The Harsh Backhand of Christianity: Part 2 - Cause and Effect

I feel I need to embellish a bit more on this topic:

I want to start this article off by asking the reader to consider the following scenario: You're in a city during a gay rally and you have the opportunity to join up with one of two groups of "Christians". The first group is holding up signs like 'Homosexuals are going to Hell'. The second group is working a stand which is giving out free water and when asked are saying "We're doing this because Jesus loves you". Which of these two groups is most probably doing the work of the Lord?

Here's the real point I'm trying to make: we Christians focus on fleshly concerns rather then spiritual, far too often. I wasn't trying to suggest that Christians can go too far with our battle cries to ban this or that. I was directly accusing many "Christians" of focusing on their pride rather then their duties as priests and witnesses of Jesus Christ. I really didn't mean to focus so much negative attention on the AFA, however. They've demonstrated against abortion rights and keep abreast of political agendas which are contrary to us being able to worship our Lord and I hope God blesses them for these endeavors.

My article wasn't intended to be an anti-AFA campaign, only a wake up call to Christians. An encouragement to focus on the dark forces of this world and not some obscure show written by an even more obscure writer. However, I would argue that there was no contending with the faith in this situation. This is a TV show! Don't watch it, if you don't like it. I would go so far to say that far too many Christians spend far too much time in front of the tube as it is. Besides, from what I've heard, with or without the AFA's intervention, the show was doomed. We have to stop focusing on the flesh so much. Think about it this way, what if the AFA had instead asked the 600,000+ people to send just $1 to a missionary or a ministry or New Orleans or to buy Bibles to hand out to impoverished lost people or to buy food for these same people?

Take a moment to really think about this. Was the witness of Jesus Christ really in danger from this TV show? I would contend that shows like 'Desperate Housewives', 'Friends' or 'Sex in the City' are far far more insidious because many Christians watch these shows and adopt some of these perspectives. A perspective like fornication (or rather using the opposite sex as a confidence booster) isn't that bad because everyone's doing it, lying can be good (if you're protecting yourself or the feelings of others. I hear "little white lies" all the time from Christians) and you can get everything you desire (just don't count the cost). These are all very subtle aspects of a very real wickedness which is seeping under the doors of our churches while we all are focused on the distractions Satan gives us (like the 'Book of Daniel'). We can all pat ourselves on the back for a job well done while our children's minds are being corrupted in our schools, as they are subtly taught that homosexuality is normal and we know nothing about it. Then we can all sit back and watch as our children move onto the immoral lifestyles adopted by most folks (yes I'm referring to "Christians") when they enter college. All the while the Christian parents are clueless because they're not involved in the lives of their children. Their obsession with selfish endeavors, intentional ignorance and self-confidence issues keep them from loving their children the way God intended and force their children to try to find counsel from lost friends and other clueless Christians struggling with the same issues (the blind leading the blind). Then these same children (now adults, whether they choose to except this or not) have to learn the hard way that they have changed the course of their lives forever. They're marriages will never be what they were intended to be and they'll never be as potent as they could've been for the kingdom because their parents never really intervened in their lives and the churches never really stepped up to disciple these kids. They're not getting the consistent discipleship they need.

I want to write a resounding "Thank God for ministries like Campus Crusade for Christ, Young Life and godly youth pastors"! I believe God is using these ministries (domestic missions) and folks to disciple these confused and lost students. However, in some ways these ministries are like giving someone a piece of delicious manna from heaven only to say, after they finish eating it, that they can never have it again. Now I'm most definitely not placing the blame on these ministries, except that they need to more boldly and aggressively pursue church partnerships for continuing this discipleship with these college folks after college. Likewise the church has to do even more to reach out in real partnership with these ministries. As is stands now these college folks will find out that the discipleship and ministry opportunities they were enjoying in college aren't there for them when they get out. Suddenly they're hit with adult decisions with little to no fellowship to hold them accountable or encourage them. Some of them wonder through life confused about relationships or they get married, perhaps hoping to fill that emptiness inside them, but the vicious cycle starts all over again when they start having children and Satan's won yet another battle against God's people by making us spiritually impotent.

