Sexcess

This still seems very similar to this woman's book I have sittin right here. It has the N.T. inside with articles all through it from women about women's issues.

I don't see this Full-Color, Trade Paper claiming to be a study bible either. The format looks like a magazine. So what? I seriously doubt they changed any of the scripture in there. If they did then I would have a major problem.

If people have a problem with it then they shouldn't buy it. This could reach men out there for Christ!

 

I don't post often on these subjects because I don’t like to argue and get caught up in "churchianity". But sometimes you just have to say, who do you think you are? These worldly Christians you people speak of, who are they? Are they the ones out there that wear the expensive suit and tie and drive the big and or expensive car? Or the ones that wear a button down shirt no tie and drive an old pick up?

When people talk about not using worldly things to promote the Bible and God, that it is wrong. How about the Internet, its one of, if not the most worldly media around. And who are we to say who and/or what God can or cannot use to reach the lost. Who are we to pick and choose how someone is reached? Who are we to pick and choose who is reached? And if you haven’t read the magazine or “biblezine” as they put it, and that is what it is a magazine, then you should reserve your judgments until you do. What ever happened to not judging a book by its cover? What ever happen to judging all things in the light of scripture? If all you have seen is the cover you need to do more research. I’ll concede the fact that the term “Sexcess” gives me pause, however until I read the article, and I plan to do so, I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

Just like a lot of Christians are against newer translations of the Bible, they are against new music, movies, magazines, and a host of other things. It’s a good thing that Gods plan continues to reach the lost in spite of “our plan”. Its not enough that we want to put God into a little box that fits “our” interpretation “his” word but now we want tie his hands behind his back. His way of reaching the lost may not be our way, at the moment, but it should be. If reading a magazine, or listening to a song, or watching a movie helps someone to be more curious about God, or if it actually pushes them over the edge for Christ, then I say “get-r-done”.

1 Cor 9:22-23
22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

 

==How does using worldly methods reach people for Christ?

Martin. </font>[/QUOTE]The format of the magazine is different. Alot of un-believers won't touch a regular bible that we all use or step foot in church. This magazine has the N.T. inside it with articles about mens issues. If this magazine has men picking it up and reading it and it leads them to Jesus then I am definitely for it!
I will have to wait to get the paper in my hands and look at it to see how they made it. To see if they have treated the Word of God like a joke or not.

I don't know, I thought of this scripture too when reading this thread.

1 Cor 9:22-23
22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. 23I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

 

Are we saying that God's word is not a good enough method and that man can improve on it?

 

Who is saying that? Not me. I don't see them saying they changed the Word of God in that magazine.
I know God can and does use many methods to bring people to Him. He used a Christian fiction book to draw me to Him in the beginning. I've seen God use Christian rock too. But this is a trade paper or biblezine or magazine for pete sake, not a study bible. It has the N.T. included in it and I think that is great.

 

Ever hear of The Song of Solomon? Fact is, considering that the divorce rate inside the church is roughly the same as the divorce rate outside the church, we'd do well to spend more time discovering what the Bible has to say about success with the opposite sex.

 

So is this Bible that is patterned after 17,Cosmo, Men's Health etc... going to have new issues every month? Once I read the articles I want to read in a magazine I toss it and wait for the next issue.
What I'm driving at is this. I think TN is thinking about how to make money more than they are about putting the Word in the hands of more people. The concept of presenting the Bible in magazine form must mean they, T.Nelson plan on printing more issues of like fashion. I believe they have tapped into a way of making more money by marketing the Bible in this fashion. (Like God's Word needs to be marketed).
This Bible isn't going to appeal to non christians. How many non christians frequent christian bookstores where most of these Biblezines will be sold? Very,very, few.

"Its all about the benjamins baby!"

Why is America so ripe for the judgement of God when we have all these different Bibles to choose from that will supposededly connect with people?

Where is the hard evidence that having all these Bibles available to people has made somekind of monumental impact on the christian in the states.
Baptistms are down. Churches are closing. What about the world? Gambling is sweeping the nation. The homosexual agenda is as powerful as ever. Fascination with pornography and the porn industry is trucking right along. Drugs are still a problem,Divorce and broken homes are commonplace, Abortion is still rampant. Must I go on? So much Bible access yet, so little Bible application.
All T. Nelson is doing is trying to make another buck. Making the Bible look like a magazine just gives the idea that the Bible is "common" whether they realize it or not. Why not just put these Biblzines in the supermarket checkout between Oprah's mag. Woman's day? One could gather a little bit from each and learn how to cope.

