In this current day more and more events are promoted as normal that historically would have been known as activities of debauchery. Just within the past few weeks some events, promoted as entertainment, filled with cross dressing, vulgar language, and laughter aimed toward righteousness and holiness have occurred within the city limits of Twin Falls. They have been happening from the beginning, they are just becoming more open and seen as acceptable forms of entertainment.
This kind of promotion is growing in popularity while at the same time hardly anyone within the Christian community speaks of it.
It is one thing to see the increasing boldness of corrupt morals and defaming of God’s creation. The beauty of His creation, humanity in general and male and female specifically is under attack on every front in our culture.
It is of another thing altogether to hear the silence from the Lord’s church. The work of the church is not to simply be an irritating noise amongst the community, it is to be that which God has intended for her to be, a reasonable caring voice based on the character of our Redeemer. Pastors, be a pillar and buttress of truth, churches, be a beaming lamp on a hill calling all sinners to repentance that they may find rest and joy in Christ.
My column this week is an aim to speak into the increasing lewdness and collapsing of decency at large. And appeal to you the reader to look to Christ for joy, rest, and peace.
For flourishing of any community to be of any lasting value from one generation to another there must be at the same time a respecting and valuing of Almighty God and his revealed order. If a church is to be considered a value to a community she must see that her primary duty is not to be entertained by the devaluing of morality or to stick her head in the sand and hope it all passes by without confrontation.
Any church within the valley that remains silent while immorality is hoisted up on the shoulders as the current hero of the day should be viewed as defective and void of truth. The church that silently watches the parade of depravity is part to blame for the growing confusion of what is right and wrong.
This said, obviously the church must exercise her bold speaking with kindness.
To be a truthful speaker one has to also learn that just pointing out how wrong everything is is a calloused act of great cruelty and adds no benefit to the hearer. The longer churches remains quiet on these matters the more complex it is when one does speak into the day. To encourage our congregants to participate in any “entertainment” that promotes what God forbids with silence only advances the hardness of heart of the would be lover of God. We benefit no one when we don’t speak into our day.
My encouragement to the church at large is to increase our compassion for the community enslaved by deadly sins. To speak from our pulpits of the grace of God only makes since when we also speak of the holiness of God. When there is no comparison of the righteousness of God to the depravity of man’s heart there will never be a revival of God’s church or an awakening of the Holy Spirit in our city.
Let’s arise together.
Churches in the city of Twin Falls, especially, we must speak into our city with love for God by warning those promoting wickedness or slightly laughing when we hear of professing Christians among those bold promoters.
This is my biblically reasonable appeal to pastors and churches of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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To be published in the Twin Falls, Times News on Saturday, October 20, 2018