September 13, 2015- The Shemitah, End of the World, Stock Market Crash . . . .

I am a big fan of Rabbi Jonathan Cahn. I loved his books, The Harbinger and The Shemitah. It was very eerie to look up all the things in The Harbinger and see them actually as he described them. His understanding of Messianic Judaism, the Hebrew culture and language, and the original transcripts of Scipture truly are amazing. I believe him to be a modern-day prophet.

For those of you who don't know, there is a lot of talk about Bible Prophecy coming true in a few weeks. In a nutshell, Cahn has shown that the two most recent stock market crashes in 2001 (a week after 9/11) and 2008 (the beginning of the Great Recession) occurred on the same day of the Jewish calendar, a date called Elul 29. These coincide with the Biblical concept of the Sabbath year, which you can read about if you want to. I won't discuss them here.

Because of the 2001 and 2008 crashes happening on the same date seven years apart, he has quite logically looked for a future date. That occurs September 13, 2015. He's simply looking at data, suggesting that we be prepared for another stock market crash as America continues to thumb its nose at God and defiantly refuse to repent and return to Him.

I'm not arguing one way or another.

I believe God cannot be mocked. I believe He executes His judgement on rebellious people and nations. I believe that the only thing that gets America's attention is money. We have put up with abortion, murder, disintegration of families, exponential rise in drug use, riots, corrupt government- but when our bank accounts go down, we really holler and scream. If God executes judgement on America, there is no doubt in my mind that it will be financial. So, there is a part of me that believes what Cahn says. A large part, in fact.

On the other hand, God has a real knack for NOT acting as we predict Him to. I can't tell you how many date setters have been debunked, predicting the rapture, the end of the world, etc. God seems to be fairly resistant to being put in a box. So, following history, I find it hard to believe that God will act on a certain date forecasted by humans.

The purpose of this blog, however, isn't to talk about whether or not the stock market will crash on September 13, 2015. It might. It might not.

What I am challenging Christians on is this- have you spent more time thinking about your bank account than your soul? I know I have.

I have wrestled with whether to sell my stocks, whether or not to stock up on food, whether or not to try to insulate myself from a worldwide financial meltdown that might be coming. I've read many blogs and articles about the "inevitable" crash on the horizon. Many Christians I know have as well.

What I haven't done, however, is spent time examining my soul and my life.

If you have spent more time worrying about your bank account and stocks than your soul and your walk with Christ, you are missing the boat.

God brings judgement on a nation for its rebellion. If God brings judgement on this nation, there isn't anything you will be able to do, materially, to save yourself. That's not the point. If the threat of judgement is on this nation, you must take time to ensure that you aren't part of the problem.

Instead of asking, "Should I sell my stocks?" we should be asking questions like these:

Am I sexually immoral?
Am I a forgiving person?
Am I am person with unclean hands, unrepentant of the sin in my life?
Am I a person to whom Jesus will say, "I know you. Well done, good and faithful servant?"

Let me say it again- if you have spent more time worrying about your 401k than your soul, you have missed the entire point of God's judgement.

I don't know what will happen on September 13. I really don't. What I do know is that I am using this time to examine my life, to root out areas of disobedience to God, root out areas of bitterness and unforgiveness and anger that hold me back, root out areas of resistance to God's will, and work on my relationship with God. When God's judgement hits, there won't be any physical preparations that will save you. So spend your time making SPIRITUAL preparations, because when it hits, God's love and grace will be all you have.

Making Coveting part of American culture

Any teacher or speaker will tell you that people will only remember the first and last things in a list. Good teachers will always put the two most important points or concepts at the beginning and the end because those are the things people are most likely to remember.

In the Ten Commandments, the first command is "You shall have no other gods before Me."  The last commandment is, "You shall not covet." These are strategically placed because these are the two most important commandments. Out of these two commandments flow the other eight.

The last one, "You shall not covet," is very rarely spoken about. We talk about coveting about as much as we talk about gluttony, most likely for the same reason. It is so prevalent and so much a part of our lives that we would rather not mention them, and if we were to rid ourselves of either of them, our lives would have to change so drastically that it would be too uncomfortable.

