Caricature Church
Revelation
I saw a cartoon character, Bugs Bunny. He appeared to be leaning on a carrot. It was a huge carrot, about as tall as he was. As I watched him, I became aware of a huge open area behind him. It was a warehouse and was empty. I could see in the background another open door. As I watched I saw men coming into the warehouse and stocking packages and containers in the warehouse. Soon, the huge warehouse was full of merchandise. I could see that it was food, and medicines, and clothing, and household items, furniture, cars and electronics items. As I continued to watch, the workmen gradually began to leave the area. Soon, I heard doors being closed and secured. Then the lights began going out. I could hear the rabbit chomping his carrot saying “E-h-h-h-h-h, What's up doc?” as the area was plunged into darkness.
Interpretation
A research into the history and characteristics of the cartoon character show that he came out in July 1940. He was lovable loudmouth, bossy, witty and sly, had a winning attitude, always has a good time, was more popular than his competitors, was always boldly self-assured, without shame and always fresh, never stereotyped. His physical characteristics include big ears, big eyes and physical agility. He was/is beloved by all who view his entertaining antics.
There is an analogy here between this cartoon character and today's church.
The seventh month (July) is indicative of earthly perfection. In the year 1940, the number 40 represents a time of testing, trials, temptations.
Today's church is also a loudmouth, lovable, however, only to its own.
The church is bossy, its leaders having assumed an authoritarian stance towards its members which is beyond the parameters of scriptural guidelines.
Wittiness has crept into our messages of Christ and His love and redemption. The words of our “teachers” and “pastors” provoke high spirits and laughter and merry making. Mistaking humor for relief of the sinful human condition, more and more lines of “wit” are introduced into the “sermon” and as applause is elicited, so more and more humorous anecdotes are told.
Skill in contriving, devising and employing devious methods display the skills that stealthily and furtively advance the causes of human agendas from pulpits of men and women who name the name of Christ as an endorsement for their sly purposes.
And as we continue to go from day to day, suffering lives of almost total defeat at the hands of the unseen enemies of our souls, we continue to lie to each other with our pseudo winning attitude of victory in Christ.
And are we not always having a good time, church? Is that not the end result for us today? Peace, prosperity and happiness at the cost of compromising the precious covenant paid for by the blood of the living Christ on our behalf?
And is not our denomination and our leader and our “philosophy of ministry” much more popular with the “masses” than that of our “competitors” in “our” ministry?
Boldly self-assured, we step out claiming the name and blood of Christ as our protective covering, but with total dependency upon self and the institutions of man, and reap failure upon failure upon ourselves. We are always learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth of the name and blood of Christ, and we continue to regress in our bold self-assuredness.
We too, have no shame of our fleshly sin, and we always have a “fresh” “new way” to do things so that “our ministry” is not stereotyped by the simple message of the cross.
Our big ears and eyes and fat, corpulent, sickly bodies do not hear the truth, or see the truth and do not reflect the truth. But we brag, one to another, of our physical and spiritual agility with a “can you top this?” attitude which surpasses even the miracles recorded in scripture.
And we continue to seek the love and approval of others in our camp by our entertaining antics.
Application
As a caricature of the true church of Jesus Christ, we are no more respected by the world as a living, viable, organism with the power of blessings and abundant life than a cartoon character.
We must cease to be loudmouths, and speak the words of God to each other and to the world.
We must institute true scriptural authority within the parameters of scriptural guidelines.
We must speak messages of Christ and His love and redemption. There is no humor to be found in the deprivation, degradation and death that surrounds us in this hour.
We must terminate human agendas that use the name of Christ as their endorsements.
We must program the words of scripture into our inner man so that we attain to the true victory that Jesus Christ has made available to us, and become true “winners.”
We must enter into the fullness of the covenant that has been paid for by the blood of the Lamb. Just as peace, prosperity and happiness was not the goal of Jesus, so must we embrace the Fathers purpose for us. To bring all things into one, in Christ. (Ephesians 1:9,10).
We must lose our competitive attitude towards one another and begin to function as a family that has a clearly defined goal, purpose and direction in bringing blessings and abundant life to those who are cursed and living in death on this earth.
We must lose our dependency upon self and depend upon God and come to a knowledge of the truth by our much learning and step out boldly in the assurance of the word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.
We must recognize our sinful state and begin to believe the simple message of the cross and let others see our salt and our light as we tell them of the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
We must remove the spiritual barriers to our hearing and seeing and begin to reflect the truth of the word of God. Then we shall see the miracles spoken of in the scriptures performed by the power of our God as He works through us.
We must seek only the approval of our Creator, our God, our Master, our Redeemer, and our Saviour.
And then the things that we covet—food, and medicines, and clothing, and household items, furniture, cars and electronics items—will dim as we recognize the true values of what has been provided to us by our Father in heaven.
And we will not be plunged into darkness and wonder, along with the cartoon characters of this world, as they nonchalantly chomp their carrot pacifier, “E-h-h-h-h-h, What's up doc?”
