Friday, November 09, 2007

Christianity Lite: Great Taste? Less Filling!

"Now the serpent (Satan) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
.
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree would tase great for food...she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Genesis 3:1-6
.
A number of years ago there was a commercial where retired athletes would argue over the reason for drinking a popular "lite" beer. One side would always say, "It tastes great!" While the other side would shout sternly back, "It's less filling!" As far as I know, neither side won the "Beer-Debate"--but there is an ongoing debate within the ranks of Christianity that offers the conclusion that "It may taste great, but it is less filling."
.
From the time of the fall of man in the Garden, Satan has always offered something that tasted great and man has long fell victim to the temptation of these things. First it was the forbidden fruit, next it was the great taste of fulfiiing one's anger when Cain slew his own brother, Able. Then it was the great taste of adultery and the great taste of thievery and the great taste offerings continued up until now.
.
Today Satan has found a new way to market his "Great Taste...Less Filling" means of ensnaring the unsuspecting consumer: He is now offering "Christianity Lite," which may very well have great taste--but is definitely less filling!
.
This new brand of Christianity is not that much different from the long-necked, amber colored bottles being hocked by Dick Butkus and his football pals. It promises to allow you all of the benefits of living like the devil, yet with none of the consequences of hell.
.
"Drink Up! God is a God of love! Don't let them judge you. You love God just as much as they do. You can act anyway that you want. Haven't those judgmental Pharasees ever heard of grace before? We have got to be relevant to our culture. God will understand my weakness. He will forgive me--we are just trying to have fun. I go to church. I sing in the choir. I even pay 10% of my income (after taxes though) and I don't need any full-bodied "Bible Thumper" telling me what I should and should not do!" Taste Great! Less Filling!
.
"Is there wickedness on my lips? Cannot my taste discern perverse things?" Job 6:30
.
The problem that is occuring in many Churches across this nation is that they are being sold a spiritual bill of goods and have been duped into the insidious lies of the adversary through the slick marketing of perverse things being called righteousness. The ad-ex are no longer occupying office space on Madison Avenue, but have moved their campaigns to the modern worship centers of Carnal-Christianity!
.
The famous athletes have been replaced by celebrity-charlatans masquerading as self-styled "Apostles, Bishops and Prophetesses." For the post-modern crowd they have adopted "hip" guru-esque personas and coffee-house intimacy. They say, "Come on and eat of this---it taste great! and the best part it--it is so much less filling than all of that stuffy, self-denying, holiness-based Christianity that the old folks put up with!"
.
The Word of God has issued many warning that this hour would come in the last days.
.
2 Tim 3:1-5 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!" Tastes Great...less filling.
.
Friends we have got to get back to the place of recognozing this great deception for what it is---it is the same snare that was set 6,000 years ago in the Garden that served as a catalyst in sending billions into an eternal hell and it keeps up...billions more will also spend eternity in the lake of fire having thought that what "Tasted Great and was Less Filling" somehow qualified for a genuine relationship with Jesus.
.
Phil 1:9-11 "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-- to the glory and praise of God."

1 comment:

RAVEN Deb said...

Amen and.....