Category: Culture Page 17 of 20
http://www.westerfunk.net/archives/poli … 0abortion/
More than anything, this makes me really sad for how our society can justify the murder of unborn children at a legal level. My wife is about to deliver our first child in a few weeks. And to see a baby moving inside of her, responding to me when I talk, I cannot possibly conceive how anyone, in such an organized, political manner, can justify abortion, as if it is some badge of honor to give legal consent to commit murder. And this is only because God has changed my heart by His grace, otherwise I would be darkened in my understanding just as those are who approve of such awful, horrific things. I take no credit for my stance on abortion. I am a sinner, and without the restraint of God turning me from my sin by His grace, I would by justifying abortion in the same manner. We are so prone to sin and we cannot even perceive how exposed we are.
So, could I be outraged and take up an offense against these particular Democrats on the basis of morality? Sure. Could I protest the politics of it all and defend the Republican stance against abortion? Absolutely. And I do defend the abolition of abortion. However, our ultimate hope as believers in Christ is not in the politics of this world, but of the politics of heaven where Christ reigns (His sovereignty over all things), where our citizenship lies. At the same time, I desire to do what I can in this world (voting) to keep people out of office who approve of and give free, unfettered easy access for citizens to commit infanticide. This to me trumps all other issues, as important as they are, because this is such a wickedly depraved act and exposes the rank unbelief that lies in the hearts of men. And to give approval of such things on a political level (as we already have) is to delve our nation further into unbelief of the Gospel. As far as the liberal stance on abortion is concerned, they do not need people like us yelling at them, they need us to love them by entering their lives, show them the Gospel, and they need their hearts of stone melted by the grace and mercy of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit.
They need the call of the Gospel, and in that the wakening of their souls from spiritual death to see the beauty of Christ. This is our only hope for changing people’s hearts to see the utter darkness of abortion: the work of the Holy Spirit to unbind hearts chained by sin. For such a sophisticated society as ours, we are one of the most barbaric cultures to approve of something as wretched as infanticide. May God have mercy on our nation and culture and cleanse us of our wickedness by His grace alone. Oh Lord, have mercy upon us as a people by turning our hearts from our wickedness.
This is a common phrase spoken constantly in our culture. And it has even made its way into the church now. Our culture has redefined the terms judgment, acceptance, and tolerance to say that if you say anything against anyone else, it is judging. They say, “Who are we to judge the words, thoughts and actions of others?” The pillar text to back up this statement- is Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Also, Romans 2:1, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” And while I absolutely agree that we should not judge others in the sense of seeing ourselves as morally superior and others as morally wretched (deluding ourselves), I believe a distinction must be made between two kinds of judgments or the church will continue to flounder in its influence to hold up the Gospel as THE WAY to God in this wretched, increasingly paganizing culture filled with poisonous doctrine that is against the Gospel. There is a type of judgment where you simply assess a situation, a persons’ words, understanding someone’s statements, and come to a discerning conclusion, based upon information given in that circumstance. Jesus spoke of this in John 7:24, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” And then there is a judgment in which you make ultimately final, authoritative calls: that is not your place to do so, Jesus’s point in Matthew 7. It is God’s place, and we are not God, therefore, we should not assume His place in this. And if we presume to take God’s place as the judge, we should fear because it fundamentally shows we have not really gotten the Gospel, Pauls point in Romans 2. So on the one hand, we make probably thousands of judgments (discerning calls) every day concerning all kinds of things. Are these evil? No! What is an evil kind of judging though? When you take God’s place as judge and set yourself up as morally pure and others as morally wretched, looking down upon them. It is making the proclamation that you are morally worthy of God’s favor based upon your works, not Christ’s, and are therefore righteous as a final authority in all the universe. How evil. It is ultimately a rejection of the Gospel and God’s grace. We should beware if we fall into this. Romans 2 and Matthew 7 in particular speaks to this very point.
Now I want to show the other type of judgment, the discerning type, that is not evil by bringing in some other Scripture passages that speak of a kind judging, or making judgments, that are not to be taken in the same way Matthew 7 and Romans 2 are taken. Galatians 1:9 says, “As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” Romans 16:17, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Ephesians 4:11-14, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry … so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” 1 Timothy 1:3, “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine.” 1 Timothy 4:3-5, “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.”
