Historical Drift -- a departure from original beliefs, purposes, and practices resulting in the loss of spiritual vitality. --Dr. Arnold Cook
On Moral and Spiritual Laxity
by Al B. Boyld
Ever heard of the frog-in-the-kettle analogy? Who hasn't? Everyone and their kitchen sink uses this one. But in case you haven't, it involves placing a frog in a pot of room temperature water and slowly heating the water to the point of boiling. Will he jump out posthaste? Will he holler, "Mayday, mayday, I'm being eaten by Smivvenbivvens!"? No, he won't. He'll just sit there looking simple, contented with his surroundings, oblivious to the fact that some devious human being is slowly boiling him to death ('til he croaks. Hahaha.). So he ends up boiled, though contented, but also quite dead. However, if one simply throws him in a pot of boiling water immediately, he'll break records for jumping out.
Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist (fortunately for me) to figure out that we live in a culture that is constantly changing, not only technologically, but also morally. Our society has concluded that the almighty (fickle) individual is the great determiner of right and wrong . . . for himself. Hence, God's unchanging values have become replaced by man's changing values. If it feels good, do it.
The world system has never been a great friend of God's anyway, so in its rebellion against God it naturally has become more humanistic in its philosophy. That's understandable, though disturbing. But even more disturbing, is that many so-called followers of God have also let some of this philosophy creep into their lives. So much so, that is increasingly hard to tell the difference between the World and the Church. According to a survey performed by George Barna in 150 lifestyle areas (including divorce and abortion) he found that the church was no different than the society around them.
It is true that the fleshly nature of Christians pushes them towards fitting in with popular culture. After all, it's not that comfortable being different from everyone else, is it? But I think a more subtle threat to our separated status from the World is the desire to be relevant to the culture we live in. Becoming like them to win them. I mean, what Christian can argue against being relevant? Didn't the Apostle Paul "become all things to all men that he might save some?" Well, yes . . . but not at the expense of Truth. Truth is very relevant to a culture that is accustomed to deceit and hypocrisy. Do you think they're impressed with someone who's just like them, just trying to put on a front in the name of relevance? I think not. They're looking for something different and real. Something worth living for. Or dying for.
This is where the Gospel comes in. And we're not talking about a Billy Graham crusade in which we "come forward" and pray a prayer accepting Christ as Savior, then proceed to live life as if nothing ever happened. Not at all. We're talking about the Kingdom of God, discipleship, self-denial, the Cross, the power of the Holy Spirit, and inner regeneration based on our belief in Christ's death and resurrection. A radical change of focus. Like the words of Jesus.
`If any one doth will to come after me, let him disown himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me;
for whoever may will to save his life, shall lose it, and whoever may lose his life for my sake, he shall save it;
for what is a man profited, having gained the whole world, and having lost or having forfeited himself? (Lk. 9:23-25 Young's Literal Translation)
One would think that such a high level of required commitment would be detrimental to a cause of this nature. But this does not seem to be the case. Instead, the early church grew like weeds in spite of the high level of commitment required, especially given the persecution they faced. Sociologist Dean Kelley wrote a book titled Why Conservative Churches Are Growing, and in it he concludes: "We may suppose that the higher the demand a movement makes on its followers, the fewer there will be who respond to it, but the greater the individual and aggregate impact of those who do respond."
While Kelly makes a good point about the importance of commitment, it is possible to be commited to the right thing but for the wrong reason. For instance, we may be unconformed to the World, and that's great, but not without being transformed by God (Rom. 12:2). In this case, it's not about God but about ourselves. To make us look "Christian". That, my friends, is called legalism (not to mention idolatry). It is my (sometimes uneducated) opinion that legalism has less to do with rules, but more to do with motivations. Self is at the center. It's quite easy to fall into, but spiritual renewal (or revival) helps us out of this rut, and, of course, spiritual renewal is dependant upon God. You can't live for God without God.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Words of Wengediah
CHAPTER 1
1. These are the writings of Wengediah, the nonprophet, in the land of Americites. 2. And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of Bushius that there was a famine in the land. 3. Yea, for there had been many in that country that had borrowed much money in exchange for expensive dwelling places. (And these were called "mortgages".) 4. For they had not hearkened unto the words of Larry Burkettiah who warneth the peoples in his day saying, 5. "Behold, there shalt come upon us an economic earthquake. I charge thee, 'Strive thou to live a debt-free existence, and thou shalt not be a servant to thy lender but a servant of the Lord. 6. But if thou findest it incumbent upon thyself to borrow, thou shalt not borrow beyond what thou canst easily repay. And thou shalt not borrow for depreciating items. 7. But it shall profit thee to live well within thy means and save some of thy income. 8. Then when financial tribulation cometh upon thee as a thief in the night (as it surely will), thou wilt be better able to withstand the day of trouble; for thou hast built up some savings to tide thee over.'"
9. Yet many of the people of the land did ignore his wise counsel and instead went forth and spent money hand over fist. And many even maxed out their credit cards and did not save for emergencies, nor did they save for what they purchaseth. 10. For they said amongst themselves, "Why troublest we ourselves over the finances of tomorrow? 11. For when tomorrow cometh, then shall we deal with our troubles (if they come). 12. Meanwhile, why do we put off the pleasuring ourselves with that which we might indulge in now? Let us eat, drink, and be merry and take our ease, for we have much credit to our names." 13. Yet there were those in the land that didst bemoan the materialism that ran rampant in that time.
