2-10-23
Recently the Grammys were on TV. Now, there are videos flooding my Facebook page about Sam Smith doing his “hit” song, called “unholy”. He and some dancers came out dressed in red, he had a hat with horns. The women danced around him and bowed low as if worshipping. I know, I am another generation. I understand that many young people have been desensitized to this type of thing.
In the 1960’s a man named Anton Lavey started the Satanic Church of America in CA. It was quite scandalous and although he wrote many books and had a fair size following, it was still considered by the main stream as “dreadful”. Media dubbed him the “Black Pope”. People were shocked. God is good, satan is bad, why would anyone want to follow him. It is said that on his death bed as he lay dying, his last words were “OH MY! OH MY! WHAT HAVE I DONE?” CHILLING for sure! There were some from his church who converted to Christianity when they heard this. As disconcerting as it was back then to hear of him, it now seems so “mild”.
Today of course, we know that celebrities especially like to be shocking. They do all kinds of things for shock value, and some people just love it. I do not know Sam Smith, but his performance went beyond a little shock value. I read recently: “Evil used to be sneaky, and hide in the shadows. It no longer does that, it is out in the daylight and proud.”
In 2 Timothy 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
These verses are amazingly accurate for today! Plus after they tell us how things will be (and will continue to get worse) the writer also tells us what WE as Christ followers are to do. The FIRST thing is to stay close to the Father. Read your bible, pray ceaselessly, talk to him about everything. So that we will not be deceived!
Lord, give us discernment so that we will not be deceived. That no matter how they dress up evil or sneak it in, we will not buy into what the enemy is selling. Thank you for your word that always tells us how to live. Thank you for always protecting us from evil. AMEN!!
Shirlene Peterson