Is Paul not making judgments here and telling those he writes to to do the same thing? But what kind of judgments are these? Is he asserting his place as God, presiding over the judgment of men’s souls? No, he is making calls concerning false teachers and every wind of doctrine that blows to and fro that would lead us astray, that is from man and not from God. Are we as the church not supposed to make these kinds of judgments? Yes. Are we not to be discerning of good and bad doctrine? Absolutely we are. If we don’t, we will lose the truth altogether in our culture. However, we are not supposed to judge by taking God’s place as the final judge of all things. We do not know men’s hearts ultimately and have no place to make such an assertion before the time of judgment by God. However, are we not supposed to be discerning about what people state as the truth of the Scriptures? Paul seems to think so. Are not Paul’s writings inerrant Scripture? It seems to me the postmodern talk of tolerance, acceptance, and the cultures’ understanding of Jesus’ words have infiltrated the church’s understanding of when to make calls concerning right and wrong doctrine. the more muddled and grey the statements of Scripture become, the more we forfeit the only hope given among men by which they must be saved: Jesus Christ crucified.
So when someone says to me, “Who are you to judge,” my response to them is, “Who are you to judge me?” I’m trying to make the point to them that they are making a judgment about me just as I am of whoever else we are talking about (remember, a discerning judgment). In attempting to be inclusive of all people, once again, they are making exclusive judgments and doing the same thing to me they accuse me of doing. This thought process must be confronted, lovingly, first in our churches (where we stand up for doctrine and confessions of the Scripture) and then secondly, address our culture, and in doing so recover the Gospel, the hope of the world. This thought process is self-refuting and hinders the progress of Gospel-truth in our churches.
Many people in our society simply cast aside such a comparison as non-sense, mainly because The Secret, authored by Rhonda Byrne, is a first place New York Times best seller (on the list for 25 weeks now!), at one point selling around 4 times the amount of the second place best seller. Let’s start by talking about how they are not related: one is blatantly calling itself Satanism (the religion of self as they proclaim) and the other is packaging itself in a much cleaner fashion, in the form of love and tranquility. One is abrasive, the other is seemingly harmonious. In my estimation, The Secret will do far more damage to our society than blatant Satanism. But how does the “theology” of The Secret differ from that of Satanism? Well it doesn’t really when you get down to what each “religion” is saying. Quote from Anton Szandor LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan, from their website:
“Since Satanism is essentially a religion of the self, it holds that the individual and his personal needs comes first … Satanism is the only religion which serves to encourage and enhance one’s individual preferences, so long as there is admission of those needs. Thus, one’s personal and indelible religion (the picture) is integrated into a perfect frame. It’s a celebration of individuality without hypocrisy, of solidarity without mindlessness, of objective subjectivity.” – Taken from http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/MostPower.html (WARNING – be careful on this site, a few bad pictures and a few bad links, I would say just stick to that one page and that will be enough to give you the overview).
Well unfortunately, Satanism is not the only religion which holds to this kind of thinking.
In comparison, here are some audio sound bites from Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret (just hover over the links below to play them in the window that pops up):
The Magnificence of You (MP3)
The Sun Rises for You (MP3)
You Are the Creator (MP3) < This one just amazes me
This teaching is blatantly Satanic. How? Just rewind to the Garden of Eden. Satan told Eve, “You will be like God.” (Gen 3:5) What is the fundamental difference between these two “religions”? None. It is all about self. Satan fell from heaven because of his assertion that he was God and could conquer Him. Is The Secret any different? The church must embrace the Biblical Gospel and cast aside anything that would come into our churches that is not only non-Christian but anti-Christian, like The Secret. According to Al Mohler, from this radio program (mp3) he did back in March, ladies watching Oprah (also this) are bringing this filth into Bible studies! Unbelievable. This is why we must preach a clear Gospel and Biblical doctrine from Scripture. People in our Christian culture are so unfamiliar with their own belief system they cannot even recognize something as blatantly Satanic as The Secret.
“A great civilization is not conquered from without, until it has destroyed itself from within.”
