Social Media Suicide: A Powerful Tool Wasted on Apathetic, Tabloid Junkies as a Lukewarm Church Looks On

 

Everywhere I look today I see Social Media Suicide. We are intentionally killing ourselves.  From the inside out our intellect, our integrity, our future, and our very souls are dying by our own hand as we obsess over the irrelevant and immoral distractions that dominate the internet.   Sadly, both Christians and non-believers are guilty of this action and I’ve written this article as a wakeup call to lukewarm Christians and our zombie nation.  It’s time to wake up, grow up and live out an informed life with purpose!

 

Please take a moment to clear your mind from the distractions of daily life and social media to consider this observation:  RIGHT NOW we are living in an incredible time in human history.  Never before have humans had at their disposal the technological resources that today, we take for granted.  We have the ability to communicate with people from all over the globe instantaneously.  The entirety of humanity’s collective knowledge is available at our fingertips every moment of every day.  No longer is information the property of established control systems such as religious or political institutions.  Their “information monopoly” has been toppled, much to their chagrin. In the United States, for the time being, we are free to read, watch, listen to and say whatever we want on the internet with almost no censorship.  Therefore I reiterate that we are living in an incredible period in world history!

 

So what, I ask, do we choose to do with this incredible resource and the freedom to utilize it without restriction? What do we do with access to unlimited knowledge and the ability to communicate with billions of people?  One word…

 

Entertainment

 

Almost every item that appears on Google Analytics, Most Popular Search Trends revolves around some form of Entertainment.  The same can be said for the most popular videos on YouTube.  Instead of seeking to improve our own lives and the world around us we use the most powerful piece of technology man has ever created as a means of diversion.  Our focus instead centers around an insatiable appetite to consume any and all forms of entertainment and tabloid mindlessness.  We use this tool as a means of willful brainwashing; dulling our intellect through obsession with video games, pop music, sports of all kinds, celebrities, silly cat videos and Facebook (which seems to be nothing more than a glorified popularity contest that keeps many of its users from socially maturing past “high school” level mentality.) 

 

For example, when you have women in their 40’s and 50’s concerned that their self-indulgent Facebook posts don’t generate very many “Likes”, not to mention dressing and partying like they’re 20, there is something terribly wrong.  –You have a family to be raising, children to be guiding, responsibilities at home and work!  This is beneath you!  You have more important things to worry about in life than hitting refresh repeatedly to see how many people “like” you at any given moment! -  Technology should but a tool of progress yet when you observe its effects without bias it becomes obvious that we are in fact socially regressing. 

 

A nerdy but pertinent analogy would be this:  It’s like creating the Star Trek Enterprise and spending all of your time in the “Holodeck” pretending to be rich and famous.  Yes, that’s a neat function the ship has to offer but we’ve forgotten what the purpose of the ship is.  Let’s explore the REAL universe and stop settling for an artificial fantasy world!

 

Additionally, the moral fabric that used to govern societies around the world is being torn as the media glorifies sex, violence, partying lifestyles, disregard for personal responsibility, materialism and above all encourages unlimited selfishness.  Our basest level, primal urges have become unbridled.  Everything is encouraged… except retention of moral values.  This is ironically ridiculed as being “bigoted” and “hateful” by people who make such accusations out of literal bigoted hate towards those who retain religious conviction and the associated moral values. 

 

“How dare they pray in public / read their Bibles / believe what the Bible says about sin and its consequences (e.g. exercise their First Amendment rights)!  I HATE those judgmental Christians!” 

 

Hmmm, no, that’s not judgmental at all!  Well I’m sorry if the fact that I continue to maintain the values taught in the Bible make you feel convicted about your lifestyle, but I’m free to maintain these views and will do so in spite of your attempts to characterize me as things that more accurately describe yourself.  Christians have been persecuted throughout history, so why now should it be any different?  I will not be shamed into compromising my values.  I will not be threatened into changing either.  I will not deny my Lord’s name and he will not deny mine.  I live every day knowing that this life is but a test meant to determine where it is that we spend eternity.  Religious persecution is simply part of the test, and this is a test I intend on passing! 

