The Ignorant Church

There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land…. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:1, 6) This was God’s message to Israel during the days of Hosea the prophet. I wonder what God would say to the church today? Israel lacked a knowledge about God. They were ignorant, and their ignorance led them into both spiritual and physical bondage.

A recent Pew research has come up with some challenging statistics based on their recent survey. In asking Christians, atheists, Mormons, Jews, and other religions, the results revealed where the church has failed. For example, the results state: Four out of ten Catholics (45%) do not know that their church teaches that the elements of communion, the bread and the wine, are not symbols, but actually become the body and blood of Jesus. It makes we wonder how many folks come to church on a Sunday morning out of ritual and tradition, but who do not know what they believe or why they believe it. If they were asked the reason for their faith, how would they answer? The Bible tells us that ‘as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Prov. 23:7) What is the church thinking today?

The Ignorant Church

The Apostle Paul wrote to the early church, challenging them because of their seeming ignorance, their need for milk and not meat. They were acting like small children instead of mature saints. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (Hebrews 5:12) Paul knew that if the church was going to survive, it needed to mature, grow up and challenge each succeeding generation to spiritual maturity. That maturity depends on our diet. What kind of spiritual food are we eating. Our natural man often demands that we feed it many kinds of things that are not good for us. Our cupboards are filled with junk food, foods that put on the pounds and destroy our immune systems. Somehow I wonder if what we tend to eat in the natural is a reflection of the lack of spiritual discipline and wisdom in our spiritual lives as well. It was a problem in the early church, so it is probably still a problem in the church today. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:2-4) What a danger for any church to fall into! We can so easily fall into a trap of “not enduring sound doctrine.” The moment the church clamors for entertainment rather than sound doctrine, we begin the long trail to ignorance of the Word of God and solid teaching. When pastors and teachers fail to teach their congregations the basic doctrines of the Word, and clearly explain their importance for today, we risk being turned aside to fables. It is sad to say I have heard of some churches who no longer use the word ‘sin’ in their messages. In an attempt to not offend ‘sinners’, we tend to coddle them into an understand that God sees their ‘mistakes’ and loves them. They fail to get the sound doctrine regarding sin—that sin is an offence to a holy God, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)

Others have eliminated the Sunday School classes due to poor attendance or lack of teachers. When do we get to teach this next generation the basics of the Christian doctrine? Can it all fit into the neat package of 90 minutes most churches have for their Sunday morning Worship service? How will they learn what is wrong with the many cults and world religions clamoring for their attention today?

A New Generation

The Millennium generation (ages 19-29) is one that is moving more and more away from the church and all formal religion. They most often claim to be atheistic or agnostic or have no affiliation with religion at all. How does the church reach this generation today? They are not moved to action or to allegiance by our institutions (home, school, church,) or by our buildings (mega churches) or even by our religious code of conduct. They become passionate about a movement, as every generation in the past. Christ came not to establish an institution (church) but a movement...a kingdom of believers who would carry the message forward with passion and commitment. A movement is alive, something you can believe in and feel part of, and whereby you can change the world. This generation has seen how a ‘movement’ led by Muslims is changing the face of the world for Islam. It has seen how a movement of political agendas has sent America into a pit of debt. But what are they seeing from the spiritual camp? In the past they have witnessed the disgrace of individuals who have fallen into sin. But they have not seen the rise of any strong spiritual leadership that can change the world for God. Spiritual ignorance coupled with sinful behavior has crippled the church and turned off a generation. It’s not the size of your church sanctuary, nor the money you spend on missions, nor the fame of your pastor that matters. What motivates you to serve God to the point of sacrifice and even death? It takes us back to the basics. Jesus prepared His disciples to become the apostles. He told them in John 14: 11-15 Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do.15-"If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you.

Motivating a Generation

What will motivate this generation to see and become a part of a powerful movement of believers who walk in the Spirit...who are not afraid to do the “greater works” Jesus talked about? It will take an honest demonstration of the mighty power of God at work in the lives of needy people. You may have heard the famous quotation by Rod Wolford—“A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.” The church that is maturing today needs that fresh experience of the mighty power of God. It needs to see bodies healed, lives transformed, and the kind of ‘revival’ that changes people, cities and nations. When I experience something dramatic, I never forget it. It becomes a part of me. When the church experiences the revitalizing power of God, it too will never be the same again.

