We live in
retail times. Everything is for sale,
including religion. The 12th century
Roman Catholic monk, Thomas Aquinas, taught that one's primary access to God
was one's own senses - including, according to Thomas, one's own imagination! How American!
"If you can dream it, you can make it reality!" We might call this approach, "Popular
Religion." In these days of
American jobs being shipped overseas, "popular religion" is one of
the last things manufactured here in the states...and boy do we turn out the
product! The message of "popular
religion?" "Come just as I am
and leave just as I am!" No
repentance, no confession, no acknowledgement, no baptism, no changed
life...God just pats me on the head and tells me "you're o. k., you're not
as evil as all those other people!"
The most
"popular" church in America today is Joel Osteen's "Lakewood
Church" in Houston, TX. Lakewood
boasts a membership of just north of 43,000 people![1] Just how popular is Joel Osteen? Popular enough to "put the show on the
road!" People are so wanting to
hear Joel's "popular religion" of no change and no obligation that
they are willing to pay big bucks just to hear it! Here’s an advertisement on ticketsnow.com:
Charismatic Lakewood Church pastor and best selling author Joel Osteen is sharing his message with capacity crowds at arenas across the nation. Fans drive in droves to see Joel Osteen and hear his popular sermons! Join one of the most famous televangelists for a special night of encouragement, inspiration, and worship! Buy your Joel Osteen tickets now!(2)
But...what
does GOD think of "popular religion?"
Does He endorse it? Does He
accept it? More importantly, will it
SAVE you? Paul says that "the
things written aforetime were written for our learning." (Romans 15:4)
One of those "aforetimes writings" takes place in I Kings 22
where we get an insight as to the validity of "popular religion" with
God.
Due to an
un-scriptural marriage (I Kings 8:18) between Judah's King Jehosophat's son,
Jehoram, with the daughter, Athalia, of
the pagan queen of Israel, Queen Jezebel, and her lap-dog husband, King Ahab,
Jehosophat found himself in a military pact with evil. This obligated Jehosophat to militarily
support whatever military adventure Ahab could dream up. "I am as you are, my people as your
people, my horses as your horses." (22:4b ESV) Thus the two kings decided to attack the
Syrians at Ramoth-Gilead.
King
Jehosophat, being skeptical of that old fox Ahab, in 22:5; "Inquire first
for the word of the Lord." He
wanted God's stamp of approval before he and Ahab started a war. Ahab, being the pragmatist that he was, was
actively seeking a way to fend off such pesky requests.
We think
"opinion polls" are new but King Ahab knew all about them. Not only that, he knew how to manipulate
them! (Imagine, politicians manipulating
polling data?!) In 22:6, the Bible
says, that Ahab took an "opinion poll" of "about 400 men"
who (here’s a shocker!) ALL told the king that he would succeed! They universally proclaimed to the king,
"Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."
This is
"popular religion" at it's best, or should we say, at it's
worst! We can almost hear the people
say, "Tell the king what he wants to hear and all will go well with
you!" They claimed to be speaking
for God (22:11) but Jehosophat was still skeptical! "Is there not here another prophet of
the LORD of whom we may inquire?"
Finally, the reluctant Ahab fesses up!
"There is yet on man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah
the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning
me, but evil." (22:8. emphasis mine - RM) You reckon!? No wonder Ahab did not include him in the
first batch! He knew what was the likely
prophesy to come out of all of this!
As it turns
out, the 400 "prophets" were wrong and the lone Micaiah was
right! The combined army of Ahab and
Jehosophat was to be defeated by the Syrians.
Not only that, the evil Ahab was killed at Ramoth-Gilead and Jehosophat
barely escaped with his life to rule over a devastated and ruined country. "Popular religion" did not fly on
that day nor will it in our day! Every
Sunday in Charlotte, 400 +/- denominational preachers tell their listeners to
say the "sinners prayer and receive Christ as their personal savior."[3] They tell people what they want to hear while
entertaining them with instrumental music, art, dance and drama...all without a
"word from the LORD!" What was
it that Paul told the Galatians?
"But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed."
(Galatians 1:8 (KJV) "Popular Religion" IS "another gospel!" It is accursed!
Yes, King Ahab died
for his embrace of "popular religion" and will face God one day in
judgment still clutching onto it. WILL
YOU?
[1]
According to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakewood_Church
[2]
Upcoming Osteen event tickets
for a November 4, 2011 event in Cincinnati are priced from $25.00 - $109.00 each! Via: http://www.ticketsnow.com/joel-osteen-tickets/
[3]
There is no such thing as the “sinner’s prayer” in Scripture. For more Bible on this, go to: http://sinners-prayer.info
NOTE: Picture courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org
.jpg){kind=link}