Popular Across Facebook

Over the past few weeks I've noticed that Facebook has a new feature.  Stories and videos pop up in my news feed with the title "Popular Across Facebook."  No doubt our internet overlords at Facebook have determined that these videos and stories are ones that I am likely to read or watch based on other links that I have clicked in my social media browsing history, so these stories and videos are supposedly tailored to my interests.

But rather than identifying with these stories and videos and their popularity "across Facebook," I find them repulsive.  I hate them.

The reason I hate them is that they are filled with messages designed to get me to believe in false gods.  They are videos of "pastors" and "preachers" of a false gospel that has nothing to do with the God of the Bible.  You see, based on my browsing history, I've been lumped into a culturally Christian sub-category, and internet codes have determined that the popular stories and videos that I will most likely watch and/or read are Christian ones.  And so Facebook has shown me videos that are popular amongst the Christian sub-category.  The only problem is that the Christianity peddled (and I use that word intentionally) and espoused by the majority of these preachers and their videos looks nothing like biblical Christianity.

Rather, they preach a gospel of prosperity.  They preach a gospel of healing - but only if your faith is good enough.  They preach a gospel of God as a life-enhancement program that will help you live up to your fullest potential so that you can get that promotion at work, get a new car and house, and finally have fulfillment in life.  They preach a gospel that makes God out to be a good luck charm, rather than the sovereign Lord of the universe.

In short, these videos that are so "popular across Facebook" are promoting false gospels and the worship of false gods.  Indeed, it is accurate to say that idolatry is popular across Facebook.

Ancient Israel was a people who struggled with idolatry.  They were surrounded by other nations and people-groups who had their own ethnic deities, and Israel began to regard those false gods of other nations as being on par with the one true God.  They had a low view of God.  They didn't regard him as the one true and living God of the universe who reigns and rules over all and to whom all submission is to be given.  Rather, they regarded him as a casual deity who could help them live their best life now.  And if he didn't help them live their best life now, then they didn't have to worry because there were a plethora of other gods waiting in the wings that they could look to for help.  To them, God was merely a good luck charm, or maybe a butler who they could rely on to help them and do nice things for them.

It's no wonder that they left him when they got a better offer from somewhere else.

This is why Israel fell into idolatry - not because there was some kind of better power in these false gods, but because they had a low view of the one true God.  They thought he was simply one god among many.  Sure, he could help you now and again, but next month you might get a better offer from a different god, and so you go where the winds of idol worship take you.

Don't be fooled into thinking that idolatry was an ancient Israelite problem.  It's just as prevalent today in our culture as ever it was, and it is even existent in the American church.  Many people who call themselves Christians treat God as their butler.  They're not going to submit to him, but instead they want God to submit himself to their desires.  Sure, they might call on him when they need him, but when things are going alright in their lives, then they're going to pursue their own desires.  They're not going to concern themselves with what he wants from them - at least not until they might need him to get out of a scrape.  And if God won't give them what they want, then they'll go and find someone or something who will.

That is idolatry.  And it is no different than the idolatry with which Israel struggled throughout the Old Testament, except maybe that our idolatry doesn't involve worshipping a statue made out of stone or metal.  I heard a pastor say once that the most idolatrous time of the week in this country is at 10:30 on Sunday mornings, because there are many people who go to church to worship a god of convenience, or a god who will be their good-luck charm, a god who serve them.

And the reason for 21st century American idolatry is the exact same as it was for Israel: we have a low view of God.  As evidenced by the videos that are popular across Facebook, so many people view Go as a life enhancement program, or as a good luck charm, or even as a butler who exists to serve their every need.  But that is a false god, not the God of the Bible.  And these false gods are peddled to the American Christian subculture, and people eat it up.

