Tag: Conscience

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Cultural Emulation

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.” Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In Paul’s letter to the churches in Ephesus, he writes this very strong exhortation to not imitate the Gentiles, the heathens. It’s not that they were godless, Ephesus had plenty of gods. It’s that their gods were all after the same thing – deceiving and leading them away from the one true God. Their gods were their appetites, their lusts, and their self-determined will. Paul says, “Don’t walk (peripateó) where they walk, in the futility (mataiotés), the empty, vain, depravity of their mind.”

Then Paul tells us why! Why we shouldn’t be behaving like the “ethnos” of the culture. Because it is a darkening (skotoó), a blinding of the mind. It is an alienation (apallotrioó), an estrangement from God. Meaning it’s an alignment with the gods in rebellion against God. This is caused by an ignorance (agnoia), a moral unawareness of who God is and what He wants for us. This ignorance, this lack of truth is not because God is hiding from us, or avoiding us. It is because God gives us the freedom to choose what we want, when we want it. He allows us to follow our own heart, even when it leads away from Him and His will!

In Ephesus, the religious fervor surrounding Artemis was deeply serious to the average citizen. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and Ephesus functioned as a pilgrimage economy; her cult drove tourism, temple offerings, souvenir sales (those silver shrines), banking, and civic prestige. Being “Artemis’s city” was Ephesus’s brand, their entire reputation. Open A.I. says, “idolatry that’s economically load-bearing, means the “god” and the GDP are the same system.” There was something much deeper and darker going on in Ephesus – Paul understood this. Do we see how relevant that is today, in our culture?

We have a powerful, highly influential media machine, driving a “futility of depravity.” Not just because it is destructive to social and civil structures throughout history, but it is clearly an advocate of giving oneself over to “aselgeia”: Licentiousness, debauchery, sensuality, and lewdness. “Follow wherever your heart leads,” and chant the mantra of your own personal truth. Paul says that the “Gentiles” became “apalgeó,” They became apathetic and callous in their conscience – even to the point of “kautériazó” searing or cauterizing their moral compass (Paul tells Timothy).

This is our current culture. And instead of being ashamed of it, or fearing what we’ve become, it is celebrated as the epitome of human experience. Believing that one is highly educated, advanced and informed in believing these lies is literally living in the upside down world and calling it beautiful!

Get this: Bishop Timothy at 80 years old was martyred by a mob of pagan worshipers after he protested against the worship of the goddess Diana during a festival parade. He was reportedly beaten to death for his efforts to stop the procession honoring the goddess. The crowd beat and killed an 80 year old man justifying their actions to obey a false god.

Isaiah predicted this for the end of days in Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” The Bible identifies Satan as the personification of evil, a deceiver and adversary who opposes God’s purposes. Jesus describes him as “a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

Prayer

​Dad,
I look around at our culture today and I see examples of what Isaiah and Paul wrote about thousands of years ago. Yet, even as I see the moral reversal of all things good becoming all things willfully wicked, I also see a need for your grace and mercy when people’s eyes are open and they see that they’ve been deceived and lied to. And in that moment, I believe they will see you and see their need for you. The one true God that is always just, true, right and equally merciful, kind and forgiving.

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Wisdom in the hood.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent! Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death. Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take. Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭1‬:‭10‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This scene played out in Proverbs feels way too calm and cavalier – like a dark comedy. It starts so charmingly simple… my child if sinners entice you. Wow! Really? This “enticement” is a gang of thugs planning to jump, murder and rob some innocent passer-by. There’s a even a New Testament version in the gospels on the treacherous and crime-filled road from Jerusalem to Jericho – “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.” Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬. Holy moly, did they have ancient gangs in Israel? Proverbs has this sounding like a bunch of J-Higher’s just out looking for trouble, but it’s so mercurially creepy – “hey let’s hide and kill someone just for fun today!” Was that world so cold and calloused? Yep. Is ours pretty much the same today? Yep. How’s that possible? Well, the human heart hasn’t changed much.

Is this how a young man or woman gets jumped into a gang by a simple invitation to play murder? Sadly, yes. Acceptance is huge when you feel abandoned. Have they no conscience, no sense of right and wrong, no feelings for others? Obviously not compared to belonging to something bigger and stronger than themselves. The gang IS family – warped and twisted, but they are together and the “child” would be seen and known.

Do you feel how ridiculous this all sounds? Does it leave you asking the question, “why is this in the Bible and treated so normal, so tolerated? Great! Then you understand this Proverb perfectly.

Without wisdom, discipline or a FATHER figure this is what we get. We get child-thugs without a moral compass or conscience! Get Godly wisdom, give Godly wisdom saving yourself, your kids and our nation.

Prayer

Dad,
It breaks my heart to see evil perpetrating on innocence so young. Yet I know from experience, if there are no responsible adults, no framework or boundaries to guide a child, they become victims of the thug mentality. Like feral cats or packs of coyotes they just romp and roam our neighborhoods looking for trouble “just for fun.” Help us God! Help us as bio parents, foster and adoptive parents and grandparents to do better to raise Godly children. Help us get wisdom and teach wisdom to the next generation.

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The Haunting of Herod

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead. “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him.” Luke‬ ‭9:7-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​The haunting of righteousness and justice! Herod, fraught with guilt has three visitors in his head. The great Herod has lost his mind with too much power, money, drink and sex. He’s going mad! Rumors were floating around the city at the office cooler, the markets, the coffee shops. News travels up to power much faster than it travels down. He’s alive!?!

Herod gets himself written into the gospel story as character who’s sin has caught up to him. And as a good journalist, Luke records what Herod “reportedly” said, but, but, but… “I beheaded John!” And with a shaky voice, like out of some old Don Knott’s movie, he says, “so who is this man?” Cue creepy music here. Yes, like the ghosts of Christmas past, Herod hears that it could be Elijah coming back to judge him, or John himself, back from the dead to take his revenge. This man Jesus had been busy in Galilee, gathering disciples, healing the sick, kicking out demons. This Jesus seemed to be even more powerful than either of the prophets, old and new. It was like he was a combination of all the former spokespersons for God!

Jesus, son of man, son of God, had certainly stirred up the crowd. Luke suggests that the stories just kept coming in creating a sense of guilt and curiosity in Herod. Luke writes, “he kept trying to see him.” Jesus referred to Herod as that “fox,” probably suggesting that he was a rather weak, ineffective leader but very crafty.

Oh, eventually Herod would meet Jesus at a trial. Herod was so intrigued by Jesus calm, humble demeanor. He wanted to see Jesus flex some that power he’d heard about, that prophetic fiery voice that he had witnessed in John. He even wanted Jesus to perform some miracles at the trial for his life. Jesus said nothing. Herod “reportedly” died horribly, with gangrene that made him stink. It was said that he was eaten by worms!

Prayer

Dad,
I can’t say that I mind at all that Herod felt haunted. I don’t know where he ended up in eternity, that’s not my call. But I am glad that he seemed to experienced a poor ending to a life lived rather selfishly. I’m especially intrigued that you had Luke actually write about him AND that Herod is even a character that interacted with Jesus! What a moment. Herod thought he was SO MUCH in charge and was puzzled about Jesus not trying to get out of false charges and correct wild fake news. Most megalomaniacs think they are on top of things when in actuality they’re the least self-aware folks on the planet.