A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Friday, July 12,
2019
We stopped yesterday to purchase some produce at a roadside produce stand and when I turned around I saw this wagon in the barn with freshly harvested sweet candy onions.
"A Lesson
Concerning Fads"
Message
summary:
Today we consider
fads, which are
nothing new.
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ" (Ephesians 4:14,15). "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines" (Hebrews 13:9).
Have you heard the latest fad? Well, I don't know what it is and if I thought I did I would probably be wrong!
A fad is defined as "an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze". In regard to products a fad is a product that has a very brief product life cycle that rises quickly in popularity but then declines about as quickly. Examples of fads include the Hula-hoop®, Pet Rock® and Beanie Babies® and many, many others. Brooksyne remembers Mexican Jumping Beans from her elementary school years.
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ" (Ephesians 4:14,15). "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines" (Hebrews 13:9).
Have you heard the latest fad? Well, I don't know what it is and if I thought I did I would probably be wrong!
A fad is defined as "an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze". In regard to products a fad is a product that has a very brief product life cycle that rises quickly in popularity but then declines about as quickly. Examples of fads include the Hula-hoop®, Pet Rock® and Beanie Babies® and many, many others. Brooksyne remembers Mexican Jumping Beans from her elementary school years.
Surely
every generation has
had fads. What do
you suppose the fads
were in the Bible
times?
I tend to resist fads. Even in High School I was probably considered a bit of a "square" for this. I've probably missed out on a few good things in life just because of my resistance to fads. However I feel that I've also avoided many teachings and trends which might have been of little value or even detrimental to my spiritual growth. If it's good it will last and I can use it when it's been tried and tested and I can clearly see the results.
The church is also susceptible to fads. Long-time pastor and Bible teacher John MacArthur wrote on what he calls "evangelical fad surfing".
I tend to resist fads. Even in High School I was probably considered a bit of a "square" for this. I've probably missed out on a few good things in life just because of my resistance to fads. However I feel that I've also avoided many teachings and trends which might have been of little value or even detrimental to my spiritual growth. If it's good it will last and I can use it when it's been tried and tested and I can clearly see the results.
The church is also susceptible to fads. Long-time pastor and Bible teacher John MacArthur wrote on what he calls "evangelical fad surfing".
"They
follow whatever is
the latest popular
trend. They buy
whatever is the
current best seller.
They line up to see
any celebrity who
speaks
spiritual-sounding
language. They watch
eagerly for the next
Hollywood movie with
any “spiritual”
theme or religious
imagery that they
can latch on to. And
evangelicals discuss
these fads and
fashions endlessly,
as if every cultural
icon that captures
their attention had
profound and serious
spiritual
significance.
Evangelical
churchgoers
desperately want
their churches to
stay on the leading
edge of whatever is
currently in vogue
in the evangelical
community." *
Fads in
the New Testament
were described by
Paul in our daily
texts. The first
daily text describes
this as "infants,
tossed back and
forth by the
waves, and blown
here and there by
every wind of
teaching and by
the cunning and
craftiness of men
in their deceitful
scheming."
This describes the
volatility of those
who fail to grow and
mature in Christ.
The writer of Hebrews warned, "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines" (13:9). Today we see a departure from the course of faith and Biblical teaching that our forefathers could hardly have imagined. Even in my own lifetime who would have predicted that something as foundational as the basic constitution of holy marriage between a man and a woman would be a serious issue of departure? Some of our readers have been forced by biblical convictions to leave their church due to fad teachings that deviate from God's Holy Word. Tragically, some pastors base their teaching more on fads and opinion polls than the unwavering truths as taught by our Creator.
What can the righteous do?
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
The writer of Hebrews warned, "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines" (13:9). Today we see a departure from the course of faith and Biblical teaching that our forefathers could hardly have imagined. Even in my own lifetime who would have predicted that something as foundational as the basic constitution of holy marriage between a man and a woman would be a serious issue of departure? Some of our readers have been forced by biblical convictions to leave their church due to fad teachings that deviate from God's Holy Word. Tragically, some pastors base their teaching more on fads and opinion polls than the unwavering truths as taught by our Creator.
What can the righteous do?
1) I
call on my pastor
peers to heed this
solemn Scriptural
command: "Preach
the Word; be
prepared in
season and out
of season;
correct, rebuke
and
encourage—with
great patience
and careful
instruction"
(2 Timothy 4:2)
and to "Teach
what is in
accord with
sound doctrine"
(Titus 2:1).
Resist the trite
fads that flood
the church though
it may go counter
to the plethora of
church growth
advice.
2) I call on all dedicated followers of Christ to implement the God-ordained means to stability and health in your spiritual lives. Through our unwavering commitment to read God's Word and through the practice of other spiritual disciplines the character of Christ is developed in us as we are rooted and grounded in Him who is the Head, which results in long-term spiritual stability.
2) I call on all dedicated followers of Christ to implement the God-ordained means to stability and health in your spiritual lives. Through our unwavering commitment to read God's Word and through the practice of other spiritual disciplines the character of Christ is developed in us as we are rooted and grounded in Him who is the Head, which results in long-term spiritual stability.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, Your
warnings
regarding the
deluge of
deceitful
tactics from
the enemy is
evidenced all
around us –
through the
media, books,
false prophets
and even
well-meaning
but confused
individuals.
Your Word is
the
stabilizing
and
authoritative
doctrinal
manual for all
that I need
for life and
godliness. You
promise to
bring maturity
into my
Christian walk
as I apply
Your teaching
so that I
attain to the
fullness of
Your Son,
Jesus Christ,
the Chief
Cornerstone.
Help me to be
wise, studied,
and vigilant
so that I
correctly
discern good
from bad,
truth from
error. In Your
holy name I
pray, Amen.
Yesterday
driving
through a
rural portion
of Lancaster
County we
passed these
three
old-order
Mennonite
girls (women)
who had just
left some type
of gathering
on a farm
where we
purchase
produce. This
group does not
seem very
susceptible to
fads and ever
since we have
lived in this
area have been
riding bikes
that look like
these with the
plain
cardboard
boxes for
hauling stuff.
Unfortunately
it was a tough
day for their
mode of travel
since we had
heavy
downpours
early in the
morning and
late
afternoon.
After
we got home we
had a heavy
downpour which
often results
in a flooded
lawn.
Thankfully in
over 17 years
of living here
it's never
come up to our
house and we
have never had
a flooded
basement where
our family
room is.
(click on photo to enlarge)
(click on photo to enlarge)
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
* "Evangelical
Fad Surfing"
John MacArthur
Finally today:
We
all need encouraged and are
thankful when it comes in
unexpected ways. Yesterday
we received a gracious thank
you note via snail mail from
a Podcast listener in
Memphis Tennessee. He wrote
in part:
"I hope you both
are well! I know we have
never met but I feel like I
know you through your
"Dailyencouragement.net"
site. I happened across it
about 2 or 3 years ago while
walking on a trail around
our office complex while on
my evening break. I just
told Siri - "Bring up
something I can listen to
related to Christian
Encouragement and 'Bam' I
found you two! (Yay)"
We are pleased
that Siri recommended
Dailyencouragement and we
are very grateful to all our
readers and listeners who
take time out of their day
to join us for a reflection
from God's Word as well as a
little personal family
message we often include.
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