 

The sad thing is that we live in a country that was established by individuals who fled their homelands in search of somewhere they could find true religious freedom.  Men and women died to establish a country where EVERY religion would be respected and protected from persecution.  This was to be a land of equality and a land of tolerance.  The unfortunate reality is that it took a while for the hopes of our nation’s founders to be realized, but none-the-less the spirit of equality was present from the beginning.  Today, “tolerance” means that we must tolerate EVERY form of anti-Christian behavior WHILE simultaneously tolerating ZERO tolerance being extended to Christians and their beliefs.  Modern “tolerance” is a one way street it seems.  Inconsistent application and enforcement of the law is the hallmark of a tyrannical society.  It breeds resentment between groups as one group’s rights are trampled while another experiences favorable treatment.  Christian’s first amendment rights have been drastically restricted in modern society and yet the churches, civil rights leaders, the ACLU etc. remain conspicuously quiet on this glaring constitutional issue. 

 

At this point you may be thinking I’ve gone off topic.  “Isn’t this article about the power of social media being wasted?”   – To which I say “Yes it is and I promise you these two topics are connected.  Stay with me.”

 

Ultimately the problem is that we have forgotten why we are here.  What is the meaning of life and what is our purpose?  In the absence of purpose, life simply becomes a period of time passing by.  To cope with a purposeless life most people resort to entertainment as a means of passing time and fighting boredom.  Therefore society’s overwhelming obsession with maters of entertainment says one thing about this world; there are billions of lost souls who have no purpose in life and thus make no effort to care about anything of substance or do anything of significance.  It’s a sad reality and unfortunately we, the church, have allowed billions of souls to progress through life never knowing the infinite love of our Creator.  In fact the Church itself has largely become too corrupted to function as an effective “witness” to these lost souls who perceive the church as judgmental hypocrites.  Sadly, they have a point.

 

We are supposed to be a people set apart.  We are supposed to be “In the world, not of the world.”  Instead, there tends to be little difference between us.  The divorce rates are the same between church and non-church going populations.   We gossip on Facebook.  Slander and backbite.  We obsess about how we look and desire the admiration of our peers.  We commit adultery.  We lie, murder and steal.  We covet our neighbor’s wives and immerse ourselves in pornographic material.  We are selfish and self-centered.  We are as materialistic as anyone else.  We get abortions or vote for politicians who support abortion.  Pastors have become agents of the state and allow their sermons to be censored by the IRS as to maintain their non-profit, 501C3 status.  Instead sermons are tailored to cater to society’s need to feel positive and validated in their “me first” lifestyles because THOSE messages result in higher tithes from the congregation!  We are greed driven people.  In fact, is there any sin found in the Bible that the church is not guilty of?   It’s no wonder why non-Christians are jaded and unreceptive to Christians they perceive to be judgmental hypocrites.

 

Now, I will be the first to admit that I am far from perfect and this isn’t intended to be a “Holier than Thou” rant.  After all have not “all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God?”  That is what God’s grace and forgiveness is intended to cover.  That does not change the fact that in spite of God’s forgiveness we should endeavor daily to flee from sin and to live lives of righteousness.  The point I’m trying to make is that the modern church is that of Revelation 3:14-22: the Church of Laodicea.

 

¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.

 

¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

 

¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

 

¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

 

 ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

 

¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

 

²¹ To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

God intended the church to guide hearts, minds and souls with the message of salvation, celebrating hope we have in Jesus Christ.  Today the church is ridiculed, mocked and dismissed.  This change did not happen overnight.  It was a gradual process of decay as the church looked on, complicit through their lack of action.  As such, society has become increasingly secularized and atheistic.  People have lost sight of life’s purpose and now wander aimlessly, seeking solace in the opiate of substance abuse and mindless entertainment.  The amazing power of the internet and social media is wasted because humanity no longer recognizes the value of life.  Humanity has lost respect for themselves and are hopelessly trapped in meaningless lives, ignorant of life’s true purpose.  It has been the apathy and lack of action of the Church that has allowed the gradual decay of our moral foundation.  The truth our souls seek is the message of Jesus Christ which gives hope and meaning to this life.  Without it we are but empty shells wandering aimlessly through the desert.  Nothing can quench man’s thirst but the Living Water, offered freely by Jesus Christ to all who wish to thirst no more.

