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Page Directory |
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I am the Way, the Truth and the Light |
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Page Directory |
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I am the Way, the Truth and the Light |
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First Article
There is some good news and some bad news. A recent survey has shown that teen-agers, boys and girls, are far more accepting of teen-pregnancy than ever before. The stigma and fear found in previous generations have been replaced with increased prestige and even something to brag about. Among other results, a 2010 survey by the Center for Disease Control showed that, although there has been a decline in sexual activity from earlier studies, still 42% of females and 43% of males 15-19 are active. It showed that overall, the majority of teens (71% females, 64% males) ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that it is okay for an unmarried female to have a child. This same study showed that of those not sexually active (41.5% of teenage females and 34.8% of males); the most common reason given for abstaining was that it was “against religion or morals.” The good news is the slight drop in teenage sexual activity and the number of them who report that their abstinence is based on religious/moral grounds. The bad news is the dramatic increase in the acceptability of teen pregnancy. This raises the question of what or who is responsible for the increase? Since 71% of teens report they are Christian, it is the most likely of religious and moral values. Has Christianity recently changed in some way that account for this increased acceptability of teen pregnancy? There are some obvious changes. Today, most mainline Protestant denominations ordain women and a surprising number ordain homosexuals. Aside from such obvious departures from traditional Christian values, more subtle changes are taking place with more in the offing. In order to appeal to the masses, in order to grow, churches are becoming “missionary social welfare agencies.” They are missionary in two regards. First, they see their main objective as reaching out to non-believers. In the early stage of this movement, churches (called “seeker churches”) meticulously modified their services to eliminate anything controversial or even having the perception of being judgmental or suggesting that the seekers are at a Christian service in a Christian church. Second, they are “missiological” which is defined as "the science of the cross cultural communication of the Christian faith." Thus they spawn and support over-seas missions in “faraway places with strange sounding names that are calling, calling them.” Increasingly, they offer menus of programs providing a rainbow of choices ranging from programs providing emergency shelter, food pantries, care for families in need, conciliation ministries, helping resolve interpersonal conflicts, financial seminars, divorce recovery workshops, orphan care and adoption programs, career and pre-marital counseling; a panorama of support groups for cancer patients, those suffering chronic pain, depression, eating disorders, mental illness, families with mentally ill members, infertility, food allergies; those infected with HIV and Aids. Probably not recognizing the contradictions, many now offer psychiatric services. Actually, an endless array of welfare and social services is provided right there on the church campus – sort of a one-stop mini-mart of help and aid for everything that could possibly afflict our lives. As one mega-church advertises, “a little something for everyone.” Anything pertaining to Christian beliefs and values are relegated to programs in venues during off hours and outside of the main arena. Any serious Bible study is relegated to such after-thought agendas and well marked so they won’t accidentally ensnare the unsuspecting. Sermon topics also reinforce the “missionary social welfare” motif of today’s mega-churches. Topics include the likes of: “The Importance of Leadership,” “Restoring Hope,” “Five Secrets for Contentment,” “Shrewd Money Management,” “The Benefits of Declaring the Great Things God Has Done in Our Lives,” “There’s a Mystical Side of the Christian Walk,” “Your Miracle Begins Today.” Sometimes referred to as “pabulumonic sermons,” all with sufficient Scriptural references to persuade all but the most discerning Such distractions as these have cost us a generation – and eternally more. Traditional Christian values are being down played, if not completely missing, in today’s mega-churches as they pursue what they see as the Prayer of Jabez. Instead, it’s of Satan. When Christian values were the foundation of our country, we were characterized as “inner-directed.” Those values guided our lives on a sure and steady course regardless of the tides and tempests that surrounded and often engulfed us. Today, as a people, we are rudderless, being swayed and tossed about by every whim and fancy the mob lights upon – what one writer called “other-directed.” Without any counterpoint, the natural inclination is to follow the herd, the path of least resistance. It isn’t the internet that’s responsible for the decline of America; it’s the absence of those uplifting and stabilizing values. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Hebrews 13:8 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed . Mal. 3:6