The bottomline is the fact that American evangelicals are a bunch of spoiled ninnies who have grown fat,sassy and lazy because of all of "christian stuff" they haved gorged themselves with. I dare say that we would already have reached more people with the Gospel around the world if all the money that was made from "evangelicals" buying CD's books etc... was put into missions. We are just spoiled, spoiled spoiled.

 

Well said shannonL, our "American" Christianity today has so little Biblical foundation and knowledge that there is almost no discerment of right and wrong from God's viewpoint anymore. Everybody wants it their way.

Burger King Christianity.

 

This magazine sounds like the current version of the tract like the four spiritual laws that was so successful in previous cultures. Today's culture generally does not like tracts but I can see a magazine like this being effective at reaching some Christian and non-Christian segments of today's culture with God's word. I also see it as being much better than tracts because it presents more than over-simplified formulas to Christianity.

 

I've seen it as well. I don't accuse them of mismarketing. I do think, though, that you simply don't approve, and hence will condemn.

I think you should subscribe to a bit more objectivity. Who decides "worldly standards"? The commentaries in this edition address issues that Godly men face all the time, whether they're worldly or not. Addressing those topics should not be eschewed just because you have decided they're worldly.

I suggest you actually pick it up and read through it. You'll find nothing inappropriate in its content.

It's clear, then, that you did not read it. I did. As a parent of two teen girls who must work hard to keep them pure, I speak with some authority here. I highly recommend Revolve to anyone with teen girls.

Who says it's not a study bible? You? It is a fact of life that Christian men struggle, sometimes daily, with financial, sexual, and physical issues. Who says that these are not theological and/or life principle issues? You? I'd disagree with you vehemently.

As a Godly husband (so says my wife) who admittedly struggles with all sorts of issues that men face, I am neither outraged nor in agreement with you.

I think the fact that scripture can be so easily applied in daily practical application, while the Koran cannot, is a testament to its worthiness as God's inspired Word.

As someone who purchased not one, but two Revolve editions, I can attest to the fact that none of this is true.

You got me there. That was originally why I wasn't going to purchase them. However, upon further investigating, I realized that this was a subjective judgement on my part, and that making a study bible in a format that makes its content easily accessible to the reader is good.

Who decided what a bible should look like? God certainly does not care about these things. He cares only about the Word living in our hearts.

What's a worldly trick? I have a Bible with a Burgandy leather binding. I like the color burgundy. My wife's Bible is in a hawaiian print bible case with a long strap. Again, who decides what is an appropriate "worldly trick" and what isn't?

I ask again, who decides? I don't worship scripture.

Jesus used "worldly language" all the time. Paul wrote in a very common, basic, and easy to understand "worldly language".

I question your sincerity, since you already implied that those topics are worldly and not worthy of discussion.

 

Rubbish! My wife and I have a healthy, active, and fun sex life, and aren't afraid to encourage other married people to do the same. Whoever decided that it was a taboo subject is sending people to hell, imo.

It should be used for both. In fact, God's word does indeed encourage us in matters of success with the opposite sex. And that, imo, is indeed Christ centered. Need proof? Try reading Song of Solomon. It's pretty erotic, even going so far as beautifying oral copulation. SoS is one of the most poetically beautiful books of scripture.

 

When I taught high school I told non-Christians what often Christian kids do not hear but should hear at church.

Sex is incredibly powerful. It has the power to destroy and the power to draw closeness. But it must be done God's way or we lose.

Isn't that part of the content in 1 Cor. Seems like God said a lot about immorality and promiscuity as well as the roles and responsibilities of the husband and wife.

It wasn't too many years ago that I went through 1 Cor and it was often the older people I found who didn't like straight talk about such things found there. But in the congregation were two teenagers visiting who were involved with their boy friends in ways that were not wise nor biblical. They had bought into the ideas of the world. Afterward a mother came to me and thanked me for such straight talk. It gave her daughter the proper perspective that she needed along with her two friends that day. Sometime take a look at the statistics where the highest teen pregnancy rate is in the U.S.

Josh McDowell wrote a book called Right From Wrong. In that book he claims that 25% of the youth in the youth groups in churches are having sex with each other.

 

I see nothing offensive about the Revolve bible. You presume (and do so incorrectly) that Revolve does not deal seriously with these issues from a biblical standard. If you truly did read through the Revolve NT edition, you'd find that it does in fact do so. If this edition of the OP is similar, I fully expect it will do so likewise.

 

Right on!