 

The Church, not wanting to offend people, has become silent on many issues it should be fomenting opinion AND action amongst its members.  In the absence of a strong Church of Christ rises a strong Church of Satan, whose loyal members are eager to sell their souls in exchange for earthly riches and power.  Many will scoff at the notion that the Devil is real and, like a boogieman, is behind every corner waiting to attack.  His tactics are however, more cunning and subtle than most are willing to believe.  In our naiveté we turn blind eyes to daily evidence that the hand of Satan is at work in every aspect of society.  There is little solace to be found and no reprieve from his efforts.  Every major aspect of society is actively being gamed to propagate the destruction of man in this cosmic chess match between the Creator and his rebellious angels. 

 

In restoring meaning to our lives it becomes critical to understand where it is that we fall within God’s universe.  The first thing we all must understand is our relationship with the Creator.  It is founded on LOVE.  He loves each and every one of us unconditionally and in spite of our sin.   We are all his children and he made each one of us unique.  In all the world, like a snowflake, there is not another that is identical.  Society has imposed distinctions upon us that serve to separate and categorize us in hierarchical ways according to looks, race, lineage, social status, wealth, relative intelligence and a myriad of other means of segregation.  We then evaluate our status within God’s Universe as seen through the prism of status as established by imperfect, sinful men.  This leads some to feel arrogant about their status while others become depressed.  The system is always set up as a pyramid scheme with an unobtainable elite placed over the rest of us who do not measure up to the standards THEY established!  WHO ARE YOU?  You are NOT who the world says you are, you are who GOD says you are!  All day long however, we are bombarded with attempts to distract us from this powerful, divine understanding.  The system they have set up is against the nature of God.  It is also against the proposition posed by our Founding Fathers that “all men are created equal.”  Rather than recognizing this and rejecting the corrupt system of control Satan has established through his surrogates, we accept that there is inequality amongst the world’s peoples as simply being “the way things are.”   To which I say, “Just because that’s the way things are does NOT mean that that’s the way things should be.”  It’s up to us to change the world for the better rather than passively tolerating it.  If you see a problem, FIX IT!  If you don’t see a problem with the way the world is run, then you’re not paying attention!

 

Please understand that inequality of wealth is not the core issue of which I speak.  Simply redistributing wealth amongst the world’s population would not be a solution.  Man should be fairly rewarded for his hard work and those who don’t work should not be equally rewarded.  This is a Biblical principal.  The inequality I speak of is one most people may not recognize.  It is an attitude held by the world’s ruling elite.  They see the rest of us as animals.  “Livestock” is a more accurate description.  We are their property and will act with as much empathy as a rancher feels towards cattle he sends to slaughter.  We are to be “managed” by them and occasionally they must “cull the heard” as the world’s population becomes unmanageable to rule. 

 

Why is it that the Elites always send other people’s children to die in wars they start?  Why do elite banking families finance both sides of wars for hundreds of years?  Why do they finance political campaigns of both major parties?  Why have the Elites financed eugenics organizations to legalize and promote abortion throughout the world?  Why have they financed initiatives that undermine family values?  Why do they finance educational systems AND in doing so gain a position to dictate curriculum for America’s schools and Colleges?  Why do they finance anti Second Amendment groups who work tirelessly to chip away at America’s gun rights?  Why do they poison our air, water, food, and medicine?  Why do they poison our minds through the distraction of entertainment as well as a controlled, subservient media who operate as disinformation agents of global propaganda?  Two words:  “Profit” and “Control”.  Maybe that’s why they always form untaxed “philanthropic” trusts as a way of sheltering billions of dollars while using these now untaxed dollars to fund groups that exclusively promote policies which will increase their profits and control agendas. 

 

As a word of warning, if a group is sponsored by a “philanthropic” trust operated by people or groups in the top 0.01% wealthiest in the world, chances are that the polices being promoted are not in your interest … unless you too are in the top 0.01% AND are play nice with them. As is said in I Timothy 6:10, “the love of money is the root of all evil.”  Who loves money more than those who are not satisfied with their wealth, even having a billion dollars or more?  Be wary of these people as their efforts to gain wealth are often done at the expense of others.   