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What attracted most people to Jesus during His earthly ministry, the salvation message or the many spectacular miracles He performed? Scriptures are clear that most of the throngs that crowded around Him were fascinated by those miracles of His. They were like magnets, drawing people to Him as flies are drawn to honey. We are inclined to look down on those who, during His earthly ministry, flocked around Him because of the miracles of healing, raising the dead and driving out demons He performed and overlooked His message altogether. Among those guilty of such oversight were, at least in the earlier days of His ministry, His own disciples. In recent articles, we alluded to the many misconceptions of who Jesus really was and is (Hazy on Jesus) and, in “Meet the Real Jesus” we suggested that people in Biblical times reject the real Jesus (the one and only Son of the Living God) in favor of a Santa-Clause-like perversion of Him. We wonder how those people who heard and saw Jesus in person could be so dense. It is something of a conundrum today that sermons condemning their failure to understand His real mission are sandwiched in between opening and closing prayers soliciting God’s intervention in the order of things on our behalf (miracles) in His name. Actually, recent trends show us increasing reliance upon the promises of miraculous answers to prayers to attract people into churches. The passage from Mark 11 that says, “if we pray believing it will come true whatever we desire or crave for will be granted,” is a big attraction. Increasingly, rather than using Mark as the justification for materialistic-self-centered praying, it is the foundation Scripture for sermons and most of what the “church” focuses upon. In short, for most Christians, Jesus is a crutch who embraces and encourages worldliness rather than a Savior who spurns this corrupt world and all that is in it. (Luke 4:1-13) It isn’t just the “Emerging/Emergent Church” or the “fraudulent fringe” embracing this venial heresy, it is rapidly spreading throughout all of Christianity. He who speaks “positive Christianity,” “prosperity Christianity,” “purpose driven lives/churches,” “seeker churches,” “evangelicalism,” “social justice,” “name-it-and-claim-it” and the “church growth movement” speaks a corruption of the Word. Another virulent form of “worldly heresy” parades under the umbrella of “reconciliation.” It’s an old theme of “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” in a new inclusive wrapper of “religious tolerance.” In dealing with the multiplicity of worldly religions and divergent life-styles, this “divergent theology” espouses high sounding values, just not Christian, that promotes the idea we can all get along (Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, gays, transsexuals) as well as focusing on other areas of disagreement within the “church.” Their motto is, “the whole human family is His children.” All of this, we are told, is for the sake of living in peace and love with our fellow human beings. It isn’t that these themes found in the contemporary church are instances of their being “spiritual babies,” they aren’t even on the same page with Christianity, let alone a “spiritual walk.” Before, we go further we must be perfectly clear that we believe His answering our prayers, however large or small, are miracles even when the answers are not always what we expect or desire. Further, we confirm that imbedded in the Word is one vital principle: Jesus the Christ is Lord of all. (Acts 10:3) Yes, He humbled Himself in order to reconcile us with God. He died on the Cross in order to do so and rose from His grave as a final testimony that only He, as the only begotten Son of God, can forgive sin. We must also recognize that we were, are and always will be sinners. If, in His name, we repent of those sins, they are forgotten and we become the adopted, reconciled, children of God. Worshipping Jesus is the purpose that should drive us. He is the positive message of Christianity; the way to true prosperity. His Lordship over our lives is the principle we should stridently seek to reflect in our words and deeds to the unbelieving world. There is nothing greater we could seek to name or claim than the name of Jesus the Christ. How much more preferable it is to be know as His, rather than a follower of Rick, Ed, Joel, Bill, Creflo, Joyce, Paula, Rob, Shane, Brian, Robert, Kenneth or whatever name Apollos (see 1 Corinthians 1:12 KJV, 1 Corinthians 3:4 KJV, 1 Corinthians 3:5 KJV) is using these days. If we would truly put Him, whose name we profess, before all else, the church would one day truly become CHRISTian. Answering a question, Jesus replied, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:5-6) The Apostles may have come to fully understand the meaning of His words. It should be our fervent prayer, our life’s ambition that someday we will as well. Forget the effect. Focus on the cause. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