Walk in the Spirit

Ignorance is swept away as we learn to walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. His role is to guide us into truth, keep us from error and give us power to speak boldly to those who will listen. He wants to flow through believers to touch a hurting world. How does God want to use you? What part will you play in allowing the Holy Spirit to flow? It is tempting to sit back and let others do it—the pastors, the evangelists, the deacons. But we are all His servants, His ministers, His disciples. He has called us all to disciple others, to teach and repel the spiritual ignorance that surrounds the church today like a fog. His wind want to blow in, and sweep away the fog. His fire wants to burn up all the dross, the chaff, the things that cannot stand the test. We may be challenged in the fire, but it must come to cleanse us.

When the church of today becomes rigid and unmoved, unwilling to change and experience the presence of God, it becomes an ‘institution’ rather than a ‘movement.’ An institutional mindset breeds attitudes such as—be faithful but don’t rock the boat, do enough just to get by and then leave unchanged. That attitude will destroy the church and cripple the next generation. If your church has fallen into this trap, it is time to call the church to prayer, to challenge each heart to spiritual change and growth. As times get tough, and terrorism and elections shake our world we need to know and experience the God who shakes hearts and minds and who transforms people and churches from ignorance to conviction and commitment . What is our part? Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen (Matthew 28: 19-20)
J. Johnson

House For Sale?

You see the signs posted on every street….sometimes more than one… as our nation faces financial pressures like it has not known since the crash of 1929. Mortgage companies fold up their offices...Big box stores post their going out of business signs...and strip malls have vacancy signs in every window. It’s the ‘signs’ of the times!
Many of the youthful generation don’t have the base of knowledge that the seniors in our culture have, whose parents survived the breadlines of the ‘30’s, and some think it just a passing ‘phase’ that will soon pass and prosperous times will come again. Perhaps….and perhaps not… Only God knows the future. But while it is all a little scary for most of the population, not knowing if they will have a job tomorrow, or if they can continue living above their means as they have done for most of the last few decades...I am concerned for the spiritual state of the nation! Finances come and go. People eventually learn to deal with the way life is. For some it takes a little time as they learn to withdraw from opulence. For others, reality hits quick. But the spiritual state of what used to be called a ‘Christian’ nation is becoming more and more concerning.

The Church:
Let’s look first of all at the church… More and more, we can expect the state of the church here in America or Canada, to be like the state of the church in Europe. In France alone, only one fourth of one percent attend church regularly. In many European nations, churches stand dark and closed, or bought out by businesses or cults, or alternate world religions. The business of ‘faith’ has put the church up for sale. There is a new ‘dark ages’ looming on the spiritual horizon. Missionaries have been struggling to hold the line against the darkness. As costs skyrocket, faith takes a nosedive. When did it all begin? When skepticism, doubt, and atheism rose, and the Word of God lost it place of respect, not only in the educational circles, but in individual hearts.
The more tradition arises, so does apathy. With apathy, comes a lack of prayer and reading and study of the Word of God. It’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. As individuals allow new restrictive laws to hinder the freedom of worship and religion, soon, the general population accepts the status quo as ‘life’ and resists the effort it takes to change things. The church has posted it’s FOR SALE sign and when it’s gone….it’s gone! Recent news postings have informed the world that Christianity is not popular in some parts of the world. In Vietnam, a brand newly constructed church was destroyed on purpose by the local government officials and the Christian believers held back with cattle prods… In India, Christians are under severe attack for their faith. In Europe a recent survey reported: When the European Union asked citizens to rank values representing Europe, religion came last -- far behind "human rights," "democracy," "peace," "individual freedom" and other choices. Only 3% chose religion. A passive indifference has left Europe’s churches nearly empty. While atheism thrives, so does the Muslim faith and that frightens the few remaining Christians, especially as these non Christian groups become more dominant and assertive. In Germany, a wealthy furniture manufacturer is funding a "think tank of Enlightenment," a group of scientists and others committed to debunking religion...Around three-quarters of Europeans still describe themselves as Christians. But only a small minority go to church. In Western Europe, according to polls, fewer than 20% do. The pattern we see in Europe, we can expect here in America. Already, we have seen the massive decline in Sunday Schools. The role of the evangelist is already extinct in many denominations. Sunday night services have yielded to the priorities of our ‘entertainment generation’ who go to churches that please the media pallet. It appears that it’s an either/or taste...either the big mega church in entertainment mode, or the small home church movement. Traditional churches struggle to survive as never before. Tough finances are causing pastors to take secular jobs. Those once committed to a lifetime of serving God are taking a second look at their lives. Tithe paying members are holding their wallets tighter than ever. Those who attend the mega churches often don’t see the struggles of the smaller community church. Denominational officials are seeing a huge decline in pastors continuing in the profession they trained for, and instead learning new professions. Money has become the guideline for ministry. Certainly, there is a remnant out there of Godly men and women who are determined to weather the storm, by taking salary cuts, spending hours on their knees in prayer and raising a high spiritual standard for their church. But they are becoming more and more scarce. If you have such a pastor...take good care of him. Give him all the support you can, both spiritually and financially.
So what’s the problem? Where does one begin to point a finger? What do we begin to change now to stop the dyke from leaking? We live in an age of compromise. One of the dangerous attitudes the church has often adopted is the need for constant change….new ways of doing things to please the limited attention span of the media motivated generation...new songs, new choruses, new bands, new décor, new buildings, new business-like church organizational structures, new titles of church pastors...and worst of all, a passion exalting love and unity above purity of doctrine. In recent years, I have been increasingly alarmed at the pervasive views of fundamental and evangelical believers who seem to adopt whatever they see or hear on the radio or TV as if it were good Bible doctrine. Cults are on the rise. Those who do not know their Bibles are easily deceived. Pastors who fail to preach the clear doctrines of the Word, fail to feed their people the truth that will set them free and keep them that way. More and more of our younger generation are questioning the reality of ‘judgment’, the definition of ‘sin’, resulting in a ‘softness’ that is less offensive. There is weariness and impatience with those who do ’spiritual warfare’ because of it’s negative nature, opting for a ’positive’ faith that makes one ‘feel good.’ Yes, the church is for sale… but who is buying?

