Category: Thinking about CULTURE

3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. ² For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, ^[a]haters of good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to a form of ^[b]godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.   2 Timothy 3:1-5

The word ‘unloving’ in verse 3 is more accurately translated in the KJV as “without natural affection”.  The love which is lacking in the “last days” is a natural love – the kind of love which parents have for their children and children for their parents.

What Paul describes as “natural affection” is the underlying premise of the reality TV series “Long Lost Family”.  In each episode, the hosts and researchers typically help guests to find birth parents or children given up for adoption.  Almost invariably there are tears of joy as families are reunited.

Truly the affection described is “natural”.   How dreadful to be in a time spoken of by Paul when even such familial affection is absent!

– SSxG

 

 

 

Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— ⁶ and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  Revelation 1:4b-6

The triumphant Hallelujah Chorus has been sung for over two centuries.  Its hallelujahs ring out praise to Messiah, to Christ.

According to Wikipedia, it was King George II who first stood for the Hallelujah Chorus – with the dutiful audience following suit.  Perhaps he was responding to the lyrics, perhaps simply to the music.  In any case, the words call on the entire audience to recognize “the kingdom of our LORD and of his Christ.”

It is only appropriate that an earthly king stand to acknowledge his superior, “the ruler of the kings of the earth”.

– SSXG.

During the ’60’s and ’70’s, many musicians paid lip service to Christianity.  One of my favourite popular songs during that time was Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky. 

Some of the lyrics seemed very Christian (“I’ve got a friend in Jesus, so you know that when I die, he’s going to set me up with the Spirit in the sky”).  However, the lyricist [Norman Greenbaum?] clearly didn’t understand the basics of Biblical Christianity.

At another point in the song, Greenbaum sings, “Never been a sinner, never sinned.”  While I don’t know Greenbaum’s life, now or then, I can assure you that Greenbaum was a sinner.  Everyone is.  According to the Bible it is possible to sin in thought and word and deed – and we do.

It is likely that the lyricist was thinking, as many people do, that he hadn’t committed any of the ‘big’ sins.  Adultery, murder, bank robbery – whatever else – of these sins he was innocent and therefore God would look on him favourably and take him to heaven when he died.

Biblical Christianity asserts that it is precisely because we are sinners that we need a friend in Jesus.  Any of our sins – big or small – is enough to close the gates of heaven against us.  Any of our sins is enough to alienate us from God – unless we have received his forgiveness.  The forgiveness that God gives is based on our repentance and our faith in Jesus as the One who died to save us from our sins.

⁴⁶ and [Jesus] said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.   Luke 24:46-48  [NASB]

– SSXG