Families across the country will celebrate their children's graduations from high school and college. As a father of a graduating senior, I look back and am amazed at where the time has gone, and how fast it goes.
My daughter has attended school under the threat of the Beltway Sniper, suffered through the loss of a close, teen-aged friend to suicide, and watched her high school community grieve the loss of a former graduate in the Virginia Tech tragedy.
She also has watched her SBC church transition to the seeker sensitive model. She watched how men surround and protect their pastors, out of fierce political loyalty, void of Biblical authority. She watched her father plead for doctrinal purity. She watched her family struggle to recover from the public shame of her father being removed as a Sunday School teacher. She watched her family leave the very church she was baptised in 7 years earlier.
When my daughter looks back on these disturbing memories, she will also see the Hand of God in each situation. His grace and mercy. His truth and love. His power and might.
My daughter can testify to the reality and power of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word, and as demonstrated by His indwelling Holy Spirit. She also knows when someone is pretending the do the same. She knows how smoke and mirrors can be used to create the illusion of God's power and presence.
Why would any pastor spend what precious little time there is on anything but teaching the whole counsel of God to fight the very real giants that threaten our children and our churches?
Joel 2
28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Great comments, Jim. As to your question, "Why would any pastor spend what precious little time there is on anything but teaching the whole counsel of God to fight the very real giants that threaten our children and our churches?" Do they really think that this felt needs, market driven approach to preaching/teaching is going to prepare the church, much less the teenagers, for what they will encounter in our post-modern world? The "church" is reaping today what it has sown the last several decades...thanks again for the post. I'm praying for you and your family.
ReplyDeleteBrian,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your boldness in speaking the warning, the truth and your to service to the Lord.
Jim
To answer your question as to why any Pastor would waste his time on anything but the precious word of God:
ReplyDeleteWe are new Christians in our family, having only been saved 15 years. There is one thing that we have consistently observed being substituted for sound Biblical teaching, and that is "Psychology" in it's many forms.
When Christians have to sit in an SBC church (as happened in our old church), and listen to comments from the Pastor such as "We don't believe in the Bible: we believe what is contained between the covers as it relates to Jesus Christ", it is obvious that the Bible has lost it's place as the guide to faith and practice. Or here are a few more statements to show that the philosophies of men have been substituted for belief in the Almighty God: "Jesus used Psychology in dealing with people." "Studying Scripture has Psychological benefits." "He (the person being discussed) will be helped when he realises he has a problem, and seeks help for it (no open Bible present when this Pastoral "insight" was being offered)."
"Dr." James Dobson, his programs and books.
"Christian Counselors" with degrees in Psychology.
"Pastoral Psychology" courses at Seminaries.
The referral to Social Workers and Therapists, Psychiatrists and "Mental Health" experts when sin is manifest in a church member's life, instead counseling from the Word Of God.
The encouragement for Christians suffering the loss of a loved one to utilise Prozac or some other drug to get over their loss.
"I talk to the Pastor about Psychology all the time, and he talks to me about it. I think you need to know about Psychology, in order to deal with people, don't you?"
Just think of all the Christians whose employment and income is dependent upon their acceptance, training, and use of secular Psychology, and you will see how this has infiltrated the church, and kind of taken over.
I've taught my teenage son that this is Idolotry.
Thank you very much for this post...absolutely excellent and so important for what is occurring in our evangelical churches today.
ReplyDeleteKathy
ReplyDeleteYour son is blessed with your discernment. Thank you for taking the time to visit. Please see the Gary Gilley videos that I just posted. It will be a blessing.
Diane
Thank you for visiting and your kind words...tell everyone you know what you know.
God Bless & protect
Jim