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| "I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction, Cause I try and I try and I try and I try, I can't get no..." The Rolling Stones in 1965 |
EARLY SATISFACTION
I remember the 1960's with fondness...
I was the third born of four children. My father was a home builder, and as such, built us a modest home in Surrey, BC. My entire childhood memory has this split-level contemporary home as the backdrop for the first two decades of my life.
Although money must have been tight, I don't remember lacking anything we needed. There was always enough food to eat, and clothes to wear. From year to year, a variety of above ground pools cooled us during the hot days of summer sun, and in the winter, our living room hosted a large fireplace that would make my chilled, wet body toasty warm in seconds.
Some of my warmest memories are from Christmas... sitting under ours brightly lit tree, glowing with a rainbow of colors, and pouring over the Sears Wish Book which was faithfully delivered to our front door each year. "If only I could get that Air Hockey set or this GI Joe action figure," I would tell myself.
I would sit there for hours, pouring over every glossy photo of every page... "Ahhh, If only I had this toy or that game... well, it would be the best Christmas ever!" I would whisper. Little did I know, I was sowing seeds for future discontent.
GROWING DISCONTENT
1960's were turbulent years...
It was a decade when our country's moral foundation was being tested. The nation's youth were being raised on a diet of radio and TV promises: Everything from brushing with Colgate will make you every girl's dream date, to serving a cup of Mountain-Grown Foldger's will keep your man home, happy, and content.
Many of America's first immigrants came here so they could worship the true God of the bible. (Our nation's founding documents are filled with the evidences which substantiates my claim!)
However, by the 1960's, America was many generations away from this founding truth, and over the decades, had lost their love and pursuit of their Creator. They had replaced their desire to pursue and love God with a passionate pursuit of the created. Some went after fancy clothes, fast cars, and other must have stuff... while others took the pathway of sex drugs and rock and roll. Both found themselves in bondage to the thing they had hoped would satisfy... the truth is, IT NEVER DOES!
JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE
The multimillionaire, John D. Rockefeller, was once asked the question, “How much money is enough?” He answered quite transparently, “Just a little bit more.” In other words, “I will never have enough.”
In the video below, Francis Chan delivers one of the clearest messages on what this Christian stuff is all about.. and why I believe what I believe! It's not a short clip... it's 45 minutes long. I would encourage you to plan a time when you can watch or listen to it in its entirety. But please take the time to view it!
I remember the 1960's with fondness...
I was the third born of four children. My father was a home builder, and as such, built us a modest home in Surrey, BC. My entire childhood memory has this split-level contemporary home as the backdrop for the first two decades of my life.
Although money must have been tight, I don't remember lacking anything we needed. There was always enough food to eat, and clothes to wear. From year to year, a variety of above ground pools cooled us during the hot days of summer sun, and in the winter, our living room hosted a large fireplace that would make my chilled, wet body toasty warm in seconds.
Some of my warmest memories are from Christmas... sitting under ours brightly lit tree, glowing with a rainbow of colors, and pouring over the Sears Wish Book which was faithfully delivered to our front door each year. "If only I could get that Air Hockey set or this GI Joe action figure," I would tell myself.
I would sit there for hours, pouring over every glossy photo of every page... "Ahhh, If only I had this toy or that game... well, it would be the best Christmas ever!" I would whisper. Little did I know, I was sowing seeds for future discontent.
GROWING DISCONTENT
1960's were turbulent years...
It was a decade when our country's moral foundation was being tested. The nation's youth were being raised on a diet of radio and TV promises: Everything from brushing with Colgate will make you every girl's dream date, to serving a cup of Mountain-Grown Foldger's will keep your man home, happy, and content.
Many of America's first immigrants came here so they could worship the true God of the bible. (Our nation's founding documents are filled with the evidences which substantiates my claim!)
However, by the 1960's, America was many generations away from this founding truth, and over the decades, had lost their love and pursuit of their Creator. They had replaced their desire to pursue and love God with a passionate pursuit of the created. Some went after fancy clothes, fast cars, and other must have stuff... while others took the pathway of sex drugs and rock and roll. Both found themselves in bondage to the thing they had hoped would satisfy... the truth is, IT NEVER DOES!
JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE
The multimillionaire, John D. Rockefeller, was once asked the question, “How much money is enough?” He answered quite transparently, “Just a little bit more.” In other words, “I will never have enough.”
"[In the Bible], Paul calls this covetousness, a disordered love or desire, loving more than God what ought to be loved less than God and only for the sake of God. But covetousness is the condition that this disordered heart is into, an act of loving too much what ought to be loved less. And that is why the wrath of God is coming. That is what idolatry looks like today. And it is everywhere in our culture.
So Paul puts it like this in Romans 1:25. They exchange the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature. Anything that is created rather than the creator. But there is no wrath for the children of God. And why is that? Because Paul said in 1 Thessalonians one: You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. So when we turn to Christ from idols we escape the wrath of God because he is for us. God is for us in Christ on the cross." John Piper [more]
"So many people have this Book [the Bible] all wrong. They think it’s just a list of rules. A bunch of dos or don’ts. They think it’s religion. That has never been God. Understand, this has always been about a relationship. It’s always been about love. This is the most romantic love story you will ever read in your life. It’s about a Creator who is so filled with love that He points to you and says I want you.
From the very start it’s been about a love relationship with God. God’s greatest command is “love me.” It’s not “do this, do that.” With all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your mind. Everything that’s in you. All the passion within you would you just direct it towards me and lets just be in love. And don’t turn it into anything else." Francis Chan
In the video below, Francis Chan delivers one of the clearest messages on what this Christian stuff is all about.. and why I believe what I believe! It's not a short clip... it's 45 minutes long. I would encourage you to plan a time when you can watch or listen to it in its entirety. But please take the time to view it!
If you don't see the video above, click the link below
The Fraud picked us clean, swindled us
of what our ancestors bequeathed us,
Gypped us out of our inheritance—
God-blessed flocks and God-given children.
We made our bed and now lie in it,
all tangled up in the dirty sheets of dishonor.
All because we sinned against our God,
we and our fathers and mothers.
From the time we took our first steps, said our first words,
we’ve been rebels, disobeying the voice of our God.”
from Jeremiah 3 The Message
