A TRUE AND FAITHFUL WITNESS
Are you committed to being a true and faithful witness to the Lord Jesus Christ of the New Testament Gospel?
Image and Imagination in the Church and in the Media:
The Staging of the Worship of Antichrist
It has been said that images are “powerful.” And not too many years ago we
were told by a well-known tennis star in a camera advertisement that “image is
everything.” The sad fact is there are many times in our lives that the
“realities” we observe are simply outward images or symbols. And then we or
someone else ascribes to these images a reality that is not truly present - a
“false” reality.
Religious icons like statues of Mary or St. Christopher medals have historically
been used in this way. Even the “symbol” of incense may fall into this
“sensory” category. Mankind loves the “feelings” elicited in the heart in
observing and meditating on the icon or symbol. Man loves being carried away
in his imagination to the worship of an idol because of the great “feelings” that
can be associated with those things. But the image is false. This is why images
of God are strictly forbidden in the Law of Moses.
We are living in the midst of an entire generation of people who are immersed
in the power of image versus the power of truth. This “power of image” exists
and continues in the world. And it is greatly enhanced through modern
technologies in our immersion in movies, television, video games, and, now
with the advent of Harry Potter, even books for young people. And this power
of image immerses this generation in “spiritually powerful” deception. And the
really sad fact is that a growing apostate church has taken up the “power of
image” to “win them to Christ.” The apostate church is not winning them to
Jesus Christ – it is immersing them in their own fallen corrupt worship, their
own self-help seminars, their own I’m Okay-Your Okay consensus building
fellowships, their own sensual and iconic “faith”- and then saying to whoever
joins in - it is their “salvation.”
The images say to the fallen human heart: Never mind the facts of the
revelation of God in Scripture. We want the image – we want the idol our
fallen human natures wish to know. In my seminary classes I was reminded of
the fact that revelation in Scripture is God acting, and then explaining the
meaning of His act and explaining His nature in the midst of that act, and also
the condition of those that observed the act. It is called the written Word of
God and it is revelatory! He had to do it because fallen man can not come
up with the truth on his own! Not about God or himself! Any observance of
man “by himself” is always skewed by the sinful heart. Always! Modern
mankind is well content in seeing an image or symbol and then gaining a
feeling or ascribing a meaning to it themselves. This is why we can never
“appeal to” or “stroke” the fallen human heart in our gospel preaching. The
“purpose-driven® model” rejects the revelation by proof-text and then by
human effort they support their model with slick marketing schemes toward
ecumenism. The emergent model rejects the revelation by first rejecting the
purpose-driven® model. But then it embraces a “narrative model” (non-
objective truth) of Scripture interpretation which it then humanly supports with
“group consensus-building” and mysticism. Both reject the revelation. One
currently rejects the other. But both will happily converge toward Catholicism!
In fact, the preaching of the cross (the facts about its meaning) is foolishness
to those who are perishing. The Spirit of God brings the conviction of a need
of a Savior from sin. All other “gospel” preaching is ultimately a sham. Our
preaching should never try to “compete” for fallen human hearts with the same
weapons of an iconic faith. Our weapons are spiritual truth for the destroying
of these false images. These images are powerful enough on their own to the
fallen human heart. Yet there is the god of this present evil age: ever ready
and present to “spiritually energize” these lying strongholds of captivity.
Some “pastors” reject the real warfare associated with proclaiming the truth.
They think they win souls by wowing them with things like “Christian” rock and
then by wooing them with a message about a slobbering God of love who is
evidently not very holy! They believe they have to do this – because they can
not get nor keep their attention any other way! So the cross of Jesus Christ as
the “true symbol” of our fallen condition before a Holy God and His redeeming
love in the sacrifice of His only Son is out the door in the apostate church! If
the reality of that “symbol” is removed – it is replaced with something else!
Always! And when the cross is robbed of its true meaning – it is replaced with
a man-centered “gospel.” So things like self-esteem, self-worth, self-fulfillment
through purpose, the building of man’s kingdom on earth as if it were God’s,
and other such things become the hallmarks of this false gospel. If we don’t
receive the One who has revealed Himself in truth – we will receive a LIE as if it
is true and the resultant false life and worship. Then Jesus words become
critical – “Be careful that the light in you is not darkness – for how great is the
darkness!” (See Matthew 6:23 and context)
For the world, “fantasy” is becoming “reality” as we are plummeting headlong
toward the full revelation of the Antichrist. And this is the sad truth. By the
time he is being revealed – he will simply be able to appeal to that which
Lucifer (“light” bearer) has already set up in the hearts of fallen mankind.
