This Is My Father's World Personal Music Video

If you have ever watched "The Lord of the Rings" (not the animated version), one of our favorite things about it is the music. 
The movie also makes one think of the struggles between good & evil in the world and the temptations we deal with in our own lives.  
The series is very violent, so I often turn my head or close my eyes.

Have you ever noticed that the main theme music of the first movie in the series sounds like an old hymn?
It would appear that they used the same tune that "This Is My Father's World" was based on.

I was listening to the Piano Guys rendition covering the theme music, and I thought of doing a video with pictures of nature.  It took some effort to figure out a video program that wasn't quite the same as I was used to, but with some pain & effort it is completed.

May God be glorified in it!

When Confrontation Becomes Sin

Lately I've been seeing some conflict online that troubles me.  This is conflict between Christians, and it's not really about heresy.

Confronting sin is important when someone is actually sinning, but the Bible does tell us how to do this in Matthew 18:15-18.

I realize that there are times when sin is public and needs to be addressed publicly.  
The purpose of confronting a fellow believer is not to smear his or her name.  It's to restore the person - to turn him or her back. (James 5:19-20)  The other purpose would be to protect other believers from error. 
James 4:11-12  lets us know that we should not speak against a brother (as a judge of the law).  So, confronting is right, but attacking is not - from what I can see.
Galatians 5:15 says, " But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another."
Galatians 5:26 talks about not being boastful and challenging one another.
1 Corinthians 6:1-6 points out that Christians should have someone wise in the body of Christ decide matters between believers rather than a secular judge, and I can't help but wonder if Christians aren't getting a bad reputation by publicly sharing about minor disputes.

As Christians, instead of just attacking each other over minor faults, shouldn't we be seeking after each others' good?  (1 Thes. 5:14)
I also find in Romans 16:17 that we are to keep an eye on but turn away from those who cause dissension & hindrances contrary to the teaching (that we find in the Bible).

Christians need encouragement (1 Thes 5:11) from each other, from God & His Word.  We need to bear one another's burdens.  In the Bible, I find that people were sent to be an encouragement to other Christians & to strengthen them (1 Thes 3:2).  People need to be built up into the truth.
Sometimes this means confronting, but only in love and with the right motives - without beam in the eye of the confronter.

I do believe that Christians should try to reconcile relationships & try to be patient when wronged even when falsely accused (if it's possible).  It seems that when people have relationships online that they often forget that there are real people on the other end with real feelings. 


 

Divorce & Immorality

Many Christian couples today are separating & divorcing & getting remarried just like their non-Christian friends.  They may get counseling for their marriage, but they seem to forget what marriage is a picture of.  They forget God's faithfulness & patience with them.

Until Death Do We Part - For Real - by Sam Crabtree

We as Christians need to call sin what it is, but show love - looking to our own lives to not be hypocrites.  Righteous hatred of sin is tempered by the fact we need to hate the sin in our own lives.
Whether it's sexual sin / lust, covetousness, untruthfulness, unrighteous anger, racism, unwillingness  to forgive - we need to stand strong in our battle against sin - without pride & remembering the love & mercy of God toward us.  Saving faith will become evident to us when we & others see the fruit in our own lives. 
Then Christians must stand strong as a light to the lost world & proclaim the Gospel with a clear conscience.  I'm not saying we will be sinless, but if we don't battle our own sins then we are a bad testimony of Christ to others.
(2 John 1:8-9; Galatians 6:1; 2 Corinthians 13:5)

What We Need - Kevin DeYoung