The Temple of God…You
We can point our fingers at the leadership of our churches, at denominations who slowly accepted such things as divorce, homosexuality and ‘prosperity’ rather than hold the old hard line of previous years. But in each of our lives, each one of us must give an accounting of our lives, what we have done for God, where we choose to stand and what we choose to believe. For many today, their lives of compromise have taken them down a path leading further and further from the Word of God. The Tyndales and the Wesleys and the Spurgeons of another generation would be shocked at the tolerance of most of today’s generation of ‘believers’ who no longer stand by the absolutes of the Bible.
Where do you stand believer? Is the Bible the absolute Word of God? Did He mean it when he called adultery and fornication “sin”? Have God’s standards changed? No, of course not. God does not change. We do! And we must change! We must have a restoration to Biblical values as never before! Faith in God and the freedoms our nation has preserved up to this point depends on it. It will take spiritual ‘guts’ to take a stand today like the spiritual giants of the past. Where is the church today who longs for a pastor with a heart after God rather than a heart after prestige, position and power. God give us people once again who will choose to serve God, no matter what their salary, no matter what their benefits, no matter how much flack they get from their peers. God longs for a people with clean hands and pure heart. Those that want to feast in His holy presence need that requirement. I learned recently that the Jewish people, before eating bread, will wash their hands in a special way, then say a special prayer of blessing before the meal of bread begins. Today, we need to be feasting on the ‘Bread of Life’, but we come to the table with dirty hands and soiled hearts. We ask God to bless us...rather than bless the bread. Then we reach out and grab all we can get. It must break the heart of God! Yes, too many have the For Sale signs up in their own front yards, selling out to the highest bidder… We listen to the voices around us, flattering our ‘new enlightenment’ which in reality is just a little more compromise. We let that flattery change us and adapt us to the culture around us. We become like chameleons, changing with our surroundings. But if we would stay in the Word, we would remain steadfast...marked by the absolutes that Jesus taught his disciples. If Jesus were to come back today to find a band of disciples He could use to change the world, would he find men and women of integrity? People of absolute values? People whose lives matched their walk?
We face a challenging year ahead of us. Some cities are already in a depression such as Detroit MI. where unemployment is 21% and the average house sells for $18,513. They face a bleak year. But even in the leanest of times, when we put our faith and trust in God, when we look to Him for our resources, when we believe He is able, He will come through. He is still the God of the supernatural. But we must be a people who will listen to and obey our supernatural God. We must want Him more than anything around us. We must be willing to sacrifice the things we think are important for what God thinks is important. We cannot take our houses and lands and bank accounts with us into eternity...but we can take people. And that’s what we are all called to do…”go and make disciples of all nations…”
If you have had your spiritual house up For Sale this past year, doubting the ability of God or the willingness of God to intervene on your behalf, it’s time to get back to the basics once again. Nothing is more important than time spent with God...in His Word, in his presence, at His feet. Miracles come to those who put their trust in God. Take down your For Sale sign and replace it with a sign that tells the world you are a building dedicated to God, ready for miracles, open for the impossible, believing for the supernatural. This is God’s opportunity to bring glory! Let your sign read: “Sold Out...for God!” Take some time to give yourself to ministry. Remember His promise…. “Give and it shall be given…. pressed down, shaken together and running over….” give of yourself, and let God meet all your needs. A loving God responds to generous hearts! I’m not For Sale! How about you? J. Johnson

