SHOCKED AND APPALLED

I'm appalled ... yes appalled. I'm writing this because sometimes it's best to skip the frills and get down to the nitty-gritty. We are so often asking ourselves these days, what's wrong with the world? How can so many terrible things be happening in America, in our homes and in our churches?

Well, one of the most obvious reasons is ... Christians are not really being Christians! That's right! We can't blame the decay of morals and decency on the atheists and on the unsaved. They're doing a bang up job of being exactly who they are. The real blame and responsibility falls into the hands of professing Christianity, trying to get to heaven astraddle of that proverbial fence ... and setting a pitiful, two-faced example for everyone else while doing it!

Why would any sinner think he needs to be saved when the Christians around him dress like, talk like and act just like he does?

I know you're wondering ... what in the world has got her so fired up? I'll tell you what's got me all fired up! Lukewarm, compromising, double minded, excuse making Christians!

By way of illustration: I set out on a web search today for some clean humor to use on the "Giggles" page of my new web site. I chose an entry from the search page and started scanning jokes ... they were vulgar ... down right nasty, disrespectful, discriminatory and full of sexual content ... and this was listed as a site for "Clean, Christian Jokes!"

If those jokes were supposed to be clean, I'd hate to know what the site owners would classify as dirty! Laughter is a wondrous gift, but man has misused, abused and perverted it. Surely no one is so spiritually numb as to think that Jesus and the 12 disciples sat around telling dirty jokes to each other! We've got to stop justifying smut with excuses like, "Well, it's not too bad" or "I wouldn't tell this if there were any men/women/kids here" or the classic ... "We're all adults."

And it's not just jokes! We say, oh it's ok to run around half naked if we're dressed appropriately for the activity we're engaged in. Does that mean it's ok for a stripper to parade nude on stage because that's appropriate for that particular activity? DUH!!! How about folks who watch movies full of filthy language and claim, "What's the difference? I hear it everywhere I go?" Yes, they probably do hear IT in many places, but where and how does that give anyone the right to take such garbage into the sanctity of the home? Look deep within and ask, "Why would anyone want to?" Have we forgotten that the Spirit of God that lives inside us hears everything we hear?

Good grief people! Does anyone actually believe that the Holy Ghost laughs at off color jokes or starts breathing heavy when self-deluding Christians watch porn? Then there's all the high tempered cursing and mouthing off that so many do. Is Jesus our example or not? Read how Jesus got angry in Matthew 21:12-13. How many "4-letter" words did He use? Give me a break!

When we become born again believers, we're not supposed to just say "Ooops, sorry," and go on exactly like we were before. Our lives are supposed to change and that includes our thoughts and words. After all, we say we're "Washed in the blood." Well, if we're really washed then the dirt is supposed to be gone! Change doesn't always come instantly ... but at bare minimum ... at least let God see us trying ... and believe me ... He knows when we're trying to do better and when we're just trying to make Him think we're trying.