Thoughts as 2007 fades away...
Let’s see…a nuclear-armed country is in chaos; Iraq is improving but still vicious; Afghanistan rages; Darfu continues…a drunk driver kills a mom and four girls just before December 31…
What else? Oh, yeah, the author of the best-selling Your Best Life Now danced with Larry King and would not say/commit that Jesus is the only way to heaven; some (can’t paint with too wide a brush) “emergent” churches join Osteen in circumventing and even denying core ingredients of the gospel. “Open theists” seem to be in decline, but still promote that God is sort-of in charge. And, even as I type those words, I know some reading with say...oh, Jack, "don't judge." To that I reply...read the context of Jesus' words...Yes, (I won't list the references; if you are too lazy to look them up for yourself than you obviously don't really want to think the issue through) He does say "Do not judge" but then He also says "Judge righteous judgment". The context of "Do not judge" reminds us that the way in which we judge others is the way we will be judged (and, don't forget, we all will be judged...non-believers at the Great White Throne and Christians at the judgment seat of Christ {you don't hear much about those because, ah, they aren't "sensitive"...}
But…the gospel is everlasting, and remains true, and is of first importance (1 Corinthians 15). “Christ died for our sins” remains the most important fact; while “love the Lord with all…” remains the greatest commandment.
So I commit to remaining true to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of who calls me narrow-minded, simplistic, old-fashioned, or whatever. I set my heart to strive (though I fall far short) to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, strength.
What are some facts that will make 2008 a potentially pivotal year?
Try these:
***More than two out of three evangelical Christians now live in Asia, Africa, and South America.
***Dinesh D’Souza, in What’s So Great About Christianity defines the atheist strategy regarding children: “Let the religious people breed them, and we will educate them to despise their parents’ beliefs.”
Rantings of a Christian lunatic? Try this, from columnist Christopher Hitchens, an ardent Darwinist: “How can we ever know how many children had their psychological and physical lives irreparably maimed by the compulsory inculcation of faith?” Religion, he writes, has “always hoped to practice upon the unformed and undefended minds of the young. If religious instruction were not allowed until the child had attained the age of reason, we would be living in a quite different world.”
Sometimes these attacks are subtle, sometimes not. Carl Sagan released his trademark slogan on the PBS series “Cosmos” years ago – “The cosmos is all there is or ever was or ever will be.” So? Well, in no way am I suggesting that childrens’ books are written by people intentionally trying to promote atheism; but here’s a quote from The Berenstain Bears’ Nature Guide, “Nature is all that IS, or WAS, or EVER WILL BE.”
Richard Dawkins, in The God Delusion writes, “How much do we regard children as being the property of their parents? It’s one thing to say people should be free to believe whatever they like, but should they be free to impose their beliefs on their children? Is there something to be said for society stepping in? What about bringing up children to believe manifest falsehoods? Isn’t it always a form of child abuse to label children as possessors of beliefs that they are too young to have thought out?”
Philosopher Richard Rorty declares that secular professors in universities ought “to arrange things so that students who enter as bigoted, homophobic religious fundamentalists will leave college with views more like our own.” He states students are fortunate to “have escaped the grip of their frightening, vicious, dangerous parents.” He declares that as professors “we are going to go right on trying to discredit (parents) in the eyes of your children, trying to discredit you in the eyes fo your children, trying to strip your fundamentalist religious community of dignity, trying to make your views seem silly rather than discussable.”
And, in conclusion; a commitment from me, and a question for thee
We are living in dangerous times. From professing Christians we hear more and more of universalism, that all religions lead to the same God, that there is no such thing as Satan, nor hell. The books bought by Christians tend to be self-help, get your best life now themes with a couple “Praise the Lord”s thrown in. Much of our Christian music is all about us, and our feelings, and our needs; rather than focused on Him, the gospel, and the kingdom.
Yes…these are dark days…and they promise to get darker (2 Timothy 3.1-5). But the blessed fact is that the light always shines the brightest against a dark background.
As the salt of the earth, genuine disciples of Jesus will find themselves irritating those outside the faith (and many of those allegedly “inside” the faith). As the light of the world we need to shine for the gospel and for the King.
I recommit myself to striving to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” I ask the Lord to help me focus on that which is of “most importance” – the gospel, and to follow with determination, discipline, and desire my mission:
To know Jesus intimately; to love Jesus intensely, and to serve Jesus intentionally.
What are you going to attempt in 2008? | 
