Diagnosis - America (Part 1)

Pastor Jackson Senyonga visited Adventure Christian Church here in Roseville the weekend of April 10th. He’s been all over the country with a vital message to America. He struck several chords within me as far as what ails this country. ACC’s Senior Pastor Rick Stedman, confessed he had been rather pessimistic (as had I) about America’s future until he heard about what was going on in the nation of Uganda and Senyonga’s church and various missions over there. All hope is not lost. If there was ever a place that earned the right to lose hope, that place is Uganda. Uganda was devastated first by the butcher dictator Idi Amin and his gang of thugs, and then by AIDS. The United Nations (hold the commentary!!) warned that Uganda as a nation was in danger of complete collapse a few years ago. Senyonga spoke of those dark days for his nation. Just over a year ago, the fetching Mrs. Guano (not her real name) and I decided to sponsor a Ugandan “Hope Child” through Worldvision . A Hope Child is one who has been orphaned by AIDS. Through our paltry $30/month, this child is housed and fed, is getting an education, is (gasp!) taught about salvation through Jesus Christ. Anyway, a revival of sorts has lifted this once destitute nation up from destruction. It isn’t paradise for sure, but it’s come a long way from the hell on Earth it was.

Senyonga then comes to America with an outsider’s eyes. An outsider who has seen and lived the Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad warned of. He’s heard some Americans grumbling about the state of their culture and country. He’s heard the fear for the future in our land. He does not fear for Uganda’s future anymore, and his message is the same can be true for us. How to get there? First, the illness must be diagnosed. Senyonga observes seven strongholds of the Dark One here in America:

1. Wrong model of God,
2. Creature Comforts,
3. Lack of Time,
4. Obedience level too low,
5. Spirit of Selectivity,
6. Lack of Sustained Prayer,
7. Lack of Desperate Prayer.

All of these could take some time to debate, so I’m going to take one at a time starting with a wrong model of God:

“Wrong Model of God”

Che cosa è la verità? – Pontius Pilate

Okay, whew! Where do I start??? There are as many models of God in our postmodern, multi-cultural society as there are people it seems. Indeed, the standard tenet of postmodernism is truth is what you make it. What it actually is is irrelevant if it doesn’t fit your worldview. “What is Truth?” exclaimed the fatalistic bureaucrat. The image of “God” takes many forms in this confused nation of ours. Many of us engage in idol, or herein god-model, worship whether we know it or not.

A prime example of the destructive results of god-model worship would be its poster boy – Michael Jackson. I haven’t, and will not from here on, say much about Michael Jackson, other than to say he’s guilty, guilty, guilty. Be warned, browse through all that info on that link with an empty stomach. None of this surprises me. I always thought the guy was a freak. Wants to be Peter Pan in Neverland? Pul-ease! His music never entertained me much and the crotch grabs accompanied by a falsetto “oohh” were getting downright revolting. Now he’s just a middle-aged loser, albeit filthy rich loser, who likes to drink wine and watch porn – sometimes with little boys. All that’s left of this cultural icon is a nasty little guy with a bad ‘do. Will he get off? Probably. O.J. Simpson proved you can pretty much do whatever the hell (literally) you want if you got da fame and da bucks to pull it off. He still hasn’t found his wife’s killer on those golf courses. Oh wait!! Yes he has! Anyway, there are still too many people (including “Jacko’s” jury) who revere fame and fortune. But fame and fortune has delivered all types of perversion throughout history. It just makes the perversion easier to excuse somehow (Because we envy the glamorous life?)