However, the sin of covetousness needs to be addressed. First of all, coveting isn't simply wanting what someone else has. That's not the issue. There is nothing wrong with seeing something that someone else has and enjoying or admiring it. My dad has a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T; black on black, matching numbers, 393 horsepower at the rear wheels- total road beast. I look at that and admire it. It's awesome. However, that's not coveting.

Admiration of what someone else has moves into coveting when you begin to feel like you have a RIGHT to have what others have. You begin to use words like, "It's not fair," and "why should he/she have that and I don't?" You begin to feel resentful towards people for having things you don't have. You begin to feel slighted, denied, treated unfairly, or demeaned because someone has something that you don't. You feel that your rights have somehow been violated if someone has something that you don't.

My admiration for my dad's muscle car would move into coveting if I were to begin to feel resentful that he has it and I don't. Admiration moves into coveting when I begin to structure my relationship with my dad around the car. I position myself to inherit it. I constantly bring it up in conversation. I feel slighted that he didn't buy one for me too. I feel like I've been cheated that I don't have that car- I feel resentful over his ability to buy one when I don't have the means. I begin to insult him behind his back, calling him all kinds of names, bashing him for his good fortune and saying it's "unfair." That's when admiration breaks down and the sin of covetousness takes over.

And this describes America in 2015.

Politicians and advertisers have seized upon the human tendency towards covetousness for two different reasons.  Politicians realize that they can get votes if they stoke covetousness in enough people, claiming that: 1) you have been treated unfairly, 2) why should these people have what you don't have, and 3) vote for me. Advertisers realize that they can get people to spend money they don't have- people will go into debt- to have what others have. Both groups seize upon the jealousy and resentment that covetousness brings in order to accomplish their agenda- politicians want power and advertisers want dollars.

In order for both of these groups to get what they want, they have to fill the airwaves with messages of unfairness, inequality, the haves versus the have-nots, and how they will solve all your problems if you do what they want you to do. They have both found that it is easy to control someone who feels they have been slighted. It is easy to manipulate the emotions of someone whose covetousness has lapsed into anger. It is easy to make servants out of people who feel entitled to what other people have.

Therefore, covetousness has been stoked into a national fury. Everywhere you look you hear the siren call to covetousness. "You are being denied." "It's not fair." "You should have what everyone else has." "You have a right to ___________________"(fill in the blank with whatever it is that someone else has that you didn't work for but feel a right to have).

In contrast to the sin of coveting, the apostle Paul gives us the right mindset to approach life with. He says, in Philippians 4:12-13 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Content. What a beautiful word. Contentment, in contrast to covetousness, is the state of mind where you don't feel the need for anything. You are at peace. You celebrate what your neighbor has; you don't desire it or feel entitled to it. Contentment says, "The Lord has satisfied all of my wants. The Lord has satisfied all of my needs. No longer do I look around to see what I should have. My thirsts are quenched, my hunger is satisfied, my appetites are under my control. I am content."

So, the question for Americans is- is God enough?

Coveting has passed up baseball as our national pastime. You can always tell that elections are getting close because the political ads and the political candidates stoke up as much coveting as they possibly can. They try to capitalize on what you DON'T have and promise to give it to you (although, conveniently, they never actually DO. That's why you need to vote for them in the next cycle).

I want to suggest that you edit out the following phrases from your vocabulary and even your thoughts:

"That's not fair."
"I have a right to . . . . "
"I think I'm entitled to . . . . "
"Why should they have a  _________ and I don't?"

If you notice, breaking the first commandment leads to breaking the next four. * If you don't follow "You shall have no other gods before Me," you will most likely have idols, use the Lord's name in vain, break the Sabbath, and dishonor your father and mother.  Similarly, breaking the tenth commandment leads to breaking the previous four. Murder is usually preceded by coveting what someone else has- you kill to get it. Adultery is always preceded by coveting what is not yours. Stealing is always preceded by coveting. Lying, many times, is preceded by coveting.

Following the first and tenth commandments by and large leads to following the other eight. It is time for the church to rid itself of the sin of coveting. It has become ingrained in our culture, in our churches, in our families, and in our lives. Today, replace any and all coveting with contentment. You can do all things through Him who gives you strength. Be content today. God is enough. Rest and relax in His amazing grace. Let Him be your satisfaction and let all the discontent, disquiet, anger, jealousy, and covetousness leave your life for good.  Have a blessed day.

