(You) should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart… Ephesians 4:17-18
Futility of the mind – do you remember what that was like? Before we knew Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior there was not much of a point to our lives. We had no purpose, no focus, no direction, and those deceitful lusts that had promised us so much satisfaction, instead brought misery and heartache. Oh, we knew about God, but we were to busy with ourselves. We later discovered that the result of our folly was recorded accurately in the Book of Romans.
“Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools…” Romans 1:21
Professors of Foolishness
We seem to have this tendency in our country to honor our fools, regardless if we have turned aside from our foolish ways or not. We hoist them up, applaud their status, and in many instances, without thinking, assimilate their faulty values. To illustrate the point, let us consider for a moment the top-ten professors (arguably) of this age:
Lady Gaga: “It’s more self-worship, I think…I’m teaching people to worship themselves…I felt, and I still feel, that I was sent to this planet from my planet, Planet Goat, to create a ruckus.”
Pastor Joel Osteen: (Answering the question, ‘Is a Mormon a true Christian?’) “Well, in my mind they are…I’m not the one to judge the little details of it.”
Kathy Griffin: “Now, a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus…Jesus, this award is my God now!”
Pastor Benny Hinn: “I’m a super being. Say it! Say it! Who’s a super being? ‘I walk in the realm of the supernatural.’ Say it!…You want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right and centre. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness…Say after me, ‘everything I ever want is in me already.’ “
President Obama: “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation…I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.”
Pastor Rob Bell: [The Bible is a] “Human product…rather than the product of divine fiat (authoritative decree)…The writers of the Bible had agendas.”
Oprah Winfrey: “If you’re not comfortable with the word God, it doesn’t matter…One of the mistakes that human beings make is believing that there is only one way to live…there are many paths to what you call God…There couldn’t possibly be just one way.”
Paris Hilton: “Jesus loves me, Biff. He really loves me. Isn’t that neat? And not just because I’m rich and I’m hot. He would love me even if I wasn’t rich and hot, thought I don’t know why anybody wouldn’t want to be rich or hot. Or why god would want to love people who aren’t rich or hot.”
Pastor Creflo Dollar: “And then God produced more gods with flesh and then gods with flesh produced more gods with flesh. And then gods with flesh produced more gods with flesh until THE God of gods with flesh showed up one day with flesh and dwelt among the other gods with flesh to demonstrate to the other gods with flesh how to have authority over the flesh! So follow Him! Follow Him! This is our history I’m telling you about! This is the history the religious church wants to hide away from you so you don’t know who you really are!”
Bill Maher: “If I thought the Lord was speaking to me I’d check myself into Bellevue, and I think you should too…The Bible looks like it started out as a game of Mad Libs.
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I am sure you know that this is just the tip of the heretical ice berg and that the Biblical remedy to this nonsense is abstinence; a total rejection of both the fool and the rubbish he or she spews. We must begin to disclaim those who deny Jesus Christ or pervert His name ~ It would help us to remember that they are our mission field, we are not theirs.
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:6-8
Questions:
- Are you trying to live in two worlds?
- What are the dangers of entertaining opposed philosophies?
- Are you submitted to Jesus and His teachings?
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God… Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Matthew 5:8 + Psalm 51:10
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He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 