Let’s face it. Our society is ingrained with the Santa Claus mentality. Give me. Give me. Give me. It’s all about “me” and what I want.
“Oh! I got a splinter in my little hand. Maybe I could sue the US Forestry Service for having trees with splinters.” Did I mention we are also “whiners?”
We are spoiled, self-centered brats if every little thing doesn’t go our way. We’re like spoiled children throwing a hissy fit on the floor.
We have more things and more opportunities in this country than any nation of people that has ever existed, but we are never happy. We always want more.
Bible scholars like to use words like humanism, materialism and hedonism. I have used them myself. What do they mean?
Humanism means basically “love of self.”
Materialism means basically “love of money (or things).”
Hedonism means basically “love of pleasure.”
We in American are all these things. The Holy Spirit must have had us in mind when He had the apostle Paul write these words.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:1-7)
- Lovers of themselves
- Lovers of money
- Boastful
- Proud
- Abusive
- Disobedient to their parents
- Ungrateful
- Unholy
- Without love
- Unforgiving
- Slanderous
- Without self-control
- Brutal
- Not lovers of the good
- Treacherous
- Rash
- Conceited
- Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
- Having a form of godliness but denying its power
- False prophets
- Full of sins
- Swayed by many evil desires
- Always learning but never coming to the truth
Paul described 23 descriptions of a self-righteous, corrupted people, and every single last one of them is deadly accurate of 21st century Americans.
The worse thing parents can do to their children is to spoil them. They become out-of-control brats with no feelings for anyone but themselves. They think everyone else owes them a living and obviously, no one is as important as they think they are. Those children are now grown and living among us. We may be one of them.
In the last few months we have had one major hurricane hit Texas, another hit the Caribbean and Florida and now another has decimated the Caribbean again, especially Puerto Rico. Mexico has suffered two major earthquakes during the same time. Many lives have been lost and much property destroyed.
Every time a major catastrophe happens most everyone is heard saying, “Our prayers are with them.” How many really mean that? There is no doubt in my mind that many who love the Lord Jesus have prayed for these dear folks that have suffered these tragedies, and their prayers have been heard. Many are also actively helping in any way they can, but how often is that phrase meaningless because it is used only as a cliché? If it isn’t a cliché by most, are “our prayers with them” when there is no tragedy? It appears to me that most tend to call upon God only when it is to their convenience.
God doesn’t live in the North Pole. He is in Heaven. He is not old Saint Nick. He is God Almighty. He doesn’t ride in on a sleigh pulled by reindeer offering gifts wrapped tightly in a bow. He has offered one gift to the world, the most precious gift that has or ever will be offered, the gift of eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ. This is the most expensive gift ever given. This gift cost His Son His own blood and brought down the Father’s judgment on Him. He took all of our sins upon Himself paying the penalty for them in full. Most of us however, have rejected that gift, but expect Him to come at our beck and call and grant us anything we ask.
We cannot, individually and collectively, live in sin and expect God to bless us. I refer again to the above Scripture verses in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. We so perfectly match every word Paul said in these verses it’s scary. Friends, if we can read these verses and not see the striking relationship to our own spiritual condition in this country, we just aren’t paying attention.
God’s Word tells us:
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8)
I have stated before and will repeat again that I believe there is no longer any hope left for America to avoid God’s judgment. Here’s the problem. All that affects us as a nation affects us individually. However, the difference between American Christians and those for example in the Middle East is this; they are used to hard times. We are not. We are soft.
It would be like two young boys joining the Marines. One faced many hard knocks while growing up and became tough as shoe leather. The other was babied and pampered by his mommy. Now who do you think will survive?
The pampered youngster is an accurate picture of Americans in general. If the Lord delays His coming and judgment falls upon us beforehand, there will be many anxious prayers going up toward Heaven wanting their stockings refilled, but it will be too late. The best years of this country are gone. We might as well face that, but here’s another important truth. If Jesus Christ resides within us, it doesn’t matter what is going on around us. Those who know Him will understand. Those who do not know Him will think I’m being very foolish.
I would love to see our country return to its grass roots of being a Christian nation once again. Can that happen though when we think more of our things than we do Him; when we put self before Him; when we won’t relinquish our sins; when we only give lip-service; when we treat God like a Santa Claus, fairy godmother or magic lantern? No, and apparently, we are not going to change.
Grant Phillips
Email: grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html