*Exodus 20:3-17: The Ten Commandments.
1. “You shall have no other gods before me.

2. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

3.  “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

4.  “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

5. “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

6. “You shall not murder.

7. “You shall not commit adultery.

8. “You shall not steal.

9.  “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

10. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

The importance of Christian conversation in the home

I was a youth minister for nine years, and have continued to work with Christian teens since. I led a high school small group at my house for a year, as well as going on youth trips, retreats, and outings. One thing that I will tell you that I've noticed in many Christian teens: they are incapable of Christian conversation.

They are well-versed in Twitter and Snapchat. They can speak for hours on the Kardashians or whatever country music star is in the spotlight. They can speak for days on school, sports, or whatever topic suits them. Bring up the Bible? Bring up faith? Bring up Jesus? Blank stares.

This certainly isn't all teens, but the vast majority of them are this way. These are kids who have spent their entire lives in church. These are teens from Christian families. However, they are unable to have any kind of meaningful Christian conversation. Why is this?

There is one major factor in whether or not a Christian teen is able to have Christian conversation. One factor. It isn't the health of the youth group. It isn't the health of the church. It isn't anything like that.

It is the degree to which Christian conversation happens in their homes.

Teens who regularly hear Christian conversation from their parents are the ones who are able to speak about their faith outside the home. Teens who sit at the dinner table with mom and dad and hear thoughts on Jesus' words, opinions on faith matters, and reflections on life are the ones who are able to carry on Christian conversation with other teens and adults.

In my family, my children regularly hear Christian conversation, not just in my home, but in the homes of the grandparents as well.  Hardly a family gathering goes by that they don't hear the adults talking about church, talking about spiritual disciplines, talking about world events through a Christian lens, talking about issues and problems and everything else through the filter of Scripture. They regularly hear their grandparents reflect on how Scripture is to be lived out in life. They regularly hear Jesus' words spoken from one Christian to another.

How about your family? Do your children hear Christian conversation from you?

Believe me, they hear all kinds of conversation. That conversation shapes their beliefs, morals, values, views on church, views on Jesus, views on life, and everything in between.

Exposing our children to adult Christian conversation is probably the best way to teach the faith. Christianity is far more often caught than it is taught, and one hour of Sunday church a week is a poor substitute for Christian parents sitting around a table speaking about their faith journeys in front of their children, inviting them to participate and develop their worldview from a Christian perspective.

How often do you share your faith journey with your children?

How often do you comment on world events from a Christian perspective?

How often do your children hear about what you are reading in the Bible?

How often do you use car time, meal time, etc to communicate the truths of the faith to your children?

The inability of our Christian teenagers to have Christian conversation shows that not much of that is going on in Christian homes. Christian teenagers should readily be able to engage adults in matters of faith- speaking of experiences and participating in discussions of things more important than the recent celebrity crisis or the most recent sexual exploit of pop singers and divas.

Can your child engage in Christian conversation? Can you?

I think we make passing along our faith more difficult than it really is. We certainly need directed times of study and prayer. That much is certain. However, your children are much more likely to pick up their faith from you in casual conversation. Explain to them your decisions- why you made this or that decision according to your faith. Explain to them your faith journey- where you were ten years ago and how your beliefs have changed as a result of your growing faith. Explain to them, and invite their participation in, a teaching of Jesus that you struggle with. All of that builds faith in our families.

John Paton, a Scottish missionary, wrote this about his childhood growing up, "Our place of worship was the Reformed Presbyterian Church at Dumfries . . .  four miles from our home, but the tradition is that during all these forty years my father was only three times prevented from attending the worship of God.  Each of us, from very early years, considered it no penalty, but a great joy, to go with our father to church; the four miles were a treat to our young spirits, the company by the way was a fresh incitement . . .  A few other pious men and women, of the best evangelical type, went along with us. And when these God-fearing peasants gathered on the way to or from the House of God, we youngsters had sometimes rare glimpses of what Christian talk may be and ought to be. They went to church, full of beautiful expectancy of spirit- their souls were on the outlook for God, and they returned from church, ready and even anxious to exchange ideas as to what they had heard and received of the things of life."