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Samson moved from one predicament to another; constantly in hot water. He “judged,” if it can be called that, Israel for twenty years. Actually the “biography” of his tenure in office was one punctuated with his slipping and sliding from one mess of his own doing into another. Throughout, there was a consistent theme that culminates with his seeming heroic, yet disgraceful final curtain. The theme, put into today’s vernacular could be summarized as “Whatever Samson wants, Samson does.” He started young and never stopped messing up. Regardless of the seriousness of the consequences, he never seemed to connect what he was doing with the disastrous consequences he was suffering. His first marriage to a Philistine girl from the city of Timnath was in complete violation of God’s sanctions against marrying nonbelievers. The “marriage” lasted a week and his little matrimonial foray resulted in his killing a thousand Philistine soldiers but not before they burned his new bride and her entire family alive. His next and last feminine “conquest” was the harlot (by some accounts, a temple prostitute) Delilah from the Philistine city of Gaza. Like his first “wife” she was just as treacherous. Interestingly, “her name is a word play on Hebrew layla” translated as “night.” One source notes, “for as the night overcomes the mighty sun (the name Samson, Shimshon, is related to “sun,” shemesh), so Delilah overcomes the apparently invincible strong man, Samson.” And, she got eleven hundred pieces of silver for her betrayal. (Judges 16:5) The dilemma the account of Samson confronts us with is that on the one hand he appears to be a hero while on the other he is a wretched person more interested in serving himself than God. Yes he tore a lion apart with his bare hands. Yes, he slew a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass. Yes he destroyed the temple to Dagon and killed all the lords of the Philistines; about three thousand men and women, along with many other “heroic” deeds. However, his motivation was prideful, vengeful and self-serving. What is it in the narrative of Samson that made him a hero? He was a despicable character. Even his feat of lighting fire to the tails of hundreds of foxes and sending them into the grain fields, vineyards and olive groves of the Philistines was done for the revenge of a personal affront. (Judges 14:19-15:5) His final demise, however dramatic, was the consequence of his “affair” with the Harlot Delilah. Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges is a lurid tale of lust and personal revenge, and little more. In so many words, he was out of control. As a Nazirite and a judge over Israel, He certainly was a public figure. Some want to use this as the reason God kept saving Samson from the messes he kept getting himself into. That did not excuse nor exonerate him from his transgressions nor wipe out the punishment he was due for his wrongdoings. The destruction of the temple of Dagon and the deaths of the three thousand Philistines was Samson’s personal revenge for their having gouged his eyes out. Judges 16:20 states that Samson didn’t know that the Lord had departed from Him but He had departed. Little wonder. He did pray to God for the strength to destroy the temple (vs. 28) and for some infinite reason, He granted Samson’s last request. Then, Samson died, far short of his potential. With his gift, he could have been the instrument to drive the indigenous occupants out of Israel. Instead, out of a sense of personal vengeance to kill a lion, burn crops by setting the tails of foxes on fire, kill a relatively few of the enemy with the jawbone of an ass and gave up his life in disgrace. His years of judgeship over Israel were not good years. He was the very personification of what it, Israel, had become; expecting all blessing to be granted on demand and obeying God when the occasion was right and it was convenient. Actually, in Samson’s case, he never obeyed God. All he really did was pray for God to get him out of the personal messes he had gotten himself into. His narcissistic wanderings cost him dearly. His death throes were not a victory for God. His death like his life was a gift squandered. How could God ever use a person who was so influenced by the lusts of the flesh and emotional extremes? “Well,” He might tell us, “I use you.” It is not likely that God was using Samson's weaknesses for women to accomplish His ends as some believe? His miserable life and his puny victories were pyrrhic victories; a mere pittance of what they could have been and what he could have accomplished. His strength was not in his being a Nazirite or in his hair; it was a gift from God intended, as with all such gifts, to be used in His service, not for personal gain. Regaining his strength had nothing to do with his hair starting to grow back but with God’s infinite mercy. His life, a mirror of that or Israel’s disobedient history, is to serve as a warning to all. The lesson we are to learn; from Samson’s disobedient life and his disgraceful death is that there is a price to pay for disobeying God. Like Samson, like Israel, like the church today, we must surely know God will not mocked. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
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