Thoroughly Post-Modern Millie
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The former president of the United States,
Bill Clinton, lied to the American
people about his involvement with a young intern while in the White House.
The American people knew that he lied, the courts knew that he lied and the
government knew that he lied.
Yet, even though everyone knew that Bill Clinton lied about this despicable
act with a girl, young enough to be his daughter, no one has held him
accountable for this act.
In fact, many people today still regard Mr. Clinton highly and say that he
did nothing more or worse than any other president before him, and that it's
no big deal to lie about such things.
They say that many, if not most men routinely lie about their exploits when
questioned and it's to be expected. So, the reasoning goes, if it's to be
expected then it's got to be OK, after all, who are we to judge anyone else?
There's a group of men who believe that it is just fine for adult men to have
intimate relations with much younger boys, in fact children, and that by
doing so it is a good experience for the young boys.
This group of men are very active in pushing their agenda onto the American
people so that, at some point down the road, it will become a normal event
and will no longer be considered wrong or sinful.
The whole homosexual agenda has been moved into the mainstream of American
culture so that "straight" people are considered "homophobic" if they
express
concern or disapproval over this type of wrong behavior.
The church itself has been under fire for some time to become more open and
accepting of this lifestyle and others like it, and some Christian churches
have opened their doors to active homosexuals and even ordained some into the
ministry.
We ask ourselves, "How can this be?" and no one seems to be able to answer.
Such a simple question, but is the answer as simple? To begin, we must
acknowledge a reason for this shift away from a morality based culture, which
received it's morality from a higher source, to a culture that sees no
intrinsic rules as to what is "right" or what is "wrong".
Over the last 100 years, our culture, indeed most of the world, went from a
simple agrarian life to the industrial age. Many things began to happen when
we became a modern society, including the increase of personal wealth.
Materialism by itself is not bad, but when it is sought more earnestly than
anything else, it can become a dangerous thing. We saw two major world wars
and several other wars around the world that caused much suffering and
destruction.
One of the things that the modern age brought us was the notion that
everything could be "fixed". If you didn't like something, it could be
fixed
or changed into something you would like.
Farmers saw meager crops increase ten fold or more. One farmer could produce
enough food to feed not only his own family, but with modern technics, he
could now feed 100's or 1,000's beside.
Over and over we saw the modern society being improved by science and
technology so that the average family was able to live the life that only
royalty live a few years prior. One of the hallmarks of the modern world was
that it sought truth in everything. Science sought it, educators sought it
and even social government sought it.
The truth was the best avenue to discover new and better methods of doing
everything we needed to be done. If you could discover the truth in any
area, you would be able to make it better.
In the spiritual arena, the truth was acknowledged in the words of the Bible,
and people listened to the word of God and kept that word as something that
would bring them into a closer relationship with God.
But with prosperity grew materialism. Soon people were seeking answers to
questions that science couldn't give them and even the church seemed unable
to hold it's members as they sought answers to what their lives really meant.
Enter the Post-Modern era. This is the time that we now live in and have
been experiencing for some time now.
In our post-modern world, truth is no longer sought because many believe that
there is no such thing as real truth. What may be true for you is not
necessarily truth for me, it all depends upon our own interpretation of the
events.
Some might see that allowing Doctors to kill their terminal patients as a
loving and humane thing to do, while others may disagree, but neither is
necessarily right or wrong, it just a different view point.
Post-modernism believes in autonomy. In this way each person is free to
define the world in whatever way they wish it to be. Other definitions might
be interesting, but none are authoritative. In this culture each person
believes and acts as he or she wants.
Going back to the example of Bill Clinton, do you remember the statement he
made while being questioned about his conduct? He was asked a simple
question about his intimate relationship with the intern and he replied that
it would depend upon what the meaning of "is" is.
Only a true post-modern person could really say and believe that statement,
but this is where our culture is today. We are not headed that way, we are
there, now...
Post-modernism eliminates logical discussion or true logic. When you are
post-modern there is no longer any need to really think things through or any
need to be concerned about how your actions might affect someone else.
When you are autonomous you need only be concerned about yourself.
Have you noticed the marked increase in vile crimes, especially against
children? When our society believes that there is no real truth and that we
make our own truth, why should we be surprised when little children are
snatched from their front yards so that one man can gratify an evil desire?
In the post modern world we live in today, no one thinks anyone else should
be able to say that what they do is right or wrong. Period.
>From the President on down. Everyone wants society to leave them be and let
them live the way they desire, no matter who likes it or not. And don't
bring all this moral stuff into it because that's just your view point and
they don't have to agree or even listen to it.
So what do we make of the "Thoroughly Post-Modern Millie"? How should we
act
and react with those who have been sucked into this post-modern world?