People, that's as good as it gets right there. Children listening to the Christian conversations of adults around them. Learning from adults as the adults' conversations revolve around the things of God. That is how we disciple our children. Christianity is far more often caught than it is taught. Maybe we need to grab hold of this and make it happen in our homes.  The future of your children's faith will most likely depend on it.

Hungry

Every year, my family takes a vacation to Hilton Head, SC. I've been going there every summer since I was six years old. We stay at the same place, swim in the same pool, go to the same beach, eat at the same restaurants, etc.

One thing that we started doing about fifteen years ago was to go to church on Sunday morning while we are down there. I don't know how many of you go to church while on vacation, but we do. There are some great churches down there, and we always enjoy going.

The tradition after going to church is to eat brunch at Hilton Head Diner.

We always vacation at the height of the season and the place is always packed. Most of the time there is a wait, especially for a family of eleven people. Sometimes it is literally shoulder-to-shoulder while waiting. As we waited in line, packed in with people wanting to eat there, I began to ponder and reflect.

"How many of these folks took an hour out of their Sunday morning to worship God?" I mused. "I doubt that any of these people missed a meal while here on vacation. Why? Because they get hungry. I get hungry. When I'm hungry, I know exactly where to go. I know exactly what to do. That isn't something I've learned, it's just something that is natural."

I continued to think and ponder. "I don't want to go anywhere near a restaurant when I'm not hungry. It has no appeal to me whatsoever. However, when I'm hungry, all I can think about is food."

When I'm physically hungry, all I can think about is food.

When I'm spiritually hungry, all I can think about is God.

But who is spiritually hungry these days?

If you are physically hungry, you want to go to a restaurant. When you are spiritually hungry, you will want to go to a church. Do you describe yourself as spiritually hungry?

How many church members, this past Sunday, stayed home from worship? Not because you were traveling or out of town or sick, but simply just didn't show up? Any given Sunday, I would imagine that over half of church members don't attend the church they claim to be members of. Now, this probably boils down to one of two things:  one, the people have spiritual hunger and the church doesn't satisfy that hunger, or two, the people aren't spiritually hungry.

How about you?  Would you describe yourself as spiritually hungry?

Is there an animalistic drive to worship God within you? You know what hunger pangs feel like. Are there worship pangs within you that unsettle you, demanding to be satisfied, not settling for milquetoast religion and easy answers, but only reaching satiation when you encounter God, living and personal? Is there a hunger, a thirst, that makes your spiritual tongue stick to the roof of your mouth and makes you crave the living water offered by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

I think as a pastor my prayer for my church is simple:  "Lord, put a hunger for You within the people."

Hilton Head Diner didn't have to send out reminders for the people to eat. Hilton Head Diner didn't have to follow up with missing diners. Why? Because the internal hunger of the people drove them there. In the same way, churches shouldn't have to send out invitations to their members, reminding them of Sunday worship. The internal hunger for God that should be present within every Christian should drive them there. Christians should have a need, a tangible unsettlement, a burr under the saddle, a pebble in the shoe, a grain of sand within the eye that will not allow rest until worship has happened.

The problem is quite simply that many of us have lost our hunger for God. We have lost our hunger for worship, for fellowship, for intimacy with God. We have filled our spiritual stomachs with entertainment, money, and idolatry; dulling our appetite for heaven and squelching any and all thirst for an encounter with God.

After all, who wants a restaurant when your stomach is full?

In the same way, Christians who are spiritually full want nothing to do with God.  That's a scary statement, but one that, if we were honest with ourselves, probably describes many of us.

The challenge for the Christian is to constantly empty ourselves of things that fill us so that our animalistic hunger for God can surface once again. We read our physical cues very well- the growl of the stomach, the dryness of the lips, the increasing ill temper- but do we read our spiritual cues very well?

Here are the cues of spiritual hunger: lack of forgiveness, lack of patience, suspicion of others, gossip, slander, making mountains out of molehills, a critical spirit, lack of peace, a foul mouth, lustful eyes, and lack of joy. These happen in the absence of worship, in the absence of quiet time with God, in the absence of fellowship with other Christians. Many times, when these cues happen, we go to the internet, watch tv, get online, check our Twitter feed, or something else. In these moments, what we need is worship. Honest, knee-bending, heart-breaking, authentic worship.

Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? I would love to pastor a church filled with hungry people. I would love to pastor a church where people have an insatiable hunger for God. A church where sitting at home on a Sunday morning watching tv is not an option. Where every excuse is rendered meaningless, where complacency is dashed to pieces, where lukewarmness is obliterated, where the people have a thirst for God that exceeds anything we could ever ask or imagine.

Is that your church? Is that you? Is that your family?

If you have no hunger for God, look at what is filling your life. You were meant to hunger for God. You were meant to thirst for Him. You were meant for intimacy with God. Don't sell yourself short.

To all the Christians out there I say simply two words:  "Stay Hungry."

History shows us what's next for America

I missed the 60's.

I was born in 1974 in the time of the Watergate scandal and the resignation of Richard Nixon. The Vietnam War was coming to an end, Woodstock was a pipe dream rapidly fading into the rear view mirror, The Doors were gone, Janis Joplin was gone, Jimi Hendrix was gone; JFK and RFK were gone, MLK was gone, LSD and heroin were disappearing; protest music was being replaced by ballads and disco, tie-dye t-shirts were being replaced by tempered-back avocado and burnt orange themes, and the nation was moving in a different direction.

After all the activism of the 60's, America was tired. We were tired of the Vietnam War and all the protests and arguing and fighting here at home. We were tired of marches, tired of demonstrations, tired of, well, just about everything. The music and culture of the 70's showed this.

After the decade of the 70's when America figuratively sat down on the couch and chilled out after an exhausting decade sexual liberation, protest marches, experimental drugs, wars, and division, a new decade emerged- the 80's. The election of President Ronald Reagan ushered in something that no one sitting in a New York field the summer of 1969 listening to Hendrix playing the Star-Spangled Banner could ever have imagined: a decade characterized by a massive shift to the right politically and culturally. The 80's marked one of the most conservative decades in recent history, paralleled only by the 50's (which was led by the Greatest Generation- children of the Great Depression and World War II).

No one saw the 80's coming. Especially not in the middle of the protest marches of the 60's.

The last seven years in America has been a time like the 60's. The election of Barack Obama ushered in an unprecedented chapter of liberalism: optimism about government, dreams of a post-racial society, dreams of peace, dreams of a new society based on equality and fairness. It also ushered in a time of intense division and fighting. We have done nothing but fight each other for the past seven years- liberals vs conservatives, leftists vs right-wingers, states vs federal government, Supreme Court vs the people, 1-percenters vs the 99-percenters, Wall Street vs Main Street, police vs minorities, Christians vs atheists, Muslims vs the whole world, immigrants vs nationalists, gun owners vs gun grabbers, homosexual activists vs anti-gay marriage supporters, and the list goes on.

Social media is a battleground. Activists on all sides. Common ground is out- polarization is in. Compromise is scorned, winning at all cost is valued. Arguing, gutter sniping, character assassination, media trolls, and public shaming are at an all-time high. Gay marriage was legalized after a long drawn-out fight, but instead of ending the battle, it only intensified. Our leaders seem incapable of solving any problem- in fact, they probably are the cause behind all the division. All of this is simply exhausting.

The times we are living in right now resemble, to a large degree, the 1960's.

And this era is ending.

Just like in the 1960's, reality is invading. The flower children of the 1960's found out that evil couldn't be eradicated by getting stoned and driving VW buses. They found that chasing utopia by governmental means is like chasing a will-o-the-wisp, just always slightly out of reach. The same is true of this era of liberalism and "progressivism."

We are discovering that universal health care ISN'T free- in fact, it is very expensive. We are discovering that we can't borrow our way to prosperity. We are discovering that evil can't be legislated away. We are discovering, once again, that politicians lie. We are discovering that instead of freedom, the new liberalism has given us repression and fascism- speech codes and "micro-aggressions" on college campuses, suing of businesses for not toeing the politically correct line, scandals from our supposed governmental "saviors," a bitterly divided and angry populace, fracturing of the family, unsustainable governmental debt, crushing student loans and credit card debt, and lack of trust in just about every institution that is responsible for keeping America together (law enforcement, churches, families, marriage, etc).

America is getting weary. We can only fight so long before we exhaust ourselves. No one has unlimited energy, and no one has the stomach to keep fighting, fighting, fighting.

