This won’t be one of my more popular blogs, but much prayer and contemplation have led me to believe this is one that must be written. What prompted my concern was a report aired last week on cable television regarding the state of Christianity in this country. The report indicated that people are leaving the church in droves. The reason? This nation’s economic downturn has folks questioning God. 

Do any of you remember the childhood song about building your house upon the rock versus building your house upon the sand? That was one of my favorites, and my fondness for the song has grown now that I more fully appreciate the depth of the lyrics. I am thankful that my foundation in faith was solid, based on the Rock of my Salvation and not on the sand of Santa Claus theology.

The cry of the American pulpit has at times been as shallow as a sandy beach. Ear-tickling teachers have been touting a faith which promises health, prosperity, and good times.  Scriptures which talk of the “abundant life” have been twisted to mean wealth or comfortable living, and the purveyors of the message are usually at the top of the heap in terms of opulent living. Santa Claus theology is a popular message to an increasingly self-indulgent nation. Now that a faltering economy is forcing more Americans to struggle, the collective cry is, “Where is Santa Claus?”

Jesus is life according to His own words in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  Abundant life is an abundance of Jesus, resulting in immeasurable spiritual glory for those immersed wholly in Him. Nothing this world has to offer can compare to that glory.

Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart,” is another used and abused Scripture in sandy environments. But those on the Rock know that when hearts are truly delighting in the Lord, then personal desires are transformed to fall in line with His desires and overall plan. Whatever furthers God’s Kingdom brings great joy to the eternally focused Christian.

There are numerous Scriptures like the one in Psalms above that, if read with a heart of flesh, will appear to promise the reader a comfy earthly existence. But when read in the Spirit, these same verses open the eyes of the reader to purposes, passions, and goals of greater eternal significance.

Conversely, the Scriptures are replete with passages that exhort us to expect trials as part of the journey. For brevity’s sake, I won’t detail them, but my favorite is James 1:2-4:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

I’ve often wondered if those teaching health and wealth for the believer have truly pondered the martyrdom of countless Christians throughout history. I wonder how they rectify the hunger, imprisonment, flogging, and violent deaths of most of the original 12 who were clearly precious to their Jesus. But then, I also know that (for some) the motives are pew filling and pocket lining and not girding up the body of believers to embrace hard truths found in history and the Scriptures.

Many readers will know that my earlier reference to ear tickling is taken from II Timothy 4:3-4 (NASB) which states, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires and will turn away their eyes from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

James warns (3:1) that not many should presume to be teachers because “we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

Due to errant teaching, many in the American church have not been prepared for the trials they’re now facing or for the prophesied storms to come. Santa Claus has not delivered. They are now jumping ship in record numbers. 

 Pity the heretics.

Joy in Jesus (even now),

 Jacquee