A NEW AGE IS COMING, AND NOW
IS WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPERS SHALL LIVE AND PREACH "THE WAY" (JESUS' TEACHING,
WORKS AND COMMANDMENT: LOVE).
"For I
have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you."--JOHN
12:15 KJV
Today's beliefs, doctrines
and theologies are no longer sufficient, if they ever were sufficient. There
is a growing portion of the human race that is no longer interested in what
the world believes about God, Christ, religion or salvation after death, but
is interested in what can be done now to make life happy, more livable, more
significant, and worthwhile for all eternity. The sacred writings and teachings
of Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, and others, who addressed these ideals of
the human race, not only illustrate what human conduct should be, they reveal
in their subtle way through parables and allegories how to do the thing that
should be done. Man's belief has always been better than his acts. What he believes
as opposed to what he does has been a problem throughout the ages.
Man has found that
there is much more in a kernel of corn or a peanut than his grandfather knew
of or was able to bring forth. Man created nothing. The potential in the corn
and peanut was always there and he only brought another potentiality to life
and usefulness. The sacred writings of the Bible and other holy books and spiritual
treasures of the past should be preserved and used, but they should
be used as seed--cast into the ground so that there will be fresh products
every season. Each generation must produce its own spiritual literature
and treasures the same way it raises food and makes its own garments.
MATTHEW
9:16-17 (NRSV)
"And
no one put a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears
away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into
old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins
are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins and so both are preserved."
Could it be for lack
of knowledge and understanding of God's Word (his message, the Bible, etc.)
that mankind is experiencing so much crime, greed, hatred, fear and destruction;
that there is so much abuse (sexual, mental, drug, and welfare abuse) in the
world; that mankind is experiencing so many problems with family and parenting;
and that there is so much suffering, sickness, and disease?
HOSEA
4:1-2 (NRSV)
"Hear
the word of the Lord, O People of Israel; for the Lord has a controversy with
the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or kindness, and no knowledge
of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing
adultery, they break all bounds and murder follows murder. [There is violence
everywhere, with one murder after another]."
HOSEA
4: 3-5 (LB)
"That
is why your land is not producing; it is filled with sadness, and all living
things grow sick and die; the animals, the birds, and even the fish begin to
disappear. Don't point your finger at someone else and try to pass the
blame to him! Look, priest [religions], I am pointing my finger
at you. As a sentence for your crimes, you priests [religions] will
stumble in broad daylight as well as in the night, and so will your false prophets
too; and I will destroy your mother, Israel."
HOSEA
4:6 (NRSV)
"My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the Law
of your God, I also will forget your children."
HOSEA
4:7-12 (LB)
"The
more my people are multiplied, the more they sinned against me. They
exchange the glory of God for the disgrace of idols. The priests [religions]
rejoice in the sin of the people; they lap it up and lick their lips for more!
And thus it is: Like priests, like people: because the priests [religions]
are wicked, the people are too. Therefore, I will punish both priests and people
for all their wicked deeds. They will eat and still be hungry.
Though they do a big business, they shall have no children, for they have deserted
me and turned to other gods. Wine, women, and song have robbed my people of
their brains. For they are asking a piece of wood to tell them what to do. Divine
truth comes to them through tea leaves! Longing after idols has made them foolish.
For they have played harlot, serving other gods, deserting me... Don't point
your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame to him! Because the priests
[religions] are wicked, the people are too."
Religions and
parenting are indeed the reasons there is no truth, no mercy, no love, no faithfulness
or kindness in the land. Religions and parenting are indeed the reasons for
a lack of knowledge and understanding of God's word (his message, the
Bible, etc). Religions and parenting are indeed the reasons mankind is experiencing
violence, crime, hated, greed, fear, destruction, abuse, suffering, sickness,
and disease. "Don't point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame
to him."
WHAT
IS WRONG WITH THE YOUTH TODAY?
You are probably aware
of the rise in teenage suicide, pregnancy, abortion, crime and the general state
of disrespect for parents, teachers and other forms of authority in the lives
of youth today. Why do they seem so angry and uncooperative? Why do they seem
so preoccupied with material things? The children today seem so immature, so
savage, so Godless. What is wrong with young people? The answer is "nothing";
nothing is wrong with the young people of today. ("Don't point your finger at
someone else and try to pass the blame to him.") Religions and parenting and
society as a whole are the reasons that young people are the way they are. Like
youth of other times, they are only living out what they have been taught and
what they have witnessed. Their parents and their parents' parents, who have
rebelled against their roots and traditional upbringing (and who felt that they
should not have to go to church all day), today attend church occasionally,
if at all. Parents do not take their children to Sunday School. Parents have
taught children that the church, God's servants, God's will and God's Spirit
are not as important as money, power and him/her self. By their living, they
have shown disrespect, lack of love and rebellion to their Heavenly Father.
GALATIANS
6: 7-8 (NRSV)
"Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows,
that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from
the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the spirit will from the spirit
reap eternal life."
The religions, parents,
churches, etc., have failed to give to the children the Bible, etc., and the
motivation to pray, meditate and live obediently before God. Too many churches
are tied down in theories, traditions and the nearsighted egotistic views of
the adults in charge. They do not teach true knowledge or give the right example
to the youth. Some churches lack real activities and resources aimed
at including and developing youth for God on a consistent, substantive basis.
The religions, churches, parents, and society have lost confidence in God and
adopted the methods of the marketplace, becoming possessed by degrees,
titles and material items they sought possession of. They began to
live by what could be seen and experienced, discarded "one's divinity" and refused
to be moved by faith, let alone walk by it. If young people are not close to
God in their tender years, the religions and parents are to blame. ("Don't point
your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame to him.")
People should
understand that the child that they think and call "their child" is not their
child, but "God's child", given to man and to woman to raise to have faithfulness,
kindness, truthfulness and knowledge of God in the land.
God created man, male
and female as a seed to be transformed into his own image and likeness. The
tree cannot exist without the seed. The tree is hidden in the seed. But when
the tree is born, the seed disappears. Man is a seed, and God is the tree fully
in bloom and fruitful. God did not create the male to be superior
or inferior to the female, nor the female to be superior or inferior to the
male. He created male and female to be equal (one). God gave to man (male and
female) a helper (gift, talent, his/her natural skill, etc.) So that they would
have something to share in a relationship to help each other to grow to be in
His image and likeness. God consecrated man and appointed man (male and female)
to raise His children to have knowledge of Him. Man must teach the children
of God by word and example to love one another.
1 JOHN
4:7-8 (NRSV)
"Beloved,
let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God
and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love."