“When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him” – Luke 23:8.

“…for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly” – Mark 6:20.

IT WOULD BE far from being judgemental but rather accurate in stating that what we read in the above references depicts much of today’s widespread evangelicalism in America, desiring Jesus but still heading towards eternity without God. Modern day evangelicalism longs for the miraculous of outward signs but fails to know the miracle within of regeneration and continued growth in sanctification.

Today’s ‘progressive’ evangelicalism thrives on messages of hope that bolsters up one’s ego to go chase after that dream and have all the desires of the heart fulfilled. Today’s Jesus, in what constitutes much of modern Christendom, ‘promises’ to meet those demands and we have millions upon millions of people that eagerly flock to hear these so-called ‘inspirational’ and ‘divine’ anointed celebrities.

Despite the Jesus of the New Testament having been presented to a vast amount of people who supposedly ‘long’ for Him, their blindness prevents them from seeing Him. Their demand for the prosperous way of living hinders them from discerning the true Lord Jesus Christ of “deny your self, take up your cross and follow Me.” We live in days where there is almost zero tolerance for pure, sound doctrine, the preaching of the Word that faithfully expounds what it really means to come to Christ and follow Him on His terms.

It is self and sin that has wearied us – not so much the mishaps from day-to-day living, atrocities of war, terrorism and the prevailing unkindness and injustices in our world – where Christ calls us to Himself. “If any man desires to follow Me, let him deny himself…” Deny ourselves for what? That Christ may take preeminence over all our desires, dreams – the self-orientated motives for living. It is such that has wearied us because living for our own ends has been the very destructive note from the get-go; we were created to worship God and such a word has been so bent out of shape today to either mean you please the one (get the duty over and done with) with nothing but dread in your heart, or it is a time of emotional intoxication where one loses the ability to think straight. Worship involves every fibre of your being, not sing for three hours and get light-headed, but where one desirably and actively obeys God (Psalm 19:7-11; 119:174); one who lives in devotion God.

For much of society, it is almost effortless to rouse its curiosity in witnessing the miraculous and extraordinary. It is without doubt that such misdirected inquisitiveness answers for so much of the entertainment that has replaced the shekinah glory of God in our midst – and for those who are cautious of the reality of God making known His presence, it would be advisable to quit playing church as opposed to going through the motions because it’s the done thing, which is nothing more than mere pretence. There is no better way to convince unbelievers, especially atheists, with their own arguments when confronted with a testimony that lacks authenticity and persuasion. Having the presence of God in our midst will refute any argument brought against Truth and we have too long missed the nearness of God in our midst that many of us no longer believe it is requisite for our era!

King Herod heard John’s preaching gladly while living in flagrant sin. The Baptist’s preaching was far from hushing one to sleep; instead, he abruptly roused one from it. His words stung with scorching fire those who continued their union with sin. One of the incredible aspects found in some churches today, that completely misrepresent Christ and endorse blatant heresy, is how some of its members love to read the likes of C.H. Spurgeon and A.W. Tozer and yet go along with the spiritual flow of the fellowship that is anything other than being grounded in the Word of God. Like oil and water does not mix or amalgamate, so one who discerns and loves Truth will not tolerate (let alone endorse) anything opposed to it; compromise is non-negotiable, unless, of course, one has the mindset of Herod. He long desired to see Jesus after having heard so much about Him that when the time came for the King of kings to stand before him, no answer was given to all his lengthy and curious questionings. The Son of God gave no word to the king, no sign – absolutely nothing. The sealing of Herod’s eternal fate was reflected by the Messiah’s silence.

Just because a group of people are enthused with witnessing signs and wonders does not entail a genuine move of the Holy Spirit is taking place and yet so much emphasis is laid upon such phenomena to draw many into the Church. One of the vital evidences of the Holy Spirit’s presence and influence is that Christ be seen, lifted up and intensely desired above all else; miracles are shadows, Christ is the very substance. Christ’s miracles were to confirm that He indeed is the Son of God and yet despite all the wonders performed, people of certain villages and towns remained hardened in heart because of their unbelief. Anyone will stand in awe of the miraculous, but when it comes to the demands of discipleship according to the New Testament, where we do not love our lives even unto death, Christianity takes on a completely different theme; it touches everything that is dear to us – and of course, it does.

All the mainstream charismatic leaders in America will never preach that to be a Christian means it is God’s demands on your life; it is always the other way round where God is at our disposal; it doesn’t cost anything but rather everything is to be gained through good health, financial success and popularity. We don’t have to look far to see the false shepherds that occupy most of America’s pulpits or soapboxes for a more appropriate word; they may speak about Jesus, but they do not proclaim Him, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that they may present everyone mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28). This road to spiritual maturity is a hard road and there are no short cuts. Salvation is free but to walk the pilgrims’ walk comes with a price that so many shy away from paying and so the majority prefer to hear an easier message where the wayward shepherds proclaim ‘Peace, peace’ where no genuine reconciliation with God has taken place in the heart. Paul Washer in his sobering statement could not be truer in depicting the state of America’s spirituality: “False teachers are God’s judgment on people who don’t want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That’s why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him but he is the judgment of God upon them.”

We may hear of Jesus gladly, the Saviour embraced but the Lord defaced, while all along remain loyal to sin and self which is none other than to follow in the footsteps of an eternally lost king.