– Will Durant
The Goal of God’s Love May Not Be What You Think It Is – John Piper
Live Earth: How shall I describe it? Democratic National Convention, one in a long line of hippy fests, possible political front for Al Gore’s Presidential bid in the near future, “Green” Woodstock, the largest hypocritical organized event in the world, GE fluorescent light bulb marketing campaign (via NBC), NBC-backed partisan political push for the Democrats, hybrid marketing campaign, excuse to go to a concert and drink yourself in the ground, a “progressive” excuse to protest an infringement of the climate on our constitutional rights (even if it is a theory), a reason for artists to be in the spotlight and market their music, a reason to be entertained for fans, a false way of feeling like you are making a difference when you are simply adding to the alleged problem by attending, a sham, a convenient way for the super rich and famous to be telling all of us peons what we should be doing and not be doing it themselves.
And no, Leonardo, there is no consensus in the scientific community on the issue. Why the fabrication? There is in fact a great divide. What a giant lie this whole thing is … and Al Gore, in the name of inclusion of all people from all types of backgrounds, you are excluding all those who disagree with you, like me and half of the scientific community. For pollution to be cut down at the levels it needs to be to reverse any supposed climate change caused by man, all construction and industrial production from all sectors of the world must cease immediately. And … purchasing carbon offsets is going to do the job? Really? I’m at a loss, basically this sums it up: Al Gore, people will go to anything where there are stars, music, beer, and a reason to protest; that does not necessarily mark success though in your fight at the phantom that is global warming. Makes my head hurt …
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ … 027517.ece
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/f … ge_id=1879
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id … _article=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/07/washi … nted=print
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co … 01_pf.html
http://www.davidwesterfield.net/comment … 614-095935
http://www.davidwesterfield.net/comment … 516-094518
http://www.davidwesterfield.net/comment … 410-110051
http://www.davidwesterfield.net/comment … 203-004902
Updated on 4/24/2008
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“Our logo symbolizes the journey to Higher Ground. The purple inverted “V” is The Higher Ground, the place towards which we are all traveling. As we ascend in our journey to Higher Ground, we invite others to accompany us along the way. The Higher Ground is colored purple, the color associated with “spirit”, the sixth chakra and the Soul. The red line is the Red Road of life that is an important part of Native American tradition and symbolism. It is depicted as a free-form “S” – for Spirit. The Red Road is the path we are taking on this Earthly journey. (In Native American tradition the blue road, for example, is the road of the next domain, the afterlife). The Red Road of life is the way to Higher Ground and when we reach Higher Ground we are warmed, comforted, healed and sustained by the sun, the symbol of hope, brightness and life. The sun inspires and nourishes us. The sun affirms life and reminds us of our commitment to only engage in business and social activities that are life-affirming.” – Secretan Center website
With all the talk of tolerance and acceptance within our culture, it would seem the workplace would be the last front where inner-spiritual transformation and renewal would be pushed by corporate leaders upon employees coming from various religious backgrounds, some of which are dogmatic on their doctrine and will not accept compromise. But that is exactly what is happening on many corporate fronts, just under the guise of making you joyful and satisfied in the workplace, ultimately for the bottom-line of the company, not any other ultimate eternal good. Just profit and possible temporal happiness. Spiritual renewal for the sake of a dollar.
Dr. Lance Secretan of The Secretan Center is a very charismatic individual. His ability to rally people together to accomplish organizational transformation for the benefit of an organization is remarkable. He is also very entertaining and I do not negate that his methodologies work to bring transformation from within an organization. I have no evidence, but it appears it is working for many companies. Here is a list on their site of the companies and organizations utilizing his services. And there are many others out there following in the same pattern. Despite the effectiveness of bringing in profits (the ultimate goal, not so much true spiritual renewal), something much greater concerns me even than this. One of the goals of the Secretan Center from their website is, “Developing professionalism in conjunction with spiritual and values-centered renewal in internal functions.”
Now, I inherently agree with the C.A.S.T.L.E. principles on their face (not so much the explanation of them on the site) and the end goals Secretan puts forward as necessary within a company. Those points are courageousness, loving others as you would have them love you, authenticity, serving others, honesty, etc. Those are things Jesus Himself spoke about that I affirm and believe in. But spiritual renewal in the workplace? Values-centered renewal? This is what I have a problem with. Christianity, the Gospel, states that we can only be spiritually transformed/renewed by grace alone through faith alone in the work of Christ alone on the cross on our behalf. And the only true value we have (from which all the other values flow that Jesus speaks of in the Scriptures), the only thing we are to ultimately boast in, is the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:14) and thus enjoying Him forever for His sacrificial, effective work on our behalf. This is what I believe. Now of course, the Gospel does have necessary ramifications and implications, some of those being the aforementioned principles such as service, honesty, and loving others. I agree with and support those principles within an organization.