Small children in the sixties saw their parents get all worked up over everything. They saw their parents engaging in culture wars. They saw the marches and the anger and the activism.  They saw the results.  They didn't like them. And they completely checked out.

The same is true of us today. My children have grown up in the Obama era of liberalism and progressivism. They've seen the culture wars. They've seen people argue. They've seen the social media battles, especially on Facebook, and they've seen the hatred flying around. The result?  Anyone with teenagers now know that there are no young people on Facebook.

Why are the young people abandoning Facebook? The quick answer is that their parents are there, and therefore they don't want anything to do with it. I disagree.

I think they are off of Facebook because they are sick of the battles.

Teens flock to social media where you can't argue. They love Instagram and SnapChat. You can't argue there. You can't have character assassination and trolling and public shaming there. It's a different kind of connection- a place without battles. That's where the kids are. They are tired of the Twitter wars and Facebook battles and division.

I think we are about to see a period of rest, just like the 1970's. Activism is going to fade away- people just won't have the energy for it. If history has anything to say about it, we are about to see a new era of conservatism, maybe not socially, but definitely politically. Activists will be publicly shamed and shunned- they've burnt through their capital and will be increasingly seen as more annoying than anything else. This new era will be marked with cynicism and distrust of our institutions. That will continue. The new normal in America will be one of moodiness and gloom as the nation tries to process the changes that have occurred in the Obama administration years.

I anticipate that there won't be many large court cases for awhile. America will enter a time of settling down, pulling back, disengaging from fights and battles and arguments. After that, there will be a new era of conservatism that will be the exact opposite of the Obama years. This has already happened from 1960-1988. It will most likely happen again.

The younger generations typically do not follow the older ones. The children of the 60's flower children rebelled and voted for Reagan. The children of the Reagan era conservatives rebelled and voted for Obama. The children of the Obama activists and social media warriors will rebel and move the other way. I believe this is what is next for America.

The question is- how does the church navigate these changing waters? Simple- the gospel message is more relevant now than at any other time in American history. As the pipe dream of the governmental savior fades with disillusionment, the eternal hope of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ becomes even more attractive. The Church has been given an amazing opportunity to lead this nation. Right now, more than any other time in my life, Christianity stands in stark contrast to the culture. It is time to show this world the beauty of the Church- it's message of love, forgiveness, turning the other cheek, faithfulness, sexual fidelity, purity, honesty, and truth. It is time for the Church to step up in leaderless, disillusioned communities and be the voice of sanity and reason.

We've been given a great opportunity. Let's not waste it.

There's really only been one change in America in the last forty years

What in the world is happening to America?

I tell you the truth, this is what my face looks like half the time when I read the news or hear the latest story in the media:

I just don't get what's going on half the time.  There are millions of Americans who feel the same way, and it seems as if each of these news stories is unrelated: the advance of same-sex marriage, Bruce Jenner becoming a woman, the church declining in numbers, public schools failing, violence in the cities, anti-cop rhetoric, redefinition of families, etc.

However, all of these stories have one common theme, and it is the great unspoken change that has hit America in the last forty years. It is the foundation for all of what we see going on today, and it is the reason why older Americans don't understand what is happening to our country while younger generations see no problem.

What, pray tell, is this common theme? What is this great, grandiose shift in American culture causing all the mayhem and craziness that we see?

Here it is:  Instead of the individual adapting to the institution, now the institutions have to adapt to the individual.

In previous generations, individuals were called to adapt to the institution.  The institution was king, and society was based on individuals falling in line with what the institution said.  For example, if someone wanted to be married, he or she would marry someone of the opposite sex. The institution said, "Marriage is between a man and a woman, and if you want to be married, adapt to it." So, individuals adapted to the institution.  Nowadays, however, individuals are calling the institution to adapt to them.  "I'm gay, and I want to be married, so marriage must adapt to me," is the new cry in today's society.

In previous generations, it was assumed that the institution would provide bathrooms for men and women. Biological males went into one bathroom, biological females went into another. The individual adapted to the institution.  Now, the individual is calling for legislation to force the institution to adapt to him or her. "Whatever I decide I am, you must accommodate me," is the rallying cry from the gender-fluid crowd.

