Have you ever noticed how the independence of "post-modern" people doesn't seem to make any sense? It appears their points are pointless. Their lives are filled with artistic pursuits without much historical realism. Their lives show crisp edges but yet have no purpose. Something as drastically gone wrong with our culture.
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Our flesh is arrogant, independent, and full of lies. BUT, I will say, our flesh is competitive and stubborn. Because of this, God typically allows our flesh to spiral downward, to the bottom of the barrel. Flesh hates depending upon others for help and guidance. Flesh, money, and personal identity all go hand in hand, in man’s mind. In God’s economy, Spirit dependence, money, and identity in Christ, all form true and honorable stewardship. As we review the next two lies of the Antichrist, keep God’s formula for a successful economy in mind.
LIE FIVE – My goal is to become financially independent, so I will not have to look to my children, or others, for help. This is the lie that has re-formed our global view of family. It is through this lie that abortion, euthanasia (killing the elderly and weak), and retirement homes were birthed. Family integrated churches, multigenerational missions, and interdependent family life are all functional doctrines of the past, because of this western theological blunder. The new postmodern emergent beliefs of independence and self-life fulfillment now dominate our postmodern pulpits and media market places. Adult “Christian” children now consider additives or beliefs such as “assisted suicide” (euthanasia), elderly placement, elderly social welfare (Medicare/Medicaid), and any other program that will relieve them of the financial burden of caring for weak and elderly family members.
The reality is Satan DOES have us “over a barrel” – so to speak. He has been working for centuries to reverse the family model of God: heads of homes, women working at home, and children honoring their fathers and mothers. Paul states:
(Titus 2:1-5, NASB).
Sound doctrines should be at the base of every Christian family. Paul is openly telling us to speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrines. He goes on to show us what the basics are in family life:“But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored”
• Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, and perseverance.
• Likewise, older women need to be reverent (holy) in their behavior: not gossipers nor enslaved to much wine. They are to teach what is good: so they may encourage the young ladies to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible and pure, to be workers at home, to be kind, and to be submissive to their own husbands. This is so, THE WORD OF GOD WILL NOT BE DISHONORED.What this tells me is that Satan is going to work the global society to be opposite of the structure and mandates of God’s design for the family. He did this in order for the people to ultimately feel trapped when asked to carry out these rules of engagement. The postmodern “Christian” church now reads these verses like this:
But as for you modern Christians, speak the things which are fitting for modern Christianity; which are fitting for those who need to feel God’s love. Your older men should be peaceably put aside for retirement, have a dignified death, be sound financially, lovers of themselves, and able to let go of the next generation while living. Older women are to be reverent and honoring of the decisions of their children, releasing themselves from parental correction, allowing their children to learn from their own mistakes, and shutting their mouths when it comes to the affairs of family life. When it comes to encouraging their daughters to be “workers at home,” they need to remember that those mandates only worked in “Biblical days,” when the environment supported such beliefs. With the issue of challenging their daughters to love and submit to their husbands – well, in the postmodern world, that’s simply abuse. With the whole issue of “honoring the Word of God” – keep in mind the Word can be interpreted many different ways (Titus 2:1-5, my paraphrase of the opposite of the Truth).Abundance is for the wanting of those who are in need. When any individual, or family, loses sight of that; spiritual poverty settles in.
“At this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality”(2 Corinthians 8:14, NASB).
LIE SIX – As long as I continue to provide for my family, the excessive family time sacrificed justifies it. Really? Ask any woman committed to family life what she thinks about this lie. This lie is meant for the postmodern Christians with the priorities of work, money, friendships, recreation, family life, community, church, and then extended family (maybe). I used to think working parents who steal time from family life were doing it because of a work ethic. But, as I watch the youth of today, I see more of an addiction to material things. Not long ago, we could put the full responsibility, and blame, on the head of home. But, the Biblical principle of “headship” is no longer a societal norm. I see the responsibility still upon the man of the house; but place the blame equally upon the woman. In postmodernism, women love being away from the home. Considering staying home to care for the children and/or her husband creates an overwhelming sense of suffocation and restraint.
The real and actual needs of a family are not material blessings, sports, recreation, or family fun times; but rather, spiritual leadership. No amount of money can buy back the time and leadership sacrificed to keep family members “happy.”
(Luke 12:15, NASB).
God would rather have the parents spend their time, effort, and money on restoring hearts and relationships. Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions"
(Malachi 4:6, NASB).
"He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse"
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