But the ultimate end of spiritual transformation and renewal in our hearts is not so we can just be happy and joyful in the here and now (though that inevitably results). But it is about being restored to and participating in God’s glory and honor, not celebrating man’s inherent supposed moral goodness (which is an oxymoron based upon Romans 3:10-18, Isaiah 64:6, Psalm 14:2-3). The end for which God created the world is being caught up in, consumed by, and enthralled by the infinitely burning, all-consuming glory of God for all eternity, bringing glory to Himself through all of it. God’s glory is the only thing that will satisfy the hearts of all people, if they will turn away from their selves as their own gods, and turn humbly rather in submission to the presence and power of the true God revealed in Christ alone. However, we are so desperately soul-dead that we cannot even transform ourselves to desire or see our need for this change, because we are dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1-3) which has rendered even our desires and wills totally incapable of loving Christ or seeing Him as more valuable than anything in the world. So this message bounces off of the hearers, unless the Spirit acts to make us alive in Christ. We cannot change our hearts. To teach otherwise in any form, is to deny the power, sufficiency, and efficiency of the blood of Christ on the cross to bring about the inner spiritual renewal necessary for believing in Christ unto eternal salvation and life.
Lance Secretan is a New Age humanist, at least that is what has been presented in his seminars and whatnot. He promotes the strength of man to work up the moral ability to be courageous, loving, accepting, truthful, and so on. I have no idea what he actually believes privately. He presents so many mixed messages from different faiths and traditions that it has to be New Age mysticism of some type; that is at least according to the books he recommends on his site. But what he promotes in his seminars and conferences is a New Age-based, man-centered approach to spiritual renewal and transformation for the benefit of a company’s bottom-line. He constantly talks about the financial results of other companies who have adopted his methods. I mean let’s be honest, that’s what it’s all about: the green, which he is gaining a substantial amount of from his, “teachings.”
Regardless, this is New Age religion without using any of the religious words that would constitute it as such. Secretan is not the only one bringing this into organizations. It is being pushed down on employees all over the country in different organizations. Secretan is putting forward a grand, overarching meta-narrative in his presentations for 1) why we exist that is supposed to 2) bring final satisfaction to our souls, that will in turn 3) bring about positive results for our lives and the company they are apart of. However, the Scriptures, Christ Himself, says that only He can do that, you know, bring final, ultimate satisfaction to our souls that will in turn bring about positive results for our lives, eternally. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). That is quite a bold a statement that is either true or false. He was either a liar/lunatic or He was the Christ, God come in the flesh. There is no wiggle room. People must deal with that. Though Lance Secretan uses Jesus’ words from Scripture (the results of the Gospel mainly) to back up his points, he denies Jesus is the only way, truth and life. This is clear because he equates Jesus with many of the other great religious teachers who have lived in times past, by using His words in conjunction with those teachers. This is opposed to everything I believe in. As St. Augustine once said, “Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.” Right on. It is highly offensive to believers in Christ to equate our Savior with Ghandi or Buddha or even Mother Teresa, who herself was a self-admitted sinner in submission to Jesus (though maybe not in the historical Protestant sense). Jesus was God come in the flesh from heaven. He was the prophesied Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament (Isaiah 53).
New Age religion, being mostly Eastern in nature, teaches that you must tap the presupposed spiritual power within in order to change and become a better person, to reach a higher, amorphous, spiritual plain, “on this journey we call life.” To me, it is like trying to nail jello to a wall in figuring out what this exactly means. But so goes New Age philosophy. That is its very core is being amorphous and adaptable.