Satan’s man is the visible embodiment which God allows to arise as a great
“statue” of each individual’s self-obsession, self-love and self-deification. That
is why Revelation 13 says that the whole world loves and follows the beast and
makes an “image” to him. Even now, image-making kits; worldly, religious and
“supposedly-Christian” (Satan is an “equal-opportunity deceiver”) are being
sold world-wide through conferences, movies, tapes, music, and books. And
this work is “seamless” to the fallen human heart! The world will gladly follow
the Antichrist because he is the embodiment of each person’s own ultimate
self-worship! The phrase in Scripture in Genesis 3:5 is “you shall be as god.”
The human heart can then be moved to say: instead of God – I can worship –
ME – and even call it “Christian” if I want.
Repent of the growing delusion before it is too late! Place your faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior! Being incarnate deity – He is the TRUE
image of the invisible God.
Because for mankind, the False Prophet and their new head – the Antichrist –
The Fallen Image is Everything!
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians 1:18 ESV
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14
KJV
Copyright 2006, David Sheldon, all rights reserved. Can be photocopied and
distributed. Can not be published for profit in any form. Can be linked.
(www.atrueandfaithfulwitness.com/fallenimage.htm)
The Staging of the Worship of Antichrist
It has been said that images are “powerful.” And not too many years ago we
were told by a well-known tennis star in a camera advertisement that “image is
everything.” The sad fact is there are many times in our lives that the
“realities” we observe are simply outward images or symbols. And then we or
someone else ascribes to these images a reality that is not truly present - a
“false” reality.
Religious icons like statues of Mary or St. Christopher medals have historically
been used in this way. Even the “symbol” of incense may fall into this
“sensory” category. Mankind loves the “feelings” elicited in the heart in
observing and meditating on the icon or symbol. Man loves being carried away
in his imagination to the worship of an idol because of the great “feelings” that
can be associated with those things. But the image is false. This is why images
of God are strictly forbidden in the Law of Moses.
We are living in the midst of an entire generation of people who are immersed
in the power of image versus the power of truth. This “power of image” exists
and continues in the world. And it is greatly enhanced through modern
technologies in our immersion in movies, television, video games, and, now
with the advent of Harry Potter, even books for young people. And this power
of image immerses this generation in “spiritually powerful” deception. And the
really sad fact is that a growing apostate church has taken up the “power of
image” to “win them to Christ.” The apostate church is not winning them to
Jesus Christ – it is immersing them in their own fallen corrupt worship, their
own self-help seminars, their own I’m Okay-Your Okay consensus building
fellowships, their own sensual and iconic “faith”- and then saying to whoever
joins in - it is their “salvation.”
The images say to the fallen human heart: Never mind the facts of the
revelation of God in Scripture. We want the image – we want the idol our
fallen human natures wish to know. In my seminary classes I was reminded of
the fact that revelation in Scripture is God acting, and then explaining the
meaning of His act and explaining His nature in the midst of that act, and also
the condition of those that observed the act. It is called the written Word of
God and it is revelatory! He had to do it because fallen man can not come
up with the truth on his own! Not about God or himself! Any observance of
man “by himself” is always skewed by the sinful heart. Always! Modern
mankind is well content in seeing an image or symbol and then gaining a
feeling or ascribing a meaning to it themselves. This is why we can never
“appeal to” or “stroke” the fallen human heart in our gospel preaching. The
“purpose-driven® model” rejects the revelation by proof-text and then by
human effort they support their model with slick marketing schemes toward
ecumenism. The emergent model rejects the revelation by first rejecting the
purpose-driven® model. But then it embraces a “narrative model” (non-
objective truth) of Scripture interpretation which it then humanly supports with
“group consensus-building” and mysticism. Both reject the revelation. One
currently rejects the other. But both will happily converge toward Catholicism!
In fact, the preaching of the cross (the facts about its meaning) is foolishness
to those who are perishing. The Spirit of God brings the conviction of a need
of a Savior from sin. All other “gospel” preaching is ultimately a sham. Our
preaching should never try to “compete” for fallen human hearts with the same
weapons of an iconic faith. Our weapons are spiritual truth for the destroying
of these false images. These images are powerful enough on their own to the
fallen human heart. Yet there is the god of this present evil age: ever ready
and present to “spiritually energize” these lying strongholds of captivity.
Some “pastors” reject the real warfare associated with proclaiming the truth.
