The Beatles and CCM

[Jordan Kurecki]

http://www.wayoflife.org/database/beatles_and_ccm.html

A powerful testimony of an ex hippie/druggie.

 

[JamesL]

I didn't see anything "powerful" about his testimony.

From what I ascertained, he was "saved" from drugs and rock music. Big deal.

Before I became a believer in Christ, I was "saved" from drinking, smoking and gambling. But the sobering reality is that I "saved" myself form those things. I thought giving up those things were just part of what I needed to do in order to make myself acceptable to God.

But I'll tell you some things I couldn't save myself from:
the fiery flames of eternal separation from God.
the misery of not knowing the peace that passes all understanding.
the frightening thoughts of a God who demanded more than I could deliver.


I was saved alright. And there was real power in my salvation. I was dragged out of the pits of self righteousness and the uncertainty of a "performance salvation"

The power of the gospel is much more dynamic than giving up drugs and rock music.

 

[preachinjesus]

Just shaking my head and walking away....

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

I have decided erase this post.

 

[JamesL]

Did you really just compare God saving someone from drugs to self righteousness and performance salvation?

Nope. It was a contrast.
I was taking a shot at the one who would compare being saved from drugs and rock 'n roll, to being saved from the misery of separation from God.

God saved me out of drug addiction and it was powerful and it was ALL God. Are you going to sit here and tell me I have a performance salvation?

That depends. I gave God the "credit" for saving me from smoking cigarettes. But in fact, I wasn't even a believer in Christ for almost another year. It was all a fleshly endeavor on my part.

God saved me from drugs, but my salvation was not all dependant upon me giving up drugs, that was just something God freed me from after I got saved.

Maybe you thought giving up those things is what made you acceptable to God, but you have no business going around assuming others think that.

I never said anyone thinks that. I just noted the fact that the guy's "salvation" seems to have consisted of earthly things - temporal vices.

When God delivered me from drugs I knew that it had nothing to do with me trying to earn salvation, in fact a month into getting saved I told God I could not quit drugs and that he had to take them away, he changed my life.

He changed my life, too. But not cigarettes, drinking and gambling. I had given them up a year before I got saved. There was no connection between the faith of Christ and giving up vices.

God saved me and delivered me out of that lifestyle that was damning my soul to hell, who do you think you are to say "big deal" about anyone who has a similar testimony? In fact I find your statement flat out blasphemous against the death of Christ on the cross, God thought it was a "big deal" when he punished Christ for my sins of drug addiction.

So do you think you'll go to hell if you start getting high? If drugs were damning your soul to hell before, how about if a believer stumbles back into drug use?

How about me? I stumbled back into drug use about 10 years ago. Had no intention, but my wife at the time got caught up again. She refused to stay home with me, so I started going with her, just to know where she was and that she was safe. I started getting high again.

Maybe you do have a performance "salvation", I don't know. But it sounds like you think that if you don't keep off drugs, then your salvation might be in jeopardy.

You said you were saved out of self righteousness? Are you sure about that?

Me has no righteousness derived from meself. I can assure you of that. And you can ask a few people here who can vouch for that.

I've been told I have a big ego, and a condescending attitude. I'll take that. I'm sort of narcissistic, really. But thank GOD for a Savior who understands my weakness, and died for me in spite of them.

And I have a Spirit in me who is working to make me more like my Savior.

I don't have to try to be good enough for Him to love me. Sometimes, He even forgives me 70 x 7 - in spite of the fact that I don't deserve it.

But what's viewed by you as self righteousness is simply someone making observations, and noting that you seem to mention nothing about an eternal Savior, and neither do any of the writers or sermon deliverers you link to.

It seems to be about how much everybody is doing everything wrong and needs to straighten up. The need to put on a better performance. Maybe just for you

 

[JamesL]

should I erase mine?

answer honestly, and I will or won't depending on your request

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

Nope. It was a contrast.
I was taking a shot at the one who would compare being saved from drugs and rock 'n roll, to being saved from the misery of separation from God.