Christianity denies that we have any power at all to change or reform ourselves morally. Secretan says that we can morally reform ourselves and then reach what ultimately? The unknown, mystical, divine Nirvana of Hinduism, Buddhism? Which is it? The problem is that he doesn’t even know. By bringing the teachings of differing religions onto the same, equal plain, he is making a proclamation that they are all equally valid. Yet Christianity in particular claims that it is the one true religion. He is blatantly promoting religious relativism and therefore as believers in Christ alone, we reject this. The essential message of Christianity, the Gospel, comes down to the fact that we must be supernaturally changed by the work of the Holy Spirit, from the inside of our souls outward, so that we can be restored to God. This is true inner spiritual renewal that results in a life of selflessness in the service of others. Those who have deviated from this core message in the name of Christ have done a great dishonor to His name. But Secretan’s version of truth (that all truths are equally valid) rejects the Gospel message. That much is clear. What is not clear is the message of what exactly the grand final end for which we were made actually is.
In John 3:1-15, Jesus Himself said unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. What is this new birth? It is the supernatural, spiritual heart-change by God Himself needed to be able to turn to Christ alone in faith for salvation. Salvation from what? The wrath of God, so that we can be reconciled to God for all eternity. We must be born of the Spirit, and in being born again (spiritually), we can then see the eternal sufficiency of Christ and trust Him with our all. This transformation comes from God alone, not man. Jesus makes this clear in this passage. We cannot change the disposition of our hearts because they are like wells poisoned with cyanide. We need our stony, contaminated hearts removed and given hearts that have life in them. We are utterly helpless to perform this change ourselves. It is even less as likely to obtain this on your own (without God’s power) as it would be to give yourself a heart transplant. It is that serious of a condition.
Our sin has rendered us useless in the service of God, turned away from Him, the only One who can satisfy us in the deepest place of our being. If we are miserable in the workplace, this ultimately points to the fact that we are miserable period, in all facets of life. This misery results from being turned away from the glory of God and consumed by our sin, which is a trampling on the honor, name, and glory of God by exalting yourself or other things above Him. It ruins us. We are depraved, not merely in relation to other people in the world, but primarily and foremost in relation to God. Comparing ourselves to others in this regard will not give us the perspective necessary to see our true condition as this bad. We must be compared to the holiness, justice and perfections of God. Our wickedness toward Him is what must be removed in us so that we can delight in Him, who brings us the final satisfaction and joy we are all ultimately longing for.
For organizations to be pushing this man-centered approach to spiritual renewal upon those of conviction in their faith (even atheists too who deny the divine exists at all), is to legally violate religious freedom, a law within the constitution of this country. Those who believe what I do are being forced or strongly encouraged (in the form of pointing out those who refuse) to participate in programs and group meetings that are fundamentally, at their root level, contrary to what we believe. Ironically, it denies the very tolerance that is pushed by these same organizations, because they, claiming to be inclusive of all, are excluding those who say they have the one truth above all other truths. These organizations taking in the methods and teachings of those in the likeness of Lance Secretan are walking a fine line, that according to this document, signed by Clarence Thomas, taken from the website of the U.S. Office of Personnel, that someone sent me a while back, these actions could be interpreted as violating the articles of religious freedom within this country. Of particular interest are these statements in the document:
The Commission defines religious practices to include moral or ethical beliefs as to what is right or wrong which are sincerely held with the strength of traditional religious views …
2. Even those religious beliefs that others may find “incomprehensible or incorrect” are protected under Title VII.
3. Therefore, an employer may not judge the veracity or reasonableness of the religious beliefs of an employee.
9. That the employer or the sponsor of a “new age” program believes there is no religious basis for, or content to, the training or techniques used is irrelevant to determining the need for accommodation. If an employee believes that some aspect of the training program conflicts with his/her own beliefs, an employer may only inquire as to what the employee’s beliefs are and consider the sincerity with which the employee holds those beliefs. The employer may not base its decision to accommodate the employee’s religious beliefs on its (the employer’s) own evaluation of whether the training or the techniques used actually conflict with the employee’s religious beliefs. An employer may not reject an employee’s request for accommodation on the basis that the employee’s beliefs about the “new age” training seem unreasonable.
If amendments are made to the constitution as well as other laws under which we find religious protection at the present time, it could be disastrous in the end. It seems walls are beginning to come down now that were built into the constitution by the founding fathers of this nation though. People are redefining the very nature of what tolerance is. It is my belief that in the future, laws will continue to be redefined, reinterpreted, until those who hold to absolute truth of any kind, particularly Christians, are forced out of the conversation altogether. This is not merely a problem within companies, but it is a fundamental problem within the public square. And it is my belief it will only get worse. As believers, we must be prepared to sacrifice for the cause of Christ, the Gospel.
