Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets.They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
In a tumultuous world where pride and jealosy rule, we cannot be surprised when that attitude enters the church. As the above scripture states .They come to you in sheep’s clothing, If I see a wolf in sheep's clothing I will still be able to see that it is a wolf, unless.....
I am blindly following them without any reservation. Trends are built around us giving our allegiance to a certain way of dressing, living, etc. and believing something is the "best ever!"
There is a great deal of narcissism involved in a person who is a trend follower, and that narcissism fuels the attitude of "me first." First to see the latest and greatest and share my perfect perception about something. Of course, you can see real quick that someone with that attitude is dangerous, in that they will quickly build their life on perception and not on reality. As Christians our faith is supposed to be our reality. We find our identity in a lasting person and that person is Jesus Christ. Christians that fall off into the trending lifestyle are trading a lasting, foundational way of living for a temporal, worldly way of living and that is a church killer!! We should never trade "is this of God", with "is this what the world is doing!" The way to know if you are a person who is too involved with trending is if you have a problem with this blog entry. lol. No really! A person who has immersed themselves into this lifestyle will literally "fight for it!"
As a 67 years old man who has dealt with people who don't accept change, and keeping in mind they are usually of an older age. It is kind of funny (or sad) to see those of a younger generation showing they are that way. When we immerse ourselves in a certain way of thinking and make it a basis for our ilfe path, it complicates things for us when we realize it might be wrong!!l Jesus is the Narcissism Killer, because instead of preaching pride, He preaches humility. Here is the definition of Narcissism. Self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive interest in one's physical appearance and an excessive pre-occupation with one's own needs, often at the expense of others. This doesn't sound like Jesus at all, does it? Here is what Jesus said about people who value the outward appearance, but inside they are empty. Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
In alcoholic terms a term used is "proof spirit" to designate a liquor that is 100% proof. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; So the true definition of someone who is 100% pure in who they follow is when they follow Jesus 100% and that is also the proof of Spirit. Holy Spirit that is... The Christian life at times can be like trying to live on the edge of a sharpened knife edge. One false step and you fall off. But in reality because of God's grace we are able to quickly recover when we fall and get back up and continue our walk with God and see a growth we didn't think possible. That's what God's grace is all about. Giving us a new heart that is constantly forgiven in the midst of the times we mess up. That grace is like a lightning bolt to our faith when we truly realize the power of forgiveness. That is why Jesus said "Forgive and you will be forgiven!" It is so readily available and that us keeps on the right track and growing forward.
All of the Christian life is based on one basic truth. Jesus has to be our savior, and the Bible has to be our source of wisdom and life direction. When we put ourselves in a position of messing with that order everything gets out of kelter. So live a full proof life of someone who trusts Jesus to be the source of our identity and our life direction. A life not based on the latest trends, but based on the Word of God. Then, and only then, will everything fall into place and we will see great growth in our walk with God and there we find joy, peace, love, and all the other fruits of a spirit-filled life.
The Pilgrimage Continues.....
David Warren
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