 

And finally, why do the Elite gloat about their subversive, anti-human, anti-Constitutional, anti-Christian goals in public memoirs and white papers?  Because they know that the general population is too distracted and preoccupied to realize what’s going on and furthermore, they are too apathetic to do anything about it if they did.  It is shear ARROGANCE on their parts!  They want the world to know that what’s happening is not random, but organized.  It is out of true pathological criminality that these elite members confess their deeds as manifestos of the New World Order.  Unfortunately less than 1% of the population has ever heard of books like Carroll Quigley’s Tragedy and Hope or have read David Rockefellers book, Memoirs.  Most however, have heard of or possibly read George Orwell’s 1984 or Aldous Huxley’s, Brave New World, and despite the fact these books foreshadowed the exact world we live in today, we fail to realize that these books were not simply “good guesses” about what the future would hold.  Both Orwell and Huxley were part of elitist intelligentsia circles and their “prophetic” books were merely conduits, communicating the Elite’s plans for the world’s future.  They were right because they were told what was to happen.  These works were released as a means of conditioning the public for what was to come as well as serving as a yet another “calling card” of the Elite’s premeditated efforts.

 

I am now about 3000 words into this article and you may be wondering what spawned this lengthy piece.  Much of what I write is a reaction to things I see or hear in daily life.  This article was written in reaction to the response I saw after posting a certain article to my Facebook wall.  This was an article written by Ronald S. Lauderaug entitled “Who Will Stand Up for the Christians?” (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/opinion/ronald-lauder-who-will-stand-up-for-the-christians.html)  The article was originally sent to me by my brother who knows that I have been pointing out the ongoing genocide against Christians in the Middle East for the last several years as much of the Western World ignores this tragedy.  It’s a short article (unlike this one) and does a good job of pointing out the glaring fact that much of the world is obsessing over the Israel / Palestinian conflict while ignoring that tens of thousands of Christians have been murdered by the terrorist group ISIS with hardly anyone talking about it.  He believes that even as a Jew that it is ethical for him to speak out against this, in defense of the Christians from a purely humanitarian point of view, if nothing else.  He is then asking “Who will stand up for the Christians?” because at this point it seems as though, few are.  This echoes my own feelings and as such I reposed the article to my personal Facebook page for others to read as well.  What came next astounded me. 

 

I am writing this article now one week later after posting that article and it has gotten ZERO likes or comments from anyone.  I have an assortment of friends and acquaintances as Facebook friends and between them all I feel there is a fair amount of diversity (ethnicity, religion, political beliefs etc.).  Many of my friends are constantly on Facebook and could not have missed it.  I had my wife check my post from her account to verify that people could actually see it in the presence of such deafening silence.  It is a RARE day on Facebook where you can post something and get ZERO likes or comments.  I could literally post “J” and get more of a response than this article.  Also, know that I did not post this article to draw attention to myself and I’m not writing this article because I feel my pride is hurt over my “lack of popularity”.  I am writing this article out of sadness that my catalogue of Facebook friends seems to be indifferent to a mainstream article highlighting a major tragedy that is ongoing in our world.  Who will stand up for the Christians?  Unfortunately, based on this response, I wouldn’t count on my Facebook friends to be the first in line. 

 

Please note: I recognize this is an incredibly judgmental statement that implies that I know the hearts of every person I’m friends with on Facebook.  I know that there are many who would stand up for the Christians.  I also know that based on all the posts I see, for some reason it seems that people are too busy with trivial issues to care about one of significance.  That is why I am writing the article.  We need to begin to utilize the powerful technological resources at our disposal for more important purposes than these self-indulgent / distracting things that are far more pervasive.

 

This is frustration is magnified after seeing approximately 9 different ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge” posts in a 48 hour span after reposing this article.  Everyone is so caught up in some viral fundraising / awareness raising GIMMICK to care about real tragedy unfolding EVERY DAY in the Middle East.  Not to take away from the legitimacy of Lou Gehrig ’s Disease as its own tragedy, but just like cancer, millions of dollars and all the attention in the world will not likely find a cure.  (Sadly, at the end of the day, researching cures tends to be such big business that actually finding one would jeopardize massive amounts of money and the jobs of thousands of researchers.)  BUT even though finding a cure is unlikely, the gimmick of the ice bucket challenge has gone viral and through promotion in the media with celebrities and politicians taking part, everyone seems eager to join in as the trendy thing to do.  Meanwhile, Christians are being decapitated and how many churches are talking about this?  How many politicians or celebrities are talking about this?  This is a real situation that if the countries of the world were so motivated by an outraged public, a REAL cure to ISIS’s reign of terror could be found in a short period of time (relative to finding cures for major diseases).  BUT NO!  Poor buckets of ice water on your heads and dare your friends to do the same dopy thing because “Its for a good cause.”  Meanwhile there are people in the Middle East doing the “ISIS Bucket Challenge”, which involves dumping buckets of their victims’ blood over their heads in celebration of murdering innocent people because their beliefs were different.  Put THAT image on YouTube and see how much attention it gets!