Restore the Balance!

When I was little, my brother and I used to go to the park at the end of our street and play on a device called a ‘teeter-totter’ It was great fun when we were about the same size and weight. But as he grew, the fun disappeared as things got all out of balance. Because he was bigger, he could take advantage of me, sometimes holding me up in the air, sometimes causing me to land hard on the ground. The result was painful and unpleasant. Being out of balance tends to do that.
We live in a world out of balance. Those with power and strength tend to take advantage of those who are weaker. Those with money victimize the poor. Those in power use their positions for their best advantage. While Jesus taught just the opposite—-to be a servant to all. Where are the servants? Where is the balance?
Jesus operated in perfect balance. He knew his purpose and He kept His focus on fulfilling that purpose. Some might say he was ‘purpose driven.’ I tend to think He was ‘balance driven.’ He understood the need for teamwork and co-operation. That teamwork began at the top and flowed downward. The Godhead worked in perfect balanced precision. Each had a key part to play in the redemption of mankind from the curse of sin. Without that balanced precision, the plan of God would have failed miserably.
Belshazzer was weighed in God’s balances and found wanting, lacking...not measuring up to God’s standards. His life was out of balance. He enjoyed his party life, until something happened that he could not control, could not explain and could not change. While giving a huge drinking party for thousands of his rich friends, he decided to ‘thumb his nose’ at God, asking his servants to bring the holy vessels of gold and silver which were sacred, to be used in the temple. His purpose was for all his guests, both men and women, to drink from them, and to praise gods of his own making, the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. When they began to abuse these holy vessels which were dedicated to the Lord God Jehovah, God’s hand appeared, writing on the banquet hall wall. Belshazzar had stepped over a line. Judgment was about to fall.
Just as King Belshazzar was warned of impending doom upon his kingdom, so today God continues to warn mankind that judgment is coming. All whose lives are out of balance will face the ‘handwriting of God’ as their ‘kingdom’ comes crashing down.

Balance in the church
America has often been compared to Babylon. Although it was a nation founded on Biblical principles, guided by godly men and the local church, it has gradually deteriorated into a nation that no longer reveres God, and instead tolerates compromise, taking what was once sacred, and using it for pleasure, lust, perversion and self-satisfaction. While 90% of Americans say they believe in God, only 47% act like they do, by regularly going to church, and less than that read their Bibles, pray daily, teaching their values to their children. I fault the church for failing to hold the standard high. While not all churches have failed, the majority of churches in America refuse to take a stand against sin, against laws that undermine faith and values, and at the same time fail to model for their people, the God who works in power and might. We need the hand of God writing on the walls of our churches as they party and entertain each other. The church has become a theatre and restaurant instead of a place of spiritual transformation and miracles. It needs to discover that God is still God, that He has power, that He is a jealous God, and that He has power to judge the sinner.
I do not like to see people suffer. However, suffering has a way of restoring values and focus. When the church of God discovers that God sees them, that He cares about them, that He is grieved by their sin, they must repent. Only repentance can change the judgment that is coming. A balanced church teaches a balanced Biblical doctrine, based on a solid foundation of proper Biblical interpretation. A balanced church will be a servant church….not just serving each other, but serving the Lord. Each member of a balanced church will desire to find their place of ministry and do it—no complaining, no excuses, no bargaining. Jesus is lifted high in a balanced church.

