Bumper Sticker Aptitude

#1378

Bumper Sticker Aptitude

We live in a world of "self-help" books. Those who write the books, if they sell enough, get the most help. There is no self-help psychological kit. Although in this nation of bumper sticker aptitudes and attitudes, one would think that everyone is anxious to help one another.

On a Sunday afternoon, many years ago, one of my friends drove me in my car to a county prison. As is the case with most Southern county prison systems, the prison was located in a mosquito and snake infested swamp, a wire fence surrounding it. I was there to deliver Christian books and material which I had purchased for the prisoners. I don't know if they read anything or not, even if they had the mental ability to read. One black woman preacher, delivering material to me for a local jail said that when she entered the enclosure, the woman were all playing cards but they put their cards away and were very attentive to her and her message. One day she left something and went back for it. They had already disposed of the Christian material and were back playing cards again in just the few minutes it took for her to go back. WE DO OUR BEST, IT IS UP TO GOD TO DO THE REST. On this Sunday visitation day, parents, and mother's with small children, standing outside the fence talking with the inmates inside the fence. The psychotic and neurotic Hell existing here is beyond our thought processes...what it must do to parents, children, with a loved one on the other side of the fence, a prisoner. I said to my driver, "Only the unreachable can not be reached at a time like this." Yet, as was the case with one thief on the cross beside our blessed Lord, we never know who God has chosen. Christ chose this thief, his grace sufficient, to enter paradise with Him.

In this world of the bumper sticker mentality, "big I, little you" we never know, often entertain "angels, unaware" (Hebrews 13:2). Even the chosen/elect are sinners. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). If God wants you, even in the "bush" of Africa, He will make arrangements to get you...a missionary, short wave radio program, a redemption message falling out of the air and, if God does not want you, walking every isle, joining every church, baptized in every pond, will not make a difference. Herod worshiped at the temple. It seems to this writer that most 21st century churches have forgotten the power of the cross. Most would not reach out to a thief being crucified on the cross. Sad to say, many who know about the cross would still free Barabbas. (Out again, robbing on the street, as our blessed Lord, in his place, hung on the cross intended for Him.) When we think of the "playing church" mentality of today's "Country Clubs with steeples," remember Legion and the Gadarenes, crazy man in the graveyard, brought to sanity and healed by Jesus. The people in the city asked our blessed Lord to leave. "And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts" (Mark 5:17). The psychological, neurological cure of Legion did not impress them. Most good smelling, sophisticated, educated, preferred to keep the crazy people in the crazy places, prisoners in the swamp, informed via bumper stickers, never realizing that God in his omnipotence expected the informed to show some empathy or love for others. Four billion years from now, in eternity, I hope I will have heard from at least 20 million that someone cared for their soul.

Jesus' youngest disciple, John, age 17 when called, at age 90, wrote his epistles. The second epistle has 13 verses. So intent was he that believers understand the truth. "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son" (2 john 1:9).

I often ask young people why they are so unconcerned about their soul salvation. Invariably they retort, "I believe in God. Is not that sufficient?" They do not understand that Satan believes in God and trembles (James 2:19). In every false religion of the world, we find people attempting to do something themselves. The righteousness of Christ is a gift, born again, new creation, transformed (Romans 12:2).

Dr. Victor Frankl holocaust survivor, said that those determined to survive the Nazi death chambers had a different mental attitude, preparing to survive, even hoarding cigarettes. Faced with eternity, American prisoners of war (Korea and Vietnam) became better or bitter, often more saintly. We do not want to create God in our image. The American media is anti-Christian, anxious to show the flaws of a church. If you can find a perfect Church with perfect people, join it. Then, it will not be perfect anymore.

Unraveling

Oprah Winfrey is not only the wealthiest entertainment personality in the country at present, but probably has more influence on the millions of American women and the women around the world who watch her, then we will ever know. Born 1954 in rural Mississippi, raped at the age of nine and gave birth to a son who died in infancy, attended high school in Milwaukee, attained a full scholarship to Tennessee state university ,where she graduated in communications. She worked in TV in Nashville and in Baltimore. In Chicago she attained the status as the Oprah Winfrey show, the rest is history. She owns 8 homes including homes in Antigua and Maui, her income was $275 million in 2008.

Oprah claims to be Christian, but since 1980, she has pushed every new age book with which she has become enthralled, such as Rhonda Byrne’s THE SERCRET. The tenet of the book is that an individual's focused positive thinking can result in life-changing results such as increased wealth, health, happiness and more. The book reached high sells after being featured in two episodes of Oprah.

The next book she has promoted is the “Age of Miracles” by Marianne Williamson. Williamson born in 1952, is a spiritual activist, author, lecturer and founder of “The Peace Alliance”.

An Excerpt from The Age of Miracles: “If you feel, when looking back on your life so far, that you've wrestled with primal forces and not always won, be assured that you're pretty much like everyone else. It is a rare individual who reaches midlife without a lot to grieve. And whether or not your tears are acknowledged--whether or not you give them the chance to actually fall down your cheeks--there's no question that they're there.”

The next book is by Eckhart Tolle “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose”.
Tolle is a spiritual teacher, motivational speaker, and writer. The core of Tolle's thought, in brief, is that the whole of humanity is trapped in self-created worlds of thought. An individual will experience this as their self-concept. Within these labyrinthine stories it is impossible to achieve lasting happiness. As they are fictional and static, all self concepts are subject to destruction and decay, a process Tolle cites as the main causal factor in human suffering.

In my long life time, I have seen these “spiritualist” and assassins of God’s precious word, come and go. How well I remember Napoleon Hill’s “think and Grow Rich”, a man who died broke. Then there was Charles Shelton, “In His Steps”, and Dale Carnegie’s “How to win friends & influence people”. Shelves of bookstores are full of self help volumes and even pseudo Christian books. Often, scripture, out of context, is freely quoted in these books which leaves the uniformed to think they are reliable. Some Christian sheep, do not know grass from Astro Turf.

Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, recognized as a speaker with a powerful allure, and a sometimes controversial rhetorical style. Those of you have who heard him speak know that he uses a wide sprinkling of Biblical scripture along with his nationalistic Islam philosophy. Like president Obama’s pastor, reverend Wright of that nationalist church in Chicago, the gospel and saving grace of Jesus Christ takes a back seat to their political rhetoric. As Henry Ward Beecher said in 1887, you can put a “handle of truth” on any lie and the public will accept it.

On the political scene, on the financial scene, in every area of media, and everything else affecting our lives, we are seeing as never before an unraveling of truth and decency in this country as never before. Much of this can be traced directly to an attempt by writers, their enablers, political idle logs, and their power brokers, which is bringing disillusionment and distrust to the average citizen and particularly their children

Winston Churchill said, “the desire to believe something is greater than logical argument”.

Oprah, the books she promotes, Farrakhan’s Million Man March stadiums filled with “promise keepers”, are in some way “seekers”. The thousands who are being killed in the drug war in Mexico, the thousands being killed in the Congo, the impossible situation in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan, the misery of the Sudan, the endless trauma and tragedy in the middle east, as well as those in this country who do not care if all our cities look like Detroit, which has been decimated. Most are looking for answers just as for 2000 years they have had the answer, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)

In Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London, Holman Hunt’s famous painting of Christ Standing with a light outside the door. there is no door handle on the outside of the door. The door must be opened from the inside. Christ is the answer, these folks should open the door and put an end to the unraveling.