fortunetelling girl who followed him and Silas around Phillipi- - the girl who claimed that Paul and Silas were servants of the Most High God, and were preaching the gospel of Jesus as being "a" way of salvation. Even though what she said was mostly true, the motivation behind it was evil. God doesn't need Satan's endorsement, and neither do his children. Like I've said before, just because chumming works for fishermen, and baiting works for hunters, that doesn't mean it's legal in every state.
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
Therefore,
“Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Hymns Are Passe`?
- The Old Rugged Cross
- What A Friend We Have In Jesus
- Sinner Come Home
- Love Lifted Me
- Nothing But The Blood of Jesus
- Rock of Ages (not the stupid Def Leopard song)
other instruments. Sure, even our former pastor liked the occasional acoustical version of praise songs that went as far back as 1970, but I can't say with much conviction we ever regularly sang any of the old hymns besides Amazing Grace. There is just something about those hymns that draw you into Christ centered praise and worship, that leave your soul laid bare, you know?