Balance in the family
How does the family unit today fail to measure up to God’s standards? For the most part, today, a family consists of a single parent with multiple siblings from multiple fathers. Premarital sexuality, divorce and co-habitation have destroyed what used to be a family in America. Children come home from school to empty homes and wait for their work-a-holic parents to arrive and toss some fast-food supper on the table. It’s both amusing and sad to watch families struggling with trying to be parents in shows like ‘Super Nanny’. Where is God and faith and gentleness motivated by love in these homes? Many had worked so hard to provide a glorious ‘house’ but have no clue how to make it a real ‘home’. They have forgotten how to have fun together. They are so busy being busy.
Belshazzar was raised in a home that had been a godly one. He knew the story well of how his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had spent 7 years out of his mind until he finally came to his senses and repented to God. But he ignored the warnings. He ‘did his own thing.’ Are you and your family doing your own thing? Or are you setting a godly example for your children and grandchildren? Does it include faithful church attendance. How you choose to spend your time sends a message to those little ones watching you. Your example speaks louder than your words, even if you shout. What do you value most? Take a look at your monthly expenses and see where you spend most of your excess funds—that’s what you value most! How many fail to give generously to God, yet give generously to themselves. The mark of a family that has healthy priorities is one that gives joyfully to God so His work can go forward—-giving time, giving talents, giving material goods, and giving finances. Jesus was a giver. He gave His all. Teach your family to give generously to the Lord.

Personal Balance
It’s one thing to point a finger at the church, and at the family...and another to point it at yourself. Yet everything you do for God begins with a one-on-one relationship with God. Without God in your life, you are already out of balance. As each person in the body of Christ maintains a balance, the whole will also be balanced. God is the balancing point in the ‘teeter-totter’ of life. We each struggle with keeping a balance between the things of the ‘flesh’ and the things of the ‘spirit’. Paul warned the church in Galatia… “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (NIV) Galatians 5:16,17 The spiritual is at war with the carnal sinful nature in man. But when we learn to identify the sinful, we can steer clear of it. He clearly identifies it: “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on…..If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.” TMB Galatians 5:19-21 The Bible tells us not only what we need to avoid, but also what we need to be like. “But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” TNB (Galatians 5:22-23) When the Holy Spirit is in charge, guiding our daily walk, things are different. The Spirit filled, Spirit-led believer will be growing spiritually, will be spiritually discerning, and will be motivated to do the things that please the Lord. Too often today, Christians tend to tolerate sin in their lives. They loose their tempers, they lie, steal, cheat, and do it all because ‘everyone else is doing it.’ Too many Christians have chosen to live together without the commitment of marriage, have decided even if they did marry, that divorce was their choice to solve their marriage problems. When we fail to thrive spiritually, we fail to maintain a spiritual balance. Flesh dominates the spiritual. Choices become selfish. The world points its finger at the carnal Christian and says “You are no different that me.” We wonder why our friends and family do not want our ‘faith.’ It’s a flawed faith.
Let’s restore the balance—balance in the church, balance in our families and balance in our lives. We will meet many along the way whose lives are out of balance and who will need assistance in steadying their out of balance world. Let’s get back to the basics where balance begins...Jesus Christ!
J. Johnson

What do YOU Believe?

Do you have a “Biblical world view?” You might respond, “Do I need one? And if I do, what is it?” We often toss about terminology in the church today that no one knows or understands what they are talking about. Religious writers in many formats are tossing about the term “Biblical World view” as if everyone understands. Most do not. So here is some information which might startle some of you.
According to Barna Resources, a research organization, they have determined that half of the country’s Protestant pastors - 51% - have a biblical worldview. Just 51%! That makes me ask, what are the other half believing? And why? We need to understand the impact of these statistics, lest what has happened to 49% may creep into the remaining 51%. Barna defines this worldview as one who believes (1) that absolute moral truth exists, (2) that it is based upon the Bible, and having a biblical view on six core beliefs (the accuracy of biblical teaching, the sinless nature of Jesus, the literal existence of Satan, the omnipotence and omniscience of God, salvation by grace alone, and the personal responsibility to evangelize). We can see from this definition, many who have fallen by the wayside, have accepted worldly thought patterns such as “There are no absolutes” or “the Bible is part myth or fable”. Some have fallen prey to the Gnostic teachings pushed in The Davinci Code and the TV documentaries on Judas and the bone boxes found in Israel supposedly supporting the possibility that Jesus had children. It truly amazes me that thinking persons will accept as fact, a book of fiction rather than choosing to believe the truths found in the Word of God, proven over centuries of tested time.
If only 51% of American protestant churches believe in this standard, then is it any wonder that so many in America have a wavering faith? It’s time to return to the Word of God, to study it in depth, to memorize it and burn it into our souls. You can never identify the counterfeit unless you are intimately acquainted with the genuine. Knowing the genuine takes time, patience, study and frequent handling. Ask a bank teller how they know counterfeit money when they see it. Christians must be the same… intimately acquainted with the Word and it’s author.