Plainly, as Christians we should not, and can not allow ourselves to be
sucked into this self serving and selfish way of living, because that's not
what God has called us to do.
John 15:18-19
Even 2000 years ago Jesus warned His followers that they would be hated if
they followed Him. The world likes followers, people who like to live by the
current trend, and the baser the better. But that's not what God has called
you and me into.
Instead, He has called us out of this world. We are not to be post-modern
any more than we are to be pagan in our personal lifestyle. No real
Christian would ever agree to living such a lifestyle, but we sometimes do.
We can get so caught up in the way everyone around us are living, including
our own families, that we end up thinking like a post-modern person without
even really realizing it.
We find ourselves saying that we are not able to judge the actions of
another, even when we know what was done was evil and totally wrong. The
world around us has clouded our vision so completely that even the truth is
sometimes hard to see and understand. It needn't be that way.
Do you know the truth? Have you allowed the culture around you to cloud your
vision so that even the most common things are not exactly clear to your
understanding anymore?
John 14:6-7
Jesus said that He is the truth. And He said that it is only through Him
that we can come to the father, something which just infuriates the world
today, just as it did 2,000 years ago.
We hear much about other religions and how each one is good in one way or
another, but no such balance or praise is ever heard for Christianity. Jesus
said that we would be hated for being a follower and He was right.
But it's not just those outside the church who keep the issues confused and
even blurred to the point of accepting sin as normal.
I have heard professing Christians say such things as:
"It's not so bad if a couple live together before they get married, most
everybody does it any way." I Cor. 6:18-20 or
"I'm not going to claim that on my taxes, the government already gets too
much of my money anyway." Matthew 22:15-22 or
"I think abortion is acceptable if the mother was raped or if it can be
proven that the child would be born with a serious birth defect." Luke
9:46-48
Christ sees the little children as a special gift from God, because they are.
Each and every one has the same potential as you and me, eternal life in the
kingdom of God, free from fear & worry & pain & suffering. Who are we to
decide who should live or die?
We cannot afford to allow the sick culture around us to cloud our senses and
confuse our reasoning by making us doubt our reaction to evil or base things.
Satan has made a very good smoke screen in our society that we refer to as
"Politically Correct".
If something is not "politically correct", we could very well be reprimanded
or even sued in some cases. But remember this, when something is not
"politically correct", that usually means that is has to do with a moral
issue.
If you speak out against abortion, that's a moral issue.
If you speak out against homosexuality, that's a moral issue.
If you speak out against drugs, sex outside of marriage, alcoholism, gambling
or any number of issues that people want untouched, those are moral issues.
It is the issue of morality that drives the post-modern person up a wall.
Morality causes guilt and guilt says that their personal lifestyle is being
questioned. That can't be allowed to happen!
This issue of self governing is just as dangerous for Christians as it is for
non-Christians. We are just as vulnerable as anyone else when it comes to
doing what we desire to do, maybe even more so.
As Christians, we are all expected to stand firm on these moral issues
because it was the God that we serve who laid them out in the stone tablets
handed down to Moses- the ten commandments.
These 10 commands were the basis or our culture for hundreds of years, but
that might be coming to an end if something is not done to stop it.
The governments not going to stop it because it is being run and controlled
by people, men & women who have embraced this post-modernism with all their
might.
The schools are not going to stop it because they are busy teaching
individualism instead of good citizenship- a concept that says that others
are just as important as you and that it's a good thing if you are willing to
risk yourself for another in need.
The churches are not going to stop it, even if they wanted to, because we
can't force people to live life the way we know they should. They have to
want to. There needs to be a desire to live life according to God's moral
direction and not Satans.
So who is going to "fix" this problem of post-modernism? Only those who
truly desire to know the truth and to allow that truth to set them free to
become the beacon of light that shines it's light on a sick and dying
generation, lighting the way to true peace and happiness that only Jesus
Christ can provide.
Brethren, it's up to you and me. We have been given the Great Commission to
send this word forth into all the word. We know that there is absolute truth
and that God has set absolute moral standards, and if we know that is true
then brethren, we NEED TO LIVE LIKE IT'S TRUE!
We can't allow ourselves to get caught up in the ways of this world if we are
to light the way out for others. The truth cannot be found in the consensus
of our friends, but instead only in the word of God.
As Christians, we have the advantage of knowing that God is preparing a
better place for His children. We know that this world is only temporary and
as such, is fading away.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let's resolve today to live according to
God's will and not our own. Let's not allow ourselves to fall into the trap
set by Satan which can keep us from being active, fruitful members of the
Body of Christ.
And lastly brethren, let's truly believe that we can trust in God and that
His word is faithful.
John 14:1-4
Christ has asked that we trust in God and in Himself. Let's live our lives
as though we really believe His words!
Pray