 

The technology we now possess had the potential to make us 10 times better than those who preceded us, and yet, the stark reality is that we’re closer to 1/10^th of those who came before.  We’ve forgotten who we are in this world and in the scope of eternity.  As such we no longer have respect for life, respect for ourselves and consequently lack the real empathy needed to foment action in defense of our innocent brothers and sisters being murdered on the other side of the planet. 

 

I implore all who read this article to consider the following 10 items as a course of action:

 

            First, we must remember who we are and why we are here on this earth.

           

            Secondly we must restore in our hearts’ and minds’, respect for ourselves and others.

 

Third, we must recognize that there is a real spiritual battle being fought and man is effectively a pawn in this cosmic game of chess.  There is real evil in this world.  It is everywhere and as children of God it is our duty to stand BOLDLY against it! 

 

Fourth, we must recognize that, as the Bible says, Satan is the “god of this world” and as such he has placed his surrogates in places of human power for the purpose of setting the stage for the prophesied, rise of the Anti-Christ.  (Remember that he offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would only worship him.  Do not be so naive to believe that he could not make the same offer to others until he found those willing to sell their souls for earthly power and riches.)

 

Fifth, we must reconnect with the words and teachings of the Bible, taking them to heart and living out the lives we’re called to lead. 

 

Sixth, we must remember that we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers beyond that which we can conceive.  Knowing this we must utilize PRAYER as the most powerful weapon against spiritual warfare. 

 

Seventh, we must shun the obvious efforts by the enemy to distract us from issues of importance, using tools against us that should be used to EMPOWER us against him!  Therefore we must use the internet and social media as a means of informing ourselves and others about the nature of reality, always seeking the truth, NOT entertainment!  We must sharpen our minds, not dull them!

 

Eighth, we must remember that the future is set and in spite of our efforts, the Kingdom of the Anti-Christ will rise, he will persecute the church and many across the globe, one day, will suffer and / or die during the Tribulation.  (We must also recognize that despite what interpretation of pre-trib / post-trib rapture one may hold, it is none-the-less prudent to plan for, and behave as if, Christian believers will have to endure the Tribulation.  I cannot think of a better way to disengage the Church from action than to propagate the idea that they will be raptured prior to the Tribulation and the rise of the Anti-Christ.  Perhaps this is why the church is “lukewarm”.  They don’t care about these global situations because they believe they’ll be raptured before it affects them?  I would love to be saved from the pain of martyrdom, but I’m more fearful that this hope will spawn an attitude of detachment such that I fail to confront Satan’s efforts out of an expectation that they won’t affect me.  That is not the life we are called to lead by God.  We must hope for the best but prepare for the worst!)

 

Ninth, we must change the world by starting with those closest to us.  We can affect the greatest change by reaching out to those around us, rather than expecting letters to Congressmen (who are bought and paid for) to have any real effect within our world.  (Ask yourselves who you would regret not seeing in heaven one day and start there… I know for SURE that Diane Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi are NOT very high on that list for me)

 

Tenth, “vote with your dollars.”  There are many international, globalist owned corporations that dominate all aspects of commerce.  We shop with many of them because it is easy or they have the best prices.  Unfortunately, every dollar we spend with them serves only to make them stronger…which often go to support the transfer of jobs to countries where slavery is effectively legal and freedom of speech is not.  (Just a Jesus, in his only moment of violence in the Bible, drove the money changers from the Temple, understand that debt, financial manipulation and ultimately BANKS are the things utilized to control modern society.  If we find ways to circumvent their systems of debt / credit and control, we begin to take back our sovereignty, not to mention our dignity.  As the Bible says “owe no man”, because presence of debt can be used to leverage you into doing things you would not do otherwise.)

 

                So there you have it.  “Thank You” to those who took your valuable time to read this article and contemplate some of the issues it raises.  I pray that each and every one of you will be inspired to begin reaching out to people within your circles as we try to break humanity of this “entertainment trance” in which our modern society is trapped.  May the one true God of the Universe, Father of Jesus Christ, bless you, guide your efforts and protect you from the many slings and arrows the enemy will send your way as you endeavor to establish the Kingdom of God in the midst of the real, Kingdom of Satan.  Peace be with you all. 

 

#WAKEUPPEOPLE1776

 

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