America’s Spiritual Crisis
The following is taken from the book I recently recommended to you by Dr. David Reagan, titled “God’s Prophetic Voices to America.”
“Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied and have built good houses and lived in them … and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God …” Deuteronomy 8:11-14
“In order to understand the messages of the prophetic voices that God has raised up to speak to our nation, it is necessary to get a grasp of the enemy the voices are railing against. That enemy is what the world calls the philosophy of Humanism. In reality, it is the religion of Satan.
The core belief of Humanism is its conviction that Man is capable of solving his own problems apart from any supernatural intervention by God. Man is the focus and Man is exalted. Man is considered to be capable of perfection through education and reliance on reason. Faith is condemned. Reason is worshiped.
God is considered to be an irrelevant myth that has been used by religions to enslave Mankind. Absolute Truth is rejected in favor of a system of ethics and is based solely on Man’s needs and is thus situational in nature and subject to constant change.
The ultimate goal of life is the complete realization of human personality. Life beyond death is considered to be nonsense.
The First Humanist Manifesto began with one of the cornerstone beliefs of the whole movement; ‘the universe as self-existing and not created.’ The second principle was an affirmation of evolution, avowing that ‘man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as a result of a continuous process.’ Other principles in the document denied the existence of absolute truths and rejected the supernatural. Throughout there was an emphasis on the absolute necessity to rely on reason in order to be delivered from ‘sentimental and unreal hopes and wishful thinking.’
The manifesto ended with the proclamation that ‘man is at last becoming aware that he alone is responsible for the realization of the world of his dreams, that he has within himself the power for its achievement’.”
The Second Humanist Manifesto came out in 1973, and its authors made it clear that in the 21st Century, their number one target would be Christianity.
The authors of the Second Humanist Manifesto said, “The 21st century can and should be the Humanistic Century. They affirmed their faith in the ability of Man to solve all of his own problems.
They stated very clearly, “As non-theists, we begin with humans, not God, nature, not deity. We can discover no divine purpose or providence for the human species. While there is much that we do not know humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us; we must save ourselves.”
How successful have the humanists been? All you really have to do today is look around you and see what is going on.
On October 7th, in his daily broadcast, Dr. David Jeremiah stated, “The statistics are startling! And convicting! The church is losing the next generation. Your children and grandchildren. Mine too”.
They are coming of age in a carnal world that is competing for every moment of their attention with media that is custom-fit to their fast-paced lives and what is relevant to them.
The result? The next generation is disappearing from the church in record numbers. Of Generation Z – people born after 1996, 34% identify themselves as atheist, agnostic, or nonreligious. It’s the highest figure of any generation ever. The trend we’re seeing with Generation Z started with the millennials. Only 30% of millennials say attending church is important. Among millennials who grew up in church, almost 60% have dropped out. They are unchurched, uninterested and unsaved.”
I am excited for the future of Jubilee Fellowship. I see in you a people who really love the LORD, love God’s Word, care about people and are willing to get to know the different generations and what it will take to reach them. It won’t be easy, but you/we have the will to make it happen. That is why I am asking you to partner up with me and others in the church and pray them in.
My plan is to do a lot more training and equipping of our church family to give you confidence in your faith, courage in sharing your faith and a commitment to partner with Christ in bringing all ages to know the LORD.
· That is one of the reasons we have been showing the “God is not Dead” movies. They are a tool you can use to bring people to the church for exposure to solid truth.
· That is why we are bringing one of the all-time Christian apologists here Josh McDowell, to show us why God’s Word is reliable. We can trust it. We can build on it. We can be blessed by it. We can bring others to Christ by sharing God’s truth.
· I want to really encourage all of us to get involved in a Small Group where you can get to know one another, support one another and in community live out the Christian life for the glory of God. I believe every Small Group should have the following four components:
1. Fellowship – by this, I mean you really get to know each other. You build relationships of trust and you share your life with others.
2. Food – here, you have several options. It could be dinner, snacks or a dessert each time you come together. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42
3. Faith – this is a focus on God’s Word each time you come together. This also includes a time of prayer. Praying for each other and special prayer requests. Groups should aim for balance in the allotment of time. Each component is important.
4. Fervor – this is a plan and a passion to make Christ known to others outside your group.
(I thank the LORD for Bill Abeyta. He and I will be working closely together in developing Small Groups. Contact Bill and let him know that you would like to be part of such a group. You can indicate so on a Jubilee Welcome Card, found on the Worship Center chair backs. The groups do not all have to meet at night. Some could meet during the day — especially those who are retired. Groups can meet in homes or at the church.)
Folks, we are in a war against Satan and the powers of darkness. God intends for us to win, but we must report to Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, and stand on the sure foundation of God’s Word and the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and let our lights shine for Him. Blessings, Leonard