I'm going to continue to beat this into the ground until either I see real change in the church or God changes my heart. I want to see more discipleship in the church! I want to see parents accepting the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and acting on this freedom and power to lovingly and attentively bring up their children. I want to see these same parents then firmly set the boundaries with their children once they reach the teenage years and remain close, even if they push you away. I want to see parents and churches working with campus ministries to help plug their young adult children into adult oriented biblically modeled discipleship relationships. I want to then see this continue after college. I want to then see younger and older married couples taking these young adults under their wings and discipling them on what it means to be godly husbands and wives and taking an active role in introducing these young adults to members of the opposite sex. I then want to see this discipleship turn into premarital counseling and continue on for the rest of their lives. I want to see Christians actually loving on other Christians, greeting each other with a holy kiss or at least a holy embrace. I want to see the church rise up in the name of Jesus Christ to commit to the future leadership of the church in God through the work of the Holy Spirit in their children. Let's give them every opportunity to hear His words and encourage them to do all things for the glory of Jesus Christ.

The Harsh Backhand of Christianity

I receive email notifications from the AFA (American Family Association) periodically, as I'm on their mailing list. Here's a copy of the most recent, regarding the demise of a television show called 'The Book of Daniel':

Because of your efforts, NBC cancels 'Book of Daniel'
Dear William,
NBC's anti-Christian program The Book of Daniel has been cancelled! Your efforts, combined with those of hundreds of thousands of other AFA Online supporters, had an impact. NBC's decision to pull The Book of Daniel shows the power of the pocketbook. NBC didn't want to eat their economic losses. Had NBC not had to eat millions of dollars each time it aired, NBC would have kept The Book of Daniel on the air. Because of your efforts, the sponsors dropped the program. NBC then decided it didn't want to continue the fight. Even an impassioned plea by Daniel's producer Jack Kenny could not match your participation. "Ordinarily, I would never ask anyone to do this, but the AFA and bullies like them are hard at work to try and prevent you from seeing these beautiful shows, and that is censorship pure and simple. And that is both un-Christian and un-American," Kenny wrote. His attitude is typical in todays society. Non-Christians telling Christians what is Christian. People like Kenny don't want people like you to have a voice. They want to deny you the right to get involved. You are supposed to sit back and take the trash. And when you do speak up they call you names. This shows us that we don't have to simply sit back and take the trash, but we can get involved and fight back with our pocketbooks. I want to thank the 678,394 individuals who sent emails to NBC and the thousands who called and emailed their local affiliates. Thanks for caring enough to get involved!
Sincerely,
Don
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and ChairmanAmerican Family AssociationP.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends

Now I've never seen this show, but from what I've heard it's really bad television. I would assume the network higher ups misunderstood the groups they were trying to reach. I would assume they were trying to reach the same folks (christians) who went nuts over 'The Passion' or 'The Chronicles of Narnia', but woefully missed the mark. Not surprising, considering their lame attempt at adapting the OT to TV about 6 or 7 years ago. I seem to remember this made-for-TV movie about the OT in which the writers placed Abraham, Lot and Noah in the same time period and I also seem to remember a lot of really bad acting and lame jokes as well. It was terrible, and I don't just mean the poor biblical adaptation (it was obvious the writers never even so much as cracked a Bible open)!

Now I don't intend to get off on some wild tangent about TV and the corruption of the church. However, I want to build a case which makes it clear that, basically, we act either as tools of Satan, tools of God or sons of God. However, I want to focus on tools of Satan, with regards to focusing on the flesh.

Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Another implication of these verses, from a demonic perspective, is: Satan desires for us to focus off of God first, and then the spiritual realm altogether, including himself, thereby leaving us to focus on other people as the real enemy. The problem is, in many cases, we're falling right into Satan's designs. Many in the church see themselves as better then the unsaved and worse still; see other believers (at times) as the enemy.

Where is the grace, forgiveness and love towards the unsaved and each other? We do all this wickedness in the name of righteous anger and defense of Christianity. Look at this quote from the above email: "His attitude is typical in todays society. Non-Christians telling Christians what is Christian." I see a real problem with this statement and resultant worldview and I'm concerned about the number of Christians prescribing to this. Not only does this statement seem very grammatically clumsy, but this also illustrates my point about Christians focusing on the flesh. From what I've heard this show would've been canned anyways, but the focus by a Christian group on this show has given the writer justification for venting his anguish and frustrations on Christians. Did this perceived victory really accomplish anything for the kingdom? Was Christ really glorified? Did Christianity protect the name of Jesus Christ? God is perfectly capable of "protecting" His glory.

