What have we lost?

     I was recently introduced to the name Jonathan Cahn, and his book "The Harbinger."  My dad showed me an interview that Dr. James Dobson had done with Mr. Cahn, in which they talked about the book and Mr. Cahn's own experiences.  The book is based on Mr. Cahn's journey as he unfolded the mystery of the nine ancient harbingers (warnings), and how they are crucial to understanding life today in America.  
     The topic is truly astounding.  Mr. Cahn's experiences feel like they should be some wild tale conjured in someone's imaginings.  But it's fact.  The events and experiences were real.  I encourage everyone to look into the book and Mr. Cahn for themselves.
     "The Harbinger" is a fictional rendering of Mr. Cahn's experiences, in which he explains what the nine harbingers looked like for ancient Israel, and how we have started to see them unfold in America today.  To me, the topic is both intriguing and astonishing.  But it also brought a disturbing question to my mind: What have we lost?
     Here's where this is coming from: the ancient Hebrews and Israelites were God's people.  He communicated with them, made His covenants with them, showed them who He is.  How much of their culture do we have left?  How much do we know?
     That then led me to ponder this: Satan and his evil forces have always tried to undermine and corrupt God's people and His plans.  And while he has never been fully successful, for how much can he actually claim victory?  He came close with Hitler to eradicating the Jews.  How many of their people, how much of their knowledge and culture did we lose from just that time in history alone?
     Christians have distanced themselves from Jews since the time of Christ, because of their rejection of the Messiah.  But in that distancing, we've also abandoned a lot of the knowledge that the Jews had--the knowledge given to them by God.  
     Can Satan claim victory over our ignorance?  Knowledge is the key to power, and ignorance so often leads to destruction.  We see that every day, in ways both large and small.  How far have we let Satan pull us into the darkness of our ignorance?  How much success have we allowed him to take?  How blind, deaf, and dumb have we become, allowed him to make us, that we don't even know to recognize the signs and fingerprints of our Lord?
    We need to become properly equipped to fight the devil and his schemes once again.  We need to learn that which has been lost to us, before it is gone forever, swallowed up in another of Satan's victories.  We need to be able to see and hear God in our daily lives, and we also need to see what God is doing in the world as a whole.  A major part of that is knowing what He's already told us, so that we are prepared to fight with Him, rather than succumb to the devil's wiles.  

Are you kidding me?

     I've been seeing this picture come up every now and then on my news feed, and it really bothers me.  Here's an example of a typical argument to support its posting, and rather than rant on Facebook as just another commentator, I'd like to take some time to discuss my reaction to this trend.
     First of all, the picture is usually posted by someone whom one would think not ordinarily posts that sort of thing.  In my circles, it's usually a Christian, a fellow brother or sister in Christ.  My first question is typically "how can you 'fully support' that in good consciousness?"  In its shortest and simplest form, my reaction is the same as the commentator in blue.  I don't always get to see an answer to my question, but this time I do, thanks to the purple commentator, who posted the picture.
     In her first sentence, I see her using our American culture as a lens through which she should interpret the Bible.  She acknowledges that the Bible says homosexuality is a sin, but maintains that since we look away from other sins in our culture, we should also look away from this as well.  Excuse me?  Where is that in the Bible?  When has God ever said 'let the world be your guide?'  We, as Christ followers, are to be the salt and light in the world, to reflect the Son.  We cannot show Christ in us if all we do is show how well we can conform to the world around us, the world full of sinful desires.  
     Unfortunately, our culture thinks very little about divorce and premarital sex and so many other sins.  We far too often accept them as 'just the way things are.'  Does that mean we should let it go, that we should quit taking a stand against what's wrong?  Absolutely not!  "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may prove what is the will of God, that which is good and acceptable and perfect" (Rom. 12:2).  How can we support the sinful actions of someone when we know better?  Why must we allow sin to be so easy, so accepted, so uncontested?  I would love to see the divorce process become something so much of a hassle that no one would ever want to get one.  I'd love for condoms to be sold only after proof of marriage was given.  Would that solve the problem?  Heck no.  Not by a long shot.  But it would help serve as a reminder that 'Oh yeah... this thing isn't good.  In fact, it's wrong.'  
     Purple Commentator also brought up two other points.  She mentioned that in her experience "throwing the Bible at them and condemning them doesn't work.  It only hurts them."  If you're throwing the Bible at them and condemning them, then I really don't think you're showing them the love of God.  How one presents the Word of God makes all the difference in so many cases.  Also, I'd like to reiterate that there is a distinction to be made between condemning the person and condemning their actions.  Yes, condemn the actions!  Every time!  Actions have consequences, and God's judgement is very real.  But show love to the person, because God made them and loves them.  He and His Word are not what hurts them.  It is their actions and their response to what He says that hurts them.  Just like that is what hurts us in our various sins.  
    The last point she made was that "We will all be judged by God, so don't judge others."  With this, I fully concur.  However, it is our job to call out our brothers and sisters who are stumbling.  In this way, we can help them get back to where they need to be.  As I have stated before, we should be reflecting Christ in our lives, so that our lives may be our biggest witness for the Lord.  But if it is not a fellow Christian sinning, then we have a ministry opportunity before us.  We can show them that there is a better way, the only way, the way that leads to true and eternal happiness and joy.  
     Jesus, being fully man and fully God, was fully aware of all the sin that was happening around him while he was on Earth.  But he didn't condone it.  He didn't support it.  He didn't condemn the sinner.  Think back to the adulteress whom the Pharisees brought before him.  She had sinned, and by law, should have been stoned.  But Jesus said to them "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."  When they had all left, he said to the woman, "Did no one condemn you?"  She answered, "No one, Lord."  He replied, "I do not condemn you either.  Go.  From now on sin no more" (John 8:1-11).  
     How can we, as Christians, support sin in our lives and in the lives of those around us?  Go, and sin no more.