Here is some more information on the New Age Movement:
What is the New Age Movement? – CARM.org
A Biblical Response to the New Age Movement – CARM.org
… Massive persecution came to the evangelical church in America?
I just wonder. And I think Matthew Henry nails it right on the head how it would go in his commentary on Matthew 24.
“They were with us, but went out from us, because never truly of us, 1 John ii. 19. We are told of it before. Suffering times are shaking times; and those fall in the storm, that stood in fair weather, like the stony ground hearers; Many will follow Christ in the sunshine, who will shift for themselves, and leave him to do so to, in the cloudy dark day. They like their religion while they can have it cheap, and sleep with it in a whole skin; but, if their profession cost them any thing, they quit it presently.”
“When persecution is in fashion, envy, enmity, and malice, are strangely diffused into the minds of men by contagion: and charity, tenderness, and moderation, are looked upon as singularities, which make a man like a speckled bird. Then they shall betray one another, that is, “Those that have treacherously deserted their religion [namely faith in Christ, that was really no faith at all], shall hate and betray those who adhere to it, for whom they have pretended friendship.” Apostates have commonly been the most bitter and violent persecutors. Note, Persecuting times are discovering times. Wolves in sheep’s clothing will then throw off their disguise, and appear wolves: they shall betray one another, and hate one another.”
Many walk with Christ as long as He grants them the fleshly desires of their hearts, and when trial comes, they scatter to the four winds and even begin to persecute those they were once apart of. Church history is packed with examples. I hope that people would not quit their profession of faith, obviously, if persecution arose. But I must, I have to ask myself in this Christian culture we live in, how many would still confess Jesus, or forsake Him for good, in the face of massive persecution of the church, should it ever come to America? Think of the total context of the world, outside of America, where Christians are currently being persecuted. America is in the minority of total Christians. Christians are being tortured RIGHT NOW in the Middle East, in Asia, in Africa. Increasingly, true believers are getting snuffed out in Europe in the form of progressive legislation and prevalent relativism. Christianity is now, what, 2% in England? And what trends are started in Europe are sure to follow here.
We have it great here, every Sunday is “fun church” and we are not in need or want of anything really, physically speaking. Preaching is cheap, watered-down, and one inch deep in most churches. Enough to get you a little self-affirmation, and warm-fuzzy that you’re on the right path, even if you may not be. But would you hear the same sermons preached in the midst of awful persecuting warfare in America? Or in fear of authorities coming in and arresting you for gathering to worship? Sunday is not just “moral day,” and then you go and live your life without any regard to the glory and praise of Christ! We put on a happy face at church, but as a people, inside we are rotting from sin that reigns and goes totally unchecked. We are a culture of white-washed tombs in my estimation. I witness students who have everything, and it is a curse. Many who have everything, that once professed Christ, have now gone out in the world, succumbed to the pleasures of sin, and abandoned Christ. May He be merciful to bring them back to Him, for they are unsaved! Their rejection has exposed the content of their trust in Christ. It is null.
Unbelievers I speak with in our culture think Christians are some of the most arrogant, prideful, unloving, inhospitable people in the country. This characterization is wrong for many, obviously, but the stereo-type, unfortunately is true for many others. Some atheists are more loving than professed Christians! What is wrong with that? If you see the love of Christ in the cross, how can you act the way you do to unbelievers? What does this say to the world? We are clean on the outside, using botox to make ourselves look younger, driving our fancy cars, in our extravagant houses, taking our lavish vacations to wherever. What would Paul say to us as a church, “the Church at America,” where we are a witness and representatives of Christ to an increasingly paganizing culture, if he saw the extravagant life-styles of professed believers here? I think he would chastise and rebuke us just as he did the Corinthians for succumbing to the pleasures of their culture. It seems that we have made so many worldly idols Christian virtues.
Even in times of financial struggle, or trials of various types (what we consider trials of “monumental” proportion), we are setup really, really well here. Pure, almost perfect water. An absolute abundance of food. Luxury transportation, public transportation. AC, heat, beds, showers, a just and equitable government, the best health care in the world. Quick responding police, fire, and medical services. Gated communities. Low unemployment rates. Good paying jobs. And granted, all of these things are inherently good in themselves and blessings, sure.
