The
Cross of Christ has been modernized in our generation; now made to be
colourful, entertaining, without sobriety, full of glamour....hmmm. Someone
shared how someone told him (like a complaint) that his messages make people
sober. Thank God the man of God has remained undeterred as he continues to
preach a balanced gospel with predominant emphasis on issues of eternal
significance (Holiness, Rapture, Heaven, Hell, Restitution, etc).
In
the past, the devil made people not to want to carry the cross (and follow
Jesus). But now, it appears like the devil has switched strategy; he is no
longer stopping men from carrying their crosses; he has exchanged the Old
Rugged Cross and given Christians a ‘Modernized Cross’. Yes, they have a cross,
but it is a modernized, compromised, golden cross. It is a cross that has
turned the narrow way into a modernized broad way...people who claim they are
on the narrow way now permit the lifestyles of the broad way: they drink,
smoke, masturbate, fornicate, cheat, tattoo, do funky hair styles, etc. It has
gotten to the point where worldly musicians are guest artists in church
programs and gospel artists now honour invitation to sing in the worldly system
with the slogan “pull them from the world”.
‘A
modernized Cross’ where the Church altars now refrain from talking about sins
because according to them when you condemn sin people will run away from the
Church, and so anything goes in the congregation. It is now possible for an
unmarried woman who became pregnant and attempted abortion with complications
to call the pastor’s line for prayers, and the pastor will later not call her
for questioning simply because he does not want to lose a Church member,
perhaps a “tither”.
‘A
modernized Cross’ that has made the church to become worldly and the world
becoming “churchy”. It has become increasingly difficult to differentiate some
youth gatherings from secular parties all in the name of so-called youth
picnics, etc. One begins to wonder where are the ‘Youth Retreats’ of old, where
we had cried our strength out as we sought God’s face for our lives and
eternity?
It
has gotten to a point where like the Bible says, 'People no longer want to
endure sound doctrine'...so they avoid messages that make them sober. But the
Bible says in several places that we should be "sober" in this race (1Pet.
1:13; 4:7; 5:8, Titus 1:8; 2:2, 4, 6, etc). People avoid TV channels where the
raw gospel is being preached; rather they chose to tune to channels on
miracles, prosperity, etc.
But,
we must remain unfazed as we share the complete, balanced and raw gospel. Some
will endure, while others will not. Remember, even Jesus preached something raw
and truthful and then some of His disciples felt it was too tough to hear and
follow and they turned back from following Him. “Many therefore of his disciples,
when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When
Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them,
Doth this offend you? From that time many of his disciples went back, and
walked no more with him” (John 6:60, 61, 61, 66). Many were offended at
some of Jesus’ teachings, and the same thing is happening today, people get
offended when certain undiluted messages are preached, some argue, others
murmur, while still some will just quietly “unfriend” you either in real life
or on Facebook...but at least, Jesus did not “unfriend” you (smile).
Should
you find yourself in a place where throughout last year you did not hear
messages on Rapture, Restitution, Revival, Holiness, Heaven, Hell...but only
prosperity, deliverance, miracles, and the likes, I admonish you to look around
for brethren who carry the end-time passion about Jesus’ return and interact
with them in fellowship. You may not necessarily have to leave your local
church (Except God is asking you to). Relate with like-minded brethren as
"Iron sharpeneth iron", and "Deep calleth to deep"...and
the Lord might just set up a fire in your bones about the message of the Old
Rugged Cross, and others in your church may just begin to see light in your
light.
And
above all, let us continue to pray for our (spiritual) leaders that many will
re-locate the first love. For many of them, this is what God holds against
them: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first
love” (Rev. 2:4).
The
truth is, ‘A Modernized Cross’ cannot inherit the crown of life...it is the Old
Rugged Cross that will. Many will get to the gate of Heaven (because they were
Born Again), but only to be re-directed to Hell because of a compromised life
birthed by a Modernized cross. It will be profiting if we could just retrace
our paths to where we have missed it and dropped the Old Landmark...it could be
of eternal profiting to our souls.
(#The
Greatness Series Online @treasuredhouse)
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may also like:
A GENERATION THAT
CALLETH GOD A LIAR http://drwilliamsbukola.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-generation-that-calleth-god-liar.html?spref=tw
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