How does your world view matter?
How you think and believe has been developed in you over a long period of time. The things your parents taught you, the concepts your teachers pushed on you, the ideas formed as you moved through life and life’s experiences, forms in you a world view based on all that you have known and learned. Unless the Bible is taught, then there is no Biblical world view. When we removed the Bible from public school life, and prayer, we removed a strong influence for morals, values and a higher standard of expectations. Children raised today without the input of a Christian value system suffer in their world view. It is not a Biblically based world view. It becomes instead a carnally based sinful world view based on a shaking foundation of humanism. As man continues to spiral down the moral slope, crime increases, depravity increases and hopelessness and despair seem everywhere. Only a foundation based on the Bible, and its steady absolute view of right and wrong can change this world. Unfortunately today, most Christians refuse to take a stand, and most buckle under the pressures around them to be ‘just like everyone else’.
It is becoming increasingly important that each believer knows what they believe and why. They need to be able to stand against the attacks of the enemy against Biblical standards of belief. Those around us who have been raised in a vacuum of faith are seeking answers that no one is answering. We have been taught to hide our faith in the workplace, and that at home we don’t talk about politics or religion. As a result, our culture is growing increasingly ignorant and becoming easy prey to any belief systems that comes along.

How can we change things?
Change has been slow but gaining ground in the wrong direction for several decades. To reverse this change it will take a concerted effort on the part of all those who have a Biblical world view. If you believe the Bible is the Word of God….say so! Tell your children, your grandchildren what you believe and why. Influence the next generation! If you believe that Jesus is the sinless Son of God, say so! Pass it on to those who will hear it no other way. If you believe that Satan is real and Heaven and Hell are real places, show them in the Word of God. We have had too many ‘feel good’ churches who avoid the truth of ‘hell’ and as a result some don’t think it’s real, yet Jesus talked more about hell than He did heaven. If you believe that God is truly omnipotent—all powerful and omniscient—all knowing, then talk about God that way to others. God is not an absentee landlord! He cares about His creation and He knows all we go through. He sees it all. He knows when we are hurting. He knows when we are grieving. He knows that He also has all power to put down the evil one who would come against our souls. When Satan throws his doubts our way, we can do like Jesus did in the wilderness—give him the Word…”It is written…” There is no more powerful weapon against Satan than that! But we must know the Word to use it as a weapon! Idle minds that have not fed upon the Word of God are a perfect playground for Satan. What have you been filling your mind with?

What about your family?
We would love to change the way our family thinks and acts. But it is not within our power. There is only one that we can change….us! We must change first, then let family and friends see the change in us. Sometimes we try to force others to change by manipulation, guilt, unforgiveness and control. But God’s way works much better. When we choose to put others in His hands, and let Him work the changes in them, He does a thorough job. He starts in the inside where all the hidden sin and garbage is hiding. Somehow, when we put God in charge, he always starts on us first. He knows that we reflect Him to the world around us, including our family. If they see hypocrisy and doubt and unforgiveness in our mirror instead of Jesus...they will not change. God wants to begin change in each of us this year. Change begins when we humble our hearts before God in prayer. The one prayer God always pays attention to is “God, be merciful to me...a sinner!” Then when we let the master Carpenter into our house, he begins a remodel job that will truly amaze you. He knows our weak points. He knows our doubts. He knows our fears. He knows our loneliness. He knows our pain. He begins to tear out the rotten foundations of false beliefs and rebuilds them in His own likeness. What the cankerworm has destroyed, he removes and recreates from scratch. When your family sees the changes in you, they will want it too.
What about you? Is your world view Biblical? Or have you been influenced by the culture around you? Get back into The Book—the Bible. Spend time talking to God and ask Him about your own heart and value system of beliefs. The Holy Spirit will direct you to the truth in His Word.
J. Johnson