Storm Warning-The cult of self

I read a great book by Billy Graham last month, called Storm Warning. It started a little slow but once I got past the first quarter of the book, it was truly amazing. I wanted to share some bits of it with you.

He starts by explaining the state of our world today.
"'Depression' today not only describes the hard economic state of affairs sweeping our world, but the human state of mind". Why? "Our culture is caught in a web of irresponsibility and self-centerdness...The 'American Dream' has become America's god." Unbridled selfishness can never bring peace to the human heart, much less society."


"Many believe pagan worship is a thing of the past, but it is ever present-only now we have given it a new name. Pop culture". The architect of popular culture is none other than Satan. He is the chief designer and chief marketer. He has been branding worldliness since time began.In the 21st century, his leading brands are called "tolerance and acceptance". He takes God's laws, twist the meaning with the sleight of the hand and tells society there is no consequence to anything that will satisfy our every desire. Satan has slipped this idea into the church under the guise of love and forgiveness without repentance and transformation."


The Bible COMMANDS us to take up our cross daily. Compromising and conforming to the world's standard is against God's Word. Christians today are faced with the same dilemmas as the churches' John wrote to in Revelation. Will we give in to materialism, selfish pleasure and the dishonest practices of our present day? While we are looking to see how close we can get to the edge of the world without being trapped by Satan, we're  taking our eyes off Christ.



"The fiercest storm is taking place in some of our churches-the unbelief and disobedience to God's Word. The devil has successfully fooled many churches, convincing them to follow the world. Biblical standards have been replaced by social theories.We have become so tolerant and accepting of the world's ways that it is hard for many in the church to notice the sin much less answer how it crept in. The church is not to be in the world, but worldliness is NOT to infiltrate the church. We're so attracted to the busyness in the world, that we cannot hear the hoof beats around the bend. We've traded God for gadgets. We have traded eternal truth for momentary self-gratification-worshiping false gods of materialism and humanism instead of the Creator of ALL things."

"Christ's church is a place to grow people up in the Lord, not to enhance our leisure time." 

When the church begins to entertain the flock and respond to the cult of self-it is diminished to a mere community center.