They think they win souls by wowing them with things like “Christian” rock and
then by wooing them with a message about a slobbering God of love who is
evidently not very holy! They believe they have to do this – because they can
not get nor keep their attention any other way! So the cross of Jesus Christ as
the “true symbol” of our fallen condition before a Holy God and His redeeming
love in the sacrifice of His only Son is out the door in the apostate church! If
the reality of that “symbol” is removed – it is replaced with something else!
Always! And when the cross is robbed of its true meaning – it is replaced with
a man-centered “gospel.” So things like self-esteem, self-worth, self-fulfillment
through purpose, the building of man’s kingdom on earth as if it were God’s,
and other such things become the hallmarks of this false gospel. If we don’t
receive the One who has revealed Himself in truth – we will receive a LIE as if it
is true and the resultant false life and worship. Then Jesus words become
critical – “Be careful that the light in you is not darkness – for how great is the
darkness!” (See Matthew 6:23 and context)
For the world, “fantasy” is becoming “reality” as we are plummeting headlong
toward the full revelation of the Antichrist. And this is the sad truth. By the
time he is being revealed – he will simply be able to appeal to that which
Lucifer (“light” bearer) has already set up in the hearts of fallen mankind.
Satan’s man is the visible embodiment which God allows to arise as a great
“statue” of each individual’s self-obsession, self-love and self-deification. That
is why Revelation 13 says that the whole world loves and follows the beast and
makes an “image” to him. Even now, image-making kits; worldly, religious and
“supposedly-Christian” (Satan is an “equal-opportunity deceiver”) are being
sold world-wide through conferences, movies, tapes, music, and books. And
this work is “seamless” to the fallen human heart! The world will gladly follow
the Antichrist because he is the embodiment of each person’s own ultimate
self-worship! The phrase in Scripture in Genesis 3:5 is “you shall be as god.”
The human heart can then be moved to say: instead of God – I can worship –
ME – and even call it “Christian” if I want.
Repent of the growing delusion before it is too late! Place your faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior! Being incarnate deity – He is the TRUE
image of the invisible God.
Because for mankind, the False Prophet and their new head – the Antichrist –
The Fallen Image is Everything!
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians 1:18 ESV
“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14
KJV
Copyright 2006, David Sheldon, all rights reserved. Can be photocopied and
distributed. Can not be published for profit in any form. Can be linked.
(www.atrueandfaithfulwitness.com/fallenimage.htm)
| All rights reserved. |
HOME
Discernment
Rick Warren
Forty Days: False Gospel
Forty Days: A Closer Look
Forty Days: Which Jesus?
PDL: God's Wisdom
PDL: Exalting the Fallen Creation
PDL: A Purpose-Shaped
Worldview
Antichrist
Will Antichrist Be Revealed
Before the Tribulation?
Staging the Worship of Antichrist
The Great Harlot
"Mystery" Babylon
"Emerging" Church
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 1
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 2
Church Growth Movement
Schuller, Hybels & Warren
Review of Schuller's "Self-Esteem"
False Apostles, False
Prophets, False Revival
River of Seducing Spirits
Spiritual Warfare Script
Deception of Spiritual Warfare
Flags & Banners...Spiritual Power
Tools?
Davidic Warfare/Worship?
Jesus of the "Signs" Now the
"Christ" of Apostolic Government
Mystical Christianity?
Tenney's Mystical Deity Chase
Richard Foster: Quaker Mystic?
Willard and "The Way of Jesus"
What Oswald Chambers
Might Have Thought About
Todays "Christianity"
Discernment
Rick Warren
Forty Days: False Gospel
Forty Days: A Closer Look
Forty Days: Which Jesus?
PDL: God's Wisdom
PDL: Exalting the Fallen Creation
PDL: A Purpose-Shaped
Worldview
Antichrist
Will Antichrist Be Revealed
Before the Tribulation?
Staging the Worship of Antichrist
The Great Harlot
"Mystery" Babylon
"Emerging" Church
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 1
Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell - Part 2
Church Growth Movement
Schuller, Hybels & Warren
Review of Schuller's "Self-Esteem"
False Apostles, False
Prophets, False Revival
River of Seducing Spirits
Spiritual Warfare Script
Deception of Spiritual Warfare
Flags & Banners...Spiritual Power
Tools?
Davidic Warfare/Worship?
Jesus of the "Signs" Now the
"Christ" of Apostolic Government
Mystical Christianity?
Tenney's Mystical Deity Chase
Richard Foster: Quaker Mystic?
Willard and "The Way of Jesus"
What Oswald Chambers
Might Have Thought About
Todays "Christianity"