The reason that many people - even Christians - are prone to idolatry is that they have no knowledge of the God of the Bible because they have forsaken his word.  It's easy to see a slick, silver-tongued pastor on Facebook and fall in love with his message about how God wants you to be healthy and wealthy, because we are prideful creatures, and if we're honest, the idea of being healthy and wealthy is very attractive to us.  And such we have such a minuscule foundation of biblical truth in our heads and hearts we will quickly move our trust and devotion to whichever god can satisfy our selfish desires.  Put simply, because we do not know the true God according to his word, we will fall to any false god that we find attractive.

1 Peter 3.18 says that "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.  God wants nothing more than for all people to come to repentance and faith so that he can save them.  But he will not save them if they come to him as a good luck charm.  He will not save them if they are only coming to him to live their best life now.  He will not save them if they come to him to find health, wealth, and prosperity.  He calls people to repent and believe and to worship him in spirit and in truth, according to his word.

God will not compete with the false idols that are popular across Facebook.  He calls us to know him in truth, and in order to know him we must turn to his word.  It is easy to spot a false idol when we know the real thing.  Regardless of how "popular across Facebook" these idols are, they need to be smashed.

Know yourself.  Know the Bible.  Know God.

What's Going on with Billy Graham?

Towards the end of the most recent presidential election cycle, it was reported that Billy Graham had removed Mormonism from his website's cult directory.  This happened reportedly after Graham met privately with Mitt Romney, presumably for the purpose of securing Graham's nomination.  Knowing that Graham maintains sway over many evangelicals, it makes sense that Romney didn't want to be portrayed to them as being a member of a cult.  Thus the removal.  I posted briefly about this incident when it occurred.

Unfortunately (for the gospel) it turns out that the negative speculation surrounding this event was well founded, as this statement from Franklin Graham confirms that the motivation for the removal of Mormonism from their "cult page," and now the subsequent removal of the cult page altogether, is to not offend people or call them names.  Franklin Graham says that he can't see preaching the gospel and name calling (which is what he considers labeling certain beliefs and people as "cults") going together.  He has therefore removed the page.

Graham says, "If I want to win people to Christ, how can I call them names?"  Like what?  Mormon?  Is that derogatory?  No, it simply describes who the people are and the belief system they ascribe to.

Graham's website defined a cult as "any group which teaches doctrines or beliefs that deviate from the biblical message of the Christian faith.  It is very important that we recognize cults and avoid any involvement with them.  Cults often teach some Christian truth mixed with error, which may be difficult to detect."

To be sure, religious groups classified as cults according to the definition above are not a part of orthodox Christianity, and therefore do not have any eternal, effectual, salvific value.  Or, in other words, they don't save.  Wouldn't you think it'd be important to have a clear idea of the identity of such groups?  I would.  But apparently Franklin Graham seems to think that such distinction amounts to "name calling."

Billy Graham's media representative chimed in by saying "Mr. Graham's calling is not to pass judgment, but to proclaim the biblical truth that Jesus is the only way to heaven, allowing every individual and group to fall along that plumb line."  What's ironic about this statement about a commitment to not judging people, and citing Jesus as the only exclusive way to God is, in and of itself, judgmental.

Moreover, the Bible is replete with instructions to call out those who do not preach and/or teach the truth, and to have nothing to do with them.  It even calls out false teachers by name at points.  Why?  Because these false teachers and false religions were leading people astray and into hell.  Isn't that worth calling a spade a spade?  Isn't that worth a potential offense?  I think it is.

But more than that, it must be understood that the gospel is, by its very nature, offensive.  You don't need to call anyone names or single anyone out.  The gospel does that all by itself, and it does it very well.  But still, Graham's media rep said that if Graham were to do or say something that would alienate an audience, he wouldn't be able to reach them.  In my opinion, the gospel itself alienates an audience.  In fact, the Bible tells us that it is foolishness to those who are perishing.  Of course it alienates!  Of course it divides!  That's what it is designed to do.  If the gospel is designed to offend the hard-hearted sinner, then any attempt to soften that offense is unwise and unloving.  To pretend that we have to repair bridges or water down the truth so as not to offend is anti-biblical.