Science has become a god-model. Darwinism has become an actual “-ism” in some scientific circles. How dare I blaspheme the “Lord” (evolutionary biology) by questioning its veracity will be the response from the most fanatical – “centuries of work by people much smarter than you Bat have proven this is fact not a theory! Get over it and go back to your cave you troglodyte!” “Wellll, EXCUUUUSSSEE MEEEE! I was just asking a QUESTION. Isn’t that what science is all about for crying out loud!?!?!” That particular exchange occurred at Joe Carter’s Evangelical Outpost when I raised a question that the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics (or the law of rot) and evolution just don’t jive with each other. The vitriol I received in answer was astounding. Their arrogance and fanaticism in their faith could verily move mountains if only it was channeled into useful things. Instead, when evidence doesn’t quite stack up to support the faith, one of the seer’s has a ‘revelation’ and the world is greeted with new, improved Darwinism like “punctuated equilibrium.” Now don’t get me wrong. I believe critters are able to adapt to their environments as we are able to modify it to suit our needs, but to claim and sincerely believe that we exist due to a series of random, benevolent accidents, takes faith as there is precious little evidence to have fact-based belief.

The other variation of this god-model admits the universe was ‘created,’ but the Creator built it and then left it to its own devices, e.g. abandonment. Granted we are in the seventh day (of rest), but the flaw I perceive in this concept is what scientist creates an experiment and then leaves it on its own to pursue some other interest? No sirree, the paper associated with this experiment is already drafted and waiting for the conclusion in order to be printed in some geek journal somewhere and presented at some geek conference where everyone spends all their time making sure everyone else read their “white” paper that will be promptly forgotten by next year’s conference (Yes, I’ve been there, done that). That scientist is going to be all over creation spouting off about his creation. God may be at rest and done twiddling with and setting up this vast experiment we live in, but “disinterested” is not a word I’d use to describe His attitude towards it with events like the Passion.

The law has become a god-model. Been there, done this with the Terri Shiavo case. Check my archives for this discussion. Not much more need be said about this idol to document the Pharisees in our land are outa control.

Tolerance has become a god-model. Multi-cultural approaches to faith accept every form of faith except for Christianity it seems. Christianity makes those annoying absolute truth claims that tend to break the Cardinal Rule of postmodern faith – “tolerance.” Oh yes, Christianity doesn’t have much tolerance (read none) for sin (gasp!). We love the sinner, but hate the sin. Multi-cultural faith accepts all forms of paganism as spiritual truths in their own right - including such things as witchcraft ( one of those Old Testament detestable things). So in its way, the faith of “tolerance” has become the Dark One’s vehicle for introducing all sorts of evil into our culture and we’ve just been lazy enough, or fearful enough over being branded intolerant, to let the old bastard get away with it without questioning. To declare that homosexuality is a sin because the Bible tells me so, the postmodern faithful would have you believe I wear a swastika on my arm. The Lord was very clear in describing what was detestable to Him in the Old Testament (including homosexuality, not just homosexuality). He delivered us from those detestable things in the New Testament. Shoot the messenger if you will, and many have been shot in one form or another – but the message remains.

Childish faith has become a god-model. We are all to enter heaven as “little children,” (sorry that won’t include you Jacko, until you repent my friend!) but that doesn’t mean we can treat God like our errand boy. He gave us feet which hold up the knees, so when we idly worship (versus worship idols) on Sundays commanding God to do this or that about the world and then go home and flip on the tube and all its mind numbing, we show Him we have the attention span of a two-year-old when it comes to matters of faith. Christianity is not a buffet table, there’s only one thing on the menu – salvation – and it’s prepared only one way. Our blessings in this country have made us children in faith. However, there’s a very good reason this country has been so blessed throughout its history, which is the next post.

God isn’t interested in making sure we get the best parking spot closest to the mall entrance or other trivial, worldly things. He’s extremely interested that we spend eternity with Him. He’s spelled it out for us quite clearly. It isn’t easy. The Christian walk is very quite hard with all the distractions and roadblocks thrown up in our way by the Dark One. But God is there every step of the way to guide our feet (yes, it takes feet to walk, not just knees) to His path home. You want to choose the right model for God? Then take Him on His terms. He worked very hard to prepare each of us for that day, so don’t insult Him for God’s sake!