But even blessings themselves can be curses in the eternal sense; when the sinful human soul has too much available to setup as an idol, it becomes the very wool that is pulled over our eyes to blind us from the gospel truth, the shockingly sovereign glory of God in the cross, the very truth needed to sustain the soul when blood-thirsty mad-men drive through neighborhoods with machine guns, killing children in front of parents, chopping off arms, orphaning children, creating famine, torturing to death, destabilizing entire regions, etc. We are the most pain-sensitive culture in all of history (I’m absolutely not discounting myself, one of the biggest weenies concerning pain, I preach to myself just as much as anyone on this).
And I wonder … in cultures past, those who professed faith in Christ even in difficult countries where it became increasingly volatile, forsook Christ when the pressure rose: how many more now would forsake Him in the most pain-sensitive culture in history, way better than the best of those other cultures that were fairly difficult? How many professing Christians would be willing in the church to part with their luxury homes? Their Lexus’? Their excellent private education for their children? Their gated communities? Their country clubs? I’m just not so sure. I mean again, I obviously desire that all who profess faith in Christ would indeed continue and not apostatize, but realistically, I’m not sure that most would continue and not reject Christ for good. I fear for many in the American Christian culture for their eternal state, though obviously I cannot know. And even putting such a thought out there as this exposes me to getting chastised by those in the church, hitting nerves with people who fit this very profile. This is how pain-sensitive we are.
What is the solution to such a light, watered-down version of Christianity we are saturated with that could not possibly sustain such a blow of persecution I’m describing? A solid, fundamental, Biblical return to the whole realm of Gospel change in the life of believers, from beginning to end. But this must start with leaders of the church, not the lay people merely. If you preach and teach things that are light and fluffy, stroking egos and making your congregation feel good all the time, without pounding away at difficult realities as well, what do you expect to reap? A Christianity about as thick as a sheet of paper, that will get blown away when trials of monumental proportion come. And it will come. No one thought Rome would fall, and it did. 
The Gospel affects every facet, every corner of life. Could it be possible the church could not live so extravagantly for the sake of witnessing to the world with our actions as well as our words and love, that we do not stake our ultimate hope in material goods and services, but in the future glory of Christ to be revealed on the Last Day? In America, it seems we have an assumption, that this is “God’s country,” that He owes us the right to all the extravagance we have. And if anything gets in our way, we curse Him. Pure arrogance. This is of the world, and not of Christ. May we return to the God of grace and may He prepare us for such persecutions should they come, that we may ultimately love Christ more, even now. And even if we are not persecuted on the scale I speak of, may He prepare us for the seasons of personal suffering we are sure to undergo, as Christ has promised, that we may even rejoice in those sufferings to the glory of Christ, because they are producing in us a glory that far outweighs anything the world can offer! Eternal life and joy in our Beloved Savior!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070529/ap_ … ama_health
Universal healthcare: it sounds like a great idea, healthcare for everyone right? Who doesn’t want that? While it sounds plausible, and may in the short-term fix many financial woes of those suffering from outrageous insurance rates and unbearable co-pays, the long-term problem is that healthcare quality will suffer dramatically. And to be honest, despite the high cost of healthcare, we have one of the best quality systems in the world. If we follow the example of those European nations who have moved to universal healthcare though, getting in for cancer treatment will take six weeks. Literally. I know this because a friend of mine had a mother in Sweden who was diagnosed with cancer but could not get in to see the doctor for six weeks because of bureaucratic red tape as a result of the universalization of healthcare. She died shortly thereafter.
Obama’s (and Edwards) solution to healthcare is to excessively tax the rich and give to the poor to pay for this. In most classic economics classes (except for those redefining the meaning of these terms like at Harvard, Yale, and GWU), taking from the rich and giving to the poor is called socialism. It is a move away from capitalism. And I guarantee healthcare will never be the same if this ever becomes policy. This is what I mean when I say Obama is socialistic. And when I say that I guess you could say what I mean is neo-socialism, not old time Soviet Socialism. Instead of this new kind of socialism being applied to solve our healthcare woes, we need policies that will address the current healthcare market and fix those problems instead of scrapping it altogether.