Real-- Or Fake?

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Today's Passage: 2 Peter Chapter 2 
Memory Verse: 2 Peter 2:1-2

The other day, there was a news report on television about how many people are now choosing to buy fake trees, which is causing a decline in the sale of real fir trees during the Christmas season.  The primary reason for the new trend, of course,  is due to financial constraints on the average middle-class family.  The real trees have become too expensive for something that will be thrown away after only a month.  On the other hand,  fake trees are inexpensive, less of a hassle to put up and take down.  Some even said they preferred fake trees because they were less likely to catch fire.

I actually have to agree with the argument for the fake tree-- which is why I am not ashamed to say I have one in my living room.  But something--no, Someone begins to nudge me and urge me to look deeper than the surface.  Just because something is inconvenient and not that easy to maintain, is that reason enough to just abandon it?  Come to think of it, choosing ANYTHING fake over something real goes against everything we believe in as Christians.

Please don't get me wrong-- I just told you that I like a fake tree as much as anyone.  But the attitude of doing away with what's real just so we can have the counterfeit reflects what is going on in our society today.  Slowly but surely, the REAL Christian values that we've always known are being replaced by ideas that promote AntiChrist beliefs, but are disguised as "tolerance" of other faiths.  What's even more sobering is that some of these beliefs are being preached from the pulpit of spiritual leaders whom many look up to.

Let me give you an example.  When we watch Christian television, we expect that these values will be upheld on that channel, right?  Well, that's what I thought, too -- until I saw some advertisements fora Christian matchmaking website for singles that actually encourages believers to step out and find their mates through their own means.  All I know is that the Bible is still the One Real thing we'd better not ignore.  And we'd certainly better not exchange it for anything that just sounds convenient.  Our existence depends on it.

Prayer: Father, in a world where the lines of morality are dissolving at a steady rate, I depend on You to keep me focused on Your ways.  I don't want to ever fall into the trap of desiring anything counterfeit instead of You, or Your Word.  I love You forever, and will always be totally devoted to You alone.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.