Or, for instance, take the institution of learning. In previous generations, children went to school and adapted to the rules laid down by the institution.  The school said, "You must study and work hard to achieve A's, and if you don't, you fail." So, children who wanted A's studied hard.  If they brought home F's, students were grounded, punished, and the assumption was- they didn't study. In other words, the individual adapted to the institution. Nowadays, however, if a student fails, parents storm the teacher's office, demanding that the teacher be fired, blaming the principal for not giving an "individualized learning plan" calling the school to adapt to the student to ensure the student's success.  Instead of looking at the school as the given, now the student is the given, and it is the school's job to adapt to the student.

We see this also in law enforcement. In previous generations, it was understood that if you broke the law, you got what you deserved. If you were foolish enough to resist arrest, whatever happened was your own fault. Now, however, people who break the law are the victims, and the arresting officers are the ones who are at fault. Now, I'm sure there are instances of police brutality and those officers need to be arrested and tried like any other criminals, but I think we can all agree that there is a wave of anti-police sentiment calling on the police force to adapt to the individual, instead of the individual adapting to the institution of law enforcement.

The church hasn't escaped this either. In previous generations, churches preached the gospel, and it was the job of the individual to submit his or her sin to the power of God. The person was called to be repentant, to be willing to change, to be willing to surrender his or her life in submission to God for the forgiveness of sins and the joy of eternal life. Biblical Christianity was based on the sovereignty of God, and the church was the bearer of that message.  Now, however, the institution of the church has to adapt to the people. Preachers can't mention hell, or sin, or change, because that offends people. The church must now have all kinds of great fun children's events, neat games and fun trips for youth, flashy smoke machines and intelligent lighting to create fantastic and entertaining Sunday morning experiences. Churches, instead of preaching repentance and change, now have to adapt to individual "felt needs" and deliver motivational lectures on achieving your "best life now" instead of revealing a humanity in rebellion towards God in need of redemption.  Instead of individuals adapting to the institution, now the institution must adapt to the individual.  And if that church is so woefully unready to do so, the churchgoer will happily leave that church and go to one down the street that will tell them what they want to hear.

Where does this all lead?  Nowhere good, I can tell you.

This is simply the fall of man, described in Genesis chapter 3 so well, on full display.

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve decide they know better than God. They decide to BE God, and therefore commit sin. This new phenomenon in American culture is simply that- the individual deciding that he or she is sovereign, that he or she is the given, and that everything and everyone must adapt to him or her.

I think that this trend is so entrenched in American culture that I don't see it changing.

The net result of this is that the institutions which propped up American society in previous generations will disappear. The church, the family, law enforcement, schools, or any kind of authority will become so compromised that they will not be able to do their jobs. We are already seeing this in education. Teachers can't teach anymore. They are too busy dealing with kids and parents who want the school to adapt to them. We will continue to see this in law enforcement, with increasing lawlessness as people, instead of respecting law enforcement and adapting to what it says, resist and demand that law enforcement let them do what they want.  We will continue to see this in the church, with less and less tolerance for Biblical teaching ("For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."- 2 Timothy 4:3). 

A society where the institutions are forced to adapt to the individual will not survive. A society with strong institutions- family, church, school, law enforcement, etc- will thrive. America became strong because her institutions were strong. America will become weaker as her institutions grow weaker. Christians, we have a duty to stand against this- we have a duty to strengthen our institutions through commitment to God.

Christians, we should be the first ones to keep our families together.

Christians, we should be the first ones to emphasize the importance of education and discipline in our schools, calling for respect for teachers, principals, and authorities in the classroom.

Christians, we should be the first ones to support law enforcement, calling for the punishment of bad cops but respecting and honoring the ones who keep us safe.

Christians, we should be the first to strengthen our churches by our attendance, financial support, and commitment to ministry. We should be the first to pray for our leaders, support our pastors, and actively engage in repentance and life change.

Christians, we should stand against the tide of culturally suicide that America is committing right now. Be aware of how you live in this day and age. True Christians will stand out like a sore thumb in this society, and we should be ready in each and every situation to speak of the grace and truth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Changing your church by guarding your Sunday mornings

I was talking with a friend of mine who is an elder in his church (in Christian church circles, an elder is a layperson who overseas the spiritual health of the church. It is different from a Methodist or Baptist understanding of an elder- for my Baptist friends, think deacon) and he described to me what his Sunday mornings were like:

"I get to church and within five minutes someone is complaining to me about a program that went wrong. I try to deal with that person, then within thirty seconds someone is asking me about a water bill being paid, then someone tells me what went wrong on the youth trip and how they are probably leaving the church because of it, then someone comes up to me with some pressing problem about a fundraising dinner in two weeks and how so-and-so is messing it up, and so on. I'm usually late to the service, fifteen minutes or so, and I'm in such a bad mood that I can't worship. I hate Sunday mornings."