The problem with what the Billy Graham folks have done is not so much a relational or PR problem, but a shift in understanding of the purpose and nature of the gospel.  Moreover, it's a bait and switch method of evangelism that seeks to befriend people and find commonality with them so as to win their friendship before giving them the hard news of repentance and faith.  It's dishonest.

God knows the great work that Billy Graham has done through his obedience to the Great Commission.  It's a shame to see his ministry lose its integrity.  But then how do we explain Franklin Graham?  He's also done some amazing work, which my own church just participated in through Operation Christmas Child.  Hopefully we can chalk this and other recent Billy Graham blunders to his old age.

John MacArthur aptly commented on the situation thusly: "We have no right to redefine salvation in our own terms in order to be popular or in order to be accepted.  True and historic Christianity has never been confused about what it means to be a Christian."

To Santa, Or Not To Santa?

My wife and I recently made a decision for our household: we're not going to "do" Santa with our kids. We've kind of waffled on whether or not to tell our kids about Santa Claus for the past 2 years (as long as one of them has been old enough to care), and we've finally decided not to do it.

A large part of our reasoning for making a firm decision on it at this point in time has to do with this video that we recently saw. It's a video of John Piper talking about how he celebrated Christmas with his kids when they were young. Not that John Piper is the authority on all things Christmas or how to celebrate it, but I think he brings up some great points. Check it out.

One of his best points, I think, is that Santa is poor substitute for Christ. I often hear people say around this time of year, "Jesus is the reason for the season." Why do we need to be reminded of that? Because, in this society, Santa (and the materialism he represents) has become, at least to some extent, a substitute for Christ. I don't want to be a part of that, and I don't ever want my kids to think that Christmas is about anything other than Christ.

When it comes down to it, the celebration of the Christmas holiday is a fantastic way to illustrate the incarnation - we give each other gifts to remind us of the gift that was given to us by God: Christ. I want this to be the focus of our family's Christmas celebration - not Santa, or even the giving of the gifts themselves. It'd be hard to make that point by saying that Santa is the instrument by which God gives us gifts to remind us of his gift of Christ! Especially when it comes time to tell the kids the truth about Santa.

Now, before anyone thinks I'm a total fundamentalist humbug, let me say that I have nothing against Santa Claus or families who choose to tell their kids that he is the one who brings them gifts. It is not my intention to condemn anyone who "does" Santa (if that were my intention, I would have to condemn my own parents, who perpetuated the Santa myth with me until my sister ruined it for me one night at the tender age of 9, which totally crushed me, I might add; I would also have to condemn my sister and brother-in-law, which I'm not prepared to do). I think "doing" Santa can be done while still maintaining the spiritual element of Christmas. I also think that celebrating Christmas without Santa can still miss the whole point of the holiday as well. It's not as though Santa is some magic ingredient that either must or must not be added for the holiday to have any meaning. That is up to those who celebrate it, and it's why Christmas can still be spiritually celebrated, even with Santa. We've just decided not to do it.

Idolatry On Sunday Mornings

I just ran across this series of articles by Bob Kauflin. I can't recommend it highly enough, both for those involved in leading and conducting worship and for those sitting in the pews. Bob Kauflin is a songwriter and worship leader that works out of the Sovereign Grace network of churches. I have very much appreciated his work in songwriting, and we use several of Sovereign Grace Music's songs at our church.

Kauflin asserts that there are several idols that are being worshiped in American churches on Sunday morning - often ignorantly - along with the worship of the one true God. These idols aren't carved images or statues, but rather tend to be other elements of American worship. Kauflin identifies music, tradition, creativity, experience, liturgy, biblical knowledge, biblical ignorance, musical excellence, results, reputation, and relevance as potential idols that can draw our worship away from God. Kauflin confesses that he is guilty of worshiping each of these things before God at one point or another, and I must admit the same.