"How terrible it will be for you who sprawl on ivory beds surrounded with luxury, eating the meat of tender lambs and choice calves. You sing idle songs to the sound of the harp, and you fancy yourselves to be great musicians, as King David was. You drink wine by the bowlful, and you perfume yourselves with exotic fragrances, caring nothing at all that your nation is going to ruin. Therefore, you will be the first to be led away as captives. Suddenly, all your revelry will end." (NLT)
In the past several years, a number of prominent Christian leaders have lost their ministries due to personal activities that involved sexual sin. Even this week, a young pastor who has one of the largest mega-church ministries in the Northwest has been asked to step down, at least temporarily, while he is investigated for inappropriate relationships and demeanor toward his staff and congregation. Even some others who were brought low and have been "restored" either completely or partially are still having reported about them that they act arrogantly with those around them.
There is an arrogance that comes from power, a self-indulgence that is almost impossible to ignore. Amos condemns the rich Israelites who, because they were rich and powerful, surrounding themselves with the accouterments of luxury, complementing themselves on how wonderful they were while at the same time ignoring the fact that their nation—that for which they were responsible—was going to hell in a handbasket. Wealth and power, those things which make it possible for us to insulate ourselves from the cares of the world, make it very difficult for a person to depend on God. It is possible, but it’s also very difficult.
"Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’ So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not bear false witness," "Do not defraud," "Honor your father and your mother."’ And he answered and said to Him, ‘Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’ Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’ But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, ‘Who then can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.’"(Mk 10:17-27 NLT).
"How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!" This story isn’t about being rich; it’s about trusting in riches, trusting in money for our future.
I’ve often wondered why so many American Christians are so focused on money. They are either spending it or saving it. In fact, there are churches in America that have large savings accounts and investment portfolios. Many Christians I know have large investment portfolios; they claim they are saving "for the future." What future is that? A future without God? Because our Father has promised to take care of us each day. And what does it matter if we live in riches or poverty? What would it matter if we had to turn off our phones or our cable TV? Would it change our relationship with the Lord Jesus? (Well, it might change it . . . for the better!) What are we so afraid of?
The Israelites in Amos ignored the reality around them and created a false reality built on this earth’s wealth. Christians in America ignore the reality around them and live in a false reality built on this earth’s wealth. How do we do that? What do we ignore?
We ignore the fact that our children should not be attending public schools. We protest about what’s happening in those schools, but we keep sending our kids so that we can either go to work (and continue to bring in money) or so that we can have that time to ourselves. And we are losing that generation completely! According to one study, 75% to 90% of church members of the mainstream churches in America believe in evolution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_of_support_for_evolution). In a separate study, 44% of American Protestants believe that homosexuality is either not a sin or isn’t a moral issue (http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/09/southern-baptists-confront-a-third-way-on-homosexuality-and-sin/). With just these two issues alone, this is a huge turnaround from 100 years ago and it is, many Christian theologians believe, due to the influence of public schools.
We ignore the fact that television and the media is changing how we think and how we react to life around us. If we ignore the conspiracy issues of whether or not there are imbedded messages in media, there is definitely an influence that occurs when we surround ourselves with secularism through fictional media. For example, one of the things I’ve heard repeatedly from Christians is that no parent should have to outlive their child. Do you know that is an idea from Hollywood? Children have been dying before their parents since the very beginning of time (Cain was murdered long before Adam and Eve died). While the loss of a child is very sad, we make it worse when our expectation of life is unrealistic.
We ignore the fact that we use fiction (movies, television, video games, books, etc.) and entertainment to insulate us from life’s pain rather than turning to the Lord Jesus Who is our only hope in times of trouble (Jeremiah 14:8). When life is overwhelming, we turn to liquor, smoking, drugs (both prescription and illegal), partying, watching TV, going to movies, going on vacation, rather than face life head on.
We ignore the fact that we have been blessed with material riches in other to bless others, not to indulge ourselves. We don’t need fancy cars, expensive houses, delicious food, new clothes, or varied entertainments to live. We need the Lord! And so does the world around us.
I have a dear aunt and uncle (who are now with the Lord) who, in their older years, listened to a new call of God on their life. This was a couple who, except for a time in Florida with a traveling evangelist and a time in Ohio with a church there, had lived in Southern California their entire lives. They had ministered some across the country and a few times in Europe, but for the most part, stayed where it was familiar; this was were the Lord had put them. They didn’t hold down jobs, but trusted God to supply. They had been able to buy a small house in a poorer neighborhood, but were happy there and continued to minister up and down California in the churches that knew them.
Then one day all that changed.
The Lord took them to Asia. It was there they saw the abject poverty of mothers and children, children who were the offspring of American and European soldiers, soldiers who had sex and left, left the women with children who were reviled and rejected by their Asian cultures. Amer-Asian children. This couple began to pour themselves and every dime they could raise into a group of homes for these children, many of whom had been abandoned even by their mothers. My aunt and uncle limited their own meals to one or two a day (and half of that usually being saved to share with their own grandchildren who were living in poverty). They often neglected their own health in order to make sure these homes were adequate for these precious children. They began trying to find homes in America for some of the abandoned children, and even at their own older age, adopting two themselves. Meanwhile the publishing company which held the copyrights on my aunt’s music never paid her a dime of royalties. It didn’t matter. They trusted God and the ministry thrived. They trusted God and people donated money for dental bills. They trusted God and He would provide another used car for them to drive. They trusted God and they always had food and a roof over their heads. They didn’t need a portfolio or savings account. They knew God would take care of them.
I often wonder, in our obsession to plan for the future and to insulate the present, if we miss those precious ministry opportunities. Is God calling us to something greater and we are ignoring Him because we can’t miss the next edition of "The Simpsons?" Are we too insulated from life that we have also insulated ourselves from God as well?
The fact is, whether in judgment or in death, suddenly our revelry will end. The Lord Jesus will come for us. What will we say to Him? More importantly, what will He say to us? I hope He will say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant." (Matthew 25:21 NKJV). Nothing else matters.
© 2014 Robin L. O’Hare. All Rights Reserved.
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