Isaiah 43
But now, this is what the LORD says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf.
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.
The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Do these words sound like the words of an impotent God who needs man to protect His glory or His people? Think about this: We are the new priests, God's witnesses. What is the job of a priest, of a witness? Our sole role, as believers, is to proclaim the glory of God and rejoice in the salvation His son Jesus Christ has bought for us. All or our words and actions should spring from this living water. With this worldview in mind it should be clear that the Christian's role is to do everything in love, through this lens of sacrifice.

Hebrews 12:28-29
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."

I want to be clear that I'm not against sharing information or even pointing out the issues with a TV show, movie, book, whatever, which basically mocks christianity. Of course I'm not against fast responses to false teaching. However, we all need to be careful about leading or teaching others. If we lead we lead others (according to the gifts God has given us) towards Jesus Christ. If we teach, we teach (If God has given us this gift) about Jesus Christ, for He is the only way to salvation.

James 3:1-2
My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

Communion

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for each other. If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you meet together it may not result in judgment.

I was reading these verses the other day when something jumped off the page at me. It’s funny, to me, but my focus for communion has always been self examination in lieu of Christ’s sacrifice. Now while this focus is scriptural and correct, in studying the above verses, it is lacking in full recognition of the failings of the church, with regards to communion.

Let me begin my exegesis by first sharing something from my past: I lived in Springfield, OH from about 1997 till 2000. During my time there I attended a church called Southgate Baptist Church. I very much enjoyed the pastor’s teaching and particularly the way this church observed communion. There was given a time for everyone to silently examine themselves in prayer before the Lord and focus our thoughts on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Then the pastor would read the verses pertaining to eating of the bread, we’d all then eat the bread, he’d read the verses about the wine and we’d drink the grape juice. I particularly like the time of silent examination.

Too many churches focus way too much on keeping everyone entertained, but I digress. If I focus back on the above mentioned failings of the church, with regards to communion, then I need to focus on the tradition of communion. That is, I hold the opinion that the way most churches perform communion is a carry over from the Catholic church and misses one of the intentions of communion. Where’s the fellowship aspect of communion? Re-read the above verses again. Observe Paul’s admonishments, but also observe what he’s not saying. There is a very direct inference here that the early church was actually breaking bread and having a meal together. A real meal, not a vial of grape juice and a fingernail size piece of bread. We’ve completely lost sight of the fellowship aspect of communion. We’ve completely lost sight of the Last Supper when, not so coincidentally, Jesus and His disciples observed the Passover as they ate together. Absolutely yes, it is most important to silently examine oneself prior to communion, but this should be done corporately, with opportunities to settle unresolved issues we may have with fellow believers, with opportunities to prayer corporately for forgiveness and for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and in unity, as brothers and sisters in Christ eating and drinking in remembrance of our Passover. In remembrance of the Lamb who was slain and whose blood covers not only the first born, but all those who belong to Him.

Communion is not a time for all of us to feel like one big happy family. It’s not a time for unbelievers to feel like they belong with believers. It’s most definitely not a time to perform an act which will make us more acceptable or pleasing to God, for this would negate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Also it is not a time for division, but for unity in Christ. Whether wine or grape juice, whether bread or a real meal, it is the intention, as it always is with God. It is our heart He seeks above all. It is through our hearts, through the working of the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ can glorify Himself. It is not about any of us at all, by any measure, but about Jesus Christ, the glory He receives and the love we show to one another.

So, if it is most desirable and practical to drink a vial of grape juice and a sliver of bread then do so, but don’t neglect fellowship for practicality. It is relationships which we desire: First, with God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, secondly, with brothers and sisters in Christ, in love through the forgiveness bought by Jesus Christ. Last, but not least, with nonbelievers, as it glorifies Jesus Christ.

As scripture teaches, let us spend time in silent examination and so prepare our hearts to humbly remember the Lamb who was slain. Let us, in considering others better then ourselves, and so in unity in Christ, eat the bread and drink the wine together. As Jesus said “do this in remembrance of me”.