Exodus 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Events or expressions that I witness or overheard on a day to day base often causes me to reminisce of my days growing up in a Christian environment. My parent would often chastise or punish me for what was described as taking the name of the Lord in vain. A slip of the tongue outside of the home was also known to bring on a slap upside the head by any offended Christian adult. The rules have changed in today's pessimistic society. The Holy name of God is referenced in all types of endeavors.
In the midst of my Bible study last week, I asked a rhetorical question. "Do we really believe in God"? The question was asked to bring about a personal assessment of our belief system. Can a generation that has defined Santa Claus as the figment of old folks imagination really believe in a metaphysical God? What happen to this nation, a nation that was founded upon a strong belief in God? A nation whose workers and framers spent so much time invoking the blessing of the immortal deity seems to have lost it way. Somewhere along the road of deciding what to believe and the freedom to believe, the foundation of our belief structure has become shaken. The sacredness of the Holy Scripture is constantly being called into question and is constantly being re-interpreted and the God of our salvation is been reinvented.
Compared to the bygone days, the God of today is an alien entity. The God who once was hailed as the destroyer of nations, a God whose fierce anger was extolled in the Old Testament is now presented as a God of favors. Even the church has dumbed down the rhetoric of it founding Apostle and the message of the cross is considered hate speech. According to the watered down messages emulating from many pulpits, the masses are more attracted to a message of favors rather than a message of salvation. The focus of many churches seems to have entered a state of apostasy. The mission is bringing souls into the church to improve the financial bottom line and enhance personal status, rather than soul saving.
The trivialization of God begins at that point where the justification of sin becomes a necessity and reality. To promote a new agenda, it became necessary to declassify God as the supreme ruler and allow humanity to function as the controller of his own destiny, a position that John described as the spirit of antichrist. That which now can be justified is no longer evil, it become a point of understanding between the seeker of justification and its personal idea of God. According to the pious prelate, the God of today simply wants his creation to be happy. It seems as if humanity has recreated God in the image of man. Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
The Facebook post said, “I saw over 700 miracles while praying. To you reading this with faith, there is a miracle from God in your life this week. The Lord said your problem is over. To every hand that will share this testimony and type ‘Amen’ with faith, a miracle has been assigned to you in Jesus name.” I often wonder, is it just me or is there others who feel like me. Though subtle in nature, the ‘somebody’ card is being played. This seems to be an overt act of showmanship, design to promote one's personal status and fame and has nothing to do with the true promise or message of God.
The age of miracles is upon us and there is a search high and low for that scripture that says a miracle is coming your way.
These types of postings are reminiscent of the bygone days when a minister or prophet would stand before a group of people and scream, “the Lord says, there is somebody in here with a headache, God says come up here and get your healing. This always worked in a crowd of a few, until the younger generation began to question these antics and began to wake up. Once a church lady prolonged the service thirty minutes communing with God, when it was over the message received was, "Somebody is going to die, let's pray that God rebuke the hand of death." Well, the truth is somebody did die and she was hailed a prophet. Once a person is proclaimed a prophet, there is no limit nor shame to the type of prophecies that will be made in the name of God.
Mark 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
There is a type of church folks gullibility that is preyed upon by the unscrupulous, those who are seeking to make a name for themselves. The snake oil salesman mentality, the Jim Jones approach to Christianity, the doctrine of Rev Ike is still flourishing. There also appears to be an element of play-acting. It is also equivalent to the preacher who constantly urge you to shout 'Amen' throughout the message or The overuse of the phrase "touch your neighbor." A proven method of subtle indoctrination, designed to foster a relationship between the speaker and the hearer. This is an act that many find distracting and somewhat distasteful but are ashamed to admit it.
Another post said, “Money will come your way this week. Type Amen and Share. Another said, Type Amen if you believe Jesus can heal you. Now, what truly indoctrinated Christian would not believe Jesus “can” heal? The list was short compared to those who responded to the offer of money.
When reading the Facebook post of the sometimes famous and the not so famous people promising instant money in my bank account. Typing the word "Amen" is the key to unlocking the windows of Heaven and allowing blessing and healing to flow. Have we become a people who approach our God on a day to day base, with outstretched hands, begging for a blessing. Many are not impressed by those who use fancy titles to misinterpret the scripture and teach the doctrines and commandments of men.