That depends. I gave God the "credit" for saving me from smoking cigarettes. But in fact, I wasn't even a believer in Christ for almost another year. It was all a fleshly endeavor on my part.




I never said anyone thinks that. I just noted the fact that the guy's "salvation" seems to have consisted of earthly things - temporal vices.




He changed my life, too. But not cigarettes, drinking and gambling. I had given them up a year before I got saved. There was no connection between the faith of Christ and giving up vices.




So do you think you'll go to hell if you start getting high? If drugs were damning your soul to hell before, how about if a believer stumbles back into drug use?

How about me? I stumbled back into drug use about 10 years ago. Had no intention, but my wife at the time got caught up again. She refused to stay home with me, so I started going with her, just to know where she was and that she was safe. I started getting high again.

Maybe you do have a performance "salvation", I don't know. But it sounds like you think that if you don't keep off drugs, then your salvation might be in jeopardy.




Me has no righteousness derived from meself. I can assure you of that. And you can ask a few people here who can vouch for that.

I've been told I have a big ego, and a condescending attitude. I'll take that. I'm sort of narcissistic, really. But thank GOD for a Savior who understands my weakness, and died for me in spite of them.

And I have a Spirit in me who is working to make me more like my Savior.

I don't have to try to be good enough for Him to love me. Sometimes, He even forgives me 70 x 7 - in spite of the fact that I don't deserve it.

But what's viewed by you as self righteousness is simply someone making observations, and noting that you seem to mention nothing about an eternal Savior, and neither do any of the writers or sermon deliverers you link to.

It seems to be about how much everybody is doing everything wrong and needs to straighten up. The need to put on a better performance. Maybe just for you

I have always taught the eternal security of the believer.

You are severely misunderstanding what I mean when I say saved from drugs, Yes when I accepted Christ he saved me from separation from God and from Hell, but you know what the biggest sin that was between me and God was? Drugs, and you know that what was the biggest sin in my life keeping me from a walk with God? Drugs. Drugs was my idol that God cleansed me from. And yes many of the sermons that I post are based toward sanctification, what do you expect when your on a Baptist Forum, Should I assume everyone is lost and expect them to need to hear messages about Christ's power to save them from an eternal hell?

You perceptions of what I said and of me I believe are totally off, I just preached at a nursing last Sunday about how God hates sin but Loves sinners enough to die for them and that God always provides a way to escape from judgment through faith in Christ. Then I preached a message yesterday about how Jesus Christ is sufficient for all our needs. And yet you wanna make this statement about how I don't present an eternal savior?

My Salvation has never been dependent upon me quitting drugs or me resisting and sin, it has always been dependent upon my childlike faith in the savior. How you get that from what I said is beyond me. All me and David Cloud are doing is relating our experiences of the fact that "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, behold all things have become new."

And yes I think you should remove your post.

 

[InTheLight]

You are severely misunderstanding what I mean when I say saved from drugs, Yes when I accepted Christ he saved me from separation from God and from Hell, but you know what the biggest sin that was between me and God was? Drugs, and you know that what was the biggest sin in my life keeping me from a walk with God? Drugs. Drugs was my idol that God cleansed me from.

I appreciate your testimony and am glad you posted it. I listened to your sermon "God Hates Sin" the other day while I was working. Good old fashioned fire and brimstone preaching.

I must point out that the biggest sin separating you from God was not drugs, but was unbelief. Doing drugs is plenty destructive and sinful, but that is not what was keeping you from a walk with God. It was unbelief.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

I appreciate your testimony and am glad you posted it. I listened to your sermon "God Hates Sin" the other day while I was working. Good old fashioned fire and brimstone preaching.

I must point out that the biggest sin separating you from God was not drugs, but was unbelief. Doing drugs is plenty destructive and sinful, but that is not what was keeping you from a walk with God. It was unbelief.

I would suppose you are right.

It really was a giant in my life though, I think it was also something that really kept me in willful unbelief.