The gate of the Temple of Baal, soon to be erected in New York City. More “cultural change.”
One of my fellow Christians, the guy who said it’s not a Christian’s job to “stand in front of the tidal wave” of–ahem!–“cultural changes,” seems to think I do wrong to object to these changes: as if I were setting myself up as a prophet.
The prophets’ warnings, in his view, applied only to Old Testament Israel and Judah and their enemies. But Our Lord Jesus Christ said, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). Does this not mean that the words of Moses and the prophets stand for all time? For God has sent no prophets after Christ.
So I’m not putting out my shingle as a prophet; but I dread, I fear, the consequences of provoking God to anger with our “cultural changes.”
My friend, I think, sees Christians as a small and powerless minority in a fallen world dominated by a lot of antichrists, and there’s nothing for us to do but be nice to others and wait for the Rapture. He admits that Christ Himself said it was known to no one but the Father when this event would take place.
But as I see it, I grew up in an America that was a Christian country, at least outwardly, and that a determined and ceaseless effort has been made to turn it into something else. The effort’s roots stretch back well into the 19th century, but it didn’t really come out of hiding until the 1960s.
Now our “cultural changes” are coming hot and heavy, each one more outrageous, more abominable, and more insane than the last. And I can’t help being sorely upset by it! When you wake up in the morning and find that every major corporation in America is suddenly pushing “transgender rights” like their lives depend on it, that’s profoundly shocking. At least to me.
I believe that if America’s Christians had been more energetic, more creative, and more committed to defending Christian America, we wouldn’t be in this fix today. We wouldn’t see the whole damned (I mean it literally) ruling class piling on North Carolina for not allowing grown men into ladies’ bathrooms. The response is out of all measure to the stimulus. It indicates a deep and burning wickedness within our culture.
So, yes, I object! I have no power, I have no influence, but I object.
And so should we all.
I couldn’t agree more with you, Lee. Why would we have been given “armor” if we were not expected to fight?
‘Ceaseless effort has been made to turn it into something else’
I’m not sure what ‘Christian country’ means but I suspect your talking about heritage rather than action.
I would say “heritage more than action,” but the action is not to be discounted altogether.
No you are right there are groups of active Christians performing good works.
I think I like your blog.
People (including those labelled Christians ) move with the times.
They want what modern technology has to offer. How they behave is up to them.
I really do think we can have the technology without the “cultural changes,” if we put our minds to it.
Well the evidence points the other way. The local church has nearly gone everyone goes by car.
The local shop becomes a supermarket.
The songs around the piano become a television.
The book becomes a kindle.
The cosy fire turns into central heating.
The bath becomes a shower.
Breakfast at home becomes a Macdonalds drive in.
So it goes on the old is replaced by the new.
Genesis becomes big- bang christianity.
The ancient hymns become guitar strumming ditties.
The robes and swinging incense becomes hand-clapping and arm-waving chanting.
Those changes do not necessarily entail the abandonment of Christian laws of morality.
There is nothing inherently wrong, for instance, with hymns accompanied by a guitar, or even a saxophone. Some don’t like it; others do. The same can be said of all the changes you’ve listed–and I compliment your eloquence.
God Himself has said it:
Ezekiel 33:1-9
Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
I’m sure my friend would say that was just God talking to Ezekiel and commissioning him as a prophet, and that those instructions don’t apply to us. I think he’s wrong.
God says he’s wrong:
Joel: 2:28-29
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
That passage from Joel was a major inspiration for my books.
And I noticed it right at the beginning of Bell Mountain 🙂
AMEN LEE! I Object as well !
You do have God-given power and influence, so long as you use your voice to object against evil when you see it happening before your eyes. When we quiet our voices and just “go along” we give up that power and influence, and I don’t think that is pleasing to God. He gave us a conscience, and a moral compass. It is our job to use it.
This is what happens, though, when your understanding of Christianity is divorced from an appreciation of the Old Testament. You wind up thinking the words of Moses and the prophets don’t apply anymore… when they do, and always will.
Amen, Brother! And I would add this: When Lyndon Johnson proclaimed back in the 50’s that all the churches needed to apply for 50l(C)(3) designation as non-profit, charitable institutions in order for donations to be “tax deductible”, it all started. Churches are told by Uncle Sam that if they want their members to give to the church, they must be IRS sanctioned with a valid 501C3 status. Now to stay in compliance Pastors aren’t allowed to tell the truth. OH, and don’t get me started on our seminaries!! They push Romans 13 as God telling us that we must obey government, no matter what!! Tell that to Shaddrach, Meshach, and Abednego and see what response you get. Lord help us!!
“Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” does not mean that everything is Caesar’s.
If they had read Romans 13 carefully that would have seen it pertains to a just government, “Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil”. Jesus and the early Christians certainly didn’t blindly obey the government, if they had they would not have preached the gospel.
Wow! Maybe other states will follow suit. Wouldn’t that be something!
http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/tennessee-lawmakers-vote-to-make-bible-the-official-state-book/
Part of the reason we are in this mess is the “come what may attitude” that your friend exhibited. That kind of attitude only invites persecution imo. The Christians that helped to found this nation certainly had a different attitude. The seeds of rebellion were preached from the pulpit some two decades before the American Revolution, so much so that it is said King George called it a “Presbyterian Rebellion”.
No one ever promised that being a disciple of Christ would be the easy route.
A lot more has happened in the nearly 2 years since you wrote this article, Lee. Just today in my email was this:
http://www.skywatchtv.com/2017/10/05/will-real-petrus-romanus-please-step/
We must endeavor to say with the apostle Paul that we have fought the good fight. The world is a battle and a test. We pass the test via obedience to God’s Word. We can’t do it perfectly but we can do it acceptably. God is in control of everything, not man and his humanistic aspirations.