Hokey Pokey Christianity - part 5

While watching a few children who attended Church one day, I watched them sing the song "Hokey Pokey". I got to thinking of what those kids would be like Twenty Years from that day. Would they be "putting their right arm in" about the things of God only to "take their right arm out"? Would they be consistent as putting their leg in and out when it came to the Ministry and service of God?

Are we teaching our kids that "God" is a Sunday AM thing? A Three times a week thing? Are we teaching and training our converts that it is just a song and a dance during Church Services?

Faithfulness is an attribute of God. God is true and Faithful. By Him, ALL THINGS consist. Ever wonder what the universe would be like if He did the hokey pokey the way we do? The universe would be a total disaster.

David Brainerd, missionary to the Indians, died at age 29 of tuberculosis. His diary and writings were filled with his often chastening and pleading with God over his commitment to Christ. He repeatedly questioned his Position with God. Why? He was afraid of "playing the part". He did not want to "put his whole self in" and then put his 'whole self out'. It was all or nothing. He died having lived his 29 years doing MORE in his writings than I have in my 29 years on earth. It is ALL or nothing. It isn't about the Quantity of your ministry or influence on others. It is not about fame or reputation. It is about Reverence and Consecration to the Lord.

Far too often in my own life, I find myself playing the hokey pokey. I see in Paul's writings that he also struggled with Hokey Pokey Christianity. Yet, he made it a point to "die daily". Let's forget about the "Purpose Driven Life" and lets get busy about the "Crucified Christian Life".

The Laodocean Church perfected Hokey Pokey Christianity. They were neither "in" nor "out". They were neither sitting nor were they standing. They crouched. I remember the song "King David had an Army, He had Ten Thousand Men, he marched them up the hill, and he marched them down again, and when you're up...YOU'Re UP (standing) and when you are down, YOU'RE DOWN (sitting) but when you are only HALF WAY UP - You are neither UP nor down". You are caught in the middle. Luke Warm, Half Committed Christians. We are akin to the cake not turned. We are gooey on one side, and crisp on the other.

Hokey Pokey Christianity. We have a whole lot of people in, out, and in the middle. Those in the middle are the ones making the most noise, jirating about, spending all the energy and everything they have, but will soon give out. Because they are NOT committed to Christ.

Hokey Pokey Christianity - part 4

The Third Scenario is this. The Person Listens to the preaching week in and week out. Yet, he does not apply what is being presented. He does not care. His heart is far from God. He is not ignorant. He is apathetic. He refuses to discipline himself in the way of the Lord. Rather than obedience to the scripture, this person distances himself from the Word of God. He takes what is openly and clearly shown to be the Truth of God, and they ignore it. Willfully, they shrug off the Biblical commands of separation and adherence to the Word. They choose lasciviousness. They claim everything the Pastor preaches is Legalism. Never studying the Word for themselves, they recluse themselves from the benefits of being a Christian. They lose opportunities for true worship. They heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. They spit and sputter that the Preacher is "too old fashioned." They drum up the excuse that they can't bring themselves to worship with the "old hymns". They must have a contemporary flare. They must have enjoyable music. They don't understand the King James, so they claim it is out dated. They give themselves over to "spiritualism". "Let conscience be your guide." They KNOW the attributes of God, yet they reject them as truth. They count his Holiness and Justice as fables. They tax God's patience under the guise of his Longsuffering. They push God's Love, Mercy, and Grace as an escape to continue in sin. They are in out right rebellion. They alter their view of God in attempt to lesson the Conviction of the Holy Spirit in their hearts as he knocks at their "heart's door". They doubt the existence of God's Sovereignty. They reject his counsel. They diminish the innerancy of the Word of God. The people of God are their victims. Spreading their ideals upon unsuspecting believers around them who are not able to discern. They drag others to their darkness. The Bible speaks poorly of these people. They are the Scorners that Solomon warns his son about. How LONG will ye Scorners love your scorning? The cry of the scorners is drowning out the cries of Wisdom. It resounds above the cries of The fool. The Scorner must be cast out! He MUST be driven away! He MUST NOT prey upon the young and vulnerable. They await like vultures to swoop in on the damaged ones. To pick them apart bit by bit and extinguish all abilities to defend themselves. The Scorner is that member who USED to be involved in the ministries of the church but then allowed Satan to interfere in their personal life. They are the disgruntled church member who attacks EVERYBODY and ANYBODY regardless of the situation. They are the ones who fly off the handle at ANY change to the traditions of men. They are trapped in their own conceit and are steps away from total apostasy. They are the castaways which Paul wrote about to Young Timothy. They are not to be coddled. They have gone the way of Korah. They are vipers. They are to be put out of the congregation. They do not seek unity, they seek discord. They do not seek reconciliation. they seek to distract and detain others to their misery. Those who they cannot distract and detain, they attempt to derail. The Bible tells us they are ravenous wolves. They are not just the person in the pew. They are not just the person who "used to come" they are even in the pulpit!

The Book of Ezekiel speaks of the elders who practiced paganism, witchcraft,idolatry in secret and yet manifesting themselves as ministers in the temple. The Bible says they were so deceived that they even claimed that God could not and did not see their actions. Their ABOMINATION was hidden by God. They are in the pulpits on Sunday while they are perverts on Monday. They pervert others with their neo-evangelical doctrines. They portray a God who desires us to please ourselves and not bring honor to HIM. They present a "List" to keep and not a Lord to serve. It is all about what MAN can do and not what GOD has done.

These people claim Christ, and then deny the very foundation of their being. They sound good on paper, but when the curtain opens, they are the total opposite of the God they claim to know. Apostates. Castaways. Scorners. Their end is derision.They will be cut off and that without remedy.