MakeShift3

I am friends with this band on MySpace called MakeShift3 (they're really good and you should give them a listen to. You can get their CD's at their MySpace for 3.99 each!) and they wrote me this long message and asked my opinion about it and this is the answer I gave them. I know it's long, so it's up to you to read it but I would appreciate it if you would.
So they asked me about being a Christian band instead of a secular band as Christians, this is my answer to them (they also asked me other stuff that's why this is so long and not all about that one question):
If we look at Thrice, they're not a Christian band but the lead singer is a Christian and sometimes the lyrics in their songs are more Biblical than many Christian bands (not speaking of any one band in particular). I'm not saying every Christian band should go secular, unless, of course, God leads them to do so.
To be a secular band instead of a Christian band should never be about money. As Christians we are to spread the Love of Jesus Christ in any way possible. It's not about how we do it, it's about actually doing it. We were not put here to make money or be famous or anything like that, we were put here to love God and to spread His Word with others that do not know Him, not everyone will be saved, but that doesn't mean we should give up and just not do anything about it. God has ordained who will and who won't be saved, (For He says to Moses, "I will have on mercy on whom I have mercy , and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion": Romans 9:15) no Christian wants a loved one to go to Hell and we can do everything we can to try to save them, but it is not up to us. (I am not in any way taking that lightly). Jesus Christ died for God's elect (And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.-Matthew 24:22: For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.-Matthew 24:24: And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.-Matthew 24:31: And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?-Luke 18:7: Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.-Romans 8:33: though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—-Romans 9:11: Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.-2 Timothy 2:10) and He calls us to be His disciples, to share the Gospel. We are not here for our own glory, but to glorify God in all that we do (So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.-1 Corinthians 10:31). All of us were conceived and born in sin, there is only one way to be saved, through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, but we can only be God's if He first loved us. You and I love God because He first loved us. We were dead in our sin and trespasses and yet God had compassion on us, not because of our works, but because of Jesus' shed Blood. Because of Him we can come to the Father in prayer, because of Him we were made Righteous. We cannont come to God unless Jesus intercedes for us and He will not unless we are saved (which, again, is not our choice). Isn't it awesome (in the true sense of the word) to be able to come to God because of Christ? As Christians, we are to be examples of God's abundant and beautiful love He has bestowed upon us, even to fellow Christians. God is Love, none can have real love unless God is in them, but we do not come to Christ on our own, God calls His elect to come to Him, in any way He so chooses. I long for my life to be a living sacrifice to Him and to have no glory saved for myself, He is deserving of ALL glory. God has ordained everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen all before there was time. He is Almighty, Awesome, Omnipresent, knowing all. Without Him we would have no life, without Christ we would be dead. Praise to be to God for giving us life to live forever with Him in eternity! Praise be to Him that we are not living dead. We are all unworthy of His love, by no work of ours can we be saved, it is all in Christ. Yes, non-Christians are living, but they are not living alive. Saying all of that, I am in no way saying that any of us is better than another, there is only One Perfect One, Jesus Christ. I am the worst of sinners and yet God loves me, a lowly, despicable being. The Lord of all loves me, those words are way beyond comprehension. Sometimes, I think about the whole universe and how God created it and He is so much bigger than all of that (unfortunately, not enough times), how Holy and Beautiful He is, how Majestic and Almighty, and then think of me....little old me, who am I that God would love me so much to send His Son, Holy, Spotless Lamb, One who knew no sin and then died as a sinner so I could have life and have it in abundance in Him, who am I? No one.
Yes, most of the time, as a Christian, life is not perfect, but Jesus Christ never said it would be easy, just that He would be with us through everything.
Sometimes, it is very hard to believe those words, but God's Word is TRUTH and we must pray for the grace to soak in and believe those Holy Words.
On June 16th of this year, my Pawpaw passed away and I don't know if he was a Christian. Oh, I always think, if only I would've witnessed more to him about the Love of God, but I didn't. You know why? Because I was afraid, I was afraid he would be angry with me, I'm not even entirely sure that I even knew exactly how to. You can't just go up to a person and say, "God loves you." because you don't know if He really does, you have to show them God's Word, you have to pray for God to speak through you and then pray for the person to whom you are speaking, God is in control. There is nothing we can do on our own. I remember the day he passed away, all I thought was, "Was he saved? Where is he?", I could cry just thinking about that. I love him and miss him so much.

(Unfortunately, MySpace doesn't have spell-checks so I just re-read this with the spell-check and I messed up a couple words, oi, how embarrssing! I'm really particular about that sort of thing.)
I do not want to start a debate or anything, I am just giving my own opinion. I hope to not offend anyone either.

Alive because of His Blood,
Katie Bekah