Day: March 28, 2025

Friday, March 28, 2025

“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,…” (Matthew 23:5 KJV).

Should we be in attendance at the “Desperate-for-Attention-and-Relevance Conference?”

Circa the year 2000, just before the advent of social media, society began gravitating toward so-called “reality television.” Contrary to its name, it is mainly not reality but illusory. Such scripted shows focus on trash talk and trashy living, “to be seen and heard” at levels unparalleled. Filth and foolishness are glorified for sake of high ratings and enormous paychecks. Topics once deemed improper—or “for mature audiences only”—were gradually introduced to viewers of all ages by means of exaggerated dialog and feigned conduct. People acting like complete fools on television became normalized, which spilled over into real life. An entire generation of children (including my own generation) grew up with the influence of such “rearing,” observing constant vulgar programming and assuming it was okay.

Social-networking platforms targeting pre-teens and teenagers are now raising the next generation. With technological advancements, today, they have, not merely screens to watch others engage in nonsense, but their own cameras and social-media to create and instantly share their personal folly with millions around the world! Narcissism—love of self—has exploded exponentially. We can only wonder the emotional and psychological damage inflicted. (Rest assured, it will become more apparent as the decades pass.) Yet, “reality television” and “social-networking” are the least of our problems.

Paul won the Corinthians to Christ back in Acts chapter 18. Several years passed by the time he penned our Bible Books of 1 and 2 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians chapters 12–14, spiritual gifts are being abused. The Corinthians have replaced the Holy Spirit’s work in them with their own efforts, and this was absolutely disastrous. Chapter 12 is how the Holy Spirit imparted spiritual gifts to the members of the Body of Christ before the Bible canon was completed. As each body part of the physical body is necessary, so every spiritual gift was to be treated as important—though some were more obvious or seemed more significant than others. The Corinthians were egotistic, lovers of self who used their spiritual gifts to draw attention to themselves….