14. And it came to pass, that trouble broke forth in the economy of the land, for many began to renege on their mortgages. 15. And these men would not repay that which was owed unto them, and lo, many institutions who had lent them money lost their upper garments, so to speak. 16. And after some time had elapsed, those who had lost their shirts caused many others to go under. For neither could they pay their lenders whatsoever they owed them either. 17. And, behold, the stock market did take a sharp dive over this phenomenon, and there was much fear and trembling on Wall Street. 18. And it came to pass that whilst these traders did weep over their lost earnings, that the Dow Jones did continue to sink lower and lower, even as the sinking of a ship. 19. And some investors bailed out of the sinking market whilst others began bailing out the market itself. 20. And in desperation, the elders and rulers of the country began to cast large sums of money at the big men in divers and sundry industries who yet labored to retain their upper garments. 21. Yet even after these bailings, was there weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. For the famine of finances was severe upon them in their eyes.
22. And this same famine did affect those who were builders of houses. For there were many of the sons of men who determined not to hire a builder to build them dwelling places at that time. 23. For they didst say among themselves, "Behold, our stock portfolio hath put itself in the tank, so wherefore spendest we money that we have not? Let us tarry and see what wilt come to pass in the financial markets."
24. And many of these builders did labor wherever they could, and they did hire themselves out to whomever wouldst take them for hire. And some did lower their required price for their labor. 25. And there were some desperate builders who chose to go even into remodeling. 26. And even Wengediah didst labor in the remodeling industry; however, much of the work that he did at that time was upon his own house, which did not pay very many shekels instantly, as it were. 27. For he remembered the parable that teacheth that paying oneself for the work that one doest for oneself is much like the old Indian who, when he findest his blanket too short, doth cut off a length from the bottom, and he goeth forth and doth sew this piece onto the top to lengthen it. 28. And so many days went by while Wengediah subsisted apart from many profits. 29. And at that time he did say within himself, "I am but an unprofitable servant." For he avoided too much labor by not working too much.
1. These are the writings of Wengediah, the nonprophet, in the land of Americites. 2. And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of Bushius that there was a famine in the land. 3. Yea, for there had been many in that country that had borrowed much money in exchange for expensive dwelling places. (And these were called "mortgages".) 4. For they had not hearkened unto the words of Larry Burkettiah who warneth the peoples in his day saying, 5. "Behold, there shalt come upon us an economic earthquake. I charge thee, 'Strive thou to live a debt-free existence, and thou shalt not be a servant to thy lender but a servant of the Lord. 6. But if thou findest it incumbent upon thyself to borrow, thou shalt not borrow beyond what thou canst easily repay. And thou shalt not borrow for depreciating items. 7. But it shall profit thee to live well within thy means and save some of thy income. 8. Then when financial tribulation cometh upon thee as a thief in the night (as it surely will), thou wilt be better able to withstand the day of trouble; for thou hast built up some savings to tide thee over.'"
9. Yet many of the people of the land did ignore his wise counsel and instead went forth and spent money hand over fist. And many even maxed out their credit cards and did not save for emergencies, nor did they save for what they purchaseth. 10. For they said amongst themselves, "Why troublest we ourselves over the finances of tomorrow? 11. For when tomorrow cometh, then shall we deal with our troubles (if they come). 12. Meanwhile, why do we put off the pleasuring ourselves with that which we might indulge in now? Let us eat, drink, and be merry and take our ease, for we have much credit to our names." 13. Yet there were those in the land that didst bemoan the materialism that ran rampant in that time.
14. And it came to pass, that trouble broke forth in the economy of the land, for many began to renege on their mortgages. 15. And these men would not repay that which was owed unto them, and lo, many institutions who had lent them money lost their upper garments, so to speak. 16. And after some time had elapsed, those who had lost their shirts caused many others to go under. For neither could they pay their lenders whatsoever they owed them either. 17. And, behold, the stock market did take a sharp dive over this phenomenon, and there was much fear and trembling on Wall Street. 18. And it came to pass that whilst these traders did weep over their lost earnings, that the Dow Jones did continue to sink lower and lower, even as the sinking of a ship. 19. And some investors bailed out of the sinking market whilst others began bailing out the market itself. 20. And in desperation, the elders and rulers of the country began to cast large sums of money at the big men in divers and sundry industries who yet labored to retain their upper garments. 21. Yet even after these bailings, was there weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. For the famine of finances was severe upon them in their eyes.
22. And this same famine did affect those who were builders of houses. For there were many of the sons of men who determined not to hire a builder to build them dwelling places at that time. 23. For they didst say among themselves, "Behold, our stock portfolio hath put itself in the tank, so wherefore spendest we money that we have not? Let us tarry and see what wilt come to pass in the financial markets."
24. And many of these builders did labor wherever they could, and they did hire themselves out to whomever wouldst take them for hire. And some did lower their required price for their labor. 25. And there were some desperate builders who chose to go even into remodeling. 26. And even Wengediah didst labor in the remodeling industry; however, much of the work that he did at that time was upon his own house, which did not pay very many shekels instantly, as it were. 27. For he remembered the parable that teacheth that paying oneself for the work that one doest for oneself is much like the old Indian who, when he findest his blanket too short, doth cut off a length from the bottom, and he goeth forth and doth sew this piece onto the top to lengthen it. 28. And so many days went by while Wengediah subsisted apart from many profits. 29. And at that time he did say within himself, "I am but an unprofitable servant." For he avoided too much labor by not working too much.
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