Christian Living

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There is a tendency today to think because we are in a different age, the Bible has become old hat, only parts of it being relevant to today’s society. So churches have “updated” their style of presenting God. They have preached on the “positives” of Bible verses and ignored the “negatives.” How wrong that is.

Sure, this is the 21st century, but regarding the human condition the Bible is as modern as the headline in today’s newspaper. The human heart is just the same as it was 2100 years ago.

People love trends and fashions. Everyone wants the latest dress style, the new hairstyle. “All new” is a favourite catchcry on TV. When some new electronic gadget appears, everyone wants it.

Likewise, the God we hear about from the platform has become “user friendly.” He is updated. He is new. He will fit nicely into our middle class lifestyle. We are told that like a giant Santa he is going to bring lots of goodies to those who will just join the church and be part of the happy throng. Sin? That’s a no-no word.

“Leaders” don’t want to spoil the feel-good atmosphere with talk of God’s wrath, holiness, justice, righteousness. They are afraid to tell unbelievers of hell and condemnation. “Let’s accentuate the positive,” the pastor mutters. “Let’s focus on love, joy, the blessings. As for hardship, persecution of the believers – forget it! It’s old-fashioned to dwell on those topics. Well, isn’t that what everybody’s doing?”

So in our trendy, foot-tapping, happy-happy mega churches the people plonk their dollars into the bucket, and soon, we are told, that ten-million-dollar new church building will be ours. “Wow, look at all this success. Look at the numbers. We must be getting it right,” the misleading leaders presume.

In hard times, there will be a massive falling away from what little faith the good-times believers have. These lullabied church attendees could wake up one morning to find the stock market and economy has crashed. It happened in 1929 and it can again.

Acts 14:22 says: “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” People cannot face and overcome such tribulations if they are fed a diet of sugar-candy-and-chocolate Christianity. Those on today’s Good Ship Lollipop won’t know about tribulation if they don’t hear about it.

Oh, how the Apostle Paul would condemn our trendy, spineless, gutless Christianity if he were here today. Surely the Lord will soon lose patience with our present system.

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