How sad.

How many of us could say the same thing?  I can remember being at one church where we had an elder meeting every Sunday morning before church. I was requested to be there, and usually received a grilling about someone who didn't like the way youth group was going. I could completely relate to that elder. I hated Sunday mornings. I was always in a bad mood after those meetings, and in no way was I ready to worship God. The good news is- it doesn't have to be that way. As a matter of fact, I can't believe we've let it become that way.

Pastors and leaders, guard your Sunday mornings.

I challenge every one of you who is a pastor or leader to make a new policy. Write it in huge letters in the church bulletin, put it up on the screen, put it on the marquee outside:  "Sunday is for worship only."

Sunday is for worship only.

In my church, we tell people, "Unless the church is on fire or someone is getting murdered in the parking lot, it doesn't need to be dealt with today. Call me tomorrow."

In other words, we guard our Sunday mornings.

I have never seen anything brought to me on Sunday morning that can't be dealt with on Monday. The problem is simply that Sunday morning is when the church is together, and that's sometimes the only time people see their leaders. People have become accustomed to bringing every problem, issue, and concern to leaders on Sunday mornings.  While that may be the only time they see them, that turns Sunday morning into a gripe-fest filled with issues and problems instead of a worship service.

Church members, your pastors and leaders need to worship. Believe it or not, when you bring issues and concerns and problems to them on Sunday, it affects them. They are not able to focus on God, on worship, on being renewed in the Spirit. They are troubled, in a bad mood, distracted, and unable to focus on the primary purpose of Sunday morning.

Your churches are affected by it. Your leaders approach Sunday morning the way that you approach a "we need to meet immediately" summons from your boss at work. They approach Sunday mornings expecting to get an earful of every little thing that is wrong, every problem that needs immediate fixing, every little argument that has happened during the week. Believe me, it affects your church. Worship is merely an afterthought in many churches, because everyone is in a sour mood due to the drama.

Guard your Sunday mornings.  Pastors and leaders, announce this Sunday that from this point forward, unless someone is getting murdered in the parking lot or the church is on fire, no problems or concerns or issues will be dealt with on Sunday morning. Sunday will be for worship only. If there are problems, the church office is open Monday-Friday, and we will deal with them then.

Learn these words and repeat them often: "Sunday is for worship only."

Church members, do not bring issues and problems to your leaders on Sunday mornings. Most of the time, they are not pressing. There is nothing that you want to deal with on Sunday morning that can't be dealt with on Monday. I know it is convenient, because that is when you see them, but resist this urge. Let your leaders worship. Let them enjoy church. Let them connect with their Lord and Savior. Let them be part of the church for that hour.

You will see an new excitement invade your church as Sunday morning takes on a whole new life. People will be genuinely happy to be at church. You will see a new enthusiasm, a new breath of fresh air, a new life growing in your church. Your gatherings will be joyful, not sour. Do not allow your Sunday meetings to be affected by anything other than worship.

Pastors and leaders, by not dealing with issues on Sunday mornings, you allow yourself to focus completely on worship.  Church members, by not bringing issues and problems to leaders on Sunday mornings, you are more focused on the purpose of Sunday mornings.  Please, for the health of your church, guard your Sunday mornings.

Look at complaints, issues, concerns, and anything else as intruders bent on destroying the church. Pastors, battle these intruders. Do not let them in. Do not give them an ear. Constantly say, "Sunday is for worship only," when someone attempts to bring an issue to you. Guard your flock. Guard your Sunday morning. Like I said before, there is nothing that needs to be dealt with that day. Deal with it on Monday.

By guarding our Sunday mornings, we keep our focus on what Sunday morning truly is- a celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Guard it. Honor it. Protect it. Love it. Be watchful. Be consistent. Be firm. Sunday is for worship only.