IS GOD ALIVE?
“How can we know that God is really alive? All we know about Him is what we learn from sermons held in church. We never see His power or miracles.”
This is the kind of question I am repeatedly asked when addressing teenagers in a group, or at individual consultations. What they say about the church is unfortunately true, in my opinion, and I am convinced that the churches sooner or later have to face a tragedy. This especially accounts for a large number of the traditional English and Afrikaans churches, where many pastors really fall short of providing their flocks with true spiritual leadership. It can be ascribed to church leaders not really being filled with the Holy Spirit, and therefore merely at ease about the sins of the world… Such so-called spiritual leaders are mostly more interested in their own comfort and status in the midst of congregations abounding in numbers and imposing churches. The real Truth, namely Jesus Christ and His redeeming work, becomes a sweet-sounding story, and consequently nobody experiences grief any more on account of the widespread compromising with unbelievers. The congregation members might be offended if the solid truth were preached to them!
PLAYING RELIGION VERSUS SPRITUAL POWERS
In this way attending church becomes a matter of routine, without the church-goer striving to live in the presence of the Lord. And such self-centred leaders are blind to the needs of their sheep, crying for the purifying working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
The Bible is clear in its verdict on this kind of “playing religion,” without experiencing any spiritual powers as stated in 2 Timothy 3:5:
“Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
CHURCH VERSUS HOME
It also happens too often that the teenager is forced to attend church – but doesn’t experience an example of Christian life or behaviour at home, or even among other church members. This kind of hypocrisy becomes a major stumbling-block, and eventually people tend to label all Christians with the same tag. Too often also, children attend church only until their confirmation – and then they disappear completely. They have gone through the process of catechesis only to appease their parents…
BUDGET FOR THE YOUTH
As in my ministration I mainly focus on teenagers and other youngsters, I am often approached by church leaders with questions in this regard. Some of them are concerned about the youth but are not always realistic in their dealing with their problems. My contention is that youth ministry is getting a far too small portion of the church’s budget.
OH SO BORING
Too much attention and money are given to installing expensive carpets, exquisite lighting, comfortable seating and air-conditioning, with exotic gardens, et cetera, leaving but a meagre funding to provide in the needs of the youth… Occasionally a guest speaker will be invited to a special youth service (probably urged by the conscience of some person). Money may be voted for a youth camp, or refreshments for the coffee shop – where in any case only a small number of teenagers will be found, mostly those ostracised by the rest. And the rest, when asked why they don’t attend these get-togethers, will just leer: “Oh, they’re so bo-o-o-o-o-o-ring!”
SATAN’S TEMPTATIONS
Small wonder that they flock to places of entertainment, or hang round in the streets, looking for something to amuse them… This is the point where they are extremely vulnerable and susceptible to the temptations by Satan brought about through the pressure of undesirable “friends”. And no sooner or they land in some mischief that again takes endless hours to resolve, if it becomes known!
A SATANIC EPIDEMIC
At present we are experiencing an epidemic of satanism among the youth in South Africa. More that 600 teenagers from the white communities are said to be missing – the majority of whom Afrikaans-speaking. The major causes are drugs, the occult, and satanism. Crime and suicide among these enslaved young ones are increasing.
Satan is busy with a finely planned strategy of embezzling the young, trying to destroy them, because he knows that we adults prefer mostly to stay ignorant of the daunting fact that Satan is well aware that he has already been damned by God, being finally conquered by Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection. In every confrontation with God Satan and his fallen angels have been defeated, and therefore his wrath is focused on mankind, and at this stage on our children. Revelations 12: 9 – 12 says:
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”
THE FINAL STAGES
Owing to a lack of basic knowledge of the Bible, even few believers realise that we are in fact in the final stage of this world. Various descriptions and signs of the time, as contained in the Bible, are pointing to the hourglass running out. We, fighting at the frontline of this spiritual war, dealing with the lost sheep among the teenagers and other youth, can almost daily perceive the massive degeneration of moral values and norms among them.
DR KRIGE AND HOUSE REGENERATION
This adapted content was extracted from A Biblical Approach to Psychotherapy authored by Dr Ado Krige, the Founding Director of House Regeneration, a South African drug rehabilitation centre offering a comprehensive discipleship training program. By applying principles of Biblical Therapy, using the Scriptures to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness, House Regeneration counsellors show anyone who has suffered from addiction how to fully understand why they do what they do and how to bring their belief systems in line with the Word of God.
