As in the days of Jeremiah....part 1

 We seem to be living in a day when everything around us is in question: the economy, governments, lifestyles, and even the Christian church itself....

 In 1969, a noted evangelical Christian philosopher and apologist named Francis Schaeffer wrote a book entitled "Death in the City". It outlines history, particularly Christian history, and although it is now 45 years later since it's publishing, "Death in the City" seems to point out why many of us are feeling a "little jittery" in the current times we live.

  The Christian church universal is having controversies of their own: the acceptance of gay and lesbian lifestyles as an acceptable lifestyle that is "blessed" by our Creator, the fact that Christian religion itself has done more harm to others than good throughout the corridors of human history, or the recognition that there are other ways to approach the Presence of Almighty God besides calling on the name of Christ Jesus...the idea for example of creating a "Chrislam"...the blending of two distinct and yet two very different cultures.

On page 209 of this book "Death in the City", Schaeffer writes: " The Church (Christian) needs reformation, revival, and a constructive revolution."

 So, what is really going on? Are we becoming more advanced and tolerable toward one another's beliefs? Is the Christian church turning to a more soft approach toward others who do not embrace the Christian faith...and learn from the past failures of rallying us together and calling for a "Crusade" as they did in centuries past? Or, have we as a Christian believers become so preoccupied with our own lives that we do not see the "big picture"...and have the audacity to say it is not repentance, it is not reformation, and it is certainly not a constructive revolution we should seek, rather, we must find ways to accept one another regardless of our spiritual beliefs or lifestyles we choose...for the truth is... God is certainly with us in all this and will bless us if we pursue an acceptance of one another...at any cost?

 In this book "Death in the City", Schaeffer again reiterates a theme of our "present day madness" by offering these words: " We do not have to guess what God would say about this because there was a period of history, biblical history, which parallels our day. That is...the day of Jeremiah.

 The book of Jeremiah and the book of Lamentations show how God looks at a culture which knew Him...and deliberately turned away. But this is not just the character of Jeremiah's day of apostasy...It's my day...It's our day.

 And, if we are going to help our own generation, our perspective must be that...of Jeremiah, the "weeping prophet" which Rembrandt so magnificently painted weeping over Jerusalem, yet in the midst of tears speaking...without mitigating his message of judgment...to a people who had had so much...yet turned away." 

 So, my question is: "In the midst of our humanitarian efforts in its various forms throughout the earth, in the midst of acceptance of various lifestyles that I have been taught since a young child as wrong choices in the eyes of our Maker, or in the midst of accepting one another's beliefs at any price...could we following the same path as in the day of...Jeremiah?" 

 Jeremiah...what went on during his day? How can a culture of 2700 years ago relay to us a message...a warning if you will...to our generation today? Is it possible the very words of this "weeping prophet" be speaking and useful to us...today?

 Who is this Jeremiah guy anyway?  I think it is time...to find out....